Ghetto Baking

Back in Portland for Winter Break!

I stay with my big brother, Alan, every time I come home. He keeps a cozy little mattress in the living room of his one-bedroom apartment for me, and I absolutely love it; I’m convinced we’d be the best roommates ever! :]

The only problem? I keep all of my baking supplies at Stanford, and because Alan doesn’t bake at all, there’s never anything to work with when I get home! Through experience, I’ve found that not having “real” baking supplies is actually okay—baking isn’t an exact science, so using your estimation skills and taking advantage of the things that are around your house work just the same. It just requires a little bit more work. If Iron man can create an new element in his garage, I think we can make brownies without an electric mixer and pan.

I thought I’d share some tips for those times you might not be in the kitchen you’re used to working in… Hope they help!

The Problem: No Electric Mixer
The Solution: When it comes to creaming butter and sugar for cookies, using a hand-whisk is a pain. I always end up trying to fish out chunks of butter stuck in my whisk. What works better? (Please don’t get grossed out by what I’m about to say…) Your hands! It’s actually even more effective than an electric mixer… Just get down and dirty with your dough and cream your butter and sugar together with your hands! When you need to mix in the eggs and flour, convert to using a wooden/plastic/rubber spoon.

The Problem: No Large Mixing Bowl
The Solution: Big tupperware or any large plastic tubs you can find will work just as well! None of that? Hmm… Try splitting your recipe into two portions and squeeze each portion into the biggest bowl you have around the house. This will require twice the work, but it’s still effective!

The Problem: No Baking Pan
The Solution: Bust out your origami skills and get creative. I was baking lemon bars in Alan’s apartment the other day, and found that he didn’t have any pans—so I folded one out of aluminum foil (see below). It worked just as well and left less of a mess to clean up! The trick here is to use multiple layers of foil for a sturdy makeshift pan.

The Problem: No Measuring Cups
The Solution: Any 8 oz. cup or mug you have will come in handy; that mug will serve as your 1-cup measurement. From then on, eyeball to the best of your ability. If you’re bad at eyeballing things, measure and mark your mug at its quarter, half, and third points. Again, baking isn’t an exact science, so it’s okay to estimate! Promise. :]

The Problem: No Zester
The Solution: If you have a cheese grater on hand, great! Use the finest grater you have. No cheese grater? Use a knife (to ‘peel’ off the zest in thin strips)! Admittedly, this is much more time-consuming, but still works. The main thing to focus on is avoiding the white part of the lemon/lime/orange—it’s bitter.

Hope that was helpful! Have any other tips? Feel free to chime in!

Happy ghetto baking!
Holly

A Haiku from Me to You

When life gives you eggs
Don’t just sit there and eat them…
Decorate them. Yay!

————–

Special thanks to my friend, Sebastian, who helped me decorate all the eggs in our house at 3AM a few weeks ago! Scroll down to see more of our lovely artwork.

… Just in case you didn’t know.

Humpty Dumpty?

Distressed egg.

Inspirational messages!

Moo.

We spent way more time on this than we should’ve…

5 Most Common Hardware Interview Questions

It’s that time of year again… Recruiting season!

The school year is back in full swing and seniors are searching for things to do post-graduation (scary thought—I know). Career fairs have taken over campus, info sessions have been held literally every evening for the past few weeks, and a quarter of Stanford’s population is walking around in suits and ties. What comes after all that resume-distributing and elevator pitching? The interviews. 

After going through about a dozen hardware interviews last year, I started to notice a trend in the questions I was being asked. While preparing for my interviews, I found that there weren’t that many references for hardware interviews (a huge contrast from software), so I thought I’d share the top 5 general topics that were covered in my interviews. Hopefully this list can be of use to those of you who are looking into doing some hardware work in industry!

1. Metastability
What is it?
How do you avoid it?
(I was asked about metastability in every single one of my interviews…)

2. Flip flops & latches
… And all the timing constraints that follow

3. Clocks
Given a fast clock, can you make a slower one?
What about the other way around?

4. Verilog basics
The difference between a wire and reg
When and how to use an always@ block
The difference between blocking and non-blocking assignments
Being able to follow what a chunk of code does
(If you need some review, check out this site)

5. Implementing arbitrary functions using CMOS gates
From a simple NAND gate to any arbitrary function they can come up with—you should be able to build it!
Remember: DeMorgan’s Law is your friend.

For more general interview prep, check out Microsoft’s JobsBlog.
This blog can probably answer any question you have about interviewing for techie jobs (although it’s more software-oriented, most of the advice can be applied to any technical interview).

