Speaking of Food – Technique

So talking with some strangers about the subject of food while I was out led me to realize something. When it comes to terms of food some people do not know their marinara from their Monte Cristo. For those who don’t know the difference one is a sauce and the other is a sandwich. Being new to all the terms may find in a cookbook may think that cooking is some form of magic and despite the language being a bit odd at first here are some words that may describe techniques. You never know when one of these will be a jeopardy answer so off we go.

Blanch and Shock – This is a technique that simply means that it was boiled just long enough to heat through (seconds to a minute usually) before dumping the food items in to ice water to manipulate the color and texture. This is normally done for very small pieces of red meat or vegetables.

Whipping – This just means putting a lot of air in to. This is normally done with mixes like cream or egg whites. This can be done usually with a reference of some kind of custard.

Creaming – If you ask a baker and a line cook what this word is then they will give you two different answers. Both are correct, but we will start with the one appropriate to baking. Creaming when your baking something means to mix the butter and sugar in to a paste. On the culinary side, creaming something is something usually cooked in heavy cream.

Chiffonade – This a fancy term that means to cut something to small strips after rolling them up.

Flambe – When you add enough of a high proof alcohol to a pan before lighting it with a match, spark, or lighter. This is often done to add an extra layer of flavor to something as it cooks down. Bananas Foster uses this technique.

After some classes a couple things made something apparent. When anyone learns a new school one of the biggest hurdles is to learn to language associated with the skill. So in hopes that more people cook more their will be various posts to go over some terms. Cooking is something that every person on this planet does. We can communicate through it and learn about culture from it. Before I break my harp on this subject, and I will if this goes much longer from me harping on the subject.

I just love using bad jokes.

Enjoy the day.

 

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Trying something new

Normally when it comes to very important projects one should be very focused. Which should not be a problem for many but, well the way my head works I need to constantly move and when it doesn’t happens I could do more damage trying to wait something out then doing something else. So the projects will still be there but they will become a bit more amorphous as life can be as well. So, no I have not forgotten anything I just have wanted.

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Ultimate Warriors Orochi 3: Destroying Armies With My Uncle

So one thing that I used to love about video games that has seemed to be falling out of favor is that of local co op on a system. Having a friend over on a system and playing together while chatting over whatever is on the minds of the people there. Before some can find out about some of the sports games still supporting local co op let me make a note where I can safely say that I have not touched a sports game in about a decade and a half. If I want to play the sport then I will go out and play the sport.

When me and my uncle play video games normally we want to unwind from all the stupid things going on in the world that we don’t understand completely. My friends and I play not to play sports because all of us have played foot ball and basketball with each other and to quote one of my old friends.

“Why play pretend when you can play for real.”

That is a game that has rinsed the bad memories of RE:6 out of my mouth because it is this thing that actually bringing mirth with a simple beat em up style. In this game you control three of a growing variety of warriors to win the battles of various arenas and battlegrounds by completing objectives and executing tactics.

warriororochi 3

This game may seem simple and if you played some of the earlier ones you will find that outside of the basic game play it could be pretty lean in a couple cases. However with all the offshoots of this family you still run the odds that if you pick up one of the samurai/dynasty warrior games that you will pick up a fun one. Warriors Orochi is the crossover line where you can experience a lot of both sides together with a couple surprises tossed in.

Ultimate Warriors Orochi 3 though has worked up on a lot of things including a few more different game styles. Good graphics for so many different character with a greater interest in more of the relationships, weapons, greater range in weapons. As you go through the game you will unlock more characters that although will not be historically accurate may get people actually thinking who the real world counterparts for most of these are. It’s how I got interested in to such things so someone else would have to work the same way, one would think. Plenty of women, plenty of men and all these people are from a lot of different backgrounds so you can always find a couple character to fill out your team.

When you get to the main game play you pick three characters that you can switch with each with their own musou (special power) You can switch between them easily on the battlefield so if you take some damage with one you can pull them until you find healing items with the other two.

I have two teams I normally work around.

