Good middle-of-the-week morning, AKA Wednesday.
Officially speaking, spring is still 21 days away, though you could be forgiven for having been lulled into a false sense of security that winter might finally be over, given the record-breaking warm weather we’ve been having.
A word to the wise: Don’t get used to it. Today’s 50+ – or even 60 (!) degrees is tomorrow’s 30 degrees. And there is a TON of rain headed our way in the coming week or so. In like a lion, as they say.
So, it’s still winter, technically speaking, and that means we’re still going to be indoors more than out, on balance, and still engaging in comforting, homey pursuits like cooking. And baking.
As I’ve written about in this space before, I am not much of a baker. My bread-making experience was less than successful, though I do have to admit that the no-knead bread recipe created by Jim Laehy and adapted by Mark Bittman is pretty forgiving and damn near foolproof – even for the likes of me, who tend to be a little too cavalier when it comes to measuring.
Cooking, as they say, is an art, while baking is a science.
Not everyone agrees on this particular shorthand, but generally speaking, cooking is more improvisational and forgiving, more given to substitutions and omissions. While baking is very precise.
You cannot, for example, leave out a key ingredient like baking soda and expect a recipe to turn out. You also can’t just substitute willy-nilly, as even different types of sugars – while all in the sweetener family – yield slightly different results.
If you don’t believe me, just ask J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, the man has devoted his entire career to the science of cooking – and, to a slightly lesser degree, baking – engaging in exhaustive experiments to determine, for example, the perfect method of boiling an egg.
Since I am not the most exact or disciplined when it comes to recipe following, I tend to avoid difficult or elaborate desserts – among which I count souffles, even though several people have insisted that they are not as challenging as they appear.
A souffle is an airy, baked egg dish that can be savory (cheese, spinach, or ham, for example) or sweet (chocolate, for example, often served with a fruit sauce or puree). It is French in origin, and its name derives from the verb “souffler”, which means to blow, breathe, inflate, or puff.
The whole point of a souffle is for it to be light and fluffy – which is deervied from beaten egg whites – though its inflated state tends not to last terribly long, so it really needs to be presented and eaten right away.
The souffle appears to date back to the 1700s, but it was made famous by the man some call the world’s first celebrity chef, Marie-Antoine Carême, in the mid-1800s. (His most fantastical souffles were reportedly flecked with real gold and created for the dynastic and fantastically wealthy Rothschild banking family).
The souffle is kind of an old school dessert. A few years ago, it was reportedly poised for a comeback, but I’m not sure that ever fully materialized. I can’t recall seeing one featured on any menu I’ve been handed of late. Maybe I just don’t eat at enough French restaurants?
Today, for no real reason that I can figure out, is National Chocolate Souffle Day – yes, the dessert gets a day all its own, but don’t feel bad, because the cheese souffle has one, too (May 18). Perhaps I’ll celebrate by daring to attempt to make one on my own….While I’m contemplating that, since we’ve already dispensed with the weather, let’s get right to the good stuff:
In the headlines…
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won the Michigan primaries, further solidifying the all-but-certain rematch between the two men — yet early results from the state were highlighting some of their biggest political vulnerabilities.
The president continues to put up major wins. But the protest campaign in Michigan foreshadows potential problems for him come November.
Tens of thousands of Michiganders cast their ballots for “uncommitted,” putting them on track to garner more than 10 percent of the vote statewide. That figure seemed likely to exceed past levels of “uncommitted” votes in Michigan Democratic primaries.
Biden thanked “every Michigander who made their voice heard today” in a statement tonight after his projected primary win. He did not directly acknowledge the protest votes.
Organizers behind the Michigan campaign to vote “uncommitted” to protest against Biden in the state’s Democratic primary claimed victory even as the incumbent easily won the contest.
Biden will visit the Teamsters Washington, D.C. headquarters on March 12 as the influential labor union weighs its presidential endorsement.
The Haley campaign characterized a projected double-digit loss to Trump in Michigan as a bad sign for the former president, pointing to the roughly one-third of Republican primary voters who cast ballots for someone other than Trump.
