Day 153

Pesto may be used on pasta, mixed with steamed or grilled vegetables,

as a sandwich spread, on grilled fish, chicken, or meat,

 as a dip for crudites, and diluted with more oil for a salad dressing.

BASIL PESTO

Place into food processor:

One bunch (4 ounces) fresh Basil leaves

3-4 cloves Garlic

1.2 cup Pine nuts (pignoli) or Walnuts

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Slowly pour in up to 1.2 cup olive Oil

Season with Salt and Pepper

You may freeze the pesto in ice cube trays

and drop a cube or two into soups or stews for added flavor

Day 152

Ah, but I was so much older then: I'm younger than that now.

Bob Dylan

Concentrate on the good of people. Help them to be their best.

All my relationships are harmonious.

Every experience is a success.

How foolish for us to punish ourselves in the present moment

because someone hurt us in the long ago past.

Louise L. Hay

The telepathic communication is so strong.

Be selective about what your focus is to be: Fear or failure?

Or fun and formidable outcomes?

In one's family, respect and listeing are the source of harmony.

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

Indira Gandhi

Day 151

I'm fried from the weekend and the days preceding

so the next few posts will be from the original cookbook.

A recipe for toast?

- you may think I'm completely drain bramaged!

But this book was created as a simple gourmet collection of recipes.

And a glass of Merlot, perhaps a small green salad

and a few slices of this yummy warm crunchy delight

and you'll think you're in Madrid at some trendy street side tapas bar.

GARLIC TOAST

Toast some very good artisan Bread till golden

(I'm in love with rosemary olive)

Do not use the Styrofoam type market variety

Rub the surface with a whole peeled Garlic clove

(the sandpaper quality of the toasted bread will capture tiny explosions of fresh garlic)

Optional: I smear a bit of unsalted Butter over the bread

Then drizzle with extra virgin olive Oil

Sprinkle with fine sea Salt and fresh ground black Pepper.

Voila!

I know you're thanking me now.

Day 150

It is only the shallow people who do not judge by appearances.

Oscar Wilde

God is in me or else is not at all.

Wallace Stevens

A hand rolled

Dumpling of

Heaven and earth:

I've gulped it down

And easily it went.

Dim Sum Zen

Do not, I beg you, look for anything behind phenomena.

They are themsleves their own lesson.

Goethe

We gaze

even at horses

this morn of snow.

Basho

God made everything out of nothing.

But the nothingness shows through.

Paul Valery

Day 149

After Hubby ordered sweet and sour pork at P.F. Chang's,

I decided to investigate the potential of making my own sauce for meats and veggies.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

1 tablespoon Oil

1/2 teaspoon grated Ginger

1/4 cup finely diced fresh Pineapple

1/3 cup Rice Vinegar

1/4 cup Ketchup

1 tablespoon Chili Garlic Sauce

1/4 cup Sugar

optional: 1/4 cup chopped Onion

Heat oil and add (onions)

ginger

pineapple

vinegar

ketchup

chili garlic sauce

and sugar

Simmer gently three minutes

Place everything into a food processor and pulse

If it's too thin

you may add a teaspoon of cornstarch

to a bit of water till dissolved

then add to the sauce and heat until thickened

Day 148

Let the nothingness into yer shots.

Golf in the Kingdom

We are more curious about the meaning of dreams

than about things we see when awake.

Diogenes

Catch

the vigorous horse

of your mind.

Zen Saying

Whatever interests, is interesting.

William Hazlitt

Teach us to delight in simple things,

And mirth that has no bitter springs;

Forgiveness free of evil done,

And love to all men 'neath the sun.

Rudyard Kipling

Our Father which art in heaven

Stay there

And we will stay on earth

Which is sometimes so pretty.

Jaques Prevert

Day 147

I never know what my husband is going to like next.
Who knew a long shot would be a sure thing.....
like the Belmont Stakes!
Another yummy from my buddy David Rocco of Dolce Vita.

PIZZA PASTA
Beat 2 Eggs in a bowl
Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Toss in 2/3 pound leftover Spaghetti with sauce (about 3 cups)
Make certain the pasta is fully coasted with the egg mixture
Since the pasta is already seasoned - I would only add some chopped fresh Parsley or Basil
Heat Olive Oil in a frying pan until
a piece of spaghetti sizzles when you drop it in
Pour all the pasta in and flatten out like a pancake
Fry for 2 minutes on high until golden brown
To flip, put a cover or large plate over top, flip pasta onto cover or plate,
 then side back into pan to fry the uncooked side for 2 more minutes or until golden brown
When finished, slide onto paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil
Serve warm or cold
Great for picnics
A favorite of Florence, Italy

Day 146

It is only with the heart than one can see rightly;

what is essential is invisible to the eye.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Every day is a good day.

