A Disappointing Realization and a Good Book

A Disappointing Realization.  For year I've had the custom of putting my sliced mushrooms on a plate of olive oil before broiling them with my steak. As I drained the cooled fat from the broiling pan after cooking my blade steaks and mushrooms a few days ago, it occurred to me — based on the color, the quantity, and the liquidity of said fat — that most of it must be olive oil that had come out of the mushrooms as they cooked. This means that I do not get to ingest most of that nutritious lipid in which I marinate the mushrooms. In future, instead of consigning it to the garbage pail, I'll have to devise ways of reserving it and consuming it (such as pouring it onto my baked potato) so as to gain the health benefits of this not inexpensive oil.


A Good Book.  I've finished reading Struggle Central, by Tom Zuniga, my guest last Sunday night. It's an easy read, certain to resonate with introverts, and perhaps useful for extroverts to help them understand how introverts often feel. Tom's struggle has some specifics that not all introverts share. In my case the major issue seems to have been fear/expectation of rejection. But Tom writes with deep insight into his own feelings, and with a realism that a life without struggle is not to be expected, but as we struggle we can also succeed. In his metaphor, there are peak experiences, at the mountaintop, when we have struggled to reach that summit, but they can't last. We descend into the valley and struggle some more.

I was in group therapy for four years. During that time I became increasingly aware of the program that played in my mind— the one that told me I had been rejected, that I was being rejected, that I was going to be rejected. Gradually I learned not to let that program run all the time, to realize that I'm usually accepted, that the things that felt like being rejected weren't always about me at all. It seems that Tom is aware of the program that runs in his mind and that lies at the base of many of his struggles over the past twenty-five years. That awareness makes it possible to refuse to be overcome by the self-doubts and feelings of inadequacy. It may take more years of struggle, but hopefully with increasing success. Although we're never struggle-free, they can be less overwhelming.

So I recommend the book for anyone who struggles with feelings of isolation or inadequacy, as well as for anyone who wants to understand what it's like to find interacting with others difficult. I got it through my local bookseller; it's also available online.

2014 October in Review

Theater.  I start with this because the month started with it — and ended with it.

    On October 1, I went to the Huntington Theatre [sic] production of  "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." My brother joined me because I made the mistake of mentioning that I wanted to go, and he invited himself to come along. I don't know if he thinks every time I say I'm planning to buy a ticket it's an invitation to him, or if he's just pushy. Oh well, it didn't ruin the evening for me.

     The lead actor was Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo on "The Cosby Show." It was nicely performed; and since I never saw the movie, it also gave some questions to ponder. Do we rationalize our prejudices? Do we cooperate in, or at least accept as inevitable, out oppression. How easy is it for us to misjudge the motives of others? How far have we moved beyond the racism of 50 years ago?

     October 17 saw me attending Arts Emerson's presentation of a performance of Shakespeare's "King Lear" by a touring cast from Shakespeare's Globe in London (England). The accents sometimes got in the way of catching every word, especially when they shouted (but it was fun to notice that Gloucester used a different accent from the others). Since most of the actors played several roles, it was sometimes difficult to tell who was which character. But the general action was clear enough. I was surprised to realize that the wickedness of Regan and Goneril seems unmotivated, but on further thought, I guess Shakespeare didn't share the Enlightenment notion that people are naturally good, and so need a motive to do evil.

     A week later, it was back to Arts Emerson for a South African take on Mozart's "The Magic Flute," with the orchestra replaced by marimbas. The Tamino was good-looking, the Queen of the Night dispatched the "Revenge" aria with ease (maybe transposed down a notch or two), and a good time was had by all, myself included; but it wasn't as good as a normal performance in an opera house.

     On Hallowe'en I escaped trick-or-treaters and bookended the month with another Huntington Theatre [sic] show, "Ether Dome," about the discovery of general anæsthesia. It was a fascinating story of how a Hartford dentist realized that nitrous oxide (laughing gas blocked pain during surgery), but his demonstration at Mass General Hospital failed. Then his former assistant learned that sulphuric ether also worked and gave a successful demonstration. Reviewers suggested that the play was too complex to follow, but I didn't find it so. It was a fine introduction to some history about which all I had known was that the first demonstration of ether as a general anæsthetic had occurred at MGH in the mid 19th Century.


Symphony.  I attended four Boston Symphony concerts — on the 2nd, 21st, 23rd, and 30th of the month. You can read about them on my music blog. I was originally scheduled for the 16th, but exchanged for the 21st (same program) so I could join a dinner group at the yacht club. As for the music, I'll add to what's on the music blog that I found "The Miraculous Mandarin" on the 2nd an appropriately moody piece — one I wasn't very familiar with — the "German Requiem" on the 23rd very stirring, and the Schubert symphony on the 30th very satisfactorily performedÚ it's a piece I like but quite long, but it never got boring in this performance.


