Jan 2007
"CAN YOU GET COLCANNON IN CALABRIA?"
31/01/2007 03:46 Filed in: Bite Club
A sense of routine is returning to Sydney. Stores are fully opened pegging their wares for Valentine's Day, kids are returning to school and Biteclub is on again tonight. Our self appointed secretary, Jason had also returned from a three week vacation in South America. So I was looking forward to hearing some great holiday stories.
Tonight's Biteclub was being hosted by Noel and Sarina. Sarina is of Italian descent and Noel hails from Ireland. They had hosted two before this one with great success. I was dying to know what they had planned or more importantly what they were cooking. As I entered their stylish inner city premises, I was greeted by Darcy (their lovely dog) and the sounds of a busy stove. Mmmm...was that tomato I could smell or garlic? As I sipped my first beer and got my camera ready I thought to myself, "can you get colcannon in Calabria?"....hmmm.
As the rest of the biteclubbers arrived and the sun set on a sultry Sydney evening (try saying that a few times in a row!!!), Sarina announced that the first course would consist of two pastas. Not one but two. The first pasta was an angel hair one served warm with a sauce that consisted of truss tomatoes, pecorino cheese, basil, garlic and the golden nectar known as extra virgin olive oil. A simple sauce that truly matched the fineness of the pasta. Delicious. The second dish, she announced was a spaghetti con "le sarde". A "peasant" dish, made popular in the region of Sicily. This consisted of sardines, sultanas, pine nuts and wild fennel. Now, I'm not a big fan of sardines. They bring back awful memories of the canned variety, that I experienced in my childhood. With great hesitation I tucked in. Wow!!! It was amazing!!! The sardines were subtle, the sultanas juicy, the pinenuts gave it a great crunch and the fennel gave it that extra lift.
After spending time sipping Sauvignon Blanc with Maria and hearing holiday yarns we were called in for the main course. The air was filled with the flavours of a Moroccan souk. We enjoyed baked chicken done with preserved lemons, onion, turmeric, saffron and rosemary. The chicken was accompanied by a baked vegetable selection.
The flavours were mind blowing. The sauce had a golden hue to it thanks to the addition of the saffron and the extra virgin olive oil. The chicken succulent and juicy. The vegetables cooked to near perfection. All washed down by a Fifth Leg Rose.
As the air buzzed with the sounds of the crickets we buzzed with excitment at the arrival of dessert. A nectarine and custard tart. All made from scratch!!! Sweet shortcrust pastry filled with home made custard and topped with baked nectarines. What a delightful way to use this stone fruit which seems to be in abundance at this time of the year. The pastry was crunchy yet delicate. The custard made with eggs, milk and vanilla left a silky, smooth feeling in your mouth. The nectarines enhanced with the use of brown sugar, butter and orange juice. Topped with vanilla ice cream it was declared a winner by all Biteclubbers.
With another Biteclub complete it was time to make my way home. A great effort by Sarina and Noel. Well done guys. Oh by the way let's not forget to mention Darcy, who enjoyed the leftovers!!!! Good on ya Darcy!!
Tonight's Biteclub was being hosted by Noel and Sarina. Sarina is of Italian descent and Noel hails from Ireland. They had hosted two before this one with great success. I was dying to know what they had planned or more importantly what they were cooking. As I entered their stylish inner city premises, I was greeted by Darcy (their lovely dog) and the sounds of a busy stove. Mmmm...was that tomato I could smell or garlic? As I sipped my first beer and got my camera ready I thought to myself, "can you get colcannon in Calabria?"....hmmm.
As the rest of the biteclubbers arrived and the sun set on a sultry Sydney evening (try saying that a few times in a row!!!), Sarina announced that the first course would consist of two pastas. Not one but two. The first pasta was an angel hair one served warm with a sauce that consisted of truss tomatoes, pecorino cheese, basil, garlic and the golden nectar known as extra virgin olive oil. A simple sauce that truly matched the fineness of the pasta. Delicious. The second dish, she announced was a spaghetti con "le sarde". A "peasant" dish, made popular in the region of Sicily. This consisted of sardines, sultanas, pine nuts and wild fennel. Now, I'm not a big fan of sardines. They bring back awful memories of the canned variety, that I experienced in my childhood. With great hesitation I tucked in. Wow!!! It was amazing!!! The sardines were subtle, the sultanas juicy, the pinenuts gave it a great crunch and the fennel gave it that extra lift.
