February 5, 2009
This is a recipe I mentioned a few posts back. The curry powder you use is going to make a big difference in how this dish comes out. There are plenty of recipes out there so you can make your own, you’ll have to play around and see what flavors work best for you.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 lbs Chicken Breast
- 2/3 Cups of Peanut Oil
- 1 Large Onion
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2-3 Cardamon Seeds or 1/2 tsp. Ground Cardamon
- 1 Tbsp Garlic, Minced
- 2 1/4 Cups of Water
- 1 Cup Yogurt
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tbsp Curry Powder (at least)
- Salt
Directions:
- In a large sauce pan heat the peanut oil
- Add all of the onion and cook for 5mins
- Add the Cinnamon and Cardamon, cook until the onion is browned.
- After the onion is browned add the garlic, yogurt and 1/4 cup of water and cook for 5 mins
- Add Chicken and salt to taste and cook uncovered for 20mins
- add remaining Cup of water
- Cook for 10mins
- Add heavy cream, bring to a boil and cook for 2 mins
You can adjust the ingredients to your liking but this is generally what I like to start with. Feel free to spice it up with some hot curry powder as well.
Chicken Curry @ Group Recipes
February 2, 2009
I recently cobbled together a BEAM style walking robot using the unique staple circuit known as the “bicore” and a single servo. The bicore is a really neat little circuit that powers a whole slew of different bot designs in the BEAM Bestiary. Its funny because I have been tinkering with the Arduino to try and build some simple bots and have realized that it is way more power and a bit unnecessary for what I want to do. The BEAM system caught my eye when I was looking through an old issue of MAKE Magazine because they are simple, cheap and the designs tend to be very clever. They use very simple pieces in interesting ways so that the whole becomes much great than its parts. Though I do not have an advanced understanding of electronics I can understand most of the principles that make up the bicore. There are countless pages detailing different designs but the thing that always impresses me most about the majority of the designs is doing a lot with a little. By building on a simple design people are making really cool robots!I would highly recommend starting out a Solar Roller or Pummer if you are looking for a simple, low cost and fun way to get into Robotics! Click here for a Tutorial on how to make your own!
January 29, 2009
I attended The New York Internet Marketing Meetup last night and saw a pretty informative lecture on SEO. It was given by John Murch from SEO Drop. He gave a quick overview of what he does with some useful tips and tricks. One of the things that I thought might be helpful for those of you out there who have no idea where to start with SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is an ebook by Google.Why should you know about SEO and why is it important? By fine tuning your site you can increase your position in search listings. So if you are currently on the 4th page of a google search for “Dog Tuxedos” you should take a look at the guide and your site. You may be able to organize it better, write in better keywords or some other simple steps that will bump you up to the first page and even the first position.
January 27, 2009
Above Sea Level? American Sign Language? Argininosuccinate lyase? Nope. What does the title of this post refer to? For me it refers to a phrase buried deep in my past when I used to use AOL. You would constantly see this pop up in chat rooms and, although I am no longer a user of chat rooms, I am sure it still does today. Age / Sex / Location. I made a little php page in honor of this memory from my early years on the world wide web. Just a random little thing that can help you out if your ever caught in a chat room and posed that brain teaser of a question.
http://davidcaputo.net/ASL/
It would seem that these three priori are the basis of forming any sort of relationship with someone, fantasized, virtualized or otherwise. You can build an entire drama around an individual by knowing these 3 facts. How old are you, are you male or female and where are you right now. My iPhone is constantly asking me for the later of those three whenever I open a new app. Even if that app really has no feature that would, at first glance, need my location. I am waiting with trepidation for the day that it asks me for the other two pieces of information.
January 19, 2009
I knew the name Kalustyans long before I knew what it was. To this day my moms chicken curry is one of mine and my siblings favorite meals. The staple ingredient in this dish came out of a large glass jar with a white screw cap and a tattered yellow label clinging onto the side. It read: Kalustyans. Curry Powder. Mild. There was of course a jar of hot curry powder for my dad who liked to sweat through dinner, occasionally dabbing his forehead and letting out a long sigh.
