Once upon a time, I was a software engineer for Silicon Graphics. I worked in the Digital Media software group. We were the people responsible for the software that processed sound and live video on SGI computers. My particular job was to develop applications that could record live audio and video.
Each SGI software product comes with a set of "release notes". These notes are usually prepared by the engineers working on the product (SGI was usually short-handed on technical writers to do the job). The release notes tell the customer how to properly set up the software, and also provide last-minute notes about things the customer should know about (usually software bugs that didn't get fixed in time for the release).
Somewhere in the middle of a particularly gruesome and stressful software release cycle, I decided to add a new chapter to the release notes. The new final chapter was entitled "Recipes." Initially, it simply contained my favorite recipe for Kung Pao chicken. For the next release, my friend Sean, who in a former career worked as a cook for the Ritz-Carlton dining room in San Francisco, provided me with his recipe for Tiramisu.
Other than the engineering staff within the Digital Media group, nobody knew that our technical documentation had a small cookbook buried within it. I sort of viewed it as a bonus for customers who were sage enough to read the release notes.
It was a year and a half before SGI's director of software releases discovered the recipes hidden away in the documentation. He was a particularly repressed personality with not much of a sense of humor, and he blew his top to both me and my manager (who knew about the recipes all along). He went on at length about how unprofessional this looked, and our responsibility to our customers. By this time, the recipes had gone out in several software releases, and we told the director we wouldn't remove them. He didn't try to stop us.
Probably one of my best memories from SGI was the email from a customer which said, "I couldn't get the video capture tool to work, but the Kung Pao Chicken recipe was really delicious!" We aimed to please at SGI, one way or another.
The Digital Media Release Notes recipes follow, formatted as you would have seen them had you installed the software and were simply trying to capture a video clip.
29. Recipes This chapter lists some tasty recipes for you to enjoy. 29.1 Kung Pao Chicken This classic Chinese dish is a zesty blend of chicken, peanuts and vegetables in a spicy sauce. 29.1.1 Ingredients 1 Chicken, about 2 1bs (1 kg) or 1 lb (450 g) Chicken Breasts 8 pieces Dry Hot Red Pepper, 1 piece about 3" (7.5 cm) long 1/2 cup (120 ml) Unsalted Peanuts (optional) 1 tsp Ginger, chopped 1 Green Pepper, chopped into 1 inch (2.5 cm) squares 1/2 White Onion, chopped into 1 inch (2.5 cm) squares Marinade: 1 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch 1 1/2 tablespoons Cold Water 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce For Cooking: 5 cups (1200 ml) Peanut Oil Seasoning Sauce: 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese Rice Wine 1 tablespoon Sugar 1 teaspoon Cornstarch 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Black Bean Sauce 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil 29.1.2 Procedure 1. Remove all bones from chicken, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes, add water, cornstarch and soy sauce. Stir evenly in one direction and soak for one half hour. 2. Chop green pepper and onion, set aside. Chop ginger, set aside. Wipe clean, remove tips and seeds of dry red pepper, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) long pieces, set aside. Mix ingredients for seasoning sauce, set aside. 3. Heat oil in wok. Fry peanuts until golden. Remove and let cool. 4. Fry chicken in boiling oil for a half minute. Remove chicken and drain off oil from wok. 5. Return 2 tablespoons oil to wok. Heat until very hot, then add ginger and red pepper. Fry until red pepper turns black (watch out for pepper fumes), then add onions and green pepper. Stir fry for one minute. 6. Return chicken to wok, stir quickly, then add seasoning sauce. Stir until thickened and heated thoroughly, then turn off heat. (Be careful not to heat sauce too thoroughly, as it can carmelize). Add the peanuts (deep fried or roasted). Mix well and serve immediately with steamed rice. 29.2 Tiramisu This famous Italian dessert delicately layers cookies, chocolate and coffee with a rich blend of cream and Italian Mascarpone cheese. It is sure to wow the guests at your next dinner party. This recipe was contributed by Sean Yamamoto (seany@sgi.com). 29.2.1 Ingredients 100 g Mascarpone cheese 1 Egg, separated 1 tablespoon Sugar 0.25 liter Heavy Cream Espresso (1 espresso cup per 5 people), cold Lady's fingers cookies Bittersweet chocolate and cocoa, grated (powder) Vanilla extract Optional: Liqueur (brandy, cognac or rum) Layers of chocolate or cocoa (with the two other layers). 29.2.2 Procedure 1. In mixing bowl combine the mascarpone, the sugar and the egg yolks. Mix well. 2. In another bowl whip the heavy cream with the vanilla. 3. Whip the egg whites into soft peaks (separately). 4. Fold together the mascarpone mixture, whipped cream, and egg whites. 5. Pour the coffee (no sugar) in a bowl and steep the lady's fingers. 6. In the serving dish make a layer of cookies, then a layer of the cream. 7. Repeat until there are 3 or 4 layers (until the cream is finished). 8. At the end, sprinkle some chocolate or cocoa. 9. Put in the refrigerator (minimum 4 hours).
Copyright © 2000 Michael Portuesi, all rights reserved.