The View From Here

Been busy lately inside and out trying to get the house in order for Spring & Summer – my most favorite seasons.  Like most of you I have home repairs, yard work, garden prepping, and just plain shaking off the scales of the Dormant Season.  I am also considering a change of venue for how I spend 9 to 5 – more on that later.

What is suffering through all of this is this site, and dinner time - I have a “creative block”.  While I don’t consider myself an actual “writer”, the creative portion of my brain seems to be focused on things other than “this”.  I’m suffering in the kitchen also – the place I do some of my best work !  It will most certainly pass, but for right now I don’t have anything that I’m passionate enough to post about.

Future posts about food & the kitchen (really ?), mountain & road biking, college football, the Jeep, career-stuff and how to save a ton on your grocery bill will almost certainly (hopefully ?) be coming soon.  As many have penned over the centuries,  with any luck, “This Too Shall Pass…”

I can’t tell you how much I LOVE this time of year !  Everything comes to life, the top comes off the Jeep, and we have a promise of around 6 solid months of good weather – at least for Northeastern Ohio – and it’s only gonna get better !

The last couple weeks have been nice enough to persuade the ground to allow the plants to shoot forth – the little purple Crocuses by the dryer vent, the Tulips & Daffodils & Clematis are all starting to show themselves – Honeysuckle too.    Soon we’ll also have an over-abundance of Roses, Daisys and assorted wildflowers as well.  But my FAVORITE plants of all are bustin’ out also – Spring Herbs !

Spring Herbs – that harbinger of the season, that foretelling of gloriously fresh Summer dishes, that…that…ahhhh…fresh herbs !  We have quite the assortment growing here too.  Why, in the kitchen alone are Rosemary, Parsley, Basil and Mint.  Outdoors : Chives (regular & garlic), Fennel, Oregano, Thyme, MORE Parsley and two kinds of mint – not to mention Green Onions, Leeks, Strawberries, Raspberries and even Apples & Peaches.  I’ll have to plant more Rosey & Basil since they’re annuals – the others mentioned come up all on their own.

If you love food like we do, I can’t stress enough how much fresh herbs enhance a dish.  Whether it’s a simple Basil Pesto, maybe some Tabouli, or just adding fresh Cilantro or Oregano to a creation you just can’t go wrong.  I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing I can just walk outside and get whatever I require – that’s fresh !  And if you stick with the basics and give them a little “growing room”, they’ll reward you year after year – you just sit back an reap what you’ve (previously) sown…

Slim and I are out for breakfast yesterday at our favorite place – only place we like really – to go when we decide to have breakfast out.  We go to a restaurant called My Friend’s Deli, which is just across the 44107 border on the Cleveland side.  Food is good, and the place is normally chock full of eccentrics – just how we like it !

MFD is undergoing a renovation, and some booths are now surrounded by thin drywall, making the acoustics a lot “better”.  We sat next to a couple that didn’t have their “quiet voices” on and heard something a bit disturbing.  They were talking about a mutual friend – it went something like this :

“Yeah, so-and-so’s brother told him he was going to commit suicide, and he told him ‘Go ahead’ – so he did…”

What a sad commentary for the state of our society today – the brother didn’t care, and the people discussing it were basically unmoved as well.  I was horrified !  Why do we put such a low value on human life ?  This is not TV or Hollywood or a video game – this is reality, and we get one shot at it…

Update : In Britain, a depressed man hanged himself while his webcam fed the live images to a chatroom he frequented.  He was egged on by others in the chatroom and told to “get on with it” & “do it”.  Here’s an excerpt from the article :

They confirmed Mr Whitrick told friends in the internet chat room of his plans to kill himself but, thinking he was joking, they egged him on telling him to make sure the his webcam was on.

Mr Whitrick, using the user-name Shyboy-17-1, switched on his webcam and went ahead with his grisly plan.

One anonymous user said: “He tied a rope around an uncovered ceiling joist and stood on the chair as he tied the rope around his neck.

“Some of us chatroom users, talking to Kevin over text chat, microphones and video tried to convince him to step down, but others egged him on telling him to get on with it.

“We just couldn’t believe he was doing it – it was surreal.

“One chatter said: ‘F***ing do it, get on with it, get it round your neck. For F***’s sake he can’t even do this properly’.”

I peruse several magazines every month since I have a hard time reading books.  I guess I need the “quick fix” that magazines offer – a few paragraphs or pages and then off to the next topic.  I won’t go into the list but I think there are around 8 or 9, including Time.

Time, Newsweek, and US News and World Report (you’d think they could have picked a shorter name) all seem to report on the same items, but I’ve mostly only read Time for the last few years.  So I’m reading this week’s issue and I come across an interesting blurb about the RED Campaign.  The RED Campaign was started last year “to benefit the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria” – very noble.

