|
Nitrogen Widget
Wednesday, January 13, 1999 I didn't get home tonight until late. As I was driving home, I said to myself, "I'll just have to update tomorrow morning, from work." I wasn't even going to check email, since I knew I was pretty well caught up. But when I walked into my bedroom, I turned on the computer, logged on, checked email, and sent IE off on its task of checking to see which journals are updated. I couldn't help it! Tonight I took Jack up on his invitation of a few nights ago, and went over to his place. I volunteered to bring food and cook, since I rarely do this anymore. Cooking for oneself means cleaning up after oneself, you know. I used to cook a lot. When I was in college, the two women that I shared a house with and I divided up the work this way: I'd plan the food, and cook dinner most nights, and keep my own room clean. They did everything else, including the dishes! This worked well, because I had more flexible days as a student, and cooking for others inspired me to plan the meals and try new things.
During the day I thought about what to cook, though I knew it would be a stir-fry. Jack told me that his daughter A--- was on restriction, so far on restriction that she was grounded to her room. I stopped at the grocery store on the way to his house and bought ingredients for flank steak stir-fried with green and red bell peppers. I must remember to shop at the older QFC in Redmond -- it's much less crowded than the newer, larger one, and they both have the same products. Jack was doing some cleaning up when I got there. It was so good to see him! Although his daughter was confined to her room, she did pop out periodically, to get a drink, or to try to pick a fight with her father. I got down to work, slicing the meat and marinating it with garlic and ginger, slicing the peppers, mixing the sauce ingredients, and then stirring it up in the wok. Jack had a good cleaver, found at a garage sale. We made do with minute rice. I have a spare rice cooker, bought as a wedding present for someone and then never given to them. I may bring it over to Jack's house, though he is a bit short on room. Maybe he can get rid of the second crock pot! The food came out well, though I did add a bit too much cornstarch to the sauce. Jack made all the right noises about it being good, and thanked me for cooking. Jack had a Murphy's Draft Stout with his dinner. Nothing would do for us afterwards, but that we had to see the nitrogen-dispensing widget inside the can that makes the beer have a creamy head on it. He successfully sawed the empty can open with a serrated steak knife, without slicing his hand in the process, then we puzzled over the odd plastic gadget, trying to figure out how it could work. (Ah, the engineer's mind!) Later in the evening we did a bit of websearching to find the link that explained it to us. Cool!
After dinner we happened on a PBS show about Noel Coward, that was interesting for the first half, but got more tedious in the second hour, during the postwar period (like his life?). We shared a Lindor truffle "bar," which is good for sharing because it comes in little self-contained squares. A--- got a few squares as well. Before I left, Jack sidetracked me with his new toy -- a card for his computer that does TV and radio. A high-tech domestic scene, which depends on a large monitor for practicality: Jack watching "Law and Order" and me handling my email and watching the show with half an eye, both of us using the same screen!
|