Etc.  At church we had a seminary professor deliver a series of four talks about St. Paul, his life, work, and letters. They took place on the Wednesday evenings from the 8th through the 29th. This professor has given series on other biblical topics twice a year for several years. He knows his material very well and can express it clearly and answer questions completely, so the talks are always worthwhile.

     The pastor of my parish has a number of people who bring Holy Communion on a regular basis to homebound members of the parish (as well as doing a lot himself). He asked me to take over for him with one man who lives near me. The man and his wife are originally from Ontario, but they've lived here for maybe 30 years. He's Catholic and she isn't. This is the first time he's asked me to do this, so I'm pleased to be included in that aspect of ministry. OTOH, I'm not very good at small talk, but I want to make the visits more than just walking in, giving Communion, and walking back out. Hopefully I'll get more comfortable with them as I get to know them better.

     I attended a "Convocation" on social justice on Saturday the 25th.  The keynote speaker gave a good talk about the place of teachings about social justice within the life of the Church. That was followed by a couple of panel discussions, also good. A highlight was when someone commented from the floor that some of her son's friends were kicked out of their homes when their parents learned that they were involved with a gang. his woman took them in and gave them guidance, and all but one or two managed to avoid trouble with the law and become law-abiding adults.

     On Sunday the 12th my brother and I went to the opening concert of the Handel and Haydn Society's 150th season. They called it "Baroque Fireworks," and, as the title suggests, it was all pretty lively — nothing very serious, but it was all fun listening. Here's another example of my brother inviting himself. I had been going to H&H concerts for a couple of years and at some point (maybe in one of the weekly calls from our kid brother in Tokyo) I mentioned that I was attending them. He said he'd like to join me, and I didn't have the heartlessness to tell him I'd rather go by myself. Again, as with the play, it's not awful having him join me, but I do like being free: either going by myself or choosing my companion. No doubt I'd feel differently if we were better friends. When I was a pre-teen I was always happy to be with him.

     It was my team's turn to cook for the soup kitchen on the 27th. Each member prepares three three-pound meatloaves, bakes eighteen potatoes, and supplies three bags of frozen corn. We drop them off at the home of the woman who coordinates our team, and she brings them to the soup kitchen. We do this on the fourth Monday of the even-numbered months.

     My table reading* since the end of August was Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, by Eric Metaxas. I finished it on October 30 (or more likely in the early hours of the 31st). It's a well written and quite complete account of the life of the pastor who wrote The Cost of Discipleship, coined or popularized the term "cheap grace," opposed Nazism, was peripherally involved in the plot(s) to kill Hitler, and was executed a few weeks before the defeat of Germany in WWII. It seems I'm doing a trilogy on the Nazi era. My next book was The Shadow of His Wings, by Gereon Goldmann, and now I've begun Jan Karski's Story of a Secret State. I'll have something to say about those two books when I report on November.

     The depressed guy I mentioned in the post about September didn't choose to join me at any of the theatrical or symphony events. But on Nov. 11, he called because I had added another event happening this Friday. We talked for a while, and there are some groups he's involved in, so it seems he's managing to keep active despite the depression. He did say that he'd continue to consider the events I mentioned to him.

     I guess that about covers the stuff that's worth mentioning. There were a few days when it was warm and humid enough to go naked for extended periods. As the drier air of winter comes along, it becomes less comfortable to be clothes-free, and I'm generally clothed from the time I get dressed to go to Mass until I got to bed.

* "Table reading" is reading a book when I am having dinner alone at home. The books for table reading are generally a bit more serious than my restaurant books. In the restaurant, you read before the first item arrives at your table and between courses, so you have to be able to break off whenever the waiter delivers something. At home, there is no time between courses: you take some food, read for a while, repeat. So you can keep going as long as you want in order to let the author make a point.

Time to Remember the Month of September

A couple of days ago I looked at the list of my posts on this blog, and I was amazed to see that I haven't posted anything since September 2. So it's about time for an update.

My sister-in-law came for a visit, beginning on Wednesday, September 3. My brother met her at the airport and drove her out here. As it happened, Donald Teeters, a fairly well-known conductor in this area, had recently died, and his funeral was that evening. He had taught her conducting when she was at New England Conservatory, and had visited her school and was a guest in her home one time when he visited Japan. So she wanted to go to the funeral. I brought her to the subway and helped her figure out how to get to her destination. One of her classmates, who lives in eastern Massachusetts, played the organ at the funeral, and gave her a ride home. I still hadn't had my dinner when she got back, so I  shared with her. The gala welcoming dinner of steak was postponed, as was the plan, to Thursday evening.

