lapsus humanus

From the mouth of babes: more fashion tips

2011-07-10T09:38:00.000+02:00

This time, I knew I couldn't go wrong with a white and black ziggy-zaggy shirt. As soon as it caught Tortellino's eye...

Oh, Ma... that shirt is AWESOME!

Yipee!

If you stand next to a Zebra, no one will see you, only your black pants sticking out like an extra pair of legs.

At least, he thinks that at some point, I will have the occasion to be standing next to a Zebra. Oh well!

From the mouth of babes: compliments

2011-06-10T18:20:00.007+02:00

Getting ready for a trip and I was trying on a new shirt. Having had some limited success with a bold black and white striped shirt I bought a bold red shirt with white dots. Tortellino got really excited when he saw me.

WOW! Mom, you look like a clown!

Oh...

It's OK. You're a really beautiful clown.

You can always count on your kids to know just what to say to make you feel better.

Milk & Stawberry Tiramisu'

2011-06-02T08:03:00.003+02:00

Taste of Home Strawberry Trifle

Tortellino's birthday is today and I made him a special cake. Usually, he requests a cake with real fruit, for the first few birthdays - because of a milk intolerance I made him Angelfood Cake with macerated berry topping. The last couple of years I made fruit tarts - beautiful, shiny and well... boring! This year I was short on time and ideas but I saw a beautiful picture of a Strawberry Tiramisu' - most Itailans have never heard of this because it's an American invention!

The best part... nooo baking!

The picture of this dessert really appealed to me but the recipe didn't. The thought of espresso and strawberries in the same bite really turned me off - plus.. I didn't really want to jack-up the kids on caffeine!

So, I took inspiration from a traditional Italian tiramisu' recipe.
- First I macerated half the strawberries in lemon and sugar and sliced the other half to decorate the cake

- Then, I made the original mascarpone/zabaglione cream from a "real" tiramisu' recipe

- Instead of dipping the Savoiardi cookies in cofee, I dipped them in whole milk
- In my transparent pyrex lasagna casserole I lined the bottom with milk-dipped cookies, then I sprinkled a little bit of the strawberry syrup from the macerated strawberries on top. Next, a layer of mascarpone cream mix, then a layer of drained macerated strawberries, another light layer of mascarpone cream, milk-dipped cookies, sprinkle of strawberry syrup, and mascarpone cream. On this white canvas I decorated the cake by sprinkling a little bitter chocolate powder (again nodding to the original) and then used strawberries and melissa leaves (a lemony tasting herb) to decorate the top.

Yum, yum! So easy and I definitely plan to make it again... maybe next time with pictures!!!

How to Out-fox the French: Italian Style

2011-04-01T13:52:00.006+02:00

As you may have heard in the news, there are literally thousands of north African immgrants arriving on the small Sicilian Island of Lampedusa every day. Italy has asked Europe for help in managing the situation- which involves checking the identity of each arrival. If they have legal documents and no criminal record, they are granted entry into the Country. If not, which almost all do not since they burn their identity papers before boarding these immigrant ships they are refused entry and get a boat ride back to their supposed point of origin. Italy has asked the European Community for help in managing this situation all have refused. France, of course, is the final destination for many of the immagrants from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and other African French-speaking counries.

And who is sending undocumented immgrants without papers by the bus-load across the boarder and dropping them off into Italy? In their "defense" France claims that "they entered Europe thorugh your coast line, they're your problem now."

What to do?

Run a series of "expose'" stories on the Italian news showing all the routes to get into France undetected - including unsupervised fence areas, and mountain roads used by bootleggers.

Today's news expose' story focused on how Friday is "Market" day in the Italian boarder towns and many French would be coming to Italy to shop for bargains making boarder controls back into France chaotic and difficult.

They're just saying... you know... just in case you were wondering.

Centrifugal Juice Whizzer...

2011-03-18T10:17:00.001+01:00

From the website of my favorite catalog, that featured an injured child to sell curtains, now we have an anatomically correct centrifugal juicer...

Bottom's up!

Barbie: I can be... a dentist OR a potty attendant, I mean behind wiper, I mean..

2010-12-04T10:16:00.004+01:00

...babysitter! Yea, that's it!

That idea never popped in my head when I this at the store today. I can't decide on what level any executive at Mattel thought this was a good idea. Aren't there better ways to illustrate a babysitter than to have her, washcloth in hand, attending to a child going to the potty? As if that wasn't enough, the potty is inteactive -the interior turns yellow with a brown "shape" and when you flush it makes a sound and the interior turns blue.

The next companion toy in the series, seems like a good idea, Barbie is a Pediatric Dentist -- with a moving toothbrush and a seat that makes gargling noises - that´s a little creepy but if you are scraping the bottom of the barrel for interactive noise-based ideas from the dentist´s office that´s what you get.

OK Mattel, listen-up, this is my suggestion for next year's I Can Be.. a Babysitter Barbie:

Comfy couch, universal remote control, flat-screen tv and interactive coffee table that makes "potatochip crunch" and "soda can opening fizz" noises when Barbie´s flip-flop covered feet are on it. The Kelly doll should wear sox of two different colors, flowery shorts, a turtleneck sweater, butterfly wings, and a crown.

I'm sure moms everywhere would be glad to share their ideas on the Babysitter doll.

I think you need them.

From the mouthes of babes: I forgot

2010-11-29T06:30:00.002+01:00

Driving home from school I asked Tortellino what he ate from lunch. This is what he said, with a very "pained" look on his face and his hands in the air, palms up...

Well... uhm... ahm... when I was playing I left the idea door open and all of my ideas fell out and what I ate was there too. It fell out. I don't know how to tell you. I don't have the picture of food in my tummy, anymore. It fell out.

You can imagine the discussion we had about leaving doors open and loosing your ideas!

What are your unforgettable quotes?

Italy's Lunch Program... Wow!

2010-10-08T04:07:00.005+02:00

The hub-ub continues about the quality of food in U.S. schools and it's effect on one of the heaviest populations in the developed world. For perspective, I would like to show you the lunch program in Tortellino's school. We live in Italy, not far outside of Rome- each province and region has it's own menu depending on the traditions and ingredients of that region.

For Tortellino's school, there are two menus a "Summer" and "Winter" which cycle on a 5 week schedule. Each meal consists of a first course, second course, side dish, bread and fruit. This is not slop on a tray, they (including kindergarten) receive ceramic plates with real metal implements to eat with. You will see that each week is marked on top in Roman numerals, and the day of the week is written on the left in yellow. Oh, and most kids eat everything on the menu. Really. (click on it to enlarge, or scroll down for the translation)

The food , and it's preparation, is under strict control by a mixed panel including parents, administrators, cooks and government officials.

I will translate a typical week for you....

Summer Menu Week IV:

Monday
Lasagna
Tuna
Spinach
Bread
Fruit

Tuesday
Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
Roasted Turkey
Carrots
Bread
Fruit

Wednesday
Tortellini in Tomato Sauce
Mozerella
Baked Potatoes
Bread
Fruit

Thursday
Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese
Oven-Roasted Chicken
Tomatoes
Bread
Fruit

Friday
Saffron Risotto
Potato Egg Frittata
Salad
Bread
Fruit

If there is genuine interest, and it would be useful for you, I will gladly translate the whole thing and also post the Winter Menu.

Now, what are your kids eating?

The Underside of.. Bernalda (MT) Italy

2010-08-23T14:20:00.000+02:00

Italians don't like to show off their dirty laundry. Clean laundry, is another thing...

The best sewer caps...ever!

Coming next... the streets and balconies of historic Bernalda!

Ferragosto Feast

2010-08-16T08:33:00.003+02:00

On the 15th of August, every Italian celebrates Ferragosto - a day of picnics, outings, or elaborate lunches. Usually, my husband's family has a lunch in the countryside among their orange and olive trees. It sounds far-away and picturesque but since they live in a little town on top of the hill, the countryside is just down the hill from them. This summer we celebrated in my mother-in-law's home because she had just converted her garage into a nice apartment. We were only 16 - usually the group is 30+ people because she has four brothers and a sister each with about three kids each, and each with two or three kids each... it adds up!

I took this as an opportunity to practice my food photography. So... I present her menu to you...

A lasagna with meat sauce, plus grated ham, mozerella and beschemel sauce.

The second course featured two meat dishes... the first was a pork roast, served with peperonata and fresh figs. The second..

Was various cuts and preparations of pork. Pork pieces, pork rolls, stuffed with cheese and pork meat-balls!

Soft and crunchy at the same time, creme-filled bignet finished the meal!

Buon ferragosto!

The cook is in pink in the front!

vitello tonnato (cold veal roast with tuna sauce) - via pressure cooker

2010-07-22T07:21:00.002+02:00

vitello tonnato - cold veal roast in tuna sauce
Veal roast can be expensive cut of meat, so feel free to substitute the veal with pork, beef or even turkey! Just make sure that the beef has very little marbling or veining on the inside so that you can get nice, compact, slices. You can also make the roast the day before company arrives, and the sauce about an hour before serving.

1 lb. or 500g veal roast (or two small ones)
1 Onion, roughly sliced
1 Carrot, roughly sliced
1 Celery stalk, roughly sliced
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 cup of White Wine
4 Cloves (the spice)
5 leaves of Bay Laurel
1 branch of Rosemary
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive oil

For the tuna sauce:
3 Anchovies
1 can of Tuna in Olive Oil
1 cup of quality Mayonnaise
2 tbsp. of capers (rinsed if salted, drained if in oil)

Put two tablespoons of olive oil in the pressure cooker and, with the top off, brown the meat on all sides. Then add the onion, carrot and celery and swoosh them around in the pan a little bit. Next, add the garlic, bay, rosemary and cloves, a little pepper and abundant salt (about 1tbsp). Now, add one cup of white wine and one cup of water. Mix the contents of the pan so they all have contact with the water. Close the top of the pressure cooker, raise the flame to maximum until it begins to whistle. Then, lower the flame to medium-low and begin counting 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the meat).

When the time is up, release the vapor from the pan, remove the roast and place it in a platter with a tin-foil tent to cool. Strain, and reserve the cooking liquid. When the roast is relatively cool, put in the refrigerator to chill.

For the sauce, blend all of the ingredients - except for the caper - until it is "sauce" consistency. If it is too thick, add some of the liquid that remained from the roast. If it is too runny, add a little more tuna (strained from the oil).

To serve, slice the roast thinly, cover with sauce and sprinkle capers on top.

Serves about 6

Check-out my new blog hip pressure cooking, for more recipes and information!

I almost lost Ctrl...

2010-07-21T09:03:00.001+02:00

...when my 2-year-old daughter removed all of the keys from the keyboard of my laptop. Yes, all of them! In just 10 unsupervised minutes. After a house-wide search we found it under the couch... but it refuses to stick back on. So, watch out, from now on my blogging is going to be out of Ctrl.

hang some starfish with... a hanger!

2010-07-13T21:38:00.005+02:00

I wanted to liven up an empty corner above my refrigerator. And had just the things from my local shell store. Since these are real and not ceramic starfish they needed a good seal to keep the humidity of cooking from re-hydrating them. I could have gone with a clear seal, but since I'm going for a modern elegant look I painted them white for more contrast.

Making the hanger was pretty easy! First, I got a wire hanger and I cut an angle off. I twisted it and checked for the width of the holders against the starfish. One more bend on each end, and then some paint to match the starfish and voila!

Bumpy, groovy, tactile art for above the refrigerator...

You may wonder... why do I have stickers on my refrigerator? This fridge came with us from Austria and between the trip and the kids it received a few dents and scratches.. hence the stickers - at least I didn't choose red dots!

why I blog

2010-07-11T01:27:00.004+02:00

I ran across this question online today: Who inspired you to blog? I answered it in the little comment field, but I couldn´t stop thinking about it. Many said that other blogs inspired them to blog. Well.. I started this blog in 2003 and there were very few interesting blogs to inspire.

My mother´s unexpected death in 2002 inspired my blog. She was such a talented writer - she would turn an email into a short theater script or write incredible details of her experiences- and never had one single place to put all of her writings or even realize her dream of writing a cookbook. Though, I have inherited just a small percentage of her talent as a writer, I wanted to create a compendium of thoughts and stories for anyone who might enjoy me now, or miss me later.

The "what is happening to me right now, or earlier today" phase was at the beginning. When you think your life is pretty interesting or you have an opinion on everything, there is no shortage of writing material!

Then, I moved into the "this is what I did, pre-blog" phase (like the dolphin story) which refuses to close. It lingers and waits for the story about how I never got into the Airforce out of high-school and it got me banned from any military branch in the United States to be written. Though 20 years, two kids and three countries later it almost doesn´t seem to matter. Almost.

I went through "Mommyzilla" when I got pregnant with Tortellino (born in 2005), but the blogging really slowed down after that because I had a new little guy keeping me busy. I still write a post now and then about what a great enlightened mom I am but the birth of Rompina (born 2008) took care of that. You only think you are doing anything right when your kids let you.

I was experiencing so many new things with our move to Austria, that the "What the hell am I doing here and who are these people?!?" phase was kind of automatic. I even had an article written about me in a local paper because, apparently, Austrians like to be observed and written about.

Our move to Italy, surprisingly, did not bring up the same kind of topics. Then again, I am from here and all the while in America I missed being here - though now I´ve been around the world so much I don´t exactly fit anywhere anymore.

Which brings me to the current "look what I did, and this is how you can do it too" phase. Through commenting and reading other blogs I found my own voice again and my comment on a story was even chosen as comment of the day!

Next? I don´t know... I just hope to be able to keep writing, sharing, and talking until I´m good and ready to let go of this keyboard.

the 7-minute risotto - via pressure cooker!

2010-07-08T06:33:00.007+02:00

I have gotten such an enthusiastic response to my pressure cooker recipes that I posted this one, and many more new ones, on my new blog dedicated to pressure cooking. Come and visit hip pressure cooking... and make a pressure cooker recipe request, or post your own!

I present you with an Italian-approved risotto pressure cooker recipe. The rice comes out creamy and delicious just like the original - faster, and without all that stirring and baby-sitting. This technique will not result in boiled rice and will only take 20 minutes from start to finish.

NY Times authority on all that is delicious and edible, Mark Bittman, in his Laid Back Risotto technique insists that it is not exactly required to stir in the liquid a little at a time. In fact, the key to risotto creaminess is in all the work before the liquid is even added - the toasting of the rice grains. The most important thing to remember when adapting a risotto recipe to the pressure cooker is that once the top is on nothing evaporates... so: be delicate with the wine or it will overpower your whole risotto; and, stick to the ratios on the broth - except when adding watery vegetables- or you will boil the rice!

Basic Pressure Cooker Risotto Recipe
The magic ratio here is "100g rice:250ml broth" or "1/2 cup rice:1cup broth". Which is handy, because this is the amount you will need per serving if you need to increase or decrease this recipe.

400g or two cups of Arborio Rice
1 lt or four cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
1 swig of white wine
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste

Soften the onion in your pressure cooker, add salt and pepper. When onions are softened add the rice and lightly toast it to release the starch. When you add the Arborio rice to the onions first it will turn it from white to translucent as it absorbs the oil, then in about a minute back to white. Wait until just a couple of grains look golden and your rice is toasted! Then, add a swig of white wine and stir until it has evaporated. Add the broth, mix and close the top immediately. Turn the flame up to high and wait for the hissing to start. Lower the flame and start counting 7 minutes for al dente risotto, 9 minutes for well done.

Near the end of the cooking time, I like to pick up the whole cooker off the flame and swirl it around to feel if it is still very liquid inside. It should feel a little dense but not soupy.

When the time is up, put the whole pan in your sink and run a little cold water on the top to lower the pressure quickly and open it to stop the cooking. If the risotto inside is still very wet, put the open pressure cooker back on a medium flame to bring to the right consistency.

Serves 4

Fancy-up your Risotto:

Risotto alla Milanese - add saffron when you are softening the onions and frozen peas right after you have opened the pressure cooker.
Mushroom risotto - substitute white wine for red, throw in dehydrated mushrooms before the liquid, or fresh ones after (reduce quantity of liquid accordingly).
Zucchini Risotto (pictured) - after softening the onion, lightly brown about two medium zucchini finely chopped (or grated. Adjust the broth amount you add (I reduce it to about 75% which is about 750ml or three cups). When serving, add a spoonful of fresh, diced tomato, garlic, basil and olive oil on top.
Potato and Pancetta Risotto - reduce the olive oil and throw in the pancetta with the onion. When some of the fat has melted off the pancetta add one medium diced potato, and lightly brown them, then continue with the recipe.
Tomato Risotto - when browning the onion use butter instead of olive oil. Throw in a pinch of oregano, too! When measuring for the broth, first add one can of chopped tomatoes into your measuring vessel, then calculate the rest of the liquid.
Frutti di Mare - start cooking the shellfish first in a separate pan with garlic and salt. Save some of the liquid they release for your broth. When they are about 75% cooked, start with the basic risotto recipe. Add one anchovy to the olive oil when softening the onion. When the rice has softened, add about 25% of your shellfish into the pressure cooker and continue with the recipe. When the risotto is ready, unite the remaining shellfish to the risotto before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

What is your favorite risotto recipe? Have you tried it in the pressure cooker?

kitchen organization tips, plus... more drawers!

2010-06-30T23:26:00.008+02:00

I've been on a roll lately making my own custom knife drawer,and then custom silverware and cooking utensil drawers. The rest of my kitchen innards use standard items made for organizing, not quite diy like the rest, but there are a few more little tricks and tips that I would like to share.

Vertical Saute'
The vertical saute' pan drawer is an under-the-sink recycling pull-out drawer. I used standard drawer dividers to separate my pans so they don't scratch and are easy to reach without having to stack and unstack them.

Overhead Cleaning Supplies
Since I have kids, all of my detergents went into an overhead cabinet. It's actually turned out to be a fantastic idea, because everything is now really easy to find because the overhead cabinet is not as deep and at eye level.

Bottles Up!
For the spice cabinet I purposely put the bottles on top instead of the bottom, so that everything would be "lower" and easier to reach. Had I put the bottles on the bottom, I would have had to go on my tippy-toes to reach the spices!

Tops Down
This little top-holder made it possible to fit many more tops in the same amount of space. Very easy to find and grab the right top!

Coffee & Tea
I made the coffee and tea overhead cabinet above where we will eventually put the coffee maker. I'm a big tea drinker. I used to have access to quite an international tea selection when I lived in San Francisco. But, now that I live in Italy - land of espresso- it is difficult to find local specialty or imported teas. I have resorted to making my own chai spice mix (tastes great!).

Pantry Drawers
Nothing too special here, just the grain & bean, pasta, baking and pantry drawers with normal dividers and dollar-store baskets to help keep everything in it's place.

Yes, we have an obscene amount of olives! Hubby's family from Southern Italy have their own trees so we are always well stocked !

my diy drawer organizers - just wood & glue!

