linking up your stuff

just loving my new macbook pro and the speed in which i can enjoy some awesome websites.

i've just linked my twitter and lastfm to hypemachine - everything's linking up and some don't like it: long live the aggregators - you can't stop progress - just means newspapers have to come up with more interesting ways of keeping readers coming back for more. better consumer interface for starters, more interactivity and then give users a way of choosing the way their version of the website is laid out so they can see what they want straight off. cutting through the glut, that's what the next frontier in digital is all about. how are we going to be able to process all this new info that we actually want to ingest? that's the next challenge.

still loving you'll never be bored ever again...

I'm loving neon hitch btw - unsigned apparently:

NEWS TUFF

i've neglected my blog for a while so here's a few quick things:

check out www.stumbleupon.com it's a wicked way of discovering ace new sites - you can tick boxes to refine the sort of sites it randomly takes you too. brilliant idea.

there's a wicked simple games website called www.physicsgames.net - properly addictive - check out demolition city and the circular blot series.

my other half discovered the recipe for NOBU's black cod totally by accident - it's pretty much bang on. i'll post the recipe up here soon.

been listening to the new Detroit Social Club demos recently and that album sounds like it's gonna be massive. I'm biased obviously but this lot get inside your soul man.

I'm loving golf again but can't get out enough to play - check out urban golf in soho for some digital screen virtual golf - it's quite pricey but really good.

that's all folks - best i could do at 3am on a thursday!

best documentaries of all time

I'm definitely getting old - i decided to seek out the best Docs of all time today and found a few sites with some good recommendations:



http://calacanis.com/2009/01/01/best-documentaries-of-all-time/#comment-3470

http://kottke.org/08/07/top-25-documentaries

some free docs viewable online here:
http://www.bodocus.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Documentary-Films-Ever-Made/lm/VXJD2OS3NFRT

http://www.filmarcade.net/2009/02/best-documentaries-of-2008-as-witnessed.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-ten-best-documentaries-568947.html

If you haven't seen IOUSA yet then you absolutely have to. it's pretty scary stuff. also the online doc i mention on my blog below is pretty cool. please post some of your own faves on here if you get time. thanks.

ever wondered how you can change your windows startup music?

awesome recipe for Potato Dauphinoise that I've bastardised from two friends...Well yummy

Potato Dauphinoise:
(use same recipe for macaroni cheese)

2 measures of Single cream
1 measure of Double cream
Half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
Clump of thyme
Macaroni (if making mac n cheese)
Extra mature cheddar (v important for strong cheesy taste)
Mozzarella – pref grated
Fresh parmesan
Waxy potatoes (or ones that retain water)
Breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Bay leaf

Slice the potatoes about the thickness of a £1 coin then parboil for about 14 mins. Remove and pat dry.
Put single and double cream mix into pan with a whole half an onion, thyme, 2 whole cloves of garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to gentle boil then strain the mixture into another pan.
add grated mature cheddar now and stir into sauce – or you can grate the cheese over the layers as you lay potatoes (see below)
*pour thin layer of sauce into baking dish then one layer of potatoes, keep doing this until just below the top of the dish (over filling will cause it to overflow in the oven) – add bits of mozzarella as you go along for extra stringy texture – also salt and pepper along the way
finish with a layer of sauce and add breadcrumbs and parmesan for crunchy top layer. Put in oven for just under an hour at 200C.

*for macaroni – you will have to pre-boil it before adding to the baking dish – the baking time will be much shorter – 15 mins max just to brown the top layer.

Proper nice. Thanks to Katie & Gui and Matt White for that recipe.

Ted.com

For anyone who hasn't logged on to Ted.com before check this out. A chance to see some of the greatest orators talking about some of the most fascinating subjects:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/themes/top_10_tedtalks.html

Great Rick Stein recipe for Spaghetti Cabonara!

awesome! for anyone who needs an easy but delicious pasta dish...you can also borrow the main ideas behind this to make your own version using other ingredients.

for wacky wine lovers

This guy is nuts and has a manic personality not too dissimilar to Daniel Bedingfield but he knows his wine and this video podcast is pretty interesting. Good if you want some easy insights into enjoying and knowing more about wine
http://tv.winelibrary.com/

This one's thanks to my buddy Adam Weiss - the History of PR in the US: 1 of 6 parts

years ago in a land far far away...

roast pork recipe

I've refined this recipe after about five attempts and it's perfect now - comes out tender and delicious...not one for those on diet though!

This is for a 1.75kg loin. For 1.5kg do 30 mins on 240c and 20 mins on 190.

ingredients:

pork loin 1.75kg (adjust cooking time relative to different sizes)
garlic - finely chopped 2 cloves
garlic - coarsley chopped 2 cloves
handful of thyme
2x small rosemary branches
salt n pepper
2x matchbox sized cut of butter sliced so you have 4x thin rectangle shapes
white wine or apple cider(the sweeter the better)
apple cider vinegar
1 apple peeled and sliced
1x small onion - coarsley chopped
chicken gravy granules
herbes de provence


make sure the fat side of the pork is dry – leave uncovered in the fridge overnight
slice loin in half (horizontally) stopping at the edge so it flaps open. fill with butter slices, rosemary, apple, garlic, salt and pepper then put the net sock back on or tie up with string. Smear garlic, thyme, rosemary and salt n pepper all over. Score the fat side with criss-crosses or just single diagonal lines. Poke bits of garlic and rosemary in holes you’ve scored all over too.

Fry the pork fat side down on a skillet pan until golden brown – no oil needed – keep skin as dry as possible and sprinkle with salt before putting in the oven to really crisp it up.

Pre-heat oven to 220-250C and roast for 30 mins

Add some apple cider vinegar and cider/chardonnay to the base of the pan – do not pour over the top as you need to keep the fat side dry.

After 30 mins on a high heat add sliced apples, garlic cloves and a whole roughly chopped onion to the pan and turn heat down to 190C and roast for a further 20-35 mins – lift the pork loin and put all the onion/garlic etc directly under it so it sits on top.

If you want to - baste regularly for the next 20 mins of stage two to keep moist. Stop basting at about 15 mins before to ensure dry crispy skin. I did it the other day without basting and it came out great – really tender.

Remove from oven and cover – leaving to settle for 10 mins.

Remove pork from the pan and put on a plate and cover. Then mash up all the leftover onion/garlic etc and stick on the hob still in the pan add water a splash of chardonnay. Boil water and add it to chicken gravy granules and stir – then add to a saucepan and stir in the pork/onion/garlic mashings, season to taste with herbe de prov, salt and pepper.

Serve with potato dauphinois or roast potatoes (I've got a great recipe for both of these too so let me know if you want me to post these up)
+ veg

well tasty

writing a best man's speech for my brother...

I've gotta write a best man's speech at my brother's wedding - any suggestions welcome...

The wedding is on May 31st just outside Philly. Their names are Andy and Amanda. He's a golf instruction director at Hershey and she' a hairdresser.

I'm working on the main themes but am looking for some brilliant one liners including a fail safe opening and finish that will bring the house down...

I'll start posting some early drafts on here soon but if you've got any ideas I'd be much obliged.

Thanks