I brought almost no books with me to London, attempting to keep the weight of my luggage to a minimum. While here, I've bought very few books, due to constraints in budget and the heavy thought of carrying or mailing them back home next year. I have been making extensive use of my local library here, which has its own delights, and I've been keeping a list at goodreads.com to remember what I've read.
But I really miss having my favourite books around me. I miss favourite passages and poems that I look up and reread regularly. I miss friends' inscriptions in books that were gifts. Whenever (in spite of the risk to my bank account) I stop by a bookstore and catch sight of the uniform row of the Patrick O'Brian series, I reach out and caress the spines longingly. But the books I visit in bookstores are not mine. They don't open at the right places. They have the wrong covers (or it's wrong that they have a cover at all). They weren't devoured and absorbed and broken and stained by me and the people I've chosen to share them with.
My books are stuffed in boxes in my parents' attic, waiting for me to return and dust them off and restore them to their places of honour.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Blind Light
Yesterday I went with Alicia and some other friends of hers to the "Blind Light" exhibit at the Hayward Gallery. The installation for which the exhibit is named is a rectangular, brightly lit room of fog. Standing in the queue snaking around the perimeter, we watched people inside suddenly appear against the glass and then fade back into the fog. Some would smash against the glass with a loud thwack like birds flying into big windows. Others would tentatively grope for the wall with trembling hands.
Before we went in, I couldn't understand why everyone felt the need to actually touch the glass. Once you're close enough to discern the seams between the panels, and see outside, why would you need to actually press up against the glass as everyone inside seemed to be doing?
Once inside, though, it becomes clear. You can't see at all. The fog is so thick, you can't see your own feet, or even much of your legs. Looking up into the bright white fog, you could very well be outside instead of inside; there's no way to tell. Sometimes shadows would loom up in front of you, giving you a brief warning that there's someone else there, but often you'd just run right into other people. If you weren't walking too quickly, you'd have some notice that you were approaching the glass wall because the fog would get a bit darker. But it was still extremely difficult to discern the distance to the glass. You'd reach for it, and even with your fingers just an inch or two from the glass, you couldn't be sure if it was right there or another foot away. Also, it was hard to tell if you were coming at the glass perpendicularly, or from some other angle, making the glass slope towards or away from you. We were delighted, but some people were clearly disturbed and tried to head straight back out as soon as they got in, though this wasn't necessarily easy.
Installations like this and the slides at the Tate Modern indicate that contemporary artists are appropriating the role of amusement parks. I don't intend that as a criticism. I think their aims have never been particularly dissimilar, and these interactive exhibits are fun. In "Skyblaster Man", Peter Mayer sings "To be convinced you’re alive/It’s a mighty big job for a three minute ride/So he brings his powers to bear/As if he’s in prayer/While they’re in the air". As it was the last day of the exhibit and a Sunday afternoon, we had the queues of an amusement park to add to the impression.
There's a great fountain just outside the Hayward Gallery, with walls of water that subside long enough for you to jump inside the little square rooms. We were already damp from the exhibit inside, and the weather outside wasn't all that different from the interior of Antony Gormley's fog room, so we scooted inside the fountain, leaving us quite a bit wetter and colder than we had been.
We warmed up at a gaudy tex-mex restaurant. So I spent the evening giggling with the girls over tequila. The waiter provided us with cowboy hats, making us look like a hen party instead of a bunch of mathematicians and computer scientists.
I've put a few more photos here.
Before we went in, I couldn't understand why everyone felt the need to actually touch the glass. Once you're close enough to discern the seams between the panels, and see outside, why would you need to actually press up against the glass as everyone inside seemed to be doing? Once inside, though, it becomes clear. You can't see at all. The fog is so thick, you can't see your own feet, or even much of your legs. Looking up into the bright white fog, you could very well be outside instead of inside; there's no way to tell. Sometimes shadows would loom up in front of you, giving you a brief warning that there's someone else there, but often you'd just run right into other people. If you weren't walking too quickly, you'd have some notice that you were approaching the glass wall because the fog would get a bit darker. But it was still extremely difficult to discern the distance to the glass. You'd reach for it, and even with your fingers just an inch or two from the glass, you couldn't be sure if it was right there or another foot away. Also, it was hard to tell if you were coming at the glass perpendicularly, or from some other angle, making the glass slope towards or away from you. We were delighted, but some people were clearly disturbed and tried to head straight back out as soon as they got in, though this wasn't necessarily easy.
Installations like this and the slides at the Tate Modern indicate that contemporary artists are appropriating the role of amusement parks. I don't intend that as a criticism. I think their aims have never been particularly dissimilar, and these interactive exhibits are fun. In "Skyblaster Man", Peter Mayer sings "To be convinced you’re alive/It’s a mighty big job for a three minute ride/So he brings his powers to bear/As if he’s in prayer/While they’re in the air". As it was the last day of the exhibit and a Sunday afternoon, we had the queues of an amusement park to add to the impression.
There's a great fountain just outside the Hayward Gallery, with walls of water that subside long enough for you to jump inside the little square rooms. We were already damp from the exhibit inside, and the weather outside wasn't all that different from the interior of Antony Gormley's fog room, so we scooted inside the fountain, leaving us quite a bit wetter and colder than we had been. We warmed up at a gaudy tex-mex restaurant. So I spent the evening giggling with the girls over tequila. The waiter provided us with cowboy hats, making us look like a hen party instead of a bunch of mathematicians and computer scientists.
I've put a few more photos here.