2010-06-29T16:00:00.000+02:00

Since I had such an incredible success in making a custom IKEA Knife drawer with just a drawer liner, glue gun and some cut pieces of wood. I went all out and completed the set. Hubby says the silverware drawer is his favorite transformation; I'm just so happy that we got rid of the horrible wire mesh silverware sorter (everything got stuck in it).

Silverware Sorter Drawer
Finally, a space for my medium and mini dessert forks. Also, a slot for butter knives and tea thingies!

Cooking Utensil Drawer
I used to have all of these things in a vase, but now that I've gone minimalist and have the extra space I stuck them all in a drawer. Before the dividers, with daily use, everything would slowly migrate to the middle and tangle.

Knife Drawer, revisited
A safe haven from children for all of my sharp things. Slots for steak knives, cheese knives, chef, bread, mezzaluna and other large specialty knives. The last slot is for the sharpening rod (or whatever it's called). Skewers get tucked on the side opposite of zesters, baller, peeler and a cork screw. I originally wrote an excruciatingly detailed description here about how the idea came to me and how I made it... but let's just cut to the drawer photos, no?

In the bedroom... jewlery drawer
I did this a long time ago and never had a reason to post it. I used an IKEA Inreda DVD drawer insert, and some ice cube trays to keep all my bling organized. Further on the right, not pictured, are additional ice cube trays, and a small pillow for pin parking.

So.... what should I organize next?

[insert mad scientist laugh here]

Links to this post:

More kitchen drawers! Ikea Hacker
Organized Jewelry, Ikea Hacker
How to Make a Custom Knife Tray out of Wood and Glue, the kitchn
make your own kitchen drawer organizers & knife tray! Yahoo's Shine

pop! wicker color

2010-06-28T08:00:00.004+02:00

Our IKEA wicker chairs were getting a little worse for wear, so we had this great idea of spray-painting them. I just wanted to do blue and white but hubby had other plans, and I'm glad he did! I painted each one a different color - though I nixed his rainbow-with-leftover-colors chair so we have one that we left natural. Each chair, with two coats, took about one and a half cans of spray paint. You could probably get away with one generous coat, but we plan to leave them in the hot baking, humid sun on the balcony so I was aiming for a as-closeas-you-can-get-to-complete seal.

Then, we had guests and...
I had to bring in a chair for extra-seating. Yes, we still have our table with four chairs from before kids and entertaining is always a challenge - I institute the "kids table" for more seating.

I brought in just the blue chair and... pop! Wow, I didn't realize that kooky sea-themed plasticized table cloth that I bought at the market would actually match anything. This wicker chair is not going back onto the balcony!

Just a few tips if you plan on spray-painting your wicker chairs:

-Put a generous layer of cardboard, or drop cloth or newspaper because these chairs have holes, so you will be spraying a lot of paint everywhere else.
- Wear your "painting" clothes. Or if you just moved and got rid of them, wear your pj's inside-out so if the wind changes direction you don't ruin a nice outfit. Ignore the Italian neighbors poking their head through the gate who are trying to figure out whether they should tell you that you have a tag standing straight up from your butt.
-Oh yes, the wind. Even on the stillest day.. there will be a breeze. So try to adjust your painting angle so that the wind blows most of the paint towards the chair.

Have fun!

not smart: getting towed by a crane

2010-06-24T05:51:00.008+02:00

Yesterday, outside the emergency room in Anzio (RM) we saw a car being towed by a crane. Apparently it was no small thing... since even the doctors stopped what they were doing and came out to see this in progress.

Oh, and yes, everything is fine now. My sister, who is visiting from America, had a medical urgency and when you are a tourist you are supposed to go to the Emergency room. Other than the doctors making a few cracks about President Obama and his new health-care plan, a bit of drama between doctors (yelling and fighting in front of patients), a nursing strike, less then hygenic setting (doctors not wearing rubber gloves and little splatters of old blood on the wall in the waiting room) and the smoke from patients running just outside the front door to get a smoke, she got first class treatment in a record 6 hours... and no bill. Though, she kept asking to whom she should be flashing her health-care-card and when she would be getting a bill. Driving home, I pointed out that they did not even ask for an address, so... no worries!

what should I do with this?

2010-06-21T08:42:00.003+02:00

It´s a piece of bark from a cork tree. They grow pretty liberally here in central Italy. At first I thought of a lamp, but it does not have enough holes. Then for a flower arrangement, but it`s a bit large.

Your ideas?!?

It´s about 30cm or 24" tall.

5 minutes, €3, and a light bulb!

2010-06-20T15:42:00.000+02:00

The Inspiration

Check out the recession design website, lots of great high-design low-cost ideas (with instructions- in Italian). Basically, this is aluminum mosquito netting clipped onto a light bulb.

The Problem

A light fixture with a missing glass cover.

A wire sticking out of the wall with a light-bulb attached.

The Solution

A square of aluminum mosquito netting for €3. Scissors and a little creativity.

Fold the edges of the netting to make a fringe-free line, then fold over itself three times into a nice rectangle (a little larger than the fixture).

Pinch, scrunch, and wrinkle - you can't go wrong.

Hang on the lamp.

For the naked light bulb, just fold the scrap into four, roll the rectangle around the bulb and wire. Scrunch and squeeze around the bulb and wire. Done!

It took me less time to make these light covers than it took me to write about it. Try it!

20 minute lentils - via pressure cooker

2010-06-16T18:30:00.019+02:00

Pressure Cooker Lentils
300 gr. of lentils, or 11 oz. or a heaping cup (not pre-soaked)
1 stalk of celery, chopped (use it all from stem to leaf)
1 medium green pepper (not red, it comes out strangely sweet!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1, 400g or 8 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
1tbsp of curry powder (optional)

Add a dash of olive oil in your pre-heated pressure cooker and soften the onion, celery and pepper. When the whole mix is softened, add a can of chopped tomatoes. Stir well and add salt and pepper and the optional curry to taste. Now, add the lentils into the pan. If the lentils were a heaping cup, then you should add two of water. After adding the water, stir and close the pressure cooker and raise the flame to high until it starts to hiss. At this point, put the flame to low and wait 20 minutes. Then, open your pressure cooker by releasing the valve.

serves 4

wean your kitchen off non-stick cookware, cheap!

2010-05-04T16:34:00.009+02:00

I was able to replace, all of my non-stick kitchenware for under €50 (about $65)! Pictured, are the pans I found at my local Euro (dollar store), bonus - they are made in Italy (the smallest pan in the set was €2.75, and the biggest was €15.50). To stay in the budget, I'm still using glass tops from my previous non-stick set, replaced two baking pans with Pyrex and got a new set of wood utensils!

But, changing the cookware is only the first step. You also need to change the way you use and clean your pans.

Cooking in Stainless Steel
These pans just work differently than non-stick so you will need to make some adjustments and tweaks to your cooking style:

Get back into preheating the pan (a big no no for non-sticks!). Then, in a couple of minutes, lower the heat and add cold oil or butter of your choice and start cooking! Do not be alarmed if the pan starts making little clicking sounds... that is the metal expanding and is completely normal.
Adjust the cooking temperature. The bottom of a stainless steel pan will heat a bit more, so lower the temperatures you've been using to force stuff to brown in your non-stick. If you were using high, go medium, if you were using medium go medium-low. You will just have to retrain yourself and experiment.
Stir a little more. Don't leave the tomato sauce simmering for too long without peeking and giving it a good whirl a little more often.
If things start to stick, add a tablespoon of water and watch them magically peel off the bottom!
Stainless can introduce you to the wonderful world of fond - a great way to use the little brown caramelized bits that you've never had before!

Reduce Cost of a new set, use pieces from the old!

Already have a nice, but scratched-up set of nonstick ware? Look at it carefully. Does it have super-nice glass or aluminum tops? Keep them! Measure them (both in inches and centimeters) and write it down. You will find that sets without tops, or individual pieces sell for a lot less than an entire set with tops. When in doubt, take the tops with you, and try them on the pans. Or, you can do as I did and keep a measuring tape in your purse with your little list of pan sizes.

Dollar Store Galore

What you find at your favorite dollar or bargain website might surprise you! So give them a shot, and look for these features:

18/10 Stainless Steel will be less likely to rust or stain
A thick bottom, even better if there is aluminum or copper encased in the stainless steel (see illustration to the right)
Metal handles will let you toss the pan in the oven to finish cooking without worry of vaporizing the plastic handles.
Avoid a mirror finish on the inside, if you can. It will discolor immediately (with just boiling salted water for pasta) and you will be none too happy with your new pan. Personally, I prefer a brushed metal finish on the inside.
Dishwasher safe.

If your budget permits to splurge, look for pans with aluminum lining up the sides of the pan, though, these will cost about 10 times more than the ones with just the lined bottom.

Go Glass or ceramic for the oven

Of course, you could keep with the stainless steel theme for your ovenware... but why when there are so many inexpensive, beautiful solutions with oven-ready glass and ceramic? You could even go to the second-hand store and look for colorful retro solutions. An added bonus to ceramic and glass ovenware is that they conduct heat better than your old metal non-stick stuff and once the oven is off they stay hot and keep cooking. Also, if washing these is a challenge, line them with wax paper when you cook.

Plastic cooking utensils- cucina non grata

Plastic and nylon are the next things that you should consider evicting from your kitchen. With stainless steel, you will no longer be forced to use flimsy plastic or nylon implements. Now, you can get snazzy stainless steel or, even better, go to trusty, cheap wood utensils!

Cleaning your non-non-stick cookware

Your first experiments with stainless steel may bring burnt stuck-on stuff that may seem impossible to remove. With a few simple tips you should get those pots shiny and new.

If you have a dishwasher, stick your stainless steel pots, glass and ceramic cookware in it and watch with amazement as it comes out like new!
The little metal pre-soaped scrubbers, completely outlawed for nonstick, are fantastic for light discoloration, and black or brown sticky stuff on the inside or outside of the pan. If the steel is brushed (has little lines on it) go with the flow and scrub the sponge in the direction of the lines.
For particularly stubborn carbonized food stuck to the bottom, fill the pot up to the line where it is no longer burned with 50% vinegar and 50% water, and let it boil lightly for 15 minutes. Then, let it cool (even overnight if possible) and attack it with a little scrubby sponge and detergent.

How did you do it?

I'd love to hear tips and experiences from anyone else who has weaned their kitchen off non-stick or Teflon cookware!

Of Interest:

- Health concerns over nonstick coatings

- The secret of non-stick cooking in stainless steel

- Deglazing Technique

Links to this post:

The Guide to Better Pans and Cooking for Less, Yahoo's Shine
buh bye non-stick pans! San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate

toot! toot! super cute!

2010-04-12T12:19:00.000+02:00

Sometimes, the best projects happen spontaneously, and with what you have lying around. In this case, a scrap of left-over silicone drawer liner from our kitchen re-do resulted into a super-cute tunnel. Just cut, roll, and glue.

Stay Sharp! Make a knife tray for your kitchen drawer

2010-04-11T09:45:00.013+02:00

Knife drawers and magnetic strips are essential to keeping your knives sharp and probing little hands, including yours, safe. Instead of reaching in a dark, deep drawer of sharp things everything has it's place and sharp blades at bay.

I am in the process of redoing my kitchen and was hunting around for the perfect insert to keep all of my knives in line. IKEA used to have cheap little black plastic things that you could hook onto the sides of their organizers to safely tuck your knives away but they were just discontinued.

I scoured the web for other knife trays and found a fantastic one that fit all my needs (and maybe yours):

Dial Industries Expand-a-drawer Knife Edition

It's pretty fantastic, right? But... completely OUT of my price-range when you add shipping and special handling fees to Italy from the US or UK.

I looked locally, including Germany which makes beautiful solid-wood wave-shaped knife trays, but all I could find in Italy were custom made knife drawers starting at €100- out of our budget!
More web searches later, I found these great photos from people who made their own knife drawers:

I was inspired!

Made it myself with just wood & glue!

First, I measured my longest knife blade and widest handle, plus my steak knife blade and handle.

I loosely drew what my drawer insert might look like on a piece of paper and then nothing could keep me from jumping into my car and jetting off to the lumber department of my nearest hardware store. I purchased two wood "poles" 220cm long (1cm and 1.5 cm) wide.

It helps to have a husband who can handle a saw, if not, most hardware stores will do the cuts for little or no money. Just be prepared with the exact sizes, measuring tape and a pencil.

While constructing the insert, I stumbled on a very easy shortcut. Originally, I was just planning to anchor the wood down onto the drawer liner with glue until I could reinforce each piece with screws. Well... I was using IKEA's rubber drawer liners and a hot-glue gun and the heat from the glue completely fused the rubber liner to the wood. The hold was very strong and it was completely unnecessary to add screws for reinforcement!

Total cost in materials: €5, satisfaction: priceless!

A couple of tips, if you plan to make your own:

- For the larger knives, make sure to make a tall handle-rest, otherwise, the knife will rock back and the point will stick up from the slats. As you can see, I just added a second level to the handle-rest slat for the large knives.

- The horizontal piece I stuck at the end of the large knife area is purely decorative to hide the uneven cuts!

- If you use a sharpening rod, like I do, adjust the space in the last slat to accommodate it.

- If you have small children about, invest in a drawer child-proofing, or as I like to call it, child-slowing device.

Happy shopping, or gluing!

Links to this post:

Knife Drawer with glue and wood! IKEA Hacker
Build a custom knife drawer inexpensively, lifehacker
How to make a custom knife tray out of wood & glue Reader Tips, the kitchn
Easy, customized DIY drawer organizer, The Wallflower

Spring is here... fake it!

2010-03-29T16:55:00.013+02:00

I've been hooked on the http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ website for the last month or so. They can't post stuff fast enough for me to read! Their recent posts are all about spring flowers.

It seems that all blogs on the web are pushing spring flowers but... what if it's too cold for them to survive, or you have less-than ideal financial situation?

What to do?

Did you guess? These are
fake flowers! Hubby is happy because they last and last, and I'm happy because fake flowers are starting to be so realistic! The trick to making the above flowers look even more real is in the cutting off almost all of the wire stem (to give that trendy short, just-picked look), and making what's left of the stem just under the flower more organic. Just loop or spiral the stems around your thumbs, and push the flowers in an asymmetrical pattern.

Here are a couple more...

The silk lavender in the urn, not only looks real, but smells real! I sneakily replaced the hand soap with essential oil lavender soap to complete the illusion. Then, just snap off a few buds from your fake lavender and place them in a bud vase as if they were real buds.

Finally, stay away from transparent vases, the fake, folded plastic stems will ruin the look!

Happy Spring!!!!

Worst catalog photo ever!

2010-03-23T16:48:00.014+01:00

One cannot live in Europe without running into one of Otto Group's mail catalog businesses. I was introduced to BonPrix via our new friends and have been relatively satisfied with their products and quality. With my new order I got their new catalog with a very puzzling photo...

Now.. who on earth would try to sell you curtains with the picture of a crying bloody child?!?! But that is not all, lots of thought went into staging this photo including posing the woman, which I would presume would be the mother, calmly talking on the phone and explaining to her crying child how to wrap gauze around his wound.

As you can see from the scan from the whole page, on the top left, they are capable of creating small vignettes that make sense like the mom and daughter playing through semi-translucent curtains .

But the ~~photographer~~ art director, designer, and the person who laid out this catalog and contrasted the red blood with the green curtains should be.... FIRRRRRED!

Links to this post:

Comment of the day: Worst Catalog Photo Ever, Apartment Therapy

wanton apostrophes

2009-07-10T07:42:00.003+02:00

OK, I thought I would finally address my blog's creative use of apostrophes with a simple google search. I found this great website for anyone who wants to stealthily check theirs.

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/apostro.asp

Next, my hyphenation-fascination.

How to get two kids in a stroller designed for one..

2009-06-23T19:07:00.006+02:00

I originally bought my stroller, Peg Perego Pliko 3 Classico, for the little rubberized step in the back which, in Europe, it is promoted as a step for the second child to stand onto. In America, they do not promote it as such - I do not know why!

This is the position for two children, sanctioned by the manufacturer..

We have come up with a couple more of our own.
Firstly, when you have a car-seat in this stroller, the back seat extends over the step and the second child can no longer stand on it. Solution? The child can either sit on the rest of the back-rest facing backwards, or facing forward on their knees:

However, when you have two sleeping children and one stroller, things can get tricky. First, strap in the smallest child onto the harness that can be detached from the back of the stroller but is still fixed to the seat. Then, recline the back fully and place the larger child in the back, straddling the first.

Unfortunately, this does not bring maximum comfort to the child sitting in the front.

Try this at your child's risk! Obviously, this should only be done if you have an older and younger child - DO NOT ATTEMPT WITH TWINS, since there are restraints for only one child in a single stroller.

I can't believe it's not difficult: Home-made Ricotta

2009-05-22T16:23:00.008+02:00

I read Bittman's NY Times Blog, Discovering Ricotta, and was inspired to give it a shot. The directions were not precise enough for my taste, so I dug around the web and found the Home-made Ricotta page on About.com (which I will excerpt, below).

I tried it, succeded and soon I had my sister- and mother-in-laws making it. I've been making it about once a week for 6 month- and with all that has been going on, plus two small children it should attest to how easy it really is!

Why would you want to make your own ricotta? Well, if you live in Italy... there is no need to! But if you live anywhere else OR you have a special diet (no salt or no lactose) OR you want BIO/Organic ricotta OR you just want to show off and impress your friends then... you will want to!

Technically speaking, ricotta is made from the by-product of making mozzarella. However, you can also make it straight from milk - this is not quite as fine as the original.

When you think about making this "cheese" all kinds of equipment, inoculates and whatever else comes to mind. But in reality, the only specialized equipment you need is cheesecloth - which can be substituted by a kitchen towel with a wide weave or a fine strainer- and a thermometer - which can also be skipped (see my notes below).

Make your own Ricotta
My notes are in black, the excerpted portions from Home-made Ricotta page on About.com are in gray. The photos are mine. Personally, the quantity is quite large for me, so I halve it. Just replace the gallon with two quarts or the four liters with two and halve everything else.
1 gallon whole pasteurized milk or 4lt (this can be lactose free milk, bio milk, even preserved milk - though I recommend the freshest milk you can find, check the expiration dates)
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or 150ml
1/4 teaspoon salt (more if you want a saltier taste and if you are not going to use it for desserts) you can leave out the salt entirely if your diet requires it
Procedure:
-Rinse the inside of the pot you intend to use with cold water (this helps prevent the milk from scorching).
-Place 1 gallon milk in large, heavy non-reactive pot on medium heat. Add salt and stir briefly.
-Allow milk to heat up slowly, stirring occasionally. Soon you will notice steam start to form above the surface and tiny bubbles appearing on the milk. You want it to reach 180-185 degrees, near scalding temperature, just before it comes to a boil. Check the temperature with your thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer on hand, as soon as a light film forms at the top..
-When it reaches the correct temperature, take the pot off the burner, add the vinegar and stir gently for only one minute. Add salt. You will notice curds forming immediately.