The meeting Biden held with four top congressional leaders was “one of the most intense I’ve ever encountered,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, as they attempt to compromise on Ukraine funding and work to avert a partial shutdown.
In remarks at the Capitol, the Senate’s Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell signaled he was ready to work with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.
House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that Republicans could compromise with Biden on a bill to avoid a government shutdown.
Four months into his job as the top leader in the House, Johnson finds himself the odd man out in increasingly intense talks on how to fund the government and whether to continue aid to Ukraine.
The Biden administration has announced a $1.7 billion package to fund initiatives aimed at ending hunger across the United States by 2030, the White House announced.
Israel and Hamas played down chances of an imminent breakthrough in talks for a cease-fire in Gaza, after Biden said Israel has agreed to pause its offensive during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some hostages.
A senior Israeli political source told ABC News that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “surprised” by Biden’s remarks that he was hopeful a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas could be in place “by next Monday.”
Biden warned Israel that it risks losing additional international support as its offensive in Gaza drags on, though he expressed hope that a ceasefire deal could be reached by early next week.
Hamas is studying a framework proposal put forward by Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt in Paris for a truce and prisoner exchange in Gaza, but has yet to officially commit to anything.
Officials from Israel, Hamas and Qatar have cautioned against Biden’s optimism that a hostage-for-ceasefire deal in Gaza could be reached by the end of this week, suggesting that differences remain as negotiators work to secure an agreement.
United Nations officials have warned that more than a half a million people in Gaza are on the brink of famine and a ceasefire is urgently needed to facilitate the delivery of food aid.
In a potential setback to Trump and his co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case, a key witness testified that he had no knowledge of when a romantic relationship began between the two prosecutors leading the case.
Trump’s lawyers see a major opportunity this week to use his criminal document mishandling case in Florida to create an impasse on his calendar for the two federal judges overseeing his major criminal cases.
Trump argued that he is so wealthy he should not have to pay a bond to appeal the defamation ruling against writer E. Jean Carroll, as the amount required is not a deterrent for him.
Authorities on Monday responded to Donald Trump Jr.’s Florida home after the former president’s son opened an envelope with a suspicious white powder in it. The news, first reported by the Daily Beast, was confirmed by a person familiar with what transpired.
State Attorney General Letitia James appeared to taunt Donald Trump about the interest he may own in a civil fraud judgment.
Gov. Kathy Hochul reaffirmed her view of the state’s court system as a bulwark against a conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court during her opening remarks at the “State of Our Judiciary” address led by Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson.
Hochul said it’s high time that social media companies and tech giants such as Google and Meta stop promoting illicit weed dealers on their sites that hurt legal operators, aid the massive black market and deprive New York of tax revenues.
Hochul announced that $20 million in state funding has been awarded to seven counties and New York City to improve public safety and emergency communications.
Hochul says the state is launching its expansion of school-based mental health clinics, which will provide extra resources for kids.
The governor said that mental health issues still linger in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact was especially hard on children.
Hochul has nominated two women to the powerful Public Service Commission, which oversees the state’s gas, electric and water utilities. This is the governor’s first move toward reshaping the PSC, which is currently staffed by Cuomo-era commissioners.
Democrats in charge of New York’s Legislature have proposed new lines for congressional districts that could give them a potential boost in the key battleground state hours after rejecting boundaries created by a bipartisan redistricting commission.
The legislation proposed after Monday’s rejection vote leaves much of the Independent Redistricting Commission’s recently unveiled map in place, but it includes changes to districts in suburban Long Island and the Hudson Valley north of New York City.
One prominent House elections analyst, Dave Wasserman, called the New York map a “mild/moderate gerrymander.”
One of the most significant changes came in the northeast Bronx, in a heavily Democratic district not in danger of falling into GOP hands. It could have a big impact on the primary between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
The new maps made the congressional campaign of former State Sen. James Gaughran collateral damage. The Democrat suspended his campaign for the 1st district because a large chunk of his base is moving into the 3rd district.
