porcupine

Not exactly ... from Atomic Orbitals on chemguide.co.uk: "When a planet moves around the sun, you can plot a definite path for it which is called an orbit. A simple view of the atom looks similar and you may have pictured the electrons as orbiting around the nucleus. The truth is different, and electrons in fact inhabit regions of space known as orbitals" "This page tries to explain why the idea that electrons orbit a nucleus like planets around the sun is wrong." also, this.

"When"? I appreciate your vote of confidence! No doubt the onions make a difference, but if I want to eat the dish in any real quantity, it'll have to be an onion-light version.

Promising, but not a complete success. I like the technique in the mesir wat recipe I linked to a few posts ago; it's almost like making risotto. But it didn't have a huge amount of flavor. Could be that the berbere I purchased was old. Could be because I cut way back on the amount of onion. Next time I'll make my own berbere. Also, I used ghee, but saw references in other recipes to niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter). I'll make that too, next time. The injera wasn't inedible, but I'm glad I didn't have to serve it to friends. The texture was just odd, and the taste wasn't bad, but not right, either. I'm not sure what went wrong. Watched several videos and read more than a dozen recipes. There isn't much variation. Maybe I'll start fermenting more teff and try again in a few days.

Is it still tasting menu only on Friday and Saturday?

black-eye peas (Next Step) cooked with thyme, bay leaf, clove, and a smoked ham hock, over collard greens with slivers of ham and a tiny bit of onion and garlic a Pennsylvania ewe's milk cheese and crackers hot cocoa later

Was a bit early for an appointment yesterday, so stopped at Fresh Market in Rockville, et voila! teff flour. So, homemade injera in a few nights.

Thanks for all your tips. Sadly we've had to cancel this trip but have a credit with the airline, so we might try again later this year. --- Warner Bros. Studio Tour (Sundae in the Park)

Where can I find teff flour? Bethesda Co-op has whole grain teff (Bob's Red Mill) but not flour. I'll order it online if I have to, but would rather find a local source.

I have a lot of red lentils to use, and recently bought a bag of berbere, so thought I'd try mesir wat some time this week. I've never cooked Ethiopian food before. Anyone have a good recipe? I was going to use the one on this site.

It's a fair point, and a worthy two cents. I have a hard time imaging myself saying "please leave us alone" in a polite way, but I'll keep it in mind for next time. Really the problem is mine; I love the food at this place but I know that their business model is predicated on obsequious service. I won't be able to change that, so I should just stop dining there. I hate that there are people in this world who enjoy being sucked up to, and I hate that there are people willing to do the sucking up for profit. Over-eager bussers is a peeve of mine, too. Another one of my favorite restaurants has staff who are almost predatory that way; they circle around the room like hawks, looking for nearly-empty plates, and when they see them they swoop in and snatch them away. Agreed about the hotdog. What constitutes good service, anyway? And why is it so difficult?

Recently my husband and I went out to dinner with two relatives who we don't see very often. I don't think it too unusual that, although we were at a nice restaurant, our purpose was to enjoy each others' company. The setting and food were ancillary. I lost track of how many times we were interrupted during our three-course meal. Just during appetizers, we were visited by the waiter twice, and also by three different managers. And someone refilling water glasses three times. One course, eight interruptions to our conversation. Eight! So here's my plea, and really it's for all restaurants: While I appreciate that you were just trying to do your jobs and be attentive, it sure would be nice if you would learn to read body language. Please. When four people are leaning into the table and talking intently, that's what we call a "clue". I have decent peripheral vision; I know you were hovering there. I was ignoring you, deliberately. Don't shove yourself in to our conversation ask how we're enjoying things. Couldn't you see that we were enjoying things just fine? By the fourth iteration, I was sorely tempted to reply "we would be enjoying things just fine if you'd fucking leave us alone." By about the sixth iteration, our guests were looking mightily pissed-off. Their faces were getting quite expressive. Can't you read facial expressions, either? Likewise, when four people are sitting back from the table, utensils down, and at least two of them are looking around the entire space, that is also a clue. It means that now we would like some attention. Don't leave us hanging for fifteen minutes. Look, I've worked in customer service. I know there's a small space between being attentive and being overbearing. Learning to find that space and operate within it is key to good service. It's a job made harder by the fact that the size and shape of that space differs for every customer. But learning to judge that space is not so difficult. All it takes is a little attention to detail and some empathy. My apologies for sounding pissy. If it were just Mr. P and me, we would have been chuckling at the ridiculous situation. But these well-meaning people seriously irritated our guests, who I am sure will never return, and frankly damaged our reputation as "the ones who always know the good places to dine". And we probably won't return either, which is a shame because this used to be one of our standby restaurants.

