Friday, April 3, 2026

Sous vide (French for 'under vacuum'), also known as low-temperature, long-time (LTLT) cooking, is a method of cooking invented by the French chef Georges Pralus in 1974, in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times (usually one to seven hours, and more than three days in some cases) at a precisely regulated temperature.  The temperature is much lower than usually used for cooking, typically around 55 to 60 °C (130 to 140 °F) for red meat, 66 to 71 °C (150 to 160 °F) for poultry, and higher for vegetables.  The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture.  Low-temperature cooking was first described by Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford in 1799.  He used air as the heat-transfer medium in his experiments while attempting to see if he could roast meat in a machine which he had created to dry potatoes.  In Thompson's own words, the meat was:  "Not merely eatable, but perfectly done, and most singularly well-tasted."  Sous vide has become common on cooking TV shows such as Iron Chef America and Top Chef, and in restaurants such as Panera Bread.   It has also been used to quickly produce significant quantities of meals for hurricane evacuees.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous_vide  Thank you, reader.   

lone wolf (plural lone wolves)

wolf that is not part of a pack(figurative)

person who avoids the company of others; an independent or solitary person; a loner

(crime)  A criminal who acts alone, not as part of a group

Derived terms

lone wolfer

lone-wolfing

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lone_wolf#English   

The phrase lap of luxury emerged in English during the early 1800s.  The term lap here is metaphorical for a place of comfort or care, similar to how you imagine a child sitting comfortably in a parent’s lap.  It’s a metaphorical way of saying that luxury is caring for you, providing comfort and pampering in some capacity.  If you’re in the lap of luxury but want to say it differently, here are a few synonyms for your vocabulary:

Life of Riley

Bed of roses

Easy street

Clover

Top of the heap

https://grammarist.com/idiom/in-the-lap-of-luxury/  Thank you, reader.   

The history of the chopped liver can be traced back to the early days of Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Eastern Europe.  Wealthy Jewish farmers who grew geese wanted to put every part of the poultry to use, so turning the liver, a usually discarded organ, into a tasty spread was both resourceful and delicious.  As the dish began to gain notoriety, and less fortunate households started to make the dish themselves, goose liver was swapped with chicken liver for affordability.  It was not until the early 20th century, however, that chopped liver truly came into its own as a cultural delicacy.  With the rise of delicatessens in major cities like New York of  and Chicago, Jewish immigrants began enjoying chicken based chopped liver alongside other traditional dishes like gefilte fish and pickled herring.  One of the key ingredients in traditional chopped liver is schmaltz or rendered chicken fat.  This rich and flavorful ingredient gives the spread its characteristic taste and texture and has been a staple in Jewish cooking for centuries, when olive oil was expensive and butter wasn’t allowed to be cooked with meat.  https://aish.com/jewish-history-of-chopped-liver/  Thank you, reader.    

2026 Rosary Cathedral Concert Series 2535 Collingwood Blvd. - Toledo Friday, April 17, 2026 7:30 pm Toledo Symphony Orchestra Alain Trudel, Join the Toledo Symphony for a special event celebrating the restored E.M. Skinner Organ at Rosary Cathedral.  On Friday, April 17, organist Todd Wilson teams up with TSO musicians:  Triumphal March by Louis Vierne Symphonie Concertante by Joseph Jongen.  Director Alain Trudel also leads a rare performance of Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes, inspired not by Chopin, but by the paintings of James Whistler.  Reserve your tickets at (419) 246-8000 www.artstoledo.com  Secure parking is provided and the cathedral is handicap accessible.  The Concert Series relies on our donors to present excellent musical performances in the beautiful ambiance of Rosary Cathedral.  Your support will ensure that these performances continue as a significant artistic outreach to our community. 

April 3, 2026