Yoshihiro Shimazu, Hanbei Takenaka, and Guo Huai – Normal Crew

Ieyasu Tokugawa, Shingen Takeda, and Lu Bu Have not been found yet but when they do they will be part of my rotation. Because They are great!!

Anyway if you can find someone to play with; this a great game. Going alone it is still a fun game to pick up and a very deep time sink. One to get for your systems whether it is ps3, ps4( like my uncle’s copy) or the Xbox one.

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Rant: People can do it

Something has been bothering me for a while. Longer then people not wanting to think sometimes or how some people can have the intelligence of a sentient can of spam.

There is so much ability out there that people are so afraid to use. whether they think they will fail or they do not deserve a chance or what have you. I know what I can do I try not to brag about it sometimes while still providing insightful blog posts and that has been a learning process. But this is not about me.

I know people who can be so much. Who have a great amount of ability, but for one reason or another it gets in their head that they cannot do it despite events pointing to otherwise.

I won’t use names for the sake of the people.

A girl who I had gone to school with wanted to translate and be a voice actress for anime. She studied Japanese for years and went to college in Japanese language to ease her way in to it. She tries to break in to voice acting, but suddenly she stops because their is this small group of friends who say that she can’t make it and she should quit to save the pain. On top of this she feels horrible because she has always been short and she can’t see how awesome she is when she defends herself. Because no one but me believed in her though she didn’t even feel pretty. I did what I could to argue otherwise.but numbers won and know she pushes paper for a state.

Someone else who feels horrible and can be a great writer but cuts herself short so much it makes go mad. She has the ability to write something wonderful. It is there as clear as the light of the new day. She downs herself so much though I almost want to shake her and get the point across that she could do it. She can be as lovely a writer and as a human being as she dreams about. I talk to her when I can and I want to hear how she did something she wanted to. She is pretty in her own way she can do what she sets her mind to.

A male friend who wanted to work on his own business something, but because his family said he couldn’t he stopped. Despite business plans and a litany of reports saying that it would be a good chance to take that their was enough there to make it work and for him to have his dream the faith of his family. They say no and suddenly he loses all self assurance.

Three people on top of so many others who have the skill, but just can’t get themselves to believe for a single moment. I understand that we do not live in a meritocracy, but can anyone tell me why people give up when they still want to do something so passionately but can still be dissuaded when everything remotely scientific points to the possibility of success.

More people can make it to their dreams

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At least it all comes at once. Update

So my roommate is evolved in to super stoner idiot but that is okay because I get to spend more time with family. I love it when I try to focus on getting something up to speed and everything else seems to take that as a sign to throw everything else at you.

So that’s why I have been out but in good news. I saved up for a laptop. One that is not a decade old so at least some any equipment may be in the future and that is a good thing.

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Drawing For Dreamers

So the first step making my own little card game for people is getting done on the whole. Sketches of more then ten percent have been completed and part of me is quite happy to finally do some drawing while trying to get some other things handled. On the whole their will also be two ways to win available from the first set.

You can win be having the opposing leader losing all of their hp or you can win by having certain combinations of creatures with a single other card. I am trying to balance to capability for both and you can use your hp for your leader’s special ability. So whatever ways you want to win should be able to happen. Healing your leader is pretty rare so whatever you lose should be figured that it will not be returned. There are cards that can switch your generals with one out of play, but you should not count on that saving you every time as there will not be many.

Overall I hope this builds a semi exciting game that people can have fun with. if you cannot have fun then what would be the point of things like this anyway.

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Resident Evil 6 : Alcohol may be required.

So me and my uncle play video games once every two weeks and he is one who tries to get all the achievements and looks at things often times with the glass half full with a play style that often takes a moment of thought before embarking on a difficult level. Like Abbott and Costello the best pairs are made with differing styles that can be used to make a variety of situations much easier to diffuse or complete with style and bubbly enjoyment.