Smithsonian Channel has been airing re-runs of its show Air Disasters recently, including an episode about the Air Florida crash. Overall this is a really interesting series, with re-enactments, investigative journalism, interviews with investigators and survivors, and a minimum amount of sensationalism.

[KN, I will probably merge this into the Southern California thread in a few days, but will leave it here by itself for greater visibility for now. Try pm-ing Sundae in the Park if she doesn't reply soon.]

Somehow I've managed to go a few years without dining at Praline. A few nights ago, they had a lamb stew that knocked my socks off. Perfectly braised meat in a rich sauce, with a few dried tomatoes and apricot, served on a potato puree. It was divine, nicely savory with just a little sweetness from the apricot. (It reminded me of the salli boti jardaloo at Passage to India.) They're now offering both sweet and savory crepes. Be advised that they close early - 8:00. We still go for pastries fairly often. The last two sentences of my previous post are still true.

It's that time of year again. Convivial is offering a good cassoulet. Who else is these days?

When Mr. P and I first met, we formed a friendship based on two common interests: SF (written) and Chinese food. Subsequently I became interested in learning how to prepare it at home, and bought The Chinese Restaurant Cook Book by Barbara Myers (1982). In it she writes: "The Chinese master cook...is judged by his wok-hay, or the "signature" of the stir-fry pan. Wok-hay is a Cantonese expression literally translated as "air of the cooking vessel." It refers to how well a dish is prepared - how close it comes to perfection. Aroma is the key determinant; yet the wok-hay is intended to encompass the appearance of the dish, the seasoning, the textures and the blending of flavors." Despite the silly name it's a decent book (or so I thought in the mid-80s), with introductory chapters about regional styles, the wok, the cleaver, and basic techniques. I hadn't even opened it in two decades. Maybe I'll explore it again. Thanks for the reminder.

ps please visit my photo galleries at http://ermiller.smugmug.com/. I'd post more here but I have to cut the resolution in order for them to post on this site.

First, a hearty thank you for all the recommendations. Iceland is wonderful. Also, Reykjavik is somewhat warmer than DC at this time of year (on average), and there's less snow [typing while on break from shoveling out of historic blizzard]. There's so much to say I don't know where to begin. So this will be rather random. Flybus, operated by Reykjavik Excursions, is a good way to get from Keflavik to Reykjavik. Buy your pass on-line and print it -this will save you from a long line at their booth at the airport. The day is short in January but is preceeded and followed by more than an hour of civil twilight. The sun never gets more than 5 degrees above the horizon, making the quality of light extraordinary, with hours of alpenglow. One thing I never saw mentioned in any guidebooks or on-line: the street art. Wander around downtown and the older districts for a day, and look for color: bright doors, bright roofs, and big damn paintings on the sides of buildings. The coffee scene is good. I think the best I had was at Reykjavik Roasters, but I also had good cups at Kaffitar and Bakari Sandholt. The latter is a lovely stop for breakfast, or lunch. Sandholt made probably the best croissant I've ever tasted, and ever other pastry was fantastic, too. A small quiche (actually a fritatta) made for a nice light dinner before a northern lights tour. Other places to get small meals: Icelandic Fish and Chips made great fish and decent chips, as well as a hearty tomato-fennel soup. The fish is fried in a spelt batter, making it incredibly crispy. The infamous hotdog stand (Bí¦jarins Beztu Pylsur) is an experience. The hotdog is good, not worth going out of your way for, but a great snack if you're nearby. Forréttabarinn serves mostly small plates. Mr. P struck out with his duck quesadilla (I think), but I had a double-play: beef carpaccio with pesto and parmesan, and cured wild goose with reindeer terrine and pear chutney. Speaking of cured wild goose, we found a lovely little cheeseshop, Ostabíºâˆ‚in, that also had cured wild goose (hot-smoked), as well as cured lamb filet. Some of these, an Icelandic cow's milk cheese, and a package of crackers made for good snacks/quick lunch on a day-long Golden Circle tour. Also, it pays to do your homework: we were able to bring some goose home. Legally. (OK, actually, it pays to have a savvy friend do your homework for you. We brought a piece back for him, too.) Most days we had breakfast at Bergsson Mathíºs. The breads there were fantastic. Actually, the breads almost everywhere were fantastic. Bergsson had decent coffee, and straightforward but tasty and filling breakfasts. One dinner was at Einar Ben, rather old-school looking but not at all stuffy. I had a delicious lobster soup and cod filet with feta and olives (I think). The big deal dinner was at Dill. Although everything we ate - and we ate everything, getting the seven-course tasting menu - was delicious and perfectly prepared, the experience left us cold. I'm not sure if it was a communication issue with the waiter or what, but he was absolutely inflexible about anything. It's as if the entire experience is choreographed with no room for improvisation. So you can opt for five courses instead of seven, but you don't get to choose which ones. Also, even though I told him that I can only drink a little bit of booze without getting sick, he kept trying to sell me another glass of champagne. It was to the point where I wanted to say "please don't ask again". The meal was almost three hours long. So, despite the cool ambience and David Bowie tribute soundtrack, we felt rather stiff and constrained and unable to relax. Still, I'm glad I tried it once. We did a private golden circle tour with Extreme Iceland. Our guide, Ingolfur, was personable, knowledgeable, and flexible. It's a lot to see in one day - kind of a tasting menu of famous natural sites - and we were somewhat rushed because we added snowmobiling to the itinerary. Snowmobiling on a glacier in Iceland in January has to be one of the coolest things I've ever done. There was more - art museums and so on. The highlight for me, and the reason I wanted to go, was to see the northern lights. We tried one evening on a private tour with no luck, but our guide did take us on a moonlight hike to a frozen waterfall. A few nights later we tried again, with Superjeep, an outfit I highly recommend. There were 6 people per jeep and 5 jeeps in a convoy, and the guides knew what they were doing. Be warned, you aren't guaranteed to see the lights, and they don't look to the naked eye like they do in pictures. The camera sees them much, much better. Unless they are very strong, they look like white mist with occasional flashes of color. For that reason, bring a camera (and tripod and remote shutter release...). I shot more than 150 photos in an hour, and although my intent had been to enjoy the experience without making a photo shoot out of it, I would have missed a lot without the camera. There's more, I could write pages. If anyone wants specific recommendations, feel free to post here or send me a message. To sum up, I'd say January is a fine time to visit, and Reykjavik is a small but civilized and delightful city. I can't wait to go back. Oh, one more thing - we didn't use any cash the entire time we were there. Everything that can be purchased can be purchased with credit cards. It's an almost cashless society.

