As you enter the conference room you see a section of the seating in t back has been screened off and is several CyberLethals in attendance armed with riot shields. Mean time a staff member armed with a clip board seems to be greeting an occasional Burka wearing individual at the door checking a ticket they have against the clipboard and directing them to the screened off area. Strangely while in fundamentalist Islamic countries the burka is worn by women judging by the foot wear and the style of luggage many are carrying you are of the belief these are men. This ongoing  action is evoking a great deal of unease among those gathered.  So much so that several shout out indignant questions when Lethal appears at the podium still looking some what worn and haggard from his recent prolonged illness.

“AS YOU WERE! QUIET IN THE RANKS!

That’s better! No we are not hosting any fundamentalist Islamic. Those are loyal readers, mostly men, but also 2 women, who reached out to Impish and I for protection, help and accommodations after royally screwing up for Valentine’s Day. For their won safety and so as to protect our methods and security arrangements they are traveling incognito using the easiest safest and simplest method we could devise on short notice.

As soon as the issue is over with they will be moved to a secure location for temporary accommodations, remedial proper Valentine’s Day comportment education and relationship mediation. Additionally I understand several will be receiving medical treatment as well. This will last until such time as their significant other indicates a willingness to take them back peaceably or until an amicable separation/divorce agreement can be hammered out (post assets hiding in a country with stiff banking privacy laws) by the staff of Dewy, Cheatem and Howe on their behalf.

Meanwhile we have a great issue for you with several comfort food recipes, another momentous (this time non blog related) announcement and loads of rollicking good fun. Shall we? Excuse me? No actually and notable Impish is not in Dutch with Mrs. Dragon over Valentine’s Day that I am aware of and his lack of presence should not be construed as his hiding. He’s actually out making pick ups of several of our more urgent and dangerous requests for extraction from domestic hot water at present. Some how several people got the idea that the whole Ghostbusters end of the world prediction might have been spot on. I gather this had something to do with the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death at a West Texas ranch Saturday and the possibility of Obama appointing a Liberal Muslim Supreme Court Justice.

Now if there is nothing further? Good. Enjoy the issue.”

Enough with the drummed up holidays! Let’s get to the important ones!

It’s true: A new Harry Potter book is on the way !

With news of a new Harry Potter story coming to the stage in London, many fans from across the world were left disappointed as they wouldn’t be able to see Harry’s next chapter unfold.

Thankfully, all doubt of ever catching the live show in London was put to rest as everyone will be able to find out what happens in the official eighth Harry Potter story. The script is being published in print and as an eBook.

Both the print and eBook versions will be published in tandem on July 31, 2016, following the play’s world premiere on July 30th.

“Pottermore is proud to be a key part of the multi-platform effort that will allow the epic eighth Harry Potter story to be read and enjoyed by a wider, global audience,” Pottermore’s CEO, Susan L. Jurevics, was quoted in a press release. “With the script eBook of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child helping to lead the way, 2016 will be one of our most exciting years yet.”

Here’s the full synopsis for the story:

Harry Potter Cast: Where Are They Now?

If they did a modern portrait of Mona Lisa it would probably looks something like this:

Yeah laugh now Impish, what is it? About two years before Izzy starts driving and you start getting these calls?

So two weeks ago Impish was showing off his mechanical dragon construct. Well here is mine now, a mechanical Jaffa Warrior replete with armor and staff weapon. Oh! Almost forgot his pal the Alien from Predator movies:

Memory-a spoof by Pam Peterson

Award-winning cabaret singer Pam Peterson sings a funny parody about the challenges of an aging memory.

Now go back and read only the left face of the pillar. Then those of you with Liberal Arts Majors or Degrees repeat after me , “You want fries with that?”

No worries mate I’m pretty sure Impish, Ginny and I will still be here after the Rapture as well.

So I’m mostly better now but whenever I’m seriously sick I barely eat. Occasionally Molly actually has to force me to eat which knowing my love of food I think scares the poor woman more than anything else, her philosophy being if he’s getting up to eat he can’t be too sick.

Consequently when I come off being sick enough that my appetite returns, I start looking for stick to the ribs comfort foods, ones that don’t take a whole lot of time and effort because I usually don’t have that kind of stamina as yet.