On Friday, she wanted to visit her organ teacher from the conservatory. The teacher now lives in an assisted living facility about a 50 minute drive from here. I was tied up when she needed to go, so my brother drove her there. About 2 ½ hours later, I went to bring her back. I took a route back home through an area which has very little traffic — country roads through the woods. But along the way there was an ice cream stand, and we each had some, which was refreshing, since the day was hot. That evening it was time for the gala farewell dinner — boiled lobster, steamed mussels, corn on the cob, sponge cake with fruit and whipped cream.

On Saturday morning I brought her to South Station in Boston so she could take the express train to New York where she spent several days visiting my nephew. He and his girlfriend have moved in together, and one feature of the visit was my sister meeting the girlfriend's mother. I understand they got along well. In the olden days, the next step would be for the kids to get married. I hope they will, but nobody's said anything about. Somebody's got to transmit those Naturgesetz family genes to the next generation.


The next big event was my "annual" check-up with my primary care physician on the 11th. He couldn't find anything wrong, except for a bit of ringworm near my right nipple — Gold Bond powder should eventually clear it up. He conducts the exam very conversationally, and of course, I like the chance to be naked with someone pleasant like him. I don't remember other doctors checking for testicular cancer, but he does, and I was surprised at how gently he felt my testicles on both visits — my previous doctor retired and this was my second time with this doctor.


My last Race Committee assignment was on Saturday the 13th. It was a fairly windy day with choppy seas. We had a problem with the mechanical winch which hauls up the anchor. Fortunately, we discovered it early in the day, and by the time we needed to haul up the anchor, the boy who drives the boat and shoots the signal cannons had figured out how to get it working.


The following Thursday, the concert season began for me with the opening night of the Boston Symphony, followed on Friday with a concert by the Boston Artists Ensemble at Salem's historic Hamilton Hall. If you follow the link and then go to "Community" and then to "Lectures" you can read about a series that my mother used to attend for many years. I'm happy to know that they still serve bouillon.


I was invited to dinner with friends on Saturday and then there were two events on Sunday afternoon. First was the funeral of a long-time sailor and member of the yacht club — also an avid and accomplished skier. After the service, the family had a reception at the yacht club. Coincidentally, when I was at the Hamilton Hall website just now, the widow was in the picture at the top of the "Community" page. She's the one on the right. Before that reception was over, I had to go to the other end of the club building to join an "Octoberfest" for the race Committee. Many years ago, I used to bring German Oktoberfest beer and German style cold cuts out to the Race Committee boat for the last event, which fell within Oktoberfest in the old country. Circumstances changed, and it didn't work anymore, but people kept asking for me to revive it. Finally this year, club management put on an event ashore, with advice from me as to what it should include (roast chicken, bratwurst, weisswurst, sauerkraut, potato salad, and Oktoberfest beer from Munich). So it was actually more like the real thing than what I could do on a boat.


The rest of the month was fairly routine. There is a thirty year old guy I've known for a dozen or more years. Last winter he was hospitalized for depression, and now he's moved back to his parents' home. I know he's interested in music, so I thought it might be helpful for him too get out to some of the concerts I go to, so I've given him a list of everything I have planned over the season (basically through April) and said if there are any he'd like to go to, just let me know. We'll see if anything ever comes of it. He mentioned, when I gave him the list, that he especially likes baroque music, which is largely lacking in the concerts I attend. I'll have to keep alert for possibilities from Boston Baroque and the Boston Early Music Festival.

Pot Roast; "Our Town"/Finding Someone

Pot Roast.  I cooked a pot roast on Tuesday. I had 3 1/4 pounds of chuck (shoulder meat) which I figured would give five servings. I sprinkled it with pepper, nutmeg, and garlic powder. Then I browned it in olive oil on the stove top. Toward the end, I added some coarsely chopped onions which I had sprinkled with dried oregano and parsley. Then I sprinkled it all with dried thyme and a little marjoram, savory, and dill, poured enough boiling water over it to come about halfway up the roast, covered it, and set it in a 325°F oven. After a couple of hours, I turned it over and added 14 oz. of sliced carrots — peeled, sliced crosswise and lengthwise, and sprinkled with thyme. At that point I also poured a bit of Japanese soy sauce (maybe 2 tsp.) and sprinkled a bit of sea salt (maybe 1/4 tsp.) into the liquid. After another hour or so, I added four potatoes, peeled and cut into fifths (maybe 1 1/2 lb. after peeling) and let it cook for another 45 minutes or so.

Here's a picture of the roast and two servings of the veggies.

The meat was cooked to the point that it tended to shred when I tried to cut it.

