a famous online pact
more plastic brains!
15 Jul 2010 22:22 UTC
It’s
a matter of long debate whether we’re born with a blank slate, a tabula rasa. Do we arrive in this world with our character predetermined, or does our nurture matter more than our nature?
Eh.
Like most such dichotomies – mind vs matter, yin vs yang, dogs vs cats – as a practical matter the resolution is in some combination of the opposites. The slate may not be blank but it’s got a lifetime of free space upon it. The capacity of our brains and minds is staggering. What matters is what we fill it with. But the ways that people’s minds operate – the schemes we use to fill our slates – vary widely. We have different learning styles, differing amounts of plasticity: you’ve heard that our brains can reorganize, remap, reshape like plastic.
It’s a useful ability when you’re a child, this plasticity. Plasticity’s also involved during recovery from brain injuries; even losing an entire hemisphere to surgery can be overcome as the brain rewires its pathways. It lets you learn how to talk, to walk, to read, to play musical instruments, to play sports, all sorts of complex, difficult activities. Then as you age, you lose this plasticity. It’s hard when you’re an adult to learn a new language, to pick up the violin or golf, to read if you never learned how. 
Some folks seem to have more plastic brains, or to retain their plasticity longer into adulthood. This might have some correlation with Asperger syndrome and autistic spectrum disorders. John Elder Robison, the Aspie author of Look Me In The Eye, wrote a great blog post about plasticity and the autistic brain.
Autistic people, young and old, have a well-known difficulty recognizing and attending to faces: problems with discerning emotions, subtle cues, and looking others in the eye. There’s research showing that these problems “about face” are the result of a combination of nature and nurture. There’s a system in the brain, normally located in the right hemisphere, that soon after birth is able to recognize faces. This is why babies can tell mommy’s face from their scary uncle’s. This system is less active in autistic kids, and fails to “jump-start” the face recognition skill. Developing social abilities depends also on a second step: feeding that face system with a lot of input. Looking at lots of faces. But autistic kids don’t want to look at faces, so they don’t get this input and don’t feed the system. End result: adults with limited social skills.
Limited social skills can be more debilitating than you might imagine if you’ve got social skills. Consider work. Landing a job, even the sit-in-a-cube-typing-code-or-calculating-orbital-elements kind, is really a social endeavor. Make phone calls and talk to people appropriately. Return phone calls within the right time frame. Answer the phone professionally. Interview one-on-one, scary. Interview in a large group, overwhelming. Email helps Aspies, that’s for sure, but it’s still a social act and you can’t escape the face-to-face. The Columbus Dispatch has a remarkable article on the difficulties they encounter in finding jobs.
That’s a tragedy both for the prospects and the employers.
The prospects, already socially isolated, fall deeper into isolation, and are out of work to boot. The employers are missing out on highly productive employees: in the article, a summa cum laude graduate computer whiz, for example. One man in the article has a Master’s degree and works as a janitor: an arrangement that serves neither party well. Economically speaking, matching candidates with Asperger’s to employers is a remarkably inefficient process. These are the employees that will do better at jobs that require higher intellectual abilities and the ability to learn complex things quickly: the very prototype of the “knowledge worker” on which 21st-century American success (not to mention humanity’s future) must be based. Yet another dichotomy – social vs. informational / personal vs. algorithmic – is of concern here.
I don’t have the answer. We’re doing good at identifying children on the spectrum younger and younger. We need to do better at intensive therapies that take advantage of their brains’ plasticity and target improvement of facial processing, social skills, and communications. We need better secondary and postsecondary educational opportunities for Aspies - early intervention is critical but continued intervention can mean the difference between janitor and scientist. (I have great respect for janitors. I just think that some people are better suited for this work than others.) Finally we need to figure out how to better match people with limited social skills to employers who need people with intellectual skills. Maybe it’s just wrong-headed to try to select people for intellectual jobs by subjecting them to the non-intellectual socially-oriented tests that we call “interviews”.
Eh. The answer always lies somewhere in between. All I know is there’re some fantastic plastic brains, and we need more of them.
Grilled chicken tacos
19 Jun 2010 22:57 UTC
I won’t call them fajitas. Too much controversy.
ingredients
- 5 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, sliced into long thin strips
- 2 medium bell peppers (one red, one green), sliced like the onions
- 1 avocado, sliced (seed and slice thinly at the last minute to preserve its color)
- additional kosher salt and ground black pepper
- canola oil spray
- soft tortillas
directions
Rub the chicken breasts with the combined spices and let marinate in the rub, along with the 1 sliced medium onion, for an hour. Separately prepare the sliced bell peppers with the salt and black pepper, and spray with oil to coat.
Cook the chicken over indirect heat on a charcoal grill. While cooking, sautee the onions and peppers in a cast-iron skillet that you’ve also placed on the charcoal grill.
Grill all of this goodness until the chicken is cooked, firm, and has a nice brown crust. Remove all from heat. Let the chicken rest 5 minutes. Heat the tortillas briefly on the grill, then slice the chicken and serve with the onions, peppers, avocado, and tortillas.
