Mark decidedly won the streak competition, getting 6 in a row. (Burnsy got 4 before picking OSU and I got 0.
- - -
For total wins here are the standings, with only 3 days left. (Championship game is tie breaker, or latest game).
Mark: 6
Niraj: 5
Dave: 3
- - -
Of the 4 teams in action tomorrow...
Mark has to take Michigan State.
Niraj and Dave can't take Baylor.
For next week, no one's used Butler, everyone's used West Virginia. Mark can't use anyone on the right side of the bracket anymore.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
best tournament ever?
Best tournament ever.
In recent memory, the tournament has been mildly disappointing. Last year only one seed outside the top 5 made it to the Sweet 16. Two years ago the final four was all #1 seeds. (And the two Saturday games still stunk.) Three years ago more chalk. The last really good tourament was 2006, where we had LSU over Duke, the fantastic Gus Johnson-called UCLA over Adam Morrison's Gonzaga, and George Mason's run to the Final Four, capped off by an overtime win over #1 UConn.
But this. Blows it out of the water.
Here's a time capsule so we don't forget all the great games we've had.
1st Round Thursday
The first game out of the gate, #7 BYU over Florida in double overtime with big shots by a guy named Jimmer.
Next up #11 Old Dominion upsets Notre Dame 51-50 after trailing the whole way.
At the same time, #2 Villanova has to send it to overtime to hang on against Bobby Morris.
And then #13 Murray State knocks off Vandy with a true buzzer-beater jump shot.
Northern Iowa was tied with UNLV until Ali Farokhmanesh hit a 3-ball with 4.9 seconds left.
#11 Washington beats Marquette on a clutch drive to the hole by Pondexter at the buzzer.
#14 Ohio crushes Georgetown by 16.
Tennessee and New Mexico won close games over SDSU and Montana.
And Wake Forest beat Texas by 1 in overtime, on a 17-footer with 1.3 seconds left.
1st Round Friday
#12 Cornell upsets Temple easily, proving the sexy upset pick can pull it off.
Wisconsin holds off Wofford by 4.
After being up 35-19 in the first half, Michigan State holds on to beat New Mexico State by 3.
2nd Round Saturday
#2 seed falls to a better team, #10 St. Mary's.
Butler edges Murray St. by 2.
NORTHERN IOWA knocks out consensus-favorite overall #1 Kansas in a thrilling win by 2, because Ali Farokhmanesh has monster balls.
#11 Washington shrugs off the conference criticism and gets the Sweet 16 by knocking off #3 New Mexico.
2nd Round Sunday
#5 Michigan State and #4 Maryland had one of the most exciting finishes I've ever seen. In the final 40 seconds there were 4 lead changes and only one timeout. Just up and down running and 4 consecutive made shots.
#3 Pitt falls to #6 Xavier by 3.
And Purdue wins in overtime by 2 without Hummel, on a body-crashing lay-up with 4 seconds left.
Sweet 16 Thursday
Butler! The #5 seed knocks off #1 Syracuse! Willie Veasley hits a 3-pointer that went in, came out, and then fell in again. And then moments later got a tip-in basket to seal the deal. Gus Johnson announcing!
Another instant classic called by Gus! K-State vs Xavier with a trip to the Elite 8 against Butler on the line. Best game I've seen in a long, long time. Had more unbelievable moments that I can count. K-State hits a 4-point play. Xavier hit a 3 FROM THE RIBBON with 4 seconds left. All with Gus Johnson. Just watch the highlights...
In recent memory, the tournament has been mildly disappointing. Last year only one seed outside the top 5 made it to the Sweet 16. Two years ago the final four was all #1 seeds. (And the two Saturday games still stunk.) Three years ago more chalk. The last really good tourament was 2006, where we had LSU over Duke, the fantastic Gus Johnson-called UCLA over Adam Morrison's Gonzaga, and George Mason's run to the Final Four, capped off by an overtime win over #1 UConn.
But this. Blows it out of the water.
Here's a time capsule so we don't forget all the great games we've had.
1st Round Thursday
The first game out of the gate, #7 BYU over Florida in double overtime with big shots by a guy named Jimmer.
Next up #11 Old Dominion upsets Notre Dame 51-50 after trailing the whole way.
At the same time, #2 Villanova has to send it to overtime to hang on against Bobby Morris.
And then #13 Murray State knocks off Vandy with a true buzzer-beater jump shot.
Northern Iowa was tied with UNLV until Ali Farokhmanesh hit a 3-ball with 4.9 seconds left.
#11 Washington beats Marquette on a clutch drive to the hole by Pondexter at the buzzer.
#14 Ohio crushes Georgetown by 16.
Tennessee and New Mexico won close games over SDSU and Montana.
And Wake Forest beat Texas by 1 in overtime, on a 17-footer with 1.3 seconds left.
1st Round Friday
#12 Cornell upsets Temple easily, proving the sexy upset pick can pull it off.
Wisconsin holds off Wofford by 4.
After being up 35-19 in the first half, Michigan State holds on to beat New Mexico State by 3.
2nd Round Saturday
#2 seed falls to a better team, #10 St. Mary's.
Butler edges Murray St. by 2.
NORTHERN IOWA knocks out consensus-favorite overall #1 Kansas in a thrilling win by 2, because Ali Farokhmanesh has monster balls.
#11 Washington shrugs off the conference criticism and gets the Sweet 16 by knocking off #3 New Mexico.
2nd Round Sunday
#5 Michigan State and #4 Maryland had one of the most exciting finishes I've ever seen. In the final 40 seconds there were 4 lead changes and only one timeout. Just up and down running and 4 consecutive made shots.
#3 Pitt falls to #6 Xavier by 3.
And Purdue wins in overtime by 2 without Hummel, on a body-crashing lay-up with 4 seconds left.