Here's a picture of the herbs and spices. (not shown: soy sauce and sea salt).

BTW — I had bought the meat last week. It had a last sale date of January 17. I had thought I'd cook it on the 19th, but my brother wasn't here that evening. Then on Sunday he took me to dinner for a birthday (eve) celebration; and on the birthday itself some friends invited me to their place for dinner. So I didn't get around to cooking it until the 22nd. It was still perfectly good.

Bonus pic: snow on the spirea outside my kitchen window one morning in late December.

Click on photos to enlarge.

"Our Town"/Finding Someone.  Last week I went to a performance of the play "Our Town," by Thornton Wilder, about life in a small town in pre-WWI New Hampshire. The town has about 2,400 inhabitants, as I recall, and the central focus is on George Gibb and Emily Webb, who are high school classmates and next door neighbors in the first act and marry immediately after graduation in the second. In the third act Emily has died in childbirth and joins other decedents in the town cemetery.

It's a very good play, IMO, with much to think about. I saw it when I was in high school in a production by our drama department, and I had remembered some of it. So it seemed familiar, even when I didn't remember specific bits.

Anyway one point I've been thinking about is that the Stage Manager indicates that most people get married and go through life as a couple. Added to that is the fact that most people stay in Grover's Corners after they finish high school. George and Emily have known each other just about all their lives. Perhaps it's not inevitable that they get married, but it's not surprising by any means. More broadly, the play implies that almost all the young people in the town find someone to marry from within their circle of acquaintances. I'd guess that in a town that size, there would be no more than 100 people (of the opposite sex) within the normal age range for likely spouses. And that was enough for almost all of them to find someone to marry and go through life with.

Along the same line, I think of how things were when I was in high school. Most people were able to find someone to go steady with. It was a larger town than in the play, but I'm sure that if we all had stayed in town after high school, almost all of us could have found a spouse from among our contemporaries.

So that leads to my conclusion: "finding someone" does not depend on having a wide range of possibilities. If one is not excessively picky, "someone" can be found in a circle of acquaintances of any size. In fact, urbanization and social media may make it harder to find someone because it becomes easy to imagine that there is someone better out there, and to feel that it is not necessary to settle for someone who is basically compatible and good enough. Urbanization and social media also tend to impede finding someone by preventing us from focusing on a small number of people from whom we might choose; they draw us out of true community into a broad circle of acquaintances among whom we don't have a real opportunity to make connections.

Of course, I know that people continue to find each other, but I think it may not be as easy as it was in smaller communities (and perhaps the wider range of acquaintances also promotes divorce by presenting new possibilities after marriage has taken place).

A Triumph in the Kitchen IMHO

I did a slightly different version of my Chicken Baked in Sauce with Vegetables, and I wish you could have been here to taste it. This time the vegetables were leeks and carrots and the soup was cream of celery. (No mushrooms because my brother is here.) But instead of just slicing the leeks and putting them on top of the chicken with the carrots, I sauteed the leeks and added them to the sauce.

To saute the leeks, first I cooked a slice of bacon in olive oil. I had cut the bacon into about 10 or 12 pieces. When most of the fat had cooked out of the bacon, I added the rinsed and chopped leeks (three fairly thin ones) which I had sprinkled with mild paprika, and sauteed until they were softened and lightly browned, sprinkling with ground savory along the way. I added several generous sprinkles of dried dill and twelve drops of Tabasco sauce to the celery soup before I stirred in the half can of milk as I heated it. I added maybe 1/4 teaspoon, maybe less, of Beau Monde Seasoning. Then I stirred in the sauteed leeks and bacon.

 I seasoned the chicken pieces with mild paprika, ground thyme, ground savory, a little pepper, and a generous amount of dried tarragon. Then four sliced carrots, dusted with ground thyme, and the sauce over all.

Though I say it myself, after an hour in the oven at 350°F, it was delicious!


Edited to add: Apart from the leeks and bacon and other variations mentioned above, there was one other difference in the meal as a whole. We had had rice pilaf the previous evening to accompany Baked Stuffed Haddock cooked with sliced summer squash instead of green peppers. So to go with the chicken dish I baked some Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits.

Quasi-Barbecued Spareribs

I bought about 1.2 lb. (545g) of baby back ribs, which should be (and was) enough for two meals.

Ribs, vinegar, rub

First I put a few drops of vinegar on the underside of the ribs. Then I sprinkled them with the rub, which contains brown sugar, mild paprika, salt, and other flavorings.

Underside after treatment.

Then I did the same to the top.

It ended up looking like this.

I let it sit for a while while I prepared the other ingredients.

135g Lundberg Wild Blend® (a mixture of several types of rice and wild rice) and about 1lb. asparagus. Not shown: mushrooms. The Spaten Oktoberfest beer bottle tells you I was doing this no later than October 7, nor earlier than September 22.

