Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Also caught St. Peter Cathedral during this morning’s golden hour. Mornings like this in Winter here feel rare (cloudy, intense shades of grey, or snowing more often than not).

St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette, Michigan at dawn

December 8, 2023 at 4:42 AM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Beautiful sunrise this morning at nearly 8am. Added a nice highlight to the old Ore Dock.

Marquette, Michigan’s historic Ore Dock framed by a vivid peach-colored sunrise sky, with a snowy foreground.

December 7, 2023 at 1:02 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

A tandem recipe for cooking with a partner (recipes in alt text). Scallops, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and mushroom risotto… we got fancy for a special occasion.

I’d recommend one partner take on the scallops and asparagus as the cooking time is roughly the same, and another be the risotto stirrer. 🍽️

Prep:
Slice 1 fennel bulb, 1 large clove of garlic, 1 jalapeño, 1 shallot
Chop 1 yellow bell pepper, a handful of cilantro
Cut morel mushrooms in half lengthwise, cut a handful of grape tomatoes in half
Peel and grate a thumb-sized piece of ginger
Trim asparagus
Juice two lemons

Mushroom risotto:

We used dried morels. Soak in hot water for 30 mins to rehydrate, then drain/rinse prior to cutting them in half lengthwise.

Heat 3tbsp butter in a pan on medium-low heat until melted. Add 1tbsp minced garlic and sautee for about 1-2 mins. Add mushroom slices and sautee for another 3-5 mins (until tender). Set cooked mushrooms to one side.

Rest of risotto recipe is at link below (add mushrooms at the end):

https://www.afamilyfeast.com/mushroom-risotto/

We used frozen scallops. After thawing, the scallops (12) were marinated in a mixture of half of the lemon juice, the grated ginger, salt and pepper for about 30 mins

In a cast iron skillet, heat 3tbsp of butter on medium-low heat until melted. Add the sliced fennel bulb. Cook until it starts to soften. Move the fennel to the outer edge of your skillet, and place your scallops into the pan. Place the shallot, yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, and jalapeños on top. Cover and let it cook about 6-7 mins. Uncover, then use tongs to flip all the scallops (move veggies if you need to for direct contact between scallop and pan). Add 1/4 cup white wine. Cover and cook for about 5 more minutes.

As a final step, turn the broiler on your oven to high during this last 5mins of cooking. Uncover the skillet after 5 mins, then move to top rack of oven under the broiler. Keep a close eye on it with the oven door cracked. Once you notice scallop tops browning and edges of veggies crisping, it’s ready.

The asparagus:

Take 3 thin asparagus stalks, wrap around the middle with one uncooked strip of bacon, and spear the bundle together with a toothpick that has soaked in water for 5 mins.

We have a Philips Indoor Smokeless Grill that we keep next to our stove. The asparagus and scallops take about the same amount of time, so I did both, while my wife worked on the risotto. I turned the asparagus bundles on the grill once, halfway through the process, and seasoned with salt/pepper/lemon juice while they were on the grill.

The cilantro was used to garnish the scallops after plating.

December 7, 2023 at 2:13 AM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

We don’t have a local Indian restaurant. I miss Indian food. We like to experiment with different spice blends and vegetables and do different curries every once in awhile. Slightly more prep work than many of our meals, but worth the effort. Recipe in alt-text. We enjoyed this one.

Prep work:
Chop 1 large shallot, and half a small onion
Peel an entire head of garlic, trim and cut the cloves into large chunks
Chop three carrots into rounds
Juice a lemon

Prepping spice mix:
Grind 1tsp mustard seed, 1tsp caraway seed, 1 tsp coriander
Add 1 tbsp Garam Masala, 1tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/4tsp fenugreek, 1/8tsp ground cloves, 1/8tsp chili powder (I used Guajillo)

Have a star anise pod, a cinnamon stick, and three curry leaves on hand

In a large pot heat 1tbsp mustard oil and 1tbsp coconut oil over medium heat.

Once oil is hot, drop in three boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Brown on both sides. Remove chicken from pot, dry, and place on cutting board.

Add 3 curry leaves to hot oil still in pot. Stir for about 1 min. Add onion/shallot to pot and stir/mix. Reduce heat to medium-low. Once onions/shallots soften, add 1tbsp of minced garlic and 1tbsp of ginger paste, stir/mix. Add in carrots and large chopped chunks of garlic cloves. Cover pot and let the vegetables simmer.

Slice chicken on the cutting board into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken to the pot, add in ground spices, stir/mix thoroughly, and re-cover pot to allow mix to simmer. After 5 mins, go to recipe steps on final photo.

After uncovering pot, add a can of coconut cream, 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Leave uncovered over medium-low heat until it starts bubbling. Add in cinnamon stick and star anise pod. Cover pot and let it simmer on low heat.

The longer you cook on low heat, the more all the flavors meld, but it’s ready to go after an hour. We serve over basmati rice made in a rice cooker.

December 3, 2023 at 2:41 AM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

🍽️ Last night’s dinner. Simple roast duck and veggies. Recipes in alt text. Temps/times are specific to our oven, but you may already know the sweet spot for poultry and veggies in yours.

Kind of a salt/fat/acid/umami approach to flavoring.

Roast veggies:

Quarter (or eighths) a red onion and a fennel bulb, place in roasting pan. Chop three carrots into rounds (I like to leave the skin on), add to pan. Halve and remove seeds/strings from a delicata squash, then slice into half-moon rounds and add to pan.