Yun-Men

It loved to happen.

Marcus  Aurelius

Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.

Goethe

The whole of life lies in the verb seeing.

Teilhard de Chardin

One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak.

G.K.Chesterton

If my heart can become pure and simple like that of a child,

I think there can be no greater happiness than this.

Kitaro Nishida

Today.

Day 145

This had to be delicious....it's named after our daughter!

CHICKEN SALAD VERONIQUE

2 whole Chicken breasts, bone-in skin-on

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Tarragon

1 cup small diced Celery

1 cup green Grapes cut in 1/2

Roast your oiled, salt and peppered chicken breasts

35 - 40 minutes in a 350 oven until cooked

Cool

Remove meat from bones and discard skin

Cut into dice size

Place in bowl

with mayonnaise, tarragon, celery and grapes, salt and pepper

and toss

That's it!

Day 144

THE MOVING CREW

We don't know who we are until we see what we can do.

Martha Grimes

When you follow your bliss doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors;

and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else.

Joseph Campbell

Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.

Winston Churchill

The distance is nothing;

it is only the first step that is difficult.

Life without risks is not worth living.

Charles Lindbergh

Each of us was born with wings...

(and) has the ability to go farther than we ever thought possible,

to do things beyond our wildest dreams.

Barbara Stanny

.

Day 143

Back on Day 119

I posted Spezzatino di Manzo al Cioccolato:

Beef Stew with Chocolate.

This is another version made with red wine

also by David Rocco.

As much as I love red wine.....
I think I like the chocolate one a bit better.

BEEF BRAISED IN CHIANTI

Pour 1/2 cup olive Oil into a stew pot

Add

2 pounds stewing Beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 red Onion roughly chopped

3 Garlic cloves, chopped

Sear for about 2 minutes

Add 3 cups Chianti (it should cover the beef)

Add Salt and Pepper

Bring to a boil

Then simmer gently about 2 hours

I also threw in a couple springs of fresh thyme.

I should have let it cook a bit longer ( I was in a rush)

and it seemed a bit salty to me.

Day 142

Our beautiful daughter Veronica moves into her first apartment  today!

In dwelling - live close to the ground.

In thinking - keep close to the simple.

In conflict - be fair and generous.

In governing - don't try to control.

In work - do what you enjoy.

In family life -be completely present.

Tao Te Ching

Those who want the fewest things are closest to the gods.

Socartes

Everything that lives is holy, life delights in life.

William Blake

I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough.

Diogenes

Water which is too pure has no fish.

Ts'ai Ken T'an

Day 141

This is the second part of the pork loin.

ROASTED PORK LOIN
2 pound Pork Loin (trim off excess fat)
Rosemary freshly chopped,  about 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon freshly ground Fennel Seeds
Salt and Pepper
(use a coffee grinder)
2 or 3 cloves Garlic
Oil
1/2 cup Wine
Optional:
chopped Onion
chopped Celery
Bay Leaf

Place chopped rosemary, salt and pepper, and fennel on chopping board
Roll the pork over the seasonings
Place roasting pan over burner
Add oil and saute pork until slightly golden on all sides
Add garlic (and optionals)
Place on bottom shelf of 400 oven
Check after 30 minutes - juices should run clear
Do not over cook - it gets dry
Remove pork from pan and let sit 10 minutes.
Pour off most of the oil
Smash garlic
Place over medium heat
Add wine and scrap up all the little brown bits
Slice meat and place on serving dish
Pour pan juices thru sieve over meat

Day 140

Some of my best friends are children.

In fact, all of my best friends are children.

J.D.Salinger

Friends do not live in harmony merely, as some say,

but in melody.

Henry David Thoreau

Artists who seek perfection in everything

are those who can attain it in nothing.

Eugene Delacroix

Every act of creation

is first of all an act of destruction.

Pablo Picasso

Like all great travelers,

I have seen more than I remember,

and remember more than I have seen.

When I was younger,

I could remember anything,

whether it happened or not,

but I am getting old,

and soon I shall remember only the latter.

Mark Twain

Memory is the diary that chronicles things

that never have happened

and couldn’t possibly have happened.

Oscar Wilde

Day 139

This is one of those old favorites

you cut out of some newspaper years ago and the paper is turning yellow

...and every time you eat it, you can't believe how delicious it is!
This photo is the first time I brined a chicken.
I forgot about it while I was decorating for the holidays
and ended up with Charcoal Supreme!