I recommend mexican rice and pigeon peas (arroz con gandules) on the side.
Slow country ribs
15 Jun 2010 23:31 UTC
These are country ribs cooked slowly, not ribs from the Slow Country. It was our dinner the evening of March 4, 2010.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork country ribs, frozen and don’t thaw them.
- 1 parsnip
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 apple
- 1/2 green pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- sea salt
- groundblack pepper
- hungarian paprika
- ground cumin
- oregano
- adobo powder
- 1 12-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 10-oz. can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies
Directions
Set crockpot to high heat/6 hour cycle.
Roughly chop the parsnip, carrot, onion, apple, green pepper, and garlic. Place in bottom of crockpot. Liberally rub the frozen ribs with all the dry seasonings and place on top of the veggies. Finally, pour both cans of diced tomatoes around the sides and base of the pork.
Cook approximately 6 hours until meat is falling off the ribs and sticking to yours instead. Strain the remaining cooking liquid and serve as an au jus. I recommend you serve this with buttery crusty rolls to sop up the jus while you hungrily devour the mouth-watering tender succulent pork.
Tom kha gai
15 Jun 2010 23:24 UTC
Tom kha gai (chicken soup with “kha”)
First make broth by simmering together the following for a couple hours:
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 onion
- 2 stalks celery
- peppercorns
- 2 quarter-size slices of ginger, unpeeled
When the bird starts to fall apart, remove the chicken, strain the broth, and pull the meat from the bird and set aside.
To the clear broth add:
- 3 quarter-sized slices of ginger, unpeeled
- 1/2 stalk lemongrass, sliced into 2″ lengths
- 1 good-sized chunk kha (a dried root also known as galangal with an earthy perfumy flavor)
- 1 Tbsp white peppercorns
Let the above simmer for about 15 minutes to let flavors infuse, then add:
- 1 carrot, sliced very thin
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced very thin
- about 5 fresh shiitake mushroom, stems removed and sliced thin
Simmer for 10 more minutes to soften the veggies, then add:
- 1 can coconut milk (not coconut juice or water or drink)
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- the reserved chicken meat
and heat through.
Serve hot! and add the following at the table:
- Juice of 1/6 lime
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Sriracha to taste
There are more authentic variations (including lime leaves and thai chilies) but I didn’t have them in the pantry, so lighten up. If you’ve got them, toss them in; the more the merrier!
Oh: if you have a cold and eat this soup, you will no longer have a cold. It will pack up, leave your sinuses, and take the next passage to Bangkok.
Turkey-avocado tacos
15 Jun 2010 23:19 UTC
Just a quickie for leftover turkey, especially if it’s marinated and grilled. Which is likely around here.
1. Turkey breast tenderloin, marinated in garlic-lime barbeque and smoked over hot coals for 4-5 hours, then refrigerated for a couple days.
2. Local Ohio sweet corn, kernels cut right off the cob.
3. Artichoke-rice salad (from the boxed mix), made with artichoke hearts, and sliced black olives.
4. Roll all of the above up in a tortilla with some sour cream.
Banana cookies!
15 Jun 2010 23:12 UTC
Two problems: a whole bunch of brown bananas, and a camping trip with 7 hungry children coming up. The two-birds-with-one-stone solution: Banana Cookies!
Note: I made this in two batches. Ingredients below are for one batch. Don’t double the recipe to make two batches, just make the recipe below twice. Disclaimer: I include specific directions for a Kitchen-Aid blender. If you don’t have one, just do the equivalent with whatever you have, or by hand.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick), let warm to room temperature
- 1 c granulated white sugar
- 1 egg, let warm to room temperature
- 1 c overripe bananas (about 2 – 2 1/2 bananas)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 c white all-purpose flour
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
For banana-nut cookies:
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 c walnuts, chopped
For chocolate chip-banana cookies:
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 c chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In your Kitchen-Aid (at setting #6, with the whisk), cream the butter and sugar together smooth and fluffy. Add egg, continue creaming until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, mix the bananas and the soda. Let sit for a few minutes to activate the soda.
- In yet another bowl, combine flour, salt, and appropriate spices for the type of cookie you’re making.
- Blend (KA: #6 with the whisk) the banana mixture into the butter mixture until evenly textured throughout.
- Sift the flour mixture into the butter and banana mixture and mix (KA: #2 with the flat beater) until just combined. [The sifting step is very important to the texture and lightness of these cookies. If you don't own a sifter, do what I do and use a small wire strainer.]
- Fold in the nuts or the chocolate as appropriate.
- Drop in spoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle each cookie with vanilla sugar.
- Bake at 350° F for 12-14 minutes or until just golden brown. Let cool on wire racks. Eat! Or save for later! The choice is yours!
Yields
About 32 cookies
Chile Colorado
15 Jun 2010 23:08 UTC
Pork Chile Colorado
This ain’t traditional “chili”. It’s big chunks of pork slow-cooked in hot pepper sauce, which you then eat wrapped in a tortilla. It’s my attempt at recreating a dish served at our local Mexican haunt, Fiesta Mariachi (formerly Casa Fiesta), where also comes in a Chile Verde variety with tangy tomatillos.
