Home Culinaire

The one-egg pancake

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:58:00 +0000

Rule number one for pancakes: They must be homemade. So, please put down the bisquick or whatever awful instant pancake mix your using and follow these simple instructions.

This recipe is based on ratios of ingredients to each other so you'll need a kitchen scale to follow along. If you don't have one, invest.

The ratio for pancake batter is 2,2,1,1/2

Thats 2 parts flour, 2 parts milk, 1 part egg, and 1/2 part oil.

* Put a mixing bowl on your scale and zero out. Now crack one egg into the bowl. What's it weigh?

* Pour double the weight of the egg in milk into the bowl.

* Pour 1/2 the weight of the egg in oil into the bowl.

* Add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

* Whisk

* In a separate bowl, add double the weight of the egg in flour to the bowl.

* Add the weight of the egg in sugar to the bowl. Yes the ratio doesn't call for sugar, but you NEED it.

* Add 1 teaspoon of baking powder

* Add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

* Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and make pancakes!

Quick breads

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:24:00 +0000

I typically don't follow recipes when I'm cooking, unless I'm baking. Baking scares the hell out of me.

Cue Ratio, the new book by Michael Ruhlman. He's outlined the basic ratios of ingredients to each other when cooking. Allowing you to break free from the confines of recipes books and, with confidence, create your own recipes on the fly. I have to say, it has done what he promised, and liberated me.

The ratio for quick breads (things like muffins, banana breads, etc) is simple 2-2-1-1.

So for any type of quick bread, you mix 2 parts flour, 2 parts liquid, 1 part sugar, 1 part fat. Easy peasy. Salt and baking powder aren't noted in the ratio, but you'll want to add them.

Want to make blueberry muffins?

8 ounces flour
8 ounces milk
4 ounces sugar
4 ounces butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Blueberries

How about making apple cinnamon bread?

8 ounces flour
6 ounces milk
2 ounces apple juice
4 ounces brown sugar
4 ounces butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
Diced apples

How about ginger-cranberry bread? (BTW, I just made up this recipe)

8 ounces flour
6 ounces milk
2 ounces cranberry juice
4 ounces sugar
4 ounces butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
Craisins

Based on this ratio, what's your unique quick bread recipe?

Oh yeah..Sunday morning.

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:43:00 +0000

Enough said.

Braised short ribs

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:34:00 +0000

I'm in love with short ribs, braised short ribs to be exact. It is the perfect example of a inexpensive cut that rivals any of the more expensive cuts, provide the right technique is employed.

While I'm talking about cuts of meat, can I say that the tenderloin is completely overrated? People gravitate to that cut because of it's low fat content, however, the lack of fat equates to a lack of flavor. Tenderness is it's one saving grace. However, as you'll see in this recipe, proper technique can take a flavor-packed, yet tough cut of meat and turn it into something spectacular.

Making braised short-ribs

Before you start, you're going to need a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed oven-safe pot.

First, stop by your butcher and pick-up some meaty beef chuck short ribs.

You'll also need to gather and prep some basic mise en place: Mirepoix, a bouquet garni, and tomato paste.

Heat olive oil in your dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the short ribs and start to sear.

Be prepared to sear for about 10-15 minutes. You're looking for a deep deep brown on all sides of the short ribs. Once they are browned, set aside.

Add your mirepoix and sweat. About 5 minutes.

Add your tomato paste and then stir. Cook this for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Careful not to burn. If you need to reduce the heat, do so.

Once done, add your short ribs back to the pot along with your bouquet garni.

Fill the pot with beef broth and red wine in a ratio of about 2 to 1. Don't cover the short ribs, fill until the liquid is about 2/3 of the way up.

Cover and put into 375 degree oven for two hours. Once done, pull out the short ribs.

Strain the braising liquid into an pan and reduce by 2/3.

Once reduced, remove from heat and whisk in cold butter to mount the sauce.

I served with Saga Blue Cheese mashed potatoes and garnished with crispy bone marrow.

I'm a pushover for popovers

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Popovers have changed my life! Not really, but I'm completely obsessed with making them, both in the morning and evenings. They work well with sweet AND savory.

How do you make a popover..simple.

