Nearly 30 years ago, "the Oscars" as we called them were fun. Crazy Suzanne, Louise the Tease, Patty the Lawyer and I would gather in one of our apartments to drink wine and critique the performers. The more the wine receded in the bottle, the more raucous our comments. We looked specifically at these categories: apparel; alcohol on board; probable drugs ingested and had a wonderful time. We were, of course, experts on all three...
Today I'm doing good to recognize Sandra Bullock and/or George Clooney. We haven't been to a cinema in years! And I don't miss paying through the nose to have my brains blown out of my ears at the volume at all. Our library has an amazing collection; until recently we had a Blockbuster very near and we've got cable TV with 5,000 channels...but more than anything else, given the state of "entertainment" today, I prefer to sit and read a book rather than be insulted senseless at the quality on offer today.
Which is not to say I'll ignore tonight's festivities. Not by a long shot. Richie is a marvelous person in many ways, but a gossipeuse he is not. Tonight, he'll read and I'll watch the Oscars ... and miss Girls Night In greatly.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Near and Far...
Nothing exciting going on this weekend except "intermittent rain," but that's okay because next weekend is going to be great!
Near
Saturday, March 13th - free! The Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day Community Parade. It begins at 11 a.m. (don't worry if you're late; they've never started on time) at the intersection of Ardmore and Pier Avenue
This parade definitely looks "made at home by loving hands." Bagpipers in kilts skirl along; Irish setter owners tie green bandanas to the dogs' collars and march; local dance school moppets "dance." For years there's been a group of ... well-nourished... older ladies who wear full skirts and petticoats, peasant blouses and clogs. They wave their skirts around more than they dance, but hey! It's the spirit of the thing!
The black lady who dresses up like a native American and rides a chestnut horse was missing last year; hope she makes it back this year. The Budweiser Drill Team marches in formation pushing hand carts with (empty) cases of Bud. "Green Elvis" on a go-kart amuses and many of the "floats" (aka pick-up trucks) toss out hard candy to the kids along the route.
Traditionally, the HB hi-rise fire truck closes the parade, but the City has torn up the middle of Pier Avenue (to put in planters or some such damned nonsense) so perhaps the truck will have to zigzag so that all can see them?
Sunday, March 14th - monthly South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club meeting.
Far:
My cousin Daniel Kamas is making a solo appearance (free!) at the annual Austin South By Southwest music festival. SXSW (as it is less formally known) is a Very Big Deal.
Daniel will be performing at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 20th at Guero's Oak Garden on Congress Street.
You can watch Daniel perform right in your very own home. He's a handsome devil! Just Google "Daniel Kamas" and visit any of his several sites.
Near
Saturday, March 13th - free! The Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day Community Parade. It begins at 11 a.m. (don't worry if you're late; they've never started on time) at the intersection of Ardmore and Pier Avenue
This parade definitely looks "made at home by loving hands." Bagpipers in kilts skirl along; Irish setter owners tie green bandanas to the dogs' collars and march; local dance school moppets "dance." For years there's been a group of ... well-nourished... older ladies who wear full skirts and petticoats, peasant blouses and clogs. They wave their skirts around more than they dance, but hey! It's the spirit of the thing!
The black lady who dresses up like a native American and rides a chestnut horse was missing last year; hope she makes it back this year. The Budweiser Drill Team marches in formation pushing hand carts with (empty) cases of Bud. "Green Elvis" on a go-kart amuses and many of the "floats" (aka pick-up trucks) toss out hard candy to the kids along the route.
Traditionally, the HB hi-rise fire truck closes the parade, but the City has torn up the middle of Pier Avenue (to put in planters or some such damned nonsense) so perhaps the truck will have to zigzag so that all can see them?
Sunday, March 14th - monthly South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club meeting.
Far:
My cousin Daniel Kamas is making a solo appearance (free!) at the annual Austin South By Southwest music festival. SXSW (as it is less formally known) is a Very Big Deal.
Daniel will be performing at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 20th at Guero's Oak Garden on Congress Street.
