I learn another useful thing from the internet

I have an automatic Google search for "Leta" which turns up some interesting things for me, a few of them from the Latvian News Agency "LETA;" a few because Google seems to believe that the word "let's" counts as a "Leta" sighting; a few reminding me that Frank Leta in Missouri has car dealerships; and many, many of them because, it seems, that if your first name is Leta (or if you have a daughter named Leta), you write a blog.

I grew up believing that I was the only Leta in the world, so this sisterhood of Letas on the internet is nice development. Mind you, none of us actually know each other or anything; I don't find cross references to other Leta blogs in my travels through the ether. But even so, it means that there are quite a few women out there who have also spent their lives correcting how our name is pronounced.* We may not know each other, but we have a bond.

So anyway, today's Google search turned up a new-ish blog written Leta the culinary student. I'm not sure why it took Google so long to find it; she's been blogging since April. I normally don't spend a lot of time on either Mommy blogs (unless the Mommy is a friend or even a friend of a friend) or food blogs** (too much rhapsodizing about food I can't have), but I'll probably keep checking in on Leta for a while because 1) she's starting an externship at a restaurant in NYC and that sounds interesting; and 2) she includes cooking tips, like the one below, instead of just recipes for pastries.

Another trick I learned allows you to tell how cooked a steak is in the middle without cutting into it. Press your forefinger and thumb together and feel the fleshy spot on the outside of your palm in between your thumb and forefinger. This is what a well done steak feels like. Press your middle finger and thumb together for medium well. Your ring finger and thumb give you medium. Your pinky and thumb give you medium rare. If you don't touch any fingers together, that fleshy spot should feel really soft, just like a rare steak. Kind of gross, but very handy!

*Reminder: Lee-tah, long "e" like in "sweet", not Lett-uh, short "e" like in "letter."

** Big ol' exception, Anne's Food