Category: Dear Dad

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tiramisu with man-fingers

a better tiramisu

It’s hard not to enjoy a good Tiramisu, but finding one that you really like always takes a bit of effort and experimentation. Believe it or not there are actually Tiramisu police that go around ranking every effort of this lady finger inspired dessert… but I am here to tell you now that lady fingers really don’t work too well.

Tiramisu police will tell that this dessert has certain qualities and it has the right to be boring.

I love the concept of soaking the fingers in various liquors: chocolate, honey and coffee. What I don’t love is a bunch of soggy mush, so I went out to design something that would hold together long enough to be placed in the container and be uniform in texture and consistency. Secondly, most recipes do not make a meringue properly and with insufficient egg whites to add some solidity to the dessert. I don’t want something hard, but runny is not acceptable.

the best meringue and the best liquors

Using the same number of egg whites as egg yolks not only simplifies the dessert, but it also aids in making a more solid dessert.  My meringue recipe ( check my Key Lime or Lemon Meringue for hints) woks perfectly in this dessert.

Oh yes, I lost 2 more pounds on Jenny Craig… sooooo

enjoy!

Roger Freberg

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standing room only for F.I.R.E. at Cal Poly

UPDATE: click to  listen to Adam Kissel’s complete Audio of his presentation at Cal Poly
standing room only greets the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
with fifteen minutes to go before it was scheduled to start, the room was filling up!

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has a 7 year history in working with Cal Poly starting with the now famous Steve Hinkle case. Steve Hinkle beat Cal Poly in Federal Court and proved that even large institutions must follow the law.

Yesterday, Adam Kissel of F.I.R.E. met with three administrators, but to be honest, he actually ‘dropped’ by one who had an ‘open’ spot on their calendar. To me, it sounded like the administrators really didn’t get this ‘constitutional rights’ stuff and at a minimum, they seemed to disagree with all of it! wow…. sounds like more fun with Cal Poly down the road.

Here is a link to the Adam Kissel event and further link to F.I.R.E.’s complete history with Cal Poly… which — unfortunately —  is not over.

Thanks to all who are working to change the Cal Poly culture, even if it turns out to be one federal lawsuit at a time.

Roger Freberg

My View: The University as ‘PARENT?’… We all expected that when the state determined adulthood began at 18 that this would open the door to students for self determination, greater responsibility and authority over themselves. However, many universities — and I believe Cal Poly to be one of them — act as though it is now their ‘parental’ role to step in to change and mold the values of incoming students to fit their grand socio-political view… using coercion and harsh discipline to ensure compliance. This is ethically troublesome and morally repugnant although is clearly part of the Cal Poly culture.

Years ago, a fellow faculty member once told me that ‘Cal Poly rewards compliance and not achievement’. I still wince a bit when I see sycophants rewarded and those of achievement ignored…. unfortunately, I believe  this value still permeates the Cal Poly administrative culture from top to bottom.

It appears to me that Cal Poly’s most cherished goal of education is not achievement, but compliance.

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hunting for the perfect jar for cookies or biscotti

the perfect cookie jar

When my children were young, I would have been very happy to have had a cookie jar like this one! Although it sounds large ( 5 or 6 quarts) which it would be if it happened to be a cooking pot, as a cookie jar it is just right! Actually, I bought it to hold some store bought biscotti… but more importantly my home made Biscotti! (the picture above is linked to where I bought the jar)

Laura is very attached to a classic chicken cookie jar that is very… cute… but totally inadequate to house even one day’s supply of baking for all the cookie monsters in our house. We really needed something like this… and even though we found it late… it is getting well used! I could even imagine a counter lined with these jars each containing a different cookie or snack…. but , unfortunately, no room for that luxury.

Here is my Biscotti recipe, again.

Have some Biscotti with your coffee today!

Roger

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lighting a FIRE under Cal Poly

Cal Poly under FIRE

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has had an ignominious history of curtailing constitutionally protected free speech often — in my humble opinion — politically motivated. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education  (FIRE) picked up the challenge of putting Cal Poly back on course, but it is an on-going process.

READ here about the Cal Poly story.

Adam Kissel of FIRE will be speaking this week at Cal Poly, visiting classes, touring the university and hopefully working with administrators in a proactive manner. Hopefully, Cal Poly will meet with Adam as not all challenges need to be met in federal court.

Thanks for coming, Adam!

Roger Freberg

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Happy Valentine’s Day, tough guys!

funny how a suit looked on me after I threw them away... happy Valentine's Day

This is my daughter’s favorite picture… for reasons I cannot explain. I think they would hang it in their dorm rooms to scare off all but the most worthy… which is fine by me. When I see this picture, I think of them.

A good friend of mine wanted to do a chrome shoot ( help his students learn how to photograph chrome) and needed two things: 1) a Harley motorcycle and 2) a great looking male model. 😉  So, I felt a bit like ‘Zoolander’ but a bit out of place since none of my suits fit. I was still a big boy at the time ( over 400) and lifting (weights) and a bit cranky at having to pose for hours. It was worth it as they detailed my bike which had been on a long trip.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Ladies!

Roger Freberg

PS. Ladies, if you need to scare someone off, print off this picture and tell the fellow that this is your dad and his new motorcycle that the bro’s gave him for getting out early!  Use what works! 😉