Being Geek Chic is the yammerings of a Midwestern nerd named Elizabeth Giorgi. My vision impairment is real, which is frustrating because I really would like to see a 3D movie.
Send questions, requests and ideas to [email protected]. Please put your complaints on a napkin and toss it.
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8th October 2012
Nerd Recipes: Who wants some Shawarma? Avengers Style!
“Have you ever tried shawarma? … I don’t know what it is, but I want to try it.”
Among the first thoughts that entered the mouth of newly conscious Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in the penultimate scene of this summer’s blockbuster, The Avengers.
If you stuck around til the end of the credits (the very end!), you know the Avengers assembled once more after the big fight to save Manhattan for a bite to eat at the shawarma joint.
(If you missed it, check out the scene here.)
It turns out, an authentic shawarma sandwich is not easy to make at home. Most of us don’t own a giant conical spit to continually roast large cuts of lamb or chicken. This recipe is, however, a very good substitute. I used lamb chops removed from the bone. Feel free to use whatever cut of meat you like: a mix of pork and beef, chicken or turkey.
Let’s Make The Avengers Shawarma Sandwich
To make the Shawarma-Style Lamb Meat, you need:
- 1 lb lamb meat (beef/pork mix, chicken or turkey also acceptable)
- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Got your ingredients? Here’s your steps:
* In a small bowl, mix together the spices until fully combined.
* Remove meat from bones, if needed. Use a meat tenderizer or heavy pestle to pound the meat to half it’s original thickness.
* In a shallow baking dish, toss meat with vegetable oil and 3 tsp of the spices. Mix with your hands until fully coated. Allow to marinate 30 mins to 1 hour.
* Brush a grill pan with cooking oil, then heat over medium-high heat. Grill strips of meat, about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
NOTE: If you are not going to serve all of the meat immediately, consider cooking some of the meat only to medium/medium rare so that the meat doesn’t get overcooked if you reheat for a second serving.
To assemble sandwiches, you need:
- 1 Pita bread (homemade or buy premade if you’re in a rush. Go for the flat bread style pitas, rather than the pockets.)
- 1/4 recipe shawarma-style lamb meat
- thinly sliced red onion
- sliced tomato
- lettuce (optional)
- hummus (homemade is outstanding, but again, your favorite store-bought will do.)
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 small cucumber diced
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp shawarma seasoning
Got your ingredients, now you can:
* Mix the Greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic and shawarma seasoning in a small bowl; cover and place in the refrigerator until time to serve.
* Start with a warm pita and slather 2 TBS yogurt sauce and 2 TBS hummus in the middle. Layer lamb, then top with onion, tomato and lettuce, if you wish. Fold and enjoy!
Emma Carew Grovum is a digital journalist working in Washington, D.C. She previously worked as the Digital Editor for The Cooking Club of America and blogs at kitchendreamer.blogspot.com Emma loves Star Wars, pandas and all things Joss Whedon. Find her on twitter at @emmacarew.
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24th September 2012
Geeky at Home: 3 must-haves for autumnal happiness
It’s officially fall in Minnesota. It’s truly one of my favorite reasons for living here. The fall colors are always outstanding, the air has this wonderful crispness to it and I can finally open the windows without roasting.
Of course, seasonal changes mean I start craving cinnamon and dream of warm sweaters. With my taste buds calling for new flavors and the cooler temps taking hold - there are a couple key changes I make at home just for fall.
Here’s my 3 must haves for autumnal happiness at home:
1. Apples: Minnesota is also home to some incredible apples in the fall. In fact, my alma mater is responsible for inventing a whole bunch of delightful varieties. The Honeycrisp and SweeTango are two personal favorite. With peanut butter, in pie or just for an afternoon snack - these apples are only available this time of year. And truly, they kick other apples out of the water. Jana Gold? UGH. Nasty.
2. Soft, warm blanket: I tend to hunker down and read a ton and catch up on unseen TV during the fall and winter months. As a result, the warmest blankets come out of storage. Every great couch needs an equally great blanket.
3. Frittata recipes: For whatever reason my tummy craves delightful egg dishes in the fall. And Frittata goes right to the top of the list. They are great for breakfast or dinner. And they are one of the few egg dishes that I love left over. Here’s how I make mine:
You need:
12 thin slices of prosciutto
6 eggs
1 cup milk
Shaved or shredded Parmesan
1 small sweet onion
2 cups spinach
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepperMix your eggs, milk, Parmesan, chopped onion, chopped garlic, spinach and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk well.
