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| Dueling tree lots on either side of the street. |
It's that time of year again. The
neighborhood Christmas tree lots are gearing up for an epic stare
down from across the street. Questionable covers of classic Christmas
songs are playing in stores [Really? It used to be not too many years
ago that the staff was spared that endless loop of cheer until after
Thanksgiving. The clerks look hollow eyed and world weary already. I
didn't used to took like that until December 20th]. I
don't like being forced to think about Christmas shopping or
decorating before it's time. I haven't even done my shopping for
Thanksgiving [Though we may be accepting a kind invitation to dinner
from a dear friend, I always cook at home as well].
The holiday baking season is nigh. Some
things, like the fruit cake, must be baked before the end of the
month. It has to ferment in brandy, you see. And don't wrinkle your
nose. I make a non-traditional fruit cake inspired by my late Aunt
Eleanor [She couldn't eat nuts and hated those bizarro candied
things] by way of Alton Brown. It's more of a spiced cake with
reconstituted dried fruits (raisins, craisins and dried apricots).
The fruit is reconstituted in rum! I do make a version that
reconstitutes the fruit in orange juice for non-drinkers and minors.
And Jon and I have found through year long experimentation that we
can freeze batches of dough and bake them very successfully a couple
of weeks later. This means that we can ship the freshest cookies yet
with far less stress. To do that, I must plan well in advance.
Supplies and equipment must be purchased. That shopping must be timed
to get the best deals. A lot of thought and planning goes into this.
It is fun though. When I smell that fruit cooking with the cinnamon
and all the other spices, it really starts feeling festive. And this
year, I may add a new twist to the backing.
Ready for My Close Up
I've been learning how to shoot videos
on my own for the cancer documentary. It's not that I won't have a
crew when I do the shoots. I have a camera guy and perhaps a grip. I
will not have Jon with me on many of the shoots that involve medical
personnel. I have to see them when they are available. Jon's schedule
isn't as flexible as it was when we shot the feature film. Thus, I
have to learn how to shoot, so I can tell the crew I have what I want
and especially what I don't want. To practice, I used what I had on
hand – me and the kitchen one camera light, a web cam, a camcorder and a Skype mic. I shot and edited two videos this week
in response to videos made by two chefs I follow on youtube. Chef Ochikeron
wanted to know what products I was buying from Mitsuwa Market and how
I was using them. So I sent her this RESPONSE. And I really enjoyed a pumpkin soup recipe made by Cooking with Dog
(it's not what you think). I responded to that video with THIS. The goal was to see if I could do basic lighting, sound and
editing. Jon thought I did fairly well though I need to work on the
sound. I agreed. It took me prowling around many of the Microsoft
help forums to find out how to adjust the sound recording function.
There is no help menu that I can access in the program itself. I have
to find help online. Oy! I hasn't feeling great last week, so I'm
less than pleased with how I look, but I am happy with a first solo
effort. I have more complicated shoots planned for the next few
weeks. I'll post links as they are uploaded. I'm also thinking of
doing some video blogs as we do the holiday baking. When I lived away
from home before, I used to bake while chatting on the phone with my
Mom or other family. It could be like having everyone here to share
the experience. I'm not making an absolute promise. But I am
seriously considering it.
Updates
There is nothing new to report. I've
developing some thoughts on the editing process. I've been doing a
great deal of that lately. Beyond that, I'm writing some things and
planning others.
Stay tuned.
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