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Saturday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sat May 01, 2010 at 12:45:11 PM EST
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This being the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby will be contested at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Run For the Roses. The Most Exciting 2 Minutes in Sports. The Derby is rife with cliches and catch phrases. I have no feeling for today's race, which will be on a sloppy track with no clear favorite. There certainly is no Secretariat in the field. Speaking of Secretariat:

The 1973 Derby had an amazing field. Forego was in the race too.

Open Thread.

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    Saturday Morning Open Thread | 58 comments (58 topical)

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    Yesterday I picked (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by nycstray on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:08:27 PM EST
    my first strawberry  :)

    Isn't that just the best thing ever? (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Anne on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:31:25 PM EST
    So much more flavor than the stuff you buy in the stores...

    So - how did the move go, how's the Dot adjusting - for that matter, how are you adjusting to the left coast?  

    If you're already picking strawberries, I'm guessing you're already set up with a CSA or farmer's markets for all your dietary needs?

    Nice to see you back - I missed your comments!

    Parent

    It was REALLY good! (none / 0) (#33)
    by nycstray on Sat May 01, 2010 at 05:44:12 PM EST
    I have been eating my fair share from the farmers market too. I'm in a good place to get berries from fairly close by (along with everything else!) Bought half a flat last week . . . I don't think I'm doing a CSA this year. The Farmers Market is 3 blocks from me (lol!~) and they have a great selection and prices. I also have my veggie garden going in. You can join CSAs year 'round here, so I may still at some point. Need to work on securing protein raisers though.

    I'm still confused being on this coast. My body seems to have finally adjusted but my brain still isn't at full comprehension. The Dot seems quite adjusted though! My furniture/stuff will be here mid-May (loooong story!) so we've been kinda camping out here. I'm only bringing some of my furniture that I thought would work with this house, so I have been having fun searching for some new old pieces. Prices in the shops are pretty decent and there are a few around in walking distance. Living in "old town" has it's perks, lol!~ Can't wait to get all my things though, want to sew, use my own camera etc :P

    Parent

    The gulf between Mr Obama and the Gulf oil spill. (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:24:36 PM EST
    Accordingly to the NYT, a shadow of Hurricane Katrina hangs over Obama after the spill, exacerbated by his offshore drilling plan a month before the rig blew, and in consideration of his sticking with this plan up until a few days ago, when  forced to put it, at least, on hold.. President Obama has not directed any tough rhetoric in public against BP (as he did in the mine disaster), nor has he struck any tones of outrage on behalf of Gulf Coast residents and businesses affected. However, administration officials said privately that there was "increased frustration" with BP's response. Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program said that "Here you have the company that is responsible for the accident leading the response to the crisis. There is a problem here, and consequence is clear."  Moreover, the Coast Guard "oversight" has not been stellar, with its responses coordinated with that of BP's underestimation of the catastrophic potential. Homeland Security waited until late this week to formally request a more robust response from the Department of Defense, with Sec. Napolitano acknowledging that she did not know if the Defense Department even had equipment that might be helpful.  As with the Christmastime, underwear bomber crisis, Ms. Napolitano does do crisis well. And, as President Obama remained on Hawaiian beaches at that time, so too, he now puts off an on-site review until after the Correspondent's Dinner gala.  Heckuva job! obamie

    Obama really has an image problem (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:39:05 PM EST
    when it comes to projecting concern, be it for the fate of unemployed, or for the state of the fragile environment in the Gulf.


    Parent
    I hate to say this, but he often projects (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by inclusiveheart on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:16:39 PM EST
    concern just fine about things he cares about.

    Parent
    Oh, I agree completely. (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:25:14 PM EST
    He's got fine political skills; his judgment in using them needs work.

    Parent
    Well, I am going deeper than political (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by inclusiveheart on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:30:15 PM EST
    skills here.  I think that he does care about some things, but I am not so sure that he cares about jobs or the environment particularly.  Sure, he can "turn it on" when he needs to, but his real feelings play a part in his ability to recognize when turning it on is a good idea.

    Remember how much empathy he conveyed for the folks on Wall Street?  Remember when basically had to be told that he had to express something similar for Main Street?

