Today is the South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club monthly meeting. These have proved to be fruitful sources for funny stories so will see what can be gleaned today.
Meantime, this worked out well...Richie brought home a pound of good-sized shrimp, so I steamed them in water with Old Bay seasoning and a splash of vinegar and served them peel and eat style. I made a Szechuan aioli as the dipping sauce. "Szechuan aioli" is fancy for: Szechuan sauce and mayonnaise. Sounds a great deal fancier than it is which is key to eating quickly and well. No fuss, no muss.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Germans Invent Symbolic Bunny for Easter
In 13th century pre-Christian Germany, many of the people worshipped individual gods and goddesses. The goddess of spring and fertility was "Eostra" and her symbol was a rabbit, due to their speedy reproduction abilities.
If you observe Easter or Passover, best wishes for a joyful, wonderful celebration.
If you observe Easter or Passover, best wishes for a joyful, wonderful celebration.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Wal-Marts of Japan (But Better Dressed)
My friend Olga told me about a wonderful new store her daughter-in-law had found. What made it great? Almost everything in it was for sale for $1.50! That's certainly upscale from the 99 Cent Store or the 88 Cents Store I saw on the Boardwalk at Atlantic City!
Yesterday we went for a look-see ourselves. When we got there, to my joy, we found a Marukai right next door! They share a building wall they're so close.
I googled Daiso and found that it is a major chain in Japan. Daiso "wants to help customers find surprises and fun." To that end, there are 2,570 stores in Japan plus another 563 more in 4 countries. As of March, 2010, sales totaled $341.4 billion (billion.)
There's a big "Grand Opening!" sign out front and the cashier said they've been open four weeks. There's a wide variety of items -- thong sandals in plastic to what looked like chenille (but they were $3) men's shirts, ties, dishes, kitchen gadgets and more, much more. Richie bought suction cups (they always come down,) a clip-to-the-book LED reading light (useful on rainy days down in the gym garage,) a sports sunglasses case and a little miniature car -- all for $1.50 each.
Marukai has a great Website - marukai.com - done in Japanese cartoon style. A lot of the site is in Japanese, but I did read they are going to have a "mini mini beauty convention" in the Gardena store soon. In a cartoon strip, a boy wants to make curry for his friend. The four panels show how to do it and it was quite cute.
I love seeing all sorts of packaged foods, labeled in Japanese only, and trying to figure out what the hell is inside the package. I did recognize one thing though and snapped a bag right up. Gyoza shrimp potstickers. Four of five of them make a very good, quick lunch and I love trying a different sauce on each one of them.
If you want to have a great Japanese shopping tour with lots of local color, don't bother with a plane to Tokyo - just drive to:
Daiso, 3842 Sepulvea, Torrance, 90505 424-237-2388
Marukai, 3832 Sepulveda, Torrance, 90505 30-375-4900
Yesterday we went for a look-see ourselves. When we got there, to my joy, we found a Marukai right next door! They share a building wall they're so close.
I googled Daiso and found that it is a major chain in Japan. Daiso "wants to help customers find surprises and fun." To that end, there are 2,570 stores in Japan plus another 563 more in 4 countries. As of March, 2010, sales totaled $341.4 billion (billion.)
There's a big "Grand Opening!" sign out front and the cashier said they've been open four weeks. There's a wide variety of items -- thong sandals in plastic to what looked like chenille (but they were $3) men's shirts, ties, dishes, kitchen gadgets and more, much more. Richie bought suction cups (they always come down,) a clip-to-the-book LED reading light (useful on rainy days down in the gym garage,) a sports sunglasses case and a little miniature car -- all for $1.50 each.
Marukai has a great Website - marukai.com - done in Japanese cartoon style. A lot of the site is in Japanese, but I did read they are going to have a "mini mini beauty convention" in the Gardena store soon. In a cartoon strip, a boy wants to make curry for his friend. The four panels show how to do it and it was quite cute.
