Showing posts with label google. Show all posts
Showing posts with label google. Show all posts

Friday, March 14, 2014

During EP#21, I recommended two TVP cocktail concoctions: the Googly-eyed Glasshole and the Google Play With Me.

Googly-eyed Glasshole
  • 2 oz Grey Goose vodka
  • 1 oz white cranberry juice (I recommend Ocean Spray White Cranberry Juice Drink)
  • 2 oz Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water, Grapefruit
  • By Nyshita talluri [CC SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
  • Garnish with candied grapefruit peel (*see the bottom of this post for how to candy peels)

Google Play With Me
  • 2 oz Stoli Hot Vodka
  • 4 oz iced unsweetened green tea (*sweeten w/ a drizzle of simple syrup if you like)
  • Squirt of lime juice
  • Garnish with wedge of lime

*Note: You can buy candied peels, or you can make them. I make mine, because I think they always taste better homemade. Candying grapefruit (or any other citrus) peel takes some time, but it's worth it because they're delicious and can keep for months.

Here's how to do it:
  1. Peel 1 grapefruit, keeping as much of the pith attached as possible. Then lay the peel on a cutting board and cut it into uniform strips of ¼” wide. 
  2. Next, comes the multi-boiling: Toss the peels in a saucepan and add in enough water to cover them completely. Bring this to a boil for 1 minute, then drain the water. Add in a new batch of water and bring it to a boil for another minute, then drain the water again. Repeat the process once more, and then cover the peel with yet more water and let it simmer over medium - medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Drain the water out and now remove the peels from the pan and set them aside on a plate or on your cutting board.
  3. Now it's time to make the simple syrup:  Add ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water to your saucepan, boil for about 2 minutes, then add the peels. Let these simmer briskly and stir occasionally. 
  4. Side step: When you're not stirring the peels, mix up some ginger-sugar in a bowl by combining ½ granulated sugar and 1 to 2 tbs ground ginger; sprinkle half of the mixture on a flat plate or cookie sheet, reserve the other half in the bowl.
  5. Back to the peels: To get a crisp candied peels, wait until the syrup has nearly vanished and looks like it's close to hardening, then remove the peels from the pan. Place them on the plate or cookie sheet you covered with the ginger-sugar. Sprinkle the remainder of the ginger-sugar over the tops of the peels and give the peels a few tosses to make sure they're well-coated. When the peels are cooled and mostly dry, transfer them to cooling racks and let them finish drying.
  6. Once they're completely dry, you can store them in an airtight container (until you plan to use them). You can use them to decorate cocktails, cupcakes, cakes, or even munch on them as is.

Drink Recipes for Episode #21: Googly-eyed Glasshole and Google PlayWith Me

During EP#21, I recommended two TVP cocktail concoctions: the Googly-eyed Glasshole and the Google Play With Me.

Googly-eyed Glasshole
  • 2 oz Grey Goose vodka
  • 1 oz white cranberry juice (I recommend Ocean Spray White Cranberry Juice Drink)
  • 2 oz Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water, Grapefruit
  • By Nyshita talluri [CC SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
  • Garnish with candied grapefruit peel (*see the bottom of this post for how to candy peels)

Google Play With Me
  • 2 oz Stoli Hot Vodka
  • 4 oz iced unsweetened green tea (*sweeten w/ a drizzle of simple syrup if you like)
  • Squirt of lime juice
  • Garnish with wedge of lime

*Note: You can buy candied peels, or you can make them. I make mine, because I think they always taste better homemade. Candying grapefruit (or any other citrus) peel takes some time, but it's worth it because they're delicious and can keep for months.

Here's how to do it:
  1. Peel 1 grapefruit, keeping as much of the pith attached as possible. Then lay the peel on a cutting board and cut it into uniform strips of ¼” wide. 
  2. Next, comes the multi-boiling: Toss the peels in a saucepan and add in enough water to cover them completely. Bring this to a boil for 1 minute, then drain the water. Add in a new batch of water and bring it to a boil for another minute, then drain the water again. Repeat the process once more, and then cover the peel with yet more water and let it simmer over medium - medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. Drain the water out and now remove the peels from the pan and set them aside on a plate or on your cutting board.
  3. Now it's time to make the simple syrup:  Add ¾ cup sugar and ¾ cup water to your saucepan, boil for about 2 minutes, then add the peels. Let these simmer briskly and stir occasionally. 
  4. Side step: When you're not stirring the peels, mix up some ginger-sugar in a bowl by combining ½ granulated sugar and 1 to 2 tbs ground ginger; sprinkle half of the mixture on a flat plate or cookie sheet, reserve the other half in the bowl.
  5. Back to the peels: To get a crisp candied peels, wait until the syrup has nearly vanished and looks like it's close to hardening, then remove the peels from the pan. Place them on the plate or cookie sheet you covered with the ginger-sugar. Sprinkle the remainder of the ginger-sugar over the tops of the peels and give the peels a few tosses to make sure they're well-coated. When the peels are cooled and mostly dry, transfer them to cooling racks and let them finish drying.
  6. Once they're completely dry, you can store them in an airtight container (until you plan to use them). You can use them to decorate cocktails, cupcakes, cakes, or even munch on them as is.
Kit Bangles's Wicked Find for this week's EP is Let Me Google That For You (lmgtfy.com).