You can watch Daniel perform right in your very own home. He's a handsome devil! Just Google "Daniel Kamas" and visit any of his several sites.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Just Another Friday Afternoon...
WHOMP!
We'd run errands and were headed home. Ricchie pulled into the lot of the mini-grocery store on Aviation - Rockview Farms, in case you know them. He went inside and a moment later, he came out, ignored the car and went around the corner of the building.
Seconds behing him, the young manager came bolting along, dialing 911 as he ran. Richie said that a guy in a blue Bronco came around the corner too wide and ploughed into the back of the building (stucco and chicken wire construction from what I could see. He just missed a huge complex of water pipes.)
I heard the manager telling 911 that he knew the guy - he was a frequent customer. Of the guy? Not a trace, not a blue paint chip or chrome fleck on the wall.
The Gift
Our mail lady, Joanne, brought a package. I knew what I'd ordered on the sly had come in.
Last Sunday, Richie clipped a bit out of Travel, LA Times to show me. It was a sort of security stole with four pockets and a pair of straps to anchor it to your belt or pants loops. The smaller pockets are for your cell phone and iPod; the bigger pockets are for your passport, cash, checkbook and keys. These pockets zip shut. He is delighted with it! Their Website is xubaz.com
We'd run errands and were headed home. Ricchie pulled into the lot of the mini-grocery store on Aviation - Rockview Farms, in case you know them. He went inside and a moment later, he came out, ignored the car and went around the corner of the building.
Seconds behing him, the young manager came bolting along, dialing 911 as he ran. Richie said that a guy in a blue Bronco came around the corner too wide and ploughed into the back of the building (stucco and chicken wire construction from what I could see. He just missed a huge complex of water pipes.)
I heard the manager telling 911 that he knew the guy - he was a frequent customer. Of the guy? Not a trace, not a blue paint chip or chrome fleck on the wall.
The Gift
Our mail lady, Joanne, brought a package. I knew what I'd ordered on the sly had come in.
Last Sunday, Richie clipped a bit out of Travel, LA Times to show me. It was a sort of security stole with four pockets and a pair of straps to anchor it to your belt or pants loops. The smaller pockets are for your cell phone and iPod; the bigger pockets are for your passport, cash, checkbook and keys. These pockets zip shut. He is delighted with it! Their Website is xubaz.com
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Seafood SUPER Market
Captain Kidd's, 209 N. Harbor Dr., Redondo Beach 310-372-7703 captainkidds.com
Captain Kidd's is not a dress-up place. The entrance has long glass counters on the left with either seafood on ice or steam tables with soups plus a fry kitchen across the aisle. The dining rooms have stout tables and benches. There's a patio outside with umbrellas. Big parking lot, too. This is the place where the yacht staff comes to pick up dinner while the owners lounge on deck, swilling champagne.
You can order a sandwich (choice of fish) or a dinner. While they cook it, you pick out the sides you want with it - salad (choice of four dressings,) potato or macaroni salad, cole slaw, pasta salad, French fries, rice pilaf, hush puppies and more.
"Exotic" fish are listed separately -- Fiji albacore tuna or wahoo; New Zealand Orange Roughy, Oregon Sole. Some of the not-so-exotic are: San Diego Tlapia*, Idaho trout or Morro Bay shark.
Platters include shrimp, squid, clams, oysters, scallops -- and chicken strips. Becuse they've got all the ingredients on hand (47 kinds of fish!) they also make cioppino (small, medium, large and a take-home quart) and paella. They'll cheerfully steam littleneck clams or New Zealand mussels. There are seven different meals for children.
I walked along a cold counter and admired the lobsters on offer. They were Maine, local spiny and Australian. The Australian tails are dense with meat -- our American lobsters looked.. well, skimpy.
I was surprised to find a wine list with 17 wines plus three house wines (all Crystal Lake.) Prices are really reasonable -- three of the wines are $19/bottle, but the rest are priced down to $16/bottle. A glass of the bottled wines runs from $4.25 for 9 ounces to $7 for 12 ounces.