The quantity of rice was enough for three servings according to the package. I prepared the rice according to package directions, which called for it to simmer for about 50 minutes — a good length of time when the meat will cook for an hour.

When the rice had begun to cook, I greased my baking dish and put the ribs in it, covered it, and set it in a 350°F oven. Then I snapped the bottoms off the asparagus spears and rinsed the tops, then wiped and sliced the mushrooms. After the ribs had been in the oven for about 30 minutes, I took them out and arranged the mushrooms on the bottom of the baking dish, put the ribs on top of them, and put them back in the oven for another 30 minutes. With about 12 minutes to go for the ribs, I poured boiling water over the asparagus in a pan, covered, and boiled it for those 12 minutes.

Mushrooms placed in baking dish

Ribs on mushrooms, ready for the final 30 minutes.

Dinner (includes about 1/2 of the ribs), with two kinds of barbecue sauce

The Bull's-Eye is sweeter, the Stubbs is more vinegary. From my reading, the vinegary style is more typical of eastern barbecueing (e.g., North Carolina), while the sweeter versions developed in the west (e.g., Texas). Sometimes I use one, sometimes the other. The Stubbs seems hotter.

Close up of the plate

Close up of the sauces

I like to eat some morsels of the meat without sauce, and I don't drench the remainder in sauce, either; but I cover it lightly.

Close up of the asparagus

After dinner

I can get most of the meat and connective tissue off the bones with knife and fork, but there is some good stuff at the joint end that requires picking up the bone and gnawing. Fortunately, chewing meat off ribs is etiquetically (made up word) acceptable.

Of course you can cook the ribs with other vegetables. I might use onions, leeks, carrots, or green peppers. If I put enough in with the ribs, I might not have another vegetable on the side, just the starch, which could be boiled corn (what you call maize) on the cob, or if I don't start rice in time and don't have corn (which also takes about 12 minutes) maybe toast.

Steamed Salmon

Steamed salmon with peas was the traditional dinner for the 4th of July, and that's how I continue to have it most often, despite considering a grilled miso glazed salmon filet at Scollay Square the "best. salmon. ever." I suspect it became traditional hereabouts because both were seasonally available (with most vegetables ripening later in the summer).

It is frequently cooked with dill, and I do that, but, influenced by my method for white fish (such as haddock) I've taken to rubbing it with vinegar and sprinkling with Old Bay Seasoning in addition to the dill, and covering with bread crumbs to absorb juices that exude during coking.

Last Friday, I had some swiss chard, so I decided to have that instead of peas (very daring!) and decided to use tri-color rotini for the starch instead of rice. I then decided to use store-bought alfredo sauce on the pasta and use the swiss chard as a bed for it.

Swiss chard

I rinse it, cut out the central ribs, and divide the leaves into two sections.

Ingredients. Missing from picture: vinegar, bread crumbs, alfredo sauce

The olive oil is there because as it put the chard in the colander, I drizzle it lightly with the oil about halfway through and again at the end.

Salmon sprinkled with Old Bay and dill

You can see a bit of gray along one side of the salmon. That's the skin. Haddock, cod, and other white fish are sold as fillets with the skin already removed. Not so the salmon and several other varieties of fish. The market will skin it on request, but I prefer to have the skin left on because I don't want to lose any of the oil that is abundant in some of the flesh that is next to the skin. When I eat it, it separates easily, and I get all the healthful oil.

Salmon sprinkled with bread crumbs, in steamer

You cant see it in this picture, but this steamer insert has holes in the bottom to allow the steam to come through from the pot in which it sits.

I grease the steamer with Crisco so the skin won't stick to it after cooking.

Dinner

You can see a bit of the swiss chard peeking out from under the rotini and alfredo sauce. I always add a bit more dill at the end or a couple of minutes earlier

This was not a completely successful effort. For one thing, the salmon always leaves some liquid on the plate, and the rotini doesn't work as well as rice to pick it up. Worse still, the salmon was undercooked. It was a somewhat bigger piece than usual so it may have needed a couple of minutes more cooking, and perhaps I had allowed it to block the holes in the steamer. But properly cooked, I enjoy it.

Click pics to enlarge.

Chicken Baked in Sauce with Vegetables

This is fairly flexible. Basically pieces of chicken are seasoned and baked in a covered dish for one hour at 350°F with chopped vegetables and a sauce made with one can of condensed soup and 1/2 can of milk.

Tuesday evening here's what I did.