I love seeing all sorts of packaged foods, labeled in Japanese only, and trying to figure out what the hell is inside the package. I did recognize one thing though and snapped a bag right up. Gyoza shrimp potstickers. Four of five of them make a very good, quick lunch and I love trying a different sauce on each one of them.
If you want to have a great Japanese shopping tour with lots of local color, don't bother with a plane to Tokyo - just drive to:
Daiso, 3842 Sepulvea, Torrance, 90505 424-237-2388
Marukai, 3832 Sepulveda, Torrance, 90505 30-375-4900
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
In the Nick of Time
Look at the left rim of the nest; you should see a beak. Then look at the top right-hand side of the nest to see the other beak.Sunday Richie came in from the backyard all excited. "We've got a hummingbird nest!" I was comfortable, didn't feel like trudging down the back stairs and out into the yard. Yesterday I did go and sure enough -- there they were.
This morning, he came back in after changing litter boxes and said, "They're gone -- I checked around on the ground, but they weren't there." None of the neighborhood cats (or our own) got them as the nest was well hidden. At cat eye level, they could not have seen it.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Potpourri
It Really Works!
A friend sent an e that said to take your car keys to bed with you. If you hear burglar noises in the night, hit the Panic button for your car -- it will start beeping and scare the burglar away.
I was extremely dubious about this because the sound would have to go through house walls, but when I tried it, it worked! On the other hand, we'd just come from Toyota where my clicker had gotten a new battery... Test it for yourself.
Would You Want This Woman Teaching Your Child?
The World Wide Recipes book, compiled by high school Home Ec teachers, offers this punch.
BEACH PARTY PUNCH
1 cup Amaretto liqueur
1 cup Southern Comfort
1 cup vodka
1 cup peach schnapps
4 1/2 cups orange juice
4 1/2 cups pineapple juice
Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl, stir and add crushed ice. I would add "And have a dentist on stand-by."
A Good Sandwich
I was hungry but too lazy to cook up some bacon. So I substituted black pepper salami on a sliced, toasted chunk of baguette with red onion and pickled jalapenos -- excellent! Brushing your teeth after dining is recommended.
A friend sent an e that said to take your car keys to bed with you. If you hear burglar noises in the night, hit the Panic button for your car -- it will start beeping and scare the burglar away.
I was extremely dubious about this because the sound would have to go through house walls, but when I tried it, it worked! On the other hand, we'd just come from Toyota where my clicker had gotten a new battery... Test it for yourself.
Would You Want This Woman Teaching Your Child?
The World Wide Recipes book, compiled by high school Home Ec teachers, offers this punch.
BEACH PARTY PUNCH
1 cup Amaretto liqueur
1 cup Southern Comfort
1 cup vodka
1 cup peach schnapps
4 1/2 cups orange juice
4 1/2 cups pineapple juice
Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl, stir and add crushed ice. I would add "And have a dentist on stand-by."
A Good Sandwich
I was hungry but too lazy to cook up some bacon. So I substituted black pepper salami on a sliced, toasted chunk of baguette with red onion and pickled jalapenos -- excellent! Brushing your teeth after dining is recommended.
Monday, April 2, 2012
And Then He Went Down the Rabbit Hole
When a Major American Airline (MAA) built the DFW airport, they needed people to staff it. MAA told her employees that if they would transfer to the DFW area, she would pay the moving expenses. DFW opened January 13, 1974, 38 years ago.
Meanwhile, back at LaGuardia airport, the bag busters were sullen after yet another long, bitter East Coast winter. Richie, Red, Mike Stolz and a bunch of other guys all decided that Texas would be better. This was a major concession on their parts because traditionally, New Yorkers and Texans each hate the other. At the newly-opened DFW, you would hear muttered asides, such as "Stupid cowboys!" or "Damn Yankees" if you listened closely.
Mike, in particular, was the most alarmed and would tell his mates, "They're gonna get us! You know they're gonna get us!" It may have been the opening salvo of what would become raging paranoia.