    I think that if you watch the man closely, it is pretty obvious when he is engaged and interested and when he isn't - it can be subtle - but it is still fairly transparent in my opinin.

    Parent

    We are pretty much in agreement. (none / 0) (#31)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:36:38 PM EST
    That said, my estimation of Obama's raw political skills has gone up quite a bit in the last few months, although not with a corresponding improvement in my opinion of his political priorities.

    Parent
    I think, in this case, (none / 0) (#32)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:51:53 PM EST
    as well as with the underwear bomber, there is some of that "a river in Egypt" and/or embarrassment in play.  The underwear guy was on his watch and the oil spill was on the heels of his assurances for the safety of new drilling.   Wall Street, for example,  he can claim as an "inherited" problem that has left him with few good solutions.

    Parent
    But he doesn't have to appear (none / 0) (#36)
    by inclusiveheart on Sat May 01, 2010 at 06:52:12 PM EST
    to sympathize with compulsive gamblers on Wall Street more than he he appears to care about people on "Main Street" who basically led their lives honestly and faithfully only to find that a bunch of compulsive gamblers have screwed them - and that is what I was referring to when I talked about his attitude towards the two groups.

    It doesn't matter whose fault it is when you are trying to solve a problem pragmatically speaking.

    Parent

    Response to the oil spill (none / 0) (#18)
    by christinep on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:51:05 PM EST
    A few "factoids:" As I recall, the protocol established for oil spill response (SPCC--Spill Prevention Control & Coordination) sets out coordination between the Coast Guard and the company responsible in these stages. So, that is the method for initial clean-up response. And, one of the many issues the Bush bunch faced was the denial of a problem far beyond when most Americans could see & hear from the on-scene TV commentators how devastating to human life that the predicted Katrina event was. After a day or so of BPs hedging, the coverage that I have seen has moved to focusing the blame spotlight on the company, BP. With the President travelling to the scene Sunday and the coverage showing the Administration stepping up its coordination, it does not appear that the real (and political) consequences would resemble Katrina in any way. Granted, an environmental disaster occuring in the Louisiana location should cause us to take laser-like note and compare, but...the government officials do seem to be moving in an expeditious, expected manner. An aside: One cannot avoid the crass dilemma confronting the Republicans and Republican Gov. Jindahl...BP, which seems to have received its permit under a Republican administration, and other supporters of the original "drill baby drill" obviously cannot be heard to say that drilling is wrong...that in contrast to the Administration, which only recently and with many more limitations, would open up the area; and now, in the interests of reevaluation, pulls back for awhile and (perhaps) imposes more stringent provisions for any oil rigs. My point: In shaping future design, the situation may be a longterm boon for environmentalists. Lots more steps to go; we'll see.

    Parent
    ..the situation may be a long term boon (none / 0) (#25)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 01, 2010 at 03:42:39 PM EST
    for environmentalists.   The silver lining, and I do hope you are right. However, the worry I have is that the Obama drilling program will be the beneficiary of American's short memory and as soon as the most obvious oil is removed from cute birds it will be forgotten (think the BP Texas Refinery explosion and the oil leak closing Alaska's largest field, within the last four years) President Obama, up until just a few days ago, and in the face of an oil slick then  the size of Rhode Island, was adamantly justifying his offshore drilling plan by saying that it was "based on a careful examination of risks and spill response capabilities."  We are now learning the hard way that drilling a mile under the Gulf is an experiment, the fail safe blow preventers have not been tried, and, in fact, failed, that BP had no effective spill plan, and that there was "tension" between BP and Coast Guard oversight, causing critical delays.  Damage has been done that the clean up will not correct; back eddies from the Loop Current and Gulf Stream, for example, when it rounds the Dry Tortugas and heads for Europe, create boundary currents to the north and south and anything that goes into the water between the Loop Current and the Gulf Stream washes back and forth on the tides forever. And, of course the damage to commercial fishing and wildlife is long term, as well.