Four boneless chicken thighs, pepper, Bell's Poultry Seasoning, mild paprika

I unrolled the thighs so they'd cook better and seasoned them on both sides. Sometimes I get thighs with the bones, and sometimes with the skin too. I use chicken thighs because I prefer the taste and texture of thigh meat, but you can certainly use breast meat if you prefer. It isn't easy to find the right quantity for one serving in the market, so I generally get enough for two meals. (For my appetite, I like about 8-10 oz./225-275g.)

This was the first time I used Bell's Poultry Seasoning. Previously I've used tarragon, thyme, rosemary, or other herbs.

Mushrooms, Beau Monde Seasoning, condensed cream of mushroom soup, hot paprika

Usually I combine the soup with whatever spices come to mind. Then I heat it and stir in 1/2 can of milk. This time, the milk smelled a little sour, so I used half and half instead. Sometimes I use cream of celery (with dill) or cream of asparagus (with marjoram); I've also used cream of shrimp (with chervil) and tomato(with basil), and I'm thinking of trying a condensed cheese soup. Often I add a few drops of Tabasco sauce.

Chopped carrots and celery

I chopped enough celery and carrots (and mushrooms) for two meals.

Seasoned chicken in greased baking dish

I put it smooth side down to promote cooking by maximizing the area of contact between chicken and baking dish.

Chopped vegetables sprinkled over the chicken

Often there are gaps between the chicken pieces. The chopped veggies help fill in the gaps so the sauce will cover the chicken so it stays moist.

Sauce spread over all — ready to cover and bake

I make sure there are no holes, or gaps between the sauce and the sides of the dish. As it heats, it flows down. Beau Monde sprinkled on top because I forgot to stir it in while I was heating the sauce.

Finished, bubbly

Plated, with rice pilaf — sauce on pilaf as well

The remaining half will be my dinner when I get home from symphony this evening. I've finished the rice, so tonight I think I'll put it on rotini or toast points.

This method also works with pork. Use whatever seasonings, herbs, and spices you feel like.

Veal Marsala

I've continued to eat since having the baked stuffed haddock almost three weeks ago. In fact, if the truth were known, I've had baked stuffed haddock at least once more, but with the usual summer squash. Last Sunday, however, I decided to have veal marsala. Veal is not the cheapest meat, and my brother doesn't eat mushrooms, so I have it only infrequently.

Veal marsala is actually one of the simplest things in my repertoire of things I do without a cookbook: season veal on both sides with salt and pepper and coat with flour; brown veal in oil in a skillet (3-5 min. per side); add butter to skillet; add marsala (not to cover the veal); add mushrooms; cover, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes; turn veal; simmer covered another 10 muinutes. Done.

You could also substitute chicken (breast or "tenders"), turkey or pork for the veal. Even beef or lamb might work, but their flavor is not so delicate, so I'm not sure. The main thing is to have moderately thin pieces of meat.

Here's what it looks like.

Veal, on a piece of wax paper sprinkled first with flour, then pepper, then a little salt.

Next I season the top and sprinkle with flour. Often, as this time, I also use mild paprika and Beau Monde Seasoning. Then I slide it around, on both sides, to distribute the flour evenly.

Veal, seasoned and floured, ready to brown.

Mushrooms, first wiped with a damp paper towel, then cut up. You can slice them any way and size you want.

Veal browning on one side, then the other.

You'll notice that they have contracted as they browned. It makes sense to have them cover the bottom of the pan when you start (or even go somewhat up the sides) so that you will not need too much liquid to cover the bottom for the mushrooms.

Butter, marsala, and mushrooms added.

Veal and rice pilaf

Sauce poured over veal and part of the rice. Peas. Ready to eat, accompanied by a glass of Egri Bikavér.

For this meal I had about 1/2 lb./220g of veal and 3 1/2 oz./100g of mushrooms. I added about 2 tbs./30g of butter. I didn't measure the marsala, just eyeballed it, but I guess it was over 1/2 cup but not more than a cup (125-250 ml). As on other occasions I used 1/3 of the rice pilaf from a package, and I cooked 91-92g of frozen peas (just over 3 oz.).

Usually I find that the liquid reduces to a very nice sauce during the simmering. Occasionally it is too dry, and I have to add some water to get a good consistency. This time it was too thin, so after I removed the veal, I boiled it, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes until it had thickened. If you haven't made sauces before, one thing to have in mind is that they become a bit thicker as they cool, so there's a bit of guesswork involved. but as long as it's something you can spoon over the veal, it's okay.

Also, you can season it as much or as little as you want and add herbs like chervil or parley to taste. I'm tempted to use hot paprika at times, but I generally resist that, because it's best when the flavors of the mushrooms, marsala, and veal aren't overpowered by pepper of other hot spices.

