In addition, there’s now a forum where groundschool students can ask questions and one of the instructors (mostly me) will do our best to answer. Anyone can read the forum, and you can sign up for a free account to post questions.

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Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Shrimp (see note on size), cooked
• 1/2 Pound Scallops, cooked
• 1/2 Pound Crabmeat or Kani
• 1 Large Daikon
• 2-3 Radishes
• 1 Leek
• 2-3 Green Onions
• 8 Large, soft hot dog type rolls (I particularly like sourdough rolls for this recipe)
• 1/4 Cup Plain yogurt
• 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
• optional 1 sprig Cilantro
• 4-6 Springs Mint
• 1/4 Cup Chives, divided
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Butter
• White pepper
• Paprika
• 1/4 Cup Salt plus Salt to taste

I find that the 71-90 count shrimp are the best for this recipe. While “shrimpmeat” can be used, it frequently lacks flavor and texture leaving a “mush” behind. My Tequila and Lime Shrimp recipe can be used to cook both the scallops and the shrimp. In fact, you can toss them in the pan together and save a little time and effort in the preparation. To cool the shrimp and scallop mixture, leave it in the colander after cooking cover liberally in ice. Place it in a sink. The melting ice will gently cool the seafood, without the shock that putting in the freezer would produce.

The best tasting crab is the meat picked off of a single large crab. If you have better things to do with your time, buy pre-picked crabmeat or Kani (crab substitute). I try and avoid canned crab.

Preparation:

There are few dishes for which specific kitchen implements are necessary. The rolls may be made with only one strainer, however, given the number of things that need to be strained / drained / washed it is very helpful to have two or even three strainers.

The perennial problem I have with this dish is moisture: there’s just too much of it. If the seafood mixture is too wet, then the rolls become soggy and un-appetizing. To combat this drain everything throughly. You may press down on objects in the strainer with the back of a cooking spoon to help dry them.

Grate the daikon and radishes. Place in a bowl or strainer with 1/4 cup of salt and set aside. Ideally they should be left in a strainer, but if you only have 1-2 strainers, setting them in a bowl works well also. Slice the leek into thin round. I like to wash my leek again after slicing, as there can sometimes be remnant dirt between the layers. In addition, rinsing in a sieve will “break up” the leek a little. Drain well. Place the leek in a large bowl. Chop up the green onions and place with the bowl with the leek.

Drain the shrimp, scallops and crab well, pressing out extra water with a spoon or spatula. Add to the bowl with the leeks and green onions.

In a small bowl or measuring cup melt the butter and add the olive oil. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons paprika. Split the buns (but don’t break them, you want a single, hinged bun to place the seafood into) and coat lightly with the oil-butter mixture. Lightly toast under a broiler or on the BBQ.

Place the radish and daikon back in a strainer (if you took them out) and rinse throughly but quickly. After rinsing they should not be unduly salty. Drain vigorously. The daikon-radish mixture in particular will require pressure to be applied to get the remnant moisture out. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients.

Mince the chives and divide in two. Place one half in with the seafood and mince the mint (and optionally the cilantro) in with the other half. Set the herb mixture aside.

Add the lime juice and white pepper to the seafood mixture and slowly add sour cream and yogurt, stirring gently, until the seafood mixture is smooth, but not watery. I usually need less than 1/4 cup each for three pounds of seafood. The combination of daikon and shrimp is generally salty enough, although you may need to add a little salt.

To prepare the rolls, generously spoon the mixture into the buns, filling them completely. Garnish liberally with the mint-chive herbs, as this is where a lot of the aromatic flavor is.

Serving:

Serve the the rolls cold with a salad and/or fresh potato chips. Lemonade and beer both go well with the rolls. When serving at a picnic/potluck I usually slice the rolls in half giving me 16 little rolls. I also usually use Kani, as some people are allergic to crab. Slices of lime make a nice garnish. Generally, these rolls can sit for a couple of hours (refrigerated) if the mixture is dry and the buns are well toasted. Goes well with lemonade, limeade or beer. Serves 6-8.

Photos Soon.

Ingredients:

• Shrimp (see note)
• Juice of 1-2 limes (roughly 1/4 cup yield)
• 1/2 Cup beer
• 1/4 Cup Tequila
• 1/4 Cup minced chives
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Dry wasabi to taste (I use about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of shrimp)

Shrimp quantity depends on what you are doing with them. To place over a salad, 1/4 pounds per person is usually sufficient. As an entree, on the other hand, I usually plan for at least 1/2 pounds per person. The size of the shrimp and whether they are cleaned will also effect how much you need to start with. For extremely large and small recipes the quantity of liquid should be scaled accordingly.

