Ryan J. Allen

Dinner – Pan-seared chicken breast with balsamic vinegar, garlic, and onion sauce

Ryan J. Allen — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:34:01 +0000

Let me tell you about dinner.

Soup was a tomato and roasted red pepper soup from the PC blue menu. I added some fresh basil to give it that edge. We had some fresh buns that went really well with the soup.

The entree was a pan-seared chicken breast topped a balsamic vinegar sauce with garlic and onion. This was accompanied by steamed asparagus, mashed potatoes, and a trio of butter sauteed shrimp. The sauce turned out really nice: while searing the chicken breast I added garlic and sliced red onions, then added a 1:3 balsamic vinegar:chicken stock mix (1 cup for 4 breasts), some fresh basil and thyme. After the chicken was cooked I removed it and reduced the sauce, adding a bit of butter to the mix.

For dessert I served fresh strawberries and blueberries with a chocolate sauce and whipped cream. To my surprise we ate all of the fruit. It was delicious.

Karlsruhe Tram Collides with Police Car

Ryan J. Allen — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:55:04 +0000

Hot on the heals of an accident between two trams in Karlsruhe comes another tram accident–this one involving an on-duty police car and a tram. I read that the police car took the full impact of the tram on the driver’s side door. The police officer did not survive the crash.

Some of my Favourite Starbucks Drinks

Ryan J. Allen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:31:21 +0000

I enjoy a good beverage from Starbucks. In fact, I am planning on enjoying a good beverage from Starbucks in the next hour or two with some close friends. While I think about what I might have, I wanted to share some of my favourite drinks. I’d love to hear about your favourite drinks as well–maybe I’ll give it a try.

Hot

Grande 2-pump non-fat no-whip extra-hot white chocolate mocha. This is the perfect drink, save the price. Two pumps of Starbucks’s delicious white chocolate mocha syrup to match two shots of espresso (I’d get one pump in a tall, three pumps in a triple venti, etc.). Milk steamed to 170 degrees fahrenheit to last just that little bit longer (16 oz is a lot to drink). I (usually) opt for no-whip because I find it too sweet (hence the less syrup); I also usually opt for the non-fat milk because I prefer it in a large coffee drink. This drink is one of the more expensive ones, unfortunately. Starbucks must know just how tasty that white chocolate mocha syrup is! I think Jillb. first served me this tasty drink.

Half-sweet extra-hot upside-down caramel macchiato. If you’ve ever thought a caramel macchiato needed a little more of a caramel taste, and a little less in-your-face sweetness, try this. Vanilla syrup, espresso, caramel sauce, milk, topped with foam. The hot espresso and milk will melt the caramel sauce much better than if the sauce were on top. This drink is hit-and-miss when you order it. My experience is that an untrained barista will make it a vanilla latte with caramel sauce on top, completely missing the point. Perhaps it would be better to order it as a (for example) tall one-pump extra-hot vanilla latte with caramel syrup on the espresso. From the Internet.

Double short whole-milk no-foam latte. As close to a flat white as you’re likely to get at Starbucks. This is a coffee flavoured drink, and it’s delicious. I usually add a little bit of sugar. It is simple, and it tastes great. I read about this in England (not at a Starbucks).

For-here short whole-milk dry cappuccino. Europe in a cup. Add a little sugar, and get a spoon. If Starbucks had small tables that you stand at I would be in heaven. Personally, I have to have my cappuccino’s in a ceramic cup, which is why this one is for-here only. I find Starbucks’s cappuccino to have too much milk, which is why I prefer it dry. A remanence from my year abroad.

Cold

Iced grande two-pump light-ice (no-whip) white chocolate mocha. I’m sure it’s hard to see where this one comes from. I found that in Europe the iced white mochas come with whip; I don’t know if this is the International standard but I had never received whip on my iced drink in North America. Light Ice isn’t a trick to get something for free, I just find that this drink is so good that I end up drinking it so quickly that I have a huge cup full of ice. If going a size up or down, add or remove a pump of white chocolate syrup. This happens to be one of MK’s preferred iced beverages as well.

Coffee frappuccino. Sweet, thick, and delicious. Plan on having a lot of energy afterwards. This one I read off of the menu.

Guns and Blackberries

Ryan J. Allen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:46:49 +0000

It blows my mind with stories like this one about a BlackBerry stopping a bullet from her boyfriend’s handgun doesn’t arise questions like why is it that anyone thinks its okay to bring a handgun into a restaurant to play with?

Unit of measure

Ryan J. Allen — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:33:21 +0000

I came across a humorous measure today: there are two (live) popes per square kilometre in Vatican City. Consequentially, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Vatican City has the highest concentration of popes per square kilometre in the entire world.

Squash

Ryan J. Allen — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:41:07 +0000

Another quick update, this time on my busiest day of the week.

Normally on Tuesdays I play squash with Kate. She’s busy and had to cancel so I played with Evan. It turned out to be the best game of squash I’ve played all year. The intensity was unmatched, and the speed of the game was twice any other game I have played. It was really incredible.

Now we have to get Adam up to that level.

Novelty E-mail Addresses

Ryan J. Allen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:56:25 +0000

There was a time when e-mail was new to all of us. If you are of my generation then the idea of your own personal e-mail address probably came at a time when the username part of the e-mail address was an opportunity for self-expression. As we’ve aged, most of us have outgrown our novelty e-mail addresses and exchanged them for something more straight-laced. (Some people haven’t, but it cannot take more than one job search for those people to be sorted out.)

Here are a few novelty e-mail address usernames and Internet handles of my own that I can recall. What are some of yours?

ryan_amazing
speedofpain
ocip

Midterm

Ryan J. Allen — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:56:07 +0000

I had a midterm this morning. I felt very prepared for it. But the day was long and I am now very prepared for sleep.

Seatbelt

Ryan J. Allen — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:02:31 +0000

I don’t think we have a general problem with seatbelt safety in Canada (or at least, Urban Ontario), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an important issue. The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership in the UK have posted a brilliant advertisement about it called Embrace Life. It’s very good.

Busy Week, Good Eats

Ryan J. Allen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:30:10 +0000

Between my time spent working, at school, and playing squash I was able to find time to cook two really fantastic meals this week.

I had an chorizo sausage, red peppers, and cream that I had to use up. I roasted the red peppers (reserved two) and made a red pepper cream sauce with some cooked garlic, parsley, and cayenne pepper. I fried the chorizo and then deglazed with the creme sauce. Throw that on some rotini and top with fresh parmesan. Mmmm.

Yesterday I roasted a whole chicken, which I rubbed with butter, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon then topped with bacon. Gravy was also made. I had some rice, and some halved grape tomatoes to go with this. Really simple, and really fantastic. I have leftovers galore.

Tonight: studying for midterm on Sunday morning.
Tomorrow: gym, squash, Starbucks, viewing a motorcycle (more on motorcycling soon), studying, watching hockey.
Sunday: midterm, Church, then either a quick trip to Kingston or watching the football game.