Welcome to the Frederick Puzzler's Corner!
This is a monthly event to encourage puzzle solving in the geocaching community - all are welcome.
If you have a specific puzzle or puzzling topic you'd like help with, feel free to make note of it in your Will Attend log so others can prepare to help.
January 7th is National Tempura Day
I was first introduced to tempura at a popular Japanese restaurant many, many years ago, and quickly fell in love with this cooking technique. I really never questioned the origin of tempura until now, always assuming it originated in Japan. But in Nagasaki, it was Portuguese missionaries and merchants who, toward the end of the 16th century, introduced the Japanese population to the basic form of tempura that we know today. The ingredients and methods were modified in Tokyo by the food cart culture in the early 17th century. Today, mainstream tempura recipes originate from Edo-style (or Tokyo-style) tempura. The modern recipe for tempura was first published in Japan in 1671.
We most often find vegetables and meats of any kind dipped in a batter of flour, water, eggs and salt, deep-fried, and usually served with a dipping sauce. Prior to the Portuguese influence, you would find these foods fried as is without a batter, or simply coated in rice flour. Because tempura is deep-fried, it was usually cooked outdoors to avoid fires. Fish became a popular item subjected to this method, as it was cooked quickly while still fresh. Over the centuries, and with safer cooking oils and methods, this “street food” has been developed into a high-class cuisine.
Now I’m hungry…
And now, for the usual spiel…
This event is open to all geocachers, no matter what your statistics say or whether you even like puzzles! Newbies and addicts, socialites and lone wolves, mark you calendar.
If you've got a puzzle or mystery cache that's currently got you stumped and you'd like to pick some brains, this event is for you! Zombies are not welcome though, so please leave your pets at home - we want everyone to leave with the brains they brought.
This event is an unstructured think-tank type assembly. You can collaborate on the latest tantalizing quizzler on your radar. Much of the learning comes from working with others to solve a targeted teaser, and there may be a short tutorial thrown in once in a while. You don't have to work on puzzles to enjoy this; there are always good stories to be heard and told. However, you'll have plenty of others to commiserate with, and you might discover someone has solved a puzzle using a similar technique. We continue to see successes and progress at each gathering.
For the puzzle junkies, bring your puzzle paraphernalia - flagged caches, laptop or tablet (Wi-Fi is available), theories, library card, worksheets, (sp)eye glasses, flight plans, Enigma machine, abacus, scratch paper (don’t forget your writing instrument) - you never know who, or what, will show up, and from whom you can gain an advantage. Maybe you’ve recently cracked a tough one and want to see others’ wheels spinning - that can be loads of fun! Yes, we have regular head-slapping moments!
When & Where:
Tuesday, January 7th, 2020, 6pm - 8pm
Panera Bread
1700 Kingfisher Drive, Suite 1
Frederick, Maryland
All food and beverage costs are your own responsibility.
Field trips not included.
(But it's a good time to plan them!)
If you drop any trackables into this event, make sure they have all been claimed or reclaimed before you leave. We don’t want them getting lost in the muggle world!