- Cover with a dry clean dish towel and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for a couple of hours. You can also begin preparing your ricotta in the morning before going to work and let it sit until you come home.
- When the ricotta has rested for 2 hours or more, take a piece of cheesecloth, dampen it and place it inside a colander. With a slotted spoon, ladle out the ricotta into the prepared colander. Place the colander with ricotta inside of a larger pan so it can drain freely. Let it drain for two hours or so depending on how creamy or dry you want your cheese to be. Personally, I do not wait more than 10 minutes. It all depends on how fine the mesh on your towel/cheesecloth is.

-Lift the cheesecloth up by the four corners and twist gently. If the liquid runs clear, squeeze a little more. If the liquid runs milky, there is no more need to squeeze.

- Place in a tight sealed container. Refrigerate. It will keep for up to 7 days. Ricotta does not freeze well.

Notes I would advise against the use of low fat or part skim milk in making the ricotta. The flavor comes from the cream in the whole milk. For desserts, add 1 pint heavy whipping cream along with the milk. I use this variation when I am making ricotta for a dessert filling such as cannoli, cassata, or cream puffs. It is richer, creamier, and a bit more decadent.

Serve it as-is with some fragrant olive oil and bread as an appetizer. Or, top a pizza with it instead of using mozzerella. Or, grind in some black pepper and add cubed prosciutto to make a super-delicious pasta sauce. Or, substitute the store-bought stuff in your favorite recipe.

Buon Appetito!

Italian Villas, Vilette and Villini...

2009-05-10T07:11:00.006+02:00

We just got back from a week on the Roman coast. And I don't mean Ostia, since we were completely dissuaded from those in the know from even considering it. Instead, we are looking a little farther south to Anzio or Nettuno to find our next home.

This is a particularly interesting area because the open farmland in the region has recently been converted for use for building homes - there is an unbelievably large quantity of new construction happening just a little further back from the sea. These areas are both historic Roman centers and have become second-vacation-home areas for the modern Romans.

Looking around, you don't get the idea that the Italian economy is in any trouble. Everyone is busy working or vacationing. No matter where you are, you hear power tools, lawn mowers and sprinklers buzzing in the air. That is not to say, however, that the Roman coast is not setting itself up for it's own housing bubble. As one real estate agent put it, "Everyone is hoping to sell their old (1960's) vacation-home for €400,000 and buy a new one for €300,000". In fact, most sellers are in complete denial as to the true value of their own home, while builders are very optimistic as to the number of buyers they will attract.

We looked at brand new homes with glee. Insulation, finishes, etc: are often the top-of-the-line and rarely chosen in bad taste. But, with every single new home we saw, there is one small problem...

These homes here are meant for vacation not all-year use.

The new villette lack all kinds of sensible storage. Each one has a "technical room/garage", which is an open, area enclosed on three sides with finished walls, tiled floor and a roof attached to the other side of the living room. All the builders will tell you with a nod and a wink that this is actually a round-about way to make the house larger than what is permissible. After the home is sold, the builder will close this opening with a window and simply remove the bricks in the pre-built opening in the wall between the living room and technical room/garage. We even saw a "technical room" with gas, water and electrical plugs for the kitchen which left me to wonder... where would you put your ladder, lawnmower, and plastic Christmas tree?

Aha!

If you can afford a second home you will not be changing light bulbs or mowing your own lawn!

catch-up..

2009-05-10T07:04:00.002+02:00

OK, to all of my loyal and happenstance readers, a little catch-up to what has been happening...

The ´Short Version:

Economy hit electronics (people do not buy new gadgets when they are losing their jobs or going bankrupt!); husband was reduced; found ourselves in a country where we don't speak the language well, with two small children and unemployed; sold our home in a record two weeks (only after 2.5 years we were able to make back what we spent plus a little extra... yaay); planning a move to we-don't know where; looking for homes in Italy on the coast near Rome; might have to move to Bologna first 'til we get settled financially; still don't know where we are going!

No long version, I've been living through it and am too exausted to write about it.

where's the seat?

2008-10-28T17:20:00.006+01:00

Last weekend we went to visit hubby's brother in Bologna, Italy. During the tirp, we made frequent stops as Tortellino decided to potty train on his OWN after I'd been prompting him for a year and a half. Luckily we brought his potty training seat reducer from home.

All the Italian gas stations and Autogrills (popular freeway restaurants) from Udine to Bologna suffered a systematic erradication of toilet seats. Previously, you would see some stalls with and some without or women's room with and mens's without.

Was it for hygiene? Stool prevention? Cleanup ease?

Whatever the reason, you certainly can't balance a kindergartner on the rim of the ceramic toilet and expect things to work. I was so happy with his reducer! It is designed to go on top of a toilet seat, but is wide enough to safely go directly on the ceramic and prevent accidental falls - which could easily instill an indelible fear of toilets.

Tortellino was quite the envy of children and adults alike as he proudly carried his own seat across the parking lot and through the restaurant/gift shop to the bathroom. OK Baby's Ducky seat is the perfect companion if you're traveling by car and space is not an issue!

don't you wish you had a... new blog series?

2008-10-21T16:05:00.008+02:00

I'm starting a new irregular series on my blog called "don't you wish you had a.." that describes new and old gadgets for cooking and living. I'm particularly looking forward to your feedback and comments so that I, too, wish I had some of what you've got!

First post coming... it's coming. It's been a year since I've been writing regularly and I have a new little girl to show for it, Rompiscattolina. Now that Rompi, almost sleeps through the night and takes somewhat regular naps I actually have time to think coherent thoughts and put them down onto paper... er screen.

Stepper for Sale.. but wait!

2008-10-18T18:03:00.005+02:00

Found this while looking for used exercise equipment for the winter at willhaben.at. I looked at this ad because, I had considered a stepper but wasn't really convinced. However, after looking at this picture I thought... "what do I need a stepper for?!? I have stairs!"

I don't think the seller meant to bring the point home quite like this and... after two weeks at the seductive price of €30, it's still for sale!

Artichoke Ragu' from.... Lufthansa?!?! Yes.

2007-10-25T16:04:00.000+02:00

You won't believe where I got my inspiration for this sauce... a coach class airline vegetarian meal on Lufthansa. But don't let the source turn you off, it was surprisingly delicious! I searched and searched their website and online and I just couldn't find a recipe for it. So, I made my own!

Please, please, please do not waste your money on those pitted canned olives that are painted black. You will be throwing your money away because they will not taste like anything and you may as well leave them out! Instead, go to the deli-section of the super-market or for one of those higher-end glass jars.

Ragu' di Carciofini ed Olive (Baby Artichoke & Olive Ragout)
This chunky sauce requires a sturdy pasta like fusilli or penne, and could even be used as a base for a vegetarian lasagna instead of a meat Ragu'.

The olives and artichokes are thrown in at the end so that the sauce will not have a monotonous taste and give you little olive and artichoke surprises with every bite.

1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 pinch of hot pepper flakes
5 TBSP of Olive Oil
3 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 cup of black olives, pitted and chopped
1 cup of baby artichokes, quartered
500 ml or 8 oz of tomato puree
1 TBS of tomato concentrate/tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste

To Remove The Pits
Rinse the salt, salt-water, or oil off the olives. To remove the pits, place them in a large, plastic transparent bag. Place the bag on a sturdy cutting board and bang each olive with a meat-thingy-magig to lightly crush the olive flesh(if you bang too hard, you will break the pits). Open the bag, and gently and easily separate the skin from the pits.

For the Sauce
In a cold, wide, tall-sided skillet add the 5TBSP of Olive Oil crushed garlic clove and pinch of hot pepper flakes. Turn the heat on to very low. In the meantime, chop the onion. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the onion to the skillet, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and turn the heat up to medium.

When the onion becomes translucent, add the tomato puree and concentrate. Mix well and let the sauce reduce reduce he sauce (at a slow boil with no top on the pan) for about 15 minutes). When the sauce becomes a little thicker add the olives and artichokes. Mix well and cook toss on the pasta.

Buon Appetito!

Take My Change! Take it! No, You Take it!

2007-10-25T15:49:00.000+02:00

Several times,while shopping in Graz I have noted female customers handing their wallets to the cashiers and making them fish out the change.

What is up with that?!?

Maybe it's a new service, or maybe the ladies think the cashiers can find the change faster. Did they forget their glasses? Just had their nails done?

Hmmmm...

Eat your heart out... literally!

2007-10-15T22:05:00.000+02:00

Enter the gates at Schloss Eggenberg follow the main path towards the castle through the gardens, and take the first right. Just behind two statues, one of which is pictured above, you will find a small cafe'. Probably not meant to wet the appetite!

How do you make your bed?

2007-10-12T16:44:00.003+02:00

While shopping in Austria for bedding with a Scottish friend I stumbled on yet another cultural divide. There is a huge difference between European and American bedding. And I'm not talking size, or material...I'm talking bedding!

Having lived both in Italy and America, I have grown accustomed to some bedding basics, like a top sheet and a bed cover to keep the dust off the pillows. Instead, in Austria (and UK from what I understand), it is very common to just have a covered comforter and a bottom sheet. They use the covered comforter, which is often made of cotton, as a top sheet and throw the whole thing in the wash when it's time to change the bedding.

The simplicity of European bedding, certainly makes it easy to make the bed (just straighten the blanket) but is a big change for those who are used to sleeping in a tightly tucked bed!

American Bedding

Austrian Bedding

Basic Bedding:
-Pillow & Case
-Bottom Sheet
-Top Sheet
-Blanket
-Comforter/Bed cover

Extras:
-The comforter could be put in a comforter cover, but this is not typical.
-Pillow Shams for extra pillows are very common, though not commonly used.
-Bed skirts are a very popular addition

Notes: This is also true in Italy, with the exception of the bed skirt.

Basic Bedding:
-Pillow & Case
-Bottom Sheet
-Comforter in Cover

Extras:
-An extra blanket is used for extra cold nights

Notes: This is also true in the U.K.

So, how do you make your bed?!?!

Knock, knock! Who's there?

2007-10-05T15:58:00.000+02:00

For the last few weeks, I've been hearing a construction sound in our house. It's always when hubby is not home and Tortellino is sleeping. We live in a stand-alone home so... where could this be coming from and more importantly, who or what was making the sound.

"Pound, pound, pound! Tack, tack, tack, knock, knock!"

I traced it to the roof of our sun toom. At first, I got the broom stick. I made scary sounds with it, thworing handle up against the ceiling. And whoever, or whatever... pounded back.

?!?!?!?!?

Not having any windows directly to view the top, each time, I clumbsily climbed up to the skylight clink, clanking my way and would see nothing.

Hmmmmmm....

The next day, "Knock, knock, pound, pound, tack tack!"

I realized the window from the stairwell has a semi-obstructed view of the roof. I tip-toed up the stairs and quietly slithered my way onto the window-sill.

"knock, knock, kno... oh ohhh" the crow saw me and flew away.

After seeing our little soundmaker, I realized that the roof of our sun-room, made of that wavy-type material is the perfect place for crows to open walnuts:

The crow would either bring or find an existing nut.
He would deposit it in one of the folds, to hold the top and bottom of the nut,
Then, he would straddle the nut blocking the left and right sides of the nut and start banging with his beak.

"knock, knock?"

Schwammerl Suchen (Mushroom Hunting)

2007-10-01T18:03:00.000+02:00

We went mushroom hunting in the hills just outside of Graz, yesterday. My husband practically grew up in the Italian Alps and can recognize the dangerous mushrooms. In Italy, you can take your mushrooms to the piazza and have an expert examine them, but I haven't heard of anything similar here. To be sure, we stuck to the safe varieties and stayed way from the "iffy" adventurous ones.

One thing is for sure. If it's red, and it has white dots on it, like these, DO NOT EAT THEM!

We found lots of Finferele, Portobello, Mazza Tamburo and about three fresh Porcini! Actually, I found the biggest porcino... right next to the road!

We breaded and fired the big ones last night, tonight... Risotto ai Funghi!

My Austrian Neighbors...

2007-09-28T09:05:00.000+02:00

One morning my doorbell rang. I looked out the window and saw a youngish-middle aged mother with two kids, one slightly bigger and the other slightly smaller than Tortellino. Thinking this was a surprise social visit of some kind, I grabbed Tortellino and ran down the stairs to open the door.

"Do you speak English?" she asked in almost perfect English. Wow, I couldn't believe my ears, I was sure she wanted to make a connection.

"Yes! We do. We also speak in Italian and Tortellino, here, also speaks in German - me a little bit."

"Ahah..." she nodded her head and looked disnterested.

"Well," she began. "Since you're new here, you probably don't know how things work in Austria. You are responsible to cut the branches that stick out onto the sidewalk. I'm having problems walking by."

"Oh,"I was starting to realize the scope of the visit. Trying to turn things around, I introduced myself "... and this is Tortellino, he is 2.5 years old." I looked at her two children smiling, waiting.

"Ahah..." she nodded her head and didn't introduce herself or the children.

"Also, in the winter, you need to salt your sidewalk and shovel the snow. And, have you been separating your trash? Last month saw plastic bottle sticking out of your garbage can!"

"Excuse me," I interrupted confused.

"Do you live in the neighborhood?"

"I live in the Yellow and White house, over there" she pointed to a block of three yellow and white houses.

"Oh, I'll talk to my husband about cutting the branches. Thank you for your visit!"

"Ahah.." she nodded, grabbed her unidentified kids and left.

I was a little surprised by the visit.. given that we have a double-wide sidewalk and the longest branch that sticks out is at least one meter from the edge of the sidewalk.

Depressed about a neighbor that I've had for six months that never introduced herself and only visited me to complain, the next day, coming home from with Tortellino from an errand I found something on my doorstep. A bottle cage with six 2 liter bottles of home-made apple cider. No note, nothing.

Remorse? Friendly neighbor? I thought a while and then it hit me!

Two months ago, a lady rang my doorbell. She knew the former owner and was desperate to find a parking spot (we live very near the city center and across the street from a University building so parking at certain times of day can be tricky). I let her park in our driveway. Anyway, hubby wasn't home so it wasn't any problem for us! She was in a hurry but, now, I remember she promised to bring me a bottle or two of Apple cider as soon as the apple season started.

Every neighborhood has a jerk but, thankfully, they are usually outnumbered by the kind.

Oh, by the way, the youngish-middle aged woman rang my doorbell yesterday. When I saw who it was, I didn't bother answering. She probably wanted to complain about something else.

I'm drowning in mid-air

2007-06-12T16:46:00.000+02:00

It's so hot here. It's so humid. Oh, how I miss those cold summer San Francisco days with the the chilly nordic breeze gently blowing off the ocean onto the shore.

The cooler nights, the dry days.

During the summer you often see San Franciscans shrugging against the wind and artfully throwing silk scarves and wool sweaters around their pale, white necks to stay warm.

It's so hot in Graz, that you can smell the sidewalks seweating. It's the smell of street dust getting heavy and wet. Everyone looks exhausted and annoyed. The residents are slumped against the humidity,their clothes are uncomfortably stuck to their body with musty sweat.

"It's tropical weather," said one to me trying to put sense to the unusual weather. It rains in the morning or during the night, then it's hot, sunny and mostly cloudy the rest of the time. Then... it starts all over again the next day.

It's so hot and humid, that we've got a petri tray of mold growing in our bedroom. We went away for four days to Italy and when we got back our bedroom wall had white fuzz and black things growing on it.

After a seven and a half hour drive (usually five and a half but we had to stop a few times because tortellino was suffering from molars popping in), I had to wipe down the walls with bleach before going to bed. It's going to be really expensive to replace the roof, and we knew whe had to do it eventually, but the lady living here told us there are no problems, no leaks (other lies!)... how can you not see black and fuzzy mold on the walls? We're going to contact the attoruney and hope for the best. Perhaps the woman, or her insurance can pay for part of the roof replacement.

But at the moment... I'm hot. I'm really hot. I can't stand it and I feel like I'm suffocating on the damp air.

Thick, White, Asparagus

2007-06-06T09:59:00.000+02:00

In the last couple of weeks, the supermarkets in Graz, have been inundated with thumb-thick white asparagus. It seems that here, thicker is better which goes contrary to the advice of getting the thinnest, most pettite asparagus for a refined meal.

How to turn these thick, white monsters into a delicacy?

I was hunting around my spice coupard and found an unused jar of mustard. Mind you, this was not the yellow creamy stuff to spray on hotdogs. This was a little jar hubby brought back for me on his last trip to France. It's far from yellow, it's a little jar packed with whole-grained mustard which is suspended in a little bath of white wine and vinegar. It's called Moutarde a' l'Ancienne made by Reine Dijon and it's really changed my view of mustard for the better. If you don't have a hubby that occasionally travels to France on business, I'm sure any whole-grained mustard will work with this recipe.

White Asparagus al Moutarde
Whole grained mustard can be quite flavorful, so if you like a strong flavor, use restraint and start with a just a little bit (you can always add more later!) because you also do not want to overpower the asparagus flavor.

500g (or 1lb) of White Asparagus
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tspo of Whole Grain Mustard in White Wine and Vinegar
1 tsp of salt
pepper to taste

Rinse the asparagus and snap the stems (grab each end and let it snap naturally) put the bottoms aside to use as a base for broth, or something. If the asparagus is very thick (like a thumb) slice diagonally lengthwise leaving the tip intact on one of the diagonals. If the asparagus is very thin (like a pinky or less) leave whole.

In a skillet, add the tablespoon of olive oil an heat. When the oil makes a little sizzle when you put in a drop of water, tumble the asparagus in the skillet. Sprinkle with salt, grind a little pepper and sautee' for a few minutes. Add the teaspoon of mustard, mix and continue to cook until the asparagus have a nice golden tint and are soft to the fork.

Bon Apetit!

No Mow!

2007-06-06T09:12:00.000+02:00

Just a few weeks ago, my husband was mowing the lawn in our little modest garaden.

Our garden is fenced by one of those older fences which consists of bars (arrows pointing up) balanced by a horizontal bar. Our house being on a corner, two sides of our garden go along the sidewalk. So, other than the vegetation growing on the edge of the garden, it's easy to see inside, and conversly for us to see outside.

So, back to hubby mowing the lawn... he noticed, that while he was mowing several people stopped and watched for a little bit. He smiled and waved a nd continued mowing. He came back to me and told me what happened and we thought..

"Wow, Austrians are so friendly!"

Fastforward to last weekend when we had a couple over who's lived in Austria for a few years - long enough to understand quite a bit of German and the local laws. The hubby of the couple informed us that it's illegal to use any kind of motor (electric or gas-powered) on Sunday. That means electric saws, leaf blowers, lawn mowers... and yes, anything with a motor that can make noise.

Hmmmm.... it was on a Sunday when we were mowing the lawn! Maybe our neighbors were trying to say something, but I hope they walked away thinking...

"Wow, those new law-breaking neighbors are so friendly!"

plants as art...

