Upcoming project - online recipe book

In my quest for expanding my culinary horizons, I have come to the realization that all my recipes exist in the form of a stack of folded papers, index cards, and miscellaneous clippings from various food packages and that all of these recipes are in no sort of order. They are not even in order by when I first made them since I shuffle them around when searching for a certain recipe which I plan to use.

While there exist solutions to this problem in the form of binders or little index card boxes, I either need to memorize recipes or have the physical medium present in order to view the recipe. Therefore, I am taking it upon myself to create website which will have the sole purpose (originally) of storing recipes.

You are probably thinking, why go to all that trouble? Well, for one, it would be a fun project for me to do in order to learn a new technology, as well as something that would have a practical purpose after its completion. As well as learning about the software life cycle from planning to deployment and maintenance. I also want to use this project as an opportunity for learning about different software management methodologies, the pros and cons of each, and the implications each style would have on a software product.

My hope is to have the site hosted for others to use as well and eventually add features, such as sending recipes between users. Because I will be planning the project on a per feature basis, I don't have a solid deployment date. My estimate is by mid-December I will have the first version ready to deploy.

Anyway, I don't expect everyone to understand the previous two paragraphs since some of it is industry jargon. However, if this is something that you would use, stay tuned for updates about the progress of this project.

Locking SQL databases

Have you ever wanted or needed to lock a table in an SQL database? It turns out that it's actually useful to do so, especially when testing software which assumes that all database queries automatically work correctly.

I found the below SQL script over at stackoverflow:

SELECT * FROM [dbo].[tableName] WITH (TABLOCKX, HOLDLOCK)

It will select everything from a table with an exclusive lock (using TABLOCKX) and it will hold the lock until the end of the transaction (using HOLDLOCK).

We can extend this by using

BEGIN TRANSACTION

SELECT * FROM [dbo].[tableName] WITH (TABLOCKX, HOLDLOCK)
WHERE 0 = 1

WAITFOR DELAY '00:09'

END TRANSACTION

The above will select 0 rows from the table (WHERE 0 = 1, which always evaluates false) and will hold an exclusive lock on the selected table for 9 minutes (using WAITFOR DELAY).

Practically, this can be useful for testing anything which may throw an exception in SQL. For instance, when testing a bulk insert which inserts hundreds of thousands of rows may take some time, especially if other transactions are taking place simultaneously, a table lock can simulate what would happen if the query timed out in a production environment.

Soup's On

Tonight's recipe is for a creamy vegetable soup. I've made this several times with different variations to the recipe, but I love it because it is the first recipe I've done that has been improvising and just throwing in ingredients that I had lying around.

The main ingredients include:

• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 Vidalia onion, chopped
• Carrots, chopped
• 3 potatoes, chopped
• Milk
• Water
• Flour
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper as needed
• Chicken, chopped, or ground beef (optional)

It's a fairly simple list of ingredients. Since I've only just threw stuff in, I've never measured anything out. I've done it sans-meat, with ground beef, and, tonight, with chicken. Since this is basically some improvisation, don't expect scientific precision of the ingredients.

First off, if you decide to use meat, throw that in the pot first so it can start to cook. I put a cup or two of water in as well so that it didn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Since the pot cooks for a while, I've never really checked to make sure the meat was totally cooked, I figured it would finish cooking with the rest of the soup.

Once the meat has started to cook, chop up and throw in the pot, the celery, onion, and carrots. I used a handful of baby carrots since that is what I typically have on hand. If you use full size carrots, I would think 2 would be enough. The size of the pieces is completely up to you. Carrots I will slice down the middle, then cut into about 1/4 inch half slices. Celery and onion I just wing it and toss them in the pot. At this point, I will add enough milk to cover the vegetables and meat and begin cutting potatoes. Assuming a small or medium potato, I will cut it into quarters, then make slices about 1/4 inch thick. Those will all go in the pot.

After the potatoes are in, I will add some Worcestershire sauce, a bit of flour, and a little more milk or water. Make sure to mix the flour in well, otherwise it may get clumpy. At that point, I basically let it cook for a while. Times differ just because this recipe is not exact. Usually I cook it for about 20 to 30 minutes on low to medium heat. By the time it's done, it should be a little thicker because of the flour, but not too thick. If it becomes too thick, add a little water and stir until it's the thickness you want.

Once it's done, I'll add a bit of salt and pepper for taste. And that's pretty much it. With the amounts here, it will probably give about 2 quarts of soup.

If anyone makes it, let me know your thoughts or any improvements you make. I always like to know what I can do to improve my cooking, and nothing seems to work better than constructive criticism.