    Parent
    Very good points, KeysDan (none / 0) (#26)
    by christinep on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:00:03 PM EST
    And, as you indicate, after the clean-up and after the sweet bird pictures are not on the front of near-the-front pages, we have a way of forgetting. But, the key to the memories of the economic players will be costs/$. BP will face hefty costs--paying for clean-up per the Clean Water Act Section 311 (if the longtime federal legal schema is still the same--excuse, but I retired a few years ago) with additional penalties. The damage that you see in the oil slick's movement will have certain unrecuperable costs to the commercial related industries also. Again, looking for some good news, if the broader economic interests can be leveraged from the recent incident, the chances grow better than before for heightened environmental controls. Another thought: What keeps crossing my mind is Norway & the North Atlantic. Somehow, Norway has managed to allow oil rigs in the Atlantic and North Sea after oil discovery there in the 1960s. The vast $$$ that the country realizes from that relationship has been used to pay for/substantially supplement health care, transportation, etc. Yet--and, this isn't my area--it does appear that major-environmental-disaster type spills either have been prevented or quickly controlled. Anything we might learn from Norway on this?

    Parent
    Norway and Brazil require an (none / 0) (#30)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 01, 2010 at 04:35:31 PM EST
    acoustic remote shut off switch, in addition to a blowout protector at the well head, and a "dead man's" switch backup.  The BP well did not have an acoustic remote shut off switch. This additional safeguard switch has been lobbied against by the oil industry as being too expensive and unnecessary.  The Dept of Interior's Dept of Minerals Management considered this remote shut off switch, but did not require it because it was not needed with these other fail safe devices deployed.  The UK also does not require remote backup triggers.

    Parent
    I should have mentioned (5.00 / 2) (#34)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 01, 2010 at 05:49:11 PM EST
    that an acoustic trigger costs about $500,000.  The rig platform replacement cost is about $500 million. BP says it has been spending about $6 million a day to battle the oil spill. Savvy businessmen in action, it seems.

    Parent
    They announced today that (none / 0) (#57)
    by Militarytracy on Sat May 01, 2010 at 09:29:22 PM EST
    NONE of the rigs in the gulf have an acoustic switch to close the BOP.  They have been down there though already with submersibles trying to close the BOP and nothing seems capable of closing it, so it is unlikely that an acoustic switch would have closed it either.  This looks like a BOP failure.

    Parent
    Don't count on BP paying for this (none / 0) (#35)
    by caseyOR on Sat May 01, 2010 at 06:07:10 PM EST
    disaster,or, at least, not for all of it. Exxon still has not paid up for all the costs from the Valdez. I expect BP to follow Exxon's example of fighting in court to reduce its financial costs. Can all those fishing families afford to battle a major oil company through the US courts? Not likely.

    Let's remember,as others have noted, that this is an industry that fought against installing a $500,000 remote shut-off because they thought it was too costly.

    Parent

    Past practice (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by christinep on Sat May 01, 2010 at 07:12:20 PM EST
    suggests that they would fight or drag out paying total costs. OTOH, the leverage: There are a lot more people (voters) and several states effected (and all those officeholders who will face those voters) than in Alaska. The political consequences may be harsher for them in terms of other permits, etc....and, BP would have to factor those calculations (a variation of Cost of Enraging/Offending Voters in Several States Whose Own Interests Would Be Effected)into their usual costs when an incident occurs in a less-populated area.

    Parent
    For those of you wondering about the rallies in CO (5.00 / 2) (#42)
    by Kimberley on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:00:43 PM EST
    My fiance and I went to the park across from West High School, here in Denver, to stand in solidarity with the numerous groups and individuals protesting AZ's SB 1070 legislation and rallying in support of sensible, humane immigration reform.

    It was a beautiful afternoon, if a bit chillier than you would expect. I took a few pictures, which you can see here. We had to leave about midway through the scheduled rally, unfortunately, but there were still many people streaming into the park as we left.

    One group marched through Denver's 16th Street Mall with police escorts on motorcycles. About 250 people were involved in a march from the Capitol through downtown, while others went to a park nearby.

    The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition estimated their number at the park to be about 3,000 and said that the crowd had grown to between 7,000 to 8,000 as the rally continued toward downtown.