Sweet 16 Thursday
Butler! The #5 seed knocks off #1 Syracuse! Willie Veasley hits a 3-pointer that went in, came out, and then fell in again. And then moments later got a tip-in basket to seal the deal. Gus Johnson announcing!
Another instant classic called by Gus! K-State vs Xavier with a trip to the Elite 8 against Butler on the line. Best game I've seen in a long, long time. Had more unbelievable moments that I can count. K-State hits a 4-point play. Xavier hit a 3 FROM THE RIBBON with 4 seconds left. All with Gus Johnson. Just watch the highlights...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
eliminator day 5/6 (update)
Burnsy and I forgot to make Sunday picks. So technically since Mark is 4-0, and Burnsy is 3-0, Mark has won the streak contest. Although when this happened in the NFL season, I decided that Burnsy was still alive, and just needed to outstreak me.
(updated)
Mark has a active streak of 5
Burnsy has an active streak of 4
- - -
Teams Used
Mark: Kansas St., Wisconsin, Tennessee, Duke, West Virginia, Baylor
Niraj: New Mexico, Xavier, Baylor, Kentucky, Ohio State
Dave: Georgetown, Maryland, Baylor, West Virginia, Ohio State
- - -
In the other contest, for overall wins here are the standings:
Mark 5
Niraj 4
Dave 3
(updated)
Mark has a active streak of 5
Burnsy has an active streak of 4
- - -
Teams Used
Mark: Kansas St., Wisconsin, Tennessee, Duke, West Virginia, Baylor
Niraj: New Mexico, Xavier, Baylor, Kentucky, Ohio State
Dave: Georgetown, Maryland, Baylor, West Virginia, Ohio State
- - -
In the other contest, for overall wins here are the standings:
Mark 5
Niraj 4
Dave 3
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
NFL Overtime Fixed*
*in the playoffs only.
I like the new system, but find it curious that it's only for the playoffs. Whatever. I bet it gets added to the regular season next year.
I compiled my list of various proposals back on 1-28-10.
Simmons revealed his idea on 2-8-10.
The one the NFL chose is what Simmons proposed, a variation of the last two on my blog.
I think it is a solid improvement, although it will have a bit of artificialness if the receiving team does kick a field goal. Then they will be winning in overtime and have to kickoff. The benefit of not having to score 6 points in OT is a shorter game.
Either way, it opens the door for more excitement and strategy when a team has the ball and is driving inside the 20. Now a touchdown wins it and teams will definitely treat field goals as a last resort. Of course, if the receiving team punts, or if both teams get field goals, we're right back where we started where teams will rush out the field goal kicker as soon as they get inside the 20. But at least both teams had a chance to win it.
I like the new system, but find it curious that it's only for the playoffs. Whatever. I bet it gets added to the regular season next year.
I compiled my list of various proposals back on 1-28-10.
Simmons revealed his idea on 2-8-10.
The one the NFL chose is what Simmons proposed, a variation of the last two on my blog.
I think it is a solid improvement, although it will have a bit of artificialness if the receiving team does kick a field goal. Then they will be winning in overtime and have to kickoff. The benefit of not having to score 6 points in OT is a shorter game.
Either way, it opens the door for more excitement and strategy when a team has the ball and is driving inside the 20. Now a touchdown wins it and teams will definitely treat field goals as a last resort. Of course, if the receiving team punts, or if both teams get field goals, we're right back where we started where teams will rush out the field goal kicker as soon as they get inside the 20. But at least both teams had a chance to win it.
Monday, March 22, 2010
HOW TO: make pan-fried pork cutlets
After last week's practice run, I knew what I was doing with the second half of my fresh pork cutlets. The package I bought was actually labeled pork tenderloin cutlets, but as long it's boneless pork tenderloin and not too thick, it should work. I set up my station with a milk soak and a flour dip.
Pork in milk! Yeah for keeping kosher!
I let them soak in the milk for 15-30 seconds and then rolled each piece in the flour, shaking off the excess. I've heard of seasoning your flour, but that seems like a waste, since you end up throwing out so much flour. Plus, you don't want the seasoning to burn. I like to season as soon as a side is done cooking, so it's hot and oily and ready for flavor. In the pan heated up to medium, I poured some olive oil in to cover the bottom. And in go the pieces.
These 4 pieces were originally 2 long pieces, but I cut them down for ease in flipping and more uniform cooking. It takes about 5 minutes on the first side. And you don't want to move them around, you want that crust to build. So it's a good chance to just clean up the milk/flour station and wait for it to bubble up.
This is the only tricky part. On my first attempt, after I flipped and cooked the second side, I discovered that the lovely flour crust was now stuck the bottom of the pan. The first side you cook is no problem though. So while flipping this time, I hit the pan with a little non-stick spray, and made sure there was enough oil.
In the picture below, with three pieces just moved from the pan, you can see that it leaves behind plenty of little bits, but not an entire crust. Again, as soon you flip, hit the finished side with salt and pepper.
And those little bits, they look like burned garbage. But don't throw them out! Scrape them off before they get too black, and they taste like perfect fresh bacon bits. Last time I served mashed potatoes on the side, and put my pork bits right in there. This time I didn't bother with potatoes, so the extra brown bits just went right on top, for a double crunchy coating.
I went 3 for 4, in terms of getting the perfect coating on both sides. The bottom left piece in the picture below had a little stickage problem, but I just scraped it up and put it back on.
The pork was 3.99/pound. I think this package was under 5 bucks, and I got two huge meals out of it. Way better and cheaper than something you'd order at Cracker Barrel and pay 14 bucks for.
Pork in milk! Yeah for keeping kosher!I let them soak in the milk for 15-30 seconds and then rolled each piece in the flour, shaking off the excess. I've heard of seasoning your flour, but that seems like a waste, since you end up throwing out so much flour. Plus, you don't want the seasoning to burn. I like to season as soon as a side is done cooking, so it's hot and oily and ready for flavor. In the pan heated up to medium, I poured some olive oil in to cover the bottom. And in go the pieces.
