Guitar, Code and Bake

Moving to Tumblr!

2010-02-03T21:55:00.002-05:00

I will move my blogging/micro-blogging to tumblr from now on. The year has changed, I need a new blog engine:

Le Ciel Nous Tombe Sur La Tête

Phoenix Beer

2009-12-14T23:12:00.003-05:00

My first Mauritian beer in years.

Aroma: Kind of malty
Appearance: The regular lager colour with a nice head which laces my glass pretty well.
Body & Texture: Very crisp with a decent carbonation and medium body.
Aftertaste: Very slight bitterness.
Overall Impression: It's a very delicious and drinkable lager. I highly recommend it on a hot tropical island.

Guinness

2009-12-06T21:31:00.003-05:00

My nemesis, I haven't had a Guinness in almost 6 years.

Aroma: Somewhat sweet.
Appearance: Doesn't it look beautiful with that nice head?
Body & Texture: The head is very creamy, I have never experienced that kind of sensation from a beer. The bitterness is present throughout the drinking experience along with a sweet note in the back.
Aftertaste: The bitterness stays there for a while but does not overstay its visit in the mouth.
Overall Impression: I can see why some people enjoy the Guinness so much. It has some unique characteristics but I am not into stouts these days.

Brava Premium Lager

2009-12-06T21:23:00.003-05:00

Good looking bottle, logo and name, but what about what is inside?

Aroma: No significant aroma.
Appearance: Light golden, this hints at being a light beer.
Body & Texture: There might have been an initial minty flavour but otherwise light and easy to drink with no significant surprises.
Aftertaste: Slightly bitter.
Overall Impression: It is among those light and weak beer, I do not enjoy this type that much.

Grasshopper

2009-12-06T21:17:00.004-05:00

I am getting lazier on posting my beer reviews, they are days late!

Aroma: I can never smell the beer.
Appearance: Amber clear, very uncharacteristic of the cloudy appearance of witbier. I believe the Grasshopper has been filtered.
Body & Texture: The smell of alcohol is much stronger than other beers, something must have gone wrong somewhere unless that is the actual taste of the Grasshopper.
Aftertaste: There is a slight bitterness which fades quickly.
Overall Impression: One of the worst witbier I have ever drunk, I will avoid this one like the plague.

Corona Extra

2009-11-30T20:28:00.002-05:00

I can't remember the last time I have drunk a Corona Extra but I am done with lagers for the time being. I will be focusing on Witbiers and Ales if available.

Aroma: I can't remember anything distinct.
Appearance: Light golden.
Body & Texture: Light, crisp and nothing special from it.
Aftertaste: There was some trace bitterness.
Overall Impression: I will classify this beer among the list of diluted or close to water I have had so far. In brief, this beer is weak.

Rickard's White

2009-11-16T21:03:00.003-05:00

I'm running out of beer to try at the Crown & Dragon, here's another local witbier:

Aroma: Kind of fruity.
Appearance: Cloudy like other witbiers with a very thin head.
Body & Texture: It doesn't feel that intense and it tastes like orange, it might come from the slice hanging on the edge of the glass.
Aftertaste: Clean, no noticeable traces left behind.
Overall Impressions: There is something missing from this witbier, it feels weak compared to other ones I have tasted.

Leffe Brune

2009-11-15T14:35:00.002-05:00

I forgot my camera this time, here's a placeholder image until I get an actual snapshot of this Leffe ale. I'll slide to the professional beer tasting record from now on with the following new criteria:

Aroma: A malty smell to it.
Appearance: Reddish brown in the dark room that I was drinking it from.
Body & Texture: Not as thick as other ales out there, it feels right in my mouth. It's also the sweetest beer I have drunk so far.
Aftertaste: There is some bitterness after each sip which lingers for a long period of time but without being too aggressive.
Overall Impressions: It's pretty good drinkable sweet ale, I will go for it again in the future.

Mill Street Wit

2009-11-08T10:56:00.004-05:00

I visited Mill St Brewery and Pub for the second time yesterday at the Distillery District. I finally satisfied my craving for another witbier.

Hop: I think my palette can't feel any bitterness when it comes to witbier.
Flavour: There's a very slight fruity taste to it, it's very hard to notice.
Aftertaste: Clean, just like any other witbiers.
Overall: It's a well made witbier, I have tasted better ones out there.

Mill Street Tankhouse Ale

2009-11-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

Another local beer review.

Hop: Some bitterness while drinking.
Flavour: A sweet floral scent to it and maybe some fruity smell here and there, a very pleasant experience.
Aftertaste: It leaves a trail of bitterness but that's expected of any ales.
Overall: I like the scent from this ale, I am pleasantly surprised by its overall taste.

Heineken

2009-11-08T10:29:00.005-05:00

I finally get a chance to go over my backlog of beer reviews from the last few weeks.

Hop: Slight hoppy feel.
Flavour: Crisp, light and refreshing lagger.
Aftertaste: Not that much bitterness.
Overall: It's a decent lager.

Fuller's London Pride

2009-10-12T09:04:00.004-04:00

Moving forward, I should be taking actual real life shots of my drinks instead of the ones peppered around the web. Initially, I didn't quite know what kind of beverage Fuller's is but after the first look, it is an ale.

Hop: You can feel the bitterness after each sip. It's not as bad as other ales but it's still there.
Flavour: There is a sweet aroma and taste to it with very low carbonation.
Aftertaste: It's bitter, I will be staying away from ales for a while.
Overall: I really like the taste when drinking but the aftertaste leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Uploading Data to App Engine

2009-10-11T10:23:00.004-04:00

Pre-requisite:

You know some Django
Your Django App Engine app is working properly on your dev server

Here are the relevant lines in the app.yaml file that will ensure data upload to the live server:


handlers:
- url: /load
 script: $PYTHON_LIB/google/appengine/ext/remote_api/handler.py
 login: admin

Make sure the above is the very first item in the handlers section because yaml file is parsed top to bottom.

Upload your latest source file to your app engine account
Test to see if the following url is accessible:
http://yourapp.appspot.com/load
Your should either be prompted to authenticate into your Google Account or get the following message if you are already authenticated:
This request does not contain a necessary header

The above confirms that the upload can take place. The app.yaml in some ways behave as a Django's urls.py or Routes in Rails. Proceed with the usual data upload command:


appcfg.py upload_data --config_file=yourapp/module/module_loader.py --filename=yourapp/fixtures/data.csv --kind=Module yourapp

Manic Street Preachers in Toronto

2009-10-05T00:11:00.005-04:00

I finally got the opportunity to see one of my favourite band that I first discovered back in 1999 live at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. The last few weeks felt very long while impatiently waiting for the show day. The concert started much later than expected around 9:15 pm while the doors opened at 7:00pm. Aside from the delay, they started the night strong with Motorcycle Emptiness.

Even though I have missed some of their works, I am glad they played some of my favourites, in no specific order:

If You Tolerate This
The Everlasting
Tsunami
Send Away The Tigers
Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough

There are some songs that I don't usually like but sound amazing live. I am glad a few acoustic songs have been squeezed in, specially the excellent The Everlasting. If You Tolerate This was also played a bit faster than the studio version but the live version along with the crowd singing in unison was a one of a kind of experience. My only gripe of the show tonight is the absence of This Joke Sport Severed, I have been looking forward to that song forever. I am assuming they will probably let this song simmer for a few years before playing it live or maybe they have omitted this title from the Toronto playlist.

Near the end of the show, A Design For Life ended their tour in Toronto with a bang after a 10 year absence from Canada, ironically that is also the length of time I have known the band.

Blanche De Chambly

2009-10-04T10:00:00.005-04:00

I just had this beer last night out of the blue at the Java House in Toronto. I am quite impressed at this witbier and it is ranking a very close second to Leffe. It was served from the tap with a very nice looking head.

Hop: None
Flavour: Sweet, refreshing, mild carbonation, citrous flavour and other scents I cannot identify. This witbier has a very rich taste, it acts character to it.
Aftertaste: It leaves a sweet taste in your mouth which encourages you to drink more of it.
Overall: This witbier is made in Canada, more precisely at Chamby, Quebec as the name suggests. Sometimes the great breweries are closer to home than expected.

U2 360 Tour in Toronto

2009-09-17T00:37:00.005-04:00

Wednesday 16 September 2009 is my 2nd U2 concert since 2005. This time, the venue took place at the Rogers Centre aka Skydome. The specially built stage is a beast in itself, it looks like a space shuttle about to take off and apparently it has taken 3 days to build as well as 150+ trucks to transport the pieces. Our seats were fairly high in the stadium that I could feel vertigo while looking down and the lighted CN tower at night provided a magnificent backdrop to the Skydome. Later on, the spectacular lightning display of the show, the half opened dome and the tower meshed so well together that it looked like the infrastructure was waiting here all these years for the arrival of U2's 360 Tour in Toronto.