Old Standbys
Artichoke Pizza
olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 9 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
1 pizza crust
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat oil in a skillet. Add bell peppers. Saute for 3 minutes. Add half the garlic, saute until peppers are tender, then set aside. Combine remaining garlic, mayonaise, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and artichoke hearts in a food processor (or blender, or just mash). Process until finely chopped. Place pizza crust on baking sheet, top with artichoke heart mixture, then bell pepper mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses and thyme. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.
Leek, Mushroom, and Lemon Risotto
8 oz trimmed leeks
2-3 cups crimini mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 3/4 cups risotto rice
5 cups simmering vegetable stock
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. of lemon juice
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh chives and parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon wedges, to serve
Wash the leeks well. Slice them in half lengthwise and chop them roughly. Wipe the mushrooms with paper towels and chop them roughly.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the leeks, mushrooms, and plenty of seasoning and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until softened and browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add 2 Tbsp. of the butter to the pan. As soon as it has melted, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened and golden.
Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute, until the grains begin to look translucent and are coated in the fat. Add a ladleful of the stock to the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed.
Continue to add stock, a ladleful at a time, until all the stock has been absorbed. This should take 25-30 minutes. The risotto will turn thick and creamy and the rice should be tender but not sticky.
Just before serving, stir in the leeks, mushrooms, remaining butter, grated lemon zest and juice. Add half the grated parmesan and herbs. Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and herbs. Garnish with parsley, if you like, and serve with lemon wedges.
Marbled Cheesecake Squares
2 cups plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
16 oz. (2 pkgs) cream cheese AT ROOM TEMP
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp whipping cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted (melt later)
opt.: raspberry jam, for swirling
Heat oven to 350 degrees f.
Combine 2 cups flour and brown sugar in mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Spread and pat firmly onto bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 mins. Place pan on a rack to cool and lower oven temp to 325. Combine cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in remaining tablespoon of flour along with the vanilla and whipping cream. Pour batter evenly onto baked crust. Spoon melted chocolate over topping. Using a table knife, swirl the chocolate (and, optionally, raspberry jam) through the cheese topping until marbled throughout. Return to oven and bake until center is set, about 35 mins. Place pan on a rack to cool; cut into 2-inch squares. Serve slightly warm, at room temp or chilled.
Makes about 24 squares. Store covered in the pan for one day at room temp or in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 9 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
1 pizza crust
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Heat oil in a skillet. Add bell peppers. Saute for 3 minutes. Add half the garlic, saute until peppers are tender, then set aside. Combine remaining garlic, mayonaise, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and artichoke hearts in a food processor (or blender, or just mash). Process until finely chopped. Place pizza crust on baking sheet, top with artichoke heart mixture, then bell pepper mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses and thyme. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.
Leek, Mushroom, and Lemon Risotto
8 oz trimmed leeks
2-3 cups crimini mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 3/4 cups risotto rice
5 cups simmering vegetable stock
grated zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. of lemon juice
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh chives and parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon wedges, to serve
Wash the leeks well. Slice them in half lengthwise and chop them roughly. Wipe the mushrooms with paper towels and chop them roughly.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Add the leeks, mushrooms, and plenty of seasoning and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until softened and browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add 2 Tbsp. of the butter to the pan. As soon as it has melted, add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened and golden.
Stir in the rice and cook for about 1 minute, until the grains begin to look translucent and are coated in the fat. Add a ladleful of the stock to the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed.
Continue to add stock, a ladleful at a time, until all the stock has been absorbed. This should take 25-30 minutes. The risotto will turn thick and creamy and the rice should be tender but not sticky.
Just before serving, stir in the leeks, mushrooms, remaining butter, grated lemon zest and juice. Add half the grated parmesan and herbs. Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and herbs. Garnish with parsley, if you like, and serve with lemon wedges.
Marbled Cheesecake Squares
2 cups plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
16 oz. (2 pkgs) cream cheese AT ROOM TEMP
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp whipping cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted (melt later)
opt.: raspberry jam, for swirling
Heat oven to 350 degrees f.
Combine 2 cups flour and brown sugar in mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Spread and pat firmly onto bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 mins. Place pan on a rack to cool and lower oven temp to 325. Combine cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in remaining tablespoon of flour along with the vanilla and whipping cream. Pour batter evenly onto baked crust. Spoon melted chocolate over topping. Using a table knife, swirl the chocolate (and, optionally, raspberry jam) through the cheese topping until marbled throughout. Return to oven and bake until center is set, about 35 mins. Place pan on a rack to cool; cut into 2-inch squares. Serve slightly warm, at room temp or chilled.
Makes about 24 squares. Store covered in the pan for one day at room temp or in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Friday, August 17, 2007
新词
我昨天晚上去上中文课. 春燕给我们的新词太多了, 而且成语也太多了. 她给了我们四个新成语!
下课后春燕和我一起走路回家. 她说<<你走路太快了. 我跟不上>>. 她还说<<你很聪明, 学得很快>>. 我说<<我学得不快. 数学很难. 我学得太慢了>>. 她说<<你是美国人! 你应该说 "是的! 我学得很快!">>.
今天晚上我去酒吧. 明天晚上我做晚饭. 我的朋友来我家吃晚饭.
我现在不想说英文.
下课后春燕和我一起走路回家. 她说<<你走路太快了. 我跟不上>>. 她还说<<你很聪明, 学得很快>>. 我说<<我学得不快. 数学很难. 我学得太慢了>>. 她说<<你是美国人! 你应该说 "是的! 我学得很快!">>.
今天晚上我去酒吧. 明天晚上我做晚饭. 我的朋友来我家吃晚饭.
我现在不想说英文.
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