These 4 pieces were originally 2 long pieces, but I cut them down for ease in flipping and more uniform cooking. It takes about 5 minutes on the first side. And you don't want to move them around, you want that crust to build. So it's a good chance to just clean up the milk/flour station and wait for it to bubble up.
This is the only tricky part. On my first attempt, after I flipped and cooked the second side, I discovered that the lovely flour crust was now stuck the bottom of the pan. The first side you cook is no problem though. So while flipping this time, I hit the pan with a little non-stick spray, and made sure there was enough oil.
In the picture below, with three pieces just moved from the pan, you can see that it leaves behind plenty of little bits, but not an entire crust. Again, as soon you flip, hit the finished side with salt and pepper.
And those little bits, they look like burned garbage. But don't throw them out! Scrape them off before they get too black, and they taste like perfect fresh bacon bits. Last time I served mashed potatoes on the side, and put my pork bits right in there. This time I didn't bother with potatoes, so the extra brown bits just went right on top, for a double crunchy coating.
I went 3 for 4, in terms of getting the perfect coating on both sides. The bottom left piece in the picture below had a little stickage problem, but I just scraped it up and put it back on.
The pork was 3.99/pound. I think this package was under 5 bucks, and I got two huge meals out of it. Way better and cheaper than something you'd order at Cracker Barrel and pay 14 bucks for.
a take on the healthcare bill you can't get anywhere else
I have no idea what the effect of this bill will be down the road. One thing that it's supposed to do is cut costs over the long-term. Well, I've got a solution for cutting costs immediately.
Have you seen what a piece of legislation looks like?
Well, no wonder it's 153 pages! Look at those fucking margins! They can't fit "premium growth estimated under sub" on one line. Here's an idea: fix yo margins! Not only will it make legislature less daunting, but you'll cut your paper budget in half. Plus, you know the government has some shady deal where a sheet of paper cost 12 cents. This could save social security.
Have you seen what a piece of legislation looks like?
Well, no wonder it's 153 pages! Look at those fucking margins! They can't fit "premium growth estimated under sub" on one line. Here's an idea: fix yo margins! Not only will it make legislature less daunting, but you'll cut your paper budget in half. Plus, you know the government has some shady deal where a sheet of paper cost 12 cents. This could save social security.
Friday, March 19, 2010
2k5 in 2k10
Even though I have a ps3 and I got a college hoops game for it (2k7), the gameplay isn't as good as my old standby: college hoops 2k5 on ps2. An added benefit is that the rosters are the 2004-2005 lineups, so Illinois has its final four squad. They are projected as a 2 seed, which isn't bad. You can't expect the game to know we were going to go practically undefeated.
Anyways, there are 5 difficulty settings, and after winning a tournament on the third setting, I decided to kick it up a notch. They weren't kidding. In the first round, I had to overcome a 32-27 deficit against the 15 seed Oral Roberts. Dee hit a 3 to tie it at 32 with 24 seconds to go. After a defensive stop, Deron came down and got a bucket with a few seconds to go.
In the second round, I was matched up against 7-seed Tennessee. The first half was terrible. I couldn't get anything to fall. I was 5-20 from the field. 10 of those misses were in the paint. I was 0-3 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile Tennessee shot 10-16. Illinois was down 14-21 at the half.
And then Illinois peeled off an unprecedented 17-0 run! By the time Tennessee scored making it 23-31, Illinois could slow it down. The final was 35-26, and they didn't even bother fouling at the end.
Illinois shot 7-13, including a key 3 by Deron to start the run after halftime. Deron led the way with 19, Dee had 8 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Powell led with 5 rebounds. But all 4 of Augie's rebounds were offensive.
Deron was 1-7 in the first half and shot 5-9 in the second.
For what it's worth, these rosters (made based on pre 04-05 games) have Deron ranked as a 90 overall player. Dee at 88, Augie 84, Luther 82, Powell 80. Nick Smith is also a 80 while Ingram is a 68.
Anyways, there are 5 difficulty settings, and after winning a tournament on the third setting, I decided to kick it up a notch. They weren't kidding. In the first round, I had to overcome a 32-27 deficit against the 15 seed Oral Roberts. Dee hit a 3 to tie it at 32 with 24 seconds to go. After a defensive stop, Deron came down and got a bucket with a few seconds to go.
In the second round, I was matched up against 7-seed Tennessee. The first half was terrible. I couldn't get anything to fall. I was 5-20 from the field. 10 of those misses were in the paint. I was 0-3 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile Tennessee shot 10-16. Illinois was down 14-21 at the half.
And then Illinois peeled off an unprecedented 17-0 run! By the time Tennessee scored making it 23-31, Illinois could slow it down. The final was 35-26, and they didn't even bother fouling at the end.
Illinois shot 7-13, including a key 3 by Deron to start the run after halftime. Deron led the way with 19, Dee had 8 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Powell led with 5 rebounds. But all 4 of Augie's rebounds were offensive.
Deron was 1-7 in the first half and shot 5-9 in the second.
For what it's worth, these rosters (made based on pre 04-05 games) have Deron ranked as a 90 overall player. Dee at 88, Augie 84, Luther 82, Powell 80. Nick Smith is also a 80 while Ingram is a 68.
brackets after day 1
Of course my serious bracket is doing worse than the other four brackets I made in 5 minutes thursday morning. Although, Upset City is going to be hurt by having Richmond not make the Final Four. Though BYU still looms large for Upset City!
eliminator day 2
And I'm out of eliminator on day 1. So I can't compete for the consecutive streak title. But I think that it would still be worthwhile to compete for a most wins title, to see if we like the strategy involved.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
pork for passover
In honor of Passover and buzzer-beaters, I wanted to get in the most un-kosher meal I know before Pesach.
So last night I made pork cutlets. First step? Dip the raw pork in milk! Then dredge in flour and pan-fry it! Delicious.
