Ramblings of a Geek… A blog all about me… musings, thoughts, comments, rants, inspiration, likes, dislikes, web, design, funnies, and photography… Want to know more, just ask! Challenge… I’m also undergoing 3 challenges for 2012, check out Eats, Shoots & Reads to find our more…Tumblr (3.0; @liamgoldstein)http://www.liamgoldstein.com/<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4a9aeVKfJ1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #141: Saturday Night In…</h2> <p>Chilled night in with pizza and a DVD - lovely!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23362964420http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23362964420Sat, 19 May 2012 19:42:14 +0100shootschallengesaturdaypizzadvdmovie<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m49kmrq1qc1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #140: Drinkies…</h2> <p>Had a great night out last night with awesome friends… Thanks guys!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23341758155http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23341758155Sat, 19 May 2012 10:49:39 +0100shootschallengedrinksfriendsnight outboogie<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m46dxrRU441r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #139: Apartment 6…</h2> <p>Those that know me also know I tend to move a lot. On my walk to work I pass this stunning building, also one of my previous addresses.</p> <p>Apartment number 6 of 9 in the last 7 years.</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23233414035http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23233414035Thu, 17 May 2012 17:32:15 +0100shootschallengeapartmentspillers and bakersmoverentingcardiffwalkwork<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m44jy6uBze1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #138: Lush!</h2> <p>Lovely sunny evening and I’m going to make the most of it by… Food shopping - pants!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23170240757http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23170240757Wed, 16 May 2012 17:46:54 +0100shootschallengesuneveningshoppingsupermarketI&#8217;d like to quickly apologise for my recent slack manner when it comes to updating my...http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23163644011http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23163644011Wed, 16 May 2012 14:10:00 +0100challengeapologylateslackcommitmentfollowersreadersWith only a day to spare I finished Wuthering Heights. Elizabeth Abbey&#8230; &#8220;I first...http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23162583987http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23162583987Wed, 16 May 2012 13:44:00 +0100Wuthering Heightschallengeemily brontëreadscomplexcrueltydespairdarkdepressiontormentedheathcliffcathymoorsmania<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m42r38S2mn1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #137: After Work Tipple!</h2> <p>Lovely sunny afternoon. Food, drink and Wharf quiz… Yes please!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23110275827http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23110275827Tue, 15 May 2012 18:25:56 +0100shootschallengesundrinkfoodwharfquizrelaxtipple<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40x2i5YsC1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #136: Chilling in my PJ’s</h2> <p>Monday is done… What more to do but put the PJ’s on and chill!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23045679762http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23045679762Mon, 14 May 2012 18:42:26 +0100shootschallengepjrelaxmondayfeet upThis weeks number is 68, Summertime Tagliarini. I&#8217;m not a huge pasta fan and I&#8217;ve never...http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23043018681http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23043018681Mon, 14 May 2012 17:37:33 +0100challengeeatsjamie oliverparmesanpastapine nutssummersummertimetaliarinipecorino<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40djw1v2J1r7lwgko1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40djw1v2J1r7lwgko2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40djw1v2J1r7lwgko3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40djw1v2J1r7lwgko4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m40djw1v2J1r7lwgko5_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><h2>Eats #19: Sticky, Gooey, Goodness…</h2> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong> [Flavoured Butter] 75g unsalted butter, pinch nutmeg, pinch cinnamon, zest large orange. [Other] good quality bread, 5 egg yolks, 1/2 egg white, 70g caster sugar, 250ml whole milk, 284ml double cream, vanilla pod, 4 tablespoons fine-cut marmalade. <br/><br/><em>Note: I reduced the ingredients by half to serve 2 people.</em> <br/><br/><strong>Difficulty:</strong> 2/5 <br/><strong>Rating:</strong> 4/5 </p> <p>Create the flavoured butter by mixing unsalted butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and the zest of an orange.</p> <p>Cut as many slices of bread as needed to fill your bowl. Butter the bread on both sides with the flavoured butter and stack in the bowl leaving the tips protruding.</p> <p>Mix the egg yolks, egg white and sugar until smooth. Gently heat the milk, double cream, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod and pour slowly into the egg mixture while whisking continually.</p> <p>Then pour the mixture over the bread and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Once soaked cook in a bain marie for 40 minutes until the custard has set. Meanwhile, melt the marmalade in a saucepan and spoon over the bread and cook for a further 20 minutes until sticky and golden - serve!</p> <h3>Review</h3> <p>Despite parts of this recipe being unknown territory (custard and marmalade glaze) it was fairly simply to make and I’ve always loved bread and butter pudding so I was very happy to finally taste this dish.</p> <p>The flavoured butter was lovely and aromatic and adds a hint of spice to the dish and the marmalade has created a sticky, gooey toffee like texture which is delicious!</p> <p>The custard and bread has formed a smooth, light sponge which works really well with the other textures.</p> <p>My only criticism of the recipe is it’s sweetness. I don’t personally have a sweet tooth and at times the dish can be a little sickly. I’d also like to add some dried fruit such as raisins or currents to this dish as, to me, bread and butter pudding isn’t complete without them.