I'm afraid I may have made it sound more complicated than it is, but it's really simple. Season and flour the veal. Brown it. Add butter, marsala, and mushrooms. Simmer, covered for 20 min., turning the veal halfway through. Everything else I've said is window dressing.

Enjoy!

A Night at the Theater & Miscellany

A Night at the Theater.
A week ago I went into Boston to attend the world premiere performance of Paris Commune by The Civilians at Arts Emerson.

Guy on the Subway.  On my way into the city, I noticed a guy on the platform with a shirt that was open down the side from the armpit to the bottom seam. When we got on  the train, he was seated opposite some friends at the far end of the car. After a few minutes, I noticed that the way the shirt was hanging, his small left nipple was exposed, along with an expanse of hairless chest above and below. I tried to avoid staring, but it was definitely an attractive sight.

The Play.  Arts Emerson had e-mailed some information about the Commune and about the play, so I arrived with some basic knowledge of what it was all about. But the show certainly added a lot. It was framed with references to a free concert that took place in the Tuileries Palace in May, 1871, on what happened to be the last night before the government troops began to retake the city. The fighting lasted a week, during which thousands of people were killed (including the Archbishop of Paris and several dozen priests killed by the Communards), and the Palace was one of many buildings that were burned down.

A couple of members of the governing council of the Commune were popular songwriters, and some of their songs were included. One of them wrote the words to "The Internationale," and it was included when the sow returned to the concert at the end — although an actor pointed out that it was not actually sung on that occasion. It was written some weeks later, and the tune was written later still.

All in all, it was an interesting evening — informative and thought-provoking. I wonder if the writers and actors were aware of the ironies at some points in the script as they pointed to the Russian, Chinese, and Cuban revolutions as successors to the Commune and also to the Tiananmen Square uprising as another successor, or when they spoke of East Germany's issuing a commemorative postage stamp on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Commune.


Miscellany.

Europe Does not Believe in Washcloths.  While I was traveling in Germany and France a couple of months ago, all three of the hotels I stayed in provided two bath towels, two hand towels, and a bath mat, but no washcloth. Apparently the Europeans just use their hands to wash themselves in the shower. It's tolerable, but a washcloth makes it easier to reach all areas of ones back, does a better job of scrubbing, and produces better suds. Here's an item where the Europeans are definitely lagging behind us Americans (or at least the hoteliers are).

More Cooking.  Last night I added a small roma tomato to my baked stuffed haddock (using my normal summer squash and mushrooms as well). Of course, I sprinkled dried basil on the tomato. The result was good, but not so much better than usual that I'd always want tomato as part of it.

BTW, one reason I like using bread crumbs is that the fish exudes some liquid as it cooks, and the crumbs absorb at least some of it. I've even begun to sprinkle some on salmon when I steam it, for the same reason — why let the salmon liquid drain into the water?

Change of Seasons.  Although last night was warm enough for me to enjoy some nude time on the back porch at about 2:00 a.m., I'm afraid summer is gone, and warm days and evenings are a bonus, rather than an expectation, until next year. Some trees are showing patches of red, orange, and yellow. Temperatures are generally 10°F cooler than at the beginning of the month. And the sailboat racing season is over, and the theater/concert season has begun (see above; also tonight I'll got to my first symphony concert of this season).

Although autumn has its own beauty, I prefer summer. I find the greens of summer even more beautiful than the colors of fall. I find the warmer weather more pleasant that the cool (and better for being naked). I like the color of light light as modified by the green trees, especially as the sun shines through them and then we have the late twilight and nightfall after the long days. And the cool days and bright colors of fall are the prelude to the bare trees, short days, and freezing temperatures of winter.

Possible Trip.  I've never been to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I understand it's worth seeing. My calendar is still pretty open from October 23 through 26, and, surprisingly (to me) my cousin is still there. So if I decide I can afford it after my earlier trip and surgery, I might pop up for a look-see. It will probably be chilly, and some seasonal attractions may be closed, but at least I'll get to see the city. OTOH, if I find that all the historic sites are closed, I'll probably hold off until next summer.

Health.  Since I linked my earlier post titled "Health," maybe I should update. The aftermath of the operation has gone very well. My new crown seems to be fine. And my weight seems to have stabilized, so there's apparently nothing to worry about.

Baked Stuffed Haddock

I must thank MartininBroda for inspiring me to blog about my doings in the kitchen, as I did with the spaghetti dinner and am doing now.

As Wednesday evening rolled on past midnight, I prepared a version of my "baked stuffed haddock."

Again I untypically assembled the ingredients before I began. I only forgot a couple for the photo.

Front: canteloupe (appetizer), filet of haddock, crimini mushrooms

Middle: powdered ginger (to sprinkle on canteloupe) Old Bay Seasoning, green bell pepper, olive oil

Back: rice pilaf mix, dried chervil, malt vinegar, dried bread crumbs

Missing: butter, dried oregano.