Snow Patrol was opening to U2, I was quite excited on hearing that since I had been following their music for the last few years since Final Straw. The band started a bit after 7 pm and played some of their most popular tunes, some of them in no specific order:

You're All I Have
Hands Open
Chasing Cars
Run
Crack The Shutters

I also learn that they are Irish too like U2, which might explain why they are opening for them. I am glad to see Snow Patrol live, an unexpected and pleasant surprise for me.

On to the piece de resistance, U2 kicks off the night with Breathe from their latest album. Bono's voice wasn't perfect on this one, I didn't quite feel the vibe of the song like the studio version. However, things did start to pick up afterward, the night moved along quite well with more songs peppered across their various albums. The stage looks huge with the outer ring, rotating bridges, 360 screen, lightning and the middle which can go up and down. An engineering masterpiece, the people who worked on it should be proud of this technical prowess.

Edge will rock the crowd with his solos and riffs. I am amazed at the number of guitars he has played during the entire show. I believe I have spotted a Stratocaster, Telecaster, one of those semi-hollow guitar, a Gibson SG cherry red, an acoustic and much more. I am glad of the acoustic version of Stay, it changes the overall pacing a bit.

Bono also switched some of the songs with the word Toronto and he mentioned the TTC, Union station and Yonge Street, the crowd went nuts when those words were uttered.

Here's the setlist:

Breathe
No Line On The Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Elevation
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Until The End Of The World
Stay
The Unforgettable Fire
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
One
Where The Streets Have No Name
Ultra Violet
With Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender

The final song of the night is my favourite and the tune that I have been most looking forward to hear live on this magnificent night.

My first Rails App!

2009-09-14T22:36:00.005-04:00

After a few days of pouring my mind over Ruby and Rails, I have finally completed my very first web application in an afternoon. It is called Podcast Lookup which aggregates the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis. The web application simply shows the publish date of the latest episodes. It is quite useful if you listen to a large number of podcasts and need a way to view them all when jumping across different OS. The project still needs a lot of improvements which I can iterate on from now on, isn't that what the whole agile development hotness is these days?

Some thoughts on Rails

Functionality drop out of the sky into your lap. This is mostly how the Rails framework is implemented, it tries to make the developer life easy and lazy by achieving a lot with the least amount of code and without having to know where methods or variables come from. Not that it's a bad thing for someone coming from C++, Java or Python but I'll be very worried on how someone who only knows Ruby and Rails can move outside their comfort zone.

Ruby on Rails will hold both your hands and spoon feed you to make your life as a Web Developer easy and productive. In some ways, it feels like Perl because I am not sure what some of the minimal code is trying to do. Having a reference manual nearby seems invaluable. Maybe it's too early for me to judge the framework after only playing with it over the last 3 weeks. I'll be working on it a bit more over the next few months to get a better feel of it.

Rails for newbies

If you want to learn Ruby on Rails, DO NOT DEVELOP ON WINDOWS. Do yourself a favour and save some time by writing codes on Linux or Mac. You will avoid a lot of Yak shaving that way. Ruby 1.9.1 and Rails 2.3.3 simply do not play well with Windows when you go beyond the out of the box features. Some gems will just refuse to install on Windows unless you do some configure and build gymnastics on them. You are here to learn the language and framework, not building source code unless that is your motivation, I have done enough of that for the last 4 years.

The Rails Guide is a stepping stone to get yourself familiar with the technology. Once you have exhausted this resource, borrow Simply Rails 2 from your local library if it is available and do the example project. It will really help you develop your pet project if you have one. Other necessary tools:

Optional - Balsamiq Mockup for fast prototyping on how your web app will look like.
Github for SCM and to show off your source code. It is free for public repositories. Git is also the revision control of choice if you want to become a Ruby on Rails acolyte.
Heroku provides free Ruby on Rails web hosting. Their web site doesn't say it explicitly but you can host multiple small Rails web app over there. However, your application won't be able to write to disk when hosted on their server, at least for the free plan. This may or may not be an issue depending on the nature of your project.

Advanced developer: Pushing data from your local machine to the Heroku server can be tricky because the schema_migrations table has already been created and populated by the time you call:
```
rake db:push
```
The stupid way to handle this at the moment is to quickly prefix your local schema_migrations with z to become zschema_migrations and invoke the above command. It will fail when it reaches zschema_migrations turn but data from other tables will be uploaded.

This is my opinion on Ruby and Rails and I think developers who are interested of the current buzzword should consider giving it a try. Even if you don't like the Ruby language or Rails framework, you might learn some new approach from the experience. It's the journey that makes it exciting, not the end goal.

Rails Magic - Part 1

2009-09-07T14:14:00.010-04:00

I have heard a lot about the magic in Rails without really experiencing it until today. In Django, url names are explicitly defined in the urls.py file, for instance stories-index is the url name for stories/:

url(r'stories/$', stories_view, name='stories-index')

In Rails, there is a built-in url helper which will automatically generate those route names, my routes.rb is:

ActionController::Routing::Routes.draw do |map|
  map.resources :stories
  map.connect ':controller/:action/:id'
  map.connect ':controller/:action/:id.:format'
end

The route name to stories is stories_path, the module ActionController::Resources take care of that. Here's a sample usage of the stories route name, stories_path:

def create
  @story = Story.new(params[:story])
  @story.save
  redirect_to stories_path
end

You can check those route names with the following command at the CLI:

rake routes

You still have to suffix the displayed names with _url or _path. It's not a bad thing to see some automatic name generation but the rails developer will have to be aware of it.

Denison's Weissbier

2009-09-07T09:24:00.002-04:00

I was looking forward to drink a new witbier yesterday after the lackluster Spicy Food Festival at Harbourfront when I stumbled upon Denison's Weissbier at C'est What.

Hop: None, it's a weissbier
Flavour: The initial taste is refreshing with a sweet flavour which I could not easily identify.
Aftertaste: It's a weissbier, you always want more of it.
Overall: The carbonation is just right along with that initial sweet scent at the back of my mouth. As the level of beer goes down, the taste of alcohol and malt become prominent. I personally rank Denison's Weissbier as a runner-up to Leffe and Hoegaarden plus it's brewed close to Toronto.

Learning a new programming language or web framework

2009-08-26T22:45:00.003-04:00

Learning at least 1 new programming language, web framework or library per year is imperative these days for any developers to be highly marketable in today's economy. Some might be comfortable to use the same programming language for a decade but the moment you get back on the job market, the demand for that specific technology might have gone down. You might argue that learning the latest cutting edge technology is like hitting a moving target because of their frequent updates but that is what make the developer's life exciting.

Tinkering with a different programming language or web framework can expand your mind on how problems are solved in a different environment. You then gain additional knowledge and have a novel way of thinking when you get back to your day job. Picking what to learn next can be quite overwhelming with the ridiculous number of languages, frameworks and libraries out there. I tend to pick my next new technology by its similarity to what I know best.

In Q1 of 2009, I was looking for a web framework to learn. My choices were numerous at that time between the many PHP frameworks, Django, Turbogears, Rails, Java frameworks and Microsoft's web stack ASP.net. After using Python for nearly 5 years, it was logical for me to gravitate towards a Python web framework like Django or Turbogears. However, given the difficulties I have experienced with TG back in 2007, I have decided to go with Django which has one of the most comprehensive documentation out there in the wild web. From there, I start doing the tutorial and subsequently a personal project which help me a lot to learn some of the intricacies of the framework, web development problems and more Python.

Fast forward to Q3 2009, I am now eating and breathing Python/Django professionally for 40 hours/week for the last month and a half. I now have a new technology itch to scratch, I have messed around with Pylons for the last few weeks, it is another Python web framework which is more modular than the competition. That aside, I find the underlying concept similar to Django but with more freedom.

2 weeks ago, I realized I needed to expand my language portfolio. Having heard a lot of Ruby on Rails chatter through various technology podcasts, I decided to check it out to find out for myself what the fuss was all about. It takes a while to get into it with its various shortcuts. Ruby is the next logical step for me because of some similarity to Python and Rails because of its MVC pattern which is similar to Django and Pylons. On top of making my language library more diverse, I am also trying to see how these other frameworks can solve some of the challenges I am experiencing with Django.

This is not a post on which technology is the best but more of a smooth workflow for anyone who desires to learn a new language or new framework. Here's the summary:

Pick a framework or language which is similar to what you know best.
Start a personal project with it.
Try to work with this new technology at work, school or at home to get a better appreciation of its capabilities.
Once you feel you have gained enough exposure at it, go back to step 1.

Why you should learn Ruby: there are Ruby branded Thongs and Boxers

2009-08-15T10:02:00.003-04:00

No, I was not googling the keywords ruby thong. I have come across those undies on the ruby doc home page while looking for some specific Ruby module. Clicking on the link redirects you to the Ruby undies page. After some further researching on cafepress, I have noticed that they also have Python and Django branded apparels.

The terms eating and breathing a specific technology can now be extended with getting up close and personal with it. I hope the Python and Django sites add a link to those products, it will make them more marketable. Enough writing, I have to order myself one of those boxers.