Coat bottom of pan in equal parts mixture of chicken or vegetable stock, mixed with Marsala, until bottom of pan is just covered. Crack salt and pepper over veggies.

Roast at 350F/175C for ~1:45 (or desired crispiness). I do veggies on bottom rack with duck just above. The liquid layer absorbs into the veggies, and you get a mix of soft interior and crispy edges. All ovens are different, so finding your ideal temp/rack settings may take experimenting.

Roast duck:

Halve two lemons, and stuff duck with the lemon halves (mandarins/clementines also work). In a measuring cup add 1/4 cup white cooking wine, 1/4 cup Marsala (or Sherry or flavored vinegar of choice), 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (or preferred umami flavor), and 1/4 cup light, pourable honey (or molasses/sugary syrup of choice). Stir until blended. Pour 3/4 cup over duck in roasting pan, ensuring you get a good amount into central cavity w/lemons. Drizzle skin with additional honey, then crack salt/pepper over it.

Roast at 350F/175C for ~1:45 (until internal temp of duck is 165F/75C). About an hour in I briefly take the duck out and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of liquid in the measuring cup over it.

December 2, 2023 at 2:56 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

We are just getting started with this mushroom 🍄 stuff, but inoculated a shiitake log at the beginning of Fall. Slowly getting drawn in. There’s a guy up here with a Jeep Cherokee on tracks for Winter Chaga hunting. Sells his stuff locally. Goes great in coffee.

A Jeep Cherokee on tracks known as “Chaga Tracker,” for accessing off-road areas in winter to find Chaga

December 2, 2023 at 2:18 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Some of us are even connected to Wisconsin. Although the media struggles with this. With snow on the ground, it’s now a long wait until May for (hopefully) morels.

A Fox News infographic depicting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as part of Canada

December 2, 2023 at 1:31 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Fun with long exposures. Caught the aurora before the moon rose and outshined it.

A long-exposure shot of clouds over Lake Superior at night, with moonshine and the aurora backlighting the clouds.

Aurora Borealis is over Lake Superior. Mostly shades of green.

December 2, 2023 at 3:16 AM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

If it’s going to get dark at 5, at least nature put on a show first.

A pink/tangerine sunset over snowy terrain

November 29, 2023 at 10:17 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Snow is starting to stick to the dunes. Winter is on its way. Nice full moon visible at dawn this morning.

A dusting of snow covers the dunes along Lake Superior’s shoreline. The full moon is visible just above the horizon.

A full moon visible at dawn above Marquette, Michigan

November 27, 2023 at 1:25 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Took a break from the electronic world. Lovely sunset colors this evening. For whatever reason, in Winter the sunset colors briefly concentrate in the NE sky on the rare uncloudy days. My WAG is it’s something to do with low sun angle and reflection off the lake, but whatever causes it, it’s cool.

Pastel pink tones in the sky over Lake Superior at sunset

November 15, 2023 at 10:34 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

And that’s the official closing bell for gardening season 2023. 🌱 ❄️

October 31, 2023 at 2:40 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Seems like a proper Halloween forecast. Here comes the ❄️

National Weather Service Area Forecast Discussion for October 30-31:

“- Bands of moderate to heavy snow will shift south over
Ontonagon/Gogebic Counties late tonight into Tuesday morning, which
could result in travel difficulties.

- Additional bands of moderate or briefly heavy snow are expected to
develop over the north-central and eastern Lake Superior shoreline
counties during the late morning into the afternoon hours, possibly
lingering into the evening in Marquette County.”

October 30, 2023 at 11:34 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

🍽️ Still have a lot of pears, but making some spiced pear preserves put a bit of a dent in the pear bucket. Recipe in Alt Text. Looking forward to having some of this over Winter.

1. Core, slice, and chop approximately 10 cups of fresh pears. Marinate in a large mixing bowl with juice of three medium lemons.

2. We use an automatic jam maker that heats/stirs, but this can also be done in a pot on the stove. Add marinated pears and heat (medium-low if stove) approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add 4 cups granulated sugar (I used maple sugar),16 tbsp pectin, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground mace, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp salt.
4. Pour in 1 cup apple cider, 1/4 cup unsweetened cherry juice (I used Montmorency cherry juice), 2 tsp vanilla extract.
5. Cook down (stir regularly if on stovetop) for about 25 additional minutes (medium-low heat on stove).

6. We used a water-bath canner after filling five 10 oz jars. The remainder could have filled another three jars, but was set aside and refrigerated to make pear pastries.

October 30, 2023 at 12:47 AM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

🍽️ Made some roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carmen Peppers as a snack. Under an hour. Recipe in alt text.

Roasted Brussels sprouts and Carmen Peppers:
Wash, trim, and slice (lengthwise) Brussels Sprouts, add to roasting pan.
Wash, remove top & seeds, and slice (lengthwise) Carmen Peppers, add to roasting pan.
Drizzle olive oil and hot honey over vegetables in roasting pan. 1/4 tsp salt & pepper.
Mix everything well in the pan, place in 375F oven for 40-50 mins (until outer part of Brussels Sprouts are crispy)
Sprinkle truffle salt before serving.

October 29, 2023 at 7:03 PM

Warner Hocker

@warnerhocker.bsky.social

Dropped below freezing briefly last night. Rigged up an extension to the fruit picker and got nearly another 5gal bucket of 🍐 from the top of the tree. Today’s project is spiced pear jam, but couldn’t resist carving up a perfectly ripe pear for a snack.