Month: July 2023

Mushroom + Killifish

Based on this blog.

link1: lion’s mane mushroom improved brain cell growth and memory in pre-clinical trials.

link2: I didnt know Killifish can regenerate part of their brain. As they age this ability is lost because (like other animals) we tend to accumulate dysfunctional cells with age, called senescent. By using senolytics in old killifish, they were able to restore some of the amazing regenerative abilities.

Guisantes con Jamón

I had a bag of frozen peas at home and I wanted to make “Guisantes con Jamón”. It is an easy recipe but I checked some videos as I wanted to have a better idea. These ones were my “inspiration”:

video1: using tomate sauce

video2: using lot of water and flour to thicken up the sauce

video3: using potatoes.

At the end I did a bit of a mix and I didnt use jamon but had “lomo curado”.

Ingredients:

  • 400g frozen peas
  • 100g lomo or cure ham
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1/2 medium potatoes chooped
  • 1 egg

Process:

  • Fry the onion and garlic
  • Add the meat and fry a bit
  • Add the potato and fry a bit
  • Add the frozen peas.
  • Stir until the peas are soft
  • Add the egg and cook it with the peas, I scrambled it at the end.

How to apply silicone

This week I tried to apply new silicone to the flooring of my bathroom. Initially I watched a video and gave it a go. It was a disaster, I was lucky that I didnt do the whole thing, just one part that is not in direct view, so I managed to clean-up. Using a finger to level the silicone doesnt work for me…..

I kept checking videos and this one was a breakthrough!

In summary, cut your nozzle at the level of your “fungi” so the stream of silicone covers properly. Obviously buy a “fungi” or similar tool for levelling the silicone, dont use the finger, clean properly the old silicone (have white spirit around) and use good silicone.

In my case, I had to cut the nozzle twice as the gaps I needed to cover werent equal all round the floor. So I cut the nozzle for the small gap first, use the chosen fungi length, then cut again the nozzle for the “big” gap, and use again the chosen fungi

Vegan Cherry Almond Brownies

To be honest, this recipe wasn’t really good as a brownie. But with a cold class of milk, could do the job.

Ingredients:

  • 75g margarine plus for greasing
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (not sure why this is needed…) + 6 tbsp water
  • 120g dark chocolate
  • 60g water
  • 1 tsp coffee
  • 125g self-raising flour
  • 70g almond flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 250g golden caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 70g frozen cherries (at room temperature)

Process:

  • Pre-heat oven at 170C. Grease a 20cm square tin or crystal dish.
  • Mix flaxseed with 6 tbsp of water and set aside
  • In a sauce pan, melt the chocolate, coffee, margarine and water at low heat. Allow to cool down a bit.
  • Put flours, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix.
  • Add the sugar to the chocolate mix. Use a hand mixer until everything is combined.
  • Add the flaxseeds, vanilla and cherries to the chocolate.
  • Then add the flour mix to the chocolate.
  • It will very thick and difficult to manage with a whisk so use a wooden spoon.
  • Pour the mix into the tin.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or so until a skewer inserted in the middle comes nearly clean.
  • Allow to cool down completely.

I had then for 35 minutes I think and the texture was too dry.

Vegan Chocolate Tart

Last weekend made some vegan desserts for a friend. This recipe was really good. Much better than I expected.

Ingredients:

Base:

  • 350g vegan biscuits (ie Lotus Biscoff)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 170g margarine + extra for greasing

Filling:

  • 2x400g can coconut milk, CHILLED!!!
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Process:

  • Pre-heat oven at 200C.
  • Crush biscuits to crumbs (I used my food processor).
  • Add the cocoa powder, flour, syrup and margarine to the biscuits. Mix and create a dough.
  • Butter with margarine the bottom of a 23cm aprox tart tin.
  • Spread the biscuit dough into the the tin. Press it carefully so it is thick and consistent.
  • Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Then let it cool, VERY IMPORTANT!!!
  • Make the filling. Open the coconut cans (I put them in the freezer for a bit). They should have separated the coconut water from the cococut cream. Make a hole with a knife and save the water. You can use it later for cereals or drink it directly.
  • Put the solid coconut cream in a bowl and move to the next step
  • Melt the chocolate using bain-marie or microwave.
  • Add the melted chocolate and syrup to the coconut cream. And whisk until fully combined.
  • Pour the filling over the base ONLY if the base is properly cool down. Spread it evenly and put it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to set.
  • Optional you can decorate the top with fresh red berries.

This is the result. Very tasty and not very sugary.

Sardinia – Dolomites

Visiting Sardinia I found a type of bread that I didnt expect: pane carasau, that is a flat, crunchy bread. You could find it in restaurants and supermarkets! As well, the typical sweets were very good. I was lucky to try some of them from this local pasticcerie, and reminded me to the “old” classics where people used only the ingredients they had around. I tasted papassini, gueffus (like marzipan), pardulas (small ricotta based pies), etc. Very good all of them

And I was very lucky to trek with a friend through the Dolomites. Really, really nice. It was a bit harder than I expected, but totally worth it! We did the Alta Via del Granito, the “giro verde”. A bit more info about that route.