First you're going to need a muffin tin, non-stick.

Now, heat your oven to 400F.

The batter for popovers is simple.

2 parts liquid
1 part egg
1 part flour
Salt

The "parts" in the recipe should be done by weight. So for example, take 4 ounces of milk and add 2 ounces of egg (about one large egg). Mix. Then add 2 ounces of flour and a pinch of salt. Mix. Let sit while your oven heats.

Pour a little bit of canola oil in the bottoms of the muffin tin. No more than a 1/2 teaspoon. Fill the tins up 3/4 of the way with batter.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 375F. Bake another 20 minutes. Voila.

To serve sweet, top with a little butter and a good quality jam or preserve. Artisan made would be ideal.

For savory meals, these make a great addition to grilled or roasted meats. Use 'em to sop up the juices!

Take steak to the next level

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:12:00 +0000

Steak by itself is wonderful. Technically, there's no need to sauce it up. The flavor of a nice fatty ribeye can hold it's own, no problem. However, if your looking to take steak to the next level, try topping it with a salsa verde.

Salsa verde. There are many permutations of what translates to "green sauce". Mexican culture's version is very different than an Italian-style salsa verde. I'm not showing you either. This is what I'd like to think of as an American salsa verde.

The list of ingredients is simple: Parsley, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper (It goes without saying that these should always be flat-leaf, fresh, fresh, extra-virgin, kosher, and fresh-cracked, respectively.)

The ratios of each can vary according to personal taste, but here's my loose measurements for two steaks worth.

1 cup (loosely packed) of parsley, stems removed. Finely chop after measuring.
2 tablespoons of finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon of finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch salt
pepper to taste

Mix the chopped parsley, shallot and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix more.

I would suggest grilling your steaks (Ribeye preferably) to medium-rare / medium. Let rest for 5 minutes after cooking. Do NOT cut into them beforehand!

Top with the salsa verde. Eat. Feel like a hero.

Making Salads Better

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:43:00 +0000

Update: Don't worry about the smoke coming out of the oven, the olive oil dripped off the sheet pan onto the oven bottom. It looked much worse than it was. Please note, use an oven safe dish with sides to prevent the same thing from happening to you...

Video Recipe: Parsnip Puree

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:18:00 +0000

I blogged this recipe for parsnip puree a few weeks ago. If you're comparing notes with my past post and this video recipe, you'll note that the ingredients and method are slightly different. That's just how I roll.

VIDEO RECIPE: Chicken with garlic and shallots

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:08:00 +0000

New rules for airlines...or how you can pay me to deal with the misery that you cause

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:53:00 +0000

I flew the most excruciating flight in my life last week. US Airways red-eye from San Francisco to Philly, then a second leg from Philly to Orlando.

Both of the US Airways planes I flew were complete dumps. Each looking like it had ~~participated in~~ been on the ground during the bombing of Dresden.

Why can't your planes be like Virgin America's planes?

This post however is not about how your planes lack polish...

US Airways, lets talk about water. The substance that spawned a mission to Mars. The essential ingredient to life. The thing that if I go without for three days, I will die! And on US Airways, when I wanted to wet my lips with this sweet nectar of life, on a five hour cross country flight, it cost me two dollars. There is one word to describe you US Airways, and that word is "chintzy".

My experience also got me thinking about some new rules for airlines. Rules that'll help to flush the bad taste from the mouths of many of your customers. These rules center around rebates for bad experiences.

On one flight, the back of my seat butted up against a toilet and wouldn't recline. This was not an option I chose to reduce my ticket price. I paid the same price for an experience that was less than I expected.

So new rule. When I am stuck with a seat that doesn't recline, leaving my body stuck at a 90 degree angle, I should be able to invoke the 90 degree clause, obligating you pay me ten dollars for every hour of my misery.

On another flight, I was seated next to a man who's body spilled over into my seat. I didn't pay for 3/4 of a seat. US Airways, I paid you for a whole seat.

So new rule. When I'm seated next to a person who's arm rest has actually become a containment device for their body, I should be able to invoke the sidecar clause, obligating you pay me ten dollars for every hour of my misery.