After spending time sipping Sauvignon Blanc with Maria and hearing holiday yarns we were called in for the main course. The air was filled with the flavours of a Moroccan souk. We enjoyed baked chicken done with preserved lemons, onion, turmeric, saffron and rosemary. The chicken was accompanied by a baked vegetable selection.
The flavours were mind blowing. The sauce had a golden hue to it thanks to the addition of the saffron and the extra virgin olive oil. The chicken succulent and juicy. The vegetables cooked to near perfection. All washed down by a Fifth Leg Rose.
As the air buzzed with the sounds of the crickets we buzzed with excitment at the arrival of dessert. A nectarine and custard tart. All made from scratch!!! Sweet shortcrust pastry filled with home made custard and topped with baked nectarines. What a delightful way to use this stone fruit which seems to be in abundance at this time of the year. The pastry was crunchy yet delicate. The custard made with eggs, milk and vanilla left a silky, smooth feeling in your mouth. The nectarines enhanced with the use of brown sugar, butter and orange juice. Topped with vanilla ice cream it was declared a winner by all Biteclubbers.
With another Biteclub complete it was time to make my way home. A great effort by Sarina and Noel. Well done guys. Oh by the way let's not forget to mention Darcy, who enjoyed the leftovers!!!! Good on ya Darcy!!
EGGS...ELLENT
29/01/2007 01:22 Filed in: Recipes
Aaaahh!!! The humble egg. The controversy that surrounds this food item is amazing. I like to think of it as the "Paris Hilton" of the food world. One week loved, another week vilified. Lots of special appearances in many countries' recipes around the globe. Nutritionists and food experts love talking about it. One week it is being blamed for the cause of high cholesterol, yet speak to any athlete or bodybuilder and they will all talk about its superior protein prowess.
I neither love eggs or hate them. They are definitely essential in any kitchen and most recipes use them. The gourmet and cooking world would feel naked without them. I like their versatility. Crack 'em add a little milk, heat up a pan and voila! An omelette! Or you can scramble them. Or boil them. Bake them...you get the drift. The Australian Egg Corporation has a wonderful website promoting many uses and recipes for it. Check it out!!! Even I was surprised.
I personally like to use eggs to make omelettes. An omelette is a complete meal. You can jazz it up in many ways. The methods for cooking them vary as well. I have concocted a method over the years that is foolproof. This is for a simple plain one.
You will need:
2-3 eggs. Fresh or free range. (The number of eggs will also depend on hunger and how many people will be eating. Anything more than 5 will require you to make an Italian fritatta or a Spanish tortilla.)
2-3 tablespoons of cream. (some people use water and others use milk. It all depends on how rich you like it)
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cracked peper
Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
A good non stick pan...Essential!!!!
Heat up a grill, using a medium setting. Crack the eggs in a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients, except the cheese. Heat up the pan on a medium heat and spray with olive oil or melt some butter...mmmmm (wicked and delicious). Beat or whisk lightly using a fork. Once the pan has come to an even temperature and it is NOT too hot throw in the egg mixture. Now, using a flat spatula, push the partially set egg mixture from the outer edges of the pan to the centre, allowing the "uncooked" egg mixture to fall back over into the spot you just created. Do this from all sides of the pan. Once the omelette starts to take shape and begins to rise and set, sprinkle with the cheese. Remove from the stove and place the pan under the hot grill. (be careful not to put a plastic handle in the oven!!!...it really doesn't taste nice!!!...make sure your pan handles are oven proof). Let it cook for a few minutes, checking to see it doesn't get burnt. It should have a lovely golden colour and the cheese should be nicely melted. Serve up with a nice green salad and some crusty bread.
Eggs...ellent if I may say so myself!!!
WHAT CAME FIRST? THE CHICKEN OR THE RICE?...