Take out a muffin tin and place a slice of prosciutto inside each muffin hole. The prosciutto is going to bake into a little cup, so make sure it is wrapping the tin. Pour in your egg mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.
What makes you happy in the fall? Is there a recipe you have to make? Or an item you just need out at home?
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17th September 2012
Geeky at Home: Bedroom Redo Update
I love fall. And indeed, the air smells of autumn in Minneapolis. As a result, this evolution of my sleep zone is even more perfect. Why? Because in my weird head, I came up with a kind of fictional tale of how this bedroom came to be. I mean, we all know that I went shopping and researched products and sewed and painted - but that’s boring. Instead, fall is when things change. People come anew. And I’ve always moved apartments and residences in the fall - so it’s only natural I would think of new things this time of year.
In my head, this is the bedroom of a Parisian woman who moved to Ely, Minnesota many autumns ago and opened a bed and breakfast.
Then somehow, it was transported to my townhouse. Details, details.
Why Ely? It’s beautiful. Like brain numbingly beautiful. All you can do when you are in the Boundary Waters in Ely is sit in your canoe and zen the hell out. It’s not possible to engage your brain in stressful thought while there. Plus, Parisian women are just damn chic. So if this chic person was just living in a zen-like, naturalistic state - well, to me, this is what she might like to have around.
So what is here?
1. Pillow, Feather tchochtke and Bronze Lamp from Target
2. New polka dot sheets and giant geode from Home Goods
3. Feather print from RiverLuna
4. Travel print from Being Geek Chic’s Society 6 Store (P.S. You can totally buy it!!!)
5. Frames from IKEA
6. Coral on glass block is a gift
7. Glass test tubular statuette from Anthropologie
8. Wire shade thing from random garage sale
Here’s some of the other products that I hoped to acquire, as a reminder. The arrow has been ordered and I’m SO excited. After seeing the tripod lamp - it bored me. So, I’m rethinking that. I’m clearly short on animal crap - so I’ll have to repair that ASAP.
The bedroom redo is far from being done, but I’m feeling good about it. I’d like to get some more specific nerdiness in there somehow. I had visions of a Sherlock Holmes cameo pillow, but I think my boyfriend would probably veto another man in the bed.
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10th September 2012
Geeky at Home: Cross stich is basically threaded 8-bit
When I was in my formative pre-teen years, I found a box in my mother’s home full of cross-stitched designs. I was fascinated by the delicate squares that made up a larger image. Oh, the patience it must have required! I asked my mom to teach me how to do this and it turns out, I wasn’t the best at it. Despite the fact that the technique basically requires you to create a bunch of simple squares - I wasn’t quite precise enough to create perfect work. Maybe it was my stubby fingers or my dwarf thumb. (Yes, there is a medical term and then the term that the doctor’s use so you’ll actually remember it. And it’s dwarfed fingers. Except in my case, it’s only my thumbs.) I know, weird.) I got slightly better over time, but by my teenage years, I lost interest.
Soon after, I started noticing that all the delicate little patterns on napkins and pillows in my Grandma Giorgi’s house were utilizing this same crafty technique. And in a moment of true geek “aha-ery” I made the connection between these lovely combination of square threads and the square dudes I manipulated on my television screen through my Nintendo. They were cousins! One in the tactile world and the other in the digital.
Life moves on and you forget these things. Crafty techniques like cross stitching go in and out of style and certain generations will never pick up on the skill at all. That’s kind of a shame. Especially for the geeky youngins’, because cross-stitching is basically 8-bit art via a needle and thread.
I’ve never been more aware of this then when my friend Ranja took an 8-bit portrait of me and made a version of it with cross stitch. My brother was supremely jealous. And I’m serious about that.
If you’ve never done it before, I promise it’s not THAT hard. It takes some time to perfect your technique, but if you can pull thread through holes, you can do it. And let me tell you, it’s the perfect couch craft. Turn on your favorite show, marathon and cross stitch. It’s crafting bliss.
Want to give it a try? I’ll turn your attention to some online 8 bit/cross stitch geekery available on the interwebs.
