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entitlement, fandom: harry potter, grudgewank, i want to be a hero on the internets, i'm just here for the recipes, in ur wank - swapping our foodz, lying liar that lies, my very firstest wank, not very subtle at all, om nom nom, please mommy make it stop, plucky girl detective, potterdammerung, recipes in comments, she admitted it!, she's on a mission guys!, sockpuppets, the classmate did it, thinks we're fandom police, this is the wank that never ends, we love jf tags, yet another entitled hp fucktard, yummeh foodz

Laptopgate II: Now With Added Condos
As an offshoot of the Lexicon wank, it appears Melissa wank has arrived.

As part of her "impartial" coverage of the lawsuit, Melissa Anelli of TLC apparently felt it necessary to qualify Steve Vander Ark's (signed under oath) statement that the advertising on the Lexicon "covers the cost of running the site" by reminding people that "The Leaky Cauldron houses and runs the Harry Potter Lexicon for zero charge, and has since it came under its current domain name. That is true as of this posting." However, on Feb 11 she admits to denying a request for the transfer of hosting.

This prompts SVA to release more detail than anyone wanted to know about the finances of the Lexicon. Quote: "If there was any income to me, it wasn't much, especially by comparison to the income other websites have earned." The "other website" he specifically mentions is MuggleNet, whose owner claims a "six-figure income" from the site. SVA doesn't mention TLC, but Melissa goes crazy.

A bit of digging reveals that TLC's finances have been discussed before over on I was a Leaky Lounge Mod. In May 2007, a mouse says: "I know for a fact that Melissa used Leaky money to buy herself a new laptop." In September 2007, Gina raised suspicions about who paid for Melissa's New York apartment ("the web provides a TON of information about purchase prices of condos which are pretty darn high to not have jobs *koff koff*") Over Sep/Oct 2007 the subject was raised again, and another mouse said:

"To take Melissa as the main example, as has been pointed out she lives in New York. That place is very expensive, not just real estate but the cost of living as well. She is in no way living off the advance on her book because let's face it, even if all her fangirls and boys buy it it's not going to be a huge best seller. The time has been and gone for that. She has left her full time job and therefore she must be taking at least a 5-6 figure salary from Leaky. If she is doing this and has deliberately registered it in a way that doesn't mean full disclosure, then that is appalling."

The matter was pretty much put to rest until Melissa forced SVA's hand. Ex-staff are pissed. Highlights:

There will continue to be no transparency about Leaky income. They've claimed for far too long that they make no money. I can only say that I actually know this to be total BS. I'd love to tell you my proof, alas I'm not able. Steve threw some stones but Melissa opened a door that, IMHO, that now begs the question of well, so, what DOES Leaky earn then?

and:

Since Melissa is bringing up money herself, she really should answer. If she is going to criticize Steve for trying to make this a full time job that she should be above that same criticism.

Arianhrod marches over to Leaky Lounge with this:

But since it doesn't appear that anyone else is going to ask the logical question, I will.

Just how much does Leaky make from all of this--in profit? Is this considered a hobby by the IRS, or is it a major source (or even sole source) of income?

And before anyone questions my audacity, Melissa has laid it out on the line and brought the subject of hosting and ad revenue costs into the open. It's no longer a private matter--the whole world now knows about it and as such this is a valid question, especially if TLC has been or gets dragged into this lawsuit.

I don't expect an answer--I do expect to get ripped to shreds, and that's fine. But at least I'm not afraid to ask.

Melissa ignores the question. Arianhrod calls her on it ("With all due respect, Melissa, that is avoiding the issue.") Melissa gets defensive.

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papervolcano
2008-02-16 08:03 am UTC (link)

While we're sharing recipes, can I convince anyone to tell me interesting things to do with tofu?

In return: Baby pizzas with pistachio pesto and goat's cheese

For the pizza base:
dried yeast: 1tbsp
caster sugar: 1tsp
water: 275ml, warmed but not hot
salt: 1tsp
plain flour: 500g

For the pesto:
basil: 1 bunch
garlic clove: 1, crushed
olive oil: 1 glug
pistachio nuts: 75g, shelled

Also:
goat's cheese: 125g, well crumbled
cherry tomatoes: 8-10

1) dissolve the yeast and sugar in 100ml of warm water. In a separate bowl, mix together the salt and flour. When the yeast starts bubbling, add it to the flour with enough of the rest of the water to make a dough.

2) knead the dough for 5-10 mins until smooth. Put it in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and stick it somewhere warm to rise for an hour.

3) while the dough is rising, make the pesto. This is a deeeeeeply complicated process. Stick all the pesto bits in a food processor or other blender, and whiz until there aren't any big lumps.

4) preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F/Gas Mark 8

5) when the dough has risen, punch out the air and divide into four balls. Roll the balls into flat disks and place on a baking tray. Spread the pesto over the discs, then sprinkle the goat's cheese over. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and put them on too.