Having the game come out to someone who enjoyed the series from start turned bad. We started with Leon’s campaign. After a prelude that made little sense we had to jump in as one Leon and Helena. I don’t mind new characters in the series, and despite my experience to playing all of the games I still knew a fair amount about the universe. Helena was not on the list for being different or “new”. Posed as god knows what it seemed to try to have a little bit of everything with little thought to how it all worked together. Someone adding all the spice in the kitchen only to taste a glorified mess. After going through one of the four campaigns and halfway through another here is a view from the foxhole that the game made us lie in.

Positives

Despite it being a game of the triple A market on an Xbox 360 when the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One are the newest iterations it did show a polish to their visual stylings and it looked like it could be a decent survival horror.

It didn’t blow up my uncle’s console.

Negatives

Coming from a list of positives like that you know this section is going to be full but I will just take what I thought were the biggest offenders.

The controls were clunky not int the classic horror sense that would create tension but in the awe inspiring flavor of bad that makes one wonder how after the movement it wasn’t just written by random chance.

Laziness in writing as evidenced by the body of work overall, in the visuals for reusing multiple maps with no change to game content. When trying to make different stories you do not make the same experiences in different storylines for sections of the game. The prologue had been part of Leon’s story and the environments Chris’s story will give you a serious case of de ja vu. It made me feel that this went out the door in a massive rush job. The characters did not make enough sense to by a soda with and overall I wouldn’t be playing it if it wasn’t for the stubborn pride for the two of us. We will beat it.

If you can choose I would suggest not playing it. There are better games on the individual consoles. Better horror does exist almost everywhere then what has been found so far.

Final score: An empty whiskey bottle out of five. You will need it.

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So What Happened?

Well, well, well.

It is good to be back doing this, and it is rather cathartic. First though an explanation is needed with the sudden longer then expected vacation. It is a fairly long story that came to a head. Here is the cliff notes.

My roommate and I both played a lot of trading card games and we actually did fairly well at them. We worked best in a two on two format called two headed giant and this was far enough back that it was one of the bigger events at the mtg state tournament. He had blown up thinking I was going to pass his ability. We run two different styles so I don’t really think it is even possible. Anyway, we had to break the team and shoot our best chance of winning in the foot. The wound only stung more when the champs were a team we had thoroughly trounced before. So I was sickened seeing everything go south that I went to work on my cooking eventually going through school and taking contracts on a mountain in Washington.

After the second time the same person had asked me to get back in the fold after so many years because his singles career had sputtered and seemingly to help a friend I decided to do so. A year and a half of battles with little actual progress with other team members whose talents were not focused on any level turned all of our events where the one person who had been out for a few years having the best record. In short this all went down the tubes as he thought it was better to be stoned then to actually practice and try. On top of that he thought that buying weed would be more important then the sake of finances and decided that he could just couch surf while removing himself from the lease when we had to sign next. I may still be slightly bitter, but I do not find a good mood out of a waste of a good chunk of time. So soon I will be in a new place and getting that hammered out I can keep going on my little projects.

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Hello, Again

I am getting a little more comfortable so with that everything will be coming back too my full rate soon. Until then things will just be going at a rate of whenever I can get it out still 3 a week is the goal. We shall see what happens. I am surprised to see almost no one unsubscribed me or forget this blog while I was away. That means a fair bit so thanks for that. While I wish everything has been good with all of you. I also know that idiots never rest so hopefully you enjoy my work in the future.

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Well, this blows.

So this one takes a little bit of explaining. Due to some circumstances there is a severe chance of my losing my apartment coming up in May. My roommate made some bad financial decisions and I don’t make enough to cover the rent and all utilities on my own. What this means is I will have to put this blog and the Youtube on the shelf soon. Without a place to work it doesn’t really do much good and considering there are more important things like trying to find a roof to sleep under or keeping this one my progress which I do know has been slow will only get slower until I manage to hammer out this wrinkle.

I try to keep the bad news away from this as there always seems to be enough bad news nowadays. In any case I will come back to everything when I am in a place where I continue posting here. Until then though, goodbye for now.

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