    "The Arizona law woke up some folks," said CIRC spokeswoman Chandra Russo.

    This was just one rally in Colorado today, the remaining rallies took place in Boulder, Glenwood Springs, Montrose, Longmont, and Yuma.

    There we a lot of great pre-made and handwritten signs from the event in Denver but these were my favorites:

    "We Work for America."
    "End Racism"
    "Friends Keep Promises."

    The diverse crowd was upbeat in spite of what brought us all to the park today and always willing to applaud and cheer event organizers when they repeatedly asked the crowd, "We vote! Right?," and then reminded us all that we need to hold elected officials accountable.

    As you can see from the photos, our local news was on scene and I'm hoping they put together a better report of what happened during the event than I have. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stay longer.

    Next Arizona Law: (none / 0) (#1)
    by jeffinalabama on Sat May 01, 2010 at 12:49:36 PM EST
    Outlawing Tuesday.

    What an amazing horse (none / 0) (#2)
    by jondee on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:03:16 PM EST
    as the expression goes, he had "the look of eagles".

    Pegasus in red.

    Parent

    The New York Times has (none / 0) (#3)
    by tigercourse on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:13:03 PM EST
    an editorial about the growing national sentiment against choice. The number of people who support overturning Wade has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. Between that and the host of new state laws being passed or about to be passed (just wait until after 2010 when a large number of new Republican Governors are in power) the pro choice movement is losing alot of ground.

    Maybe mandatory reversible (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by jondee on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:33:06 PM EST
    vasectomies are the answer.

    Or would that send the sex-is-for-procreation-and-pre-teen-retreats folk into a metaphysical tailspin? Next stop, the place with the guy with the horns and the pointy stick for the entire society..

    Parent

    Ah, yes. Charles Blow (OFB) (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Dan the Man on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:33:14 PM EST
    Wonderful line from him:


    Proponents hope that some of these measures will force the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade. Unfortunately, public opinion is inching in their direction. A Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Friday found that [...] the percentage of people who say that if Roe v. Wade were to come before the court again, the next justice should vote to overturn it. Theyre not the majority, but its still not good.

    Of course, the Washington Post poll actually says:


    The Supreme Court legalized abortion 37 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. If that case came before the court again, would you want the next justice to vote to (uphold) Roe versus Wade, or vote to (overturn) it?

    Uphold: 59
    Overturn: 38

    Charles Blow.  Too dumb to read a poll.

    Parent

    Yet again from that guy (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Cream City on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:56:21 PM EST
    -- the graphic design editor promoted to opinion writer.  The NYT went so far down in my estimation with every single thing he opined upon his promotion in time for the NYT to look like it had an AA opinionator for the 2008 campaign.

    I well know how difficult it can be for small and even midsize papers to grab off good AA journalists even today, what with the competition from the big papers -- and because so many good AA "journalism" students actually are heading into broadcast media, advertising, public relations, etc.

    But there simply is no excuse for the NYT.  Even if it was only giving a graphic designer a tryout then, that he still has this spot after all of his poor work is inexcusable for "the paper of record."  

    Parent

    He said that it wasn't a majority, but the (none / 0) (#7)
    by tigercourse on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:57:57 PM EST
    poll shows the number of people supporting repeal is treniding upward.

    Parent
    Well, the WaPo poll is (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Cream City on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:15:42 PM EST
    an apples-and-oranges assessment, with specific nominees in past vs "next justice" now.  Not good for claiming a trend line.

    And then (did you read his piece?) he cites the Gallup poll, which has trend-line validity, i.e., the same question asked for decades.  He misstates that poll's findings, which are little change found.  (There is significant change in one group that he could have written about, one that ought to cause great concern -- but he did not do so.)

    and keep in mind that this is the guy who promotes himself as the pro on statistics.

    Parent

    Well...how significant do you think it is (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by Anne on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:28:03 PM EST
    that, according to the poll,
    20. The Supreme Court legalized abortion 37 years ago in the ruling known as Roe versus Wade. If that case came before the court again, would you want the next justice to vote to (uphold) Roe versus Wade, or vote to (overturn) it?

