Brian Ziman

A more or less top down view into a big cast iron pot. The pot was once topped with a strangely smooth, yellowish biscuit, non-uniformly spread across the top of the pot, but now the nearer quarter has been cut away. Beneath the biscuit, a brown gravy is visible, with peas, carrots, potatoes, and green beans in evidence. There are chunks of beef and onions present, I swear, but they are hard to see.

So glad to be home to #Seattle, and my kitchen and #PikePlaceMarket. I present (the remaining three quarters) of my grandmother's "meat pie" - basically a biscuit-topped beef stew. #cooking

Image is an illustration of woman wearing a tight black dress with a rainbow skeleton on it. She wears a fuzzy white capelet and has a short bobbed rainbow colored haircut. She sits on a black background covered in colorful flowers. At the top of the image are the words Black Light Rave with DJ MC300BAUD. At the bottom of the image are the words Norwescon 48 Friday Night Dance 9:30 pm - Grand 3.

Join us on Friday of #nwc48 for the Black Light Rave. Glow under the neon lights and dance wild through the night! This is the second of three amazing dance worlds making one epic weekend of #Norwescon dances! Find the song suggestion form at the link: buff.ly/0mAQ938.

How many moves did it take to figure that out?

I'm not on many mailing lists, but SMOF News is my favorite. Thanks again for doing this!

A photo of a bottle of cognac. On the neck of the bottle is the stamp "1894". On the label, it says "Croizet cognac fine champagne reserve royal".

I got to taste an 1894 Cognac at The Doctor's Office in Capitol Hill tonight! #Seattle

Close up top down view of a deep white ramekin containing a messy square of flourless chocolate torte, with three raspberries "artfully" position atop it.

Course 6 from yesterday's meal was a flourless chocolate torte. That counts as cake, right?

Your Seattle neighbors are missing you too.

Blocking and muting are my favorite features! It's good to see you again!

Sounds like something you'd write!

The Trevor Project receives $45M from MacKenzie Scott after difficult years and federal funding cuts The nonprofit Trevor Project received a $45 million gift from billionaire MacKenzie Scott at the end of 2025.

The nonprofit Trevor Project received a $45 million gift from billionaire MacKenzie Scott at the end of 2025.

How cute!

I'm not sure I could drag a meat smoker into my high rise apartment!

Abducktion: The Fast, Strategic Duck Kidnapping Game for Game Night Fun! Abducktion is a hilarious 15-minute strategy game where you kidnap ducks for aliens! Easy to learn, deeply strategic, and wildly fun—perfect for couples, families & game nights. Fast shipping availabl...

I have NOT played Wanna Buy a Duck... but, have you played Abducktion? Best game ever. www.veryspecialgames.com/pages/abduck...

I bought the parts separately. The ducks that lay eggs aren't the same ducks they sell for food. And I'm not sure that the foie gras ducks are the same as the breast ducks. And I'm way too lazy to confit my own duck legs or smoke my own duck breasts. Fortunately, I have a really great butcher!

A photo from above of a small ramekin containing creme brulee. The custard is a pale yellow, and the inconsistently spread sugar is browned... in places.

Ode to Duck, sixth and final course: Duck egg creme brulee. #cooking

A photo from above of a white dinner plate. At the bottom are several slices of seared duck breast, partially covered with a brown sauce. To the left are a pile of potatoes cut into one inch chunks, skin left on, browned to varying degrees. At the top, some broccoli florets. And on the right, half a slice of brioche (untoasted) with a thick smear of butter.

Ode to Duck, fifth course: seared duck breast with the shallot port sauce, duck fat fried potatoes, steamed broccoli, and some brioche and butter. #cooking

A photo from above of a small white plate. The lower portion of the plate is filled with a piece of seared foie gras, and the upper portion with half a slice of well toasted brioche. Between them is just visible a rich brown sauce. You can see the fat from the foie gras spreading out over the lower half of the plate.

Ode to Duck, fourth course: Foie gras with a shallot port reduction, and toasted brioche. #cooking

A photo from above of a wide shallow bowl. A modest bed of baby spinach is topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and crumbled cheese, and pistachios. On the left are several slices of pink smoked duck, with a thick white cap of fat along the edge.

Ode to Duck, third course: Spinach salad with smoked duck breast, pistachios, crumbled Wensleydale with cranberries, and a balsamic reduction. #cooking

A photo looking down on a wide shallow bowl of cassoulet. There are chunks of pork belly, bacon, carrots, and white beans visible, but it's really hard to identify what's what. There's not much of a broth.

Ode to Duck, second course: Cassoulet with shredded duck leg confit. #cooking

A photo from above of a small white plate. On the left side of the plate sits a tea cup, the bottom of which is filled with dried lentils. Sitting on the bed of lentils is a duck egg in its shell, covered sloppily with a pile of black caviar. In the teacup, behind the egg, there's a small mother of pearl spoon visible. To the right side of the tea cup sits a well toasted stick of brioche.

Ode to Duck, first course: Sturgeon Caviar on a soft boiled duck egg. #cooking

I wish everyone a joyous Sol Invictus, the celebration of being unconquered by superstition and consistent in the pursuit and sharing of knowledge. #tst

How are they going to change the state constitution to push that law through?

I just completed "Playground" - Day 8 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/8

This is much harder when you've only had four hours of sleep over the last 60 hours.

I just completed "Laboratories" - Day 7 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/7

I love the whole aging action hero Liam Neeson thing. There are so many of them, and they're all a lot of fun.

Another top 1,000 finish... but I struggled with typing tonight more than I should have.

I just completed "Trash Compactor" - Day 6 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/6

I really enjoyed that film. Its sequel came out recently, and while it wasn't as good as the first, it's still pretty good.

Another top-1000 finish!

I just completed "Cafeteria" - Day 5 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/5

Thanks again for doing this. SMOF News is one of the VERY FEW newsletters I subscribe to, and you have no idea how important it is to me. Keep up the great work!

SMOF News, volume 5, issue 14 A few annoyances about convention information, and news in brief.

SMOF News, volume 5, issue 14:
A few annoyances about convention information, and news in brief.
smofnews.substack.com/p/smof-news-...