DIY African light fixture

Back when I was in the Peace Corps I had my own little house, and to while away the hours I built shelves and hinged window screens and made tortillas by hand. Over my bed of course I had hung an insectide-treated mosquito net, which was a hassle to get in and out of but kept me malaria-free for the full 27 months.

Actually, the net wasn't a hassle so much as it was annoying to be reading in bed and then fall asleep and have the overhead light still be on (yes, I had electricity and running water, and eventually a fridge, and no, I don't think it substantially changes the overall experience). So I went to the Malians and got myself a plug, some wire, a switch, a bulb and a light socket, and asked my post-mate Mike to show me how to wire it all up into a lamp. The idea being, I place the switch on my headboard, just outside the mosquito net but pokeable from inside, and I hang the lightbulb overhead.

This I did and have been a fan of small lamp projects ever since. My innovation even diffused as far as Lambarene to Jason's house after he spent a few nights in my guest room, which I had also rigged up, because hell why not?

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I'm in Bamako at the Bla Bla, fabled grill and bar, and the go-to meetup spot for volunteers and expats alike. The pork chops, by the way, are to die for, but what really intrigued me this time were the lights hanging above the bar, set in the middle of the room. They were pairs of plastic plates and bowls and cups, hanging pendant-style, colored flying saucers glowing softly from the inside.

Fortunately the plastic bowl market is right next to the artisan's market I always go to, which is conveniently next to a very nice Ecole de Boulangerie where you can get a decent coffee and pain-au-chocolat. I manage to outline my idea to the plastic-bowl-tigi (tigi being the Bambara word for 'holder' or really 'seller'), and I rustle up pairs of bowls, large and small, and some purple cups.

I finally finished everything today to make my own light fixture for the back porch. I had to cannibalize a cord from a lamp that was almost dead, so I feel the sacrifice was worth it.

I think it looks pretty nice.

Leftover Roast Pork Ragu Hodgepodge

What to do with the 2 lbs or so leftover roast pork that I can't bear to make into sandwiches anymore and that probably needs a lot of recooking anyways?

Ragu Hodgepodge!

Most ragus call for a mix of ground pork and beef and lamb - they're the original one pot all day dinner. So I grabbed some leftovers and things from the fridge and here's what happened:

Saute one large onion and three carrots in oil and butter.

Add your 1 lb ground beef and cook just until not red anymore. Make sure pieces aren't too chunky.

Glug in one half bottle of Bourgogne Pinot Noir that remarkably has not turned to vinegar despite being opened and left in the heat (corked) for over a month. Simmer till evaporated.

Add your pork which it is helpful to chop beforehand, instead of forgetting and then fishing out most of the pieces by hand with a fork.

Add 2 cups milk and simmer till evaporated, mostly. Try not to worry that it looks a little ugly right now.

Finally, put in some nutmeg and three large cans of diced tomatoes. Rejoice that things look a little more normal.

Laugh as dog hunts fly in kitchen.

Take nap, and hope that bottom of the pot doesn't burn.

Final verdict: Tastes like ragu with bacon!

Bee bop a reebop, Rhubarb Pie

1.5 lbs rhubarb (minue 1/2 pint strawberries, if using both)

Topping:
1/2 c walnuts
7/8 c flour
1/3 c brown sugar
4 tbp sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c soft butter (salted)

Heat oven to 375. Toast walnuts 4-6 minutes until toasty. Cool them. Chop coarsely, but not too coarsely.

Mix flour, sugars, and cinnamon, then add butter till crumbly. Add walnuts.

Chop your rhubarb into small pieces, 1/2" length or so. You should have 6-7 cups. Toss the fruit with 3/4 c sugar and 3 tbl flour. Let stand 5 min.

Pile fruit into a gratin dish, sprinkle the topping evenly and bake for 45 min or until bubbly and delicious.

Kima Smiles - Video

She's too scared to go down the basement steps so she's always psyched when I come back up.

Dogslide

Zucchini-bacon quiche

Best to make two of these as it's no harder and it goes fast. Slightly adapted from Gourmet 2005. This is for one quiche, so double this:

1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie dough round
1/4 lb sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs
2 oz Gruyère, coarsely grated (1 cup)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Fit pie dough into pie plate and lightly prick all over. Bake according to package instructions, then transfer crust in pie plate to a rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

While crust bakes, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving fat in skillet.

Add zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat in skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until zucchini is tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to a plate.

Heat cream, milk, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan until mixture reaches a bare simmer, then remove from heat.

Whisk together eggs in a large heatproof bowl, then gradually whisk in hot cream mixture until combined. Stir in bacon, zucchini, and cheese and pour into piecrust. Bake until filling is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer quiche in pan to rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes.

That sweet outdoor sound

Tuesday was the second evening of Music in the Park. The first evening, ten nights prior, featured a very competent soul/funk band and several beers each. While taking in the music we noticed:

a) large numbers of dogs
b) the people in front of us with fancy picnic paraphenalia, including special dishes with which to put salt on the rims of their margarita glasses, a rolling cooler, and a cocktail shaker.

Jealous outdo-ers that we are, we decided to show them just how fancy we could get, too. A few ideas were thrown out - creme brulee, with blow-torched crust; champagne, quiche, and fancy cheese; and of course a rolling cooler.

So on Tuesday we rolled in with the cooler, some Old Chatham Nancy Camembert from Whole Foods, and the two lonely bottles of champagne that had been pining for just such an occasion in my fridge for the last couple months. The zucchini-bacon-Gruyere quiche I made went over very well, as did Mari's creme brulee, which we scarfed down in three minutes, our forks darting in and out of the pyrex dish with abandon.

The best single moment, however, was the pop of the first bottle of champagne, and the cork's long ascent straight up into the air. It was the sound of exuberance. We all watched it rise up over the crowd, heads turning and craning up, smiles broadening in recognition. It's shorthand for celebration, champagne, and I'm sure everyone thought we were feting a birthday or a promotion or some other event, and it was even nicer for us to know that no, we're just celebrating the fact that we're outside, the night is warm, the swing band is great and the dancers are having a blast, and we're together, at least for a few hours, to enjoy all of it.

A Car Full of Exes

All I'm gonna say is, I love it when my life takes on the narrative structure of an opera buffa.

Pig Roast!

I don't want to say it was fantastically easy, but honestly, it was fantastically easy!

Claire and I picked up the pig on Friday just over the line in Pennsylvania. Brought it home and I used the old faithful machete and hammer trick to crack the spinal column and the head. He was about 70 lbs dressed weight.


Then we made the marinate with a cup of lemon juice, 1 cup lime juice, 2 cups oj, 5 heads of garlic, 6 handfuls of crushed fresh oregano, 3 tbl salt, and 3tbl cracked black pepper. And poured it over the pig in the basement.

Then we built the pit!

The next day I got up early and took Kima to the kennel, and Sean showed up with the hacksaw around 11. We made the pig holder and got the fire started.




We brought him up from the basement and wired the pig holder around him.



And put him on the fire.


Halfway through we flipped him (adding 1/2 bag of charcoal every 40 minutes).



Mmm, juicy!


Even babies like piggies!