First I started the rice pilaf. I follow the package recipe fairly closely, but I'm generous with the olive oil, maybe using as much as 2 Tbs. instead of one.

I preheated the oven to 350°F and pt a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in my pyrex baking dish. While that was heating, I halved the pepper and sliced the bigger half lengthwise into ten pieces. I coated them with olive oil, sprinkled them with oregano, put them in the baking dish together with a few pats of butter, and put them back into the oven. (Usually my vegetable for this dinner is a small summer squash, peeled, sliced lengthwise into four quarters, sprinkled with oregano and Beau Monde seasoning, and turned in the dish to coat all sides with oil.)

Pepper slices ready for the oven. Butter has largely melted.

I try to get as close as possible to 10 ounces (0.625 lb.) of fish. This piece was a bit on the heavy side, over 11 oz. (0.7 lb.). First I sprinkle each side with a few drops of vinegar and rub it over the surface with my fingers. Then I sprinkle the inner side with Old Bay and chervil. 

Inner side, seasoned.

Next, I place it, seasoned side down in the melted butter, and season the skin side (skin has been removed at the market). Then I turn it over, trying to be sure all surfaces get coated with butter/oil. Then I sprinkle it with bread crumbs and return the baking dish to the oven, setting a timer for about 16 minutes (depending on the thickness of the filet). I believe cooking it uncovered with the bread crumb topping makes it "baked stuffed."

Ready for the oven.

Next I wipe the mushrooms with a moist paper towel , cut off the stems, and slice them crosswise. That can take me six to eight minutes at the rate I work. I stop the timer, take the fish from the oven, turn the pepper slices over, and put the mushrooms in the dish (cut side up first to butter them, then cut side down). 

Ready to return to the oven, with mushrooms.

Halfway through the remaining time, I stop the timer and flip the mushrooms.

Like this.

Done.

I often sprinkle a bit more chervil over the fish when it's done. Then I plate it, along with about 1/3 of the rice pilaf. (The leftover pilaf yields two servings of about 180g each.) I drizzle the oil/butter and other liquids (fish and mushroom) from the baking dish over the fish and pilaf.

Voilà! Good enough to eat, though I say it myself. I've reassembled the mushrooms this time.

Spaghetti Dinner

Here's what I did in the wee small hours of Wednesday morning.

First I assembled my ingredients for the sauce. (This is not typical. Usually I get a few things and go for others as I need them.)

Front row: crimini mushrooms, two cloves garlic, one onion, one green pepper one pound hamburg.

Second row: 24 oz. (680g) jarred spaghetti sauce. mild paprika, ground pepper, Beau Monde Seasoning (celery and onion flavored salt) dried thyme, 6 oz. (170g) tomato paste

Third row: red wine, olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil

Not pictured: small jar of dried chervil.

The expectation is that this will give me my meat and vegetable course for three meals, which is why I use a whole onion, a whole pepper, so many mushrooms, and a pound of meat. I could use leeks instead of onion, and ground pork or lamb instead of beef (which would lead to using different herbs).

Pepper and onion, sprinkled with oregano, paprika, and beau monde, sauteeing lightly in olive oil.

Next I minced the garlic and added it and let it cook briefly, but not brown. I seasoned the hamburg with thyme, paprika, and chervil.

Veggies pushed aside, hamburg beginning to brown.

I added the mushrooms, chopped and sprinkled with chervil, to the hamburg and continued to cook until the hamburg was all cooked. Then I mixed everything together and added more of the herbs and spices.

The mixture.

Next I added a few tablespoons of wine. Then it was ready for the tomato paste.

The mixture after the tomato paste was added and sprinkled with basil.

Then I added the jarred sauce and more basil, and maybe oregano, thyme, and paprika.

The result.

Now all I needed was a vehicle for the sauce. Sometimes I use rotini; sometimes I use regular thin spaghetti. This time I chose whole grain spaghetti. As always, I cooked 76 grams (about 2 3/4 oz.)

The pasta.

The pasta cooked, drained, and plated.

The pasta covered with sauce. Grated cheese for sprinkling (but I always take a few tastes without the cheese, and I leave an bit without cheese to have at the end)

Dinner!

I had plenty of sauce left over, of course, and I divided it into two portions of 488g (17 1/4 oz.) each. So I'll get two more dinners from it. I'll probably spice one up with hot paprika and the other with curry powder.

Now I have to go and fix some baked stuffed haddock.

As always, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them. You'll get a bit more detail, but you'll also see that they're a bit blurry. I'm not sure if that's because I took them with my iPod or because the light wasn't good enough, or what.