                        Uphold   Overturn   No opinion
    Next justice, 4/25/10  59        38           3
    Sotomayor, 6/21/09    60        34           6
    Alito, 12/18/05         61        35           4
    Alito, 11/2/05          64        31           5
    Roberts, 8/28/05       60        33           7
    Roberts, 7/21/05       65        32           4

    there has been a 6-point drop in the last 5 years?

    We will be seeing more of Blow's kind of disingenuous presentation of polls and statistics, because the anti-choice crowd has gotten a whiff of hope (hey - maybe that's where it went!) and encouragement from the lack of support for choice from the WH (I know what Obama says, but he says it when there is nothing on the line - and he sits passively on the sidelines when Congress and the states put forth restrictive legislation.  And then, there's that executive order...a president who really supported women would have been struck by lightning when he signed it) and Congress and state legislatures all over the country.

    Women born post-Roe v. Wade, who have lived in blue states, have never known anything but the right to choose, and there's a dangerous complacency there that is being exploited.

    I've no doubt the media will be doing its part to make sure no one really has all the information they need to make informed decisions, concentrating, as usual, on whatever will draw the most viewers and the most ad revenue.  And as usual, they will prove to most useful to the absolute worst position possible.

    Parent

    First woman to die from coathanger (5.00 / 3) (#8)
    by denise k on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:59:35 PM EST
    The sentiment may not change until women start dying or being damaged by illegal abortions again.  We have forgotten why abortion was legalized in the first place.  It was not for convenience' sake.  It was because women have abortions whether they are legal or not.  And it is truly better that they are legal - and safe.  

    From the perspective of one who was 13 when Roe was enacted.  Are we condemned to repeat the past?      

    Parent

    The idea is to keep (none / 0) (#12)
    by jondee on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:20:24 PM EST
    the folks focused on "the sanctity of life" and furners sneakin' across the border, so that no one pays attention when the next big wave of outsourcing kicks into high gear. It's a variation on the play-the-chumps-off-against-each-other-while-we-pillage-and-loot "Southern strategy".

    Parent
    Want to see someone walk on water? (none / 0) (#9)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 01:59:43 PM EST
    Sometimes when I'm bored, I google supernatural topics just to see what turns up.
    I was looking for yoga levitation videos when I stumbled upon
    this, which is a video of a female Buddhist monk  doing something amazing. It's called waterwalking, but that doesn't connote something miraculous. It is, however, marvelous, peaceful and beautiful to watch.
    Salmon potato salad. (none / 0) (#17)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:41:56 PM EST
    I found this recipe online

    link, and made it yesterday, with a couple of modifications---I used a yogurt/mayo mix, and I used greek seasoning. It turned out well, but I would like a recipe with similar ingredients that doesn't use a mayonaisse dressing. Any ideas?

    I much prefer a German potato salad (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Cream City on Sat May 01, 2010 at 03:17:24 PM EST
    dressing to the American mayo dressing.  Have you looked up German potato salad?  If you have trouble finding recipes, I can look for some here in the land of German cuisine.  It has more cals than vinaigrette, I bet, but at least it's not mayo.

    It is similar in some ways to hot bacon dressing, cooled.  Of course, nothin' beats German-style spinach salad with hot bacon dressing that just barely wilts the leaves, mmmmmm.  I tell myself that the spinach is so good for me in low cals and lots of vitamins that this cancels out the bacon (and there's not really that much bacon in the dressing, really, I tell myself:-).

    Parent

    Yer makin me hungry and I just ate (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by Militarytracy on Sat May 01, 2010 at 09:26:27 PM EST
    MMMMM, the spinach wilted with hot bacon is soooo good.  I love German Potato Salad too.  When in Colorado Springs, eat at Edelweiss.  It is heaven.

    Parent
    Oh yes, I'm familiar with German (none / 0) (#24)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 03:36:42 PM EST
    potato salad. I like that quite a bit,but that dressing didn't seem right for salmon.