26/01/2007 17:24 Filed in: Recipes
I had a smile on my face as I prepared the above dish. Here I was, an Australian of Greek descent, cooking Singapore Chicken Rice. On Australia Day!!! While everyone was out having barbecues, I awoke from a jetlagged slumber craving comfort food. My comfort food cravings or CFC for short, always depend on the weather. In winter think of casseroles and mash. During Sydney's sub tropical summer, I prefer South East Asian food. Having spent a number of years on and off in Singapore and Bangkok, I developed a love for a certain number of dishes. One in particular is the classic Singapore Chicken Rice. This dish needs its own bodyguard when it appears on a menu. Yes, it's that famous!!! Recipes and cooking methods have been passed down through years, each one bearing its own signature. Trying to get a "standard" recipe for this is impossible. However, through my sleuthing at various outdoor hawker venues in Singapore and a bit of internet searching I've come up with this. It in no way resembles the ones you will eat in Singapore. I try to make mine healthy by removing the skin. Also, the "original" recipe calls for the rice to be cooked in chicken fat. I think I'll leave that to Homer Simpson.
Here's what you'll need.
1 small chicken (a larger one for a bigger crowd). I use Lilydale Farm chooks
a few cloves of garlic
coriander roots
Fill up a largish pot with water about halfway. When it comes to the boil throw in the cleaned out chicken along with the garlic and coriander roots. Allow it to cook on a medium heat for about 40 minutes. Switch it off and walk away. Let it rest in there for about 1 hour. After the resting time, take the chicken out, let it drain and then brush it with sesame oil. I prefer to use a roasted sesame oil. Leave it to cool down. While this is happening, prepare some steamed rice. Use a rice cooker or any method you wish. Just make sure its not too sloppy. The grains should separate when you lift them with a fork. I like to accompany this dish with a home made robust chilli sauce.
For the chilli sauce you will need
3-5 medium chillies
2 cloves of garlic
half a knob of ginger
a few good splashes of white vinegar
a tablespoon of sugar
a squirt of ketchup
Blend or process all of the above until it becomes pulpy.
Cut up the chicken and remove the bones and skin. Blanch some gai lan or other chinese green vegetable and serve on the side with chicken, steamed rice, chilli sauce and kecap manis (a thick Indonesian sweet soy sauce). You may wish to cut up some cucumber and serve some of the broth separately.
Now!! Doesn't that feel better? My CFC's are satisfied.
Now lets have some Pavlova for dessert...
HEIDELBERG
25/01/2007 21:42 Filed in: Places
This is what greeted me the moment we arrived in Heidelberg. Rich, moist succulent cakes and dainty sweets and chocolates. Move over Willy Wonka!! A sugar fix was needed and they were perfect for that craving. Those big white 'cricket balls" you see in the window display are actually long strips of biscuit pastry that are formed into a ball and deep fried. They are then dipped or rolled into a variety of chocolates and covered in nuts or coconut. Some are even filled with a hazelnut nougat. There are Cointreau flavoured ones, marzipan ones, custard ones but no low fat ones!!!...but I digress readers.
An hour south of Frankfurt (well it's supposed to be an hour but after travelling on the autobahn at 180 kmh..it was a lot quicker!!!!) this quaint university town was buzzing with people walking up the main shopping drag. The temperature was hovering around eight degrees, winter woollies being the order of the day. Lots of cafe's, pubs and bakeries open. Regular shops are not allowed to trade on Sunday in Germany. This is a very strict law here and stems from religious traditions.
With the sun going down at around fivish, Heidelberg took on a "gothic" type of atmosphere. There is a famous castle or "schloss" as its known here that overlooks the city. I sort of half expected to see Harry Potter and the Hogwarts clan fly out of there.!!! The eeriness combined with the sunset was magnificent. The light had a magenta hue to it. It was very European Winter. I've tried to capture some of that feeling with a few pictures.
And one more "artistic" shot.
After a few hours of siteseeing, I was craving soup. Nothing nourishes better than a hearty bowl of this stuff. Especially in a very cold environment. We stopped by a local eating house and I enjoyed bowl of onion and potato soup. A few rye bread rolls with lashings of butter and a wheat beer to wash it all down with.
It was good being back in Germany, even though my visit was brief. It was good to see friends who had departed our sunburnt shores and reminisce on the past. I plan on being back there in the near future and I'll be blogging on variety of gourmet topics. I'll also make sure my camera works!!!....Bear with me as I'm still learning the basics.
See you soon.
