Oyster Mushrooms

Handpicked and ready to be sautéed in olive oil, garlic and parsely.

aloHa RosE

flower: rare aloha rose

QuEEn of LouiSiaNa: irMa ThOmas

I was on my bike this morning, ahead of me, a girl on her bicycle had a shirt that read, "Diamonds are nice, so are pearls, but there's nothing like a Mississippi girl". Made me smile and got me thinking about the South and Irma Thomas and how I needed to post a little something again. She's one of my favorites and I hope she'll become one of yours, too. There's no one else like her. Make sure to start with her old numbers, track names found below...

From the "Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection"

1. Cry On
2. I Done Got Over It
3. It's Raining
4. Hittin' on Nothin'
5. Ruler of My Heart
6. Wish Someone Would Care
7. Breakaway
8. I Need Your Love So Bad
9. While the City Sleeps
10. Time Is on My Side
11. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)
12. Moments to Remember
13. Straight from the Heart
14. Take a Look
15. It's a Man's Woman's World, Pt. 1
16. Long After the Night Is All Over
17. Times Have Changed
18. He's My Guy
19. What Are You Trying to Do
20. Nobody Wants to Hear Nobody's Troubles
21. The Hurt's All Gone
22. I'm Gonna Cry 'Til My Tears Run Dry
23. It's Starting to Get to Me Now

cHeRRy piE

made with michigan's very own cherries and the kind words of marion rombauer (joy of cooking).

SittiNG SidEwaYs

The other night I found this bottle of buckwheat ale at the corner store and really enjoyed it. I think it might be nice to try again with a dish of zaru soba. As seen in the photo I found on Google Images, below. Thank you Google.

( tHe iCe CreAm MaN is CominG )

Last night I took a stroll through town to get a scoop of butter pecan ice cream before sundown. The Washtenaw Dairy is a widely respected establishment in Ann Arbor. They make delicious ice cream and waffle cones and have been around since 1934.

Washtenaw Dairy
602 S. Ashley St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 662-3244

p.s. violets are good for your health (full of vitamins A & C).

ChiRp ChiRp ChiRp

...42...

Lots of Dodgers fans don't know that Jackie Robinson played for the Montréal Royals in 1946. Lots of Montrealers don't know that he lived on de Gaspé street during his stay and that the monument dedicated to him at the entrance of Olympic Stadium used to be right on the northeast corner of Ontario E. and Ave. de Lorimier, where the Delorimier Downs used to be. The monument cost $50,000 and was paid for by the Expos. It was commissioned on January 27, 1987 and inaugurated in the presence of Mrs. Rachel Robinson on May 16, 1987, leaving the artist, Jules Lasalle three months to make all the necessary models and molds. Wheww... Then, in 1989, the city moved the monument to Olympic Stadium on the grounds that it would be more 'visible' to tourist and baseball fans. I took a trip to the monument's old site yesterday. Super depressing. When they removed the statue in '89 they placed a granite podium with a plaque dedicated to Les Royaux (that no longer exists) on home-plate. Originally, the statue of Robinson and the two kids were set at ground level on the pitcher's mound in this miniature version of a ballpark – created for the monument. Now that the Expos are gone I think the city should repatriate the statue to the former Royals playing field. It's where Robinson would have played and piece of pride that was taken away from the neighborhood. From Richard to the present...eastenders have really been getting the fuzzy end of the lollypop...

For information about any of Montreal's public works of art, please, step into the portal...


A baseball related lunch from Lafleur's

tHe EaSteR buNNy really ExiSts

it's just that he may not have 20/20 vision or be white and fuzzy. after waiting more than thirteen years for another one of his visits i learned a thing or two this easter: 1) the easter bunny carries a lot more than chocolate eggs in his basket, and 2) he has a serious repertoire of culinary delights up his sleeve...

if he hasn't been by to see you this year, i hope the sight of this bread and card will make your heart smile as much as they have made mine.

sending many make-believe chocolate eggs your way,
the ketchup kid

PeBBLeS & StiCkS

Lady Julia's blog, Pebbles & Sticks, is fresh out of the frying pan...
The sun shines again...

...BreAkTimE...

This salad celebrates one of the chicory family's most remarkable offspring, the radicchio. The recipe was given to me by a friend's mother, who I also like to call 'mom' whenever I get the chance. When she was young she studied the recorder with a master in Pratolino (where she first tried radicchio)...back in the days when the Villa Demidoff (a Medici Villa then) hadn't been restored and no one seemed to care much about the place. One day, she climbed over a part of the estate's crumbling wall. Not long after making it over did she find herself standing before the great Apennine. I like to think he'd been waiting for her visit...for 320 years. He's gotten all kinds of calls since then, and has had his wounds mended by specialists. Anyways, I hope you get the chance to try it out. I made it this weekend when my mind was beginning to tire from studying and call it the "Fuel for Fire Salad" now. It's like an energy drink, only it's in your salad bowl...

1 small radicchio, chopped
1 pink grapefruit, pith and skin removed
1/2 avocado
1 green onion/chive
1/4 c. almonds (lightly browned in a pan)

Dressing:
1 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste


The Apennine awaits your visit...

...InTheStackSBeBAckSOOn...

Two words I'm loving these days: El Bulli



(thanks for the visit)

...wALteR thE SeLTzeR MaN...

This one goes out to all you seltzer lovers. This show aired on All Things Considered (NPR) in 2002 as part of the New York Works: Audio Portraits of a Vanishing City series. If you should crave an egg cream by the end: click here.