Something NOT so noble in my opinion ?  The fact that Gap, Apple and Motorola have spent an estimated $100 Million on marketing and advertising.  Sounds OK, right ?  Except so far the charity has raised only $18 Million worldwide !  In these corporate giant’s attempts to “attach” themselves to a cause, they have spent much more to get noticed than to actually help the cause – terribly misguided.

The Unites States is probably the most charitable nation the world has ever known, and we are blessed to live here.  From children collecting money for UNICEF to big business to the Buffets & Gates’ – there are some things this country does right !  I feel that when all is said and done we will be judged on how we treated our fellow man while we were here – I’m very serious about that.  Certainly not the only thing, but a big percentage of the compulsories.

 I commend these companies for trying, and in the long run maybe the monies raised will greatly surpass the amount spent.  Instead of trying to “cash in” on the cause, maybe they should just give the money straight to the existing charities trying to fight these dreaded diseases.  I guess you have to “spend money to make money” as the adage goes…

Update : Interesting article on MSN today - http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/FightingAidsWithARedTShirt.aspx?GT1=9215

Sounds like a headline from The Weekly World News, that beacon of the grocery store tabloids, doesn’t it ?  Yeah, right next to “Bat Boy” and “Bigfoot Sighting at Local Taco Bell”.  KSM, under intense US interrogation, broke like a tea cup – or did he ?  While testifying, he basically admitted that he was the mastermind of over two dozen terrorist attacks, the Kennedy assassination and the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.  OK – I’m kidding about the last two – you caught me.

 I guess what strikes me most is that I find it almost unfathomable that ONE MAN was responsible for planning :  9/11, the 1993 WTC attacks, the Bali nightclub bombings, an attempt on Pope John Paul II, the Embassy bombings, shoe-bomber Richard Reid and the beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.  He was one busy terrorist !  These are basically the most reprehensible terrorist acts in recent history – sure glad we caught the “main” person responsible.

Ok – as I take a deep breath, I realize maybe it IS possible that he had a hand in all these activities.  But what do I REALLY think ?  I think it’s a deflection move on the enemies’ behalf to steer us off course, even just a bit.  Admitting freely, in court, that he was behind it all and caving during testimony is just not modus operandi for these “people” – I use the term loosely.  Basically an “aw shucks – ya got me !”.  I just don’t buy it, but I wonder just how old was KSM when the Stock Market crashed in 1929…

Updated : Associated Press Story published this morning -

“Officials : Mohammed Exaggerated Claims”

WASHINGTON – Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s claims that he was responsible for dozens of successful, foiled and imagined attacks in the past 15 years relies on a loose definition of the word “responsible.” Officials say the 9/11 mastermind was key to some plots but a bit player in others.

I read on the internets this week that two paintings were stolen from the home of Pablo Picasso’s granddaughter in France.  It’s been a while since we’ve had a good art theft, hasn’t it ?  While I am certainly against stealing – after all, it is one of His Commandments – I can’t help but be intrigued about it.

Back in the day, before drive-bys, crack dealers, road rage, identity theft, etc…, your “majors” were murder, gambling, prostitution and theft.  Ah, theft – would a crime by any other name sound so sweet ?  Let me explain.  Again, while I don’t agree with it, there is a certain romanticism about it.  Jewel thieves, cat burglars, antiquities traders and diamond smugglers – Hollywood crimes !

Part of me thinks it’s the movies I like to watch : To Catch A Thief, the Indiana Jones trilogy, Bond movies and The Maltese Falcon to name just a few.  In To Catch A Thief, Cary Grant is a retired cat burgler who gets set up by a copycat then tries to clear his name.  He goes to great parties, woos Grace Kelly (wow !) and lives in an awesome house on the French Riviera. Indiana Jones is in search of hidden treasure, only to have it stolen by the Nazis.  James Bond, well, he’s BOND !

You can’t help but fall in love with the genre – international intrigue, fast cars, beautiful women, exotic locations – the whole nine yards.  And while it may be Tinseltown’s version, it may not be far from the mark.  The Picasso thieves planned their caper, executed it masterfully, and possibly even stole it for some anonymous buyer.  Authorities all over Europe are searching for activity in the art dealing underworld, waiting for the perps to “surface”.  How do you fence $70,000,000 in stolen art ?  See what I mean – exciting isn’t it ?

OK – reality check (*sound of needle across a record*) – theft is theft is theft, and stealing is wrong.  Ms. Picasso is missing something that was very near and dear to her, and she probably feels violated and just wants her grandfather’s paintings returned unharmed.  Or did she set the whole thing up to collect on the insurance money ?  After all, they are just paintings, and money is money.  Does she have a lover on the side, and at this moment they are jet-setting to Monte Carlo in his private plane so that they can be together ?  Maybe HE is the one who arranged the heist ?  Hmmm…

Update : A jewel thief in Belgium steals $28 Million in diamonds from an Antwerp bank.  If anyone sees anything on the internets about these two crimes, please feel free to comment so we can stay updated.