Stolen Focus

This is a book I wanted to read because it is very important subject for me. I want to be more efficient and better at whatever I want to do and to be honest, sometimes I find it difficult to sit down and try to learn something new with my computer. As well, I dont like unnecessary distractions, mainly at work…. As usual, I expected to find the magic pill to get focus. But the book was better than that, it was the author’s journey from not having focus to understand why we are in this situation and the options we have. Spoiler alert: there is no magic pill, and it is not easy (neither impossible). At some points looks quite dramatic, but I see the point.

  • Multitasking – This is a lie we tell ourselves. We “can” do several “easy” things at the same time, only. That reminds me a sentence from a person I respect highly: ATP “Make one change at a time”.
  • Flow: This chapter was mainly based on the book “Flow” from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Summary to get into “flow” mode you need: Clear goals, meaningful goals and at edge of own ability.
  • Sleep: Very important for hour healt and sanity. As well, I liked the concept of less sleep => more consume. And that reminded to something I heard once that the Netflix CEO said the only competitor of Netflix was sleep….
  • Wandering mind: Sometimes we think that is bad, but depends on the circunstancies. Meditation is a good things it calms the mind. But the point here, using Poincare example resolving an important problem, for having focus, we need to give space to our mind too.
  • Aza Raskin (infinite scroll) and Tristan Harris (Google). They are two important figures from the tech work showing the devils of social media / big tech and how works inside. These companies they want you as much as possible in their platform. And that is not always the best for you! It was interesting to read about “positive reinforcement” that is the main practice to get you hooked to social media. This was developed by BF Skinner. As well, there is a reference that one of the founder of Instagram was in the class of Skinner. As well, I liked the reference to Magic (powa.academy) as it works tricking your focus!
  • These companies harvest so much data… that is easy to polarize people. Examples in Brazil (Bolsonaro supporters shouting “Facebook!!” and USA (Trump) elections.
  • Nir Eval: I read his book “Indistractable” and I follow several of his pieces of advice. He sais we have to adapt to the new circunstances. We need to find the distraction triggers. And all is about avoidance. I was surprised with the author showed the conflicts between Nir (tech is ok, it is our fault we got distructed) vs Tristan (tech is bad). As well, it was interesting to read Nir’s background in the tech industry. I dont think all tech is evil but I am clear about something. If I dont pay for a service (gmail, youtube, etc) then I am the currency (aka: If you are not paying for the product, then you are the product). So you have to be conscious about what you are using it for.
  • How to change things: change business model, instead of getting money from advertisers, you pay for the service (although dont think that would world outside the rich countries), so they will server you! not the advertisers. Government regulation. I liked the concept of “Surveillance Capitalism” that is based on “human (psychology) hacking”
  • You get focus when in a safe environment. If not, you are always in a stress mode. I liked the story of Nadine Burke Harris and her work to get kids on track in school from difficult neighbourhoods. There is a point to the “Universal Basic Income” concept that I think it is great.
  • Work hours: longer is not better. More focus, more efficiency. Win/win for employer and employees. Again this is something that is not going to work for everybody, just to office workers. Although I fully agree with it. There is too much stupidity in the office culture….
  • Food: This is our source of energy, and with the wrong diet, we can get focus. The evil of ultra processed food. There is a mention to Michael Pollan for cook books.
  • Pollution: This affects too our capacity of attention.
  • ADHD: attention illness in kids. There is a huge diagnosis of ADHD and that means a lof of prescription pills. The book mention that is not always and illness that is most of the time the environment, mainly for kids.
  • Play! It is critical for kinds to spend time outside and without supervision to be able to develop personal skill and thought process. The education system and society is getting worse at this. And I agree, I always remember when I was a kid that my best time was when going to my hometown where I could be outside all day. In the big city, this was very difficult, although I was lucky to have a football group and a small park where I spent a lot of time too!
  • Intrinsic Values: Social media is mainly based on showing-off. And we lost track of what is really important. Having the “correct values”for their own sake get us off that wheel that doesnt give us anything and always keep us unfulfilled.
  • James William (Google) mentions that there are three types of attention: spotlight, startlight and daylight.
  • Constant economy growth: we need to consume more because there are no more markets! You need to do more in the same amount of time. Professor Thomas Hylland Eriksen. Steady-state economy: different goals. Pushing our mind and nature to the limit. W.H. Auden “We must love one another, or die” WWII.

In general, it is a good book that gives you a lot of information about this problem and show you examples of people of fighting it from all points: from the 4 days work week, freedom to play for kids, etc.

The author says he hasnt solved it but he has learned a lot in this journey.