Avatar photoSteven Savage

Job Update

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Well I start a new job shortly – I’m going back to contracting for now!  But the job search is over, and it took about 5 weeks to make work out.  This also means I can start getting back to my books and projects – but you’re still going to get plenty of recipes out of me.

But the goal of this blog was to cover everything in my writing, coaching, and more, so hang in there, the ride is back on track.

But again, still recipes.  I got more coming you need to see . . .

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Recipe: Quick Leftover Cassoulet

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This is my quick version of the classic french meat-and-bean dish.  It’s a great way to extend leftover meats (read, after Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and the 4th of July) into a filling but surprisingly light dish.  I just made it with leftover turkey with some sausage tossed in.

Cassoulet itself is a traditional French dish whose history and taste is hard to do justice too; there’s a lot of pride in it that is akin to the pride taken in chili or barbecue in the United States.  It also seems to have been an influence on the American Baked Bean.  You can learn some more here: http://www.dartagnan.com/60201/a3519/Eat-Like-a-Local/page-1.html

Ingredients.

  • 2 14 oz cans white beans, drained
  • About 1 1/2 lbs assorted meats pre-cooked and/or preserved, diced.  Roughly, match meat to the beans.  It’s best with at least two kinds of meats, and if you don’t have enough meat, add precooked sausage or ham.
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp crushed garlic
  • 2 tbsp Herbs De Province.
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef or vegetable broth.
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Up to 1 cup water
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Dice your meats and set aside.
  3. Mix pepper, garlic, herbs de province, tomato paste, broth, olive oil.
  4. Pour beans and meat into casserole dish, mix thoroughly
  5. Pour mixture over beans and meat.  Mix thouroughly.
  6.  Add enough water to just cover beans and meat.  Stir to mix.
  7. Cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove foil.  Bake for 30 minutes

I made this for a get-together and went over pretty well.  Not overly remarkable, but also filling and it had a certain something to it – I have leftovers I’ll definitely be enjoying.  It’s a basic recipe, one you can easily tweak.

A few suggestions:

    • The Herbs De Province have a sharp edge not everyone may like.  Replacing them with a different spice mixture might be a good idea – though I’m fond of Herbs De Province as a quick way to get a “French Flavor,” though it’s important to remember they’re basically an approximation of herbal mixtures from Provence.
    • Adding a dash of ground cloves might be good.
    • I think baking it uncovered for the entirety of the hour might be a good idea to really bring out the flavors.
    • I served it with baked potatoes, which wer delightful in the sauce.  It would probably go well with bread, or on smashed potatoes

The mix of meats was really delightful, so the more kinds the better!

Review: The $100 Startup

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Review: The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau

ISBN-10: 0307951529
ISBN-13: 978-0307951526

PROS:

  • Gives simple advice on doing your own startup.
  • Provides many useful examples.
  • A focus on action.
  • Admits up front your “dream” may not be what you’ll actually end up doing.

CONS:

  • Doesn’t cover everything you’d need, and though it admits it, it’s not complete.
  • Targeted at a pretty sophisticated audience – which might not be you initially.

SUMMARY: A good book to read when you want to found your own startup, and good to give you a kick to get going.  Worth buying and rereading if you’re serious.

Read more