Sleeman Clear

2009-08-14T19:08:00.002-04:00

The beer looks naked in that clear and the taste is not so different from how it looks.

Hop: None
Flavour: Kind of smooth with nothing spectacular
Aftertaste: Slight trace of beer
Overall: It's another one of those weak tasting beer with no smell or distinctive flavour. It almost feels like someone strip some of the important factors of what make a beer from it.

Questions to ask potential employers

2009-08-09T11:39:00.004-04:00

This year, I have come across The Joel Test which is a list of questions to ask potential employers in the tech industry. Here is my slightly modified list of questions with a focus in Web Application development that I have been asking during my interviews in 2009:

Which revision control system are you using?
Any bug tracking system and internal wiki?
Is the site using any specific web framework?
How many databases does your main web app connect to?
How do developers integrate the latest database changes in their local environment(something similar to Rails' migrate or Django's South)?
Does the web team have a Graphics Designer and a Front End Developer?
Do you use Balsamiq for mockups?
What does the organization hiearchy look like?
Why are you hiring for this opening?

Getting responses for the above questions is necessary for me before I can ask even more questions pertaining to the position and the company itself.

Mill Street Organic

2009-08-06T21:13:00.003-04:00

Here's yet another beer review, I believe that is my third Mill Street brew after their Coffee Porter and IPA.

Hop: It might have been present but I couldn't detect it.
Flavour: There is a faint sweet and fruity smell at the back of your mouth during each sip. I can't pinpoint exactly on the nature of that taste but it is pleasant in the mouth.
Aftertaste: None
Overall: The lager is very crisp and more carbonated than other similar beer. It might feel a bit weak for the regular drinker but I find it perfect on a summer evening in the backyard or a patio, plus it really quenches a thirst.

Strongbow

2009-08-03T13:15:00.004-04:00

For the last 2 weeks, I have noticed a lot of Strongbow advertisements along King St W, Toronto in Bus shelters and establishments of that neighbourhood. The main ad is an arrow shattering a glass with the slogan Shatter Expectations. Ads do not usually work on me but I have finally satisfied my curiosity on this beverage last night while eating some hot Dragon Wings.

Contrary to my previously formed expectation of the drinks from the ads, Strongbow is not a beer but a cider with alcohol in it.

Hop: None
Flavour: Very fruity and sweet with little carbonation. You should be able to notice apple flavour from the drink.
Aftertaste: It tastes good and you want more, pretty soon your glass will be empty.
Overall: The alcohol taste is very well hidden in the cider taste. The nice flavour might speed up the rate that you are drinking the beverage. I highly recommend this strange brew for those who have an aversion to beer but still want to get a buzz going.

Banana Bread 1.0

2009-07-19T12:45:00.005-04:00

After almost 9 months from my very first banana bread, I have finally baked a moist cake. I doubled up on the butter with an additional egg, I followed this recipe for my first summer baking.

The initial taste feels strong on the egg side which might dissipate by tomorrow morning. After so many unsuccessful iterations, I can finally label my banana bread as 1.0.

Stella Artois

2009-07-11T10:02:00.004-04:00

There are lots of advertising for Stella across multiple sports events, here are my likes and dislikes regarding this pale lager:

Hop: It is bitter, much more than the average lager
Flavour: I actually enjoy the skunky taste in my mouth. Althought it leaves a dry taste in my mouth, it feels refreshing and makes me want to take another sip.
Aftertaste: Terribly bitter and bad, some people may like it but I don't.
Overall: Stella Artois is the perfect cold beer for a hot day but it will leave a very hoppy taste in your mouth.

Leffe Blonde

2009-07-11T09:54:00.003-04:00

Leffe is my go to beer from now on. It a a Belgian Pale Ale with a very pleasant smell and taste to it.

Hop: None
Flavour: Sweet fruity smell and taste, the nicest experience I have had in a beer so far. Its light to the mouth and rightly carbonated which means you can drink a lot of it.
Aftertaste: It leaves a trailing nice taste in your mouth, so you have to take another sip.
Overall: That is the beer for me from now on until I find a suitable replacement.

Hoegaarden Original White Ale

2009-07-11T09:39:00.003-04:00

I believe I have found my kind of beer. If you dislike beer because of the hoppy taste, then you should consider trying a witbier, wheat beer which is not brewed with hops. I had that a couple of week ago and it left a pleasant taste in my mouth.

Hop: None
Flavour: Smooth with the right carbonation, almost creamy with a very nice smell.
Aftertaste: None, you want to drink more of it
Overall: A perfect place to convert a non-beer drinker to become a witbier lover

Display n number of stars in HTML/CSS

2009-07-05T10:14:00.006-04:00

This weekend I was trying to figure out how to display a specific number of star images given an integer. I could have looped through n images but then my html code will look messy. I decided to do it with CSS. Another requirement will be to place the stars as an inline element with my text. Using span and displaying it as inline-block seems to have solved this issue. I noticed that Amazon uses a more elegant technique by only showing chunk of a larger image of stars.

Brazilian Guitar Marathon - Luminato 2009, Closing Weekend

2009-06-13T20:01:00.004-04:00

The closing weekend of the Luminato guitar festival at Bloor-Yorkville, today's instrument of choice is the classical guitar. Most of the artists performed without any amplifier connected to the guitar but just a simple mic in front of it. This really brings out the sound of the nylon/steel string instrument to its full extent. I didn't really like the venue, the spaces aroud the stage were surrounded by 3+ m tall trees which blocked the views to the podium. On top of that, there were two strips of garden of which no one was alowed to step in. I personally think it was a waste of space for a concert. However, I did enjoy the nice shade under one of those trees.

The first act I witnessed was Badi Assad & Celso Machado who were making a lot of nature noises, most notably monkey sounds mixed with a lot of percusions and guitar plucking in between. The overall feel transported me to a forest far away from the current urban setting, I really enjoyed that kind of musical creation, very different from what I used to listen. The trees and leaves which were semi-blocking my view to the stage really added to the naturistic experience.

The second act I watched was Luciana Souza & Romero Lubambo. Romero played a lot of nice solos with his amplified classic guitar and was well supported by vocals from Luciana. The guitar followed the rhythm of the singer very closely at several instances, the Portuguese lyrics were a nice break from last weekend's performances.

Next on came the Assad Duo with Romero Lubambo. The trio performed a couple of pieces together. After that, the Assad Duo had the stage to themselves, their style of music felt very classical and they performed amazingly well together. I believed they composed a lot of pieces from famous South American composers and artists whose names were unknown to me.

Yamandu Costa joined them afterwards to segue into the final act of the day, of which the new trio performed a couple of songs. Like before, Yamandu ended up having the stage for himself. He sprinked his playing with some whistling, that really distinguished himself from the other acts. His sound felt different as well as the head of his guitar which seemed to have more gaps compared to a regular 6 string classical. After some research, I found out he was playing a 7 strings which might explain the different sound.

The show ended with all the above artists who performed together for one last finale to conclude the Luminato Guitar Festival. The music felt very raw today and I liked it a lot, you could feel what a guitar sounds like at its core. The public had a great time too, a lot of standing ovations for the different pieces. I am quite happy with the series of guitar concerts that I have been to since last Friday. I hope Luminato 2010 will outdo 2009.

Retrieve url from keywords in Python

2009-06-13T12:31:00.009-04:00

I had an interesting problem at work this week. I was given a list of 1400+ store names in a spread sheet but they did not have their corresponding web site urls which I needed to perform a task. I could have waited for one of the writers to complete this manual and tedious task but I was adamant of a programmatic way to achieve this repetitive work.

The above was solved in PHP with the help of Google AJAX Search API. Since I am a big proponent of Python, here is the equivalent Pythonic version:


import json, urllib

BASE = 'http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/services/search/web?v=1.0&'
keywords = 'django'

url = BASE + urllib.urlencode({'q': keywords})
results = json.load(urllib.urlopen(url))
response_data = results['responseData']
results = response_data['results']

# Show the url from the first search result
print results[0]['visibleUrl']

Not all of the search results gave me the exact url for the store names but 98% of the job was done automatically, the suspicious ones can be eyeballed and corrected.

Daniel Lanois - Luminato 2009, Day 3, Toronto

2009-06-07T22:20:00.004-04:00

Dave Matthews & Tim Raynolds Live At Radio City was the first time I heard of the name Daniel Lanois when Dave credits him for the song The Maker. I finally saw the man behind the last three U2 albums live today at Dundas Square and the crowd was hyped to see him perform after waiting for an hour, apparently the previous shows were also delayed by about 1 hour.

His instrumental improvisation with the electric guitar and the slide guitar came as a surprise to me since I was expecting a more vocal show. Regardless, I admire his guitar improvisation prowess even though the melodies were not following any specific pattern. Daniel Lanois then mentioned how he thought it was supposed to be an instrumental show today, the entire Luminato event for the day was called The World Of Slide Guitar. Of the instrumental pieces, I really enjoyed his version of a possible alternative of the Canadian anthem.