2007-05-09T17:23:00.000+02:00

I had quite a "growing" collection of house plants, succulents and a bit of a garden back in San Mateo. As is the case with most international (intercontinental) moves, one has to give up their plant collection. I had a very difficult time separating with many plants I had grown just from leaves or cuttings. I very much enjoyed playing with their leaves, containers, shapes, and colors to get quite the effect in any particular room. Slowly, I'm building the collection back up - most of the plants I have are grown from all the cuttings I was able to fit in a shoe-box and sneak on the plane with me. I remember, the first time the relocation consultant took me to the super-market in Graz the first words out of my mouth were "have they got any dirt?" In my first few days here, as we looked at homes I saw a plant store and asked if she didn't mind me popping in. "This is the priciest place in town", she warned. I mentioned to the clerk that I have cuttings that I need to plant right away. She lead me to the back where they had stacks, and stacks of used plastic pots. "Take your pick," the clerk said. "Gratis"

We are now settled into our home, and was able to put the few planters we brought to good use.

craning cressulas

How could I leave these two relitives of the Jade Plant behind? Don't worry, they weren't that big when I stuck them in a shoe box to bring with... they've had about six months to grow.

the urns have it

Two mother's day presents, one from Tortellino and one from myself. I like the way the two shapes contrast, yet they relate.

succulent party

I just put all these guys together, they should grow into an impressive display this summer.

cut it out

More cuttings that are slowly and carefully growing.

the columns have it

In our living room, two columns really make a statement and elevate the plants to art.

botanical loot

I went to visit the Graz botanical gardens, today and came a way with a little collection. To be fair, I did ask if they had any plants for sale, but they do not. Actually, they looked at me like I was nuts or like I thought I was in a plant store, instead of a botanical garden. Anyway, I picked up a few stems and leaves that "fell off" as I brushed past them. The loot includes: Camellia Sinesis (green tea plant), Fire Stick (from a 20 foot tree!!), Button, climbing fern, Begonia and some really bizarre multi-segmented tree leaf (don't know if that's going to grow into anything).

U.S. vs. Austrian Painting & Painters...

2007-05-03T09:56:00.000+02:00

Having the interior of your house painted Austria is much more different than what you might expect in the United States.

First of all, many in the U.S. will paint their own rooms as we (I) did in our little in-law unit in San Mateo but then, we didn't have 13 foot ceilings with moulding on the ceiling and the wall.

Here's a shot of our ceiling and walls (now freshly painted) to give you an idea of what we're facing:

Most, as I have done, will go to the local home-repair store, bring paint chips, pillows, fabric swatches... whatever and have it electronically color-matched so that they can have the exact same color, again and again. Here, in Austria, you buy a huge bucket of white paint and bottles of colors and are expected to blend it yourself... or you hire a painter.

In the U.S. a painter will spend the first few days covering everything in scotch tape and plastic. In Austria, they throw re-usable fabric drapes on the floor and a 6 inch paper boarder along the wall and get started -- after they've spent a few hours hand-blending and matching the colors of your choice. Then, they hop on wood ladders that have the same step on each side, straddle the middle and walk from side to side as they paint the ceilings and top parts of the wall. As the perfect hostess you offer coffee, tea and cookies as I have done for the last seven days. Now, you'd think that the paint job has only taken seven days (the estimate was 3) but we've been in a state of semi-disaster for two weeks. The painters started last week but, with the four-day weekend (May 1st holiday) etc. everything has taken much longer than my patience, or joy of making caffe' latte at 7:30 in the morning.

Anyway, this was the last morning and I took a picture to memorialize the event before clearing away the empty cups:

The paint job is fantastic, and the removed every bit of paint. It's some kind of natural watercolor stuff and all you have to do is wet a sponge and wipe it off. Unfortunately, you have to be careful when cleaning the walls. "Don't use water!" one of the painters told me. "It will wash off the color". Of course, the wait until they're on their way out the door to tell me this.

I have a toddler, are they kidding that I can't wash the wall?!?

"Paint over the stains." They said, as the closed the door on the way out.

copy & paste:

2007-04-10T14:03:00.000+02:00

Here's a post that I made on the Graz Metroblog:

I just got back from spending three weeks in the United States. Since I spent most of my time at home with my sister and her new baby I didn't really get a chance to notice a "real" flavor difference between the culture here and there.

I did however, get chastised for walking more than 15 feet from a shopping cart (baby on top, toddler in the back) to browse at the selection of dyer sheets at Target. "Oh MY GOD, what are you doing?!?!?" my sister shrieked in new-mommy panic. You are in the UNITED STATES, now. People STEAL children! I briefly pondered that and wondered if it's a new mommy fear, or if you have a toddler going through the terrible two's you don't really care if someone lightens your load and makes him dissapear for a few hours of reli... er... I mean panic. But seriously, in Graz most people are not intersted in kidnapping your child and, had I been in that same situation in Graz (minus the dyer sheets, and Target but including the shopping cart and baby) I would have turned back to see a nice elderly person whipering sweet nothings to the baby and making funny faces to the toddler.

Another little culture shift took place as we got off the plane in Graz and were looking for a taxi. Instead of young hulking immigrants gnawing at the bits to take your bags and whisk you away... we got to the front of the taxi line and found an empty cab. "She went to take a coffee break," said the next guy who would not take us because he was NEXT in line. We start to load the trunk with suitcase half-filled with dryer sheets and out comes the little white-haired old lady. Hubby and I look at eachother. We're just about to tell her that the cab is taken when she sits in the driver seat. Well... that' s not something you EVER see in ANY urban city in the United States!

...another reminder of lower crime and laid-back Austrians. I'm glad to be back.. home.

I'll take it?!?!?

2007-03-05T17:31:00.000+01:00

I've been remiss in posting the last few weeks as we've been busy getting boxes unpacked, broken things claimed and communicating with plumbers via cell phone - oh, the plumbers were here but I had to use a translator via cell phone to discuss all the problems.

It turns out this old house needed more than a good vacuming. On the day we moved in there was no running water on the first floor and no hot water on the second. Three weeks of plumbers here almost every day and we've got the most water-tight, lead-free, drip-free old house on the block!

Anyway, today Tortellino and I attended our first auction. No, not ebay.. a real live auction. I don't know what I was thiking since I've never been and... well my German is less than perfect. But, I saw a wonderful mirror at Dorotheum that I could not afford at the "buy it now" price so I figured it was worth a shot. The antique peddler promised he'd help but when the item was up for grabs the starting price was too steep for our pockets. Nonetheless, we decided to stay and watch a little bit. I can assure you that I was the only attendee with a toddler in her lap.

To keep Tortellino entertained, I gave him a pencil and piece of paper. Next thing I know, Vittorio is pointing this bright red pencil it straight up in the air and the auctioneer pointed at me, as if we were bidding on the 850 Euro golden bracelet - "no! no! no!" I shook my head.

Vittorio found the whole episode quite intersting so he started bidding on several other items. I didn't want to accidentally bring home anything expensive so I packed up the stroller and we made our way out of the auction room.

Whew... close one. I'll have to get a babysitter if I plan to attend the next one!

sometimes i think i can almost speak german, other times...

2007-02-07T08:48:00.000+01:00

It seems like everything is just a letter or two off and it's easy to understand words like diskount and aktion. Names, too, seem to just have one letter changed like Monika and Veronika, or the name of a hotel that my hubby pointed out Hotel Romantik - just the addition of the "k" makes the hotel not so according to him.

Some things are spelled differently but sound like what they are like cold is kald and warm is warm (except its pronounced "varm").

But just when you start getting used to things meaning like what they sound... Other things are the opposite like who is were and where is wo but at least what is was which sounds alot like wäsche which means wash and not what.

Then there are times, like yesterday, where I was looking everywhere for a fruit tart for hubby's birthday. After a fruitless search of the bakeries in the town center, I went into a bakery trying to order it. I realized that they thought I must be ordering something dead - torte sounds alot like tot means dead in German as opposed to a tart or toddler.

I hurried down to Hauplatz and bought and English-German dictionary*.

So, I'm back at the bakery.

The ladies behind the counter sigh heavily and shoot each other a look. I whip out my new little dictionary and wave it in the air. Undeterred, I signaled, "Let's try this again..." The counter ladies stared laughing and one said "Ist gute Frau!" which roughly translated means, what a good wife or woman or... whatever (who am I kidding, I can't speak German, yet).

I was feeling pretty confident right about then... ordering an Obsttörchten but there is one thing dictionaries can't help you with: the barrage of foreign words that come back when someone answers you.

"Obsttörchten , obsttörchten, obsttörchten ?!?!" I repeated helplessly.

I think I ordered a Fruit Tart... but I'll have to see what I end-up picking up tonight.

It'll be a surprise for both of us.

*"Why am I buying a dictionary now?!?!" don't worry I haven't been without help. Since our arrival I've been using an Italian-German dictionary but for the life of me I couldn't remember the word for Tart in Italian.

copy & paste: OMG, Whad did I get myself into?

2007-02-05T08:48:00.000+01:00

From the Graz Metroblog...

We just bought a house in Graz, and I went to take a look at if for the first time since the owner moved out. When she lived there, it looked like we could move-in no problem but, yesterday, I got a little reality slap. She had mentioned she was moving to an apartment and may be leaving some things behind. At the last minute during price negotiations, they asked for 20,000E for "all" of her furniture - some pieces where nice mind you but we have our own we didn't need all her stuff - we said no. So now, the first time that I get a look at the house they stripped everything. I mean, EVERYTHING. I was expecting the light fixures to go but she took all the carpeting off the stairs along with all the bars to hold it there - what the heck will she need that for in her new apartment?!? She also removed all the hardware to hold up curtains (wow, what a conicidence her new windows are the same number and size of our house, that's a lot of windows for an apartment) and the walls are filled with holes and hundreds, hundreds of nails. Am I over-reacting in thinking that taking the carpet and curtain hardware is a bit extreme and petty or is this standard fare in Austria? Also, the place is a dirty, dusty, dump. Without all her paintings and carpets covering everything it needs more work than we thought.

We're moving in next week.

The relocation specialist asked me, "Do you have a vacum cleaner?" I had to laugh.... I don't need a vacum, I need a miracle!

Uuuuugh.

polenta that rocks

2007-01-29T19:10:00.000+01:00

Many have followed the basic polenta recipe (polenta, water & salt) and wondered...
what's the big deal? Well, it's called "basic" because every home or restaurant puts
their own spin on it.

Two main ways to get more flavor out of this mush with the use of bullion & dairy.
You can use just one of the two, or for a real punch, both. I use both and turned my
polenta-hating-husband into an eager polenta eater.

While you're boiling the water, before starting to drizzle the polenta grains, throw a
bullion cube in the pan. Then, once all the grain is drizzled and you're starting to
see some thickening, take a look at the dairy section of your fridge and go to town.

Got left-over sheep's-milk yogurt? Throw it in. Got a small piece of smoked Gouda? Throw it in. Got some cheese to grate? Grate it in. The polenta is starting to get really thick and you need to thin it? Add some milk.

My number one secret for making my polenta super-flavorful is with something you probably throw away. Next time you finish grating your triangle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, throw the "crust" in a Ziploc bag and put it in your freezer. When you're boiling water for your polenta, throw the cheese crust in there too! A good five minutes should get enough of the delicious, flavorful fat out of the crust to enchant your diners. Don't forget to scoop it back out of the water before adding the grain. You can stick that crust right back in the freezer and flavor another couple of polentas with it. You might not actually want to do this in front of any guest who is not enlightened in the cheese-making process (ie. where the milk protein migrates to the outer layer of the form thus making a crust).

You can also get additional flavor by throwing just a touch of dried herbs (while the water is boiling so the flavor is evenly distributed) or - as I mentioned to a stunned professional chef - salami. Cut about two inches of a salami log in very small cubes, and toss them in while you're boiling the water. You want to melt the salami fat and evenly distribute it throughout the polenta (so don't use the fake reduced-fat-salami for this technique).

Please, fellow home cooks, do everyone a favor and don't use all four of these techniques (bullion, diary, herb, salami) at the same time. The whole point to making delicious flavorful things is to use quality ingredients and higlight the flavor of each, not to empty your refrigerator and sprice rack.

Finally, if the polenta is the star of the show you'll want to either serve it top-less, or use some very simple uncomplicated flavors so you don't take any of the spotlight from the polenta.

Truffle Salami Polenta Topped with Sauteed Onins & Mushrooms
Use alot of restraint with the salami - the truffle flavor is strong so you want to hilight it, not dominate dinner.

for the polenta:
3 1/2 cups cold water
1 chicken bullion cube
1 cup cornmeal
1 inch thick slice of Black Truffle Salami

for the topping:
2 Large Onions sliced in rings or sticks
16 oz (500 grams) of sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp chopped parsley
olive oil
salt
pepper

Make the polenta first. Then, pop it in the oven to keep warm while you make the topping.

To make the polenta, pour 3 1/2 cups of the water into a large sauce pan, add the bullion cube and the truffle salami in very small cubes (1/8" or 1cm). Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. While the water is boiling, start stirring with a wooden spoon clockwise in one hand, while slowly pouring the polenta in the water with the other. Stir briskly until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until mixture begins to get stiff quickly. When the polenta begins to come away from the sides of the pan and the spoon stands up by itself in the center of the polenta, it is ready to pour in individual bowls. Put the bowls in the oven and turn on at a very low heat (200F or 100C) to keep warm.

To make the topping, add a little olive oil in a sautee' pan. Add the sliced onlins first. When they begin to get translucent add the mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. Stir infrequently so that some of the mushrooms and onions start to get a little crispy. When the contents of the pan are evenly cooked, pull the individual bowls out of the oven, and put a little bit of this topping on each plate.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a strong red wine!

whispering sisters

2007-01-26T12:43:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favorite scenes in Graz. These houses, all different ages, heights and colors, seem to be snuggling close to whisper and giggle the city's secrets to eachother. The Schlossberg clock can be seen peeking from behind - trying to listen to their gossip.

impolite outsider

2007-01-23T17:29:00.000+01:00

I had my first "outsider" moment today. I didn't think it would happen at the English Speaking Playgroup, but it did.

It was all quite natural.

I was sitting at the table sipping tea with three other mommies and the helper. I hadn't even noticed that I was the only "primary" English speaker there.

First it was one word, then short phrases and pretty soon... two simultaneous German conversations were taking place and I didn't understand a darn thing. I couldn't even come up with a joke like, "Hey, what happened to the English speaking playgroup?!?" I just got up from the table and moved over to the couches by myself where Tortellino joined me to look at picture books.

They must have gone on like that for at least 45 minutes (felt like more) until it was near time to go.

As the relocation agent told me, "When Austrians get together, they speak German!" That's what motivated her even more to learn the language quickly.

After postponements and reschedules I finally get my first German lesson, next week; but, for the moment I feel like a lonely outsider.

I probably should have said something... but I can't imagine what would be appropriate for this kind of situation without seeming inappropriate or impolite.

copy & paste: the general

2007-01-23T13:42:00.000+01:00

Hey, I post for the Graz Metroblog, now. Here's one of my posts from there..

The General is for sale in a little shop on Burgergasse for 100E. He's at a discount, though, because the owner is switching his art stock from traditional and landscapes to modern art. I thought the subject of the painting expressed the store owner's quandry as well as the artist's point of view of traditional versus modern (values, architecture, fill-in-the-blank). A cuple of store windows up, is a modern art gallery where the current artist on exhibit features spalshed-on stick-figure people with blank faces. I tried to talk my husband into adopting The General and taking him home with us, but we agreed that the shocked look in his face would be a little difficult to take every day - it makes me jump every time I walk by it.

Sorry for the grany photo (I took it at night, with reflections on the store window), the live version is much more colorful!

I do protest!

2007-01-18T14:01:00.000+01:00

There is a certain beauty in moving to a new country. Half the time it's an adventure, and the rest of the time you don't know what the heck is going on - like last night when we stumbled onto a protest in Hauptplaz on our way to go grocery shopping.

There was someone speaking, lots of cheering, one boo and whistles being blown. All the signs had their back to me but I'd forgotten my dictionary anyway so I shrugged, pulled out my digital, took a few snaps, and went on my merry way...

a shout-out to my peeps

2007-01-16T16:41:00.000+01:00

After several attempts to get noticed by the Graz Metroblog, through my suggestions with the Party Pad, SEWA, Schnitzel, Immobillien, Kindess and Devil posts as soon as they were fresh off the hopper and finally shooting off an email to the founder of Metroblogs saying something to the effect of,"Hey we can't all be young, hip and single posting graffiti photos and making quick witty double entendres here. There are some just off the plane, stay-at-home mommies who also have a valid local experience (and Schnitzel Recipes) to share" and I finally got some action.

They did respond, by-the-way saying that maybe their submission widget didn't work and they were considering my submissions.... oh great!

I probably pissed off the number one poster on the Graz Metroblog, who is posting from Vienna anyway, by suggesting in one of my submissions that they should consider more local content.

So, I went all out and made a short, witty post with local graffiti, even, and I either wore them down or the finally liked something. Hey, the number one rule of writing, or maybe it's the second, is know your audience. And here's another one... don't offend the gatekeeper - even if it's the truth (oops! more trouble for the muckraker).

Ok, so without any further adue... I proudly referr you to the Graz Metroblog- where you can find lots of local graffiti, commentary, historical tid-bits and sometimes even events happening in Graz - but no Schnitzel recipes.

fake pesto...

2007-01-13T09:09:00.000+01:00

I was hunting around my kitchen for ingredients to make a new sauce for the gnocchi that Tortellino has been happily devouring (they're easy to get on the fork for a 19-month-old). I was tiered of making goat-milk, olive-oil based bechamel with prosciutto and peas (it's a bit of work) and I didn't want him to overdose on tomato sauce (with hidden veggies.. heheh), so what to do?

It's the middle of winter and basil is pretty darn expensive and difficult to find. In the back of my freezer I found a box of frozen pureed spinach.

Hmm... things came together pretty quickly. At first Tortellino objected to the green sauce but after he tasted it he said, "mmm hmmm goood!" He was right, when he was done eating I made some fake spinach pesto for myself. It's quick, easy and delicious so you can't go wrong throwing this together on a busy weeknight.

Here's the recipe for a whole pack (16oz or 500g) of spaghetti or dehydrated gnocchi...

fake spinach pesto
It won't taste like the Genovese Basil pesto - but it's green, it's cheaper than buying basil in the winter, it's delicious and it's good for you!

1 cup of pureed spinach
3 tbsp. of Olive Oil
4 lg. cloves of garlic - pressed
1/4 cup of whole or chopped pine nuts
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
(optional) juice from 1/4 of a lemon

In a large saute' pan, add the olive oil and put on a medium flame. Then, add the
spinach (frozen if you like), add the salt and pepper and when all is well mixed, press the garlic and sprinkle on the pine nuts. When the pasta is finished cooking, strain it and put it directly in the sautee pan with the spinach. Stir to coat the pasta and, if you like you can add the squirt of lemon and a squirt of fresh olive oil. Top with grated cheese and serve!

A word of caution. I found this dish quite "energizing". That is, I made it late at night and I couldn't sleep! According to Symbio's Food Effects Index, garlic is "rich source of iodine, which is necessary to produce thyroid hormone, which regulates the body's energy level;" and, it was regulating my energy alrgiht! So if you're a late eater, save this pasta sauce for an energizing lunch.

