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goodtemperguy
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Name: Nicholas Franklin
Country: United States
State: Washington
Metro: Seattle
Gender: Male
Interests: NASCAR, Pizza Hut, Space, Science, Music, Apples, Snakes, Hats, Chicks, wolfpack, the sun, sunglasses, shoes, maids.
Expertise: Acoustics
Occupation: Engineering
Industry: Aerospace
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  goodtemperguy
Member Since:
10/19/2004
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| Last night I made a special family recipe for Amanda and her mother, Pam. I didn't bother to take as many
pictures as usual, but there is enough information here for you to follow along and make your own Lebanese kufta. First, I want to continue my documentation of my final days in Seattle with the
construction of my truck bed cover that I used to protect all of my worldly possessions while driving cross
country.
In order to keep my beautiful truck, I had to find a way to transport it, along with all of my other possessions
back to NC. I decided to drive the truck, but I needed a way to haul all of stuff. One option was to purchase
a canopy shell for $600, so I decided to build my own bed cover, and do so for much less coin. My friend
Bernie was willing to help me out and we turned it into a Saturday afternoon project that ended up costing
me less that $40.
The first thing that we did was cut two pieces of 1/2" plywood to fit the shape of the bed. My truck has a
six foot bed, so we used a 4 ft piece for the forward section and a 2 ft piece for the aft. The two sections
were joined by some hinges that I got at harbor freight. We also put a hinged locking mechanism on the
tailgate so that I could secure everything at night.
Then we cover the plywood using a silver tarp, also from Harbor Freight and stapled everything into place.
Here's how it works!
Now for the food!
Many cultures have their own variations on the kufta dish. For example, I really like the vegetarian kufta
found in most Indian restaurants, which is typically served with curry sauce. In my family kufta is made
with ground lamb seasoned with cinnamon and a hard boiled egg in the center. As a kid, the egg was like a
hidden treasure in the center of an otherwise disgusting sphere of meat, but it was fun so I loved when when
mom would make kufta.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground lamb (I had to ask the butcher for it and he got it out of the back)
3 eggs
1 package of pine nuts
1/4 onion
some crackers
Large can of crushed tomatoes
cinnamon
Start by boiling 2 of the eggs and cutting then into quarters lengthwise. You should have 8 peices total. I
hae way too many in my picture.
While the eggs are boiling, crush the pine nuts, cut up the quarter onion, and beat the egg. Sounds violent!
Mix with the meat (only use half of the quartered onion) and sprinkle with cinnamon, mixing in until it
smells really good.
Next take a small amount of the mixture and patty it out on a baking sheet. Place the egg in the center of
the patty.
Use your fingers to wrap the patty around the egg, making an egg shape.
Heat some olive oil in a large pan. I use the burner on 4/10, and brown the outsides of the kufta. Don't
cook all the way through, and don't worry if the ends are still pink.
Next, remove the kufta and saute the rest of the onion in the bottom of the pan. Add half of the can of crushed tomatoes. Put the kufta back into the pan and pour the remainder of the crushed tomatoes over the kufta, then sprinkle with more cinnamon. Cover and let simmer for 60 minutes.
In the mean time I fixed an appetizer tray with pita bread, fresco cheese, and grapes.
Rotate the kufta after 30 minutes to cook evenly on both sides. It should look like this. The inside is still
just a little bit pink, but not runny. This turned out just right!
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| Let's start with some good home fried chicken. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy some good old
fried chicken. The problem is that many people are content with KFC and the Kernel's secret herbs and
spices. KFC is such a rip-off compared to making your own fried chicken. I'll show you how, but first I
want to post some pictures from my final days in Seattle.
If I was going to drive solo across the country in my old pickup, I was going to need a new hair style. My
truck is anything but fast, so to compensate I asked Heather (of Helmet Head) to give me a fast looking
haircut. This is what she came up with. I think it's pretty sweet. The stripes are on just one side to give
me an asymmetrical look, and they are intentionally placed on the drivers side so as to be visible to the
people passing me on the open road. Symmetrical hair styles are so 2008...
On my final day at work, my coworkers were nice enough to take me out to my favorite Seattle lunch spot.
It's a little Italian pizza place, also in Georgetown. The location is pretty much just a hole in the wall but
the food is really great. All of the food is authentic Italian and even the furniture and eating utensils are
all imported from Italy.
Oh man! Good Stuff!!
On my final night in Seattle I went out with some friends, mostly from work, and we hit up some bars
in Georgetown. Did I mention that I like Georgetown? This is a cool shot of Bernie, Kevin, and Jane
all looking up at the Neons outside of Jules Maes Saloon.
