mountain masala

broccoli and cheese terrine

we have an old cookbook called Irresistible Vegetables that occasionally rescues us when we are oversupplied with something like broccoli because two different members of the house bought it on sale on the same day. which is exactly what happened this week.

Hot Broccoli and Cheese Terrine

500g broccoli, cut into florets. Boil or steam until tender.

1 large onion, diced. Saute in 15g butter until transparent. (I used leek instead)

2 eggs, separated.

In a food processor, puree the following

- cooked broccoli and onion
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbspn fresh parsley
- 1 tbspn fresh chives (we didnt have any...)
- 250 g cottage cheese

Transfer to a bowl and add the following
- 3 sliced, multigrain bread, crumbled
- 3 tbspns grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tbspns grated cheddar (tasty) cheese
- freshly ground black pepper

Put into a grease and lined 21 x 14 cm loaf pan. Our squarish tray like this has disappeared so I used a cake tin (well, it was a 'silicon', not a 'tin')

Cook for 25 mins at 200 degrees celsius.

It's more like a quiche than a terrine. quite nice and something we'll cook again soon (especially as I have the other half of the cottage cheese left....) the book recommends having it with tomato sauce. Last night we had it as an aside with a seafood chowder. Tonight I'm going to plate up the other half with chicken breast & bacon in a bit of pasta sauce with some mash on the side.

 

 

born again

thanks to duncan and the inspiration room for this advert (for cosmetics...!) quite clever, striking and suspenseful.(i did guess part-way through where it was heading, thanks to duncan's description.) here's the long version.

the short (2 min) version is here.

when the audience plugs in

On the weekend The Age had a fascinating article about the changing nature of theatre in Australia, particularly in relation to the use of technology and audience participaiton. With the 2011 Melbourne Festival coming shortly, the author highlighted forthcoming as well as recent innovations in technology use, audience participation and overall show/production design.

the examples range from the basic (texting responses to the stage - been there, done that...) to the quite complex (branched narratives - choose your own adventure, and wired goggles for audience).

as usual it has me thinking about the use of technology in education. in the church, we still tend to think of communication technology as a tool that we use to present or communication something to people, rather than something which is multi-way, participatory, interactive and tactile. this of course reinforces an experiential view of education, something which the 'alt worship' scene, perhaps unintentionally, stumbled upon - learning through being immersed in a multi-sensory, interactive experience - more than obersvation or even simulation. this of course is the way in which people use technology in everyday life, not as a discrete tool but as part of embodied practices.

here's the age piece.

pineapple salsa

the relatively simple salsa that I made up to go with the spiced BBQed pork was as follows.

flesh from 1/3 coconut, shredded in food processor, toasted in oven at 180 degrees, finished toasting in dry frypan

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted, roughly chopped (leave the bits chunky, not fine)

1/2 fresh pineapple, chopped and sauted briefly on high heat, cooled

1/2 red capsicum and 1/2 green capsicum, chopped into chunky pieces

1/2 long red chilli (medium heat), chopped finely

juice of 1 lime (or 1/2 if larger lime)

handful of chopped coriander

pinch of sea salt

mix together. it worked great and would be even better in summer!

theology and the arts

Professor Jeremy Begbie of the Divinity School, Duke University has worked with one of Duke's senior librarians to create a WWW portal for the study of theology and the arts (DTIA - Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts). Begbie came to Duke recently from the UK and is particularly noted for his work in the area of music.

The portal is here. It contains lists of recommended readings, links to online resources such as Oxford Art Online, a fantastic list of image databases, etc.

There are also links to other arts studies areas at Duke, such as visual arts and media and the Visual Studies Initiative.

Clearly it will be a dynamic and evolving rather than static list of resources. Brilliant.

 

eastwood airline guitars

came across eastwood guitars online and was intrigued when i saw that warren ellis plays an eastwood electric tenor. then found out that jack white plays an eastwood airline, and nick cave, the cure, calexico... so i've been having a look and listen, and they sound pretty nice and look amazing. they're sold in melbourne by 555 Music in Hawthorn, which I've never been to, and distributed by Pro Audio Supplies in Fyshwick, ACT. They also make an electric mandola, a lap steel, and a nice sounding 12 string. the prices are pretty good and so is the dollar...

they sound great in the video clips, so I'm going to hunt them out. pity i just came back from melbourne. anyway, enjoy this!

 

drums between the bells

brian eno is on a roll and has a new album out,  'drums between the bells'. he has collaborated with writer rick holland, whose lyrics are both poetic and disjunctive.there's a lot happening in this music, quite in contrast to some of Eno's ambient works. some of it sounds like what moby could sound like if he was less mobyish.

it's very theatrical in the sense that i can imagine the songs as soundtracks to performative events - dance, visuals, lighting. i wonder if eno hasnt been influenced by some of the more installation/performance and exhibition work that's he's done of late.

having said that, while the lyrics contain some nice phrases, as a whole they're rather impenetrable, and a number of times you can't help feeling that the track would be better either without the lyrics, or with something that was more accessible. neverthless, i still like the album's experimental flavour.

holland writes about the lyric development process here. an intriguing blog about his writing, making meaning, images...

listen to a stream of the whole album here.

Play as Learning

"Play... is probably the most overlooked aspect in understanding how learning functions in culture... Much of what makes play powerful as a tool for learning is our ability to engage in experimentation. All systems of play are, at base, learning systems. They are ways of engaging in complicated negotiations of meaning, interaction, and competition, not only for entertainment, but also for creating meaning. Most critically, play reveals a structure of learning that is radically different from the one that most schools or other formal learning environments provice, and which is well suited to the notions of a world in constant flux. Through play, the process of learning is no longer smooth and progressive. Instead, there is a gap between the knowledge one is given and the desired end result. The gap is apt to widen in a stat of constant flux..."

from A New Culture of Learning by Dougls Thomas and John Seely Brown.

The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry

"The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry" is one of the most significant books on youth ministry written  in the last 20 years. Really. The Lilly Endowment in the US funded a study in seven mainline denominations called "Exemplary Youth Ministry". Like the Christian Education study that preceded it in the 1990's, it became a benchmark for idenitfying critical factors for effective youth ministry for this new millennium.

About five years ago, Professor Roland Martinson from Luther Seminary, the director of the study, visited Adelaide for a teaching series centred around the study. Rollie is a wise, dynamic, generous, encouraging powerhouse of a man. I subsequently had the privilege of visiting Luther and staying with him and his wife Sherrie.

After a long wait, the book based on the study, "The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry" was published. It is largely unknown in youth ministry circles in Australia. I commend the book. Australian readers will, as always, need to read through a cultural filter. Nevertheless it says important things about what a congregation, a youth group, a leader, or a family needs to attend to in order to pass on faith to young people.

You can get the book from LifeLong Faith Associates.

Here are the authors talking about it. Yes, they're old guys. Apparently old guys know how to do good research and write about it...

spiced pumpkin and rice balls

i made up this recipe as a snack to take to the concert the other night, and have already been asked for a repeat performance. it went something like this (i wasn't taking notes....)

Mix the following into balls, coat in flour and fry, or in sesame seeds and bake in a hot oven for 20 mins.

1 cup sushi rice - cooked
1 kg pumpkin - just cooked and mashed (i overcooked mine which made it all a bit sludgy
1 red capsicum chopped finely
1-2 tsp coriander powder
1-2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1-2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder - or more if you like
1 tsp sea salt
zest of 1 orange
1 egg, lightly beaten

If it's a bit wet, add breadcrumbs or some flour.

Lovely dipped in sweet chilli sauce. Eat hot or cold.