The Bull (aka Der Bulle Von Tölz)

2007-01-11T23:10:00.000+01:00

Once a week I try not to miss my new favorite program: Der Bulle Von Tölz.

The main charachter, Benno - a detective that lives with his mom - is so expressive that I don't even have to understand what he's saying to know what's going on in the story. The mystery is always set in a different location (a nunnery, a cooking school, a health spa, a bank) so I never get bored. Don't let his bulky nature fool you, quite a bit of ladies are attracted to him but you can count on one thing... every night he always goes home to Momma!

Seen around Graz, today...

2007-01-09T21:27:00.000+01:00

Perfectly Placed Graffiti
Under a bridge along the Mur, there is a collection of architectural fragments. One graffiti artist got.. artistic.

Where are they now?
Once Peter Rabbit finished with the Beatrix Potter series, he could not get any serious work as a grown rabbit in any other fairytales. He decided to backpack around Europe with Benjamin Bunny and ended up in Graz, Austria. He slummed around the streets until he cleaned up his act and opened a pub called the "Hare's Home." Where he is promently featured wearing Mr. McGregor's hat.

Transaltion not lost..
Problem with UFO's? 24-hour service

"Spit Happens"...

2007-01-08T09:23:00.001+01:00

... that's what the nurse said to me quoting a popular bib to explain Tortellino's vomiting. She said it with a tone I'd heard before.

A nurse used the same I've-been-throught-this-and-I-know-more-than-you-you-neurotic-first-time-mom tone when I was in labor and asked for an epidural. "You're a first timer, it'll be a while," she said. So, I went thorugh accelarated induced labor without any pain-killers save the last ten minutes when the guy came to stick a needle in my back "stay still!" he shrilled while trying to stick the syringe in his target. "I can't, I'm contracting. Get this thing out of me, noowww!" Only ten more minutes would pass and Tortellino popped out with a bang.

This time, that tone wasn't going to work.

I wasn't going to take any flak.

"Look, he's in the 25 percemtile for weight at 3 months, while his height is 100 percentile. He doesn't 'spit-up' he VOMITS. Not just a little bit, everything. Then he arches back in pain. He keeps kicking his legs out and it seems like he's a 'talker' at three months but he's complaining about the pain. I don't have a cholichy baby. I have a sick baby. Now go get me the doctor.

Please."

That was my 7th visit in 4 months to find out what the heck was going on. I'd read-up this time and asked.. "Could this be acid reflux?" we tried a combination of medications and within three days I had a different baby. Tortellino was calm, tranquil, happy.. and quiet. He slept through the night and stopped kicking in the air.

15 months later and we're sitting in the GI specialists' office in Austria.

"He isn't getting better. In fact, he routinely gets worse when his weight exceeds the medication or when we travel to a different time zone and the rhythim of his medication changes. He starts to vomit again."

"I'm surprised he hasn't been operated on," she said. "I keep reading articles that American doctors operate for these at just three monts. We wait 'til two years, here."

Now will begin a series of tests - an x-ray to see what's going on and PH monitoring (bear modelling the procedure to the right), which involves Tortellino going around for 24 hours with a probe going down to his stomach through his nose and being attached to a little machine that is carried in a back-pack that records the acidity and number of refluxes.

These tests should tell us whether the reflux, caused by a malformed stomach valve, will either reslove itself or will need operation. Either way, he'll finally be able to get off his medication - that he's been taking fro 15 months of his life.

Sometimes it's good to be insistant and find out why spit happens.

We wish you a very sick-mass and a happy new yeaaaar!

2007-01-02T13:12:00.000+01:00

This was a very difficult holiday for at least two of us, and maybe the third.

From the moment we arrived at my mother-in-law's home (ie. the four-story refrigerator in the Italian Alps) and spent the night with some kind of 1950's metallic refrigerating blanket things started to go down hill.

Tortellino and I shared an ear infection (first for both of us) then he had some kind of bronchial thing and I got tonsillitis. We both had a non-stop fever for six days and were coughing up things that didn't think were possible - even nose-blowing was an experience (I've never seen orange snot before!)

Thankfully, in Italy, Doctors will come to your home after-hours to give you examinations but we had to go to the emergency room to give Tortellino and x-ray and, well I don't need to tell you how often hubby ran back and forth to the pharmacy. Oh wait, I can show you how often he went back and forth...

Tortellino's normal acid reflux medication, three different kinds of anti-fever stuff, two antibiotics, a vitamin syrup, aspirin, anti-vertigo stuff, and somekind of magic mucous expectorating powder (which is what I think turned my mucous orange). I had to start writing directions on the boxes to remember which medication to give to whom when.

Tortellino tried to be excited about his new tricycle Christmas morning, but he just wasn't feeling it.

At least, when he saw it he went from walking to a fast, controlled stumble so we know he was excited about it but he just didn't have the energy to do much playing.

We were going to come back on the 3rd, but New Year's morn' Tortellino had his first day without a fever and hubby's temperature was starting to soar so we hopped in the family van and headed back to Graz last night.

Anyway.... I'm ready for my nap now.

Topsy Turvy

2006-12-22T14:52:00.000+01:00

Herrengasse, the main drag here in Graz is covered by a web of upsidedown Christmas trees.

Right before I left the U.S. all the morning talk show were extolling the virtues of upsidedown Christmas trees. You can put more and bigger presents underneat them. You can purchase the artificial tree with a stand at the top... oh wait, it's at the bottom. Or you can buy a traditional tree and just hang it from the ceiling to take up less floor space and fit, even more presents, underneath. Are you starting to see a trend here?

I've ready and heard, and read, some complaints about this. Apperently Graz does something new and different every year, but for everyone, including myself when I first saw them, I was a little surprised at this level of "artsy fartsy."

So, I was a little shocked that such blatant commercialisim would hit Europe, so early.

But when I saw them at night... I changed my mind.

Herrengasse is turned into a grand ballroom. The trees become the chandaliers. People dance around crunching on discarded maroni (chestnut) shells and toasting with a mug of warmed mulled wine.

Beautiful!

Night image, courtesy of Graz Tourist Board.

St. Nick and his sidekick

2006-12-11T12:27:00.000+01:00

Ok, since my scary devil on the street experience I've been able to find out more details about what it all means. Apparently, what I saw - a little early for St. Nick's day - were Krampus.

On the evening of St. Nicholas day (December 5th) we were invited to an Austrian household to experience this tradition. We drank tea, sang songs along with a guitar awaiting the arrival of St. Nicholas. We heard a knock at the door.... in came a man dressed like a bishop and his helper (Krampus). Generally Krampus didn't used to look like such a Hollywood version of the Devils I saw. But he is supposed to be dark, hairy, horny, mischievous and with a long red tongue.

When the door opened Tortellino ran towards it. When he saw the golden robe and pointy hat, he ran right back to the safety of my legs. St. Nicholas read a prayer mentioning the name of every child and noting if they had been good or bad. If they had been bad, the Krampus would give them a little tap on the head with a birch tree branch (nobody was bad during this visit). If they were good, St. Nicholas gave them a red bag with their name on it filled with nuts and fruit (and candy and chocolates).

Then, every child was blessed and the visit ended with the kids tearing their sacks open and St. Nicholas and the Krampus leaving the home.

This week, we celebrate the Italian Santa Lucia on the 13th - I still have to find out what that is all about. It was so automatic when I was a little girl but now that I'm a parent I need to find out all the details so that Tortellino can experience the full holiday.

In Europe December is one feast day after the other - through mid-January - so they really do feel like Holidays with something different to celebrate every week. In the US kids just have Thanksgiving and Christmas day.

The Running of the Devils

2006-12-04T13:09:00.000+01:00

Last night, I was rushing through Graz to meet hubby and the tortellino. I shot down Burgergasse and got to Tummel platz. There, I started seeing a crowd and hearing horrible sounds - I thought they were really bad street musicians pounding on pots and pans with wooden sppons.

I squeeze through "Ashudligung, excuse me" and start heading down Hans - Sachs - Gasse (a funnel-like street that takes you to the more popular Herrengasse). I was focused on my feet and busy trying to meet hubby and Tortellino in a hurry when out of the corner of my eye something was quite wrong.

A fuzzy figure had just run past me.

I looked up, and saw a herd of about 40 of hairy, horned figures scratching and hopping their way on the cobblestone street towards me. Some short, some tall, all with real horns about 36" long sprouting up and arching violently back. Fangs and nails were all I saw until one of them came running up to me holding a black hairy whip with a tuft at the end -- like a tail. I was too shocked to move more quickly than I did. I ducked in a doorway and I was whipped by the tail on my legs. I peeked out and a very tall, gray and white one, was coming towards me - at this point I was practically hysterical - I raised my arms to cover my face and he was gone, now a short black one was hobbling in my direction. I was completely trapped and couldn't make it further along down the street, the only thing I could do is turn towards the stone wall and close my eyes - I didn't want to see whoever or whatever was going to come next.

Bang! BANG! Bang! Bang! Bang! BANG!

The metal kept pounding, louder, louder, louder!

I heard laugher.

I uncovered my face and a crowd of people was following the devils laughing and joking and clapping.

I was shaking so hard I didn't even feel the phone vibrating in my pocket. I got to our designated meeting place, shaken and disheveled.

Where was hubby and Tortellino? I called them on the cell..

"There was something coming towards us so we started to head back home"

"Come get meeeeeeeeee!", I screamed through sobs. I felt like a little 9 year old girl. I still couldn't pull myself together.

What kind of pagan custom is this?!? This was worse and more horrible than Halloween - maybe it wouldn't have been that scary if I had been prepared. If someone had told me.

We finally met and the banging was coming back or way. Apparently, they were running back and forth on Hans-Sachs-Gasse.

"I want to go seem them," hubby said with excitement. A woman came running from the crowd screaming, I said "go, go, go but leave Tortellino with me."

Tortellino and I tucked ourselves in the well-lit the entrance of a jewelry store a safe distance away and focused on watches- tortellino really likes watches.

"Tick, tock, tick, tock, I'm a little kookoo clock"

Bang! BANG! Bang! Bang! Bang! BANG!

(There is noooooo way I'm turning around to see what's happening)

"Cookoo, Cookoo, Cookoo... it's three o'clock!"

Hubby comes strolling back laughing and smiling.

"People have babies on their shoulders and the devils come close and play with them. It must be some kind of ringing away the autumn to bring in the winter - I saw something similar when I lived in Germany."

"Ha, ha, lots of fun when you're in a crowd of people laughing - not so fun if you're unprepared standing alone against a wall"

I was feeling a little better now, but not objective enough to go see the devils making their way back up the street. At least hubby was sensible enough not to ask.

"Let's go look at the Ice Sculptures," he said; and we ducked into the Landhaus courtyard.

Photos courtesy of Grazer Woce - I didn't have my wits about me to actually take a picture!

The kindness of Austrian- or is it just Grazers?

2006-11-22T10:58:00.000+01:00

Having had various negative experiences in OTHER European countries where I don't speak the language - cold shoulders and total refusal to even attempt communication - I have been very impressed with the hospitality we have received.

Our first hours in this country - fresh off an 18 hour flight - we were driving around the center in our rental car, completely lost, driving where we shouldn't, and everyone we stopped on the street was willing to help us find our hotel. Dark car, late night, people with funny Italian and American accents got a fair shake.

Yesterday this point was brought home for me on the tram...

Up comes an elderly gentleman he could barely stand on his own and I quickly helped him get his ticket punched (Tortellino was sitting in his stroller directly below the machine - not exactly blocking it but requiring some fancy footwork to surpass). Here comes our stop, and the gentleman says something to me in German..

I told him I couldn't speak German, "Neign Sprecken Deutch" (can't spell it either, apparently). He proceeded to grab my stroller and help us get off the tram. Now, for a guy who can hardly walk. That's impressive!

Another mommy, who is in our English-speaking playgroup, entered Austria via Vienna, instead, and had just horrible experiences where people just treated her badly for not speaking German. Then again, the English-speaking playgroup is yet another example of Grazer hospitality. There, you will find mommies from America, England, Australia and Graz. We've been there about three times and guess who invited Tortellino to a playdate? Not the English mommy, not the American mommy... the Austrian mommy!

So there you go.

Incrdible Immobilien

2006-11-21T08:30:00.000+01:00

One of the reasons we were attracted here, to Graz, is what we saw in an immobilien magazine. The prices of houses seemed fantastic. And they are if you want to live in the middle of nowhere, with no bus and no shops nearby - which is not us!

So our budget kept going up, and up, and up. Needless to say we found a wonderful little gem in St. Leonhard and we started to discover... all the list prices are negotiable (by 100,000E or more in some cases).

However, unlike California, or Italy for that matter, there is no requirement for a seller - once they have their house on the market - to actually sell it. Wheras in California, if someone offers at least the list pirce, per the contract with their agent they must sell it at least for that.

Not in Austria!

If the seller changes their mind, raises the price, or decides to take the house off the market ... so much for their agent. They are screwed. Oh, and so is the intersted buyer, BTW.

A few other tidbitds we learned while browsing at various houses and asking questions...

"Oh, there's a little shop attached. Do we need a permit to open a little store here?"

"Permit? No, you open what you want."

"Is the electricity up to code?"

"There is no requirement here, for that"

"Are all the permits in order for the bathrroms?"

"There is no need for permit here."

Wow... I guess shoddy unregulated work has not made it to Austria, yet. I konw we're in Europe but... this is vastly different from what you would find right next door in Italy!

Incredible.

IKEA, Schnitzels & Garlic.... oh my!

2006-11-14T21:23:00.002+01:00

As I mentioned, we live in a party hardy apartment and other key things that were missing included simple cooking implements and non-stick pans.

One IKEA start-box later... we were cooking!

It came with everything, including a kitchen timer, tivets, garlic press and a weird manual can-opener. The cold weather, abundance of left-overs, and a ridicuolously huge supply of apples and pears has had me cranking out casseroles and cobblers.

However, my latest piece de resistance, has been the ability to reverse engineer the most delicious cutlet (Schnitzel) recipe from Bergwith, a restaurant at the top of a hill on Petersbergenstrasse, in Graz of course! It's got a really delicious garlichy-but not bitter or overpowering-flavor that truly surpised me when I tasted it. A squirt of lemong and you're in Schnitzel heaven...It took me three tries but I was finally able to perfect it!

Knoblauch Schnitzel (Austrian Garlic Cutlets)

This recipe requires a ridiculous amount of dishes, so if you're like me and don't have a dishwasher consider using paper plates or... make a big batch - freeze the rest for later and you won't need to do all those dishes quite so often.

Traditional recipes use Vollkorn bread crumbs (whole wheat)- easy to find in Austria difficult to find elswhere. Sometimes, you can find the crackers and if that's the case buy a pack of those, thorw them in the chopper and make your own vollkorn bread crumbs! Otherwise, you can substitute your garden variety bread crumbs.

6 Veal Cutlets
2 cups of Wheat Bread Crumbs
2 Heads of Garlic
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp. of Sea Salt
pepper - to taste
2 lemons
4 TBSP of Light Olive Oil

Prepare the garlic spread first. Crush all the cloves of garlic and mix them well with te 2 tsp. of sea salt, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and pepper to taste (let it sit and "macerate" while you prepare the rest).

Set up, in assembly line fashion going towards your frying pan: a dish with the eggs (well beaten), a dish with the bread-crumbs. Turn your oven on to 350F and add a low wide oven dish (you will place the cutlets in here while making the rest so they alls tay warm).

In a low, wide, frying pan add the oil and turn the heat to high. Test if it's ready by throwing a couple of bread-crumbs and seeing if it sizzles. If they sizzle.. it's ready!

For each veal cutlet thinly spread (preferably with a butter or non-sharp knife)the garlic mixture on both sides; then coat the cutlet with the eggs; then, coat the cutlet with the breadcrumbs; then, place delicately in the hot oil in the frying pan. Let it sizzle for about 3 minutes - then check for a golden brown crust, flip, sizzle for a few minutes more, then transfer to oven dish and proceed to the next one. If you have a large pan, or small cutlets you may be able to prepare more than one at a time.

Serve with wedges of lemon and serve with either rice or potato salad.

Gut Apetit!

Creepy Coinkydink!

2006-11-14T13:25:00.000+01:00

Ok... I had a creepy coincidental moment yesterday as I was shopping at the three-story "SEWA" (pronounced "save-ah" dollar store) in Graz. I looked up at the candle section and saw a very familiar face....

...Sri Chinmoy!

Those of you who have dined at the well-known vegetarian restaurant, "Ananda Fuara" will recognize him from the looping video that is on the monitors there. You know, where he's meeting with Mother Theresa, lifting 500+ pounds, drawing pictures, running, smiling and a few other things. The restaurant is strangely positioned on a dingy corner of Market street, near San Francisco's Civic Center and is an absolute magnet for power-hungry politicians who make deals over vegetarian wraps. I used to dine there quite a bit when I worked for the City and County of San Francisco and particularly enjoyed toddling over there while pregnant for one of their Yogi Chai (it's caffeine free for those who can't handle caffeine while they're gestating).

I should have known! The clerks at Sewa have the exact same royal-blue outfits and have this kind of happy, self-fulfilled glow about them that keeps them going quietly about their business. To the uninitiated, like me, this is kinda creepy.

I never knew that Sri Chinmoy's organization was so large or far-reaching as to have several stores not just in Graz, but all over Austria and Germany!

Now that's what I call a coincidence!

We have landed in the party pad... and now we have a radio, too!

2006-11-12T07:51:00.001+01:00

Ok, fastforward a year or so since my last post and here I am posting from Graz, Austria.

We got here four weeks ago and are stayin in a furnished apartment until we can find a home to buy. My husband's company procured it while we were in flight to Austria. It's very central but a total PARTY spot - completely NOT equipped for a toddler.

Tortellino has already broken a glass lamp, burned himself on the oven front (apparently they don't insulate them here), squished his finger in the front door and gotten a big, hot, flying splash of boiling polenta on his face!

Not only is this apartment unequipped for a toddler, it's completely not designed for stays longer than a few days or weeks - it's mostly used by actors who perform at the theater at the other end of FreheitPlaz.

We do have a nice view of the bald-spot on the head of Francis I from our window - it turned into a little white toupee last week during the first snow.

It features a sunken couch - complete with cigarette burns - an open (practically walk-in fireplace) with no kind of gate, grate or anything, a dining room table that is about 3km away from the kitchen (it's a long trip to get the salt) and a large painting of two Raphaelesque angels looking up, contemplating life, while smoking cigarettes and caressing their beers.

Oh... did I mention the wicker chairs that are unwinding themselves? Total toddler magnet!

And my favorite design feature... our living/dining room has one orange wall, one burgundy wall and one mustard wall. Believe me, it's not as bad as our bedroom that has one turquoise wall!

I do have something to be thankful for, though. My husband's new boss and co-workers descended the evening we arrived with a high-chair, changing table, crib and other infant paraphanalia.