What do you think of my clauses? What new clauses do you want to see?

I support bailout salary caps

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:17:00 +0000

While driving to work, I heard an NPR news blurb about a proposal being kicked around in the Whitehouse - capping salaries for employees at companies that accept bailout money.

This is something I fully support.

The recent reports of billions of dollars in bailout money being distributed as bonuses makes me sick. Companies are accepting bailout money because they are in trouble. So why in the hell are they giving out bonuses?

When I think bonus, I think,

"Job well done" and "You've really made a difference"

not

"Thanks for the mismanagement" and "Way to lose our asses"

The cap proposed is $500,000. Executives can be further compensated in stock that can be redeemed once the bailout money is re-payed.

This is a good plan.

Blog schism

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:57:00 +0000

I have a blog schism on my hands.

Unlike some other famous schisms, the East-West schism and the Western Schism, my schism is generally a good thing. People aren't getting burned or poisoned as a result.

So what's the schism?

Moving forward, Home Culinaire will be my personal food blog. No rants or advice about technology and social media. Those posts will now be housed at Social Enchilada.

I encourage you to give Social Enchilada a visit. The design kicks ass and the content is getting better. Hang out, leave some comments, and please, add me to your reader.

On the Home Culinaire front, I'm aiming to do a redesign soon and plan on publishing some instructional videos.

Thanks for your support!

Twitter support, your problems are far and wide

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:18:00 +0000

I recently posted about the lack of response from Twitter Support. I am unhappy to say that my issue has not been resolved yet. And as I've gone deeper and deeper down the Twitter support hole, I've learned just how broken the support department at Twitter actually is.

Most everyone is aware of the Twitter hack that happened earlier this month. My understanding is that it was due to security flaws in their support queue. Happily they fixed the issue by replacing their support queue with a new system called Zendesk ( they blog about this change at Twitter Blog: The Zen of Twitter Support ) and more recently rolled out Get Satisfaction for support as well.

I applaud the team for making changes in response to a problem, but, in my opinion, they really made a mess of things. Let me explain how.

First off, by removing the old support system, my existing tickets were deleted. I've been waiting over two months for a response and had to resubmit my ticket. Thanks Twitter.

Secondly, the new Zendesk support system has a MAJOR flaw. Your login for the system is your Twitter login. When you submit a support request via the web interface, it attaches the ticket to your Twitter account. That's fine and dandy, however Twitter recommends that people with a Terms of Service matter (that would be me) submit their request to terms@twitter.com.

Do you see the fatal flaw yet?

The flaw is that tickets submitted via email don't attach to an account. As a result, you are unable to view responses from Twitter to that ticket.

Try it yourself. Logout of Twitter. Submit an email to terms@twitter.com. You'll receive a confirmation email with a link to view the ticket. Click the link. You're taken to a page that says - "You do not have access to request #[ticket number]. It may have been deleted".

WTF?

Did anyone at Twitter actually go through the process that you created? Because, it appears as if you didn't.

And finally, the rolling out of Get Satisfaction for support. Again, I applaud you for the effort, however, you now have two separate support systems! For a company that is already spread thin when it comes to support, does it make sense to add complexity?

This entire experience has led me to giving this advice to anyone looking to implement support for their customers.

Respond to your tickets. Use a simple method of categorizing tickets by priority and assigning SLA's to each category. Assign someone the job of monitoring SLA's. If you are constantly missing them, maybe it's time to hire more people, or better yet review and improve your current process (Hint Hint Twitter).
Experience your own support. This is unbelievably easy to do, but can give you invaluable insight. Submit a ticket as an end user, see what happens. Click on links, make sure they work. See how long it takes to get help. Again, simple, but really really effective.
Use a central support system. Managing multiple systems is too much overhead and causes confusion for your customers. Besides, not all systems are created equal and they require varied methods for managing. Pick the right solution, and stick with it.

I'm now the community manager for doterati!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 19:44:00 +0000

doterati, Central Florida's interactive marketing, media and technology association, recently held their 2009 board elections.

I'm happy to say that I was elected community director! This is a very exciting position for me as it is inline with some career goals that I have at MindComet.

You can read the MindComet press release here.