Weather break, that is !  Northeast Ohio had highs in the low to mid 70’s today – first time since Fall 2006 !  It is truly a harbinger of things to come, and the sooner the better !  It’s hard to beat the Lake Erie region in the Summer.

We spend a fair amount of time outside on the patio when the weather breaks.  Most meals are spent on our patio with the torches lit and a fire in the trusty chimnea – light gives heat.  Tonight was no exception as we dined outside for the first time in 2007.  It may have only been a simple Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad, but the evening held the promise of things to come – many meals, many friends & relatives, many fires – and many more memories…

The wife and I do OK – we don’t “want” for much, and if we need something we can usually afford it.  However, that’s NOT what this post is about.  This post is about eating on the cheap.  I plan to do more posts on the subject, but for now let’s limit this to…

…Chicken Soup !  We all probably had Grandmas or other relatives that made Chicken Soup from whole chickens, probably bought live or freshly slaughtered.  The nice thing about using a whole chicken is not only is it nutritious, it tastes great, has a lot less sodium, and no preservatives.  And one of the best parts – YOU can do it too !

The way I make my mine is very easy, and at the same time inexpensive.  It’s a great way to stretch your food dollar, and you have the satisfaction of doing it yourself !  The batch I made Saturday was roughly enough for 20 to 25 servings, at a cost of around FIFTY CENTS a serving – you can’t even get a small fry from the golden arches for less than a buck !  If you don’t want to eat it all at once it also stays just peachy in the freezer for long periods.

The whole process takes a little over 3 hours, but very little time is spent “hands on” – mostly just set it and forget it.  My soup is a bit on the spicy side, and was inspired by a Middle Eastern restaurant a few blocks away called Aladdin’s Eatery.  Aladdin’s started in that small storefront, but now has around 20 locations in many cities including Chicago, Pittsburgh and Arlington, Va.

I start with a thawed, whole chicken – maybe 5 to 7 pounds – and put it in a medium sized stockpot with just enough water to cover the bird.  Then I bring it to a boil and heavy simmer for a couple hours covered, periodically skimming off the scum from the top.  At the 2-hour mark I take out the bird, and using a fork pick clean the carcass.  I then return the meat and skin to the pot, again bringing to a heavy simmer.  I leave the fledgling stock uncovered so it has a chance to reduce for about an hour.

While the stock is reducing I cut up my veggies – carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, redskin taters, celery, onion and red or yellow pepper.  When the mix begins to taste “chickeny” at about the 3 hour mark or so I toss in all the veggies, a 14-1/2 ounce can of diced maters, some garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, tobasco and about 3 tbsp of buttah.  Don’t forget salt and pepper too !  The measurements are all by “feel” as this is a very forgiving soup – just sample the broth periodically and season as needed.  Oh – and pick out the skin that floats to the top !

When the soup has simmered another half hour or so it should be ready.  We like to serve our’s in a shallow bowl with a large pile of shredded extra-sharp cheaddar in the middle.  Grab a loaf of crusty bread and you are good to go !  This soup is very easy on the budget as stated, but it’s also really tasty – enjoy…

Main Entry: ²tapa
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, literally, cover, lid, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English tæppa tap
: an hors d’oeuvre served with drinks especially in Spanish bars — usually used in plural

Literal translation : Small Plates.  I first had tapas on a trip to The Big Apple, somewhere on the upper East Side.  I instantly fell in love with the concept.  A group of people order a large selection of tapas and just “share”.  What’s not to love ?

My wife Slim and I often do the same at meal time, except we stay at home.  After all, the NYC can be expensive !  I make small dishes of shrimp, mushrooms, potatoes, roasted veggies - anything really – normally served with a good, crusty bread and a little red wine.  Tapas are normally simple dishes with little prep work that really deliver on flavor.  In a very short time you can have a meal to remember !

Another fav of our’s is “The Platter” – basically an Antipasto platter.  I’ll utilize cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, and again a great bread.  The concept of both tapas and platters for us is basically relaxing, sharing, and taking it easy.  A large amount of our Summer meals on the patio are based around this concept – perfect for a lazy evening’s meal in front of the fire.  We’ve even entertained larger groups with only tapas & platters as the “main”.  It’s always received rave reviews.

Please take my advice, if you really want to connect (or not) with friends or your significant other at meal time – try tapas or a platter on for size.  Nothing exotic, make it your own.  We use mostly grocery store fare, though sometimes I’ll add a little something special from some of my favorite ethnic markets.  The most basic ingredient is to just “enjoy”…