So now it's the family partly place.

oooooh, music
For being such a young, hip apartment it was lacking one essential piece of equipment - a RADIO! Since hubby works late, the stores are closed on Sundays and I can't get too far our of town on a bus it's taken us quite a while to find the electronics stores here. Yesterday we finally found a RADIO!!! I didn't realize how much we missed music 'til Tortellino was jamming to Radio Slovenia's classical music and entertaining himself (that is, not wound between my legs asking for attention) while I was working in the kitchen and grating vegetables to the beat.

'Til now we've been making the best of the three Putamayo Children's CD's I brought and Microsoft Window's Media Player's psychedelic renditions of the music (which totally hypnotized Tortellino BTW - I hope there are no after-effects of too much Media-player renditions).

the little guy... and motherhood

2005-08-14T22:01:00.000+02:00

Three months have past since my last post.. that's because a complicated pregnancy, induced labor, rough recovery and very active nocturnal baby, a drop-in from the in-laws from Nashville & Italy and a visit to my sister in Seattle have kept me pretty busy.

Yes, we're the proud parents of a little boy - which was quite a surprise since in the last month of my pregnancy I was convinced it would be a girl. It was just a feeling, not a wish - my only wish was for a happy, healthy baby and that has absolutely come true.

I'm just now coming up for air from this little guy and introduction to motherhood and have a newfound understanding and appreciation for my mother. If only she were alive today I would be able to connect with her on a whole new level as I know undedrstand how easy it is to stop thinking about yourself and dedicating oneself to this little being who can't hold his head up without assistance.

More coming soon as we're getting into the rhythim of things and I'm getting used to operating normally on less sleep.

We've got balls!

2005-05-09T18:09:00.000+02:00

My husband and I are preparing ourseves for the upcoming baby. Articles and books suggest stocking up the house and freezer with food you can easily prepare for the first few weeks. In addition to several tubs of pesto and sheets of lasagna there is one other dish that I like to make ahead of time in abundance to quickly consume and satisfy when pressed for time.

These partially cooked meat balls can be defrosted and either finish cooking in a tomato sauce - or baking in the oven and topped with either a bechamel or wine reduction sauce prior to serving.

They're fun to make, but messy, so I recommend making a whole bunch at once! I've halved my recipe so that you can get two batches out of this - though if you're up to it, double it and you'll make four meals in less than an hour!

Don't let the quantity of ingredients intimidate you - use what you have around and adjust the recipe to taste.

meat ballz
Traditional Italian recipes use a mix of veal, pork and beef for the meat portion - but due to the mad cow scare, I usually just stick to pork or pork and turkey (great use for thanksgiving leftovers).

1 lb of ground pork
10 oz of plain bread crumbs (plain wheat are even yummier)
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg
1/4 cup of pecorino romano, grated (if you substitute this cheese with a less salty cheese, be sure to add 2 tbsp of salt)
1/2 of a ground nutmeg (or 2 tbsp)
1 1/2 cups of white, unbleached flour.
1/2 cup of Olive Oil
pepper to taste
salt to taste

Prepare your work surface by sprinkling a little flour and filling a small bowl with the rest of the flour for dredging. Set them aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the breadcrumbs and mix in the milk and eggs. Add the pecornio romano and nutmeg and pork and get in there with your hands and combine the ingredients well. Use a tablespoon to regulate the size of the meatballs - you'll want to make them approximately the same size for cooking time. Take a tablespoon of the mixure, roll it into a little ball and drop it in the dredging flour (you may want to make four or five and drop them in this bowl before moving to the next step). Lightly coat the meatballs with flour and place them on your work surface. Continue this until you have finished your mixture.

On the stovetop put a low-wide skillet on a medium flame with the 1/2 cup of olive oil. When the oil is hot (it'll sizzle if you put a drop of water in it) begin adding the meatballs about 1" apart. Wait about 5 minutes and turn them about three times each so that they eavenly coat with a golden-brown finish. Set the browned meatballs aside to cool.

Now you can either divide the meatballs into separate freezer bags or complete cooking them fresh or defrosted in one of the following sauces.

meat ballz: wine reduction sauce
I recommend pouring this sauce over your oven-baked meat ballz. They should be defrosted and placed in a cassarole dish in a 375 degree oven, covered with foil for 30 minutes prior to serving. To have everything ready together, you can start preparing this sauce 5 minutes before your meat ballz are ready.

1/4 cup of olive oil
4 tbsp of white, unbleached flour
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of white wine
2 tsp of salt

Either use the skillet where you browned the meatballs, or heat a skillet with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add 4 tbsp of flour, continuously stirring. When the flour and oil have combined in a thick, creamy, paste add the wine. Continue stirring to incorporate all the flavors. Add water to adjust the consistency and a pinch of salt in the end. Pull out the casserole dish with your meat ballz and pour this sauce over them. Serve immediately.

meat ballz: bechamel sauce
Like the wine reduction sauce, I recommend pouring this sauce over your baked meat balls.

4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups cold milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
dash of nutmeg

Melt the butter in a skillet. When it has stopped foaming, stir in the flour - keep stirring for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the cold milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir and cook until it has thickened. Pull out the casserole dish with your meat ballz and pour this sauce over them. Serve immediately.

meat ballz: tomato sauce
When the meat ballz have finished cooking in the tomato sauce, pull them out of the sauce and serve the tomato sauce on the pasta (as a first course), then the meatballs by themselves (as the second, meat course). To have everything ready together, you should start cooking your pasta 10 minutes before your meat ballz are ready.

1, 30 oz can of purred or crushed tomatoes
1 clove or garlic, crushed
1 tsp of dried chile peppers
1 onion, chopped
4 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 bunch of basil
1 lb of spaghetti
1/4 cup of sea salt
1 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, grated

In a large, deep sauce pan heat add the cold olive oil and crushed garlic clove and hot pepper. Bring slowly up to medium heat and add the onions. Sautee' the onions until they are semi-transparent, then add the tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a bubbling mixure and add the meat ballz. Simmer meat ballz in sauce for about 30 minutes.

Prepare your pasta pan with a fist full of sea salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook the recommended cooking time (I ususally shave 2 minutes off the time indicated in the box for pasta al dente).

Strain the meat ballz out of the tomato sauce and put aside to keep warm.

Roughly chop the basil.

When the pasta is ready, mix in the tomato sauce, top with the chopped basil and serve with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. When the pasta course is complete, serve the meat ballz seperately.

Buon Appetito!

Overstimulation: the new frontier for babies

2005-04-28T00:48:00.000+02:00

I've been slowly piecing together the requisite baby registry in anticipation for a Baby Shower a friend is throwing for me. And, one of the things that has really shocked me is how many birght lights, sounds and toys manufcaturers are now attaching to just about everything.

What ever happened to those simple little walkers that were just a seat, a hoop and a cuple of wheels? Or what about a high-chair that was just a high chair... for eating? Or the stroller that was just for tranpsorting?

No, it now seems that these baby regalia are no longer useful for making a small child fit in an adult world - but made to stimulate, educate and otherwise annoy children at every step.

Seriously, what are we doing here? What ever happened to pushing a kid in a stroller and pointing out the migrating geese -- why would the baby ever look beyond his immediate environment when he's got plastic yellow duckies stuck to his storller that squeal when you squeeze them to entertain him at every turn!

For your amusement... and my shock, here are some of the baby items I've come across...

Why bother walking? There are so many things nearby why bother going anywhere else?

I'm surrounded! No matter what direction your baby looks in there's a toy to hit him on the head, foot or stomack. Who cares what's beyond the mat if evrything you need is right there!

Who cares about the migrating geese mom is pointing out? They don't light up when I squeeze them.

Why go to sleep when I have all this fun stuff twirling around and making noise?

Imagination? Who needs that when anything I would care to think about is right here?

Why can't I play with my food? BTW, where is there room for my food?

the clapper!

2005-03-31T18:52:00.000+02:00

Remember the cheesy "Clapper" commercials made their debut in the 80's with it's constant rain of commercials on network TV?

Clap on (tack! tack!), Clap off (tack, tack!), Clap on Clap off... the Clapper (tack, tack!).

When I was a teenager, I remember my mother brining one home excitedly to plug into our Christmas tree. It was always a bit too sensitive and with out loud family the tree would turn on and off. We'd encourage our guests to clap, clap, clap and watch our strobing Christmas tree!

Unlike the original, the model lets you operate two electrical thingies (one requires two claps, the other three).

A distant bedside lamp - that we'd always argue about who should turn off once comfortable in our toasty bed and a hard-to reach back-light in a corner made this old-time favorite a necessity.

I still don't know what happened to the original clapper from 20+ years ago but last night I unwrapped the cellophane off the new model and excitedly showed it to my husband who wasn't around for the 1980's media blitz - and was completely skeptical about "another gadget" that I'd brought home. He kept his most scathing comments to himself (the benefits of being pregnant - you don't get criticized as much!) and quizzically examined the box. I ran to our bedroom to plug in the back-light and bedside table lamp, stood back and let him go clapping!

A smile broke across his face as the lights lights turned on and off remotely. He wouldn't admit it, of course, but he liked it and last night he couldn't wait to "clap off" the beside table lamp!

Your shower curtain and your garden hose are trying to kill you...

2005-03-23T17:50:00.000+01:00

As an unintended follow-up to my mad cow post last week... more news about more things that are dangerous for us. The summary of the following news story brings to the forefront how much progress and technology has excelled in consumer products (and food) with complete lack of thought towards the actual safety of the person using/consuming this product. It's enough to make you paranoid!

Here's the beef, so to speak...

A study looked at 44 different chemicals in six classes that are common to comsumer products but have been associated with health problems. 70 participants nationwide were asked to send in samples from their vacumcleaners after 1 week of vacuming. The study, one of the first of its kind, showed that hidden away in dust balls in vacuum cleaner bags were 35 toxic industrial chemicals that are legal in products but have been shown to cause reproductive, respiratory and other health problems in humans or test animals.

The greatest amount were the little-known phthalates, plasticizers used to soften everything vinyl, including flooring, raincoats, shoes and purses, tablecloths, shower curtains, upholstery, carpet backing, garden hoses and PVC water pipes.

Here's the whole story...

Peeheuwww! And other general intolerance...

2005-03-18T17:24:00.000+01:00

I've often spoken about my fellow bus commuters (one avid reader told me that maybe I do so too much but hey, this is where I spend most of my time where I'm not at work or home!) and I thought it was worth noting that I believe they all have something in common - general intolerance. Let me explain...

As noted in a previous post I'm preggers which means I'm sensitive to any smell known, or yet to be discovered, by man. Working in San Francisco, where there is a feast of smells emanating primarily from the homeless and the general lack of public bathrooms, I am always greeted with very unpleasant smells that bring me to the brink of loosing my breakfast, or last night's dinner. So, following the advice of a friend, I've started to apply herbal oil - lavender in my case- to my wrists and such so that when I get off the bus THAT scent can distract me from what's going on. Now, keep in mind that I've been riding the bus and applying this oil for months - at least three.

Yesterday morning, I sat next to a woman I wouldn't necessary sit next to (the breast cancer survivor who gives everyone regular updates on her health status usually at the bus stop on the way back) who was pretending to be asleep. Generally, if someone is awake, I ask them if it the lavender oil would disturb them but since she wasn't "notably" available I applied a little in hopes of preventing nausea.

Five minutes later..

"Oh my god! Did you just spray perfume or something?!"

"Are you allergic to perfume? I did not apply perfume, it's an essential oil, lavender.. are you allergic to lavender?"

"Oh... I'm getting a headache"

I start to get up and say, "let me switch seats, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

She grabbed my wrist, pulled me down and, "don't worry, the damage is already done."

"Well, I'm really sorry that this is upsetting you - it's too bad that something that helps me does not help you."

She went back to pretending to be asleep.

This morning, I purposely avoided sitting next to her - it was easy since she had her bag along anything else imaginable a commuter might need in the seat next to her but I also made a concentrated effort to stay as far away from her as possible! I end up in the last seat in the back of the bus, I apply my lavender and she begins to protest - keep in mind that I'd been applying lavender in different areas of the bus for the last THREE MONTHS and this was never a big "to do" but today she was complaining to the people behind her about me and as she arrived to her bus stop she told all the riders around her, "what a great way to start my day.. with a headache!" then she turned and GLARED at me! As she was descending the steps of the bus she theatrically threw her head back with her hand up to her forehead and groaned before stepping out into the street.

How is it that for the last THREE MONTHS I have sat in front of her, behind her and everywhere else on this bus and it never bothered her until now?! Because it's a sign of general intolerance.

What's so general about intolerance?
I've noticed that, in this country anyway, it's everywhere. It's particularly dangerous because how on earth can we live peacefully with each other if the first thing on everyone's mind is how someone else's behavior is inconveniencing me! What ever happened to tolerance and personal responsibility?

If the breast cancer survivor I mentioned on the bus was truly allergic to perfumes (which is doubtful since her allergy only began once she knew about my lavender oil ritual) why not take matters into her own hands and wear a little filter mask when you're on the bus instead of demanding that the world stop wearing perfume so that she can be comfortable?

If someone parks on the street in front of your house why get all upset and call a tow truck when there are plenty of spots across the street? No one is trying to personally inconvenience you!

If there's a kid running around the restaurant, not being noisy or actually bothering anyone just being a kid, why do you have to shoot dirty looks at the parents?!? How is this actually inconviniancing you - other than your preconceived thoughts of how the world should run?

Puhleeze... I'm so sick of this personalized, customized and adjustable experience that is reflected in every aspect of our little American lives that makes us completely intolerant and annoyed with anyone or anything that has different needs.

Take responsibility for christssakes and stop trying to make the world conform to your ideal! I promise, it will save you lots of energy and grief in the end.

What you eat could kill you...

2005-03-15T18:01:00.000+01:00

Success! I've been "nagging", that's what wives do when they give helpful advice to their husbands, about not eating beef for about a year. Yet, my husband still chooses a burger at Mc Donald's (because it costs less) and requests beef in his burrito. He travels often to Japan - where they screen all cows for BSD and told him he could have his fill of beef there but not in the United States where - though some independent farms have tried - the beef industry has been staunchly against testing all cows for this deadly disease. w

So what's this big success I'm talking about? Well.. I've had it with getting frustrated in recounting the dangers of Mad Cow to my husband so - by coincidence - TiVo recorded an episode of Forensic Files Called "Foreign Body" a very scientific, factual account on the origins of mad cow and it's effects on those who consume the infected meat. Before I turned on the program I made a pledge to my husband.

"If you promise to pay attention for the next 30 minutes, I will never bring up your beef consumption habits, nor try to prevent them. After seeing this program, I think you should make up your own mind about consuming beef and I will respect your decision."

When the program finished my husband was declaring vegetarianisim as the way to go - maybe I was a little too successful!

Mad Cow - and why US Beef still isn't safe
Like many Forensic File episodes, this one opened with a mystery. Why were healthy young people in Britain suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - a disease that usually strikes the elderly? Beautiful microscope slides are displayed showing the holes in the brain caused by this disease and personal stories are recounted for three youths with promising lives ahead of them dying within 9 months to a year after displaying symptoms of what was later discovered to be CJD. Then various scientists were interviewed about how disease could jump sepcies, and a short animation displayed the specific effects of this disese on prions - a normal protein that for unknown reasons becomes infectious. Fast forward to a few screen shots of cows suffering from "Mad Cow", sheep suffering from "Scrapie" (thought to be the original cross species jump), and a few shots of cow and sheep carcasses being ground-up and turned into little pellets which are later fed back to the cows - who are now no longer herbivores but omnivores because of this practice- and the path of this disease is clear. The program ends with one grieving parent looking in the camera asking the viewer how he could possibly feel comfortable eating beef again without a concentrated effort to erradicate the infected cows and BSD's path of transmission.

As a side note, United States outlawed feeding carcasses back to cows in the 1997. The FDA is the agency who has been tasked with tracking and enforcing compliance with this rule but their most recent report, Agencies Work to Corral Mad Cow Disease, admits to not having 100% compliance and hides in plain view the fact that they are only monitoring animal feed firms- not the cows.

Why is this statistical shell game important to note? In 2003, the United States has tested only 20,526 cattle out of 35 million slaughtered - that's .05% While the testing has increased ten-fold in 2004 that only brings the number of cattle tested to 176, 468 (according to the USDA) - that's .5%. Conrtast these numbers with Japan where they tested 100% of the cattle destined for the commercial market and new European Union regulations that require that every head of cattle over the age of 30 months, headed for slaughter be tested and you can clearly see why U.S. beef is blatantly unsafe.

So... next time you're tempted to ask, "where's the beef?" what you should really be asking is, "where's the test results?"

Babyzilla... from the makers of Bridezilla

2005-02-08T17:46:00.000+01:00

You've already heard, and maybe even seen, the effects of planning a wedding can have on a bride- sudden personality change mostly likened to a drill sargeant with a bottomless budget and an unberable attention to detail.

I now birng you: Babyzilla. This would be a pregnant woman who has lost all sense of reality and acquires one of everything ever made for a baby and is willing to pay fistfulls of cash to get "just what I want.... for our baby of course!"

I'd heard of the existance of babyzilla's but had not actually had the opportunity to interact with one until this morning. On my morning commute I sat next to a woman who is about 4 weeks ahead of me pregnancy -wise. I'd smiled at her on the bus and had a brief chat with her before so I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.

It started innocently enough...

"How are you feeling? Do you know what the sex is? Have you come up with names, yet?"

When I told her that we didn't want to know the sex she gasped, "How are you ever going to decorate the baby room?!?"

"I wasn't really planning to, all I really need is a changing table I'll use the rocking chair my mother used and ...."

"What about clothes? You won't know what color to get? I'm going to have a girl, everything is going to be pastel."

"The baby is going to be so small that I don't think it'll be too traumatic for it to wear yellow, green and beige. Actually... it won't even notice if I throw in something pink or blue. I mean, there's time to buy baby clothes after the baby comes! No need to get all the outfits now."

... the banter was starting to heat up and before I knew it we were talking cribs.

"Have you found a crib yet?" she asked as innocently as her first questions.

" Uh.. well, not really you see..."

"Oh, you must get one now! I was at Lullaby Lane and they didn't have the crib we wanted in stock so we had to put it on order and it could take up to 17 weeks? Can you believe it? You must start looking now otherwise you'll never get what you want... for your baby," she smiled to herself--even before she took a breath -- basking in the details.

"Well... my co-worker is going to lend me their crib and I was planning to just pick-up a matress at IKEA."

"What kind of matress?"

I shrug, "you know, a baby crib matress."

"Nononono. What I mean is.. will you get sping matress , a foam matress, a futon cotton matress, a down matress cover...."

I interrupt, "Does the baby really care what kind of matress it is?"

"Oh of course they do, you can also get combination matresses, spring and foam, along with other materials.. bla bla bla bla bla... I have a book where they've researched and scored every possible matress type."

I looked around at my fellow passengers desperately for some sign of support - each in their own world totally unaware of the charachter that was unfurling before them.

I was trapped.

The chattering from babyzilla started to wind down so I dared to make eye contact with her again.

"What about bedding? Did you get bedding? It can get so expensive, you really need to look for it online so that you can get good bargains on it."

