I made siu mai!

Usually, Hubby takes the wheel on stuff like these fiddly dim sum dumplings (siu mai, pronounced SHOO my) -- they are stuffed with a pork mixture and steamed. Hubby was at a meeting tonight, though, so I hauled out the Dim Sum cookbook and followed the recipe to the best of the ingredients on hand (substituted celery for bamboo shoots, and put in only one dried mushroom as I find them very strong). Anyway, I was pretty happy with the results:

There are a few more photos on Flickr. [BTW, the stainless steel steamer baskets are one of our prized posessions -- we found them tucked under a table in a cluttered store in San Francisco, waaay back in 1996. We bought every one they had -- which was six small and two large plus two small lids and one large lid.]


Tags: cooking, dim sum.

Here's $100 -- YOINK!

You know if Ontario gets away with it, our Gordo will be all over the idea.

CBC News: Ontario might claw back federal child-care cash

Basically, Harper's new government has promised $100 per month per child under 6 to go toward a family paying for childcare or to subsidize families who choose to care for their children at home. Ontario sees it as income and plans to deduct it from any social assistance cheque families receive.



Tags: bureaucracy, Canadian politics, idiots.

One to Watch Out For....

Aaron Sorkin is rounding up the usual suspects for a new drama called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip [Wikipedia] set for NBC's fall 2006 schedule.

The setting is a late-night sketch show (think SNL or MadTV), so I am expecting/hoping for something like Sports Night... but only time will tell.

Of course Sorkin fans are already setting up camp -- there's already a blog!


TAGS: television, fall schedule, pilot

Fun with Flickr Toys

Among the many fun things to do at Flickr Toys is a magazine cover generator. Last night I used it to create the Victoria Living cover as part of a new look for my personal web portal page; today I created the Coffee Fashion cover to promote my CuppaJoe Cozies:

Tags: flickr, flickrmagazine, magazine, cuppajoecozy

Cliched vampire fiction wanted

Dark Recesses Press - Submissions

Any age, any plot, any characters are fine, but remember, we want the theme to include a seductive vampire (male or female). Since most competitors will be writing similar stories, style is key. It must be well written, but the more cliché, the more we'll squirm in pleasure, and the better your chances will be.

You have between 1000 - 2,500 words; not a trickle more or less.

Reading periods are from now until May 31st, 2006.

The winner will receive $500 in cold hard US cash

It doesn't specify whether or not the entries must be written in blood...


TAGS: contest, fiction