I did notice that some members of the audience left the square within the first 30 min of instrumental play, I assumed that they did not warm up to the sound of the 6 strings only. A drummer then joined him for the remainder of the show where he performed The Maker and Still Water. Those titles are the only two songs I am familiar with from Dave Matthews Live At Radio City and Daniel Lenois has performed The Maker brillantly, a perfect conclusion to my first 3 days at the Luminato Festival. I am looking forward to what next weekend has to offer.

Taj Mahal Trio - Luminato 2009, Day 2, Toronto

2009-06-07T03:11:00.002-04:00

When I hear of the artist named Taj Mahal, I think of some indie rock band. After doing some research, I realized the high notoriety of Taj Mahal in the 60 - 80s and I decided to check him out at the Metro Square. The baby boomers among the crowd know him well as shown by all the cheerings. The trio consists of Taj Mahal as lead guitar/vocal, a bassist and a drummer. I enjoy the simplicity of this setup and the band starts the show with an upbeat bluesy tune. Mamadou Diabaté makes a guest appearance for the first song with his kora(an African harp). At times, he interjects his muscial touches well into the song but it also occasionally overshadows the lead guitar.

The second and third songs are my favourite because of their very bluesy nature. Taj Mahal then progresses from the 6 strings to the keyboard where he plays a more mellow song. From then on, his songs start feeling very islandish and world music type as mentioned by the host at the beginning of the show. The bassist has done a very good job in keeping the beat of the songs while Taj Mahal solos and improvises superbly to make his guitar cry in the cool atmosphere of Toronto.

It is the second time since last night that I have seen the crowd so connected with the artist. The Taj Mahal Trio has performed an excellent upbeat show tonight which make a lot of people clapping, dancing and cheering. I am glad to learn of this amazing blues/world music artist and I will be watching out for his songs on Radio Paradise.

Randy Bachman - Luminato 2009, Day 1, Toronto

2009-06-06T00:07:00.003-04:00

The Pièce de résistance of the night at Dundas Square, is a show by Randy Bachman, key member of the band The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Prior to that night, I knew nothing about this artist but after seeing the excitement within the crowd and hearing American Woman, I immediately deducted he was someone big. For the younger generation, you might have heard of American Woman from Guitar Hero World Tour or covered by Lenny Kravitz about a decade ago. Here are some of the songs that he has played tonight in no specific order:

American Woman
Let It Ride
These Eyes
Takin' Care of Business
No Sugar Tonight
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
Laughing

On top of the above, he introduced a special guest who might be someone famous but I forgot his name. They played two fantastic rock blues song with lots of blues riff, improvisation and solos, they were the highlights of my night. The blues song had the same feel as Chuck Berry's work as mentioned by one of the artist.

Of all the free concerts that I have attended, it is the first time that I see the audience connect with the artist. The synergy between the Toronto crowd and Randy Bachman have been marvelous throughout the night. He knows how to engage the public with his funny anecdotes. After more than one hour of rock, the show came to an end but the audience was adamant for an encore as shown by the loud clapping and cheering. I am glad that the band and Randy Bachman has come out to play one more song. Dundas Square and Toronto have been rocked by a Canadian legend of Rock.

DiggingRoots - Luminato 2009, Day 1, Toronto

2009-06-05T23:57:00.004-04:00

The next band who played at Dundas Square was unknown to me, the DiggingRoots, a Canadian Blues band. Their initial songs felts haunting with a very nice lead guitar play. The tempo starts getting more upbeat as more songs are played towards a ska/rock/blues mixture. I like how the vocals vary between the male and female singers, they add a nice feel to their songs. From the first listen, DiggingRoots feels very promising to me, I will have to give them a second listen to see if their songs grow on me.

Canadian Tenors - Luminato 2009, Day 1, Toronto

2009-06-05T23:39:00.004-04:00

Day 1 of the Luminato Guitar Festival at Dundas Square, Toronto, I was 8 minutes late and was surprised to hear tenor voices coming out of the giant speakers. For a second, I thought I was at the wrong venue since I was expecting more 6 strings actions. My doubts of the current performers were quickly put to rest when they announced their next song which come from the theatrical show Notre Dame de Paris.

Belle is the perfect song to kick off Luminato for me since I have been listening to it non-stop for the last 7 days. It is very hard to match Garu's raspy voice but the tenor cover version adds a special flavour to the song. Assimilating Belle live today has been quite enthralling.

The quartet continued to perform a few other songs and ended their segment of the night with two songs from Queen, Who Wants to Live Forever and We are the Champions.

Sapporo Premium

2009-05-17T00:20:00.002-04:00

My first stab at a Japanese beer. The beverage was served in the can above. I had a high expectation for it but it felt underwhelming.

Hop: I do not think there is any hop at all in there, or at least in very miniscule amount.
Flavour: The feel is different from other beers out there, I cannot pinpoint to the exact ingredient.
Aftertaste: None, it is a good beer to drink in large quantity.
Overall: This lager is too weak for my taste, there are better choices out there.

Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale

2009-05-17T00:09:00.002-04:00

I just had Alexander Keith's IPA again tonight, it does not taste that great anymore from my past memories of this beer. It is straight from the tap.

Hop: There is a very slight hoppy feel to it. I thought it was more hoppier in the past. Maybe I am getting more experienced at differentiating the taste.
Flavour: For some reason, I did not notice any distinct strong flavour from it.
Aftertaste: Just a slight bitterness, it feels good.
Overall: I thought it was a good IPA but not anymore. It feels diluted, I have drank a much more robust pale ale in the past.

Madeleine Beta 2

2009-05-10T15:57:00.003-04:00

The looks are not improving at all, my madeleines have an unusually large number of holes in them. The shell shaped grooves are not here either, a larger mould might have solve this issue. That aside, the taste feels drier than my first attempt. It might be from less butter and more flour. The average baking time was between 10 - 15 min, so I don't think it is a factor.

Almond extract was added this time around instead of the regular vanilla, I felt like eating almond flavoured treats for next week.

Brownie 1.0

2009-05-03T15:51:00.003-04:00

I have done a lot of poking today to make sure the brownies come out right. It is half way there, the outer rim is fully baked after 20 min while the middle section is half baked. The outcome is regular chocolate cake on the outside with chewy brownie at the centre.

Only 1/2 of sugar was used compared to the recommended 4 but I did drizzle about 1 tsp of honey on top. Overall, it tastes pretty good, the vanilla scent is a bit strong but it will probably go away a day or two.

Honey Shortbread 1.2

2009-04-26T15:58:00.002-04:00

I did not buy any ingredients for today's baking, I just used what was left around in the kitchen and made another shortbread yet again. Funny thing this time, the sultanas blew up into full size grapes when they came out of the oven. I have never seen that kind of behaviour before.

Last time, I made the Honey Shortbread, I overflowed the top with honey. I decide to go without sugar this time around for the dough, big mistake. Un-sweetened shortbread tastes pretty bad, I hope I don't have to follow some diet regimem someday, the experience will be quite unpleasant.

Tarte Banane 1.0

2009-04-19T12:54:00.004-04:00

I have been craving for pie for a while after I have started watching the TV show Pushing Daisies. The protagonist of the show is a pie maker who owns a pastry shop called the Pie Hole. This morning I tried to make some banana pie based on the recipe here. You will notice that my version is much larger than the little tartlets in the original picture. I do not think I have made enough batter since I only have 6 strips to cover the top.

Just like any other pie out there, they might look good when whole but crumbles when they are sliced. The crust is very crumbly and is falling apart. I believe I should have added more water to make the dough elastic from the beginning, at least that is how the dough looks from the TV show. The banana paste itself should have been more cooked. I was getting tired of stirring it over low heat for 15+ min, I did not have the patience to keep stirring until the paste turned into a dark brown colour. Overall, the banana flavour trumps any mistakes I might have made along the way and I am looking forward to have more slices of my tasty banana pie for the next couple of days.

Funny Web Framework Comparisons

2009-04-18T18:33:00.004-04:00

My exposure to web technologies is limited to Jsp/Servlets, Django, PHP/CodeIgniter and Perl/CGI. The following funny video paradies depict quite well how I view each of those technologies. I have not used Rails yet but plan to delve into it at some point in the future once I have explored Django in more details. The videos parody the Mac vs PC ones.

Ruby on Rails VS Django

Rails is not dissing Django, they can co-exist as brothers.

Ruby on Rails VS PHP

The above is not a fair comparison because it is matching a framework versus a language but still funny to watch if you have worked in at least one of those two technologies. There are more videos between those two here, there and over here.

Ruby on Rails VS Java

The point in the above for Java is that different components have to be put together from other sources whereas for Rails, it is all in one box. I love the jars(Java .jar files), spring(Spring Framework), the beans(JavaBeans), tapestry(Apache Tapestry) and the teddy bear who usually hibernates(Hibernate, an ORM for Java). Hilarious and witty way of putting the above together.