Preparation:

Peel and de-vein the shrimp, if necessary, and rinse throughly. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper and wasabi.

In a large sauté pan warm 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot (water flicked from the fingers should sizzle and pop) toss in the shrimp. Stir vigorously with a wooden spatula for 15-30 seconds and then add the liquid. It is not necessary to have the liquid in a single container, but it may be difficult to measure and pour from separate containers while stirring the shrimp.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook stirring occasionally until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. For 71-90 count “medium” shrimp this takes less than 5 minutes. When the shrimp are about 1 minute from done add the chives and stir them in.

Drain (but do not rinse) the shrimp in a colander. Some recipes may call for the stock. It can be used, although the presence of beer and tequila makes it a fairly “strong” stock and it should probably be thinned before use.

Serving:

Serve the shrimp hot or cold with a variety of side dishes. The shrimp are particularly tasty placed on a Caesar Salad or used as the base for some other recipe which calls for cooked shrimp. Servings depend on quantity of shrimp used.

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Bread, cut into 1/4″ to 1/2″ cubes
• 2-3 hearts of romaine lettuce
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil, divided
• optional3 Cloves Garlic or 1 Shallot or 1 Leek
• 1 Teaspoon mustard, dry or prepared
• 1/4 – 1/2 Teaspoon Wasabi, dry or prepared
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 Ice Cubes
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Tabasco Sauce (or similar) to taste
• optional 1 can Anchovies or 1/2 teaspoon anchovie paste
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated of shaved.

Preparation:

Pour 1/4 cup of Olive Oil into a large skillet. Season with either several slices of garlic, shallot or leek. When the oil is hot (small bubbles will form along the edge of the garlic/shallot/leek), toss in the bread cubes. Season with pepper. Sauté the croûtons until slightly crispy and a light golden-brown color. To drain the croûtons, place a heavy paper bag (like those from the grocery store) folded flat on the counter and place 2-3 sheets of paper towel on top. Dump the croûtons out onto the blotting surface and blot with another piece of paper towel. Set croûtons aside.

For the dressing, in a blender combine the remaining olive oil, egg, lemon and lime juice, ice cubes, wasabi, mustard, several shakes of tobacco, salt and pepper. If you are going to add anchovie, put it in, although I prefer my sauce without. Place either 1 clove of garlic, or roughly 1 Tablespoon of chopped shallot or leek in the sauce. If you are concerned about salmonella, you may coddle the egg (boil it) for 60 seconds before adding it. Blend the sauce on high until the ice cubes emulsify in the oil. This can take as much as 5 minutes with a lower power blender.

To prepare the salad, wash the lettuce and chop it into bite sized chunks. In a large wooden bowl, rub 1 teaspoon of salt into the wood with the garlic/shallot/leek. Put the lettuce in the bowl and add the dressing slowly, tossing the salad gently until the lettuce is coated, but not soggy. Add the majority of the croûtons and cheese, reserving a little to garnish and toss gently. Finally, garnish with the remaining croûtons and cheese.

Variation: It has been widely suggested that instead of tossing the cut up leaves with the dressing, the spears of romaine should arranged on a plate and croûtons, cheese and dressing placed on top. While this can be a nice effect, it is impractical for “summer dining” and picnics. For a main course you can add grilled chicken or shrimp.

Serving:

Serve the salad cold. If you add meat, it should generally be placed on top and not tossed in. Caesar Salad is a great picnic dish, although bringing the dressing in a separate container and tossing just before eating will help keep the lettuce crisp. Serves 6.

Pictures Soon

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Flower
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Stick (1/4 Cup) Butter Melted but not hot
• 2 Large Eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 Tablespoons Bourbon
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Jelly (Grape works well)
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Cup Chocolate (Chips of Chunks)
• 1 Cup Pecans
• 1 9″ Pie Crust, Unbaked

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine 1 Tablespoon Bourbon, Honey and Jelly. Mix well with a whisk or fork until you have a thin paste or spread. Spread evenly over the pie crust. Perforate the bottom of the pie crust lightly with a fork and pre bake the crust for 7-10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, combine Sugar, Flour, Salt, Butter, Eggs, Bourbon and Vanilla and mix well. Gently stir in the Chocolate and Pecans.