I noticed this awesome door, which likely goes nowhere, and I had to take a picture of it. This turned out
great considering how low the lighting was. Thanks to Jane for her mad modeling skills in this shot!
The first place that we stopped was Calamity Jane's. Everyone had beers except for me and Jen (not pictured)
We opted for the Rattlesnake Venom. It was my last night in Seattle; why not? Anyhow, I really like
how the chandelier turned out in this image.
Jen took this picture of me, Bernie, and Jim. Good job Jen!
The second place that we stopped was 9 lb. Hammer. Patrick took this picture of me in front of the interstate
signs. The sign says Vancouver BC, which is cool, because that's where my brother is right now.
Patrick and Jim sip their manly beers beneath the incandescent lamp. There are three reasons why I like
this picture. The goofy expression on Jim's face, the awesome lighting, and the shadow on Patrick's upper
lip that looks like a single sided handlebar mustache.
Speaking of handlebar mustache, check out this awesome ride that we passed on our way to our final destination. This is so dramatic, it doesn't even look real.
The final place that we patronized was Jules Maes. Gotta love the stuffed game and flashy wall paper.
The best thing about Jules Maes is the ski-ball, even if it does cost $0.50 for 9 balls. Damn, I look fast!
Bernie, looking less fast, but beating my score none the less.
Patrick bowled/skied the high score of the night with an impressive 220. I think he had like four 50s in a row.
Ski-ball can kill your quarters quite fast, so we turned to the trusty old billiards table to stretch our money.
That's Bernie getting his ass beat by the Chinese Stallion.
Another good shot of Jim. The man is just very photogenic. I mean really, you should see him in real life!
And finally, the Georgetown Neon! I believe that's a whispering woman, a Korean church, a cowboy hat, a pair of boots, an old haunted house, and a brewery. Seriously, can this place be any more awesome?
Alright, now how do I make that good old southern fried chicken? It's quite simple actually.
Chicken breast
All purpose flour
salt
pepper
oil
But what about deviled eggs?
Eggs
mayonnaise
mustard
vinegar
sugar
salt
butter
paprika
Start by trimming and slicing the chicken. Make sure to get all of the skin, fat, blood, and other stuff off of
the chicken breast. These need to be all meat.
Dump out some flour and mix in some salt and pepper.
Wash the chicken under cold water, shake dry, and roll them around in the flour until completely covered.
Now all you have to do is toss those bad boys into a pot of hot cooking oil. This will only take about 10
or 15 minutes.
To make the eggs, I would start one day before making the chicken. They taste best when chilled.
First, boil the eggs and cut into halves. The best way to boil an egg is to cover the eggs with water, and bring to a rolling boil. When the rolling boil is achieved, remove from heat and let sit for 12 minutes.
At the end of the twelve minutes remove the eggs from the pot and submerge in cold water. It is at this point that I would refrigerate the eggs over night.
Remove the yolks!
Mix in desired amount of mustard, mayo, vinegar, salt, sugar, and butter. I also like to add some sweet
relish.
Now, fill the egg whites with the mixture and sprinkle with paprika.
Oh look, the chicken is done. Let's take a look!
That right there is some good eatin!!
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| You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of
sound. A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind. (instert random floating E=mc^2) You're moving
into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. That's the signpost just ahead. Your next
stop, Cobra's Kitchen!!
This is me and Emily. We made each made a face when the picture was taken and it looks like we are
getting ready for some pretty hot and heavy make-out action. Not the case... Also, check out the
creepy Mexican peeping over my shoulder.
However, this is not the first awesome picture of its kind. Last year taken around this same time
I found this eerily similar picture. It's funny how people change over time. Oh, and don't ask...
Alright, today I'm making an awesome Vietnamese sandwich with all the fixins. The Vietnamese
sandwich is a major staple of the Seattle diet. That's because everything around here is so damn
expensive, except for the Vietnamese sandwich that is. For lunch, you can usually find one of these
beauties at your corner shop for $2-$3 and it will pretty much fill you up. It tastes good too, so suck
it Subway!! I would even go so far as to say it's good for you. Sure, Jarred lost like 359 lbs on the
Subway diet, but look at Vietnamese people. In Vietnam, Jarred would be an obese giant. Need I
say more?
Here's what you'll need:
1 fresh french baguette
1/2 lb chicken, pork, beef, tofu, or whatever meat you want (I like chicken)
Asian rooster chili sauce (optional)
1 cucumber
1 carrot
1 red onion
1 jalapeno pepper
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime (for the juice)
Start by cutting the chicken (or whatever) into small pieces and throwing it into
a hot, lightly greased frying pan. When the chicken is cooked through add some
of the chili sauce and reduce the heat to Low.