Surprised to hear the b-word, my eyes opened wide and I asked, "So, what bargains did you get?"

"Oh.. I found a whole baby sheet set for $150! Isn't that great?!?"

I gulped remembering the "Bed-in-a-bag" one can purchase for a full size bed for under $45 -- I mean, seriously, how can sheets and a comforter that are 1/5th the size be almost four times the price?!?

"Did you register yet? I'm registered at BabiesRUs, Lullaby Lane, bla, bla bla bla. My husband and I had so much fun but you have to go early or they run out of the scanners and you won't be able to scan all the great stuff you want.. for the baby of course. We were there even before the doors opened, but soon the store was crowded with moms and babies and kids running around all over the place. But you should go online first, you'll find all these lists from moms of toddlers 'stuff I wish was invented when my tot was a baby', you can get lots of ideas there. You wouldn't believe what they've invented. I've registered for one of each and..."

Mercifully, my stop arrived. As I was getting up and walking off the bus she leaned on the edge of her seat, "Old Navy is having a maternity sale, don't forget to get maternity panties..."

She grabbed my arm before I made it to the door, pulled me down to look in her eyes.

She had a serious and desperate expression -- I guess she was going to say something really important -- "you won't regret it. You'll really need maternity panties."

The last seat on the bus...

2005-01-07T18:18:00.000+01:00

During my commute I always see different people on the bus going to work as opposed to the one going back. The time at each bus stop is usually passed recounting stories of various characters that we may or may not have in common during our trips on busses of differing schedules.

Characters like the frail Chinese lady with a perm who always takes up two seats or the Russian guy who's always talking to his friend really loud because he's talking over the walkman he's wearing. Let's not forget the stinky guy who probably has a liver problem who always smells like a day-old bar or my personal favorite, the "homely" woman who spends most of her time highlighting passages on her latest Christian "Awake!" issue and the rest of it being rude to other passengers and shoving elbows in their ribs. She's not to be confused with the lady who highlights passages in her dictionary-sized large-type bible, she's the real deal, always smiling, waving and telling other passengers as they get off the bus "God bless you on this beautiful day!"

This morning I'm standing at the bus stop with the short spinster with the Luis Vuitton backpack who always complains about her hip problems.

"Do you know the Odd Chinese Lady?" she asks.

"You mean the one with the perm and space issues?"

"No, not that one. No one wants to sit next to this one. She talks. She's... odd."

"No, sorry I haven't caught the bus with her yet," I reply.

"Oh it was awful! Yesterday, on the bus on the way home she got on and the last seat was taken by this guy's briefcase so she went to the back of the bus and sat in the stairwell!

"I was sitting right across from him," she continued. ".. and I asked the lady next to me 'isn't that just awful? Even if we don't want to sit next to her isn't she entitled to the last seat?' and my friend said 'yes, I feel terrible we should tell her there's an empty seat.' I know... isn't that awful? I mean she paid for it just like the rest of us!"

I interrupt her , "So, you sent the guy with the briefcase to tell her there was an empty seat, right?"

"Oh no, of course not. Wasn't that awful? We just felt terrible, the whole way home we kept discussing how terrible we felt. Wasn't that awful?"

In disbelief I ask, "and she sat there, in the stariwell, the whole way home?!?"

"Of course, wasn't that absolutely awful?"

I was saved from having to bear another second of this story by the approaching bus. As I went up the steps of the bus, I looked over my shoulder and nodded "It was awful...." and then I sat in my usual place.

I completed the rest of what I wanted to say in my mind "... that you sat there discussing how terrible your felt for 20 minutes while the lady was forced to sit in the stairwell the whole way home! Why didn't you get up to tell her there was an empty seat?!?"

I looked up to see the short spinster with the Luis Vuitton backpack animating to the old lady with the veiny legs that always wears short skirts and see-thru hose. Her eyes wide, her face stricken with pain, the old lady with her hand over he mouth with a look of horror, and between engine bursts I could hear "... awful? ......... just awful..... seat?!?"

That, was awful.

music, music everywhere...

2004-12-15T19:15:00.000+01:00

The minute I get off my commuter bus and set my foot in San Francisco, my ears are filled with music 'til the very moment when I step on the bus to get back.

Across the street from my morning bus stop there is always a large African American woman with colorfully, had made, hat and scarf who is singing soul songs from the very depth of her ample bosum. New attendees of her bus stop look hesitant and stand a distance, unsure of her effect on them, while the regulars are smiling and tapping their feet. She does not ask for money... she is just waiting for the bus with the rest of them and can't keep her beautiful music to herself.

Down the stairs into the undeground Montgomery station waits for me a tiered Mexican day worker in jeans, cowboy hat and guitar. He's strumming folk songs which echo off the ceiling and walls and reverbarate through the subway station.

When I emerge back up on the escalator at Civic Center station a flute caresses my ears. An older Japanese man is leaning against the gray subway-tiled wall and piping tunes that are remeniscent of kimonos, tea ceremonies and beautifully manicured gardens. Each note sharply pipes up in contrast to the next and once in a while two notes at once twirl around eachother until they're pierced by the next.

Every Wednesday, across the street, is the farmer's market and a man who looks like he could have been a member of the Greatful Dead is sitting on his fold-out stool with his guitar belting out love, peace and harmony songs from 1969 - the summer of love.

Every other Thrusday, my office windows vibrate with the roar of electric guitars, drums, cymbals and some young adult in angst. These are the regular concerts organized by the Academy of Arts right outside their building in United Nations plaza. An impromtu stage is suggested by three vehicles surrounding the band - usually turcks holding generators amplifiers. When I walk past to get my sandwich each beat of the drum beats on my jacket while the preformers are jumping up and down to the rhythm - like droplests of water on hot oil - and a young colorfully clad and torn group bounces along.

It's time to go home and I descend back into Civic Center station. Now the Japanese flute player has been replaced by a black homeless man who is bellowing out "Lean on Me" I don't think I've heard him do any other song but it doesn't matter. His optimisim is infectuous and his passion makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end every time.

Back up through Montgomery station a blind accordian player has taken his spot in front of the illuminated ad. He squeezes, sings and puts a spring in the step of everyone who is within earshot.

Once, while riding the 6 Parnassus from downtown through Haight street - there was a rag-tag group of teens occuping the back seats with their gangly arms, legs and backpacs. One strted singing "We are Family", the friends joined and - though no one knew eachother - most of the riders in the bus joined in the chorus while those who didn't know the words calpped along.

We are family

I've got all my sisters with me

We are family

get up everybody and sing

When it was over, everyone was giggling at what had just happened. Even.. momentarily polite, waving to strangers as they got off the bus. My eyes filled with damp joy at the beauty of the moment.

San Francisco... where the streets and public transportation are alive with music.

My return commute is almost complete as I dissapear onto my bus which lurches it's way out of "the city" and into the sub-urbs of San Mateo where the occasional car pumping out bass beats passes me as I make my way home along the empty, "tranquil" streets -- it's just not the same.

ode to gorgonzola

2004-12-08T16:58:00.000+01:00

Only two dishes can leave me with the most delightful food hangover that has me walking around on the tips of my toes, with my face towards the heavens, my eyes closed and a constant hum of "hmmmmmmmmm" coming from my lips post consumption. One of them is Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola.

My favorite Italian Restaurant in San Francisco, Via Veneto, has kept me supplied with my favorite dish for years. In fact, they make their potato gnocchi so fluffy and their gorgonzola sauce so creamy that I no longer ask for anything else. When my husband and I made reservations last year for Valentine's day and the owner saw my preplexed face looking over their special menu with heart-shaped crab ravioli and other loving dishies... he approached me with a knowing look, "Signora, we are not serving gnocchi alla gorgonzola tonight but if you like we can make a special batch just for you!"

Oh yessss!

Unlike most gorogonzola cream sauce recipes one might find on the internet, Via Vento, adds a dash of spinach. This unexpected cream sauce addition adds earthy undertones of flavor to what otherwise might be a monochromatic palatte. Though the owner has never parted with the recipe, last night I managed to sucessfuly reverse engineer it.

I now share it with you... happy food hangover!

gnocchi alla gorgonzola
If you're really brave, you can make the gnocchi from scratch though even the most seasoned chefs have failed at this endeavor. Also, this dish is both rich and filling so make sure that you serve small portions to your guests or they'll fall asleep after dinner!

1 lb package of potato gnocchi
4 oz. of Gorgonzola Cheese
4 tbsp. of Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/4 cup of pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup of frozen spinach
nutmeg to taste
black pepper to taste

In a large pasta pan, add water to 3/4 of the pan's capacity and a fist-full of sea salt and put on a high flame.

In a small sauce pan on a very low flame, melt the butter and add the milk. Cut your gorgonzola cheese into cubes and add it to the butter and milk. Pour in the grated pecorino romano cheese. Grind black pepper to taste (5 or 6 twists) and grate the nutmeg to taste (about 1/4 of a nut). Stir occasionally to ensure all the ingredients are combined and watch the sauce carefully. You don't want the sauce to simmer or boil (this will destroy the gorgonzola flavor). If you see the sauce starting to bubble, remove the pan from the flame to let it cool off and then put it back on the low flame only to keep it warm.

Prepare the pasta strainer in the sink. Add the frozen spinach to the strainer (it will be cooked with the pasta water) and rinse with warm water to soften. When the pasta pan water is boiling, add the potato gnocchi. Stir occasionally watching the gnocchi. When they have all floated to the top, strain the pasta in the strainer you have prepared with the frozen spinach, and put the gnocchi and spinach in the pasta pan. Pour the gorgonzola sauce on top and mix lightly.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

I have left-over gnocchi alla gorgonzola for lunch today.

Hmmmmmmmm!

Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap.

flip flops - the winter collection

2004-12-07T00:38:00.000+01:00

Seen this weekend in Burlingame... 5 to 6 upper crust teen girls wearing wool scarves, insulated jackets, gloves, jeans or curdoroy pants and... flip flops.

I guess I should be relived that they didn't wear sox with them but seriously... it's 45 degrees outside, fall leaves are blowing over your feet and it's threatining to rain. Is the most fashionable shoe you can find a flip flop?!?!?

They wearers did look cold but they didn't seem to make the connection.

walmart looking glass

2004-12-01T23:21:00.000+01:00

About six months ago my husband inisisted we go visit a local Walmart. We'd never seen one before but it had been making news as the biggest employer in Mexico, the latest "not in my back yard" in nearby trendy cities and the fastest growing retail stock.

I reluctantly agreed and we began hunting for the well-hidden Mountain View Walmart. After passing it three times, we found Walmart and a parking spot and started making our way to the door. The front of the store was congested with over-sized shopping traffic jam. Heaps and heaps of bright blue bags impeded the view of the shopping cart drivers who were making their way back to their cars.

As we entered the store a hidden demographic of Bay Area residents unfurled before us. Grossly obese customers gingerly pushed their carts past the elderly with varing combinations of canes and walkers who were dodging concerned parents who zigged and zagged their shopping carts with one hand while tugging their retarted kids with the other.

Two foot sings with large prices dotted the landscape before us like TV antennas on rooftops while the in-store video network droned on with commericials, tips, explosions and whatever else to get us to buy more.

We reached the detergent isle and a frail eighty-something cauccasian woman in slippers wearing a 1960's house coat decorated with green, orange and hot pink butterflies leaned over and asked if I could figure out the price of this dishwashing liquid. I recoiled as her death breath escaped from behind her three remaining teeth and twirled around her every word. I did my best to help her but she needed more than I could give.

My husband, a kid in a candy store, was hysterically rattling off all the prices (calculating the pennies per once in his head) and noting that there was indeed a savings. His finds were being cleared off the shelves and heaped in our cart. The products looked familiar but the words on the labels did not. The Pine Sol and 409 bottles were designed for the Spanish-speaking world - could this be part of the reason for the savings?

We inched our way thorugh toilet paper, car parts, gold fish, electornics, and crafts items until we finally made it to the check-out where a 3ft tall elderly lady totalled upour items. She had difficulty reaching the conveyor belt so we assisted in transferring the heavy detergent box into our very own blue plastic bags.

Walmart... a world like no other.

thanksgiving healing & senseless seasoning abuse

2004-11-29T18:41:00.000+01:00

I was able to get back onto solid food just in time for Thanksgiving.. turns out I wasn't suffering from horrendous pregnancy symptoms but normal symptoms plus an almost three week bout with the stomach flu.

Not much cooking this year we ate a a friend's home in Monterey and I made my famous...

cream of butternut squash soup
You can bake the squash a day ahead and bring all of your ingredients together just 30 minutes before dinner is served.

1, 12" Butternut Squash (or two 6" you get the idea, not need to be precise)
1 small yellow onion (or half of a large)
1 small bunch of fresh sage
4 tbsp of unsalted butter
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of Half & Half (or 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream)
2 chicken bullion cubes
nutmeg to taste
black pepper to taste

Cut the squash in half lenghtwise, scoop out the seeds and cover the exposed inside with tinfoil. Bake in the top rack of the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes (or until the interior is fork tender). Pull out of the oven and let cool.

In the meantime, pull out your soup pan (5 quart) and put on a low flame with a dash of olice oil while you corsely chop the onion. Toss the onion in the pan, and peel the sage leaves off about 3 springs of sage and toss in with the onion. Grate some nutmeg, grind some black pepper and stir occasionally untill all the onion pieces are transparent. Add all of the butter. Scoop out the pulp of the cooked and cooled butternut squash halves into the pan - it should sizzle a little bit (this is good you want a little caramelization on the squash for a deeper rounder, nut flavor). When you've finished schooping the squash into the pan, add enough water to cover about 1" over the contents. Add the bullion cubes and mix well and bring to a boil. Grate in a little more nutmeg over everything. With a stick blender (or you can pour the contents into a standing blender but be careful blending something hot!) blend the contents of the pan - this is a good time to taste and see if you think it needs a little more salt. When everything is relatively smooth, add the Half & Half, blend again for a few seconds and serve immediately!

Serves 6

senseless seasoning abuse
I love our hosts dearly but my dear friend, the hostess, is in love with this "21 Spice" seasoning that has just about evrything from one's spice rack mixed in a single bottle. I think it worked well on the Zuchhini, but she sprinkled it in everything! She rubbed it on the turkey, mixed it in with the mashed patatoes (that became yellow speckled with red and green- festive), the gravy and just about everything else could not escape this seasoning save only my soup, the salad and pumpkin pie.

Some dishes just need a little salt and pepper to bring out their flavor, others could benefit from a woodsy sprinkle of sage, rosemary or thyme, some require the refreshing zest from basil, oregano or parsely, maybe a squiggle of lemon peel can make the dish sing, or you can always bring a little heat and spice to the mix with pepper, paprika, or nutmeg.

But dear readers, please, please, please do not commit seasoning abuse by putting all these seasonings together on everything.

Thank you.

food is not my friend

2004-11-22T22:16:00.000+01:00

Since my last post I've been too tired, nauseus and self-involved with all the changes that are happening to me to write. While my body is busy baby-making my stomach is sending little gasous rejection notices out of every possible orifice.

Bodily sounds escape here and there and sometimes a partially undigiested meal decides to join with them. Although my husband is holding down the fort he is experiencing sympathy pains and sends out groans and grunts of discontent about as often as I do. When we pass eachother in the house we exchange glances with wrinkled forheads and exchange noises.

"grhhhmph!"

"sigh..."

"ehhhhmmph"

"uuuugh"

The good thing is that we're not going at it alone. In addition to my husband the formetioned sister-in law, that belongs to my husband's competitive family, also manged to get preggers at the same time -- but she is a week ahead.

Various baby-growing websites are consulted by each of us each week and they equate the size of the growing human to various edible items. Inevitably this leads to comical conversations between my husband and his sister.

"We have a lentil!"

"Oh yea? I have a fava bean"

"We have a kumquat!"

"Oh yea? I have a lime"

Uhm... when is she going to realize that she'll always be a week ahead!?!

cliffs

2004-10-08T22:29:00.000+02:00

Life is like a road, sometimes you reach cross-roads with signs where you get to choose the direction. Other time the road you're on ends in a cliff.

When a cliff is encountered the esiest thing to do is look for alternate routes to the left and right - even backwards - rather than surpassing the mental block of not knowing how far down the cliff in front of you actually is. If you decide to stay on the same road, you must jump off the cliff.

I just did that and found out that this cliff was only 12" deep. Maybe next time I won't be so lucky but that's the nature of the "road" and it's various choices, obstacles and cliffs into the unkown -- you never know how deep or shallow the cliff will be; yet, the fear and anticiption experienced at it's edge is always the same.

procrastination = organization

2004-10-03T00:48:00.000+02:00

Once in a while I have to do "something" that is not particularly pleasant, involves lots of thiking and attention and I try every trick on the book not to do it... but I can't fool myself .

In the end, I do it, but the road to tackling the task require that I organize something else.

Three months ago when I was trying to avoid "something" I kept myself busy organizing the "everything" drawer. You know , the drawer that contains all the odds and ends that don't seem to have a place? Usually, the drawer is too small and some errant piece of paper that you thought might be useful at some point in the future sticks out... mocking you and declaring to the world "I am the everything drawer".

When I'm procrastinating there is no end to my creativity in finding the materials and solutions for just about anything. An overabundance of yogurt cups now lines the side of the "everything drawer" to house various little items that might be related - stamps and safety pins in one, chalk and rubber bands in another, foreign coins and paper clips in yet another. As the cups move further back in the drawer I put things in yougurt cups that we may never need or use (until 1 week after you throw it away). The middle has an odd-sized square container to hold about 50 pens (always to be found when not needed and missing when they are), then the slot further back contains some larger random things: screw driver, laser pointer, ect. It's still organized today so I guess it wasn't so bad!

Today, trying to avoid more work, I decided to tackle the "acessory"drawer that contians more earrings and necklaces that I'm willing to admit. Not to be outdone by my yougurt cup idea, I searched through the "kitchen plastic stuff and odd-sized tool" coupbard to note another over-abundance that just had to be seized: ice cube trays.

I just spent two hours sorting my earrings, necklaces, pins and other accoutroments in ice cube trays, empty greeting card boxes, and other random small-sized boxes.

Even though I've organized something else I still need to do the thing I needed to do.

But maybe, before I get started, I should look around for materials to organize my sox drawer. What could I use a separators?

Hmm.....

charity

2004-09-30T20:49:00.000+02:00

I got roped into representinting my department of local city government agency for an annual charity campaign. Last year, a very agressive "captian" was in charge in our department and he tried all kinds of high-pressure sales tactics to get me to donate. The more examples he gave, like mentioning who gave the most, the more discusted I was with the whole thing. I know for a fact that both my assistant and I didn't donate last year but somehow our department got a 100% donation rate.

One should donate privately and anonymously -- fame and competition should paly no part of this.

Who's the captian now??! I am.

