Marco Polo & Pancakes

I've been able to make a little progress with both Family and Not for Nothing (NfN) this week. For Family, I've started re-reading Michael Ruhlman's The Elements of Cooking to brush up on my technical kitchen terminology. I have also told the chef de cuisine at work that I want to help prepare family meal once a week. This first hand experience should serve me well and help me improve my cooking. This Friday we're shooting for pancakes.

I've also requested a couple CDs from the library by Akwid, a Mexican hip hop group that we occasionally listen to at work in the mornings. These boys are tight. They've got a nice flow, but what I like most is how they sample classic Mexican beats into their music. In each song they celebrate their past while embracing their future. Pretty cool.

I've also started a preliminary outline for NfN and have requested a couple books from the library which I look forward to reading. One is a modern history of China since 1850. I'm thinking of setting the story there. To that end, I see a potential parallel with the story of Marco Polo. The other book I've requested is about him.