Parmesan and Root Vegetable Lasagna

Serves 10

- 6 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 2 1/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups coarsely chopped onion, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cooking spray
- 4 cups 1% low-fat milk
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 9 packaged no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine squash, potato, 1 cup chopped onion, and oil in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray, tossing to coat vegetables. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring once; set aside.

3. Combine remaining 1 cup onion, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return milk mixture to pan. (NOTE: the magazine noted the importance of cleaning the pan well before refilling it with the milk mixture.) Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, salt, and pepper to milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

4. Preheat oven to 375°.

5. Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over milk mixture; top with half of squash mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup milk mixture. Repeat layer with noodles, squash mixture, mozzarella, and milk mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles. Spread remaining milk mixture over noodles, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

-From Cooking Light

Bead Party!

The women of the earth sciences department enjoyed cooking and sampling traditional food while admiring hundreds of beautiful paper beads made by Ugandan women. The fair trade organization, Beads for Life, allows women to earn enough to feed their families. A wonderful afternoon was enjoyed by all
and you can find someone modeling their
carefully-chosen purchases in a hallway near you!

Droser Lab ON TOUR!

The Great Basin...
#1 SPRING BREAK DESTINATION IN THE US!

Rosemary Nuts

Rosemary Nuts (from The Italian Vegetarian by Jack Bishop)



INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. raw whole almonds (with skins)
• 1 c. pecans halves
• 1 c. walnut halves
• 1/3 c. pinenuts
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. melted butter
• 1 T. (or more) minced fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spread nuts evenly on baking sheet.
2. Bake nuts for ~10 minutes in oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Once the pinenuts reach a golden-brown color, the nuts are probably done.
3. While nuts bake, chop rosemary and mix with remaining ingredients in a small-medium bowl.
4. Add nuts and stir.
5. Serve hot!

Makes ~4 cups

Kiwis...or Hox Genes Gone Awry?

Title: An Experimental Analysis of Genetic Multiplicity in Local, Not-for-Profit Kiwis Nurtured in the Groves of the Inland Orange Conservancy, California: A Case of Mutational Hox Gene Repression

Materials: Wooden cutting board, snowflake-bedecked steel chopping knife (Fig. 2), the Subjects: to wit, one set of Kiwi Siamese Triplets (Fig. 1)

Methods: The subjects were incrementally cross-sectioned under strong lighting. Following parisection, innards were meticulously prodded with a steel knife tip. Process was photographically documented and researcher consumption of subject samples was supervised by researcher's roommate.

Results:
1. The first incision, into the proximal end of the firmest and smallest kiwi-triplet (Fig. 3), did not reveal any indication of a genetically mutated state. Rather, the subject appeared, although of unusual growth habit, to be no more than an ordinary kiwi.
2. After surgical removal of the subject from its fellows, further examination yielded no extraordinary findings. The cross-sectioned kiwi was as lustrous, finely and elliptically-radially laminated and seeded as a kiwi, according to the agricultural experts of any local grocery store, aught to be (Fig. 4-5).
3. However, dissection of the remaining two triplets yielded more interesting results, in the form of extreme mushiness and some aberration from typical kiwi coloration (Fig. 6). Slicing proved extremely difficult, due to the overly-softened state of the subjects.
4. Carnage. Alone in the jungle of oozing overripe kiwi blobs spattering the cutting board surface and dripping from the chopping blade, a lone Dickinsonia stands, propped against one of its fallen fellows (Fig. 7).
5. A perhaps healthier alternative approaches (a gargantuan Not-for-Profit Riverside Navel Orange), preparing for hostile takeover of the researcher's breakfast (Fig. 8).

Discussion: Upon examination, it would seem that, apart from the inevitable encroachment of mushiness, fermentation and rottenness, each of the kiwi-components in question is sound. Deviation from kiwian "normal" internal morphology was not observed. However, the cause and nature of the embryonic split of the Hypothetical Ancestral Kiwi (HAK) into the observed triplet-form merits further investigation.

Conclusion: To Eat or Not to Eat? That is the Question (Fig. 9).

Nerd Tattoos

If all the nerds of all the world got tattoos, they might look something like this:

Science Tattoo Emporium

Indio Date Festival

Despite the driving rain, wind and unseasonably (by seasonless southern Californian standards) cold temperatures, Day #2 of the National Date Festival of Indio was well-attended by young and old, the mildly-curious and the self-acknowledged-fanatic. The day started off with the annual Date Parade, starring the Mayor of Indio (His Augustness was ushered in by Indio's finest Bedouins and belly dancers), marching bands, cadet corps, a sheriff ATV fleet, little old men from El Bekal shrine tooting about in motorized cars and scooters (note the lovingly plastic-wrapped fezzes), a giant blow-up recycling bin lurking amidst palm trees, and mounted Mariachi bands. After battling the boisterous crowds of the parade, our intrepid explorers (Erica, Erica's mother Anne, Cassy and yours truly) traversed the labyrinthine ways of the Indio highways and high streets, and at the last found parking and the fairgrounds, guided by the lowing of various exotic Middle Eastern beasts (i.e. prize-winning goats, lambs, pigs and cows). We journeyed through the unending array of rather banal fair booths, adorned with Middle Eastern flair (the sunglasses hut proudly boasted its wares upon the head of a grinning camel). Bedraggled, parched and near-despair, we finally stumbled upon an oasis of incomparable fairness: two stands devoted to the peddling of that noblest of fruits, the Date. The friendly natives of this oasis refreshed our weariness with samples of Medjool, Bahri, Deglet Noor, Honey, Abbada, Halawi, Khadrawi and Zahidi dates; sated our hunger with scrumptious date muffins, bars and macaroons; and slaked our thirst with date milkshakes. Laden with provisions and shivering violently, we entered the tempest once more and, trudging stoutheartedly through the muck, arrived at last at the Grand Stadiums, testing ground of the Speediest and the Strongest - the champions of the Ostrich and Camel Worlds. First appeared the ostriches, strutting proudly, beaks aloft and eyes aflame. Ah, the bugle call! Ah, the grace of those towering, rotund avians! One, two! One, two! And into the fence the rider went snicker-snack! Alas, only one doughty pair of rider and steed reached the finish line intact. Next: the Ostrich Chariot Races (with red, white and blue cloak and plastic helm-clad charioteers). Then, the Camels. These daring beasts feared neither mud nor rain (as their jockeys assured us) - they would gallop onwards, heeding no obstacles! Ah, once more the thrill of the bugle call, and gallop they did - into the concrete stadium wall and onto their heads. Chilled but cheered, we persisted on our journey, taking in the Date and Citrus Expo (to see but not to eat, alas), little girl dancing troupes, fish taco and pretzel stands. And then, as the afternoon waned, we left this City of Jubilation and embarked upon our next adventure...