My new favorite side dish

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:26:00 +0000

I'm a mashed potato freak. They once were my favorite side dish. But I've branched out, and am experimenting with other sides.

Lately, I've been replacing mashed potatoes with pureed parsnips. Related to the carrot, they are wonderfully sweet and packed with serious amounts of flavor.

Here's how I make em.

Pre-heat your oven to 400F.

Slice the parsnips into 1/4 inch slices. When you're working with more mature (larger) parsnips, you might need to cut out the middle, as they can become woody. The center will have a distinct visual difference from the outer parsnip. See if they are woody by eating the center part raw.

Toss your sliced parsnips in olive oil and salt, then put into the oven to roast. Roast until they start to caramelize. About 20-25 minutes. If you hit 25 minutes, and they aren't a deep golden color, with some browning, LEAVE THEM IN LONGER. The secret to the amazing flavor of this dish is the roasting process. Once done, remove from the oven.

Place your parsnips in a food processor and add a tablespoon or two of butter. Start the processor. Add a steady stream of heavy whipping cream until a good consistency is acquired. You don't want your parsnip puree to be too watery. I would compare the desired consistency to that of hummus.

Salt and pepper (preferably white pepper) to taste.

This side goes really well with pork, chicken or beef.

BTW, I'm thinking about creating some how to videos. What do you think?

TweetBacks by Dan Zarrella is flawed

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Dan Zarrella has been hard at work with a service called TweetBacks. Essentially, it searches the Twitter public timeline for the URL of the page that it is installed on. Based on the amount of chatter on the web, this product has proved to be very popular.

There are currently two ways that you can use his implementation; One is a hosted version and the other is a non-hosted version as a word-press plugin.

Both versions are flawed.

Hosted version - I'll be blunt. I don't see the logic in making this a hosted service. For one, his infrastructure costs escalate as the popularity of the tool increases. However, if he wants to spend the money, more power to him. But this is not where the issue lies. The real issue with this, is that Dan has created a single point that can be a bottle neck to hundreds, and as the service grows, thousands of blogs. And as I write this, users of the hosted version are reporting that it significantly slows down page loads on their blogs. Apparently demand for the service is growing faster than he can scale his hosting infrastructure. Coming from a strong systems engineering background, it is my opinion, that unless you must absolutely keep something central, then you should always look at methods for distributing application load.

Now, there has been alot of chatter about the page load issues on Dan's blog, and Dan has responded with a second version that users can self-host. Kudos to Dan for listening to his readers and responding. However, I think he missed the mark in his response. His new version doesn't use any javascript in implementation. It is a pure PHP solution.

What's the problem with that?

Well, the problem lies with rate limiting on the Twitter API. According to the Twitter API docs, requests are limited to "100 requests per 60 sixty minute time period, starting from their first request". This is tracked by IP for unauthenticated requests. So basically, if you use his PHP solution to display TweetBacks on your blog, all requests to the API will come from your server IP. This could be a problem for blogs with high traffic.

Enter Quak Bak.

Based on the two major flaws with TweetBacks, I've released my own version called Quak Bak (formerly known as TweetBackRedux).

My implementation is self-hosted and all requests to the Twitter API are done from the clients browser via AJAX. As of version 0.2, it installs in three easy steps. All you need is a Unix server with PHP4 or greater and cURL.

RECIPE: Peanut Butter Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:27:00 +0000

By request.

We served these at our holiday party. They were a huge hit.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons hot chile paste (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces Udon noodles
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili paste, and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add noodles, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and peanuts.

New Years Menu?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:21:00 +0000

We're throwing on hell of a party on New Years.

Our group of 10 friends is descending on a beachside condo in Melbourne for a culinary throwdown.

The menu isn't finalized yet, but we're getting close.

In support of the festivities, we just made a run to Gary's Seafood in Orlando. They're a wholesaler of seafood and other gourmet items. They sell strictly to restuarants, unless you know someone...we know someone.

So what did we get?

Berkshire Heritage pork tenderloins. I'm thinking of making this into a Porc Mignon with garlic confit pan sauce and parsnip puree.

We also bought quail and buffalo short ribs. Not exactly how these will end up yet, but probably will pan roast the quail and braise the short ribs.