Doing a demonstration on Google searches? Or want to show people how you came across an article via Google search? Let Me Google That For You has you covered - all you have to do is type a question, click a button, and poof! Let Me Google That For You will generate a link for you to share with the world. For a demonstration, check out ours.

Wonder what this search will bring up... Find out here!

Wicked Find for Episode #21: Let Me Google That For You (lmgtfy.com)

Kit Bangles's Wicked Find for this week's EP is Let Me Google That For You (lmgtfy.com).

Doing a demonstration on Google searches? Or want to show people how you came across an article via Google search? Let Me Google That For You has you covered - all you have to do is type a question, click a button, and poof! Let Me Google That For You will generate a link for you to share with the world. For a demonstration, check out ours.

Wonder what this search will bring up... Find out here!
Links We Referenced During Episode #21: All Hail Google, Future Overlord

By Google [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Antonio Zugaldia [CC BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
by taedc on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Episode #21: The Link List

Links We Referenced During Episode #21: All Hail Google, Future Overlord

By Google [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Antonio Zugaldia [CC BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
by taedc on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
For those of you who think that Google is nothing more than a search engine and a map to find your nearest Starbucks, well, you'd be wrong. Google is a giant that I truly believe will rule the world someday (if it already doesn't). Below are five research and development projects and companies that Google has it's hand in. And there's plenty more where that came from;


#5. Driverless Cars - It makes perfect sense that the company who is widely known for their maps and their street-level data make cars that can take you places without you having to do a thing.

#4 Elevators to Space - Yup. You read that right. Google X is one of the many companies that are looking to make it easier to leave the earths atmosphere without the use of rocket propulsion. The idea is to run a ribbon from Earth to a counterweight in orbit that allows easy access for experiments and other adventures and ventures. In fact, some believe that we could have these space elevators up and running in less than a decade.

#3 Temperature based projects - Climate Change Insurance and Smart thermostats. - One of the companies in Google's portfolio is The Climate Corporation which sells weather insurance for farmers to protect their businesses from increasingly unpredictable conditions and extreme weather. It's a noble cause. Without farms, we don't feed ourselves. Google is also developing smart thermostats which will be a system that learns the best way to keep your home just the way you like it while also saving on energy.

#2 Cancer Treatments - Having lost relatives and friends to this ugly disease, I'm very happy to see that Google is taking on this battle. Google Ventures put some money into "Foundation Medicine" which combines genomic and molecular data to create a new approach to cancer care.

#1 Predicting the future - Google is all about the future, that's no secret. They've invested in a company called Recorded Future which seeks to collect and analyze data and information that is available online for clues about what's to come.

Top Five for Episode #21: Top Five Kick Ass R&D Projects at Google

For those of you who think that Google is nothing more than a search engine and a map to find your nearest Starbucks, well, you'd be wrong. Google is a giant that I truly believe will rule the world someday (if it already doesn't). Below are five research and development projects and companies that Google has it's hand in. And there's plenty more where that came from;


#5. Driverless Cars - It makes perfect sense that the company who is widely known for their maps and their street-level data make cars that can take you places without you having to do a thing.

#4 Elevators to Space - Yup. You read that right. Google X is one of the many companies that are looking to make it easier to leave the earths atmosphere without the use of rocket propulsion. The idea is to run a ribbon from Earth to a counterweight in orbit that allows easy access for experiments and other adventures and ventures. In fact, some believe that we could have these space elevators up and running in less than a decade.

#3 Temperature based projects - Climate Change Insurance and Smart thermostats. - One of the companies in Google's portfolio is The Climate Corporation which sells weather insurance for farmers to protect their businesses from increasingly unpredictable conditions and extreme weather. It's a noble cause. Without farms, we don't feed ourselves. Google is also developing smart thermostats which will be a system that learns the best way to keep your home just the way you like it while also saving on energy.

#2 Cancer Treatments - Having lost relatives and friends to this ugly disease, I'm very happy to see that Google is taking on this battle. Google Ventures put some money into "Foundation Medicine" which combines genomic and molecular data to create a new approach to cancer care.

#1 Predicting the future - Google is all about the future, that's no secret. They've invested in a company called Recorded Future which seeks to collect and analyze data and information that is available online for clues about what's to come.