Kitschy Digitals has a free Avengers pattern, a $12 Doctor Who pattern and a $4 Nintendo pattern, which would look great on a pillow or a napkin.
You can always find things on Etsy. Case in point? Pixel Power Design offers an IT Crowd pattern for $5 and the Game of Thrones characters for $8. I should also note that they are currently offering 3 patterns for $10 as part of some kind of awesome sale.
Don’t want to spend money until you’ve given it a try? Well, Pixel Power offers free patterns every week on their Facebook page. Here’s the offerings for this week:
Angry Birds
Darth Vader
Lord Voldemort
Terminator
Luke, I am your fatherFriends, lest you think I’m full of crap, I’ve decided to try this craft again myself. I’m searching for something in the vein of 221B for a pillow that will inhabit my redesigned bedroom. (which is still underway…) Off to Google.
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27th August 2012
Geeky at Home: Bedroom Redo
I’ve lived in my home for over 4 years now. That’s insane. Of all the rooms in my house, the room that has received the least love and attention is my bedroom. It’s basically a combination of the left-over stuff that didn’t work in any other space in my home. After spending much of my summer playing outside, I’ve finally figured out what I want to do with the space.
Here’s a bit of a mood-board to reflect my direction:
For me, it’s all about mixing my love of the outdoors with quiet, calm and comfort. It’s outdoorsy chic. Or bird-watcher with pizazz. Or classy cabin.
As noted, I already own the Rust Bird Accent Chair, which is from Target. For me, it’s my favorite thing in the room right now, so everything is drawing inspiration from that piece.
Want to see how the room comes together? I’m continuing to Pin on this PinBoard and I’ll be sure to post some photos as things come together. You can also find all the items featured above on that PinBoard, so if you want to buy something from this collection, that’s where you’ll find it.
What are your top priorities for your bedroom? Is it all about dark, moody colors? Or crisp, cleanliness?
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13th August 2012
Geeky at Home: the most important piece of furniture you will ever buy
No, it’s not your bed. It’s not your desk. It’s not your office chair.
Let it be known: the most important piece of furniture in your home is your couch.
Why?
For me?
It’s where I write when I can’t stand sitting at the desk anymore.
It’s where I cuddle up and read.
It’s where I watch new movies and old movies.
It’s where I play video games with my brother.
It’s where I eat when I’ve filled my dinner table with too many crafts.
It’s where I call my mom and gram-mama to chat for hours and hours about life.
It’s where I sit with my girlfriends to discuss boys and have a drink.
It’s where I page through old photos.
It’s where I fall asleep watching crappy TV virtually every Friday night.
Yeah, you probably didn’t think about it, but the couch is freaking important. If you’re a Big Bang Theory fan, you know Sheldon is totally on my side with this one.
So what the hell is the point of all this? In part, I just want to share my strong feelings for my couch. I love that couch. I bought it in 2007 when I got my first bonus ever and it’s been the best $1800 I’ve ever spent.
The other major reason I want to share this is because I feel like when I was in my early 20s, no one ever gave me advice about where to spend my money when I was setting up a nest. Here’s my new theory: invest in pieces that you will use everyday. Skimp on the items that are decorative or short-term. For example: bedside tables and coffee tables. Later in life, you’ll buy art or invest in a nice china cabinet - but in your 20s, it’s all about the couch.
And when I think about all the things my couch and I have done together - I get sentimental! All the books I’ve read on it. All the movies I’ve seen. It’s stupid, but it’s true.
How to pick the couch of your dreams? It should be:
1. Comfortable, but not too cushion-y. You should have a fair amount of back support.
2. Versatile. Stay away from trendy couches. Go for neutrals.
3. Easy to clean. Certain fabrics just hold up better than others.
4. Long enough to lie down if you ever want to nap.
5. Large enough for multiple sitters. Go with a friend to ensure that multiple people to can sit comfortably without the couch losing shape.
6. Smell it. Seriously. Many cheap couches are made from materials that keep the cushions firm, but certain foams are just stink-hell. And how do you air out a couch?
Do you agree? What’s the most important piece of furniture in your home?
(Photo above is not my couch, but it’s remarkably similar. This is Room and Board’s Holden Sofa with Chaise.)
