Astrological Cookery
General Forecast for May
2007
In general, this will be a
month of pushing and pulling, of two steps forward and one step back. Just
knowing that you have to put in so much more time and the effort is frustrating,
but the payoff, when it arrives, will be double. Not only will you have what you
wanted, you’ll know how to proceed to make it the best.
Aries - Now that all of your annual
birthday challenges are behind you, it’s time to just relish some quiet.
So you have not yet reached the summit? It will be there when you arrive, and
you’ll get there much sooner if you remember to take care of
yourself.
Taurus - A great beginning to
something-a job, a romance, a family? Whatever you have coming up, remind
yourself that even the biggest victories are the victories WITH and not the
victories OVER. You will win, and you don’t have to make anyone else lose
to prove it.
Gemini - With all your
dualities going full strength, you will do best when you focus on balance.
Rather than be a juggler, think of the high-wire act with the long pole. Just
working the angle of the weight, and you’ll be safely on the other side
soon.
Cancer - There’s big news
on the way, and how you receive it will let you know. Either it’s time to
declare your intentions, or it’s time to bring things to a close. Decide,
and declare.
Leo - This is a lovely
moment in your life to discover if your most noticeable qualities are really
your best traits. Are you brave, or reckless? Passionate, or just short
tempered? Deeply charming, or really shallow? Whatever you decide, you can use
the Lion’s persona for your own best interests AND for the greater good.
Virgo - You may be feeling as if the
door has closed, but what you need is a spiritual recharge. Take some time to
enjoy whatever church your own personal religion offers- Art gallery, beach,
dinner party, maybe even church. The universe wants you to know that when one
door closes, another opens. Step
in.
Libra - Time to make some practical
plans and take action. Thinking about going to school, changing jobs, moving?
The best way to get started is to check it out. Talk, research, write, draw,
however your brain like to move, give it a good goal and then decide how you are
going to do it.
Scorpio - Something
you’ve been wanting is on it’s way, but don’t sit down and
wait for the doorbell to ring. Now is the time to give it all you’ve got,
and let your efforts draw you closer while your dreams approach. There is no
romantic move cliché about one lover running with arms outstretched while
the other stands there staring. Get up and get
going.
Sagittarius - There’s been
so much good stuff going on for so long, you may be feeling a bit too crowded.
How many opportunities can you enjoy at the same time? Let yourself be picky
(not hard for a Sag-) and only accept the
best.
Capricorn - The contentment that
you feel now that things have gotten more focused has it’s beginnings in
your ideals. Keep on cleaning closets and giving away the stuff you don’t
use or need. You’ll be able to move ahead without any baggage, emotional
or physical. Stay on track and enjoy the
ride.
Aquarius - Wow! Even for someone
as optimistic and open minded as you are, it’s just remarkable how good
it’s getting. Whatever form the great news takes- new lover, perfect
house, new lover with perfect house who want you to move in- be sure you are
sharing your good fortune and good vibes with those not so inclined to believe
in miracles. You make a great case study, right
now.
Pisces - You are so surrounded
right now- by friends, activities, events and occasions-you might be wise to
just schedule to some time just to sit and listen to the birds sing. Even
non-stop fun can be overwhelming. Take a
break.
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Astrological
Cookery for Taurus
Few
astrological signs are as clearly related to their totem as you, Taurus. You are
bullish and bull-like in so many ways strong, determined, willful, a great lover
and a loyal friend. But your culinary disposition has all of these qualities,
not always to the good. You love a classic- in fact, you love it so much that
should some kind person offer you pasta with pesto rather than your standard
marinara, you may feel insulted. The pasta needs to be white, the sauce needs to
be red, and I’ll bet you are very certain that it needs to be spaghetti-
fettuccine or linguini, as similar as they are to some, seem quite strange to
you. Food just has to be a certain way. And you do cook it a certain way, and
just certain foods, thank you very much. I’ll bet that your shopping list
has not changed in years.
The best
part of all this absolutely determined certainty is that if you are a Taurus who
likes to cook (most do, but not all) you probably qualify as a master chef in
your own kitchen. You may have made that spaghetti with marinara sauce a
thousand times, but your friends and family have told you, it’s just
perfect- the exact amount of garlic, the right touch of oregano, that lovely
olive oil you have been buying for years, it all blends into a plate of pasta
that is exactly what the word pasta means to
you.
So, why go around reading
cookbooks and browsing at the farmer’s markets? You know just what you
want, where to get it and how long it’s going to take to cook. Could it be
that there are classics out there that you just have not tried yet? We know
nothing will persuade you to make a chicken satay or a pistachio gelato. But how
about a really classic cheesecake?
The
Ultimate Taurus Cheesecake
Crust-1
dozen graham crackers
5 tablespoons
butter, melted
3 tablespoons
sugar
Crush crackers, in a bag or a
blender, and stir them together with the sugar and butter in a bowl. Butter the
bottom of an 8X3 cake pan, then lint the pan with wax paper or parchment. Butter
the top of the liner paper, and press the crust to fit with your favorite
crust-pressing spoon or spatula.
Preheat the oven to 350
degrees.
Filling- 16 oz. Of cream
cheese (2 regular sized packages)
1
cup of white sugar
4
eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (the real
stuff)
1/8 tsp
salt
juice of one lemon (about 1/4
cup)
3 cups of sour
cream
Blend sugar and cream cheese
until very smooth, like a solid cloud of white, sugar and cream cheese in
perfect oneness.
Add Eggs and blend
well, add vanilla, salt and sour cream, and continue beating until you have an
ideal of whiteness, creaminess, and cheesiness, about four or five minutes. Pour
over crust.
Make a water bath to bake
the cheesecake.
In a roasting pan, fold
a tea towel and place it on the bottom. The roasting pan needs to be at least
one inch taller than the cake pan. Put the pan with the cheesecake on top of the
center of the towel, and place the roasting pan on a rack in the middle of the
oven. Next, pour some very very hot but not boiling water into the pan, soaking
the towel and coming about 2/3 of the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes
without peeking. Then, turn off the oven and lit the cheesecake stay there for
another hour. When you take it out (carefully, that water is still hot!) It will
still look soft and jiggly in the center, but it’s finished baking. Have
faith, and put it in the refrigerator overnight. No one said this was fast
food.
The next day, you have to do the
double flip- Put the cake pan with the cheesecake in it on a few low burner for
just a few seconds (Pancake griddles are ideal for this) and run a butter knife
around the edge. Then top it with a sheet of wax paper and a baking sheet, say a
prayer to the kitchen goddess and give it a flip. Once you are out, put your
favorite cheesecake -serving dish on the crust, and flip it again. Back to the
refrigerator for another rest, maybe an hour, and then serve. Truly classic,
absolutely perfect, and totally Taurus.
Posted: Tue - May 1, 2007 at 06:00 AM