Tuesday, May 25, 2004

I got promoted today.  Well, I suppose I should bring my gentle readers up to speed.  I finished school, I accepted my old job at my old company, but I'll be taking on a greatly expanded role beginning next month.  So, today I was promoted to a position in line with my new job responsibilities.  I normally don't care too much about this stuff - to be honest, I don't have to, because my excellent boss cares about it for me - but I wanted this one, because the demarcation between my old job title and my new lends me the authority I need to do the things I've been asked to do.  So. Still, this is a big one - a big step in my career, my job title, my income, and my reach.  I wish I had someone to celebrate it with, but my girlfriend is out of town on business, and I don't feel like calling up a friend and accidentally engaging in something like gloating. So, I'm thinking about buying myself a present - a Tag Heuer Kirium Midsize Steel chronograph, to be more precise.  Boy, the internet is really dangerous when you've had a beer or two and are in a celebratory mood!  I could have this watch sitting on my doorstep tomorrow afternoon, you know?  Speculating on this watch has caused me to realize how weird I am about money.  I have absolutely no doubt that I spend $1,044 (the best price I can find for this watch on said internet) every two months in books, CDs, fancy restaurant meals, and the good olives, cheese, and bread I indulge every time I go to the market.  But still, I hestitate.  Maybe it's because I'd have to get some nice clothes to go with it!  Actually, I just found out I can't buy a "guaranteed authentic" and fully-warranteed Tag on the internet.  Price of watch just increased by $700!   My readers would be amazed how much web surfing I do while writing these entries.  I always have about five Explorer windows going at any given time.  So, I don't know about the watch - do I even want to wear a watch?  Maybe this isn't a "starter watch" - what if I find it deeply annoying to have a big chunk of steel on my wrist, to always be asked what time it is, etc?  What if I get mugged?  But there is definitely a present in my not too-distant future.   Maybe I'll just by a few new CDs... Anyway.  Enough about my consumerist urges, which I have so infrequently (books and CDs excluded) that I don't mind too much writing about them here.  I got an ice cream maker for my birthday, and I have made some excellent ice cream, readers!  At first, I wasn't too thrilled about this device - I like to cook, really cook - and so far I've returned every "labor saving" type device I've received to the store (and there have been many), and exchanged them for a new saucepan, or roasting pan, or something.  But, you have to cook a good custard to make a good ice cream, and making the custard is exactly the sort of cooking that I find infinitely absorbing, relaxing, and meditative.   The custard involves heating your milk and heavy cream over a low flame, and infusing that mixture with the flavor that you want your ice cream to take up. On Sunday, I made a ginger ice cream, and the smell of the sliced ginger infusing the milk was just exquisite.  While that's happening, you whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and a bit more cream.  When your milk mixture has completely taken up the flavor of your chosen ingredient, you "temper" the egg mixture by slowly stirring about a 1/2 c. of the warm (not hot!) milk mixture in, then adding that back into the saucepan.  This prevents the eggs from curdling when added to their warm milk bath.  You stir that, constantly and slowly, over a low flame, until it thickens.  Then it's strained, and put into an ice bath.  THEN it's cooled for a long time (4-24 hours) in the refrigerator.  Only at that point is it time to dump that mixture into the machine, where it's churned and aerated for about 30 minutes.  Then back into the freezer for a few more hours.  While I was churning my ginger ice cream, I dropped a bunch of chopped crystallized ginger into the "ingredient spout.  Boy, was this good ice cream - I've had to refrain from eating all of it in one go.  The really, really excellent thing about this ice cream is that I can control the amount of sugar - I don't really like commercial treats, because they are just to sweet for my taste.  This ginger ice cream was spicy and creamy, with just the slightest hint of sweetness.  I used a very scant 1/2c. of sugar to make about 1.5 quarts. 8:22:03 PM