Richie only lasted three years at DFW; no one had bothered to tell them about the searing summer heat or the sudden Blue Northers that could drop the temperature as much as 40 degrees in an hour. He high-tailed it to LAX (and paid for the move himself. Any price to get out of Texas.)
The rest of the gang stayed where they were. They were married or getting married; they had kids or were expecting them. Mike married, had a kid, divorced. He had bought a house and had begun collecting weapons of mass warfare against "Them" -- pistols and rifles, antique and new; a bullwhip, sword canes, knives and dogs he named after gun manufacturers. I remember "Lugar" and "Beretta." The only time we visited the house, he showed me a prized possession: the head (and some of the neck) of a rattlesnake in a plastic cube. I am terrified of snakes so you can imagine my reaction.
I remember this, too, about our only visit to the house, maybe 20-24 years ago. He had told us to come in via the alley and park in the driveway at the back of the house. We dutifully did and out of the open garage door came Mike with a huge, black Doberman on a lead and his second wife, Bernice. The humans greeted each other and I bent to look into the dog's face, murmuring, "What a beautiful dog!"
Mike yanked the leash back and screamed, "Don't look in his eyes! He'll attack you!" Suitably chastised, I drew back and we all went into the house. We went through the kitchen, around to the right and into the dining room which was about one step above the living room next to it. A short, white, wrought-iron fence separated the two areas. The other end of the living room was blocked by a baby gate and the dog was put in there.
We sat around the dining room table, drinking cold ones and visiting. I was closest to the railing and all of a sudden, I felt something warm and wet on my right forearm. It was Beretta, who had gently clasped my arm in his mouth to get my attention. I immediately began to talk to him and stroke his head; he instantly let go and stretched his neck toward me in appreciation of the attention.
Bernice had freaked out and was screaming, "Let go of that! Let go! Come here! Don't make me have to get the belt!" I couldn't let that go, so I whispered to the dog, "Stay" and turned back to the table.
Seemingly casually, I remarked, "Can you believe anyone would teach their dog to come -- and then beat the dog? How confusing is that to the poor dog?" and gave a little fake society laugh. I didn't know Bernice all that well and I didn't want to be rude to either of them in their own home. Bernice got it. She even said, "That makes sense."
We never saw them again. After the third time Mike cancelled a trip to LA at the last minute by a phone call in the dead of night or at dawn the day of arrival, we distanced ourselves. He always had an excuse, but the truth was he could not bring himself to get on a plane.
We'd send the odd birthday or Christmas card, but finally even those minor contacts vanished. Most of the other MAA guys said they never heard from him or sought him out either. It was just too difficult to deal with Mike.
Red said that over the past 14 years, after his retirement from MAA thatMike had become a recluse. Friendly visits, quick lunches never happened and calls were not returned. Bernice, 27 years younger, worked for a computer company. Red told Richie that Mike's son had died (alcoholism) and Richie sent a condolence card. Mike called Richie to thank him and contact was lost again after that. More time passed.
Then at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 28th, Red called, unusually early for him. I answered the phone. His voice was taut, he was abrupt. "Is Richie up yet?"
"Sure! He's on his second cup of coffee!"
"Let me talk to him and then he can tell you."
As I handed Richie the phone, I mouthed, "I bet Mike is dead." I was very wrong. Mike had gone down the rabbit hole. He killed Bernice.
If you want the full story, Google "Man Kills Wife After Dog Defecates in Home." It was a fairly gaudy story; you may have already read it; it made The Drudge Report. Additional details: she died Saturday of a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Bodies were not discovered until approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Mike was at home (as far as is known) all of that time.
We've all read bizarre news stories, but it really smacks you across the face when you know one or more of the parties involved. The moral is: Even distant events can reach out and bite you. Or as Mike would no doubt say, "They're gonna get us! You know they're gonna get us!"