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ROSEMARY

4 Chicken Breasts skin removed

Squeeze 1/2 fresh Lemon juice over breasts

Sprinkle with a bit of Flour, Salt and Pepper

In a large oven proof skillet, heat couple of tablespoons of Oil

Brown both sides of chicken over medium heat

Optional: you may at this time sprinkle some Bread Crumbs over chicken

You could also throw in a clove or two of Garlic and maybe a splash of Wine

Place in 375 oven for 10 to 15 minutes until just cooked - do not dry out!

Make the Rosemary Butter:

Place 1/2 cup softened unsalted Butter

1-2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 tablespoons fresh chopped Rosemary

1 Garlic clove

Salt and Pepper

In a food processor and blend till smooth

Place cooked breasts on serving plate

Pan juices made be cooked down a bit (smash the garlic) and poured over meat

Put a small dollop of the butter on each breast

Serve with remaining butter

Fabulous in mashed potatoes, too.

Day 138

The only joy in the world is to begin.
Cesare Pavese

And everything comes to One, as we dance on, dance on, dance on.
Theodore Roethke

Teach us to care and not to care.
Teach us to sit still.
T.S.Elliot

To be a man of knowledge, one needs to be light and fluid.
Yaqui Mystic

Act without doing;
work without effort.
 Tao Te Ching

We think in generalities, but we live in detail.
Alfred North Whitehead

When the student is ready, the Master appears.
Buddhist Proverb

Day 137

From my Italian Extra Virgin guy Gabriele Corcos.
He used leftover risotto but any leftover rice will work, just enhance the flavors a bit.

RISOTTO CROQUETTES
Take about 2 cups of prepared risotto or rice
Add one egg yolk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped ham
1/2 cup chopped mozzarella
Some chopped parsley, oregano or sage
Mix together well
Whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl
Place flour in another bowl and breadcrumbs in a third
Roll the rice mixture into small balls (golf ball size)
Gently roll each ball into the flour
Then into the beaten egg, finally in the breadcrumbs
Heat 1 1/2 cups of oil (I use peanut oil) in a small high sided skillet
Put a few croquettes in at a time (don't crowd)
Turning a few times to cook them evenly golden brown
Drain on paper towels

Day 136

Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result,

one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul.

Simon Weil

Ten years' searching in the deep forest

Today great laughter at the edge of the lake.

Soen

Anything more than the truth would be too much.

Robert Frost

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.

John Muir

Men argue, nature acts.

Voltaire

Sitting quietly, doing nothing,

spring comes, and the grass

grows by itself.

Zen Saying

To see a World in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

William Blake

Day 135

Inspired thru my old buddy Nigella Lawson.

This instantly became one of my all time favorite pasta dishes

 - the lemon flavor is so fresh!

LEMON LINGUINE

1 pound Linguine

1 egg Yolk

1/3 cup heavy Cream

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan

1 Lemon, zested plus juice

Salt and Pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted Butter

1-2 tablespoons fresh Thyme

Cook pasta:

Stir it in boiling water, return the water to a boil,

turn off flame and cover it for 10 minutes

Reserve 1/2 cup water when draining

Return in to pot

In a small bowl mix

yolk, cream, Parmesan., zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper

Add butter to drained pasta in pan

Stir in the egg mixture

If it seems a bit dry, add 1 tablespoon of the cooking water

Sprinkle on the thyme and serve with more grated cheese

Absolutely marvelous!

Day 134

COLUMNS DESIGNED BY DAD AND RANDY

Every exit is an entry somewhere else.

Tom Stoddard

If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on,

he must close his eyes and walk in the dark.

Go - not knowing where.

Bring - not knowing what.

The path is long, the way unknown.

Russian Fairy Tale

In walking, just walk.

In sitting, just sit.

Above all, don't wobble.

Yun-Men

If you wish to drown,

don't torture yourself in shallow water.

Bulgarian Proverb

One cannot step twice into the same river.

Herakleitos

Day 133

Try not to be so....vanilla! Here's a cool option.

Today would have been my Daddy's birthday - 81!
Where ever you are Dad, celebrate!
Let them eat ice cream!!!!!!!!

CARAMEL NUT ICE CREAM TORTE
Press about 1/2 gallon (4 pints) soft Vanilla ice cream
into a 9 inch spring form pan
Freeze 10 - 15 minutes
Top with 1 cup Caramel sauce
(microwave it briefly if it's too hard to spread)
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of your favorite Nuts - toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans
Freeze until firm.
To serve, remove from pan and slice in wedges.
Yummy-licious!

Day 132

Do one thing every day that scares you.  

Eleanor Roosevelt

My grandmother is over eighty and she still doesn't need glasses.

Drinks right out of the bottle. 

Henny Youngman

Happiness is have a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.

George Burns

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the

human bladder.

Alfred Hitchcock

Few things are harder to put up with than a good example.