Oh. Did I mention the cheese and charcuterie? Shropshire Blue, Humboldt Fog aged goat, Seal Bay triple cream cheese, artisanal duck prosciutto and salami.

This post is making me hungry.

Who spoke to me in 2008?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:58:00 +0000

Seth Godin gave some poignant advice on the number one secret to a great blog.

Most blogs that earned my subscription did so because they they resonate with me. The message and content speaks to me.

Those that don't, usually get deleted. No sense cluttering up the reader with noise from tribes in which I don't belong.

So who spoke to me in 2008? I won't name them all, but I present the stars here.

BTW, if you have any suggestions for me, please share.

Seth's Blog - Seriously, I really dig what this guy has to say and am in awe with the manner in which he goes about it. Can Seth Godin be any better of a story teller? This blog speaks to me. It is one of the most pragmatic philosophies of marketing that I've read.

Chris Brogan - This guy gets it and is not afraid to share it. And from what I can tell, he's a real class act. How do I know? About a month ago, I was at a Tweet-up in Orlando, which I specifically attended because I knew some heavy hitters would also be there. Chris actually walked by me, but I didn't introduce myself, because I didn't want to be a nuisance. Then, I see this post on his blog the very next day. Like I said, class act (and possibly clairvoyant).

Michael Ruhlman - Great blog. It's subject is culinary, but it isn't recipe or technique focused per se. Instead, it's part informational, parts tips, but mostly the enertaining musings of this culinary hero. One of my favorite culinary blogs.

Foodie at fifteen - He's actually sixteen now, but props to Nick for this very honest and passionate blog. It's a fun read and he knows his stuff. He's also caught the attention of more than a few brilliant culinary minds. This kid is going far.

Bob Del Grosso - His blog is called A Hunger Artist. Who can't love a food blog named after a Kafka story about a guy who starves himself? Bob, who is or was an instructor at CIA, lives on a farm, butchers his own meat and makes his own salumi. Could life get any better than that?

Growing your online community

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:28:00 +0000

Online communities can be an inexpensive yet powerful tool for businesses.

However, you can't just build a community and set it on auto-pilot. Communities need nurturing.

If you plan on building your own community, here are the nurturing roles that you should be planning for.

Technical - Online communities are comprised of people, however, they are powered by software. You need someone who has the know-how to build and maintain your community infrastructure.

Moderation - Someone needs to have a watchful eye on your community. It is inevitable that either a spammer or nuisance user will join your community. These folks will muddy the relevance of your content and help to drive your legitimate users away. Moderation is key to minimizing this. Additionally, a good moderator can provide a holding hand to your users.

Discussion - Communities, at their core, are about discussions. As a community creator, it is important that you monitor and facilitate relevant discussions. The more people are talking, the more your community grows.

Strategic - Communities evolve. In some instances, your community members are the drivers of that evolution. However, you must be prepared to take that role. Introducing new features are one form of community evolution. More importantly though, is recognizing problems in a community, and course correcting by revising your strategy.

Your community won't be perfect from day one. But if you talk to your members and listen to their valuable feedback, over time, it just might be.

Tasty turkey stock

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:09:00 +0000

It's turning out to be another soup weekend!

While rummaging through the freezer yesterday, I spotted some turkey necks and backs that I had intended to use for Thanksgiving, but never did.

These things are perfect for stock. So before heading over to Sara and Eric's for illegal cassoulet (http://twitpic.com/utmc), I started on making homemade stock.

I first browned the 2 inch pieces of necks and backs in canola oil in the stock pot over medium high heat. During the browning process, I used a trick that renders an unbelievably deep flavor.

Here it is.

While browning, your turkey will begin to form what is termed as "fond". Fond is basically that caramelized layer of stuff that sticks to the bottom of the browning pan. It is pure flavor-packed goodness. The fond is your friend. After a while, you'll get a really good layer of fond. Add a few tablespoons of water to the turkey and scrape the fond from the pan. Continue to cook. The water will eventually evaporate and a new layer of fond will form. Then again, after a good layer of fond forms, add more water. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times, making sure you're carefully monitoring your heat. DO NOT burn the fond.

