Wednesday, August 22, 2018


Enquire and inquire are often just different spellings of the same word.  Where the two are used for the same purposes, inquire is the more common form.  This extends to derivative words (inquiryinquirer, etc.), and it is the case throughout the English speaking-world.  There is one qualification to this.  Some Britons make the distinction that enquire and its derivatives apply to informal queries, and inquire and its derivatives to formal investigations.  While this distinction appears widely borne out in more carefully written British texts, it is less pronounced in more informal types of writing (some news websites, some blogs, web comments).  http://grammarist.com/spelling/enquire-inquire/    Either spelling can be used, but many people prefer enquire and enquiry for the general sense of “ask”, and inquire and inquiry for a formal investigation:  enquired his name.  The first enquiry in my inbox today was about lost property.  We are going to inquire into the incident.  The lawyers asked when the inquiry will be completed. 

Read about successful Los Angeles Public Library ventures including the 30th annual Stay Home and Read a Book Ball and the Literary Feast with simultaneous dinners held in fifty homes at http://lfla.org/wp-content/uploads/Final_Winter2017-18.pdf

"Goat meat is like soccer,” says John Larson, founding partner at Andrew Zimmern Restaurants, the guy behind the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” show.  “It’s enjoyed by a billion people all over the world, but Americans haven’t been exposed to it.”  But they should be, insists Larson:  "Goat meat is delicious, healthy, low-fat, flavorful and not overpowering.  It has a tremendous amount of good things going for it.”  Goat meat is also rich, with great texture and a sweet grassy flavor.  To get your goat going, Ian Gray of Minneapolis food truck The Curious Goat recommends starting with ground goat, swapping it out in place of ground beef or chicken in any favorite recipe.  “Don’t be scared, and give it more than one shot,” he urges.  While it's lower in calories, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than most animal proteins, goat meat's high iron and protein content make it a hearty and satisfying centerpiece of many comforting one-dish meals.  Goat meat does well with the long, slow braises of many classic curry and stew preparations.  Link to many recipes at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/22479/meat-and-poultry/goat/

Five-Hour Goat  Henry Alford  8 to 12 servings--takes 5 1/4 to 6 1/4 hours  Adapted from “Les Halles Cookbook,” by Anthony Bourdain (Bloomsbury, 2004)  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012472-five-hour-goat

See five goat recipes including Goat Ragù with Fresh Spaghetti that can be refrigerated for up to three days, making it a perfect make-ahead meal  https://www.foodandwine.com/meat-poultry/goat-recipes#1

'Hoity-toity' means pretentiously self-important, haughty or pompous.  Many dictionaries also give a second meaning, that is, given to frivolity, silliness or riotousness.  That was the original meaning of this term, but has now almost completely died out.  Our view of what is hoity-toity now is defined by the 'looking down the nose' manner adopted by characters like Lady Bracknell, as performed by Dame Edith Evans, in the stage and film versions of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.  As with many reduplicated phrases, one word carries an existing meaning and the other is present for emphasis.  In this case the earlier meaning of the term came from the word hoit.  This is a now defunct verb meaning to indulge in riotous, noisy mirth.  That in turn was formed from hoyden--a boorish clown or rude boisterous girl.  The change from one meaning to the other seems to be due to the pronunciation of hoity as heighty and the subsequent allusion to highness or haughtiness.

The Menil Collection, located in Houston, Texas, USA, refers either to a museum that houses the private art collection of founders John de Menil and Dominique de Menil, or to the collection itself of approximately 17,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs and rare books.  While the bulk of the collection is made up of a once-private collection, Menil Foundation, Inc. is a tax-exempt, nonprofit, public charity corporation formed under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.  Additionally the Menil receives public funds granted by the City of Houston, the State of Texas, and the federal government through the National Endowment for the Arts.  The museum's holdings are diverse, including early to mid-twentieth century works of Yves TanguyRené MagritteMax ErnstMan RayMarcel DuchampHenri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, among others.  The museum also maintains an extensive collection of pop art and contemporary art from Jackson PollockAndy WarholMark RothkoRobert RauschenbergVija Celmins and Cy Twombly, Jr., among others.  Also included in the museum's permanent collection are antiquities and works of ByzantineMedieval and tribal art.  The Renzo Piano-designed museum opened to the public in June 1987.  It is governed by The Menil Foundation, Incorporated, a non-profit charitable corporation established in 1954 whose stated purpose was to promote understanding and culture, primarily through the arts.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menil_Collection  See also http://houmuse.org/visit/the-menil-collection/

Sweet Corn Risotto by Sarah E. Crowder   Risotto is one of my favorite things to make with the homemade stock from our weeknight roast chicken—both because risotto is one of my husband's top five favorite foods, and because this dish gives the flavorful stock a chance to really shine.  I make seasonal variations of our weeknight risotto to keep everyone happily anticipating the time we make it.  I'm not exaggerating when I say this late-summer variation is my best yet—the whole family concurs.  The trick is to simmer the stripped corn cobs in the stock so the final dish is infused with the intense flavor of sweet, fresh corn.  Remove the cobs, scraping along the length of the cobs with a spoon or spatula to remove any extra liquid.  Find recipe at https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sweet-corn-risotto-223074

A polymath and a provocateur, Tomi Ungerer is perhaps best described by his motto:  ‘Expect the Unexpected’.  His life and work defies easy categorization.  Although best known as an author and illustrator of children’s books, Tomi Ungerer’s oeuvre encompasses diverse practices including illustration, advertising, writing, collage, sculpture and architectural design.  From the beginning of his career in the 1950s to the present day, Ungerer’s work challenges social norms and conventions with breath-taking originality.  Born in Strasbourg in 1931, Ungerer has worked in New York, Canada and Ireland as well as his place of birth.  He has published over 140 books which have been translated into 28 different languages, ranging from his acclaimed children’s stories to autobiographical accounts to controversial volumes of social satire and adult themes.
https://www.tomiungerer.com/   French artist and a writer in three languages, Jean-Thomas "TomiUngerer was born in 1931.

HONEY BAKED PARISIAN CARROTS WITH ORANGE + THYME by Emilie   Parisian carrots are an heirloom variety originally grown throughout parts of Europe.  They’re commonly known as Tonda di Parigi--carrots from France with an Italian mother (feisty!).  Unlike baby carrots, Parisian carrots are not shaved or shaped; they grow just like the regular ones with big leafy tops.  They are about the size of a small radish and are incredibly sweet.  I prepared them à la Jamie Oliver, a method which involves steaming the carrots first and then roasting them off to finish.  I flavor mine with fresh clementine juice and thyme.  Once all of the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are cooked through, I drizzle them with honey for a lacquered glaze.  It’s all done in one pan.  They’re best served warm with a little extra olive oil and a dusting of flaky sea salt and black pepper.  See pictures and the recipe at http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2014/04/honey-baked-parisian-carrots-with-orange-thyme/

PROMISES, MADE PROMISES KEPT  President Bill Clinton and his vice president Al Gore used the slogan in their re-election campaign in 1996.  Michigan Gov. John Engler in 1994 also used "Promises Made, Promises Kept" for his re-election campaign.  The phrase was used in 2012 by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, for a "tribal relations report" published by his administration.  Trump began using the slogan in September 2017.   Rebecca Morin  https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/21/trump-criticize-de-blasio-790443

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1939  August 22, 2018  Thought for Today  Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays in the palm; clutch it, and it darts away. - Dorothy Parker, author (22 Aug 1893-1967)  Word of the Day  Quicksilver may refer to the chemical element mercury.  Find its many uses in arts and entertainment at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksilver

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