Piqued

Arg.  After initially getting excited about Windows Phone 7 when it was revealed a few months ago, after learning more about the OS itself I’m getting disappointed.  It’s really not looking to be anything more than Microsoft’s attempt at an iPhone, which is not what I was hoping for.

I have a thing about personalization.  I have this strange hatred for conformity, and really like to be able to make whatever I have at least somewhat “me.” That’s the main reason I’m not interested in the iPhone.  I know it’s a good device that tons of people love.  But it’s a completely closed, locked-down platform with no potential for real personalization or customization.  It’s Apple’s way or the highway.  I can’t stand that.

For all its faults, Windows Mobile gave me that freedom.  Granted, I never was as serious about tweaking the phone’s OS as many people, but I liked the ability to flash a new ROM if I was getting bored with the UI, or Google a hack to change some low-level setting I didn’t like.  But Windows Phone 7 throws all that out the window, leaving me less excited about my options when I decide it’s time for a new phone.

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As an engineer, I work with a lot of smart people who are logically- and scientifically-minded.  I share this perspective, so it makes for a comfortable and enjoyable environment for me.  However, many at my workplace and in the larger scientific community hold to a naturalistic worldview akin to that espoused by its more vocal proselyte, Richard Dawkins.  While I do not intend in this post to present a complete rebuttal to this perspective, I do want to explain how I, a self-considered “reasonable” man, can be both a devout Christian and an honest lover of science.  I’ve already presented much of this in a video series that I’m almost done uploading (ran into a snag with Blip.tv and I’m migrating to Vimeo), so feel free to check it out.  But I thought it’d be valuable to give a more succinct summary in writing.  I considered writing an original post, but then read through an exchange I had with an atheist friend of mine a while back, and thought I’d just post it.  I’ve paraphrased his comments so as not to reprint them without permission.

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(Following my foray into international cuisine via Epicurious’ Around the World in 80 Dishes series.)

Although I had already cooked something twice in the past week, I was still in a culinary mood and decided to try pizza with homemade dough!  Pepperoni and mushrooms is my old standby when it comes to ordering pizza, but nooo…the Epicurious series had to go with a true Italian classic: Pizza Margherita.

Pizza Margherita

Recipe | Video

I wound up not eating until after 11pm with this recipe, because I started after work and had to get the ingredients first.  My first time making a “real” dough that has to rise and everything.  It actually wasn’t bad!  Turned out nice and fluffy and spread out pretty easily into a nice pizza pie.

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Time to try a dessert!  In honor of the just-finished Winter Olympics hosted in Vancouver, I decided to go with Canada’s culinary contribution to the series: Maple Sugar Pie.  I’m pretty inexperienced at both desserts and baking, so this was definitely a new thing for me.

Maple Sugar Pie

Recipe | Video

I’m honestly not a huge fan of pecan pie, so I wasn’t sure I’d like this that much.  I do like maple syrup, though, so that was promising.  Turns out this is a quite easy and tasty dessert and was a hit among my coworkers who I shared it with.  Smells and tastes like breakfast!

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For this week’s dinner, it was a Red Snapper dish from Veracruz, Mexico.

Red Snapper, Veracruz Style

Recipe | Video

Not like any other Mexican dish I’ve had, with a very Spanish/Mediterranean blend of ingredients and flavors.  I was a bit concerned about the olives and capers since I don’t really like either, but the dish was amazing.  The raisins balanced out the dryness of the olives and capers, and the jalepeños made it all the better.  Scrumptious.