So last night I made pork cutlets. First step? Dip the raw pork in milk! Then dredge in flour and pan-fry it! Delicious.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
picking seeds
Let's talk watermelons. No?
- - -
When I was younger, probably around high school, I didn't think there was much difference in the seeding for the big dance. I figured once you're in, you've got a shot to win. (And you could still make the argument that the reason the high seeds do well is because they're the better teams, and not because of their draw.)
But clearly whether you're Kentucky or Illinois this year, you want a favorable draw. Given the status of Illinois this year, I figured I'd take a look at what (reasonable) seed would be the best.
What I mean, is discounting the top 7 seeds, what seed would you want to be?
My starting point is that the 8/9 seeds are no good. Even if you manage to win the first game, you're on a collision course with the #1 seed.
By the same token, the #10 seed would face the #2 in the second round.
Of course, the #16 and #15 are even worse, facing those teams in the first round.
So let's take a look at the road to the sweet sixteen, for the 11-14 seeds.
11: vs #6, vs #3
12: vs #5, vs #4
13: vs #4, vs #5
14: vs #3, vs #6
Right away, I can eliminate the 14 seed, based on their first round matchup.
11-13 all look pretty good. As the #11, I don't mind potentially facing #3 in the second round, if I've already won a game. For #13, you could factor in the possibility that you're more likely to get a #12 in the second round. But still, I think there's a big distinction between the 4 seeds and the 5 seeds, and I'd prefer not to face the #4 in the first round.
So not only does #12 look good on paper, but you have the boost in confidence from being the traditional "upset" favorite in the first round.
So just numerically, here is my preference for best seeds in the bottom half of the bracket:
12
11
13
14
10
8
9
15
16
- - -
I could stop there, but what about the top 7 seeds?
Sure 1-3 is the best in order. But I'm not a big fan of being 4/5 because of facing #1 in the sweet sixteen.
1
2
3
6
4
5
7
- - -
I'd even rather be a #12, #11, and #13, than a #7.
(This post was written last Saturday during the Illinois-Ohio State game, but future posted after the auction date.)
- - -
When I was younger, probably around high school, I didn't think there was much difference in the seeding for the big dance. I figured once you're in, you've got a shot to win. (And you could still make the argument that the reason the high seeds do well is because they're the better teams, and not because of their draw.)
But clearly whether you're Kentucky or Illinois this year, you want a favorable draw. Given the status of Illinois this year, I figured I'd take a look at what (reasonable) seed would be the best.
What I mean, is discounting the top 7 seeds, what seed would you want to be?
My starting point is that the 8/9 seeds are no good. Even if you manage to win the first game, you're on a collision course with the #1 seed.
By the same token, the #10 seed would face the #2 in the second round.
Of course, the #16 and #15 are even worse, facing those teams in the first round.
So let's take a look at the road to the sweet sixteen, for the 11-14 seeds.
11: vs #6, vs #3
12: vs #5, vs #4
13: vs #4, vs #5
14: vs #3, vs #6
Right away, I can eliminate the 14 seed, based on their first round matchup.
11-13 all look pretty good. As the #11, I don't mind potentially facing #3 in the second round, if I've already won a game. For #13, you could factor in the possibility that you're more likely to get a #12 in the second round. But still, I think there's a big distinction between the 4 seeds and the 5 seeds, and I'd prefer not to face the #4 in the first round.
So not only does #12 look good on paper, but you have the boost in confidence from being the traditional "upset" favorite in the first round.
So just numerically, here is my preference for best seeds in the bottom half of the bracket:
12
11
13
14
10
8
9
15
16
- - -
I could stop there, but what about the top 7 seeds?
Sure 1-3 is the best in order. But I'm not a big fan of being 4/5 because of facing #1 in the sweet sixteen.
1
2
3
6
4
5
7
- - -
I'd even rather be a #12, #11, and #13, than a #7.
(This post was written last Saturday during the Illinois-Ohio State game, but future posted after the auction date.)
March Madness Eliminator!
Inspired by Simmons March Madness Podcast (part 3)...it's the Hoagie Central March Madness Eliminator!
Here's the gist: there are 10 days of basketball:
Round One: Thursday
Round One: Friday
Round Two: Saturday
Round Two: Sunday
Sweet Sixteen: Thursday
Sweet Sixteen: Friday
Elite Eight: Saturday
Elite Eight Sunday
Final Four: Saturday
Championship: Monday
All you have to do is pick a winner for each day. Of course, you can't pick a team more than once in the tournament. And you might run out of teams so you can't choose anyone.
Post your picks in the comments, and try not to read the comments until you make your pick.
Here's the gist: there are 10 days of basketball:
Round One: Thursday
Round One: Friday
Round Two: Saturday
Round Two: Sunday
Sweet Sixteen: Thursday
Sweet Sixteen: Friday
Elite Eight: Saturday
Elite Eight Sunday
Final Four: Saturday
Championship: Monday
All you have to do is pick a winner for each day. Of course, you can't pick a team more than once in the tournament. And you might run out of teams so you can't choose anyone.
Post your picks in the comments, and try not to read the comments until you make your pick.
calcutta big board
Here's who I ended up with:
Teams I Really Wanted But Didn't Get
Kansas
Baylor
Teams That I Got But Didn't Really Want
Kentucky
Texas A&M
New Mexico
Teams that I Really Wanted and Got
Kansas St.
Richmond
UTEP
Utah St.
I should clarify, the teams that I got but didn't really want, that was based on my thoughts coming into the auction. I was hoping to get Kansas, and then see about getting Kentucky. Once I didn't want to pay $10 for Kansas, I had to get Kentucky--I was sitting on $20. Also, I got good value for New Mexico and Texas A&M, so I don't regret them, they just weren't teams I thought about before the auction.