TRANSCRIPT OF WALTER THE SELTZER MAN

...SoFtBoiLEdWoNderlanD...

Nothing like starting the day with a soft boiled egg and a letter from a friend. If you go online, you'll see that people have come up with 100 & 1 techniques...

Here's one way to make and enjoy a soft boiled egg:

Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Slowly lower egg into water using a large spoon. 3-4 minutes later, remove the egg from the water...

Place in a shot glass, egg holder or small cup. Remove the shell from the top or bottom part of the egg by hitting it with a teaspoon.

Cut off the white tip of the egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dunk pieces of bread (some people call them "soldiers") into the egg yolk and enjoy...

...FloUrLess deliGht...

Chocolate cake that involves no flour is one of my favorite things. This recipe has been copied directly, word for word, palabra por palabra, from the of Joy of Cooking (p.729). The only thing I did a bit differently was add cinnamon and allspice, about 1/4 teaspoon of each to the melted chocolate. Happy Baking!

Flourless Chocolate Decadence
One 8-inch round cake

Have all ingredients at room temperature, about 70 degrees F.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 2-inch round
cake pan (not a springform) and line the bottom with wax or
parchment paper.

Combine in a large heatproof bowl:
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips)
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

Set the bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and stir often
until the chocolate and butter are warm, melted, and smooth.

Remove from the heat and whisk in:
5 large eggs

Beat in a large bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form:
5 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

Gradually add, beating on high speed until the peaks are stiff but no dry:
1 tablespoon sugar

Use a rubber spatula to fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the
chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter
into the pan and spread evenly. Set the pan in a large shallow baking dish
or roasting pan, set the dish in the oven and pour in enough water to
reach hallway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for exactly 30 minutes.
Set the cake pan on a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled,
or overnight. To unmold, slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it
from the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper liner. Reinvert onto
a serving platter. Using a doily or hand-cut stencil, if desired, sprinkle
with:
Confectioner's sugar (I also used cocoa powder)

Store in refrigerator, but remove 1 hour or more before serving to soften.

StiLL KinG AfTer aLL TheSe Years

...LoVe SToRies...

Like opening a chest of sunken treasure.

La Cabosse d'Or
Read about how the shop came to be...
It's a bit like the LU story.

BuCHE de NoEL

I found these guys while perusing the net for a Bûche de Noël recipe. Couldn't read their instructions, so I went and consulted with Martha.
Happy Holidays...

aLL tHE trimMinGS

ComingSoon.

Scoured the whole of the United States looking for the TASTY Pizza pie.

The results coming soon.

OfficialBrooklyn.

Mini Pumpkin Pies

Pâte Brisée:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp. granulated white sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/8 to 1/4 cup ice water

Combine all dry ingredients together. Work in butter. Slowly incorporate ice water. Roll into a ball, cover, and place in fridgedaire for 30 minutes. Grease pie molds. Roll out dough. Place in molds. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 F. Remove from oven. Allow to cool. Pour in pumpkin filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

(Mix all ingredients together in a blender, or manually in a bowl)

3 eggs

1, 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin

1/2 cup 35% cream (or evaporated milk)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

Bake pies at 350 F for 20-30 minutes. Ready when you pass a knife into filling and it comes out clean. Allow to cool. Serve with whipped cream.

GasTronomiC suiCide

Marco Ferreri made "La Grande Bouffe" (The Big Dinner/Meal) in 1973. It's a Franco-Italian production that includes some of the best from both worlds: Marcello Mastroianni, Philippe Noiret, polenta and crêpes suzette. The story goes...four friends lock themselves away in the villa of an aristocratic, vieux-garçon (played by Philippe Noiret) to eat until the death. They eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat; become lonesome; invite some ladies to their table; eat some more; and then, dip into some serious debauchery. Even though Fauchon prepared the dishes for this film, all I wanted to eat by the end was some be bim bop. As you may well imagine, there's quite a bit of social commentary running throughout this cinematic number, including, but not limited to the ever so famous saying: You are what you eat.

Umrao Jaan

I sat and cried with fifty or so women at the premiere of J.P Dutta's rendition of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's epic tale of the Lucknow courtesan, Umrao Jaan, last night. The theme song (Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya) says: "Oh God. What did I do? Please do not let me come back as a daughter, again." Umrao Jaan is the distant cousin of Gaspara Stampa. It's a sumptuous production: the costumes, dances and music are...wheww...incredible. I've had the soundtrack on repeat since 8 o'clock this morning.

Rime d'Amore XLIII

Dura è la stella mia, maggior durezza
è quella del mio conte: egli mi fugge,
i' seguo lui; altri per me si strugge,
i' non posso mirar altra bellezza.
Odio chi m'ama, ed amo chi mi sprezza:
verso chi m'è umìle il mio cor rugge,
e son umìl con chi mia speme adugge;
a così stranio cibo ho l'alma avezza.
Egli ognor dà cagione a novo sdegno,
essi mi cercan dar conforto e pace;
i' lasso questi, ed a quell'un m'attegno.
Così ne la tua scola, Amor, si face
sempre il contrario di quel ch'egli è degno:
l'umìl si sprezza, e l'empio si compiace.

- Gaspara Stampa

And now, a word or two on movie snacks in India:

They sell everything from Pizzas and burgers to Indian snacks - dahi vada, chaat, papri chaat, lasagna, rolls (you know, kebabs wrapped in a paratha). These are at the multiplexes. The standalones (a dying breed) have things like jhaal muri (spicy/hot puffed rice with onions etc), the snacky stuff like chaat etc.

- S. Sen, Calcutta, India