6) Bake for 12 minutes, then eat.

Makes four mini-pizzas.

I'd heartily recommend making more dough and pesto at the same time. Follow the recipe for the dough, and after punching down, stick them in a lightly oiled ziploc bag the freezer. They'll keep for a good couple of months, at least. Extra pesto can be stuck in a jar in the fridge, and used as you would normal pesto. Add to pesto with goat's cheese for a gorgeous and easy supper.

Other options:
Chilli pesto:

basil: 1 big bunch
chillis: 2 (I use green chillis, but others are also an option)
garlic: 1 clove
olive oil: 175ml
almonds: 50g, shelled and lightly toasted in a hot dry pan for 1 min
lemon juice: of 1 lemon
salt: some

1) stick everything in a blender, and whiz until the almonds are well crushed.

Spread over pizza base or into pasta. Add appropriate veg and cheese. Eat.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

Tofu stir-fry.

azazello
2008-02-16 01:39 pm UTC (link)

This is my standard tofu thingie:

Cube tofu and marinade for at least two and up to 24 hours. Marinade in the following:

1 clove garlic, pureed or microplane grated.
1 inch piece of ginger, ditto.
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (I recently substituted sweet chili sauce for this and it worked well)
3 tablespoons soya sauce.

Coat the tofu cubes after marinading in flour and fry until crisp - set aside and keep warm.

Heat some groundnut oil in a wok until smoking.

Stir fry sliced spring onion (scallion), followed by sliced mushrooms and any other veggies you like in a stir fry - my version usually involves bok choy or pak choy, chopped, spinach leaves work well, too. Basically, it's ready when the mushrooms are cooked and the leaves are wilted, but still with a bit of bite. Re add the tofu cubes, then pour over the remaining marinade ingredients (if there is not enough to wet the dish, make up a sauce using the same ingredients, except for the garlic and ginger) just long enough for it to sizzle a bit. Then it's ready.

I like to serve this with either boiled brown rice, or cooked soba noodles. This is my standard "my-body-is-a-temple" dish for when I'm needing something really healthy and virtuous. It tends to show up on January's supper menu quite a bit. It's also proof that good-for-you doesn't have to exclude delicious.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Tofu stir-fry. magic_lilybean 2008-02-16 04:58 pm UTC (link)
	just long enough for it to sizzle a bit I have been reading this wank for too long, for I read that as, "just long enough for it to sizzle a BAT." rubs eyes (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Tofu stir-fry. tofuknight 2008-02-19 12:58 am UTC (link)
	just long enough for it to sizzle a BAT AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Reply to this)(Parent)

not very interesting, but it's tofu

kuromitsu
2008-02-16 01:55 pm UTC (link)

My standard dish when I'm too busy to cook and have no money to order food.

Cook some brown rice (depending on how much you want to eat). When you're done and the rice is still hot, get some tofu of the softest variety, dice it up and blend it with the rice. Add as much soy souce as you want, and it's pretty much ready. You can add whatever else you want (I usually sprinkle it with some nori and/or sesame seeds).

It's not particularly delicious, but it's pretty good to quell hunger, and eating for a few days always motivates me to make some time to cook more tasty as soon as possible. :D

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	beejium 2008-02-16 03:04 pm UTC (link)
	Don't have a recipe, but I had the best tofu ever in my pad thai at a restaurant the other day. By the taste of it, I think the trick is to find some sort of nummy seasoning and then just let it soak for about 2.5 million years. Num. (Reply to this)(Parent)

djinnj
2008-02-16 05:55 pm UTC (link)

Do you already know the key concepts behind cooking tofu? We put soft tofu in soup, mostly, but we also do a cheater's mapo dofu. It's not really mapo dofu, but it's tasty.

2pkgs of soft tofu cut into blocks
1tbsp or more each: minced garlic; minced ginger; chopped scallions; chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
2tbsp or more (to taste): soy sauce; your favorite chili paste (it'll be slightly more "authentic" if it's something with sichuan peppercorns).
2-3tbsp cooking oil, canola is good
and optionally 1/2-3/4 of a pound of lean ground pork or turkey

Heat a pan good and hot and throw in the oil. When the oil is well and truly hot, throw in all the herbs except the cilantro. Stir it around a bit until it smells really good and the garlic is cooked. If you're ading meat, add it now and stir it around until it's broken up and just cooked through. Add the soy sauce and chili paste, stir it around and taste it. Adjust the seasoning until it's right (it should be very strong, but balanced in flavor).

Add the tofu and stir it gently to coat all the pieces and then let it cook to heat through, stirring only once or twice. This is pretty fast, and the tofu will shed water, which will create a wonderful gravy. Don't stir too hard or overheat it as the tofu will break up and weep too much, diluting the gravy too much.

Remove from heat, stir in the chopped cilantro, and serve immediately with copious quantities of jasmine rice.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

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