Some names amused me -- Menage a Trois White, anyone? It's a blend of Chardonnay moscatro and chenin blanc. Perhaps you'd prefer a Smoking Loon Chardonnay? I was delighted to see two old friends - Liebframilch (Dillman) and Gewurtztraminer (Angeline.)
Proof there are bargains here? Their shrimp cocktail is five huge shrimp, positively glistening with freshness, a chunk of lemon and a cup of sauce for $6.50. Restaurant shrimp cocktails start at $12 and go up. 'Nuff said ...
* It's tlapia, not tilapia. The "i" was added only because American's can't pronounce "tlapia."
Captain Kidd's is not a dress-up place. The entrance has long glass counters on the left with either seafood on ice or steam tables with soups plus a fry kitchen across the aisle. The dining rooms have stout tables and benches. There's a patio outside with umbrellas. Big parking lot, too. This is the place where the yacht staff comes to pick up dinner while the owners lounge on deck, swilling champagne.
You can order a sandwich (choice of fish) or a dinner. While they cook it, you pick out the sides you want with it - salad (choice of four dressings,) potato or macaroni salad, cole slaw, pasta salad, French fries, rice pilaf, hush puppies and more.
"Exotic" fish are listed separately -- Fiji albacore tuna or wahoo; New Zealand Orange Roughy, Oregon Sole. Some of the not-so-exotic are: San Diego Tlapia*, Idaho trout or Morro Bay shark.
Platters include shrimp, squid, clams, oysters, scallops -- and chicken strips. Becuse they've got all the ingredients on hand (47 kinds of fish!) they also make cioppino (small, medium, large and a take-home quart) and paella. They'll cheerfully steam littleneck clams or New Zealand mussels. There are seven different meals for children.
I walked along a cold counter and admired the lobsters on offer. They were Maine, local spiny and Australian. The Australian tails are dense with meat -- our American lobsters looked.. well, skimpy.
I was surprised to find a wine list with 17 wines plus three house wines (all Crystal Lake.) Prices are really reasonable -- three of the wines are $19/bottle, but the rest are priced down to $16/bottle. A glass of the bottled wines runs from $4.25 for 9 ounces to $7 for 12 ounces.
Some names amused me -- Menage a Trois White, anyone? It's a blend of Chardonnay moscatro and chenin blanc. Perhaps you'd prefer a Smoking Loon Chardonnay? I was delighted to see two old friends - Liebframilch (Dillman) and Gewurtztraminer (Angeline.)
Proof there are bargains here? Their shrimp cocktail is five huge shrimp, positively glistening with freshness, a chunk of lemon and a cup of sauce for $6.50. Restaurant shrimp cocktails start at $12 and go up. 'Nuff said ...
* It's tlapia, not tilapia. The "i" was added only because American's can't pronounce "tlapia."
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
An American Ambassadress at Work
We visited a doubly new market -- it's four months old and we'd never been there.
El Segundo Farmer's Market in the Plaza El Segundo (just north of Rosecrans on Sepulveda.) Every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It struck me as odd that this market is located right in front of a Whole Foods. Richie says Whole Foods sponsors it which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
The farmers ween't having a very prosperous day; the sky was overcast and it felt like it was going to rain. Thus there was a sparse attendance. Basically the two of us and a pair of women.
A booth selling dried fruits (Spicy Mango, anyone?) dried nuts and dried vegetables as a snack was manned by a pair of young Mexican lads. I bought a bag of dried, sugared ginger ($4 - picture Ginger-Pineapple cookies with REAL ginger!) and we chatted.
I asked if they spoke Spanish? (Yes!) Would it be okay for me to try to use mine? (Yes!) So I haltingly conveyed the fact that it was a poor day for the market (pobrecito mercado!) and they responded fluently.
The cuter one (and the other one wasn't so bad either) said that he tries to learn a new English word each day. "I want to improve my English." In my turn, I explained that it's polite to ask if someone speaks a foreign language and not assume that they do. They both agreed, nodding their heads sagely. I assume a prissy air, drew myself up and said, "I am very Politically Correct!" and when they giggled, I mimed smoothing my hair and gave them the bird. They howled with laughter! And kept laughing as I walked away. When we passed them on the way to the car, they both waved and said goodbye. If you go to this market, tell my new friends "Hi" and buy something, hey?