After taking the pie crust out of the oven, reset to 350 degrees. Allow the pie crust to cool slightly. Pour the filling into the pie crust. You may smooth the top with a spatula to help remove bubbles from the filling. Bake in a 350 degree until puffed and firm, with a solid golden brown top, about 45-50 minutes.

Note on Convection Ovens: The flow of air in the convection oven causes the top of the pie to puff and rise early, in as little as 20 minutes. I have ruined more than one pie thinking it done when it was only half baked because of this phenomenon. Avoid by either a) baking without the convection turned on or b) checking by pricking the pie with a knife.

Variation: Some people substitute rum for bourbon and/or walnuts for pecans. Any combination of these gives a good pie.

Serving:

Serve the Kentucky Derby Pie warm with a glass of cold milk or a Bourbon neat. Serves 8.

Pictures Soon.

To get started with WordPress nonces, we need a plugin administration page. To make life easier for the budding developer, I’ve created a basic plugin called “WP Nonce Playground.” ('WP Nonce Playground: Part 1'). Upload and activate the plugin. Under “Settings” you will have a new tab: “WP Nonce”. On this screen you can set a check box and some text.

Unfortunately, this is not really secure, because it doesn’t check any credentials. Lets add some. To create a nonce, we’ll be using the wp_create_nonce($action) function. The $action parameter is optional, but without it the system is not nearly as secure. $action is a string, and you should create a unique $action for each different action which you will create

Open up wpn.admin.php. On line 61, add:

<input name="wpn-update_settings" type="hidden" value="<?php echo wp_create_nonce('wpn-update_setting'); ?>" />

This creates a hidden form field with the name wpn-update_settings and places a custom nonce in the value field. If you save the page, refresh, and examine the source, you’ll see the nonce in a hidden form field down at the bottom. Of course, we’re not actually checking it right now, so it’s not much use at the moment.

It’s easy enough to start checking the nonce, however. We use the companion to the wp_create_nonce($action) function, wp_verify_nonce($nonce, $action). Like wp_create_nonce, wp_verify_nonce does not explicitly require the $action parameter, however, whatever $action parameter was used to create the nonce must also be used for successful verification.

Back to wpn.admin.php. Replace lines 13 and 14 with:

if (!isset($_POST['wpn-update_settings'])) die("Hmm ..., looks like you didn't send any credentials");
if (!wp_verify_nonce($_POST['wpn-update_settings'],'wpn-update_settings')) die("Hmm ..., looks like you didn't send the right credentials");

Go ahead and save the page. Visit it and update the options.

Well, that didn’t work! If you copied and pasted exactly what I wrote above, you get the error:

Hmm …, looks like you didn’t send the right credentials

The eagle eyed among you will notice that on line 61, we created a nonce with the $action of ‘wp-update-setting’, but everywhere else, including in wp_verify_nonce, we used ‘wp-update-settings‘.

Update wpn.admin.php, line 61 to:

<input name="wpn-update_settings" type="hidden" value="<?php echo wp_create_nonce('wpn-update_settings'); ?>" />

Lo and behold, it works!

If your wpn.admin.php isn’t working, a working version with all the changes made in the part is also in the plugin folder at wpn.admin.final.php. You can rename this to wpn.admin.php to make the plugin work.

More:

• Part 0 — Background
• Part 1 — Basic Nonce Usage

WordPress Nonce Tutorial Home

Fortunately, WordPress supports Numbers used ONCE (nonce) as a way of keeping nonces (pedophiles, hackers, and people who talk at the theater) out. Follow along as I show you how to keep your plugin from being the door to hackers.

Since early in the version 2 branch wordpress has supported nonces, unfortunately, the resources on using them effectively are all too scarce. In actuality, they are quite easy and simple to use.

According to Wikipedia, a Crytographic nonce:

[Is] a random or pseudo-random number issued in an authentication protocol to ensure that old communications cannot be reused in replay attacks. … To ensure that a nonce is used only once, it should be time-variant (including a suitably granular timestamp in its value), or generated with enough random bits to ensure a probabilistically insignificant chance of repeating a previously generated value.

In WordPress terms, a nonce is either an md5 HMAC or a plain md5 hash. In general a WP nonce is valid for twelve hours but expires after 24 hours. Thus the current or previous nonce may both be used. While the wp_generate_nonce($action) function includes several internal components to make the nonce more secure, it also allows the developer to specify an action for the nonce. An action is simply a string which is included in the hash calculation. By creating a separate action for each edit page, etc., a hacker needs to intercept the nonce specific to the action they wish to perform. Thus, even if they intercept a nonce, there is only one (or a very limited number) of nefarious actions which they can perform.