Once your turkey is browned, add enough water to cover, and slowly bring to a simmer. You do not want the stock to bubble. Place the stock pot into a 180 degree oven ( a trick I learned from Michael Ruhlman ) for no less than 3 hours. I left mine in for 9. It's up to you. An hour before your stock is done, throw some aromatics in your pot. I added chopped carrots, a chopped onion, 10 peppercorns, a bay leaf and a spring of sage.

When your stock is done, strain through a colander, then through a cheesecloth. Cool, then refrigerate.

You now have a tasty turkey stock.

What soup will the stock end up making?

A chicken and spaetzle with leeks and roasted garlic soup..I'll post the recipe later.

The power of influence. The power of persistence.

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Shel Israel recently blogged about the power of Twitter and why companies should be listening.

The post covered how one tweet by David Alston (Radian6) highlighting bad service from UHaul exploded into a movement.

This post really resonated with me as I recently had a similar experience with My Land Rover Battle. Although my experience and David's had similarities, there were also some distinct differences.

David's review of UHaul had alot of legs and spread throughout the twittersphere fairly quickly. It spread much further than mine. Why? Well, bluntly put, David Alston has more influence than me. He's extremely well known in the social media community. I am not. He has far more Twitter followers and subsequently more reach than I do. His one tweet rallied a movement and most likely cost UHaul future business. That is the power of influence.

My campaign had a favorable outcome for me. David's tweet didn't really make a difference to him personally. Why? For one, David posted one tweet and left it at that. My Land Rover Battle was a campaign which, included a call to action for people to phone Land Rover on my behalf. I estimate that about 10-15 calls were made. This, in my opinion, is was what made the difference. That is the power of persistence.

Twitter support, can I get some $&%*#@& help?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:55:00 +0000

Question: If I use a free service, which offers support to it's users, what can I reasonably expect in terms of customer care? Am I entitled to the same levels of care as a customer of a "pay" service?

Case in point, Twitter. A well-known free service, which offers a support queue. A queue in which I've had two tickets for some time now. The first is dated 11/14/08. The second (which really is the same issue, just resubmitted) is dated 12/04/08. Neither ticket has been responded to by their support department. This lack of response is extremely irritating.

To me, the act of offering support to your customers, even if you are a free service, obligates you to providing a reasonable level of support. If you aren't able to do this, either staff up in that department or explicitly state that you do not offer support. Ostensibly offering it serves nothing but to make your users angry and generate negative online buzz.

How I blog

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:37:00 +0000

I don't blog 3 times a day like the A listers or even once a day. My blogging is sporadic, happening about once a week.

But when I do blog, I do it on my shiny Macbook Pro with a 2.33 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor inside!

How many of the A-listers blog in such style? Do me a favor, show Ted your Intel!

Ah...turkey soup

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Hilton) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:30:00 +0000

I love making soup. It's one of those things where you have to most license and leeway. There are no rules.

If you want a thick soup...make it thick. You want it spicy...make it spicy.

To finish off my thanksgiving turkey, I decided to make a creamy turkey soup. How does one make a soup creamy you ask?

Simple. Flour!

So here is the basic run down of how I made my soup. The measurements are not exact, but it is a great model for how to make a creamy anything soup.

First, I sauteed a cup of diced carrots, a cup of diced onion, and a cup of chopped leeks until soft. This was done in a copious amount of butter (1 stick) and a little bacon fat (YUM) over medium heat.

Next, add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of flour. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Undercooking a roux will leave a floury taste to your soup.

Now, add your stock. Oh did I mention you need to make a stock? Here is a link to help you out with that - Turkey Stock.

Turn up the heat, start adding your stock and stir. Your soup will begin to thicken. Add enough stock to get the consistency that works for you.

Add chopped turkey. I like my soup meaty so I add ALOT. You should add as much as you want. Again, there are no rules when making soup!

Now add about 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped thyme or any other spice/herb that will make your soup delicious.

Salt and pepper to taste.

I also add about a 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream to really cream it up. You can do the same...maybe a bit of sour cream for some tang? Psst, there are no rules.

Have you made a soup before? Tell me all about it!