After moving out of the dorms in college, I found an apartment to share with 3 others. My job was to cook, and as long as what I put out on the dinner table was better than instant ramen, I didn’t have to clean the kitchen or vacuum. A mighty fine trade of labor, if you ask me! But then pretty soon, friends of roommates discovered my cooking talent and would conveniently drop by at around 7pm….(read the rest plus my Broccoli Beef recipe over at Simply Recipes where I’m a monthly guest writer)
But if you’re interested in food photography, I’ve posted 11 more photos of the Broccoli Beef- you’ll see how important white balance is and also different light source.
Oh and I have a big WTF bone to pick about my local election ballot…
This many double negatives should be illegal
Yesterday morning, Scott and I dropped the kids off at school and then headed over to our local voting place – which was at a church.* I had been so focused mesmerized hypnotized by all the media focus on the presidential election that I totally, absolutely neglected backyard politics, which was even NASTIER mudslinging than any other election. My bad, but hey, I’m admitting it, okay?
So, in true high school style of cramming for test right before the bell rings, I read over my sample ballot. I quickly made my decisions on the local politicians and then get to the constitutional amendments:
NO. 3
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ARTICLE VII, SECTIONS 3 AND 4
ARTICLE XII, NEW SECTION
Changes and Improvements Not
Affecting the Assessed Value of
Residential Real Property
Authorizes the Legislature, by
general law, to prohibit
consideration of changes or
improvements to residential real
property which increase resistance
to wind damage and installation of
renewable energy source devices
as factors in assessing the
property’s value for ad valorem
taxation purposes. Effective upon
adoption, repeals the existing
renewable energy source device
exemption no longer in effect.YES
NO
Someone slap me with a rotted buffalo leg! WTF was that again? How in the world does an average American understand that language?**
It’s as if someone took those word magnets, jumbled them all up and a team of highly paid business analysts crowded all around the the refrigerator and started stringing random words together. Except, instead of the original or naughty or religious version of the word magnets, they chose to use the box that was called “Bullshit Generator.”
*whatever happened to separation of church and state!?
**I’d like to think I’m a pretty average American, but I could be delusional
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Yummy! I think I need broccoli beef for dinner. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi! I’ve made both your recipes for beef and broccoli, but for some reason really liked this version of it. I tried looking at the recipe today on Simply Recipes, but the page didn’t load. It might not exist anymore. Just wondering if you could post it again.
Here you go: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/broccoli_beef/
Thanks for letting me know recipe link is broke – I fixed it!
This recipe is a winner! So delicious on steaming white rice! Definitely worth making again!
I made this dish last night and it was everything I hoped it would be: fast, easy and delicious! My husband told me he likes it as much as our favorite Chinese restaurant back in Houston, which is a huge compliment. Thank you for this recipe.
I recently bought your cookbook (after checking it out from the library twice, I just had to have it!). This was the first recipe I made from the book and it is the best broccoli beef I’ve had. Also, your method for cooking the broccoli in a shallow frying pan – as opposed to a gallon of boiling water that takes an hour to heat up, like I usually do – was genius!
My husband loves meat + broccoli. This is going to be our dinner tonight!
P.S. I like your commentary on the propositions they tack on the end of the ballots. I’m in Omaha, NE and we had the a couple lengthy and confusing propositions on our ballot. I actually voted for a proposition I was actually against, because the wording had me all jumbled!
Amazing! I’ve tried making it before using another recipe, and thought, oh this can’t be difficult. Didn’t turn out so well..but your recipe was phenomenal!
My family and I love it, it’s delicious and really flavourfull. It’s an every week dish and I make sure there’s enough for the lunchboxes. Thanks so much!!
OMG, woman. You make everything look so easy. I love this dish, and hadn’t a clue how to make it. Mystery solved, thanks to you.
Yum, I just made this tonight and it was easy and delicious. I’ve never thought to make beef and broccoli before. It’s always been something I order at Panda Express on the rare occasions I go there. Now I know I can make it, and it amuses me. Heh.
blimey that looks really good. a very comforting dish!
This looks perfect–I’ve gotta try it!
yuuuuum! this sounds absolutely delicious!
I love seeing pics of food… it’s my porn at work 😛
Looks delicious! I’ve made chicken and broccoli at home, but never tried beef w/broccoli… might have to make this soon. Yum!
I fell asleep reading some of the propositions (i think it was the one regarding the drug rehab one). It just went on and on and on. Beef and brocolli, one of the staples in our family. Yours look delicious!
I just love how you walk us through your thoughts and tweaks on your photos. Thanks for taking the time to do that! That beef and broccoli looks amazing!
mmm… hubby’s favorite… thanks for sharing… 🙂
You really need to research those amendments in advance and even then the lingo is difficult to interpret. I wonder how many people just wing it and go ‘eenie meanie mine moe’. I don’t think voting for constitutional amendments the way it occurs now, is a good idea.
the good news though, it’s over…no more campaigning for a while. NO more phone calls, no more mail, etc.
Food looks good though…thanks.
My local ballot had a referendum on whether to eliminate township tax assessors or not. It was confusing because both sides were claiming fairer property taxes. I still don’t know the outcome of the referendum.
Also, Indiana has a stupid law that prohibits the sale of alcohol on election days until the polls close. Now, that one I’d like to see in a referendum.
I had to vote on that same amendment and I had a similar reaction.
Seems to be a southern thing. Back on Long Island, the majority of polling places were schools, which yes, were open for classes even as we voted.
“Separation of church and state” is a myth. The constitution prohibits the government from setting up a state religion or discriminating on the basis of religion. The idea was more to keep government out of religion than to keep religion out of government. As to how a church becomes a polling place, I’d suggest that it’s probably conveniently placed, has sufficient room to allow for setting up booths/machines, and check-in tables, with decent parking…
Wow.. Beef and broccoli! Total flashback to watching Yan Can Cook as a kid and flying chinese cleavers and smashed garlic!
The dish looks delish. May I drop by… at about 7? Love the wording on those propositions. I think they do it for fun just to mess with us.
The food looks awesome and I love the photo play-by-play every time you post it. And yea, lol about the FL propositions. They read like a random collection of words from the dictionary were thrown up in the air and glued together in the order they hit the floor.
Jaden, it is like you read my mind. I was looking for this the other day to make for the better half. What do you think can be done to combine this with an orange type dish?
In photoshop, curves are your friend! I always find that one needs to be careful when they fiddle with the white balance post-processing because it can overblow a lot of other components. You seem to have a good balance here.
Good shot!
hee hee! I make this at least once a week! It’s a staple in my house! I even make extra so that I can have leftovers for lunch the next day! Your money shot looks especially yummy! I love how crispy green the broccoli is and the meat is so juicy-looking! mmmm.
This is my dad’s favorite dish to cook and eat!