Freedom in Christ

freedom
-noun

1. the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or physical restraint
2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3. the power to determine action without restraint

Several weeks ago, my pastor presented a sermon on what it means to be free in Christ, which my small group discussed during the week. The topic came out of Tim Keller's book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. The primary argument refuted in the chapter this sermon covered is that Christianity is a straight-jacket, in that the followers of Christianity have too many rules and it is really a hindrance to true freedom. From the definition of freedom above, you may be able to connect the dots on how this view came to be. Christians are seen as people who follow a strict set of rules. Since they live their lives under some sort of regulation, it can be postulated that they are not truly free.

First let's ask what are the rules that Christians are "supposed to follow?" The first thing that comes to mind would probably the the Ten Commandments. After that would probably the the teachings of Christ in which he expands upon the Law saying that it is not just the committing of an act that makes it a sin, but merely having the will to commit that act in your heart. Adultery is a prime example of this. Not only is the act of adultery a sin, but looking at a woman lustfully is also a sin.

So we have the rules. Now let's ask, why is it seen that Christians have to follow these rules? Those who are not familiar with the grace God provided to us may say that it is in order to gain favor with God. Some Christians may even feel that if they follow these rules, they somehow gain favor with God. But that cannot be the case. Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast". This passage tells us that following the rules does nothing in terms of our salvation. We only have salvation because God loved us enough to give it to us.

But if the rules don't help me gain favor with God, does that make them useless? Is there no purpose to the rules besides restricting people from freedom? Of course there is a purpose. To find it, let's look to the Old Testament. God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and the Law. Yet, how many times did the Israelites stray from following the Law? But, you might say, "that proves nothing except that the Israelites were stubborn" or "but the law was too strict, how could God expect us as humans to follow such strict rules?" From there, we can see that the point of the Law was to show us our need for God's help. Without His grace, we would be doomed to an eternity in Hell. Paul says in Galatians 3:24-25 "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

So according to Paul, we are no longer under the law, but under grace. Because of this grace, we are no longer condemned to spend eternity in Hell apart from God. Now, you might ask yourself, "so if I'm not constrained to live under the law, I can do anything I want? Without consequence?" Well, not quite. What we are free from is the punishment which comes with sinning. Since we have salvation, we are no longer condemned to death, but we still have to deal with consequences of our actions.

The rules given to us show how we ought to live. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." For example, my parents taught me not to lie, to cheat, to steal. But let's look at why I should not do those things? From a Christian perspective, they go against the law, but if I am not bound by the law anymore that should not matter. In Mark 12, Christ tells us that the greatest commandment is to "[30] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. [31] The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Based upon that, I would argue that if one loves God and loves others as he loves himself; the thought to lie, cheat, or steal would not cross his mind because those actions would not be showing love to God, or to others. And the more one grows in his love for Christ, the more he will begin to follow what is in the law, not because he is required to, but because his love for Christ has given him the freedom to do so.

Banana split ice cream cake

I found today's recipe at FamilyFun.com. This dessert take a couple hours to completely make, but it is totally worth the wait.

As is the recipe is fairly straightforward. However, I will suggest a few additions as I get to them.

What you need:

• 2 c. graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 c. melted butter, plust 1/4 c. butter
• 4 to 5 medium bananas, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 1/2 quarts strawberry ice cream, softened
• 1 c. chopped walnuts
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1 c. evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping

Putting it together:

1. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Set aside half of the mixture, and press the rest into a 9x13 inch pan.*
2. Place the bananas in a single layer over the crust. Spread the softened ice cream over the top and smooth. Sprinkle the nuts on the ice cream, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
3. In a saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and the remaining 1/4 c. butter and stir until smooth. Add the sugar and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until slightly thickened and smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool the mixture, stirring occasionally. Pour over the ice cream and freeze until firm.
4. Spread the whipped topping over the chocolate layer and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Freeze for at least 3.5 hours. Remove the dish from the freezer 10 to 20 minutes before slicing.

* Even with the 2 cups of crumbs, I was barely able to cover the bottom of my pan. If I did this again, I would probably up the crumbs to 3 cups and use 3/4 cups of melted butter, or possibly even double those ingredients. If you don't mind a thin crust, leave it as is. If you want it thicker, increase those ingredients.

Orange Meringue Pie

Tonight I present a recipe for orange meringue pie. This is most definitely the most ambitious dessert I have tried yet. I found this over at allrecipes.com and made it in an evening. Here's what you will need.

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

When I made the crust, I just bought a box of graham crackers and hand crushed them. Try to make sure there are not any big pieces. Combine the crumbs with the sugar and mix it together. After it's mixed, stir in the butter. I made the mistake of only using softened butter, so it was almost like trying to cream the butter and sugar together. After it's all mixed, press onto the sides and bottom of a 9-in pie tin. You will want to bake it at 375 F for about 10 minutes, or until it's lightly browned.