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML

2009-04-04T15:20:00.003-04:00

I first read Head First HTML back in 2006 during my first PHP web application development. I did not get a chance to complete the book back then but it provided me a lot of insight about XHTML and CSS. Fast forward 2.5+ years later and I finally finish reading it. The first half of the book is for individuals who have zero experience in HTML. CS students students out there will get very bored out of it.

However, the main reason for any beginner's web designers to pick this book is for the explanation of the CSS concepts. CSS has always been fuzzy to me, just reading a stylesheet does not make any sense. It has to be read along with the XHTML page to make any sense of the styling direction. The chapters that are useful to me are:

Getting started with CSS
Styling with fonts and colors
The box model
Divs and spans
Layout and positioning

This book is a must a for any budding web designers or novice web developers out there.

Is this book for you?

Beginner: I cannot think of any other place to delve into styling other than this book.
Intermediate: The book will ensure that you are presenting your web site properly.
Advance: If you are bored, you might want to scan through this book.

John Williams in Toronto

2009-03-31T23:09:00.004-04:00

I am sure a lot of people will associate the name John Williams with the guy who has composed the Star Wars theme. There is also another John Williams, the classical guitarist who has become famous from the piece Cavatina, the main theme of the movie The Deer Hunter. I finally fulfilled my wish of seeing such an amazing guitarist live and tonight was a beautiful musical experience, probably my highlight of 2009 so far.

The tempo between the slow and fast paced sections are wonderfully done, let alone the lightning fast fingerstyling. Those fingers alone is a show on its own, a bit like a mini-dance from the body to the fret board. The pieces that were played tonight:

Concerto in D Major, Op. 3, No. 9 (“L’’estro armonico”) _____Allegro _____Larghetto _____Allegro	Vivaldi/Bach Arranged by John Williams

Two Sonatas	D. Scarlatti Arranged by John Williams

Valses poeticos, H. 147	Granados Arranged by John Williams

Torre Bermeja (Serenata) from 12 Piezas caracteristicas, Op. 92, No. 12	Albéniz Arranged by John Williams

Notes in the Margin	John Williams

Intermission

La Catedral _____Lento (Preludio saudade) _____Andante religioso _____Allegro solemne	Agustin Barrios Mangoré

Djilile	Peter Sculthorpe

Theme from Schindler’s List	John T. Williams Arranged by John Williams

Theme from Cinema Paradiso	Ennio Morricone Arranged by John Williams

Cavatina from The Deer Hunter	Stanley Myers Arranged by John Williams

Prelude to a Song Open End Song without Words Hello Francis	John Williams

Carolan’s Concerto and Irish Tunes	Trditional Arranged by John Williams

On top of classics like Torre Bermeja, La Catedral and Cavatina, I was really impressed with the rhyme in Valses Poeticos, his own composition Notes in the Margin and the Irish music on a guitar. The latter was a first for me, I thought Irish tunes were only possible with a violin. The night was also sprinkled with a few jokes from the guitarist himself to get the crowd more engaged with the music.

At the end of the concert, John Williams was given four standing ovations. On the fourth outing, he came back on stage for an encore where he played the pretty Como Llora una Estrella. Seeing and listening to such a guitar legend performing live will stay in my memory forever.

Head First Ajax

2009-03-30T19:49:00.003-04:00

I have been dragging this book for almost a month now. Not that it is not interesting but because of unforseen distractions. I have finally completed it today and it really helps me understand the whole AJAX voodoo a lot better. AJAX was first exposed to me back in 2006 when Google Suggest was still in the labs and dynamic web sites were still in their infancy. The technology has evolved significantly these days with the multiple Javascript frameworks which cut a lot of fat from the old school client side codes.

A lot of essential Javascript is explained in this book and they form the basic of any client side coding. Every single chapters are useful and informative in this book if you are a beginner to this topic. If you plan to do some web development, dynamic web pages are the norm these days. Google's different web applications are perfect examples.

Is this book for you?

Beginner: A great place to learn more about AJAX.
Intermediate: There might be some new info that will help you polish your existing skills.
Advance: Skim it and consolidate what your knowledge.

Crêpe 1.0

2009-03-29T18:40:00.002-04:00

Sweet, moist and delicious, I remember to add sugar this time and it tastes amazing. I followed this recipe but I added less than 1 cup of sugar instead of the salt.

Mill Street Coffee Porter

2009-03-23T20:52:00.004-04:00

I was curious to taste coffee and beer after seeing it in a bucket of beer at 2008's deck party.

Hop: Too bitter for my taste
Flavour: It tastes like coffee, it feels very strange to mix a morning's beverage and a night's drink together. The strong bitterness does not help either.
Aftertaste: It is terrible.
Overall: This ale is for the strong of heart, I might have chugged the remaining of the bottle.

Steam Whistle Pilsner

2009-03-23T20:36:00.003-04:00

I first tasted this local Toronto beer during 2007 company's Christmas party at the Steam Whistle Brewery.

Hop: The bitterness is the first taste that will hop to your mind.
Flavour: It feels light and the hoppy.
Aftertaste: The hoppy taste is still there after your first sip.
Overall: I know a lot of people enjoy beer for the hoppy flavour but this is not for me. It is refreshing nonetheless if you enjoy bitterness in your beverage.

Rickard's Red

2009-03-23T20:23:00.004-04:00

I had the Rickard's Red last Saturday with my plate of ribs and I really enjoyed the thick taste of this beer. After further research, I have found out that the above is an ale which inspired me to pursure this spring/summer beer project.

Hop: I cannot recall any significant bitterness from this ale
Flavour: Very rich taste of barley and somehow sweet taste of caramel, the mixture feels perfect when in contact with my palate.
Aftertaste: The rich taste stays for a short while but nothing unpleasant.
Overall: I am pleasantly surprised by this rich tasting ale and I will most like taste more of it in the future.

Moosehead Lager

2009-03-23T20:09:00.003-04:00

Starting this Spring/Summer 2009, I will start reviewing some of the domestic beer that we have in Canada as well as any imports I can get hold on. The main motivation for the this project is to differentiate the thousands of ale and lager that are available on the market. I have never been a big fan of this beverage but lately, I have just noticed the real difference between an ale and a lager. The ale feels much more richer than the lighter taste of the lagger. Without further a due, I will start with my favourite lagger so far, the Moosehead.

Hop: I really like Moosehead because of the absence of the bitterness from the hop.
Flavour: I cannot find any distinguish flavour from this lager.
Aftertaste: Practically none, so it is a perfect drink for any occasions.
Overall: It is my go to beer because of its light texture with no bitterness which can be quite refreshing during a blistering summer. I will recommend this brand for entry level beer drinkers.

Honey Shortbread 1.1

2009-03-22T18:26:00.003-04:00

I was craving for some shortbread after 2 weeks of eating pudding. I have made some modification to the original recipe by adding some sultanas and almond extract but the aroma of honey masks pretty much everything else.

I used the right amount of butter this time around, so there were no loose piece of the dough. I might have been too generous on the honey, the shortbread is feeling very soggy and sweet. Hopefuly the shortbread will solidy after an hour or so of cooling.

No Line On The Horizon

2009-03-18T18:25:00.003-04:00

I am not a big fan of U2 regardless of how popular the band is among the general public. Their old songs are fine but I have listened to the tunes in ATYCB more frequently than any of their classic songs. Before reviewing U2's latest effort, I have decided to listen to their previous album one more time. HTDAAB has not been that enjoyable back in 2005 but after a few listens in 2009, the album has aged quite well and sounds great. NLOTH sounds promising on the first play. After a few more runs, some of the songs start losing their appeal, the title track for instance. The only two tunes that stand out for me is 'Moment of Surrender' and 'Unknown Caller'.

Moment of Surrender:

The chord progression, bass, short guitar solo, Bono's voice and general feel do stand out from this song. The progression near the end occasionally gives me the chill.

Unknown Caller:

Two words: Addictive riffs

U2's new materials cannot be compared to their early work. Setting a high expectation to new releases by bands who have been at their zenith in the 70s, 80s or 90s is bound to disappointment. Their new album should instead be reviewed against other rock albums that are available these days. NLOTH is worth listening and I cannot think of any albums released in the 2000s which sound like it.

Cassava Pudding Alpha 1

2009-03-15T21:30:00.004-04:00

I have finally made my own version of baked cassava pudding after following this recipe which is very similar to the homemade one. The texture turned out to be more gooey than I originally thought and my close to 1 cup of sugar was insufficient for the right sweetness. It felt like another of my slim tasting dish again.

There is a pot luck coming this coming Tuesday and the above is supposed to be my dish, I doubt anyone will go for seconds after the first taste. The general flavour of the well made version is here but without the full sweetness, it feels incomplete.

The pudding would have baked much better if the paste had been spread across a much larger surface area with a low height. I will have to taste it again in the morning when it is cold and dip it in some honey to enhance the flavour.