As for you, Miz Hillary -- take it on down the road, huh?
El Segundo Farmer's Market in the Plaza El Segundo (just north of Rosecrans on Sepulveda.) Every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It struck me as odd that this market is located right in front of a Whole Foods. Richie says Whole Foods sponsors it which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
The farmers ween't having a very prosperous day; the sky was overcast and it felt like it was going to rain. Thus there was a sparse attendance. Basically the two of us and a pair of women.
A booth selling dried fruits (Spicy Mango, anyone?) dried nuts and dried vegetables as a snack was manned by a pair of young Mexican lads. I bought a bag of dried, sugared ginger ($4 - picture Ginger-Pineapple cookies with REAL ginger!) and we chatted.
I asked if they spoke Spanish? (Yes!) Would it be okay for me to try to use mine? (Yes!) So I haltingly conveyed the fact that it was a poor day for the market (pobrecito mercado!) and they responded fluently.
The cuter one (and the other one wasn't so bad either) said that he tries to learn a new English word each day. "I want to improve my English." In my turn, I explained that it's polite to ask if someone speaks a foreign language and not assume that they do. They both agreed, nodding their heads sagely. I assume a prissy air, drew myself up and said, "I am very Politically Correct!" and when they giggled, I mimed smoothing my hair and gave them the bird. They howled with laughter! And kept laughing as I walked away. When we passed them on the way to the car, they both waved and said goodbye. If you go to this market, tell my new friends "Hi" and buy something, hey?
As for you, Miz Hillary -- take it on down the road, huh?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What Were They Thinking?
I subscribed to Bon Appetit for another year. As an enticement, they promised to send me a cook book. A 30-page flyer with eensy-weensy type arrived with almost more title than substance. "Fresh and Easy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less." Slide your tongue down the table of contents with me and if anything sounds appealing, go to bonappetit.com and print it out. Below are dishes that didn't exactly set my hair on fire...
Appetizers
Crab Hush Puppies with Curried Honey-Mustard Sauce
Radish-Chive Tea Sandwiches with Sesame and Ginger
Egg/Breakfast Dishes
Matzo Brei with Tomatoes and Salsa
Buttermilk Waffles with Cherry-Almond Sauce
Meat
Pork Chops and Sugar Snap Peas with Mint Juilep Glaze
Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port
Grilled Shrimp Satay with Peaches and Bok Choy
Buttery Steamed Mussels with Sake and Chiles
Vegetarian
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw
Mango-Radicchio Caprese with Basil Vinaigrette
Orzo, Green Bean and Fennel Salad with Dill Pesto
Appetizers
Crab Hush Puppies with Curried Honey-Mustard Sauce
Radish-Chive Tea Sandwiches with Sesame and Ginger
Egg/Breakfast Dishes
Matzo Brei with Tomatoes and Salsa
Buttermilk Waffles with Cherry-Almond Sauce
Meat
Pork Chops and Sugar Snap Peas with Mint Juilep Glaze
Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port
Grilled Shrimp Satay with Peaches and Bok Choy
Buttery Steamed Mussels with Sake and Chiles
Vegetarian
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw
Mango-Radicchio Caprese with Basil Vinaigrette
Orzo, Green Bean and Fennel Salad with Dill Pesto
Monday, March 1, 2010
Fast Food and a Frenchman
Richie has fallen in love with a new TV channel. It's called "Create" or some such and at 5:30 p.m. they run a cooking program. First time he watched it, the chef was a woman who over-salted. Last night, who should pop up in our living room but Jacques Pepin whose cookbook I'd been laughing at two weeks ago! (The book looked mid-'70s vintage.) I was fixing our dinner when I heard "Jacques Pepin" and blurted out, "My God! Is he still alive?"