To make the filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1 tablespoon butter

To begin, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in the orange juice and water until it's smooth. Cook it over medium heat until it's thickened and bubbling. Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat and stir for 2 minutes.

This next part I did while the filling was on the stove. You need to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. The whites are used later. For this, I used a two bowl method where I broke the egg into a bowl and scooped out the yolk and let the white kind of drain off. I then put the yolks in a separate bowl and beat them. After the mixture on the stove has been heated, take 1 cup of the filling and mix it with the egg yolks and then return it to the pan after it's mixed. Then bring the filling to a gentle boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Next mix in the lime juice, orange peel, and butter and pour it into the pie crust. The original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons lime juice and 4 teaspoons of grated orange peel. I used 3 or 4 tablespoons of lime juice because I didn't have the proper tool for zesting an orange. So I had about 2 teaspoons of the grated orange peel.

To make the meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

This part was a bit tricky. You can do this by hand, or use this handy guide I found over at thekitchn.com to do it with a mixer. Basically mix it until it starts to get foamy, then add the cream of tartar. Keep mixing and once it hits the soft peak stage, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. After the sugar is added, mix until you get stiff peaks.

Once it's done, spread it over the filling so it seals the edges of the pie to the crust.

Putting it all together:

Once it's all together, you want to bake it at 350 F for around 15 minutes or until the top starts to have a golden color. Cool it for an hour and refrigerate before serving.

All in all, this turned out pretty well. The original website says that it should take about an hour total, but that might only be true if you have done this a few times. It took me about 2 hours total to make this dessert, but it was worth it.

Now with flavor!

Ah the joys of cooking! The smells, the tastes, the satisfaction of taking a combination of ingredients, each of which may be dull and bland on its own, and creating with them a masterpiece which can evoke great satisfaction and joy.

Despite cooking being considered womens' turf, I have found that I enjoy cooking. I seem to have a special affinity for desserts, which has led to me being described as "domesticated" by members of the opposite sex. If you, as a reader, cannot handle that sort of description for yourself and feel emasculated by that, you're welcome to stop here, but I have a different view.

Now, before I continue, I'll lay a foundation. I am a Christian guy who is one year out of college. This blog will not be all about cooking, however I may post particularly good recipes that I find from time to time. Most posts will be somewhat random ranging from religious or political discussion to how to set use the Model-View-Presenter design pattern in .NET (if you don't know what that is, don't worry. It won't be on the test).

Now, since I was young, both of my parents have cooked. Sometimes my mom's food was better and sometimes it was my dad who prepared the better meal. Since I am relatively frugal and I don't want to eat Chef Boyardee or cereal for every meal, I decided it would be in my best interest to learn to cook. But whatever the meal, you can bet there was a recipe involved.

To me, cooking is a science. Really, cooking can be described as a series of chemical reactions between the various ingredients in order that some expected result is achieved. Much like chemistry class, if you follow the right steps at the right time, you will get the expected result. Improvisation can, at times, be beneficial or it may be harmful. Add a different ingredient or perform a different step and you may end up with an unexpected result which may be better. Or you may end up with something is so vile which you could use it for a pesticide on your garden.

As I began cooking over the past few months, I have learned something. While cooking is useful for providing sustenance, one can draw a parallel between how a Christian ought to live and cooking. Some of you may be familiar with the Bible, which I have heard described as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. In my opinion, that sounds a lot like a recipe for life. Now, I'm not talking about a legalistic view of Christianity. It is not merely enough to just follow the recipe. Like with cooking, there is something missing from a Christianity in which just following the rules gets the expected result.

Even with the ingredients and the correct mixture, a little bit of love and patience are needed to truly experience the full potential of cooking. Without patience, you will try to rush cooking and that can yield unfavorable results. For example, if you decide to turn up the heat to make a cake bake quicker, it may become dry and burned on the outside, while the inside may be doughy and not baked (which is dangerous if you used eggs, by the way). In the same way, trying to rush God's plans for our lives by taking our lives in our own hands will only get us burned. Deciding to live your life according to your own way instead of God's way is only a recipe for disaster.

I am not yet confident in my abilities that I can come up with my own recipes, but I hope I may be able to do that some day. Most of my cooking is done with recipes from others who have used them and have seen the results. In other words, I trust the recipes of those who have experience. As a fallen human, I try not to trust in my own abilities to take my life in the right direction. Instead, I try to trust in God's experience and His plans for my life. And I am confident that His plans form a recipe which will yield a truly amazing result which I could never experience on my own.