Ideally, I would have gotten KU, KSt and Baylor, and still had money for Richmond, and UTEP. But I just with KSU and Baylor still on the board, I couldn't spend half my budget on KU. Even though I think they're going to win it all. Now I just have to convince myself that their region is too tough.
It's all a crapshoot, but I like the 11's and 12's I got and feel like they should pay for themselves. And if it ends up being KU vs UK in the final, it's Mark vs. Dave for the umpteenth time.
Teams I Really Wanted But Didn't Get
Kansas
Baylor
Teams That I Got But Didn't Really Want
Kentucky
Texas A&M
New Mexico
Teams that I Really Wanted and Got
Kansas St.
Richmond
UTEP
Utah St.
I should clarify, the teams that I got but didn't really want, that was based on my thoughts coming into the auction. I was hoping to get Kansas, and then see about getting Kentucky. Once I didn't want to pay $10 for Kansas, I had to get Kentucky--I was sitting on $20. Also, I got good value for New Mexico and Texas A&M, so I don't regret them, they just weren't teams I thought about before the auction.
Ideally, I would have gotten KU, KSt and Baylor, and still had money for Richmond, and UTEP. But I just with KSU and Baylor still on the board, I couldn't spend half my budget on KU. Even though I think they're going to win it all. Now I just have to convince myself that their region is too tough.
It's all a crapshoot, but I like the 11's and 12's I got and feel like they should pay for themselves. And if it ends up being KU vs UK in the final, it's Mark vs. Dave for the umpteenth time.
Monday, March 15, 2010
HOW TO: make pizzeria-quality pizza at home
After my last go round, I entered my kitchen with confidence.
The first step is gathering all the ingredients. In order to do that I had to make a fresh batch of my all-purpose homemade pasta sauce which deserves a post of its own. (Sauteed onions and garlic, crushed tomatoes, sliced peppers, brown sugar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder.)
Then I grilled some fresh Italian Sausage, and grilled some peppers and onions. I cut up a 8 0z. ball of fresh mozzarella and spread out my dough. (The dough, like the sausage and cheese, was fresh from Trader Joe's.)
A little bit of olive oil on your fingers helps the dough from sticking and adds flavor at the same time.
On to assembly! As opposed to last time, I went with toppings under the cheese, allowing me to get the cheese brown and bubbly like I wanted. (I actually had to turn on the broiler for the last two minutes, but be careful, it doesn't take long at all to brown up.) And as soon as it came out, I used a spatula to brush olive oil on to the exposed outer crust.
In a word...superdelicious. The biggest hit was using the fresh, grilled Italian Sausage. It is fast moving up the ranks of my favorite meats. (One thing I wish I had discovered earlier...for years I had been buying pre-cooked brats and sausages. They taste good and they turn out good on the grill or in the microwave if you're in a hurry. But I discovered that they don't hold a candle compared to fresh sausages. Another tip: on the Foreman, put the curved side down. It will flatten out, allowing you to cook all sides evenly. If you start by just cooking on it's side, you'll never get it to go flat.
But even in bites where I wasn't getting the sausage, the sauce was always present with big flavor. The veggies provide a nice balance with the meat and cheese, for depth of flavor. And the cheese, the fresh mozz is so good that I don't even want to try using regular shredded cheese.
I suppose the weakest link in the chain is the crust, but it's actually pretty good. So I don't feel like messing around with other dough recipes that could be a disaster.
- - -
As I walking to work today, it occurred to me that baking the pizza itself is sort of a wonder. The fact that the same time and temperature you need to turn the dough into crust, is also the perfect time and temp for melting the cheese and heating the sauce, it's amazing really. Imagine if the sauce needed 20 minutes to heat up, the cheese burned in 10, and the dough wasn't perfect until 15. Or if the sauce was burning hot after more than 10 minutes, the dough started to burn after 15 minutes, but the cheese didn't melt until 20 minutes. That's terrible.
So of course the animation is cool, what about the details? Here's a hi-res shot of the finished product, that would beat out Papa John's and Domino's.
click for HD
The first step is gathering all the ingredients. In order to do that I had to make a fresh batch of my all-purpose homemade pasta sauce which deserves a post of its own. (Sauteed onions and garlic, crushed tomatoes, sliced peppers, brown sugar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder.)
Then I grilled some fresh Italian Sausage, and grilled some peppers and onions. I cut up a 8 0z. ball of fresh mozzarella and spread out my dough. (The dough, like the sausage and cheese, was fresh from Trader Joe's.)
A little bit of olive oil on your fingers helps the dough from sticking and adds flavor at the same time.
On to assembly! As opposed to last time, I went with toppings under the cheese, allowing me to get the cheese brown and bubbly like I wanted. (I actually had to turn on the broiler for the last two minutes, but be careful, it doesn't take long at all to brown up.) And as soon as it came out, I used a spatula to brush olive oil on to the exposed outer crust.
In a word...superdelicious. The biggest hit was using the fresh, grilled Italian Sausage. It is fast moving up the ranks of my favorite meats. (One thing I wish I had discovered earlier...for years I had been buying pre-cooked brats and sausages. They taste good and they turn out good on the grill or in the microwave if you're in a hurry. But I discovered that they don't hold a candle compared to fresh sausages. Another tip: on the Foreman, put the curved side down. It will flatten out, allowing you to cook all sides evenly. If you start by just cooking on it's side, you'll never get it to go flat.
But even in bites where I wasn't getting the sausage, the sauce was always present with big flavor. The veggies provide a nice balance with the meat and cheese, for depth of flavor. And the cheese, the fresh mozz is so good that I don't even want to try using regular shredded cheese.
I suppose the weakest link in the chain is the crust, but it's actually pretty good. So I don't feel like messing around with other dough recipes that could be a disaster.