</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23036678090http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/23036678090Mon, 14 May 2012 14:25:50 +0100challengedifficulty: 2 out 5eatsjamie oliverrating: 4 out of 5stickygooeybreadbutternutmegcinnamonzestmarmaladesweetrichtoffee<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3yv6rdZ891r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #135: One Enjoys an Afternoon on the Pier!</h2> <p>Spent the day at Penarth and Barry Island enjoying the sunshine. Saw HRH at an ice cream kiosk on the pier…</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22971957976http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22971957976Sun, 13 May 2012 16:04:03 +0100shootschallengepenarthpierice creambarrybarry islandbeachqueenroyalsjubilee<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3x5d6w22s1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #134: Move Mountain…</h2> <p>The mountain of packing has grown considerably - 3 weeks to go!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22909879189http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22909879189Sat, 12 May 2012 17:48:42 +0100shootschallengepackingmountainmovingThis weeks super yummy looking number is 416, Good old bread &amp; butter pudding with a marmalade...http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22899709222http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22899709222Sat, 12 May 2012 14:23:25 +0100eatschallengejamie oliverbreadbutterpuddingbread and butter puddingtraditionalmarmalade<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3wrewB6ek1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #133: Friday Night Shenanigans</h2> <p>Drinks and a drag queen… Not my usual Friday night… Honest!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22896782778http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22896782778Sat, 12 May 2012 12:47:20 +0100shootschallengefridaynightfriendsdrinksdragdrag queen<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3tpclM5JG1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #132: I Love, Love Film!</h2> <p>Pixar loveliness from love film… I know what I’m doing this evening!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22793738468http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22793738468Thu, 10 May 2012 21:09:57 +0100shootschallengelovelove filmuppixarThe last letter of my previous book, &#8220;Wuthering Heights&#8221;, is an H. Helene Hayes has been...http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22783075486http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22783075486Thu, 10 May 2012 17:14:53 +0100challengeclassicfictionfrankensteinhelene hayeshorrorreadsmary shelleylovelongingprometheus<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p5ziWGMF1r7lwgko1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p5ziWGMF1r7lwgko2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p5ziWGMF1r7lwgko3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p5ziWGMF1r7lwgko4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p5ziWGMF1r7lwgko5_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p5ziWGMF1r7lwgko6_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><h2>Eats #17: Crunch!</h2> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong> [Lemon Salt] zest of a lemon, 4 tablespoons sea salt. [Other] sun flower oil, 800g potatoes, few sprigs fresh rosemary. <br/><br/><strong>Difficulty:</strong> 1/5 <br/><strong>Rating:</strong> 4.5/5 </p> <p>Make the lemon salt by crushing the zest of a lemon and 4 tablespoons of sea salt in a pestle and mortar until fine and slightly coloured.</p> <p>Prepare the potatoes by removing the top and bottom of the potato - giving you a sturdy surface to work with. Slice the potato into thin slices and then into match sticks and place on kitchen roll to remove excess water and starch.</p> <p>Heat some vegetable oil in a pan until hot and add the matchsticks. Cook until almost done then add the rosemary leaves and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen roll.</p> <p>Once drained sprinkle with lemon salt to taste and serve!</p> <h3>Review</h3> <p>I really enjoyed this recipe. The matchsticks were tasty and really crunchy and the lemon salt was a really nice surprise. The recipe quantities meant left over lemon salt which I’ve used since and works surprisingly well with fried foods - perhaps the citrus bites through the oil, who knows.</p> <p>I’d definitely give this recipe a go in the future although I’m not overly keen on cooking with large quantities of hot oil… perhaps it’s time to by a deep fat fryer!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22782188399http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22782188399Thu, 10 May 2012 16:51:13 +0100challengecrispycrunchydifficulty: 1 out 5eatsjamie oliverlemonpotatorating: 4.5 out of 5salttastyzingyrosemaryvegetable oilfryhotcrushgolden<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3rs4k9eF21r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #131: Ribbit!</h2> <p>Passed this “art installation” on the way to the bay… Not my thing but each to their own.</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22727226081http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22727226081Wed, 09 May 2012 20:14:44 +0100shootschallengefrogsartbayweird<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3p6zmMNoQ1r7lwgko1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #130: Quack Quack!</h2> <p>On the way to work this morning, while enjoying the sunshine, I saw these cute ducklings - aww!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22660994325http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22660994325Tue, 08 May 2012 19:20:04 +0100shootschallengeducksducklingsspringwharfsummerbabies<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3nxfrZlfV1r7lwgko1_500.png"/><br/><br/><h2>Shoots #129: Wet, Windy Bank Holiday!</h2> <p>Decided to go cinema on this wet and gloomy day… Unfortunately so did everyone else!</p>http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22593842565http://www.liamgoldstein.com/post/22593842565Mon, 07 May 2012 18:19:03 +0100shootschallengewetwindygloomybank holidayraincinemabusyqueue