    Parent
    Bacon. Mmmmmmmmm. (none / 0) (#38)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 07:07:03 PM EST
    If you want to avoid the cholesterol and saturated fat, though, you might want to try Serbian potato salad- make it a day ahead, and bring it to room temperature before serving.  On the other hand, that hot bacon fat.........(My daughter called me the other day and said she had made a hot duck fat salad dressing, and sliced and served the cooked duck breast on top of the salad.  I was salivating at this, too.)

    Parent
    That reminds me. Speaking of ethnic (none / 0) (#40)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 07:36:01 PM EST
    food, I was planning to try Armenian lentil soup with eggplants and apricots (no joke!).
    I both forgot about it and didn't have the nerve to try it yet.
    It sounds very weird, but IIRC the amount of apricot is pretty small. It has mint too.


    Parent
    Why not? (none / 0) (#41)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 07:54:24 PM EST
    It sounds good, actually.  I've had chicken and lamb couscous with winter and summer squash, chickpeas, carrots, and....raisins.  My family has always made a rice stuffing with hamburger, onions, chestnuts, and raisins.  Raisins certainly work with savory food, I don't see any reason why apricots wouldn't.  Go for it, and let us know how it turns out!

    Parent
    I will let you know. I made a pretty (none / 0) (#43)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:03:42 PM EST
    good Murgh Chole for lunch today (Indian chicken with chickpeas and tomatoes).
    Chickpeas are so underrated.. one of the better legumes.


    Parent
    I use chickpeas (none / 0) (#44)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:15:00 PM EST
    a lot.  I make a whole lot of hummus, but also throw them in salads, stews, etc.

    Parent
    what do you think is the key to good hummus? (none / 0) (#45)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:21:14 PM EST
    I don't make much of my own, because I'm not satisfied with the result (plus, I don't like cleaning food processors).
    I figure the quality of some ingredient is off, most likely. I always use good olive oil.


    Parent
    by the way, have you ever put dill (none / 0) (#46)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:22:13 PM EST
    in your hummus? That's a Persian thing---I've had hummus green with dill and a Persian restaurant, and it was delicious.

    Parent
    Never used dill (none / 0) (#47)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:31:51 PM EST
    (although I love dill, and use it a lot).  I do use fresh cilantro, though, and add some cumin.  Good olive oil is essential, lots of garlic, enough lemon juice, and I add a dash of cayenne pepper to give it a slight zing (not too much, though).

    Parent
    you do use tahini, right? (none / 0) (#48)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:34:31 PM EST


    Parent
    Oh, of course! (none / 0) (#50)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:54:36 PM EST
    It ain't hummus without tahini!

    Parent
    does the quality of the tahini (none / 0) (#51)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:56:31 PM EST
    matter? I have no idea what is a good brand.

    Parent
    Yes, it does (none / 0) (#52)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 09:12:09 PM EST
    Joyva is good.  If I can't get Joyva, I use Krinos.  If there were only a good Middle Eastern store in the local towns, I'd go there to get tahini.  I've always been curious about making my own tahini, but never have.

    Parent
    Ziyad is probably my only choice (none / 0) (#53)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 09:15:37 PM EST
    where I live now.

    Parent
    I've never tried (none / 0) (#54)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 09:18:47 PM EST
    Ziyad.  But how hard can it be to make tahini?  All we would need is a food processor, or maybe a blender.  And lots of sesame seeds.  And oil.  I've got to do some research on this.  ;-)  

    Parent
    That's it; I'm heading back (none / 0) (#55)
    by Cream City on Sat May 01, 2010 at 09:25:23 PM EST
    to the garden store for more seeds for more herbs -- these comments are reminding me how many more wonderful ones there are that I have not been growing.

    I do have my nasturtium seeds ready to plant tomorrow (I think it's safe her now) for those yummy peppery leaves in salads -- and I just love anything that grows great despite drought and even in the worst soil (i.e., my flowerboxes if I miss watering some days) and are soooo beautiful.

    And my fiddlehead ferns are just about at the point for harvesting a few for salad next week already, before they fully unfurl.  Always the first tender morsels to be harvested from the garden, even now (as in this clime, we're still prone to frost warnings for a few more weeks).

    Parent

    What about a vinaigrette? (none / 0) (#19)
    by Anne on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:51:56 PM EST
    Essentially substituting a good oil for the mayo, in the appropriate proportions...