Happy interviewing, and good luck!
Holly

How to Fold a Wonton

Have you ever wondered how Chinese restaurants make their wontons so pretty? Little do you know, folding a wonton is easier than folding a paper sail boat (which you were probably able to do in 2nd grade). All you need are the right ingredients and a steady pair of hands—and maybe a lot of persistence. : P

What you’ll need:
Wonton wrappers (thin for boiling, medium/thick for frying)
Wonton filling (whatever you choose to make/buy; I use goat cheese here)
1 egg, beaten (if you want to keep it vegan, you can use cornstarch + water)
1 damp towel (a paper towel will suffice : )

Setup:
1. Have your beaten egg or cornstarch mixture nearby.
2. Open your wonton wrappers, but keep them in the packaging. Place the damp towel over them (not directly on the wonton wrappers, just over the packaging). Wonton wrappers dry out and get hard pretty quickly when exposed to air; this will help keep them soft and foldable.
3. Have a (tea)spoon handy to scoop your wonton filling.
4. Reserve a flat surface for folding.

The Setup

Step 1: Prepare the Wonton Wrapper
Peel off a wonton wrapper and place it on your flat surface.
Brush a thin layer of egg (or cornstarch mixture) on two adjacent edges of the wonton wrapper. I like to use my fingers for that part, but if you don’t feel like getting down and dirty with your food, a brush or spoon will work. You don’t need to spread a lot on, just a very thin layer.

Step 2: Position the Filling
Scoop about 1 tsp. of filling and plop it along the diagonal of your wonton wrapper, closer to the edge you glazed with egg.
(Tip: Avoid over-filling the wonton. Over-filling results in wontons that are difficult to fold and explode in the cooking process.)

Steps 1 & 2

Step 3: Fold, Part 1
Lift the unglazed corner over to the glazed corner, and press the edges together firmly. Try to push all the bubbles out.
At this point, the wonton edges should be perfectly sealed together and the only bump should be from the filling.

Step 3

Step 4: Fold, Part 2
This is the hardest part to describe in words, but I’ll try my best…
Pick up your wonton. Pinch the edges in toward the center so the edges begin to fold up around your lump of filling.

Step 4

Step 5: Fold, Part 3
Bring the two furthest corners together (i.e. the left and right corners in the images above and below).

Step 5

Step 6: Seal the Corners
Dab a little bit of egg (or cornstarch mixture) onto the tip of one corner. Firmly press the other corner on top of the one you just dabbed. The two corners should be stuck together now, and your wonton should be able to maintain its own shape.

Step 6

Ta-da! I told you it was easy. : )
And in no time, you’ll have an army of wontons ready to be cooked and devoured. Mmm..

Army of wontons

There are lots of variations, but this is my favorite fried wonton shape. It’s always reminded me of those little golden boats in old Chinese/Vietnamese films…

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

Happy wonton folding,
Holly

Chasing What You Love

After last Wednesday’s big news about Steve Jobs stepping down as Apple’s CEO, I couldn’t help but join the rest of the world in reminiscing his impact on Silicon Valley, technology, entrepreneurship, and, well, the way a great number of us function on a day-to-day basis.

Aside from the 300+ patents with his name on them, one of the most remarkable things about our favorite (former) CEO is the path he took to get where he is today. By no means was his path set out for him from the get-go, and by no means was his success acquired in an orthodox fashion. Steve Jobs dropped out 6 months after enrolling at Reed College; he founded a multi-billion dollar company when he was 20—and was fired 10 years later; he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, but continued to lead Apple through seven years of sheer success.

A quote I heard from his speech at Stanford’s commencement in 2005 still resonates with me, especially now:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Only weeks away from embarking upon my senior year at Stanford (!!!), I can’t help but obsess over trying to find “what I want to do for the rest of my life“. Coterm? Grad school? Work in industry? Jump on the start-up bandwagon (or is it a party bus?)? I know I’m not alone in thinking all these thoughts and stressing over what I want to do after I graduate.

At the same time, I’m noticing a trend in many of my friends who graduated a few years ago, and are working at their first full-time, real world jobs: They’re quitting. They’re quitting their jobs at respectable, big name companies. They’re quitting their jobs that pay well. They’re quitting the jobs that they geared up for and dreamed about as undergrads. Why? To get closer to finding what they really love, what they really want to “spend the rest of their lives” doing. Apparently, finding what you want to do “for the rest of your life” takes more than four years to find (usually?).