The meat is rich, rich, rich with hot red chiles … not incredibly spicy, just intense … and is full of that ephemeral 5th flavor that some call “umame”. I mean it. It’s rich with the flavor of ripe capsicum. I used pork country ribs; the restaurant uses some other cut, but it frankly doesn’t matter much.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork country ribs
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 5 whole roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 whole green jalapeños
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 whole dried guajillo chiles
- 2 whole dried ancho chiles
Directions
Set the crock pot to cook for about 6 hours.
In a crock pot, place the ribs, onion, tomato, and jalapeños. Season with the garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper and mix well.
Prepare the dried chiles by first seeding and stemming them. Then, place the chiles in a small saucepan with about 3/4 c of water. Bring to a boil and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and then blend the chiles with all the water in a blender, or using a stick blender. This should yield a deep red smooth sauce.
Pour the chile sauce into the crock pot with everything else.
Cook until the meat is falling off the bones and very easy to shred. Remove the meat from the pot, then debone, remove any fat chunks, and shred the meat. Strain the reserved liquid from the crockpot and incorporate back into the meat.
Serve the meat with tortillas, sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, or however you like to eat Mexican.
Oh ee (Korean stir-fried cucumber side dish)
15 Jun 2010 22:55 UTC
ingredients
- 5 small cucumbers (Mark usually carves the skin into a decorative pattern, leaving most of the skin intact. Don’t seed or peel the cukes.)
- 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tsp sugar (refined or raw)
- 1 tsp+ Sriracha hot sauce, to taste
- 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
directions
Cut the cucumbers widthwise into thick slices, about 3/4 inch thick. Combine the remaining ingredients, except the vegetable oil, and mix them well. Pour over the cucumbers and marinate for just 10 minutes or so (for example, while cooking the recipe above!) Add vegetable oil to HOT wok. Add cucumbers (without any leftover marinade) and stir-fry until they begin to brown and the sauce is thickened.
Daeji gogi (Korean-style stir-fried pork)
15 Jun 2010 22:34 UTC
Meat
- 1 1/2 lbs fairly lean pork, sliced into thin strips (we used 2 lbs bone-in pork chops and trimmed the meat)
Marinade
- 1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/8 c rice vinegar
- 1/8 c brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Vegetables
- 1/2 medium onion, julienned
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- 1/2 lb green beans, sliced crosswise to the same length as the juliennes
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Other ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (we used canola – use whatever can take the heat)
- 2 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean fermented “hot pepper paste“)
Directions
2-4 hours ahead of time: Combine all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Combine well with the sliced pork, and marinate in a tightly covered container for at least 2 hours.
At cooking time: This is a stir-fry, so it cooks fast. Make sure you have cut all your vegetables ahead of time, and have all the other ingredients readily at hand. I typically prepare each ingredient and place it in a small bowl by itself; then at cooking time I can quickly add ingredients when it’s their time.
Add oil to a HOT wok. Add the onion, garlic, green beans, and carrots. Fry, stirring constantly, until the garlic just begins to brown and the onions are getting transparent. Add the pork. Keep stir-frying until the pork is browned, and the liquid from the marinade is boiling and reducing well. When the liquid is well-reduced and the carrots and beans are getting tender, add the fermented hot pepper paste. Continue stir-frying until the pepper paste is well combined and the sauce is just starting to caramelize.
Serve hot with steamed rice and the cucumber side dish, Oh ee.
Fermented pepper paste, toasted sesame seeds, green beans, onion, carrots, marinating cucumbers, Sriracha, marinating pork.”]
From center, spiral-wise: Fermented pepper paste, toasted sesame seeds, green beans, onion, carrots, marinating cucumbers, Sriracha, marinating pork.
Pseudo-scratch dressing
15 Jun 2010 22:13 UTC
(Dressing, Not stuffing. Don’t cook bread inside of a wet bird.)
Anyway, this is a half-cheat where you use some Stovetop Stuffing but you extend it. Like ‘Semi-homemade’ but I’m uglier and more sober than Sandra Lee.
Ingredients:
- 1 box Stovetop “Traditional Sage” instant stuffing mix
- 6 cups well-dried cubed bread (white, wheat, or sourdough)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 water chestnuts, diced (1/2 a can)
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 small box raisins
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6-8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp crushed sage
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- Salt to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a greased baking dish, combine the bread cubes and the box of Stove Top. Set aside.
In a saute pan, melt the butter with the oil and saute the onions, celery, and carrots until the onions are transparent. Add the apples, water chestnuts, and raisins and saute until everything is well incorporated and heated through. Pour over the bread cubes in the baking dish and mix well.
Into the saute pan used above, add the chicken broth and the spices. Heat through until steamy but not yet boiling. Pour over the bread cube mixture in the baking dish and mix well.
Finally, combine the beaten egg with the bread cube mixture and mix very well.
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
I write the things you read here. Software guy, writer, musician, husband & dad. 