Ok, Clever Girls and Fumbling Husband- it is time to talk about the orange round ball. Basketball is not my favorite sport nor is it my least favorite- but it is similar in style to both my favorite (hockey) and my least favorite (soccer). I don’t mind watching it- especially the playoffs in college and professional.
You will rarely see better acting off the stage and screen than a professional basketball player trying to draw a foul. One of the most theatric in history was Bill Laimbeer, former four time all-star Detroit Piston. The man could turn a sneeze into two free-throws. If that makes no sense to you, don’t worry- we will cover it all- together. I personally recommend alcohol when I am about to partake in something unpleasant, but my dentist finds this inappropriate.
The logo for the NBA is not just a logo, but a rendering of former Los Angeles Laker Hall of Fame guard, Jerry West.
In 1946, the NBA (initially known as the Basketball Association of America) had but eleven teams. Sixty three years later- expansion, reduction and franchise has grown the league to 30 teams comprising two conferences: Eastern and Western. Each conference is broken up into three divisions.
The Eastern Conference
Atlantic- Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors (the only Canadian team in the NBA), Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks
Central- Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks
Southeast- Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Wildcats, Miami Heat
The Western Conference
Northwest- Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Seattle Super Sonics
Pacific- Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers
Southwest- New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies
David Stern is the current NBA commissioner.
The Object of the Game
Which ever of two teams in a match up scores the most points (baskets) wins. Overtime is five minutes. Five minute overtime periods go on until someone wins. NBA games can not end in a tie. Seems easy right? WRONG.
I think this is enough for the first day, basketball is seemingly simple but there are so many intricate rules and the rules for NCAA (National College Athletic Association) basketball are totally different, so when we get to the rules, I will be outlining those for the NBA. This gives you a good opportunity to ask pointed and informed questions (during commercials).
Now, as promised- I have a game day recipe for you. This one is perfect for cool weather and travels well. I’m a bit of a stickler for quality when it comes to this recipe, so I apologize if you have a hard time finding the sushi grade Ahi tuna. I have, in a pinch substituted for non-sushi grade Ahi and no one ever complained.
Classic Ceviche
What you need:
1 lb of sushi grade ahi tuna or the highest quality ahi tuna you can find. (If it is frozen, as the sushi grade often is, gently defrost it in a bowl of room temperature water. Leave it in the plastic it is hermetically sealed in. Change the water out every fifteen minutes until the tuna is almost thawed)
10 limes (I select large semi-soft ones- juicy and plentiful)
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper
1 small red onion
1 bunch of cilantro
salt
garlic powder
your favorite tortilla chip. I love Rice Works- brown rice chips and Food Should Taste Good Multi-grain.
1 lb of frozen, peeled, deveined 15-20 shrimp. (The number in a shrimp description refers to how many of that size shrimp there are in a pound. The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp) (Thaw the shrimp by pouring into a bowl of room temperature water and leave until soft)
Once all your tuna and shrimp is thawed, cut the tuna into ½ inch squares and the shrimp need to have the tail removed and cut into four pieces. Put both the tuna pieces and the shrimp pieces in a bowl and pour fresh squeezed lime juice over the meat until it is submerged. Salt generously and refrigerate- turning gently with a spoon and re-submerging every fifteen minutes.
Wash the cilantro by cutting off the leaves and throwing away the stems- putting the leaves in a colander (pasta strainer) and running cold water over them. Pick through and remove any leaves, which are brown or unattractive. Chop one quarter of the leaves coarsely and set aside.
Shave ¼ of the small red onion and save the shavings in the same bowl with the cilantro
Shave the pepper and store with the other vegetables.
After an hour or so, you will notice your tuna has turned opaque and the shrimp is now pink. Some people think the lime juice is curing the meat or cooking it, but it is actually pickling it. I wait until I’m ready to serve the ceviche before I remove it from this lime bath. It cannot marinate too long.
When you are ready to serve the ceviche, drain the lime juice, add the cilantro, the pepper and the onion, the juice of two more limes and a bit of salt and garlic powder. Stir gently until it looks pretty and serve with tortilla chips.
Generally speaking people are not really excited to try this dish, I tell them it is Peruvian sushi and it’s gobbled up so fast I always keep a second dish on hand. I like it to remain cold if possible, so I keep a second quantity marinating until I dress it.
Enjoy- this one is a winner. I have also prepared it with grapefruit juice instead of lime and have, on occasion, finished the lime ceviche with a squirt of fresh squeezed orange.
Next Monday we will begin discussions on wedding planning. So many Clever Girls out there have no idea they are about to get engaged! How exciting. If you do know someone who is engaged, make sure you send them to the site- these tips are not to be missed, unless you’d rather light money on fire.
No comments:
Post a Comment