Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Scone




3 cups all purpose flour (400 g)
3/4 cup sugar (160 g)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup candied ginger (chopped into 1/4-inch pieces or smaller) (3 1/2 ounces or 110 g)
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
3/4 cup buttermilk* (200 ml)
10 Tbsp (5 ounces, 140 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp coarse sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 In a large bowl vigorously whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the candied ginger, lemon zest, and fresh ginger until evenly mixed.
3 Create a well in the center of the flour, pour in the melted butter and the buttermilk. Gently mix with a wooden spoon until the flour mixture is just moistened. Don't over-mix! The mixture should look very shaggy.
4 Divide the mixture into two balls, and flatten each onto a floured surface into a 1-inch thick, 6-inch wide circle. Slice each round into 6 wedges. Transfer to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing at least an inch apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5 Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before eating.
To store, allow first to cool to room temperature, then seal in a freezer bag.


* If you don't have buttermilk you can substitute with a Tbsp of lemon juice and 3/4 cup minus one tablespoon of regular milk.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Serengeti Sunset Photo – Tanzania Wallpaper – National Geographic Photo of the Day

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Charles Shield on Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee

Notes from yesterday's meeting.
Charles Shields talk at the December 15, 2010 meeting of the Lynchburg Public Library
Charles Shields lives in Barboursville, VA . He and his wife attended the meeting.

Alice (Harper Lee's sister) was born 1911. Still living as of 12/15/2010. She is a lawyer and quite protective of Nelle Harper Lee. Shields was unable to interview Harper Lee, But did have correspondence with Alice. In fact when Harper Lee discovered Shields was going to write the book, she not only refused to be interviewed, she told all her friends not to talk to him either.

Shields found a windfall in the papers that Truman Capote (Lee's next door neighbor as a child) left after his death. Harper Lee had accompanied Capote on his initial visits to interview for the 'Clutter Murders' which he eventually wrote as 'In Cold Blood'. Harper Lee's copious notes (including drawings of the Clutter farm) were part of Capote's papers.

According to Shields, Harper Lee is very wealthy. Her sister Alice, as a lawyer handled her buisness dealings. Sheilds remarked that Harper Lee gets 12% every time the movie 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is run. She has stipulated that no movie can be made of the book without Gregory Peck as Atticus. There is a play of the book, but it can only be given by amateur productions. She donates a lot of her money anonymously.

Harper Lee lives very simply and rather reclusively in Monroeville. Although because of a recent 'stroke' is in assisted living. Alice still lives in the old family home in Monroeville.

Sheilds says that the rumor is that Harper Lee has written another book, and it cannot be published until after her death.


Charles Shields has been working on a biography of Kurt Vonnegut for the past four years. The relationship with Vonnegut being the opposite of that with Lee.

Monday, December 06, 2010

Mastercook 11

I got MC11 up and running with all my previous cookbooks included! This version works with Vista OS, as the old MC 5 I've had forever did not always. Big relief that ValueSoft picked up the software.

Had to get help finding the files. But did, finally, from the mastercook Yahoo Group. They are a godsend.

C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Mastercook\My Collection.