Usually that means soups or pasta. This time around it meant gnocchi.

Cheesy Gnocchi Casserole with Ham and Peas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
One 8-ounce piece deli ham, diced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
One 17.5-ounce package potato gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat the broiler to high heat.
Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the ham and thyme and continue to cook until the ham is lightly browned.
Add the chicken broth and 3/4 cup water and bring to a simmer. Add the gnocchi, stir well, cover and cook until the gnocchi is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Uncover and stir in the peas, cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil until golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Serve.

If you don’t have the heavy Cream I’ve gotten by with 1/2 a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with a heaping teaspoon of flour before introducing it to the pan. I also like adding mushrooms and garlic to this while the onions sauté.

Smithfield makes diced ham in a cryovac pouch now that’s 8 oz. and saves the whole chopping the ham step. Since I buy frozen diced onions as well this really speeds things along.

Italian Eggplant Gnocchi Bake

Ingredients

12 ounces frozen or fresh plain gnocchi
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
Kosher salt
2 small Italian eggplant (about 1 pound), diced
1 1/4 cups store-bought roasted garlic marinara sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 ounces shredded provolone
Sprigs fresh basil or oregano, for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very soft and the onions are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the gnocchi, reserved cooking liquid, marinara sauce and red pepper flakes to the skillet with the eggplant mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer the eggplant-gnocchi mixture to a 9-inch oval or square baking dish. Sprinkle with the provolone. Bake on the top oven rack until hot and bubbling and the cheese turns golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
Garnish with the fresh basil sprigs if using and serve.

Two simple tips for best results when using eggplant:

1.) Peel the eggplant. The skin is somewhat tough to eat even when cooked.

2.) Try to buy and use only male eggplants. Male eggplants have fewer and smaller seeds. Not only are seeds bitter, the more seeds the more liquid you’ll have coming out of them. How do you tell a male eggplant from a female? Glad you asked! Its really simple and takes all of about a second to do:

See the one on the left? See how the bellybutton looks like a slit? While the one on the right has a definite round-shaped mark? Okay, the one on the left is the girl, the other one is a boy. Simple, right?

If you want to turn this from a side dish or a meatless main dish into a complete casserole, just do what I do. I par boil some Italian sausage links the the gnocchi water before the gnocchi go in. You won’t hurt the gnocchi and any grease will be on the surface so it pours off right away when draining the gnocchi. Speaking of draining the gnocchi the water you reserve should be from the bottom of the pan the potato starch is heavy and goes to the bottom of the pan buy using this cloudy looking water you’ll actually help thicken and tighten up the sauce.

Back to the Italian sausage, I then brown them while the onions cook right in the same pan. Once they are brown I remove them and let them cook enough to handle easily.

Once you have the eggplant in the pan I use that 10 to 12 minute window to cut the sausages in half the long way and then into slices. I then add it back in when the gnocchi and sauce go into the pan or if I’m tight on pan room, I’ll put half the mixture into the baking pan, layer the sausage and then the rest of the mixture. You might want to use a slightly larger pan if adding in the sausages.

You can probably serve 6 with the addition of the sausages to this plus a side salad and some crusty bread. Need to serve 8? Add some sliced mushrooms and a chopped green pepper while cooking the onions.

Houston man accused of having sex with woman on Las Vegas Ferris wheel

LAS VEGAS – A Houston man and a New York woman are facing felony charges after authorities say they were recorded having sex in public during a 30-minute ride in a glass-enclosed cabin on a Ferris wheel 550 feet above the Las Vegas Strip.

A Las Vegas judge on Tuesday set a March 9 date to see if the charges against Phillip Frank Panzica III and Chloe Scordianos can be resolved without trial.

The two were arrested Feb. 5 after riding alone together in one cabin on the High Roller.

Police say surveillance cameras captured the act, security warned the couple to stop, and people in another car shot cellphone video.

Images haven’t been made public.

Panzica’s attorney, Bennair Bateman, declined comment.

Scordianos’ lawyer, Chris Rasmussen, says his client believed the couple had an expectation of privacy.

Which is to say nothing of their expectation that what happens in Vegas would stay in Vegas!

Snowball (TM) – Another One Bites The Dust