Sunday 14 October 2012
Örfirisey
The other day we went sunset chasing out by Ægissíður, then took the long way home and drove out to the tip of historic Örfirisey where the oil tanks stand. Like most things in life, they look beautiful when lit up at twilight even though in the stark light of day they're definitely an industrial blight on the shorefront landscape.
Reykjavik's few tanks are nothing compared to the Richmond California oil refineries (which, as a kid, always fascinated me during night drives home from visiting Amma Steina and the family in Sacramento...lit up, they're absolutely gorgeous) but have definietly brought up the same concerns as the huge August 2012 fires in Richmond did: how realistic is it to continue to have such potentially dangerous materials so close to the encroaching city edge?
This 2006 report by Thorvaldur Helgi Auðunsson from the Department of Fire Safety Engineering at Lund University in Sweden takes a closer look at this issue, which looms over Reykjavik's near future, much like the equivalent dilemma that I wrote about in this post on the Hringrás reclamation center (I also mention Yoko's Imagine Peace memorial, which garnered worldwide attention with Lady Gaga's recent acceptance of the LennonOno Grant for Peace, as did our Awesome mayor Jón Gnarr's Jedi garb :)
As cities spread, industrial structures that used to be a safe-(ish) distance from the urban populace seem to suddenly appear on the doorsteps of city businesses and residents. A lot has happened in a grass-roots kind of fashion in this sector of the city, a pretty common development - as rents rise, urban populations push out into historically non-residential areas in search of affordable housing.
The city of Reykjavik has recently held a design competition to max the potential of Örfirisey and Granda, won by Erdem Architects, which includes a very cool indoor beach, the Warm Ice Paradise. I like this idea because back in the old days the folk of Reykjavik would cross the tidal isthmus out to what had always been known to be an elven-populated Örfirisey island for day swimming trips.
While searching for an English language history of the area I ran into a review of this awesome book I translated, 25 Beautiful Walks: Walking Trails of the Greater Reykjavik Area. Otherwise, here's a great source of info about Örfirisey from the official competition for the redesign of the Old Harbor region.
Wednesday 10 October 2012
Four ways to cook with beer
Each of these recipes uses a different style of beer to create a warming fall recipe everyone can enjoy.
30-Minute Chili
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 pounds ground beef chuck
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
1 bottle (12 ounces) mild lager beer
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
1. In a Dutch oven or large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, chili powder, chipotles, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until mixture has begun to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes with their juice, beer, and beans. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook over medium heat until chili has thickened slightly and beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cheese, if desired.
Watch the Video of Sarah Carey Making the 30-Minute Chili Recipe
Beer-Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad
Beer, sausage, and potatoes are a classic combination. We simmer everything together to make a satisfying one-pot meal.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 1/4 hours
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 ounces pale-ale beer
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add beer, potatoes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper and press to submerge potatoes in cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer sausages to a serving platter and keep warm. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, and parsley. With a slotted spoon, transfer potato mixture to dressing, reserve cooking liquid; toss to combine.
3. Return pot to high heat; boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Return sausages to pot and cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Place sausages and dressed potatoes on serving platter; drizzle half the sauce over top. Serve sausages and potatoes with remaining sauce alongside.
Cook's Note
Italian sausages are delicious in this recipe, but other sausages, such as chicken or turkey, also work well.
Plus: Easy One-Pot Meals
Best Beer Batter
Covering onions in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes removes their pungent bite, leaving you with sweet, tender onion rings in a crisp beer-battered shell.
Makes 2 1/2 cups batter
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 bottle light- or medium-bodied lager (12 ounces), cold
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
Coarse salt
5 cups vegetable oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds shrimp, firm fish fillets (such as cod), or desired vegetables (such as onions or pepperoncini), cut into pieces if necessary
2 cups buttermilk (if using onions)
1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until smooth, then whisk in beer. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and whisk until combined. Place 1 cup flour in a shallow bowl. Place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet; set near stove.
2. In a wide 6-quart pot fitted with a deep-fat or candy thermometer, heat oil to 375 degrees over medium. (The oil should bubble rapidly when a pinch of flour is added.) Working in small batches, lightly coat food in flour, then dip in batter, gently shaking off excess. Fry, turning halfway through, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch (adjust heat to maintain 375 degrees). With a slotted spoon, transfer food to rack to drain and discard any browned bits of batter. Season immediately with salt. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven.
Irish Beef and Stout Stew
Warm up with a comforting bowl of this easy, freezer-friendly beef stew.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Serves 10
Ingredients
4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
2 1/2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (14.9 ounces) Irish stout beer
10 garlic cloves, sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen baby peas, thawed
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, toss beef with flour; stir in tomato paste. Add potatoes, onions, broth, beer, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer pot to oven and cook, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in peas, and season with salt and pepper.
For pictures: http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/4-ways-cook-beer-151800622.html
Tuesday 9 October 2012
Inspirational - F.R.I.E.N.D.S
F - Fight for you
R - Respect you
I - Include you
E - Encourage you
N - Need you
D - Deserve you
S - Stand by you
Saturday 6 October 2012
Space
Eric writes: It was a magical sunset ride into the night but it never got dark…
There they were, 4 tiny cyclists in the vast open space of Iceland, all alone together.
It was a journey of a lifetime, cycling 1400km into the wild, a journey of courage, bravery, endurance, hardship and most of all of pure pleasure and fun also a bit of a pain in the ass. A journey to discover and explore the wildness of an isolated world apart, a journey of exploring isolation within and connecting with innerfeelings unimaginable before, becoming a part of nature without the possibility of escaping the challenging elements of life.
An everlasting connection with a Magical Place and Magical People, a place that is now my home far away from home.
Island, Takk Fyrir Mig.
P.s. In his photo, you can just spot Eric's cycling mates riding the road through the valley ~.~
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