- - -
As I walking to work today, it occurred to me that baking the pizza itself is sort of a wonder. The fact that the same time and temperature you need to turn the dough into crust, is also the perfect time and temp for melting the cheese and heating the sauce, it's amazing really. Imagine if the sauce needed 20 minutes to heat up, the cheese burned in 10, and the dough wasn't perfect until 15. Or if the sauce was burning hot after more than 10 minutes, the dough started to burn after 15 minutes, but the cheese didn't melt until 20 minutes. That's terrible.
So of course the animation is cool, what about the details? Here's a hi-res shot of the finished product, that would beat out Papa John's and Domino's.
click for HDSaturday, March 13, 2010
The Sting
List of stings named in the MacGuyver episode, "Twice Stung":
Philadelphia Flash
Toledo Twist
Boston Bang
Sacramento Switch
For years, I've been trying to remember these names, and all I could remember was the Seattle Sting. And it wasn't even one of them.
Also, these choice quotes:
"I had my heart set on the Boston Bang"
"We can out-bunco Mr. Bunco himself"
Philadelphia Flash
Toledo Twist
Boston Bang
Sacramento Switch
For years, I've been trying to remember these names, and all I could remember was the Seattle Sting. And it wasn't even one of them.
Also, these choice quotes:
"I had my heart set on the Boston Bang"
"We can out-bunco Mr. Bunco himself"
the essential macgyver
The nostalgia trip continues. Growing up, my favorite show was MacGyver. Middle school let out at 2:25, and I made it home by 3pm to watch MacGyver on USA, I believe.
My mom even gave me the final (7th) season on dvd a couple years ago. But even better than that, I've discovered that CBS has full episodes on youtube for free. Amazing. After going through the wikipedia article, I've got a list of episodes to watch.
Having just watched them again, they're as good as I remember. God these episodes are fantastic!
Countdown
Halloween Knights
Deathlock
The Human Factor
The Heist
Twice Stung
My mom even gave me the final (7th) season on dvd a couple years ago. But even better than that, I've discovered that CBS has full episodes on youtube for free. Amazing. After going through the wikipedia article, I've got a list of episodes to watch.
Having just watched them again, they're as good as I remember. God these episodes are fantastic!
Countdown
Halloween Knights
Deathlock
The Human Factor
The Heist
Twice Stung
Thursday, March 11, 2010
futbol 2010
UEFA Champions League update:
Arsenal, Man U, Lyon and Bayern Munich are through to the quarterfinals. Here are highlights from the Fiorentina-Munich second leg.
Munich led 2-1 after the first leg at home. Since the tiebreaker is away goals, here is the status of the aggregate during the second leg:
Fiorentina Goal (Fiorentina wins 2-2 on tiebreaker)
Fiorentina Goal (Fiorentina wins 3-2)
Munich Goal (Tie)
Fiorentina Goal (Fiorentina wins 4-3)
Munich Goal (Munich wins 4-4 on tiebreaker)
How interesting that after the first Italian goal, Fiorentina would have won, after each team scores again it's a tie, and after each team scores again, Munich wins.
Although Florence was my favorite city, I couldn't get past the purple. I bought an illegal knock-off Roma jersey because I thought it looked cool. (Also bought an Arsenal jersey later in London).
Last year Arsenal beat Roma on penalties in the round of 16. Arsenal would end up losing to those pigfuckers from Manchester in the semis. And this year Roma didn't make the tournament.
Arsenal, Man U, Lyon and Bayern Munich are through to the quarterfinals. Here are highlights from the Fiorentina-Munich second leg.
Munich led 2-1 after the first leg at home. Since the tiebreaker is away goals, here is the status of the aggregate during the second leg:
Fiorentina Goal (Fiorentina wins 2-2 on tiebreaker)
Fiorentina Goal (Fiorentina wins 3-2)
Munich Goal (Tie)
Fiorentina Goal (Fiorentina wins 4-3)
Munich Goal (Munich wins 4-4 on tiebreaker)
How interesting that after the first Italian goal, Fiorentina would have won, after each team scores again it's a tie, and after each team scores again, Munich wins.
Although Florence was my favorite city, I couldn't get past the purple. I bought an illegal knock-off Roma jersey because I thought it looked cool. (Also bought an Arsenal jersey later in London).
Last year Arsenal beat Roma on penalties in the round of 16. Arsenal would end up losing to those pigfuckers from Manchester in the semis. And this year Roma didn't make the tournament.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
sports roundup
One of the reason the Winter Olympics were so great, was that it perfectly filled the gap between the end of the NFL and March Madness. Also, it's cold and there's nothing to do in February beside stay inside anyways. And the fact that every Winter event is compelling, while there's plenty of Summer events that aren't fun to watch.
March Madness
There's not much better than a good tournament. It doesn't matter who the teams are. And it's right around the corner.
Selection Sunday: March 14
First two rounds: March 18-21
Sweet 16/Elite 8: March 25-28
Final Four: April 3 and 5
Rugby
Crap, who knew the Six Nations tournament was already underway...I sorta knew there was going to be rugby in the spring but I didn't figure I had missed most of it.
What hurts it (aside from the lack of publicity) is that it's not a true tournament format. Instead it follows the Premier league and every team plays every team and they just go by standings. Of course you don't want to finish last and win the "wooden spoon." Seriously, check this out, this is one wooden spoon you don't want!
Last year, Ireland won going 5-0, while Italy went 0-5. This year with two games to go, France is 3-0, England is 2-1, and Ireland is 2-1.
If England wins it's next game, and Ireland can't get to 4-1, then the final match, England vs France on March 20th will determine the champion.
Here's a highlight from last year.
Soccer
In the Premier League, it's how it always is. 10 games to go, and Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal are all at the top. Again without a playoffs, it's hard to know when to pay attention. So I'm not.
In the more compelling UEFA Champions League, we're down to 16 teams, and they've already had the first leg of that round. The second leg is coming up on March 9,10,16,17.
Elite Eight: First Leg March 30/31, Second Leg April 6/7
Final Four: First Leg April 20/21, Second Leg April 27/28
Championship: May 22
Of course, it's all just a prelude to the World Cup, which goes from June 11 to July 11.