He is and doesn't look much like his book jack photo any more. Gone is the hair, added are some pounds. He is promoting "fat food" his way (read: cans, bottles.) For a French person, he seemed inordinately fond of a can (yes, can) of lima beans. The frozen are far superior. He advocated using chicken broth to make French onion soup! Quite mad.
Any road, he made me think of "fast food." Last night's dinner is an example. I sauteed baby asparagus in olive oil and finished them with a splash of balsamic vinegar. I got the big skillet going while I trimmed the fat off of a t-bone steak and used it to grease the skillet. I started the spaghetti water and make a quick sauce of olive oil, with sauteed chopped garlic and chili peppers.
I finally figured out how to cook steak properly. Get the skillet nearly white hot. Put the meat in, five minutes for the first side, three minutes for the second and turn the burner off. Let it sit until you're ready to serve it.
Tonight's dinner turns out to be timely -- it's National Pig Day -- and we're having leftover pork loin roast, chopped with barbecue sauce and chopped onions added and baked beans from the brown can. I add maple syrup, smoke sauce, garlic powder and habanero chili powder to the beahs. I will have bought a small container of cole slaw at Guiliani's and dinner's on the table.
The plastic tub of dried, sugared pineapple chunks on the counter kept looking at me reproachfully. Knowing that ginger and pineapple go together quite amiably, I bought a sack of sugar cookie dough, ready to go and made Pineapple Ginger Cookies.
The sack instructions call for a softened stick of butter and one egg. I beat the egg, added the butter and began gradually putting in the dry mix. Each addition, I also put in two teaspoons of ground ginger. When the dough was pretty much mixed, I added about 3/4 cup of chopped pineapple - wet your knife blade, this stuff is sticky.
You can roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter (too labor intensive) or make drop cookies, which I did. Since I didn't really do anything, I can say that they are very, very good! 10 oz. tub of Mariana Pineapple, Trader Joe's. Purists may, of course, start from scratch and make their own sugar cookie recipe, by my way is faster! Au revoir, M. Pepin!
He is and doesn't look much like his book jack photo any more. Gone is the hair, added are some pounds. He is promoting "fat food" his way (read: cans, bottles.) For a French person, he seemed inordinately fond of a can (yes, can) of lima beans. The frozen are far superior. He advocated using chicken broth to make French onion soup! Quite mad.
Any road, he made me think of "fast food." Last night's dinner is an example. I sauteed baby asparagus in olive oil and finished them with a splash of balsamic vinegar. I got the big skillet going while I trimmed the fat off of a t-bone steak and used it to grease the skillet. I started the spaghetti water and make a quick sauce of olive oil, with sauteed chopped garlic and chili peppers.
I finally figured out how to cook steak properly. Get the skillet nearly white hot. Put the meat in, five minutes for the first side, three minutes for the second and turn the burner off. Let it sit until you're ready to serve it.
Tonight's dinner turns out to be timely -- it's National Pig Day -- and we're having leftover pork loin roast, chopped with barbecue sauce and chopped onions added and baked beans from the brown can. I add maple syrup, smoke sauce, garlic powder and habanero chili powder to the beahs. I will have bought a small container of cole slaw at Guiliani's and dinner's on the table.
The plastic tub of dried, sugared pineapple chunks on the counter kept looking at me reproachfully. Knowing that ginger and pineapple go together quite amiably, I bought a sack of sugar cookie dough, ready to go and made Pineapple Ginger Cookies.
The sack instructions call for a softened stick of butter and one egg. I beat the egg, added the butter and began gradually putting in the dry mix. Each addition, I also put in two teaspoons of ground ginger. When the dough was pretty much mixed, I added about 3/4 cup of chopped pineapple - wet your knife blade, this stuff is sticky.
You can roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter (too labor intensive) or make drop cookies, which I did. Since I didn't really do anything, I can say that they are very, very good! 10 oz. tub of Mariana Pineapple, Trader Joe's. Purists may, of course, start from scratch and make their own sugar cookie recipe, by my way is faster! Au revoir, M. Pepin!
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