Happy birthday, (e:Janelle)!

(2nd photo backlog post)

If you need to take your great-grandmother on a tourist adventure and she's not up to the Falls, you should take her on the Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises. Other than a pair of great-grandkids, A and I were the youngest people on the boat. The lock and lift bridge engineering is pretty neat but other than that the cruise was a snooze. Luckily I had acquired the tickets for free. Every time I sat down I got queasy so I took about 400 shots of the 2-hour cruise. The light was gorgeous that day.



Map of the Erie Canal


The cruise boat.


A full lock opening up to meet the level of the downstream canal.


Under the Big Bridge - at one point it was the widest bridge in the world On the top, it's hard to tell that you're even on a bridge.


Captain/owner


Another Big Bridge shot



It's 26 miles to the Black Rock Lock.



Notification lights on the lockhouse


Old warehouse, two lift bridges, a barge


Lift bridges are cool. One guy operates them both - he drives the quarter mile between them many times a day to lift & lower them for boat traffic. You'd think they'd provide something more energy-efficient (segway? 4-wheeler? scooter? skateboard?) than a truck.



Looking at waiting traffic from under the lift bridge



Duck.


The great-grandkids on the boat.

I went to the Canada side of Niagara Falls near the end of August to photograph the fireworks (schedule: ). The shots aren't fantastic but it was a kinda cool experience. The whole point of shooting the fireworks should be that there are both fireworks and falls in the best shots; I didn't get any. It was a very humid night and the firework smoke just hung in the gorge. Also, my location was not optimal. Maybe next time.

Contextual image:

Since we're posting recipes... this is a wonderful fall/Thanksgiving soup. I've been meaning to retype it because the directions I have are badly written, difficult and confusing... so enjoy!

Curried Apple and Sweet Potato Soup

1/4 c. dark raisins
1 12oz bottle of a light pilsner (most recently, some Blue that (e:Terry) left in my fridge!)

3-4 c. well flavored veggie stock
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, finely diced (~1/4" cubes). (Since A was shopping at Price Rite, we actually had real yams - they cooked up a little quicker than sweet potatoes.)
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 c. apple juice concentrate or more to taste (we used 1/2 c. + cider most recently)
1 t. tamari (or soy sauce) or more to taste

1/4 c. butter
1 onion, diced
2 tart apples, unpeeled, cored, diced
1 t. cumin *
1/2 t. ground mustard *
1 t. turmeric *
1 t. ground coriander *
1/2 t. cayenne *

• curry spices

2 T. unbleached flour

Salt & white pepper to taste (I never have white pepper so I use black.)
1 red-skinned apple, cored and cut into large julienne for garnish (I've never bothered with this)
Creme Fraiche (highly recommend!! but you can use sour cream or plain yogurt)
Thin lemon wedges

1. Put beer & raisins in a bowl to soak. (They need to soak at least 30 minutes but the rest of the stuff takes a while until you need them so it should come out about right.)
2. Chop the sweet potatoes.
3. Put the stock, cinnamon stick, apple juice concentrate and tamari on to boil in a stock pot. Add the sweet potatoes. Simmer partially covered until potatoes are tender (about 30 min)

While the stock is simmering...

4. Chop the apples & onions.
5. Compile the curry spices.
6. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
7. Saute onions in the butter until softened (3-4 min).
8. Add the apples and saute for a few more minutes until a bit soft (3-4 min).
9. Add the curry spices.
10. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cook apple mixture, stirring often. (8 min or so - the apples should be getting pretty soft by now).
11. Separate the beer & raisins, keeping both.
12. Sprinkle the flour over the apple mixture and cook over low heat, 1 min.
13. Gradually add the beer, stirring to smooth any lumps, and cook until hot, smooth, and free of a floury taste - 5-7 min.
14. Put all or most of the apple mixture, plus the raisins, in a food processor or blender. Buzz till smooth. (All or most - depends on how you want the texture.)
15. Fish the cinnamon stick out of the stock.
16. Stir the apple mixture (all of it) into the stock.
17. Season with salt & pepper. Add more tamari, apple juice concentrate, and/or cayenne to taste.
18. Simmer over low heat for several minutes to meld the flavors.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with julienned apple, top with generous dollop of creme fraiche. Pass the lemon wedges at the table; a squeeze sets off the soup nicely but also good without.

The original recipe calls for only 1 t. of "best-quality curry powder" which would seem really weak, I think. My version is intense. I find that I want some hearty bread with this soup.

Vegetarian Chili

1/3 c. olive oil
2 c. onions
several cloves of garlic
3/4 c. celery
1 c. green pepper
1 c. carrots
2 c. fresh mushrooms
2 c. tomatoes

1/4 t. cayenne pepper (not enough but a good place to start)
1 T. cumin
3/4 t. basil
3/4 t. oregano
2 T. chili powder
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

2 c. tomato juice or spicy V-8
3/4 c. bulgur wheat
3 15oz cans of beans, drained/rinsed - we used 1 kidney, 1 pinto and 1 black most recently
1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (also not enough)
2 T. lemon juice
3 T. tomato paste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (there are veggie versions - the regular Lea & Perrins has anchovies)
1/4 c. dry red or white wine

sour cream, cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro for toppings
brown rice or corn bread for underneath

1. Chop your veggies
2. Compile the dry spices
3. Lightly saute onions, garlic, celery, pepper, carrots in the oil.
4. Add dry spices and saute a couple minutes.
5. Add everything else.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes uncovered.

(original source: Frog Commissary Cookbook)

The bulgar gives it a wonderful meaty texture.