This charity campaign has all the trappings of a pyramid scheme. Everyone is getting their cut and the ultimate charitable agency that should benefit ends up getting a smaller and smaller percentage of the donation. For example, you can only dontate to one of 7 "Community Charities" and right off the top they take 15% cut for "operating costs" . A "Community Charity" is a group that represents several charities - what they don't say is that these individual charities need to pay about $5k per year be a part of this community charity. Where do you think the $5k comes from? Other donations!

I was forced to attend the charity campaign launch meeting this morning and I'm nauseous with disgust. The room was decorated with helium baloons, glittery hearts (that I'm still picking off my sweater), fake paper money strewn on the tables (let's not forget the focus of this whole event) and various other party favors that we were enocuraged to wear and blow. Croissants, muffins, coffee and sodas lined the back of the room.

Door prizes were awarded for any particular reason...

"To the first who walked in the door... a canvas bag! Coming early shows commitment"

"To the two people who are wearing green sweaters... plastic hearts because you're at the heart of the campaign!"

How much *$&#@$ MONEY went into planning this whole damn thing anyway?!? Could they have forgone the helium baloons and given $10 to charity? Could they have forgone the heart glitter and given the $7.95 to charity? Could they have forgone the muffins and drinks and given the $213 to charity?!?

I'm so upset I can't even see straight.

And yet, to my department head, I have to kiss ass and pretend to be "greatful to be chosen for such an honor!"

I think I'm gong to stick my head in a toilet and vomit now-- good thing I didn't eat the muffins.

copy & paste: ravioli respect... just a little bit.

2004-09-29T06:26:00.000+02:00

Here's something else I've written somehwere else. The topic being in-laws and the particular "gem" of a mother-in-law that I managed to get out of this whole marriage deal.

Ever since I married her first-born son, I could do no right in my Italian mother-in- law's eyes.

I freaked out for a week before her first visit to America. I stayed up 'til midnight making ravioli from scratch, roasting peppers for peperonata, bottoling home-made olio piccante (for cooking and gifts) and planning menus to satisfy my father-in-law's sensitive palate.

I was to cook two meals a day for 6 people (my father and mother-in-law, sister-in-law and her husband) for two weeks.

I was unstoppable.

Only the occasional puff of flour reminded my husband that I existed.

As soon as it began, I couldn't wait for the visit to be over. Every time my husband left the room his mother would make some snide remark.

"How novel, who ever thought of using arugola this way!?!"

"He now drinks beer?!? He never used to drink beer, what have you done with my son?"

When I served her my soon-to-be-famous home made portobello mushroom ravioli in sage butter sauce, everyone around the table was hmmming and ohhhing and with a straight face she said, "they're edible."

The last meal before the in-law contingent left I went all out. Somehow, in 25 minutes I managed to crank out pan-seared pork chops in a white wine reduction sauce served on a bed of arugola, with sauteed mushrooms, caremlized onion rings and a fresh salad.

Tableware clinking, salt and pepper passing and grinding when mother-in-law pipes up with, "you know, even the best cooks make mistakes. This sauce is bitter." The clinking and grinding continued.

"I said, even the best cooks make.."

"It's not a mistake." I interrupted her.

Quiet crashed table. Ten ears strained for my next words.

"It's a wine sauce it's supposed to be tart."

Tableware dared to break the silence and clinck again and few minutes later my hard-of-hearing-father-in-law, who missed the previous exchange, tugs on his wife's elbow and says, "honey, this is good. Get the recipe, I want you to make this for me when we get home!"

Revenge is not as sweet as when it's executed right in front of you.

They all left for Tennessee where the in-laws could hang out with thier daughter. A week passes and mother-in-law calls. She casually mentions that they'd tried to reproduce my ravioli recipe and it didn't come out right... uhm, could she talk to me and get the recipe for her daughter?!? I gladly obliged, reciting every ingredient and technique.

The ravioli didn't come out right.

My mother and father in- laws eventually went back to Italy and within a week of their return, said mother-in-law tried to make the ravioli again.

They didn't come out right.

We get another phone call.

This time, mother-in-law is seductively cooing compliments from the other end of the phone. "What a great cook" I was, and how she meant all her compliments while she was here (uhm.. what compliments?) and I'm a true talent in the kitchen and... by the way.... could I give her the ravioli recipe with the exact quantity of each ingredient, each and every step and technique and not leave out a single thing*?

I was really surprised by mother-in-laws' tenaciousness - trying to reproduce the recipe over, and over again. My husband is discusted with the whole thing: that, after three years of marriage, I would only gain his mother's respect and approval because she found out I can cook and I have out-raviolied** her.

This makes me, in her eye, an acceptable wife.

*Italians don't like to give away their secrets. I've seen it most in a cookie recipe that has evolved and passed down from my mother-in-law's sister to her, and from my mother-in-law to her daughter -- they purposely leave out an ingredient when passing it on so that the recipe won't come out exactly the same. Last summer, when I mentioned to hubby's aunt how different her cookies tasted from his mother's or sister's version, she got a wry smile and said, "it's my little secret!"

**Italians are very competitive in the kitchen. After a visit to my husband's aunt we arrived to his mother's home where, as soon as we crossed the threshold, she interrogated us about what her sister prepared for us. That evening, she cranked out a lasagna to rival her sister's and after the first bite she asked, "so who's lasagna tastes better?"

Mother-in-law still hasn't reproduced my ravioli.

I promise: I didn't leave anything out.

Really.

all tapped out..

2004-09-29T01:11:00.001+02:00

Since my creativity is zilch this afternoon, I thought I would share someone else's creativity..

adam - how the world really began
http://piep001.de/PIEP001/Sites/Adam.htm

the wrong way..

2004-09-28T00:14:00.000+02:00

I don't know about you but in my work place that are some people who are dedicated to take every and any thing that is communicated to them the wrong way.

A simple request for clarification turns into a power-trip regarding my being unable to read their mind to know exactly what they want so let's escalate this to your boss because you're a worthless idiot.

I'm not particularly worried because, frankly, my boss and I will laugh about the clerical diva in question but the net effect of having anyone flipping out and blaming you for their discontent is the same.

I have accidentally seen enough Dr. Phil episodes to wonder... "what's their payback" for wasting so much energy being difficult?

greed

2004-09-26T07:45:00.000+02:00

I'm greedy.

I see something that I want and if I can't have it I long for it even more.

A small house has stemmed the tide of the junkety junk one would find anywhere, and bring home to collect dust and be thrown away in a year's Spring cleaning. Over three years in less than 640 square feet occupied by two adults, two cats, two computers and too many inherited antiques has completely eliminated any desire for junkety junk.

Other areas of my greed are not so easily bridled or satiated.

I spend too much time being preoccupied by the latest thing that I want and not enough time conteplating whether I actually need it or not. If it looks, tastes or feel good I want it all the time. If by some odd chance I actually get the thing I wanted I'm usually disappointed that it did not posess these magical powers to make me happy that I bestowed upon it before I got it. So, I move on to the next thing that just have to have.

This bottomless want isn't working for me anymore.

I'd like to reduce my greed and increase charity.

all the world's a stage

2004-09-26T06:36:00.000+02:00

Seen today in downtown Santa Cruz:

A man, normally dressed, walking in slow motion holding an umbrella over his head and a wide grin on his face on a sunny day.

A woman, wearing black shoes, orange thigh-high stockings, a short black skirt, orange turtleneck sweater and black hair pulled in a ponytail.

A Scottish marching band of six bagpipes with a precussionist bring up the rear marching up and down the sidewalk pissing off the other street musicians.

capers, dolphins & morals

2004-09-25T04:11:00.001+02:00

I've been directly and indirectly involved in several capers. Capers can't really be planned. They land in your lap in the course of everyday life and present you with two roads. One caper's final destination was my name on a goverment black list that bans me from joining any branch of the United States Military and another precepitated a small change in California law by the insurance industry on my behalf. No one caper shaped the morals of my adult life so much as an evening in my Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of my early twenties.

I lived in a studio apartment on the corner of Haight and Clayton - across the street from the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical clinic and a bar that changed hands and names too many times to remember.

I had a new neighbor, an adventureous Chinese American Frech High Shool teacher who was two studios away, five years older and leagues ahead of me in maturity. I spent much of my time observing her and trying to be as cool as she was. We often went to the ever-name-changing bar to have drinks. This is where this caper began.

A leather-clad, higene-challenged cap-wearing man who seemed to know the Chinese American French High Shcool teacher from a previous life approaced us.

"Would you like to see dolphins?"

I studied the speaker for signs of drug-induced alterations to his behavior, speech and manner.

"I know a way," he continued "into the dolphin tank of the aquarium in Golden Gate Park."

The Chinese American French High Shcool teacher and I leaned a little closer.

Ten minutes later we were at at the end of Haight Street at the Cala Foods fish counter filling our rusting red shopping cart with discounted fish.

"The more the better, " said the leather-clad, higene-challenged cap-wearing man.

We checked out by a preplexed and amused clerk at inubriated people buying three bags of seafood at 1 am Sunday moring. The clerk turned and his eyes followed across the parking lot until, enveloped by a dense bank trees, at the park entrance we obscured.

We approached the aquarium and used a security fence that butted against the building as a ladder to hoist us onto the roof. The moonlight lit our path. We arrived at a large rectangular cut-out: the doplin tank. A climb down a metal conduit and a foot on the fire alarm box had us on a walkway at the water's level.

Everything looked blue but the security lights illuminated long black shapes zipping back, forth, alarmingly quickly in the water. Fish in a barrel with absolutely nowhere to go the dolpins were furiously swimming from one end of the tank to the other. Three dophins in pefectly coordinated panic managed to miss eachother in their flight of terror.

This moment was beautiful and ugly.

My consipirotors undressed and jumped in the tank. I refused to join.

"I cannot," I said. I gripped my chest and stepped back against the wall for support, hitting my head on the fire alarm box stepping stone. A burst of fear from the dolphins hit me.

"Don't be afraid, they won't hurt you", said the no longer leather-clad, higene-challenged cap-wearing man buoying in and out of the water doing back strokes.

"I am not afraid. They are." I pointed to the water. I retracted my blue-white trembling finger to my pocket- lest it be noticed. No one esle was privy or struck by this wave of emotion.

"Oh, they're OK. We do this all the time," said the no longer leather-clad, higene-challenged cap-wearing man buoying in and out of the water.

I cried inside, and laughed outside. Time slithered slowly. Finally, one by one we to grabbed the electrical conduit to hoist ourselves back onto the fire box, up to the roof, down the security fence and back into the park.

On our way home the Chinese American French High Shcool teacher was ringing her hair out and excitedly chattering while I looked back toward the aquarium.

I confessed my misadventure to my co-worker. As I spoke, her face became increasingly distorted, pailing, odd. She hadn't taken a breath for at least a minute...

"What's wrong?"

... she volunteered at the aquarium once a month and knew the director. The dolphins were getting sick often lately. On Mondays they always needed to clean out garbage and codom wrappers from the dolphin tank. One dolphin had to be operated on and they found that a plastic shopping bag was entagled in it's intestines.

They couldn't figure out how the vandals were getting in.

I knew.

An anonymous letter appeared in my co-worker's hand with instructions for hand delivery to the director of the aquarium.

The next weekend the Chinese American French High Shcool teacher said that she couldn't wait to go see the dolphins and wanted me join. No way.

"Don't go," I urged. It's not safe. She went.

I ran into the Chinese American French High Shcool in the hall.

"Oh, it was crazy. All of a sudden we heard voices, there were flashlights, sirens police. We were all taken to the police station. We weren't arrested but we were pretty shaken up good thing you didn't come because... hey... waitaminute... did you know something about it? is that why you urged me not to go?"

I inserted my key in my apartment door, shrugged, and before disappearing behind the door I managed to lie a faint "no."

The Chinese American French High Shcool teacher moved on to motorcycle lessons and a Greek boyfriend.

I wasn't as "cool" as her, afterall.

copy & paste: the speck that fell off the back of a truck

2004-09-24T04:20:00.001+02:00

Here's something I've written somehwere else. The topic being a smoked prosciutto that has recently been approved for import into the United States and the illegitimate means by which I've been enjoying this meat for years...

The whole affair is clandestine from beginning to end.

My husband has a "connection" with a local butcher in Trento. He calls his "connection" as soon as we arrive to let him know what we'd like. My husband and his "connection" meet in a side street off the piazza, usually at night, and his "connection" opens the trunk of his car to reveal a full salumeria. My husband chooses what he wants and each item is tranferred from one trunk to the other... carefully, cautiously, with a quick look around. Hunched shoulders, hushed voices, cash appears in one set of hands and disappears in the other. No sconrtino (recipt*) ever sees the shade of night!

When the trunks click shut, that's when I come into the picture.

I wash the outside of the hermetically sealed plastic carefully with grease-cutting dishwashing liquid to remove any residual perfumes of meat. I then seal the ham in a shopping bag and place it in an open shopping bag into which I put all the dirty socks and undies I can gather. The stinkier the better - husbands are good for this, too. I seal up the second bag and casually toss our "dirty laundry" it into the suitcase. This elaborate procedure confuses the SFO International's k9's, also known as "beagle brigade."

We are always prepared to "give up the goods" during the spot inspections - you can't deny what the immigration officer just plucked out of the suit case! But so far, we have slipped by unnoticed.

The sealed meat can be stored in the freezer and defrosted in a day or two in the fridge prior to slicing.

* What's the big deal about a recipt? In Italy they actually have "recipt police" that hang around outside stores, and sometimes inside, to make sure that the merchant gave you a recipt for your goods. The Italian government takes it's taxes seriously and it wants to make sure that it's not short-changed. Everything is rung-up at the government controlled register and the customer is to keep their recipt until they get home -- just in case the recipt police gets suspicious.

Italians have already figured a way around this kink... but that story is for another time.

any time is a good time... and the middle is always a good place to begin

2004-09-22T17:31:00.000+02:00

I've always been heistant to keep a journal because I feel compelled to describe everything in chronological order -- and the thinking continues that if I can't sum up the last 31 years of my life nothing will makes sense. The reality is that both memories and people are spontaneous. When you meet people, they get the snapshot view of who you are and how you got there -- the don't need a full chronological account... and so are memories.

Sometimes something just pops-up.

doing the charleston
I picked-up one of those generic CD's that has non-cpyrighted music played by nobody famous without any particular talent. It's a it's got mambo's, tango's and one particular song which sounded like the pefect rhythim to which one should be dancing the charleston - the kind of music you'd imagine playing during those early movie reels where everyone is moving too quickly to notice. Black and white with little grainy stripes once in a while. A topless car filled with young happy people. Men in suspenders and women with their felt hats and fur collars. Arms in the air, everyone waving at the camera at a speed that is not humanely possible.

Flashback to about 18 years ago where I was visiting my grandmother for the summer. I was thirteen, a "woman" with headphones permenantly affixed to my ears and a walkman permenantly affixed to my hip and an attitude exuded from every one of my pores ... can't talk now, can't you see I'm listining to my tunes?

We had to go into "town" to go shopping and this required preparation. She busied herself in front of her art deco tigerwood make-up dresser on her cream pleather stool. She was fully dressed, so this meant that she would put her sheer "make-up shawl" that prevented the loose powder she puffed on her face from landing on her clothes.

We hobbled and stumbled our way to the bus-stop, which was precarously perched at the top ledge of a steep ditch. Steep ditch behind, busy road in front, bus shelter beside she began to tell me about how she would dance. Her black eyes looked across the street and found a memory. She cracked a smile as the sun shone on her navy wool suit from which sprouted a white linen blouse collar with specially made embroidered tips.

"Do you want to learn the Charleston?!?" she said with the excitement of a child. And before I could answer she began strutting her stuff.

"Ta ta... tatatatahhh.." the music was flowing and grandma, who could barly walk was doing the Charelston. Palms to the floor, shoulders to her ears feet flying in every direction. There was no stopping her.

It was a magical moment.

The cheap CD moves on to the next song... a swing piece of some kind.

proofreading...

2004-09-17T23:35:00.000+02:00

I'm back after a long unexplained absence. I stopped posting here not because life got in the way, though it did, but because I have a really hard time proof-reading my own stuff unless it's really exciting. I figure if I get bored proof-reading my own stuff so will you... whoever you are.

following up on that "waste of time" post
I made almost a year ago... it turns out that if you eliminate everyone you do not enjoy you end up with very few friends - none as a matter of fact. I'm just not used to this superficial "your hair looks nice today, have you lost some weight" comments that possiblity.. ultimatly lead to another superficial friendship notch in my belt. A notch that you have to visit and email regularly otherwise you get on their "shit list" and wish you'd never started this horrid spiral to begin with.

I don't have the patience. I just want to meet geniune people and instantly have a good time. Run into them in a few years and not have to pretend that the time apart didn't have any effect.

Is that too much to ask?

average...

2003-07-23T22:54:00.000+02:00

I'm the average age, height, weight and shoe size. The last item is quite important to me as whenever I go shopping for shoes they never have my size.

"Can I show you and 8? Or perhaps a 7? "

No, I have size 7.5 feet. The 7's are too tight and the 8 are too loose. I've been having this problem for years. Everyone in the entire Bay Area and Peninsula must have feet my size. You'd think that at some point, it would dawn on the shoe retailers that this is a really popular size and that maybe... they should order more?!?!

Grrrrr..... what is an average-sized woman to do?!?!

waste of time...

2003-07-10T19:42:00.000+02:00

I'm mourning the loss of some friends.

My husband and I made friends with this family with whom we became really close and spent just about every weekend with them and their kids. My husband and I saw these friends as our life would be if you 'fast forwarded' to 15 years from now. We've been friends for almost three years when, last year, the husband lost his job in the California technology fallout. It was really horrible for us to see our friends under such difficulty. The money from the severance package finally ran out and the wife only worked part-time so they couldn't keep the financial balancing act going.

Last week they moved out of state to be closer to their family and now there will be no more cooking, playing and laughing together.

When I think about all the weekends I spent with people I didn't like instead of people we do like... I realize what a waste of time it was.

I want to change this.

No more spending time with people I do not like or respect. No more spending time with people I feel sorry for because they have no other firends but do not enjoy.

Life is too short and you never know when you're going to loose some good friends.

where, exactly is the end of the line?

2003-06-27T18:19:00.000+02:00

I've been taking a bus to work for the last two years. When I first showed-up at the bus stop and the first bus arrived it stopped in front of me, so I got on. A lady yelled at me "can't you see there's a line?!?! The line forms from the sign "forward" and after that, I paid close attention and only got on at my appointed time.

But now, a new driver is on the route and he has threatened to disrupt this orderly world of communting rules and regulations. Instead of stopping with the front door of the bus near the bus stop sign (the beggining of the line) he stops at the end of the line.

As the automatic doors open with a soft pifffffffffff you hear soft gasps of shock. All commuters pause and hold their breath while examining each other's face as they struggle to remember if you were the one who reprimanded or the one who needed reprimanding to enforce the line.

Time begins again and 15 adults hastily re-arrange themselves so that the first one who arrived at the stop can get on the bus first.

We've had this new driver for the last two weeks and he's been stopping in the same spot (end of the line) but the dynamics of the line have not changed-- so we go through the above-referenced ritual each morning.