Almost Human, Tattoo Removal.

I don’t watch very much TV so when the Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavenaugh, recommended a programme called Almost Human I thought I would try and see it. Didn’t appear to be on TV in this part of Canada, so I got the episodes from iTunes. I ended up having the whole of season 1. Now I am looking for season 2 and it isn’t happening. Fox decided they didn’t want to take up an option. Although there is a buzz that the option may still be taken up. I do hope so as I loved the show. There is an article about Karl Urban, the human cop, where he says he will be relieved not to do any more TV as he saw so little of his family during the filming and would certainly not take any more TV roles if he could help it. If you have never seen the series, I highly recommend it. The show is set in the future (actually I think they should have dated it further ahead) where technology is so advanced police are having trouble keeping up so they have adopted the use of robots to act as partners. However, Urban’s character Kennex can’t stand the regular robots and ends up with a DRN (Dorian), they were all decommissioned but were built with a synthetic soul which his Captain feels would be a good match for Kennex as he is “almost human”. I also think Karl Urban is a good looking guy. Dishy - is that word used any more?

An amusing, to me, headline that the tattoo removal business is booming. All the kids who went and got cool tattoos are now finding, years later, that they are no longer cool. Personally I have never liked them and always figure the people that have them are nuts. I understand it is pretty painful to have them removed too. I guess these people who cover themselves in tattoos wouldn’t want to go through the pain. I once met a woman who was covered in them, it turned out she was a daughter-in-law of a friend. She ended up at a pig pickin’ we did. She was heard complaining that all the people locally stared at her – none of us were surprised. I just cannot comprehend anyone doing this to themselves.

I have one bugaboo here, this sounds like a good dish, but everyone seems to think if you add feta to a dish that makes it Greek. It doesn’t. I have spent a lot of time in Greece and their food is delicious but does not include feta all the time. In fact, not even frequently. However, in this case, I love shrimp, I love risotto so what more can I ask.

Greek Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

Sweet onion, rich feta cheese, and fresh dill provide dynamic flavor in this easy weeknight meal. The hardest part about making risotto is the constant stirring, so grab a magazine or plan to call out homework while you let this dish simmer, about 30 minutes. Balance the plate with a lively fennel salad.

Cooking Light MAY 2009

• Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups risotto)

Ingredients

• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 3/4 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion (about 2 medium)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 8 ounces)

• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Bring broth and 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 30 minutes total).
3. Stir in asparagus and shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining ingredients.
Fennel salad: Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl. Add 6 cups torn romaine lettuce and 1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb; toss well to coat.

Have a great day