to start: butterfly chicken breasts. or go to a good butcher who’ll do it right, including cleaning the skin and fat. (and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.)

* lay flat, add paprika & salt.
* layer on ham, not too thick.
* layer on swiss cheese, cut to match the size of the chicken breast.

then: roll (in any direction) TIGHT. use twine to secure (in 3-4 locations, as needed)

* lightly flour the chicken bundle (it helps the egg stick).
* crack & mix eggs. use a brush to coat the chicken bundle.
* roll around in bread crumbs. tap the bundle so excess crumbs fall. you don’t need it to be too thick.

stove top: heat a thick layer of peanut oil (not too deep, as you’re not submerging this bad boy). note: peanut oil is good to ‘deep fry’ as it has a high smoking temperature. which means it won’t burn and smoke up your house, but gets really hot and cooks things well. never use olive oil to ‘deep fry.’

* cook and rotate (using tongs) so that each side gets a nice brown coat.

bake: at 375 degrees, bake for 30 min. reheat at 400 degrees for 15 min (or until hot). consider undercooking it if prepping early and plan to reheat it later to not risk drying out the chicken.

side dish: rustic baked potatoes

* halve large potatoes, leave skin on. (red, not brown.)
* boil potatoes in salt until soft (test with fork).
* drain water from pot.
* add butter and large chunks of scallions.
* fork mash.
* spread on baking dish.
* at 400 degrees, bake for 40 min, until brown. (broil at the end for 1-2 min if you need more color.)

[Video below] The Bigdog robot, which is the brainchild of Boston Dynamics, can look intimidatingly real when it navigates rough terrain. But don’t worry, this little guy isn’t going to replace Fido anytime soon; Boston Dynamics is working with the Tactical Technology Office at D.A.R.P.A., which primarily looks at the future of war and combat zones.

Source (and more videos): Five Robots to Watch, New York Times Bits

I’m a tad freaked out.

hear the chorus of geeks say – “ooh, ouch.”