Peter
FOR BETTER OR FOR "WURST"
24/01/2007 13:11 Filed in: Places
Apart from bread, beer and sausages are featured strongly in the German culinary world. Sausages, or "wurst" as they are known here also come in an array of flavours. Bratwurst probably being the most popular one. But there is more to life than bratwurst, There is weiswurst, currywurst (sausages flavoured with curry) and a meatloaf type of sausage that is cut into square portions and served between a baguette roll and smothered with mustard. In fact, when you order sausages form the many outlets throughout the city, they are usually served in a crusty roll and topped with mustard. That's it. No ketchup, pickles, cheese and other peculiarities. Simple and oh so tasty!!!
I managed to get to a restaurant that actually had a number of options on the menu, apart from the usual suspects of schnitzel etc...I started off with a "weis" beer. Or a wheat beer as was tanslated to me by friends. Aaaah the beer!!! This needs its own place of discussion in cyberspace. The choice here is dazzling. It was explained to me that beer was not even classified as an alcoholic beverage under German law. Workers have it included as part of their meal allowance in certain jobs!!!! What a refreshing attitude!!! Now wonder the Australians find a rapport with this country. Anyway, the wheat beer I drank was similar to a Coopers beer. Tan in colour and quite foggy.
Now I'm not a big wine drinker. I was happy to drink this with my meal though. It might have seemed quite heavy but it was very light and refreshing.
As I explained earlier I wanted to steer away from the traditional offerings on the menu. So it was recommended to me to order a "flamekuchen". Literally translated as flame cake. You know how I love to make comparisons. Think of it as the "black sheep" of the pizza family. It's similar to a pizza but it has its own personality. It's a very thin layer of rolled puff pastry, smothered with sour cream and topped with bacon and onion!!! Very calorific but deceivingly light. This is something I would be glad to reproduce at home. And it really is quite simple. I had the standard version but the menu contained lots of different ones, with an array of toppings. Sour cream is the base sauce and this is where alot of the taste comes from.
Accompanied by a side salad, I was set. A nice end to a jet lagged day.
I managed to get to a restaurant that actually had a number of options on the menu, apart from the usual suspects of schnitzel etc...I started off with a "weis" beer. Or a wheat beer as was tanslated to me by friends. Aaaah the beer!!! This needs its own place of discussion in cyberspace. The choice here is dazzling. It was explained to me that beer was not even classified as an alcoholic beverage under German law. Workers have it included as part of their meal allowance in certain jobs!!!! What a refreshing attitude!!! Now wonder the Australians find a rapport with this country. Anyway, the wheat beer I drank was similar to a Coopers beer. Tan in colour and quite foggy.
Now I'm not a big wine drinker. I was happy to drink this with my meal though. It might have seemed quite heavy but it was very light and refreshing.
As I explained earlier I wanted to steer away from the traditional offerings on the menu. So it was recommended to me to order a "flamekuchen". Literally translated as flame cake. You know how I love to make comparisons. Think of it as the "black sheep" of the pizza family. It's similar to a pizza but it has its own personality. It's a very thin layer of rolled puff pastry, smothered with sour cream and topped with bacon and onion!!! Very calorific but deceivingly light. This is something I would be glad to reproduce at home. And it really is quite simple. I had the standard version but the menu contained lots of different ones, with an array of toppings. Sour cream is the base sauce and this is where alot of the taste comes from.
Accompanied by a side salad, I was set. A nice end to a jet lagged day.
WELL BREAD
22/01/2007 02:12 Filed in: Places
Hi again.
Today's blog entry finds me in Europe. Frankfurt, Germany to be exact. I had to dash over with work for a few days and I thought I would catch up with my friend Nick while I was in town.
Now, before I continue, I must apologise in advance. My camera had issues and wasn't working properly. So therefore I missed a few food photo opps, except for my day trip to Heidelberg. You will have to rely on my descriptins for a couple of posts. Sorry!!!
Now I'm not going to bore you with details about where Frankfurt is, the population etc...Watch "Getaway" or another travel show if you like. I can tell you though that Frankfurt is a very busy city. The financial heart of Europe. The Euro is a very busy boy in this town. I have visited here many times before but it had actually been about 5 years since my last visit. I was surprised. It seems the city has undergone a mini facelift. Lots of cafes and a thriving cultural centre. There is an "edge" to it, that never existed before in my opinion.