Meanwhile, back at LaGuardia airport, the bag busters were sullen after yet another long, bitter East Coast winter. Richie, Red, Mike Stolz and a bunch of other guys all decided that Texas would be better. This was a major concession on their parts because traditionally, New Yorkers and Texans each hate the other. At the newly-opened DFW, you would hear muttered asides, such as "Stupid cowboys!" or "Damn Yankees" if you listened closely.
Mike, in particular, was the most alarmed and would tell his mates, "They're gonna get us! You know they're gonna get us!" It may have been the opening salvo of what would become raging paranoia.
Richie only lasted three years at DFW; no one had bothered to tell them about the searing summer heat or the sudden Blue Northers that could drop the temperature as much as 40 degrees in an hour. He high-tailed it to LAX (and paid for the move himself. Any price to get out of Texas.)
The rest of the gang stayed where they were. They were married or getting married; they had kids or were expecting them. Mike married, had a kid, divorced. He had bought a house and had begun collecting weapons of mass warfare against "Them" -- pistols and rifles, antique and new; a bullwhip, sword canes, knives and dogs he named after gun manufacturers. I remember "Lugar" and "Beretta." The only time we visited the house, he showed me a prized possession: the head (and some of the neck) of a rattlesnake in a plastic cube. I am terrified of snakes so you can imagine my reaction.
I remember this, too, about our only visit to the house, maybe 20-24 years ago. He had told us to come in via the alley and park in the driveway at the back of the house. We dutifully did and out of the open garage door came Mike with a huge, black Doberman on a lead and his second wife, Bernice. The humans greeted each other and I bent to look into the dog's face, murmuring, "What a beautiful dog!"
Mike yanked the leash back and screamed, "Don't look in his eyes! He'll attack you!" Suitably chastised, I drew back and we all went into the house. We went through the kitchen, around to the right and into the dining room which was about one step above the living room next to it. A short, white, wrought-iron fence separated the two areas. The other end of the living room was blocked by a baby gate and the dog was put in there.
We sat around the dining room table, drinking cold ones and visiting. I was closest to the railing and all of a sudden, I felt something warm and wet on my right forearm. It was Beretta, who had gently clasped my arm in his mouth to get my attention. I immediately began to talk to him and stroke his head; he instantly let go and stretched his neck toward me in appreciation of the attention.
Bernice had freaked out and was screaming, "Let go of that! Let go! Come here! Don't make me have to get the belt!" I couldn't let that go, so I whispered to the dog, "Stay" and turned back to the table.
Seemingly casually, I remarked, "Can you believe anyone would teach their dog to come -- and then beat the dog? How confusing is that to the poor dog?" and gave a little fake society laugh. I didn't know Bernice all that well and I didn't want to be rude to either of them in their own home. Bernice got it. She even said, "That makes sense."
We never saw them again. After the third time Mike cancelled a trip to LA at the last minute by a phone call in the dead of night or at dawn the day of arrival, we distanced ourselves. He always had an excuse, but the truth was he could not bring himself to get on a plane.
We'd send the odd birthday or Christmas card, but finally even those minor contacts vanished. Most of the other MAA guys said they never heard from him or sought him out either. It was just too difficult to deal with Mike.
Red said that over the past 14 years, after his retirement from MAA thatMike had become a recluse. Friendly visits, quick lunches never happened and calls were not returned. Bernice, 27 years younger, worked for a computer company. Red told Richie that Mike's son had died (alcoholism) and Richie sent a condolence card. Mike called Richie to thank him and contact was lost again after that. More time passed.
Then at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 28th, Red called, unusually early for him. I answered the phone. His voice was taut, he was abrupt. "Is Richie up yet?"
"Sure! He's on his second cup of coffee!"
"Let me talk to him and then he can tell you."
As I handed Richie the phone, I mouthed, "I bet Mike is dead." I was very wrong. Mike had gone down the rabbit hole. He killed Bernice.