    Or, you could do what I do when I make potato salad: make a small portion of vinaigrette, and while the potatoes are still hot, after you've cut them up, toss them in that and then refrigerate until cool.  I find that the coating adds flavor, and means that I don't need as much mayo when I put the potato salad together - the potatoes aren't going to be little mayo sponges!

    The salmon/potato recipe sounds good - if only I could persuade my husband to like salmon!

    Parent

    It's very good. I think I"d try your idea (none / 0) (#20)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:58:19 PM EST
    of tossing the potatoes with vinaigrette and using less mayo.I do like mayo.. just not that much!
    I don't know where you live, but it seems to me that in a wide swath of the Mid-US,where I have spent some time,  "salads" look like milk shakes (ranch dressing), with a few pieces of lettuce, lots of cheese and bacon bits.
    It's just disgusting.

    I used red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice, btw, which I liked just fine.
    I  have this Penzey's greek seasoning mix with lemon pepper in it---that's what I put in.

    Parent

    I'm in Maryland, but my (none / 0) (#23)
    by Anne on Sat May 01, 2010 at 03:23:29 PM EST
    potato salad's origin was with my paternal grandmother, who spent most of her life in Northern New Jersey; I've since tweaked it - the vinaigrette is something I started doing some years ago.

    I use chopped red onion, or Vidalia, and I soak them in white or red wine vinegar for a couple of hours, then drain them before I add them to the salad.  Lots of celery seed and fresh parsley, salt and pepper, but no celery.  Sometimes I will add some chopped egg - depends on when I happen to think of adding it and how soon I need to have it ready!

    My favorite mayo to use is Duke's, but you can't get it everywhere.  No Miracle Whip, please!

    Sometimes I will just buy a small piece of fresh salmon and eat it all by my lonesome...

    Parent

    Recipe sounds really good (none / 0) (#37)
    by Zorba on Sat May 01, 2010 at 06:59:14 PM EST
    You might also want to try using a good Greek yogurt, with just a little bit of mayonnaise mixed in with it.  With the cucumbers and dill in the salad, and the garlic in the dressing, it would be reminiscent of Greek tzatziki sauce (the sauce they put on gyros and souvlaki, although we use it for other things, too).  Anne's suggestion of pre-soaking in vinaigrette sounds really good, as well.  I would use a white wine vinegar in the vinaigrette, with maybe a bit of white balsamic vinegar, too.

    Parent
    Have you fed your husband sockeye (none / 0) (#21)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 02:59:14 PM EST
    salmon? I used canned sockeye, which is the only decent canned salmon, IMO. I love sockeye, fresh, frozen, canned or smoked.

    Parent
    I know it's late, but can I put a bet (none / 0) (#49)
    by observed on Sat May 01, 2010 at 08:38:41 PM EST
    on the Kentucky Derby, to show, for Vicki from Real Housewives of Orange County? (inspired by TMZ).

    Good News, I Think (none / 0) (#58)
    by squeaky on Sun May 02, 2010 at 11:00:26 AM EST
    Not sure exactly what to make of this, but Conservative Knesset Speaker Ruvin Rivlin has uttered the most sensible solution for Peace, a one state solution.

    Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said Thursday that he would rather accept Palestinians as Israeli citizens than divide Israel and the West Bank in a future two-state peace solution....

    In a speech given in the president's residence, the Knesset speaker called for a fundamental change in relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel, urging the foundation of a "true partnership" between the two sectors, based on mutual respect, absolute equality and the addressing of "the special needs and unique character of each of the sides."....

    Rivlin also said that "the establishment of Israel was accompanied by much pain and suffering and a real trauma for the Palestinians," adding that "many of Israel's Arabs, which see themselves as part of the Palestinian population, feel the pain of their brothers across the green line - a pain they feel the state of Israel is responsible for."

    "Many of them," Rivlin says, "encounter racism and arrogance from Israel's Jews; the inequality in the allocation of state funds also does not contribute to any extra love."

    Haaretz

    Saturday Morning Open Thread | 58 comments (58 topical)

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