The food in Germany is quite interesting. Other people might tend to say "heavy" or even "boring". This is all up to personal taste of course. Yes, you will find schnitzel, pigs knuckles, sauerkraut and potatoes. There are fantastic local cheeses on offer and the most amazing bread. (warning to all of you on the Atkins Diet: do not read any further!!!). Bakeries align the main and side streets. Supermarkets feature bread only sections that would leave our ones in Australia to shame. Bread with walnuts and almonds. Dark or light rye bread. Pretzel bread. (This blogger's favourite). Breads with a multitude of grains. It's too hard to summarise it all, except to say that it is the tastiest bread you will eat!!!
It's carbohydrate heaven!!!!
Today's blog entry finds me in Europe. Frankfurt, Germany to be exact. I had to dash over with work for a few days and I thought I would catch up with my friend Nick while I was in town.
Now, before I continue, I must apologise in advance. My camera had issues and wasn't working properly. So therefore I missed a few food photo opps, except for my day trip to Heidelberg. You will have to rely on my descriptins for a couple of posts. Sorry!!!
Now I'm not going to bore you with details about where Frankfurt is, the population etc...Watch "Getaway" or another travel show if you like. I can tell you though that Frankfurt is a very busy city. The financial heart of Europe. The Euro is a very busy boy in this town. I have visited here many times before but it had actually been about 5 years since my last visit. I was surprised. It seems the city has undergone a mini facelift. Lots of cafes and a thriving cultural centre. There is an "edge" to it, that never existed before in my opinion.
The food in Germany is quite interesting. Other people might tend to say "heavy" or even "boring". This is all up to personal taste of course. Yes, you will find schnitzel, pigs knuckles, sauerkraut and potatoes. There are fantastic local cheeses on offer and the most amazing bread. (warning to all of you on the Atkins Diet: do not read any further!!!). Bakeries align the main and side streets. Supermarkets feature bread only sections that would leave our ones in Australia to shame. Bread with walnuts and almonds. Dark or light rye bread. Pretzel bread. (This blogger's favourite). Breads with a multitude of grains. It's too hard to summarise it all, except to say that it is the tastiest bread you will eat!!!
It's carbohydrate heaven!!!!
BEAUTY AND THE FEAST
17/01/2007 01:15 Filed in: Bite Club
BiteClub was on again tonight and I could hardly wait to see what Michael and Tony were organising. Summer in Sydney is a fantastic time of the year. This year, its taken a while for it to get going. But finally, you can feel and smell it in the air!!! Some might wonder about the strange title for this blog entry. You see Michael and Tony have this cactus in their backyard that has actually sprouted some flowers. And one of our friends who joined BiteClub as a special guest, Mark, who actually works with plants, explained that it's rare when a cactus blooms. Apparently the flowwers don't last long. So of course everyone who arrived was immediately drawn to this beauty. And we got ready for a feast.
Al fresco dining was the order of the evening. We started with plates of home made artichoke heart and lemon dip, prosciutto, mortadella and fresh figs and Michael's secret home made chicken liver pate. All accompanied with lavosh and grissini.
After a quick break, we were ready for the starter. Home made hamburgers accompanied by a variety of toppings. It was all set up to buid your own!!! What a great idea and better than school camp!!! You could add marinated capsicum, caramelised onion, home made relish and mesclun salad leaves. All sandwiched between a rosetta bread roll. How perfect. A cascade in one hand and a gourmet burger in the other. Not a golden arch in sight!!!
Main consisted of a home made Maltese specialty. Michael reffered to it as "torta". A beef and summer vegetable medley, layered between sheets of puff pastry. Served warm with kumera mash.
All swished down with a beautiful Fifth Leg Rose.
There was a treat in store for dessert. Tony had ordered a beautiful Italian Ricotta cake form an Italian pastry shop in Haberfield. Haberfield is one of the many Italian hubs, here in Sydney. Great food and restaurants to be found. Anyway, it was a surprise for Mark, who had just turned 40. Happy Birthday Mark!!!! Now this cake is heaven!!! If you believe that old saying about Cabernet Sauvignon being the only grape allowed in heaven, then this cake would certainly make it in the pastry section. Think of it as cheesecake on heat. Sweetened ricotta on a sweet shortcrust pastry, dusted with cinammon and a small amount of icing sugar.
All finished off with Limoncello and espresso.
Aaaah, its good being a biteclubber!!!
See you next time.
