Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
As you may know, I made a video for the PBS web series “Are You MN Enough?” which is all about what it takes to survive and thrive in Minnesota (including things like hot dish and winter biking). The team that produces these series is raising funds for “Season 3” using Indiegogo.
It’s a really cool project and I’d love to be a part of it again. How can you help me make that happen? By supporting the endeavor at the $30 level. Here’s the video I did in season 1 in case you need a reminder:
What would I do in season 3? Well, I’d definitely be down for another crazy, food based social experiment. But I won’t say too much, because then you might sabotage the experiment. We must show our truest behavior in these social experiments.
You can support them— and vote for me to produce another episode— by going here. Just choose the “Vote for Liz Giorgi!” option at the right!
It’s pretty much the easiest and most fun way to support PBS—and the t-shirts are kind of adorable. Thanks so much in advance!
Friends, if you don’t live in the Twin Cities, forgive me. You can just skip this post. Unless you know someone who does. In which case, keep reading.
I’m working on a short film for Twin Cities Public TV and PBS Digital Studios for their online programming division and I need some real people to take part. I’m looking for individuals who are willing to have a quick bite to eat and a cup of tea or glass of wine with three other strangers while I film it.The basic premise of the piece is simple: is it lunch or a social experiment?
I am in need of 10 people at this time who are willing to join us for one hour in St. Paul and be filmed. Please no one under the age of 18.
YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE FRIDAY, AUG. 23RD FOR AT LEAST ONE OF THESE TIME SLOTS:
If you are willing to help out, please email me at hello(at)elizabethgiorgi.com with your time preference by Wednesday, August 21st. Even if you can’t join me, please share this post with your family and friends who live in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area.
Thank you!
To celebrate the premiere of the third season of Downton Abbey in the U.S., I thought we’d celebrate with some beef pasties, which are classy enough for the “upstairs” crowd and delicious to those “downstairs” as well.
This recipe is adapted from one in the “unofficial” Downton Abbey Cookbook.
I’m not usually a fan of these kinds of cookbooks, but this one is kind of fun because it combines both recipes for food that has been featured on the show and recipes that might have been served both “upstairs” and “downstairs” in the times of Downton.
Classic Cornish Pasties were a simple recipe to make to eat Sunday while I watched the first episode of the new series. Here’s the recipe, with my notes and tweaks.
RECIPE: (adapted from The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook
)
Filling:
*Note: the original recipe didn’t make clear whether or not to put the beef in cooked or uncooked. In general, I’m not a fan of making handpies or dumplings with raw meat fillings. I took a small eye round roast, tenderized it, and braised it gently for about 2 hours.
1. Whisk together salt and flour, then cut butter and lard into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. A pastry blender is nice for this, but you can use your fingers if needed.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and water. Mix into the flour until a dough begins to form. Knead gently until the dough is smooth and fully combined.
3. Shape the dough into a wide disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
4. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Dice the onion, potatoes and beef. Combine in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. If the beef is still warm from cooking, you may want to put into the fridge for a bit to help it cool down.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and split into 6 equal pieces. Roll out on a nonstick surface to until 6-inches across. Flour the surface and pin if needed.
6. Whisk together remaining egg and milk in a small bowl.
7. Place a rounded ¼ measuring cup of filling in the center of each pastry piece, then brush the edges with the egg wash. Fold each pasty over and press the edges to seal. You may need to shift some of the filling to make the half-moon shape.
8. Place each pasty on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and cut 3 tiny slits into the top of each. You can crimp the edges of the pasty for a little style.
9. Bake for 17 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake an additional 18 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
Additional note: this recipe makes enough filling to potentially make about 10 pasties. You can multiply the pastry recipe by 1.5 to create an equal amount of pastry dough, or, as I did, freeze the filling until next time.
Emma Carew Grovum is a data journalist working at the Chronicle of Philanthropy 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.
Happy weekend. I’m so glad it’s here.
PBS totally gets the internet
Geeks love fanfic. Well, unless it’s bad fanfic. Celebrating the artistry of it all really made me realize just how much I love it.
Joss Whedon says thanks
Joss Whedon really hit it out of the park with the Avengers. For real. I honestly don’t think he could have topped himself if he tried. (Well, there is one thing he could have done…) This letter he wrote to fans made me proud to be a Whedon fan. Sure, he has been a geek-favorite for years, but he’s definitely earning that title right now.
8 photography tips from the top instagrammers
I’m not going to say that instagramming is an art. That feels totally crazy, but I will say that it’s a lot of fun and has the potential to be very powerful. These tips are great for learning how to shoot in general, so check it out. Simple things like taking several shots and trying different techniques like underexposing can make all the difference in the world - on instagram and otherwise. Go forth and shoot!