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January 18, 2009
I was digging through my bookmarks and I found this really great blog on Typography called “I Love Typography”
I have been obsessed with type for a long time. As a designer its kind of a typical trait. I find a lot of people don’t understand it and I am constantly apologetic for my random comments on why Papyrus should be banned from use or how I wish they would have used Univers or Trad Gothic for the NYC Subway Signage. I feel that most designers must have similar stories. I know Matteo Bologna of Mucca claimed himself to be a type masturbator and had to apoligize to any non-designers in audience at a recent AIGA Lecture.
I wonder though, why is it that a lot of people are blind to the nuances of the words around them. Am I just over generalizing and have a sort of “Nascar Blindness” on this?
January 15, 2009
Kroosh and I should be heading over to NYC Resistor to check out Craft night. I am hoping to buy a little time on the laser cutter (LAZZZZZOOOOOR) to get a few pieces cut for a little lighting project I have been thinking about. The space collectively purchased a 35 watt Epilog laser. Occasionally there are classes that go over the basics of designing for and using the laser.
If you have not checked out Resistor you definitely should. The best way to jump in would be to take one of their fantastic classes I mentioned above. I have taken a few so far and they are really fun. Lots of good ole friendly people hacking interesting things and sharing what they know.
I have heard very good things about the Arduino classes (If Funky, Get Loopy) but I haven’t seen any posted in quite a while. You have to keep close tabs on the class list because they have a tendency to fill up very quickly.
Happy Hacking!
January 13, 2009
I saw a video that Bre Pettis posted about making sympathy dolls and it made me want to make some of my own. I have gads of old clothing that are so ruined that I can’t give them away but they are perfect for scrapping together some plush robots.I think it came out pretty well for my first robot. It hangs from the ceiling by a thread that comes out of its poor broken robot heart.My future plans include making them writhe in emotional pain while they hang helplessly from their heart strings.
January 12, 2009
I just moved my life south from lovely Sunnyside to the Kielbasa laden neighborhood of Greenpoint. It has been a rough transition for me because I went from living in a relatively spacious one bedroom apartment filled with clutter and junk to a 2 bedroom apartment where I get 2 small rooms and my roommate gets one big room of equivalent size. So I had to throw out a lot stuff, most of it useless, some just very old. In the process I trashed my old futon that served me as a bed for several years and a couch for the last few. For the past month I have not had a couch and for some reason it has really been hindering my settlement progress. I just couldn’t seem to get any of the boxes put away or unpacked. It appeared that I had made the couch the launching point of my new permanence. As some of you will know I am weird with spending money. I assign prices to certain comodities that are not based on anything other than my “price is right” like sense. For instance, I would not pay more than $600 for a sofa. I dont care how nice it is, right now in my life I feel that a sofa should not and can not cost more than $600 and that’s what I was going to pay. As most of you also know, however, I am also extremely picky with my possessions. I knew exactly what kind of couch I wanted and would not settle for anything other than that type of couch no matter how cheap the alternatives were.After a long month of searching, sitting, caressing and gnashing I found the couch. I went through about 10 different stores and countless websites. Stores full of $3000 couches there were perfect in every way except the price tag. Couches that were just the right softness and firmness but too big or too small. I finally landed on the Mid-Century Sofa from Urban Outfitters.It was the right price and as close to the style as I was going to get. Also it fit right into my space with just a few inches to spare.
It finally arrived one month later this past Saturday and I made a little time lapse of the construction which was much shorter than I expected when I had set the camera up. By Saturday night I pretty much had the apartment put together. Boxes sorted, art hung atmosphere pleasant.I am hoping to throw a little house warming shindig soon so keep your ears open.
video: http://vimeo.com/2792840