No baking this weekend

2009-03-08T15:15:00.002-04:00

Since I got some home made cake and cassava pudding, I won't be doing any baking today. I might try the cassava pudding in 2 weeks time and you can literally see the moisture coming out of the cake(when seen with the naked eyes). It is that kind of cake that I have been striving to make for the last few months.

Polenta Pudding 1.0

2009-03-02T19:31:00.004-05:00

I have just tasted my pudding this morning, it is pretty good. I used an additional tbl of sugar this time but the sweetness was not there. However, I was very generous on the sultanas this time which mesh very well with the polenta for the missing sweetness. Polenta pudding is very easy to make and it is hard to get the taste wrong.

Brownie Beta 1

2009-02-22T15:52:00.003-05:00

The recommended baking time is about 30 min. The batter was still wet at the 15 min mark, at 25 min, only the middle was wet, the surrounding was done. I left it for another 10 min but I think it was a mistake.

To preserve the moisture in the brownie, I should probably have taken it out at 20 min even if the batter is still wet, that's how the real ones are prepared. I added some sultanas this time around to make the overall taste more interesting. My quest to make moist cake is still ongoing.

Head First SQL

2009-02-22T12:14:00.004-05:00

Databases are essential nowadays to create dynamic web sites both internally and for commercial purposes. Taking a database course is a must for any Computer Science undergrad and Head First SQL is a great place to start to learn the basics. Usually, the recommended book for a typical undergrad Database course will be as big as a phone book and boring to read. Head First SQL does a great job to teach the complete beginner the how to perform queries with fun examples.

After using SQL for the last few years, I have skimmed through a lot of the chapters but I really enjoy the one on table normalization. Writing fast queries is great but ensuring that the tables are properly normalized will make your life easier.

Is this book for you?

Beginner: If you plan to take a Database course next term, study this book 2 weeks before school start. You will be able to breeze through assignments quickly.
Intermediate: It s a good refresher if you have not done some SQL in a while.
Advance: You might want to skip this book.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

2009-02-21T22:43:00.004-05:00

I just discovered this amazing guitar duo after listening to their Stairway to Heaven cover on Radio Paradise. I haven't seen any guitar performance like this before, notice the call and response in the above video + the progression is just captivating. Rodrigo y Gabriela will be on my music radar from now on.

Head First PHP & MySQL

2009-02-16T14:27:00.006-05:00

Let's take a break from baking and do some technical book review. The Head First series has finally released their PHP & MySQL book at the end of last year, just in time for my new role in 2009. My experience prior to reading the book is about 6 months of PHP development in 2006 and less than 10 days in 2009. Head First defers from other technical books by making learning more casual and easier to remember with big fonts pictures, comics and funny useful examples. You will have to take a look at their style before committing to learning a technology from them. The style is much better than the wall of text you get from school books.

The first 1/3 of the book looks very basic to me, so I quickly skim through those first few chapters. However, it is a great place to begin if you have none or very little experience to PHP and you need it for work or school. During the course of the book, a few nifty features that I have not been aware of in PHP are sprinkled across the chapters. I will defintely revise my previous work and apply them.

The few sections that have really piqued my interest are the ones on:

Database Normalization
Regular Expression
CAPTCHA
REST Request and XML parsing

A lot of concepts from this book are usually covered over several Computer Science courses in school. It is great that those essential topics are re-explained again in the PHP universe in a fun, clear and very understandable manner.

Topics that I wanted to see in the book but are absent:

Object oriented PHP
Use of design pattern for PHP web development
Proper coding style of PHP on the client and server side

Is this book for you?

Beginner: Definitely get it if your school or work projects require PHP & MySQL.
Intermediate: The book will consolidate what you already know and will add more to your PHP library in your brain.
Advance: There might not be new information for you but it is an interesting read, you can always skim forward to the juicy sections.

Lenox Almond Biscotti 1.0

2009-02-15T15:58:00.003-05:00

Ah, the sweet scent of almond, my place was surrounded with this aroma this afternoon. I have first noticed this recipe from Dorie Greenspan's baking book back in 2008 but have not tried it until today. I have followed the recipe very closely with the omission of the real almonds, it is quite pricey at the grocery store.

The taste is heavenly, I will be looking forward to having more of them for breakfast and afternoon snack during the course of this week. The cornmeal adds a special texture to the biscotti, making it very crunchy, light and the almond extract is the key to this very delectable goody. I believe the overall taste would have been even more interesting with chunks of real almond and some dried fruits, but that will be for another time. I cannot seem to go wrong when it comes to making dried baked goods. I will most likely go back to regular cake for next time.

Honey Shortbread Cookies 1.0

2009-01-27T14:40:00.004-05:00

I was craving for something sweet and somehow the word shortbread came to me. Here's my impulse Honey Shortbread above, the picture doesn't look so good, I probably should invest in a digital camera in the future.

I have used less flour than what the recipe recommends but it is tasting great. I might have gone overboard with the honey but the overall taste is just like any shortbread cookies out there. The crumbs might be falling apart but they are probably the best part of any cookies. Dry baked goods is my specialty, I always get them right.

Poudine Maïs Beta 1

2009-01-11T21:00:00.004-05:00

Poudine Maïs, also known as the polenta pudding. I followed the recipe to the letter but I made a few mistakes along the way. First, I forgot to constantly stir the mixture which led to the watery part to stay on top instead of everywhere else. The bottom of the pan was burnt with the cornmeal, I should have added water first from the beginning. Next, the end product turned out to be very viscous which might explain the bumpy picture above. The correct version should have the paste running until you get a flat surface.
It felt a bit dense after taking it out of the fridge for a few hours. I believe I got the taste right but it just was not sweet enough. I am glad that the sultanas added some sweetness from each bite. Next time, I will add 5 tablespoons of sugar instead of the recommended 4. Overall, it feels like a decent effort, there is always the next version to improve it further.

Cari Boeuf et Pomme de Terre 1.0

2009-01-11T19:24:00.005-05:00

Beef curry as known in the English speaking world, the only dish that I can make and taste delicious. The recipe is similar to the one there with a few modifications, like adding the curry at the very end so that the curry doesn't stick to the pan. I also didn't add a few ingredients like curry leaves, ginger, thyme and coriander. I have overcooked the beef and potato this time but at least the taste is right and I got the right amount of sauce compared to my last attempt.
It's best meant to eat with roti but it works fine on a bed of rice. I used carrot salad as a side dish in this case, cucumber salad goes best with curry dishes.

Mauritian recipes

2009-01-04T23:33:00.002-05:00

I just found this jewel of a web site after googling for some Mauritian dessert:

http://www.cjp.net/recipe.htm

The above web site covers a very wide variety of Mauritian dishes along with pictures and their recipes. I will most likely give them a try in the next few weeks, there is nothing like a taste from home.

Brownies Alpha 1

2009-01-04T16:13:00.005-05:00

2009 is here, time to bake some more. My first attempt at making some brownies after a suggestion. Here's how it looks above when flipped, you can see a face(seems to be a trend for my chocolate products), the eyes, toothpick for nose and the tiny mouth.

I did it again, I have overcooked it and it ends up turning into a heavy chocolate cake instead of a moist tasty brownie. I only used 1/2 a cup of sugar compared to the suggested 1 cup from the recipe. I should have tested how ready it was at the 15 min mark instead of leaving it in the oven for the entire 25 min. The texture looks dense(no baking soda from this recipe), dry in the mouth with the correct sweetness. I have a feeling I will have to specialise in dried baked goods from now on.

Perfect Pasta Salad 1.0

2008-12-20T21:33:00.003-05:00

I had a craving for some good pasta salad and this recipe has met my needs. All the ingredients were there except for the provolone cheese, oregano and peperoni which I substituted with cooked Italian Sausage as a side dish.

The moisture was there as advertised, it was initially too sour due to the vinegar but the pasta actually tastes better the next day. I will have to add some cheese next time as well as some oregano.

Banana Bread Beta 1

2008-12-14T20:43:00.005-05:00

My second attempt at the Banana Bread, I have followed the recipe to the letter this time.

It tastes like banana, the sweetness is fine but still a bit dry. Lots of comments from recipezaar mentioned how moist it was, it was not the case for this one. I still need to find what the missing link to get good cake moisture besides pouring lots of syrup on it.

Bacardi Rum Cake 1.0

2008-11-30T17:27:00.004-05:00

My first alcoholic cake, I got the recipe from Recipezaar again. This will be my go to baking recipe site from now on. The above is a snapshot of the cake fresh out of the oven. The middle was still undone after 1 hour of baking, I had to leave for another 30 min. I believe that is why the Bundt Cake mould is crucial for this type of cake, the batter is exposed to more surface area for faster baking. I will definitely get one of those mould soon.

I had to cut the middle above and bake it separately. Here's how it looks like after the glazing is poured on it, delicious, isn't it? I was supposed to use Betty Crocker cake mix for this recipe but found them a bit expensive, so I had to settle for the cheaper No Name brand. I am not sure if the taste will be better with Betty Crocker since the rum masked everything else.