The middle-ground approach reflected a desire to avoid another protracted court fight like the one in New York that helped swing control of the House to Republicans in 2022, while still better positioning Democrats in key districts.
Lawmakers are expected to vote to finalize the lines later this week – perhaps as soon as today (if the governor issues a message of necessity). If enacted, they would govern elections through 2030.
Hochul defended the Democrats’ decision to draw their own maps, saying that the constitution allows the Legislature to draw its own lines if it’s not satisfied with the commission’s option.
New York lost over $50 million from Medicaid drug expenses because of poor oversight from the New York Department of Health, according to a new audit from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office.
Bills that would extend the activities of the state Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force into 2025 are making their way toward potential passage in both the Senate and the Assembly.
Security guards at city migrant shelters are being paid upwards of $117 an hour — more than four times the prevailing wage — under rushed, no-bid contracts being doled out by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to deal with the crisis, a new audit shows.
More than 74 migrant men have been living in a cramped basement below a furniture store in South Richmond Hill, Queens — where beds are so in-demand that only half can sleep there at one time, city officials said.
The FDNY vacated the building, sending the men who were living there to the city’s emergency management department to get shelter.
New York City is wasting millions of dollars on no-bid emergency contracts for migrant services, including overpaying by $50 million for personnel at a single shelter in Midtown, according to a new audit from city Comptroller Brad Lander.
Adams supported modifying the city’s sanctuary status laws to make it easier for his administration to help federal authorities deport immigrants suspected of crimes — embracing a policy mostly espoused by conservatives amid the migrant crisis.
“There’s some people that feel that they should be able to remain here, keep doing their actions until they are eventually convicted,” Adams said. “I don’t subscribe to that theory.”
“I don’t believe people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city,” Adams added. “You don’t have the right to be in our city and tarnish the overwhelming number who are here following the rules.”
Adams called for expanded cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities, attacking the current city policies limiting such communication as detrimental to public safety.
Adams fired back at Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) after the senator criticized New York City for its “crime and migrants.”
The Adams administration has slashed the city’s preschool budget by about $170 million in recent months because of empty seats.
Modular outdoor dining sheds are coming to New York, and city officials are pushing new blueprints to help restaurants put up al fresco structures that comply with regulations.
The New York City Housing Authority is seeking to get cash back from contractors who overcharged the agency to perform repair work via so-called “micro purchase” deals, the system’s top official revealed.
New York City teachers were told that “jihad” means simply “struggle” — not holy war — in training sessions against “anti-Muslim bias” run by the Department of Education.
Councilman Chi Ossé is set to reintroduce a bill today that would mostly shift the burden of broker fee costs to landlords, setting the stage for a potentially contentious rematch in the City Council.
A former NYU administrator admitted to spending $80,000 in public money meant for minority- and women-owned businesses on a swimming pool at her Connecticut home as part of a broader $3.5 million fraud she orchestrated, officials said.
Two men were found guilty of killing the D.J. Jason Mizell, known as Jam Master Jay, of Run-DMC, bringing a long-sought conclusion to a case that had confounded investigators and left rap fans grieving for over 20 years.
The apartment building fire that killed a young man in Harlem was caused by the lithium-ion batteries that power e-bikes, the Fire Department said. His was the first death in New York City this year to be linked to the batteries.
The resiliency of remote work has prompted large law firms to rethink their real estate footprint, shedding space even as they bulk up their head count.
At least six candidates are trying to get on the ballot for the June 25 primary for the right to represent the Democrats in the race for the state Assembly’s 109th District, currently represented by Assemblymember Pat Fahy, who is running for the state Senate.
The founders of the local law firm Tully Rinckey face 90-day suspensions in Washington D.C., after a disciplinary panel found their firm placed unfair restrictions on departing employees.
Willie Deane, the former Schenectady High School standout basketball player who went on to play for major colleges and then professionally overseas, is out as city parks director.
Plans for a battery energy storage facility in this Adirondack community have been scrapped, according to a representative of National Grid. The move came after public pushback against the project over environmental concerns and safety fears.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
