Welcome to
The Morning Star Update!
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October was an interesting month. In order of occurence ... I attended a wedding business convention in Las Vegas and came back with some new inspiration. We had a Nobel laureate stay with us at the B&B. It snowed and then it warmed up again. We had several lovely weddings. The KSU Homecoming Parade passed right in front of the house. We had a charming group of sorority sisters from the 1960's stay with us for a reuinion. Then, in the last few days, I have been having fun starting to think about Thanksgiving.
In the newsletter this month, I have a few ideas to pass along for the start of the holiday season. Have a great November and a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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 Distinguished Guest:
Dr. Kary Mullis
In mid-October, we were honored to have Dr. Kary Mullis and his wife Nancy stay with us at The Morning Star. In 1993, Dr. Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work (in the 1980's) in developing PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) which allows for the rapid production of short pieces of DNA and revolutionized molecular biology. Applications of PCR include testing for genetic and infectious diseases and also genetic testing in fields as diverse as evolutionary biology and forensic science.
I had the good fortune of being able to visit with Kary and Nancy, who were very gracious guests, and also of being able to attend his KSU lecture, The Unusual Origins of PCR.
By way of introduction, Dr. Mullis explained that he had been working in a lab, producing oligonucleotides "by hand," when someone invented a machine that could manufacture in 8 hours what took him and his staff 3 weeks to produce. So he realized that to keep their jobs, he had better find a use for oligonucleotides that would keep them in high demand. At the same time, he was thinking about how to speed up and improve the process of getting results from tests for potential genetic defects rather than relying on cloning DNA in living cells - which could take months. Then, while driving home one night, he had his "Eureka!" moment that brought together the solution to the two problems: use the oligonucleotides as DNA primers rather than relying on cloning. By amplifying short segments of a longer DNA molecule, PCR greatly sped up the time that it took to get results, which in turn created more demand for oligonucleotides. (For a more complete and technical explanation, in Dr. Mullis's own words, see his website.) Interwoven through the lecture were several interesting philosophical themes about the nature of scientific discovery and scientific acceptance; but I don't want to get too carried away in writing about the lecture.
A few days ago, Nancy Mullis sent me a link to Kary's recent TED lecture, Sons of Sputnik, which I really enjoyed watching. In the talk, he illustrated the importance of scientific experimentation by reminiscing about trying - as a 13 yr. old in the 1950's - to send a frog into space. View "Sons of Sputnik". Thanks for the link, Nancy! |
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The Physiology of Taste by
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
"The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star." - J.A.B.S.
First published in 1825, and never since out of print, The Physiology of Taste: Or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy, by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin has been described as "(t)he most famous book about food ever written" and is considered one of the foundational works of French cuisine.
Brillat-Savarin maintained that gastronomy had reached a stage of development at which it should be considered a science. He thus attempted a comprehensive analysis of taste. Brillat-Savarin's starting point was the premise that since human beings need food in order to survive, God gave us appetite to tempt us to eat and taste to reward us with pleasure when we have eaten well. In his meditations Brillat-Savarin attempted to describe what counts as eating well and what counts as good taste. Full of aphorisms, interesting and at times unbelievable stories, rules for entertaining and instructions on how to prepare certain dishes, The Physiology of Taste is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates good food and the history behind it. Thank you, Kaaz, for the book suggestion!
What have you been reading lately? Any good books to recommend?
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Chanterelle Risotto with Truffle Butter
One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to drink a glass of wine and make risotto. So I enjoyed preparing this for the newsletter & blog! Chanterelle Risotto with Truffle Butter is rich and decadent and is a great risotto to serve as a first plate or as side dish for Thanksgiving. Boun Appetito! View the recipe. Do you have any holiday recipes that you would like to pass along?
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As always, thank you for reading The Morning Star Update! I hope that you have a wonderful November!
Sincerely,
Laurie Pieper
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Wines for Thanksgiving
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I thought that it would be fun to be able to offer you some wine suggestions for Thanksgiving and so went to Nespor's Wine & Spirits to chat with sommelier Chad Lohman about his recommendations. He always steers me in the right direction.
Monte Degli Angelli Pinot Noir 2012 ($12.99) was Chad's suggestion for pairing with my Chanterelle Risotto. I tried the wine and risotto for dinner last night and thought that they went together quite nicely. The Monte Degli Angeli had a soft mouth feel and tasted a bit of roasted cherries. Read more about our conversation. Thanks for your help, Chad!
Do you have any wines that you would like to recommend for the holiday season?
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Garden Update
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We still have roses blooming in the garden. This is a photo of Marilyn Monroe that I took a few days ago. In a mild year, the roses will bloom until around Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving coming late this year, and the weather being a little crazy, I'm not sure that the roses are quite going to make it to that point this season - but one can always hope! Right now, the asters and chrysanthemums are also blooming and the Crape Myrtle foliage has started to turn red. The garden is a little wild looking having been beaten up a bit by the weather and with leaves falling here and there, but is quite pretty nevertheless.
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Grace's Asian Fusion Café
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In September, I promised to update readers of the newsletter on the status of Grace's Asian Fusion Café. The official opening date is November 6th. Good luck, Grace!
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Dates to Remember
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November 2nd - December 24th: Wrap It Up , MACNovember 3rd: The Wonder Bread Years, McCain AuditoriumNovember 6th: Bach's Own St. Thomas Boys Choir of Leipzig,
November 9th: Buttons & Bows, Manhattan Catholic Schools November 11th: Brian Regan, McCain AuditoriumNovember 13th: Beyond Glory starring Stephen Lang, McCain AuditoriumNovember 15th - 17th: A Few Good Men, MACNovember 28th: Thanksgiving November 30th: Homemade for the Holidays, Pottorf Hall
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