The dark rum I picked from the liquor store, they also had another darker rum. I will most likely try that next time. The taste is heavenly, I haven't tasted anything that good in a long time. It might be the rum playing tricks with my system but it is a pretty damn good tasting cake. The texture is perfect, moisture is more than enough with the glazing. Sweetness is above average but suitable for that type of cake. I think this my masterpiece so far, I will research some more recipes with booze, they tend to taste better than regular ones.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake 1.0

2008-11-23T15:31:00.004-05:00

Here is a special request for this sponge cake recipe from Recipezaar. As you can see, the cake is actually pretty this week, there are no cracks with this one and the surface looks smooth. It might be one of the characteristics of sponge cake.

It tastes like sponge cake, the sweetness is fine and moisture is right. The texture is also not that greasy with only 1 teaspoon of butter. It does seem to have a strong aroma of pure vanilla extract, maybe it will evaporate by tomorrow. I believe the taste can be more exciting with some lemon zest but what I have is good enough. Since I have got all of the basic baking features right, I'll certify it as 1.0.

Madeleine Beta 1

2008-11-16T18:27:00.004-05:00

Here's my second iteration of the Madeleine, I've added some cocoa powder this time around. Few things that was fixed to warrant the Beta label:
- The madeleines come out easily since I've used just enough batter for each mould. Buttering and flouring the mould doesn't seem to be a big factor to prevent the stickiness.
- It's less sweet than the first version

Things I don't like with this one, I probably use less butter because it felt a bit dry. I also skipped the lemon zest. It kind of taste similar to my first chocolate cake I made weeks ago. The shape is still not perfect as the boxed madeleine, I'm not sure what I'm missing in this department. I think I'll focus on the taste from now one while ignoring the presentation. This one might go better dunked in coffee/tea.

Madeleine Alpha 1

2008-11-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

Madeleines are not supposed to look like the above. I have combed the entire North York region for the last 2 days until I finally found the Madeleine baking mould at a small shop called Degrees Kitchen Store. Here are some of the mistakes I have made to get the above chunks. I probably did not grease the pan properly, I overflowed each individual mould(the book says to fill it almost to the top) and finally, the Madeleines stayed too long in the oven by a few minutes. This caused most of the batter to be stuck to the pan causing it to miss the shell like shape.

However, it is the best tasting baked good I've made so far. I feel I'm improving on the taste as the week go by. The moisture is right, the texture is great, the sweetness is on target and I am very happy with the overall taste, which might explain the smaller quantity you see above. I am definitely trying it again, this time focusing on getting the shape right.

Double-Fudge Biscotti Alpha 1

2008-11-02T16:56:00.003-05:00

Way too sweet, there's enough sugar in there to make me run a marathon. I think this would have been my best baking so far if I haven't put as much sugar as recommended by the recipe. The Double-Fudge Biscotti will make your heart race within the first bite, I'm sure it's coming from the sweetness and not the aphrodisiac nature of chocolate.

To extend on a Family Guy's quote by Peter Griffin on how the Biscotti got so sweet:

When I was baked, my daddy dunked me in a barrel of sugar

Crêpe Alpha 1

2008-10-26T21:53:00.004-04:00

I'm taking a break from baking this week, I'm instead making some crêpe, an inspiration by someone close. As you can see the texture and look seem spot on, just like the home made one.

I didn't have any maple syrup but a pot of honey from last week, that's what I used for the inside. There was one ingredient I forgot to add to the batter, du sucre. Eating the crêpe with no fillings can be tasteless and not appetizing at all. The overall taste seems alright with honey, I believe it might be best served with maple syrup or Nutella.

Blueberry-Blackberry Honey Butter-Glazed Scones Alpha 1

2008-10-19T16:13:00.004-04:00

I really followed the recipe to the letter this time around, the dough was falling apart near the end of the recipe which might explain the grainy look above. I'm not improving at all in the aesthetic department, it's getting worse as the weeks go by.

I am not too sure what to make of the taste, it does somewhat taste like a well-made scone. However, it does have a nice scent to it, probably from the honey and berries. For the first time, my baking doesn't feel dry. I still think my banana loaf tastes the best so far among those three.

Chic Chocolate Loaf Alpha 1

2008-10-13T13:28:00.004-04:00

Here's my new creation above, a Chic Chocolate Loaf. The name of the loaf has the word chic in it, I see a hideous smile from the crack above and maybe a left eye if you use your imagination.

Once again, I did not follow the instructions to the letter. The recipe recommended 1.25 cup of sugar but I only used about 0.9 of a cup. Seeing the actual amount of raw material for that amount of cake can be quite scary. As a consequence, the final taste is not very sweet.

If you chew for a long time, you can try to imagine some chocolate flavour. The outer layer is very crispy while the inside is just like any regular cake. The moisture of the inside seems to be a bit better than my last creation but I do not like the actual taste of the loaf. I will be washing this cake down with a cup of coffee for the rest of the week until my next baking experience.

Banana Bread Alpha 1

2008-10-05T16:34:00.004-04:00

My first attempt at baking, apparently the banana bread is the easiest baked good for beginners. Here's how it looks above fresh from the oven, not very pretty to look at but is currently smelling really good.

Above is a slice of the banana bread. After tasting my Frankenstein monster looking banana bread, it was a bit dry and not very sweet. I used less than 1/2 cup(the recommended amount) of butter and about 1/2 cup of of brown sugar(the recommended is 3/4 cup). When I compare my creation against other banana bread that I've tasted, I'll need to add nuts in it next time to make the taste less boring. Hopefully, I'll be able to fix those mistakes in Alpha 2.

Anti-Church Part Three

2008-10-02T23:11:00.002-04:00

The final book of the trilogy shows a very clear picture of the religious stance of the author. I like his views on how life after death could be much worse than the real one, that we should cherish and enjoy every single of it. There is no point in spending this life praying for a better after life when we could be enjoying ourselves because later on, good and bad people will end up in the same place regardless of their past.

Religious views aside, a few large scale battles actually take place in this book as you would expect from any trilogies. There is the death of a few key characters and lots of surprising revelations about our main characters. There is also a side plot about homosexual angels, at least that is my interpretation from the story, it might mean something else to other people.

The ending was the most poignant scene of the His Dark Materials, I never saw it coming and was very sad. Although it was not a happy ending that most people would want, it did explain a lot about the specters. All in all, the trilogy is very well written, captivating and a must read for any Harry Potter or Narnia fans out there.

Anti-Church Part Two

2008-09-16T20:06:00.001-04:00

While the first book is just a precursor of the His Dark Materials trilogy, the Subtle Knife clearly depicts how the whole story will unfold and which part each of the key characters will play in it. The mood is far more serious this time around with quite a bit violence and gore. It will be interesting to see how the second book is translated to the big screen and whether it will be rated PG-13 like the first one. I imagine some of the more graphically violent scene will be implied or dumb down if the movie is to appeal to a larger audience.

Without spoiling too much, the plot thickens in the second book. More characters are introduced, the world is getting darker than before and you can practically feel the fear among various characters along the course of the story. The movement against the church is stronger than ever, an army is currently being raised to destroy God. Mrs Coulter is as graceful, sly and deadly as before, few people can resist her charm and those who cannot, follow a painful death.

In brief, the Subtle Knife is as captivating as the first one and I am currently eagerly devouring the Amber Spyglass to find out the fate of Lyra in the demise of the church if that is to happen.

The Day That Never Comes

2008-09-11T23:16:00.002-04:00

Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

The intro riff by Hetfield followed by Hammett's lead consists of a few simple licks which turn out to be highly addictive. The song starts out slow then gain momentum half way through and the music moves at full throttle from there till the end.

Anti-Church Part One

2008-09-04T18:15:00.006-04:00

I initially had no interest in the movie Golden Compass nor knew anything about Philip Pullman. However, a recent controversial article about how some high school in Richmond Hill has decided to pull his books(mostly His Dark Materials) from their shelves has somehow motivated me to read his works.

I started by watching the movie Golden Compass which I found quite imaginative in terms of the little twists and nuances that he has added to our real world. I really enjoy the daemon concept but by the end of the movie, I couldn't really find any strong anti-Christ views. After reading book 1 of His Dark Materials, I was captivated it from beginning to end. My 30 min commute felt like I only spent 5 min in the subway car.

When comparing the book to the movie, lots of plots have been cut while others have been totally changed. Those are quite expected when it comes to book to movie adaptation. While the movie was more or less faithful to the original writings, the finale in the book was completely absent from the big screen. The book ended with a major twist to some of the main characters. You can actually see the connection between the story and the anti-Christ views of the author. Religious views aside, I personally think the Golden Compass is worth a read by anyone regardless of their faith. I cannot wait to start the Subtle Knife(Book 2) to follow the adventures of Lyra.

You are my kind

2008-08-17T21:55:00.002-04:00

Santana featuring Seal - You are my kind

The intro, the beat, Santana's magic sound and Seal's voice, they all make it very addictive to listen to.