If you want the full story, Google "Man Kills Wife After Dog Defecates in Home." It was a fairly gaudy story; you may have already read it; it made The Drudge Report. Additional details: she died Saturday of a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Bodies were not discovered until approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Mike was at home (as far as is known) all of that time.
We've all read bizarre news stories, but it really smacks you across the face when you know one or more of the parties involved. The moral is: Even distant events can reach out and bite you. Or as Mike would no doubt say, "They're gonna get us! You know they're gonna get us!"
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Small Discoveries
A reader loved the sound of "Sambuco Cream Sauce" for the pancetta-wrapped, grilled prawns (and I loved the taste) so I Google'd and found it's basically 1/4 cup heavy cream, heated and a splash of sambuco tossed in and then stirred. Keep an eye on it and let it boil down just a bit before you serve it.
The only time Richie is a practising Catholic is meatless Fridays during Lent. This in the past put something of a strain on me because I won't eat fish (except canned tuna) and I got real tired of mac and cheese every Friday night and of sauting-salmon-in-olive-oil-with-a-squeeze-of-lime-juice-and-black-pepper.
Because his Southwestern Chicken with a balsamic taste was such a success, I got to thinking about balsamic vinegar and salmon. I came across the recipe for a glaze for salmon. The original recipe was for six filets, but I was using only one, so I cut it down. These are the amounts for one salmon filet:
pinch of minced garlic or 1/4 teas. minced garlic in a jar
1/2 teas. white wine (optional; you can substitute water)
1/2 teas. honey
1 1/2 teas. balsamic vinegar
1 teas. Dijon mustard
Mix all this togther and when the salmon is done in the pan, plate it and then de-glaze the skillet with the sauce and pour it over the salmon. Richie loved it.
The recipe says to bake the salmon and glaze with sauce as it cooks, but this is considerably faster.
Raise your hand if you don't particularly like cauliflower. Me, too. It seems the only way to eat it is steamed with a cheese sauce. Feh.
When I read that roasted cauliflower was delicious it made sense to me. Many winter vegetables are good roasted. It couldn't be simpler. Break up the cauliflower into medium pieces, toss with olive oil and black pepper and chunk it into a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, pull out the pan and flip them and back into the oven for another 10 minutes. You want the cauliflower to brown just a bit. The taste was very reminscent of Fall -- the coziness of being inside when the weather is gray and raw...
The only time Richie is a practising Catholic is meatless Fridays during Lent. This in the past put something of a strain on me because I won't eat fish (except canned tuna) and I got real tired of mac and cheese every Friday night and of sauting-salmon-in-olive-oil-with-a-squeeze-of-lime-juice-and-black-pepper.
Because his Southwestern Chicken with a balsamic taste was such a success, I got to thinking about balsamic vinegar and salmon. I came across the recipe for a glaze for salmon. The original recipe was for six filets, but I was using only one, so I cut it down. These are the amounts for one salmon filet:
pinch of minced garlic or 1/4 teas. minced garlic in a jar
1/2 teas. white wine (optional; you can substitute water)
1/2 teas. honey
1 1/2 teas. balsamic vinegar
1 teas. Dijon mustard
Mix all this togther and when the salmon is done in the pan, plate it and then de-glaze the skillet with the sauce and pour it over the salmon. Richie loved it.
The recipe says to bake the salmon and glaze with sauce as it cooks, but this is considerably faster.
Raise your hand if you don't particularly like cauliflower. Me, too. It seems the only way to eat it is steamed with a cheese sauce. Feh.
When I read that roasted cauliflower was delicious it made sense to me. Many winter vegetables are good roasted. It couldn't be simpler. Break up the cauliflower into medium pieces, toss with olive oil and black pepper and chunk it into a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, pull out the pan and flip them and back into the oven for another 10 minutes. You want the cauliflower to brown just a bit. The taste was very reminscent of Fall -- the coziness of being inside when the weather is gray and raw...
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