That's a picture of the chili sauce if you don't know what I'm
talking about.
While that stuff simmers, go ahead and cut up all of the vegetables
and slice the bread lengthwise. Just cut up enough for a sandwich.
You won't need all of it!
That's pretty much it. Now all there is left to do is decide how you
want to layer everything and take some super close-up pictures in
dramatic lighting.
Enjoy!
Don't forget the lime juice!
That's good stuff! Mine did cost a bit more than $3 to make, but it would feed a small village.
It goes without saying I ate it all in one sitting and passed out soon after.
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| But first, check out this sweet beta fish.
Jenny had a beta fish that lived on top of her TV, until one day a gypsy man knocked on her door.
In reading her palm he discovered that she would never be wealthy, she would live a long healthy
life, and her favorite flower is a rose. To bring her good fortune, he sold to her three colorful
jewels. She place the jewels next to her beta fish who died the very next day. Jenny purchased a
new beta fish and vowed never to trust another gypsy. True story!
For the spaghetti you will need:
2 days with nothing to do other than make spaghetti and meatballs
A little bit of french bread
1/2 cup milk
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef
1/8 cup chopped pine nuts
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
zest of one small (mini) lemon
some driedbread crumbs
28 oz can of imported crushed tomatoes
grated Parmesan cheese
Don't forget to pick up some of your favorite noodles
I like Barrilla whole wheat pasta
Start by pouring the milk into a small bowl and crumble up enough
french bread to soak up the milk. (no crust)
Mix the pine nuts, 1 clove of garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and however
much cheese you want. I just used a little.
Next, mix in the pork and beef. It's easiest to use your hands.
Also, squeeze the milk from the bread and add the bread to the
mix to make a giant meatball.
Decide how big to make you meatballs, roll them in you hands to
make a nice spherical shape then roll them in bread crumbs and set
aside.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan and add the meatballs.
Fry until brown on all sides. Do not cook all the way through.
Remove the meatballs, and in the same pan fry up the remaining
two cloves of garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for
about 10 minutes before pouring over meatballs in a baking pan.
I had to turn my camera on the sunset and snap a couple of photos.
Ok, throw the meatballs and sauce in the oven and bake at 350 for an hour.
In the meantime you can put together a nice Caesar salad or something. I
also like to toast some french bread, but not much. The pasta has enough
carbs for me, and speaking of past, you should probably boil that stuff before
the meatballs are done. Check it out!
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Wednesday was definitely a non standard kind of day. I was planning on going for a hike in the
mountains, and I would have returned with some sweet pictures of Snoqualmie Falls, but that didn't
happen. Instead, I ended up going to visit my buddy, Mark. He made some Chocolates for a birthday
party, then we decided to go play tennis. Funny thing is I don't have a racket here any more, so I had to
borrow one from Kate, Mark's wife. It was a really awesome, and really pink, breast cancer awareness
racket. To top it all off, Amanda left me with her Hello Kitty water bottle, so let's just say I didn't exactly
look manly out on the tennis courts.
My odd Wednesday didn't end there. After tennis, I was all pumped up and I decided to go for a jog.
I drove over to Alki beach (my old stompin grounds) and went for a 4 mile jog with the water by
my side and the blistering sun at my back. I'm not typically the guy that just decides to take a 4 mile
jog, but I did yesterday. I didn't end there! I rode my endorphin high all the way to the gym, where
I proceeded to lift weights for another hour. I have no idea what happened, but I probably won't do that
again for a while.
Oh, and there was this guy at the gym who kept shouting at himself. "Yeah Baby!" "Work it Out!"
"Let's do it!" "Finish Hard!" That was pretty neat...
So anyhow, I made that Lox pizza that I promised myself and it turned out pretty ok.
It was good, but not my first choice for pizza topping. This time I made the crust a little
smaller and thicker than I did for the cheese pizza. I also cooked it a minute longer until
it started to burn in the thin spots. Nice!!
Topped it with a healthy layer of NON fat free cream cheese.
Add the Lox!
Chop up some red onion.
And chow down... Well not really. I was kinda disgusted by the thought of having
"rawish" salmon on the top of a pizza. It looks like sushi pizza, but the lox is actually
cured and then cold smoked, so it's not really raw by any means. It's actually quite
fragrant and flavorful, in a good way. The smokey smell really mixes well with the
smell of the cream cheese. That wasn't enough to motivate me to eat the pizza.
I ended up just wrapping it in aluminum foil and sticking it in the fridge. I did get
it out tonight and I tried a slice. Not bad. I wouldn't eat it every night, and I probably
wouldn't even eat is a main course, but it is good in a odd, almost "desert like"
sort of way.
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