Guitar solos of the moment

2008-08-02T10:25:00.005-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while but here's a twist on my tunes of the moment, those are my current guitar solos favourites even though they've been released for a few decades. The discovered hidden gems are:

Santana - Europa
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Lenny
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pipeline
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Life by the Drop

One key difference between the sound of those two artists is the type of guitar. Santana uses a Gibson with two humbucker pickups whereas SRV uses his usual Fender Stratocaster which usually consists three single coil pickups. You should be able to notice the darker sound of the humbucker versus the distinct sound of the single coils.

Chunky Monkey

2008-06-29T18:52:00.002-04:00

Ben & Jerry is on sale again this week and after picking the Chunky Monkey for tasting, it is a good choice. The banana flavour melds well with the big chocolate chunks and walnut. I guess the name Chunky Monkey was picked because monkeys like bananas and the other two main ingredients are in chunks.

Infectious Tune #9

2008-06-22T23:39:00.003-04:00

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly

From the finger picking intro, to the bridge and the chorus, Falling Slowly is a beautifully crafted song. I am really into the Once soundtrack these days, it might take a while to get it out of my system.

Guitar Music At It's Finest

2008-06-19T22:35:00.005-04:00

Wow, listening to the music from this movie is love on first hearing. A lot of songs out there take time to sink into your system before you like them but the songs from Once are quite brilliant and become part of you from first note. I like the way Glen Hansard plays his guitar, his songs and compositions. Markéta Irglová's piano complements his playing very well and her voice is just perfect during the duets.

If you play guitar, piano or just like good music, Once will be perfect for you. Taking a spin on the movie tag line, how often do you find the right movie?

Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice Beverage

2008-06-14T23:32:00.004-04:00

Tang: Strongest coffee I have ever drank. I can literally feel the liquid shooting straight to my brain. There is enough caffeine in there to wake up a person from a coma.
Sweetness/Ice: The sweetness is masked by the strong espresso while two-third of the cup was filled with ice. It almost feels like whisky on rocks. Starbucks should probably rename that drink to Doubleshot on rocks.
Value: $tarbucks expensive as usual.
Overall tilt: If regular coffee cannot satisfy your caffeine craving, a jolt of this beverage will definitely get you buzzing for the rest of day and night.

Infectious Tune #8

2008-06-11T23:10:00.005-04:00

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

I fell for this song the moment I heard it and have not stopped listening to it since yesterday. I'll definitely be listening to it on infinite loop until I get bored. The song sounds a bit different from other Coldplay's other songs but it is a sound that I like.

Solid Rock Album

2008-06-10T22:10:00.003-04:00

I thought the Foo Fighters was the best rock album of 2008 but 3 Doors Down has just dethroned them. Every single tracks on this album are very good and hard to dislike. The greatest moment of every 3 Doors Down songs are the intro guitar play followed by a great chorus, the band has not lost its touch in that department. Will I still be listening to this album in the years to come, very likely since I still enjoy the band's previous albums.

Chocolate Brownie Iced Capp Supreme

2008-06-07T23:53:00.006-04:00

Tim Hortons has done a great job advertising this new Iced Capp flavour for the summer. The chocolate shaving falling on the whipped cream is quite an appetizing view. After disregarding the eye candy, I finally got to taste this new drink on a hot and humid day like today.

Tang: The regular Ice Capp with supposedly pieces of brownie in it. The brownie shavings felt more like pieces of chocolate cookies. I really did not feel any connection between those two ingredients, the chemistry was not there to satisfy my taste buds.
Sweetness/ice: Not sure if the heat was too high but there was barely any ice in this drink, the drink felt rich with the mandatory whipped cream, abundance amount of chocolate shavings and brownie pieces.
Value: Feels like an expensive drink with chunks of fake chocolate brownie.
Overall tilt: I would avoid this drink, do not get fooled by the mouth watering commercials, too much eye candy with little substance.

Evil Monk

2008-06-03T21:53:00.003-04:00

DemonWars Saga is definitely much darker than other Salvatore's books. The way evilness is portrayed by one of the monk in this book will make you cringe in disgust. The violent scenes are also more visceral in the Demon Spirit. In the middle of all this dark material, the rest is pretty much run of the mill Salvatore's action and sorrow scenes. I will take a break from Fantasy reading for a while since my traveling time(aka reading time) has been significantly cut.

Cherry Garcia

2008-05-29T19:19:00.002-04:00

My first ice cream review, probably because I was pleasantly surprised after tasting it. I don't usually consume Ben & Jerry's(because of its high price tag) but since it was on sale a few weeks ago, I had to give it a try. Cherry goes well with cake but dipped in ice cream, the taste is delectable. It is one of the food combo out there where the ingredients are made for each other, just like peanut butter surrounded by chocolate.

The pieces of fudge(taste like chocolate chip) kind of take away the cherry experience after each bite but in a way, the fudge teases you to come back for more of the ice cream. Soon enough, the bucket is a quarter of the way empty. Needless to say, the Cherry Garcia has really blown me away with its silky smooth texture and pleasant cherry flavour.

Infectious Tune #7

2008-05-26T21:19:00.002-04:00

OneRepublic - Stop and Stare

I did like this song for the last few months but after seeing them play live in a Smallville episode, Stop and Stare sounds even better. It is as if a new spotlight is shinning them and their sound. The intro chords are pretty addictive too, I am hoping to get the strumming right.

Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino with Chocolate Whipped Cream

2008-05-25T14:12:00.006-04:00

Tang: The usual Frappuccino with chocolate chip and candy mint chips. This mixture feels weird in the mouth, you actually get to taste the candy mint particles in your chilled latte.
Sweetness/Ice: The amount of ice is just right and the sweetness level is fair too.
Value: Expensive as any other Starbucks beverages.
Overall tilt: I am kind of split on this latte, the candy mint chips do not make the drink enjoyable. On the other hand, the chocolate whipped cream is a nice touch, I have not really tasted that type until now. I personally will not order this drink again in the future, there are better flavours out there.

Lite Winehouse

2008-05-24T12:30:00.003-04:00

When I first saw posters promoting Duffy's album, I thought it was Hilary Duff with a new show name, the two artists do share a similar resemblance from far away. However, after some research and listening to Rockferry, my initial impression is a very diluted version of Amy Winehouse. While I was pleasantly surprised by Back to Black, Rockferry actually grows on me the more I listen to it. There are lots of memorable tracks such as Rockferry, Warwick Avenue and Mercy. In some ways, I can compare Amy Winehouse to Maple syrup while Duffy is honey. If you like Amy Winehouse and want more Soul music, you can't go wrong by listening to Duffy.

Infectious Tune #6

2008-05-17T22:33:00.002-04:00

Mateo Messina - Up The Spout

I discovered this song from the Juno OST and it is really addictive. I can play the rhythm from an acoustic guitar but the chord is a bit of challenge like any other guitar chords. I still need to upgrade this skill.

Vanilla Bean Frappuccino Blended Crème

2008-05-17T22:10:00.004-04:00

Starting this year, I will resume my latte reviews in this blog instead of from my website. The blog provides easy layout, time stamp and labels for quick reference. Without further ado, here goes:

Tang: Thick and creamy texture with vanilla flavour, the taste is nearly identical to its rival cousin Second Cup's Vanilla Chiller. The mandatory whip cream definitely adds some thickness to the drink.
Sweetness/Ice: There are some finely crushed ice pellets at the bottom of the drink and there is a slight sweetness to the drink which is just right for this kind of rich latte.
Value: I still think Starbucks sell overpriced drinks but at least you get to sit at their shops.
Overall tilt: The Vanilla Bean's savour is a clone of the Second Cup's Vanilla Chiller albeit it's richer texture. I personally prefer the Vanilla Chiller since it's a much lighter drink but those who like more creamy drinks might find the Vanilla Bean a better companion.

Very engaging story

2008-05-01T22:17:00.003-04:00

This is probably the best and most engaging Salvatore book I have read so far. The stories of the three main characters really suck you in making the book very hard to put down once you've started. From a ranger's training to that of a monk, Salvatore does a great job depicting the harsh work out but often rewarding outcome of those classes. The character development really strikes the readers both emotionally and physically making. Many readers who have grown bored of Drizzt might want to give the DemonWars Saga a try, it is a journey that you will keep pursuing for a very long time.

Infectious Tune #5

2008-04-27T09:15:00.004-04:00

The Killers - Sam's Town (Abey Road Version)

You might know The Killers as the band who plays 80's style music with lots of electric guitars and synthesizer. The Killers' music is either a love or hate, I totally adore the sound they produce and can't get enough of them. That's why I gave Sawdust a try, a collection of their B-Sides. It is probably the best B-Sides collection I've heard so far.

The key and surprising track from this album is Sam's Town (Abey Road Version) which is a version of the original song played for the most part in piano. I was initially shocked when I heard this version but it grows on me pretty fast, making it a must song to play on my daily life. You cannot claim yourself to be a true Killers fan until you have listened to this version of Sam's Town.