Pete
Al fresco dining was the order of the evening. We started with plates of home made artichoke heart and lemon dip, prosciutto, mortadella and fresh figs and Michael's secret home made chicken liver pate. All accompanied with lavosh and grissini.
After a quick break, we were ready for the starter. Home made hamburgers accompanied by a variety of toppings. It was all set up to buid your own!!! What a great idea and better than school camp!!! You could add marinated capsicum, caramelised onion, home made relish and mesclun salad leaves. All sandwiched between a rosetta bread roll. How perfect. A cascade in one hand and a gourmet burger in the other. Not a golden arch in sight!!!
Main consisted of a home made Maltese specialty. Michael reffered to it as "torta". A beef and summer vegetable medley, layered between sheets of puff pastry. Served warm with kumera mash.
All swished down with a beautiful Fifth Leg Rose.
There was a treat in store for dessert. Tony had ordered a beautiful Italian Ricotta cake form an Italian pastry shop in Haberfield. Haberfield is one of the many Italian hubs, here in Sydney. Great food and restaurants to be found. Anyway, it was a surprise for Mark, who had just turned 40. Happy Birthday Mark!!!! Now this cake is heaven!!! If you believe that old saying about Cabernet Sauvignon being the only grape allowed in heaven, then this cake would certainly make it in the pastry section. Think of it as cheesecake on heat. Sweetened ricotta on a sweet shortcrust pastry, dusted with cinammon and a small amount of icing sugar.
All finished off with Limoncello and espresso.
Aaaah, its good being a biteclubber!!!
See you next time.
Pete
WHAT A DAY!!!
16/01/2007 01:06 Filed in: Personal
Phew!!!....It's been a hell of a day!!!! I was up quite early this morning trying to put the final touches to this blog and website in general. I had to cook some souvlaki and then set it up for a photography session. I think its come up well though. Not bad for a first timer, I say. Thank god I'm using advanced software that comes with easy instructions. I credit the lovely people at Rapidweaver for that. The Information Age nearly aged me today!!!
Its quite late/early, whatever your preference is and the effects of staring at my beautiful Apple keyboard are starting to take its toll. I have to blog on another BiteClub tonight. Should be fun and am looking forward to see what Tony and Michael have got planned.
See you tomorrow.
Its quite late/early, whatever your preference is and the effects of staring at my beautiful Apple keyboard are starting to take its toll. I have to blog on another BiteClub tonight. Should be fun and am looking forward to see what Tony and Michael have got planned.
See you tomorrow.
HELLO AND G'DAY
15/01/2007 13:11 Filed in: Personal
Welcome to Souvlaki For The Soul. I hope you can join me on this wonderful journey of food, recipes, cooking and travel. I'm not sure where this web adventure will take me but I hope it will be enjoyable for you as it will be for me.
I've wanted to participate in the Information Age for a while now. I just wasn't sure how to enter this arena. You see, I love food and I love technology. Somehow I thought I could marry those two very opposite perspectives of me and turn it into this project. I love to cook and I love to eat. I also love computers. Specifically Apple Macs. (I only learnt about them a year ago!!! Where had I been? I should have guessed. They are named after a food item!!!).
So lets have some fun. Part cooking, part recipes, part restaurant reviews, part food styling/photography and the occasional foray into the world of computers. Sometimes, I'll even let you in on what's going on in other parts of my life. I will also attempt to blog about the setup of a business venture, a food one, I hope to make a reality.
I aim to be light hearted and funny. As TIME magazine pointed out recently, YOU are in control of the Information Age. So, this is my contribution to it.
Welcome!!!
I've wanted to participate in the Information Age for a while now. I just wasn't sure how to enter this arena. You see, I love food and I love technology. Somehow I thought I could marry those two very opposite perspectives of me and turn it into this project. I love to cook and I love to eat. I also love computers. Specifically Apple Macs. (I only learnt about them a year ago!!! Where had I been? I should have guessed. They are named after a food item!!!).
So lets have some fun. Part cooking, part recipes, part restaurant reviews, part food styling/photography and the occasional foray into the world of computers. Sometimes, I'll even let you in on what's going on in other parts of my life. I will also attempt to blog about the setup of a business venture, a food one, I hope to make a reality.
I aim to be light hearted and funny. As TIME magazine pointed out recently, YOU are in control of the Information Age. So, this is my contribution to it.
Welcome!!!