More:

• Part 0 — Background
• Part 1 — Basic Nonce Usage

WordPress Nonce Tutorial Home

Please forgive my wrongheadedness in testing the wrong version before the 0.2 release. This time, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it right.

Check out my µAudio page, or head over to µAudio at wordpress.org for a copy of your very own.

Prepare the System:

In order to install the s3sync tools you will need ruby and libopenssl-ruby to be installed on your system. I will be using the yum command found on Fedora and RHEL. If you use a ubuntu or some other debian system, simply substitute the command apt-get for yum. In addition, I like nano for this type of editing, substitute a text editor of your choice.

Install ruby (note, on some systems, libopenssl-ruby may be part of the ruby package, in which case, it will tell you that it cannot be found. That’s ok, it installed as part of ruby):

$> yum install ruby libopenssl-ruby

Now check and make sure that worked, the exact version isn’t important as long as it is 1.8.4 or greater:

$> ruby --version
ruby 1.8.6 (2008-03-03 patchlevel 114) [i386-linux]

Once you have ruby, download and unzip the s3sync package. You should probably do this in a location that makes sense for saving a program, like /usr/bin, or similar. Well also clean up after ourselves and delete the now useless archive:

$> wget http://s3.amazonaws.com/ServEdge_pub/s3sync/s3sync.tar.gz
$> tar xvzf s3sync.tar.gz
$> rm s3sync.tar.gz

Configure s3sync:

With s3sync installed, you need to configure it to work with your amazon S3 settings. The first step is to download and install encryption certificates:

$> mkdir certs
$> cd certs
$> wget http://mirbsd.mirsolutions.de/cvs.cgi/~checkout~/src/etc/ssl.certs.shar

Note the trailing ~ on the token ~checkout~. Without this extra tilde, the checkout will not work.

Finally, you need to set up the configuration file with you S3 access key ID and secret access key:

$> cd ..                  // Gets us back to the 's3sync' directory
$> nano s3config.yml.example

Fill in the access key and secret key, as well as the certificate path, something like /usr/bin/s3sync/certs (assuming you followed my location). Save the file as s3config.yml.

Once the configuration is completed, you need to tell s3sync where the config file lives. In addition, we’ll alias the s3sync and s3cmd instructions so that they can be used anywhere in the shell, just like any other command. To do this, we’ll open the .bash_profile configuration file and add a few lines.

$> cd ~
$> nano .bash_profile

Once in the file, add the following lines:

# S3sync section
export S3CONF="/usr/bin/s3sync"
alias s3cmd="/usr/bin/s3sync/s3cmd.rb"
alias s3sync="/usr/bin/s3sync/s3sync.rb"

Log out and back in (or touch the file) and you should be all set up to run s3sync and s3cmd.

Test the Install:

Now that we’re through the hard part of setting up s3sync, we just need to test out our install. Take a shot of something spirituous, close your eyes, and test s3sync by typing:

$> ./s3cmd.rb
Need a command (etc)
s3cmd.rb . . .

Congratulations! You’re ready to become a lean, mean, backed-up machine.

Special thanks to John Eberly, for his brilliant article, upon which this section is heavily based.

The ‘Simple Storage Service’:

To quote the Simple Storage Service (S3) website:

Amazon S3 is storage for the Internet. It is designed to make web-scale computing easier for developers.

Amazon S3 provides a simple web services interface that can be used to store and retrieve any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the web. It gives any developer access to the same highly scalable, reliable, fast, inexpensive data storage infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its own global network of web sites. The service aims to maximize benefits of scale and to pass those benefits on to developers.

In plainer language, S3 is unlimited storage space at rock bottom prices. It’s also fast. Really fast. In fact, it’s so fast that your server will probably be the limiting link in how fast you can send data. But that’s ok, because when we are done, the backup process will run in the background

The cost:

“Pretty nifty,” you say to yourself, “but how much does all this ‘computing in the cloud’ goodness cost?” An excellent question.

While the S3 rates are subject to change, at the current rates, 10 GB — yes you read that correctly, 10 Gigabytes — of monthly storage with 20 GB of monthly transfer would cost you about US$3.50 per month. Rates are slightly higher in Europe. In addition, Amazon provides a nice little calculator to help you figure out the damage.

The Set-Up:

So how do you get started backing up with the Amazon S3 service? Very simply. Simply sign up for an account and then follow one of the links below to a tutorial.