Jun 29, 2008

Lingberg Photo

This postcard size photo was in a big plastic tub of hundreds of unsorted photos. I paid a dollar for it. I'm not a collector of aviation history or particularly interested in Lindberg, but it was an interesting enough photo to pick up. I looked up Major Brereton, and apparently he was the commander of the Fort Sill Base at the time.
There were a couple of photo of zeppelins and the airfield as well and they obviously part of the same set. I wonder if they are worth anything. Probably not.

Jun 15, 2008

Found Photos - Interiors

I found this set of five photographs also at the antique paper fair. They must date back to early 20th century - I'd guess 20's or 30's.

They are most unusual in that they show the interiors - multiple rooms - of a house. These kinds of photographs are not very common even today.

The actual photos are pretty small: 3 2/8 x 2 2/8 inches. They are probably contact prints.

I scanned them in at high resolution and it picked up the paper's texture as well, but also gives a better view at some of the finer details.

I'm dying to know what those tall pointy objects on top of the dresser might be.


Jun 8, 2008

Cucumber Salad

I rarely ever order salad in a restaurant. I'm not fond of iceberg lettuce and goopy dressings. At home on the other hand, I often make this simple and refresing cucumber salad, especially in the summer time.
Ingredients
  • ca 1 pound cucumber
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 tbs vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Peel the cucumbers and slice them very thing. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle on the salt, mix it in. Let it sit in the fridge for half an hour. When time is up, in a bowl mix water, vinegar and sugar till the sugar is dissolved. Adjust water/vinegar ratio to taste. Gently squeeze the liquid out of the sliced cucumber and add them to the water mix. Done. Acceptable additions are: thinly sliced shallots, green onions or purple onions.

Jun 5, 2008

Square America




Judging from the hair styles, these photos were probably taken in the late 50's, early 60's. The borders must have been white originally. Color photos age far less well than black and white. Most of the saturation and the warm tones are gone from these. I like this subtly otherworldly coloration. It works especially well with the one of the train and the boy with the broken arm. That picture thanks both to its composition and subject feels transcendent to me.

Jun 1, 2008

Hungarian Cherry Tart (Cseresznyés Lepény)

I'm not even sure if it qualifies as a tart, but I don't know what the correct English terminology is. In Hungarian deserts of this type are called "lepény." It is simple to make and is delicious.

Ingredients
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 sticks (8 oz) butter
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 2 tbs rum (optional)
  • 1-1.5 pund cherries pitted
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 325 degrees ºF.
With wooden spatula or food processor mix butter and sugar till smooth. (Starting with butter at room temperature makes it easier.) Mix in the yolks of the eggs one by one. Beat the egg whites till stiff. Alternating, little by little mix in the flour and the beaten egg whites. Gently fold them in so the egg white doesn't break completely and the mixture stays light. Finally add the vanilla and the rum. Rub butter on the inside of a baking pan. Coat it with granulated sugar (just as you would with flour). Pour in the batter. Sprinkle the cherries on top. Bake till top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let it cool for at room temperature. Dust it with powdered sugar before serving.

Other fleshy fruits like plums, peaches, apricots can be used as well.

The original recipe requires one package of vanilla sugar, but it is hard to find in the US, so I replaced it with vanilla.