Kudos to my brother, Alan (University of Notre Dame ’10), who just put in his two weeks at Deloitte to open up a restaurant in Portland, OR. So proud of you, big bro. :]

It’s important to remember that we’ve got a lot of years ahead of us; we shouldn’t be scared of sacrificing what we have to find something better (why settle?). Some of us will find what we love slower than others. Some of us will find it along stranger paths. Just don’t forget to find it.

On that note, I’ll leave you with another good ol’ Steve Jobs quote:

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Baklava!

When it comes to baklava, I’ve only encountered two types of people:
(1) Those who love it
(2) Those who have absolutely no clue what it is

Baklava (per Wikipedia):
“… a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of [phyllo] pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey … characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia.”

I was introduced to baklava some time last year at Olives, a decent Greek cafe on campus. What intrigued me most about this dessert was its anatomy: The layers of thin, crispy dough interspersed with a mysterious coarse filling (that looked suspiciously like meat..). Served in tiny 2″-wide squares, I had very little faith that this so-called dessert could beat a good ol’ chocolate chip cookie. To my surprise, it turned out to be delicious! Biting into a piece of baklava and feeling your teeth break down every thin layer of perfectly toasted phyllo dough is so satisfying. After wondering for the longest time why such tiny pastries could ever be successfully sold in any cafe or bakery, I finally understood. While the pastry’s nutty flavor is paired wonderfully with its neutral dough and delectable glaze, the flavor is incredibly sweet. One 2″-wide square is more than enough to satisfy any sweet tooth.

The other day, when I made berry turnovers, I accidentally bought phyllo dough instead of puff pastry (there’s really no explaining this—I’ll just say I had a long day at work..). After buying the right pastry dough, baking turnovers, and finishing all the dessert in our house, I thought I might as well put that phyllo dough to use and make some baklava.

The baklava turned out better than I could’ve asked for. Golden, crisp, nutty, sweet, and it kept well for days (the flavor was even better the day after baking). After perusing different baklava recipes on Epicurious and AllRecipes, the recipes seemed simple enough that I decided to wing it. Here’s what I came up with:

Ingredients:
For the pastry:
4 cups coarsely blended nuts (I used unsalted & toasted pistachios, pecans, and salted & toasted almonds)
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 cup butter
1 package frozen phyllo dough (thawed)

For the syrup: (adapted from Epicurious)
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
For the pastry:
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a lightly greased 13″x9″ pan, place one sheet of phyllo dough. Lightly butter the sheet, and cover with a thin layer of chopped nuts. Place another sheet of phyllo dough in the pan, butter, and cover with nuts. Repeat until all the phyllo dough is gone (or until you fill your pan to the top—whatever comes first. Just make sure your very top layer is a piece of phyllo dough. : ) Glaze the top phyllo dough layer with butter.
• Cut into small squares (yes, before baking!)
• Bake ~20 minutes.

(meanwhile…)
For the syrup:
• Stir all ingredients over low heat in a saucepan until well mixed and sugar is dissolved.
• Stop stirring, increase to medium heat, and let the mixture cook until syrupy (~5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool before using.
• After taking the baklava out of the oven, generously glaze (I actually mean drench…) the pastry with the syrup.

And there you have it: Baklava. Delicious and simple, just as long as you don’t have to make your own phyllo dough. : )

When Life Gives You Berries…

A few of us went berry-picking last Saturday. As a result, we have about 4 pounds of ollalieberries in our fridge just waiting to get consumed—some way or another.

After a long hike the next day, I went over to Kevin’s and had olallieberry pancakes for brunch, topped with fresh olallieberries and homemade olallieberry compote. (Thanks for brunch, Kevin and Julie!) Later that night, Ben and I snacked on some fresh olalliberries, then feasted on some more olallieberry pancakes for dinner. Pancakes for brunch and dinner? Don’t mind if I do. : )

With some strawberries sitting in our fridge, also waiting to be consumed, I decided to make berry berry turnovers. It was my first time ever making turnovers, and I used this recipe from The Food Network. The filling is absolutely delectable! We’ve been using it as jam in PB&J sandwiches, eating it with yogurt, on top of ice cream… the possibilities are endless. SO. GOOD. The recipe is really easy to follow. Next time, however, I think I’m going to make my own puff pastry. Pepperidge Farm’s instant puff pastry didn’t quite behave like I wanted it to (i.e. it didn’t puff up as much as I had anticipated).

Another problem I had: Over-filling…

But all-in-all, the finished product came out pretty nicely.. : )