The U.S. kicks things off against England on June 12.
As for other sports, it's on my list to check out a curling club.
And here's a highlight reel of team handball:
March Madness
There's not much better than a good tournament. It doesn't matter who the teams are. And it's right around the corner.
Selection Sunday: March 14
First two rounds: March 18-21
Sweet 16/Elite 8: March 25-28
Final Four: April 3 and 5
Rugby
Crap, who knew the Six Nations tournament was already underway...I sorta knew there was going to be rugby in the spring but I didn't figure I had missed most of it.
What hurts it (aside from the lack of publicity) is that it's not a true tournament format. Instead it follows the Premier league and every team plays every team and they just go by standings. Of course you don't want to finish last and win the "wooden spoon." Seriously, check this out, this is one wooden spoon you don't want!
Last year, Ireland won going 5-0, while Italy went 0-5. This year with two games to go, France is 3-0, England is 2-1, and Ireland is 2-1.
If England wins it's next game, and Ireland can't get to 4-1, then the final match, England vs France on March 20th will determine the champion.
Here's a highlight from last year.
Soccer
In the Premier League, it's how it always is. 10 games to go, and Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal are all at the top. Again without a playoffs, it's hard to know when to pay attention. So I'm not.
In the more compelling UEFA Champions League, we're down to 16 teams, and they've already had the first leg of that round. The second leg is coming up on March 9,10,16,17.
Elite Eight: First Leg March 30/31, Second Leg April 6/7
Final Four: First Leg April 20/21, Second Leg April 27/28
Championship: May 22
Of course, it's all just a prelude to the World Cup, which goes from June 11 to July 11.
The U.S. kicks things off against England on June 12.
As for other sports, it's on my list to check out a curling club.
And here's a highlight reel of team handball:
2010 census: favorite foods
Yesterday Mrs. Hoagie Central surprised me by making a deluxe, 4-course meal and having it hot and ready when I got home.
First Course:
Super 4-cheese garlic bread: Provolone, asiago, parmesan, and romano + olive oil, butter and lots of garlic = delicious.
Second & Third Course:
A fresh, Stockman & Dakota porterhouse (my favorite cut of steak), that was probably a good 10 ounces. Plus, my favorite greek-style potatoes, made with lemon juice and LOTS of garlic.
Fourth Course:
Not one but two desserts: a homemade chocolate mousse pie with whipped cream and a butterfinger/dark reeses candy topping. And a double fudge pan of brownies. I didn't even get to the brownies really, everything else was so good and filling.
Plus, she got Sprecher root beer, something I saw in Wisconsin and didn't get and figured that I missed my chance. (Rated #1 by NYTimes according to its label and it was damn good.)
Of course the way to my heart is through my stomach.
- - -
During the meal she told me that the hardest part was coming up with the menu. She wanted me to make a post with my favorite meals, so that if she ever wanted to do this again, she'd know what to make.
Here goes.
First off, there are the things that don't require or can't really be done at home: picking up a slab of ribs, or rib tips (aka pork burnt ends) from a barbecue place. My favorite Chicago carryout order is the Italian Beef / Italian Sausage combo sandwich with hot peppers (Johnny's, Portillo's, Al's, Buona, it doesn't matter.) Of course you can't go wrong with a sausage deep dish from Edwardo's or if that's not feasible, how about a Hawaiian? (pineapple, ham and bacon from Dominos or wherever is a winner. If you're limited to two toppings: pineapple, and then half-bacon, half-ham!)
And packaged things from the grocery store: Hot & Spicy Cheez-its, Kettle brand chips (NY Cheddar or Yogurt/Sour Cream & Onion), Mint Milano cookies, and Snyder Jalepeno Cheddar Pumpernickel Pretzel bits if you can find them (weren't at my local Jewel).
For appetizers, I love garlic bread. Also, "pigs in a blanket": lil smokies rolled up inside crescent rolls baked in the oven. Also, meatballs in BBQ sauce. Oh yeah, good cheese on crackers: like Black Diamond brand Aged White Cheddar. Oooh, Tostitos with Lime, paired with sour cream and salsa.
For side dishes, love those greek-style potatoes. Also, cheesy au gratin potatoes remind me of childhood. A healthier option is oven fries (20 minutes at 450) or a simpler option is TJ's sweet potato fries.
For main courses, it's hard to go wrong with steak. A burger on sourdough is nice (any way to get more sourdough bread inside me is always good). Italian sausages on the grill are good. And I like fajitas, especially with the full-out sour cream, Pace Picante, and guacamole. As for options that could be vegetarian, I'd enjoy homemade baked enchiladas, or lasagna (no-boil noodles make it simpler) or homemade pizza with fresh mozz and peppers, although you do need to make the homemade sauce, so it's only good if that's already made.
And then dessert. Anything with chocolate is a winner. Brownies with chocolate chips (I like them in a 9x13 pan), mousse pie with candy topping, chocolate chip or pecan pie. Dutch apple pie is good too.
To sum up, I want to weigh 4,000 pounds.
First Course:
Super 4-cheese garlic bread: Provolone, asiago, parmesan, and romano + olive oil, butter and lots of garlic = delicious.
Second & Third Course:
A fresh, Stockman & Dakota porterhouse (my favorite cut of steak), that was probably a good 10 ounces. Plus, my favorite greek-style potatoes, made with lemon juice and LOTS of garlic.
Fourth Course:
Not one but two desserts: a homemade chocolate mousse pie with whipped cream and a butterfinger/dark reeses candy topping. And a double fudge pan of brownies. I didn't even get to the brownies really, everything else was so good and filling.
Plus, she got Sprecher root beer, something I saw in Wisconsin and didn't get and figured that I missed my chance. (Rated #1 by NYTimes according to its label and it was damn good.)
Of course the way to my heart is through my stomach.