Mark Twin

Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world

 doesn't mean that you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.

Edward R. Murrow

I'd rather be dead than singing "Satisfaction" when I'm 45.

Mick Jagger (well before he was 45)

Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.

Edgar Degas

Day 131

This is what every mother in Florence
gave their children for a snack after school.

DAVID ROCCO'S CHILDHOOD SNACK
Crumble some Walnuts into a bowl
Do the same with the best Parmesan cheese you can find
Dribble your favorite Honey over
That's it!
You'll feel like a Medici.

Day 130

It is good to have an end to journey toward;

but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

A morning-glory at my window

satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.

Walt Whitman

Our life is frittered away by detail...

Simplify, simplify.

Thoreau

Lovely snowflakes, they fall nowhere else!

Zen saying

Some times I go about in pity for myself,

 and all the while

A great wind is bearing me across the sky.

Ojibwa Saying

Everything the same:

everything distinct.

Zen saying

Day 129

This is from Mark Bittman...the Minimalist.
I used medium ground cornmeal
and it didn't thicken up correctly,
so I just added an egg and fried them like pancakes.
Arepas are like a flat corn bread from South America.

AREPAS
1 cup fine Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack
1 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped Scallions (optional)
Some fresh chopped Cilantro
Red Pepper flakes or a small Serrano Chili minced fine

Mix Cornmeal, Salt, and Cheese in a bowl
Heat Milk in pan till steamy
Then add Butter till melted
Pour into Cornmeal and mix
Add Corn, Scallions (if using) Cilantro and Pepper flakes or Chili
Mark let it rest until a dough forms, about 15 minutes
Roll it into 3-4 inch balls and flatten to 1/2 inch disks
They may be refrigerated at this point
Heat oil in skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides
They may be sliced in half and served with butter
Or stuffed with beans, vegetables or sour cream
My version didn't form a dough
Maybe the coarser cornmeal was the problem,
so I added one egg and
made arepas pancakes.
Still very yummy!

Day 128

Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s own ignorance.

Confucius

Free love is too expensive.

Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad.

Victor Hugo

The superfluous is the most necessary.

Voltaire

To lead the people, walk behind them.

Lao-Tzu

Less is more.

Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.

Chuang-Tzu



Day 127

Hubby loves anything peanut butter.
You will, too!

LEMON CHICKEN WITH SATAY DIP
Place up to 2 pounds Chicken pieces
in a glass roasting dish, skin removed
Pour over 3/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Oil
Sprinkle generously with
Salt and Pepper
And 1 tablespoon fresh Thyme
You may allow this to marinate for a few hours
or cook now 400
turning pieces every 15 minutes
until 160 on instant read thermometer
Cool slightly

For Satay Dip:
Cook
1 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 cup minced Red Onion (or to taste)
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons grated Ginger
Few shakes of Red Pepper flakes
Until onion is transparent
Add
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 cup smooth Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Ketchup
Optional:
Splash of Sherry
Juice of one Lime
Cook 1 minute
Cool and bit and use as dip
Chicken can be boned and skewered.

Day 126

Art is the path of the creator to his work.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.

It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.

Jeremy Kitson

I couldn’t wait for success,

so I went ahead without it.

Jonathan Winters

If you can Dream it,

you can Do it.

Walt Disney

In each of us are places where we have never gone.

Only by pressing the limits do you ever find them.

Dr. Joyce Bothers

Man is so made that when anything fires his soul,

impossibilities vanish.

Jean de la Fontaine

Hide not your talents.

They were for use made.

What’s a sundial in the shade?

Ben Franklin

Picture in your mind a sense of personal destiny.

Wayne Oates

Day 125

The coconut milk in this chicken curry takes one back to

the balmy south-west breezes of the palm lined Indian coast

PALM COAST CHICKEN CURRY

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of Oil in pan

Add 1/2 teaspoon each of whole Cumin seeds and

whole brown Mustard seeds until they pop

Or the same amount of ground spices

Add finely chopped Onion, up to a whole depending on taste

Stir until lightly brown

Add

2 teaspoons freshly grated Ginger

3-4 cloves minced Garlic

2 pounds of Chicken parts, skinned

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne

1 tablespoon Paprika

huge pinch of Salt

1/2 teaspoon Curry

Add one cup Water and bring to simmer

Cover and gently cook 30 minutes

Stir occasionally

Boil down most of the liquid

Add  1 cup Coconut Milk

Optional: chopped Chilies

Tear some Basil leaves to garnish

Sometimes I cook 2 or 3 meals at once and then refrigerate them for later consumption.

I let this sit overnight then warmed it up the next evening for dinner.

The chicken fell off the bones

and the memory of the tastes has my mouth salivating!

Go to India now!