Last night: green chile posole Tonight: either beef stew or macaroni and cheese; homemade pistachio stracciatella ice cream Sunday night: either macaroni and cheese or beef stew special treat some time later today: hot smoked goose breast procured in Iceland

Way off topic, but timely. Last week I was on a bus at the airport in Iceland. An older couple got on board. The woman loudly exclaimed (American accent) "there are no single seats left!" Then, addressing a woman in an aisle seat, "you need to move over!" other woman: no I don't first woman: but I need that seat other woman: you could ask. I had been in the same situation a few minutes earlier. My approach: "excuse me, may I take that seat?" Granted a single example, but I do see/hear this kind of behavior all the time, and it makes me cringe. Being kind/polite costs nothing. Why is it so hard for some people?

Even in English it comes across as rude. Or perhaps I'm the only American left who cares. Off topic, sorry, but this might be one of my top peeves ever.

"chapter four TENT RENTALS Rented a tent, a tent, a tent; Rented a tent, a tent, a tent. Rented a tent! Rented a tent! Rented a, rented a tent. -SNARE DRUM ON MARS" --The Sirens of Titan Vonnegut had a unique wit.

This post reminded me, when visiting the Sackler be sure to look at the floral displays by Cheyenne Kim (SI horticulturalist) in the entrance kiosk. The displays are funded by a grant and change every week or two. They are always spectacular works of art. Kim was also doing the ones at the Freer, which is now closed for renovations. Many visitors to the Smithsonian don't really notice or think about the gardens, but they are an integral part of the experience. Smithsonian Gardens is a "unit" of the Smithsonian Institution, and the people there create and maintain displays inside the museums as well as outside. There are plantings all around the American History museum, a butterfly garden, a bird garden, the Victory Garden, the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden, the Enid A. Haupt Garden (and within that the fountain garden and the moongate garden), the rose garden (eek I've forgotten for whom it's named), extensive landscaping around Air and Space, and native plants at American Indian. Oh, and the Kogod Courtyard as well. Sometimes there is art displayed in the gardens, as in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, or the new urn created by D.B. Renfroe in the Haupt Garden. The Ripley Garden features urns, benches, lampposts, and a fountain. And of course the gardens themselves are works of art. Even in the winter there are interesting things to see in the gardens. Check out the medallions on the iron fences on the north side of Haupt, or the birch bark decorations on the Renwick Gates.

International arrivals at Dulles: apparently things got better with the introduction of Passport Express. "Forty new self-service passport kiosks, installed in the airport's international arrival facilities, will help automate the international arrivals process, reducing the wait for passengers to be seen by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer." We were there yesterday late afternoon; no other planes had arrived so there weren't many travelers around. By the time our luggage came out, there was a wait to use the kiosks, though not a long wait. Nonetheless, we got through with Global Entry in just a few minutes, even though I had items to declare and had to speak with someone at Customs and Border Protection. Global Entry is definitely a time-saver, but as noted above everyone in your party needs to have it.