- - -
During the meal she told me that the hardest part was coming up with the menu. She wanted me to make a post with my favorite meals, so that if she ever wanted to do this again, she'd know what to make.
Here goes.
First off, there are the things that don't require or can't really be done at home: picking up a slab of ribs, or rib tips (aka pork burnt ends) from a barbecue place. My favorite Chicago carryout order is the Italian Beef / Italian Sausage combo sandwich with hot peppers (Johnny's, Portillo's, Al's, Buona, it doesn't matter.) Of course you can't go wrong with a sausage deep dish from Edwardo's or if that's not feasible, how about a Hawaiian? (pineapple, ham and bacon from Dominos or wherever is a winner. If you're limited to two toppings: pineapple, and then half-bacon, half-ham!)
And packaged things from the grocery store: Hot & Spicy Cheez-its, Kettle brand chips (NY Cheddar or Yogurt/Sour Cream & Onion), Mint Milano cookies, and Snyder Jalepeno Cheddar Pumpernickel Pretzel bits if you can find them (weren't at my local Jewel).
For appetizers, I love garlic bread. Also, "pigs in a blanket": lil smokies rolled up inside crescent rolls baked in the oven. Also, meatballs in BBQ sauce. Oh yeah, good cheese on crackers: like Black Diamond brand Aged White Cheddar. Oooh, Tostitos with Lime, paired with sour cream and salsa.
For side dishes, love those greek-style potatoes. Also, cheesy au gratin potatoes remind me of childhood. A healthier option is oven fries (20 minutes at 450) or a simpler option is TJ's sweet potato fries.
For main courses, it's hard to go wrong with steak. A burger on sourdough is nice (any way to get more sourdough bread inside me is always good). Italian sausages on the grill are good. And I like fajitas, especially with the full-out sour cream, Pace Picante, and guacamole. As for options that could be vegetarian, I'd enjoy homemade baked enchiladas, or lasagna (no-boil noodles make it simpler) or homemade pizza with fresh mozz and peppers, although you do need to make the homemade sauce, so it's only good if that's already made.
And then dessert. Anything with chocolate is a winner. Brownies with chocolate chips (I like them in a 9x13 pan), mousse pie with candy topping, chocolate chip or pecan pie. Dutch apple pie is good too.
To sum up, I want to weigh 4,000 pounds.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
the internet is becoming self-aware
Hulu is amazing. Just by hosting content, it can tag it with appropriate search terms!
And then you can click on these new-fangled "tags" and find everything that matches. It's amazing.
And then you can click on these new-fangled "tags" and find everything that matches. It's amazing.
Outrage
The NFL has announced, among other things, that they are no longer creating new Super Bowl logos every year, and instead have a new "logo system" that will be used for eternity.
Boo. The old logos were great. They showed the personality of the host city and are a neat time capsule of how far we've come in terms of graphic design. I love how they used the pylon in XLI.
But more than just taking away the variety, they've take one step closer to a dystopian future, like that of Minority Report. I mean, everything has to be uniform, and the only color in the logo is brushed silver. Boo. I can't wait until there's only one choice at the concession stands and we're wearing our metallic jumpsuits. What's next? Changing the shape of the classic hot dog? Ha!
And what does Uni Watch have to say? "I plead indifference." What a bitch.
Boo. The old logos were great. They showed the personality of the host city and are a neat time capsule of how far we've come in terms of graphic design. I love how they used the pylon in XLI.
But more than just taking away the variety, they've take one step closer to a dystopian future, like that of Minority Report. I mean, everything has to be uniform, and the only color in the logo is brushed silver. Boo. I can't wait until there's only one choice at the concession stands and we're wearing our metallic jumpsuits. What's next? Changing the shape of the classic hot dog? Ha!
And what does Uni Watch have to say? "I plead indifference." What a bitch.
Monday, March 01, 2010
live music
I was thinking about concerts. And since I just listed my top 20 bands, I wanted to make a record of which ones I've seen in concert. The only change in ranking since the census, is that I've moved Vampire Weekend into the top 10 after listening to their second album, bumping Sublime.
311 - Peoria, St. Louis, Champaign, Chicago Warped Tour
Alkaline Trio - St. Louis Warped Tour, Champaign
Brand New - no
Dashboard Confessional - St. Louis, Chicago, Champaign
The Hold Steady - Chicago
Motion City Soundtrack - Bloomington, Chicago
Ozma - no
Panic at the Disco - no
Vampire Weekend - no
Weezer - Bloomington
6/10 not too bad
Sublime - no
The Get Up Kids - no
The Strokes - no
The Stereo - Champaign
The Impossibles - Champaign
The Anniversary - St. Louis
Forever the Sickest Kids - no
The Juliana Theory - no
Jimmy Eat World - Bloomington
Cartel - no
10/20.
Of course, this list excludes all the other bands that I've seen live: New Found Glory, Hey Mercedes, and the huge lists that I saw at Warped Tours including Reel Big Fish, and way too many that I'm forgetting.
311 - Peoria, St. Louis, Champaign, Chicago Warped Tour
Alkaline Trio - St. Louis Warped Tour, Champaign
Brand New - no
Dashboard Confessional - St. Louis, Chicago, Champaign
The Hold Steady - Chicago
Motion City Soundtrack - Bloomington, Chicago
Ozma - no
Panic at the Disco - no
Vampire Weekend - no
Weezer - Bloomington
6/10 not too bad
Sublime - no
The Get Up Kids - no
The Strokes - no
The Stereo - Champaign
The Impossibles - Champaign
The Anniversary - St. Louis
Forever the Sickest Kids - no
The Juliana Theory - no
Jimmy Eat World - Bloomington
Cartel - no
10/20.
Of course, this list excludes all the other bands that I've seen live: New Found Glory, Hey Mercedes, and the huge lists that I saw at Warped Tours including Reel Big Fish, and way too many that I'm forgetting.
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