FETTUCCINI WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE 7-31

With the help of friends, we celebrated our 60th pasta dinner tonight. I decided on my version of a Bolognese sauce…of which there are many variations.



INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccini
Celery, chopped
Carrots, sliced
Garlic and onions
Ground beef
Fresh basil and oregano
Olive oil
Butter
Sweet Vermouth
Cream or whole milk
Whole, peeled tomatoes, 28 oz. can
Tomato sauce, 8 oz. can

PROCESS:

In olive oil and butter cook the garlic, onions, and veggies for about 5 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned throughout. Add a splash of sweet vermouth while the meat is cooking. Then add the tomatoes and herbs and simmer for about one hour.

While the pasta is cooking add cream to the sauce, stirring frequently.

Place the pasta in serving bowl and add the sauce.

COMMENTS:

You can substitute pork for all or half of the beef. This is a fantastic sauce that traditionally is served with fettuccini or tagliatelli.

SAUSAGE, ZUCCHINI, MUSHROOMS 7-30

Because of a temporary loss of internet service I'm posting last night's dinner this AM.

End of the week refrigerator check reveals a half a package of loose Italian sausage, mushrooms, and as always, an abundance of zucchini, and so tonight’s dinner quickly became obvious. I abandoned the idea of a pasta salad with chicken and asparagus…saving that for another night.



INGREDIENTS:

Italian sausage with casing removed
White mushrooms, sliced
Zucchini cut in half lengthwise then slice thinly
Garlic, onion
Fresh basil and oregano
Olive oil
Lemon Juice
White wine


PROCESS:

Cook the sausage, remove from pan and set aside. In olive oil cook the garlic and onions until soft, then add the mushrooms, zucchini and fresh herbs, and cook over medium-low heat. After 3-4 minutes add the juice of half a lemon. When the veggies and cooked add the sausage and a splash of white wine, and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Place the cooked linguini in a serving bowl and mix in the sauce.

COMMENTS:

I have a confession to make...I would like cardboard if it were served to me with sausage!

TWO MORE

watercolor...7x8
watercolor with pastel...8x11

I wish I could be as loose with my streetscapes and architecture as I am with these landscapes. I will have to keep working on it.

HAVING FUN WITH WATERCOLORS

I seem to bounce from one work station (medium) to another in the studio, occasionally staying long enough to create a "series" of paintings. The most recent was the series of acrylic landscapes depicting big skies and vanishing horizons.

Currently I find myself involved in a growing series of small watercolors, some portraying specific places and others imaginative landscapes.


Arch in Ferrara...wc...11x7


untitled watercolor...8x10

Street markets in Bologna...wc...11x6

SUMMER SALAD PASTA 7-28

Summer pasta...so many ways to prepare this...so many ingredients to try.



INGREDIENTS:

Grape tomatoes, quartered
Cucumber, peeled and diced
Celery, chopped
Fresh basil, oregano and parsley, chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Mozzarella cut into bite size pieces
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Loose Italian sausage
Black olives, chopped

PROCESS:

Mix the veggies, herbs and garlic in olive oil, add the juice of ½ lemon and set aside.

Cook the sausage, drain, and set aside with the black olives.

Drain the cooked pasta and place in serving bowl, and mix in the salad. The sausage and black olives are mad available to be “sprinkled” over the pasta per individual prefrence.

DISAPPOINTMENT

I have entered enough juried shows to know that the possibility of rejection far outweighs that of acceptance, so when the rejection letter arrives my disappointment is mild…a simple shrug of the shoulders while I mutter “what else is new” to myself.

But the time it was different; I was almost certain that the painting would be accepted. In my five previous entries into the Pastel Society of America’s annual show at least one piece has always been accepted. This was my first entry in 5 years and my hopes were high. I love this painting, considering it one of the best of my best paintings, and could not imagine it not being accepted into the show.

Of course it was not accepted; if it had been I would not be writing about it. I think I was surprised as much as I was disappointed. But the rejection has not dented my feelings about the painting…I am still its biggest fan.



On the way to Nashville...pastel...15x39

CORN-SMOKED SALMON 7-26

Cooking for three tonight...

More fresh corn arrived today!

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta-Campanella
Smoked Salmon
Fresh corn, cooked and removed from the cob
Grape tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Garlic, Shallots
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Sweet Vermouth
Heavy whipping cream
Fresh Thyme, basil, oregano, and sage finely chopped

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots with red pepper flakes is olive oil. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding sweet vermouth and half of the herbs about half way into the process. While the pasta is cooking add the corn and salmon to the pan, followed by the cream, stirring frequently. Add the pasta to the pan and cook for another 1-2 minutes, sprinkle the remaining herbs on the pan and serve.



COMMENTS:

Words cannot do justice to this meal….nuf said.

A PLEDGE FOR POLITICIANS:

For politicians who like to take pledges...no...for ALL politicians

I will not lie or distort facts for political gain.

I will not be part of any hypocrisy, either personally of as a member of any political party.

I will not allow money to influence my legislative activity.

I will always act in the best interest on my country and not my party.

I will always place the interests of my country over my political future.

Do you think anyone will sign this pledge?...I don't either, but it is nice to dream.

TUNA & CUCUMBER PASTA 7-24

This is one of those dishes that are embarrassingly easy to prepare, and the satisfying flavor is inversely proportional to the effort. I’ve made it several times over the past few years…the difference this time is the cucumbers and tomatoes. It was delicious without them, and even better with them.



INGREDIENTS:

Linguine
Tuna in oil
Cucumber…diced
Large grape tomatoes, quartered
Oregano, dill, parsley
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
One Anchovy fillet, finely chopped
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

While the pasta is cooking sauté the garlic, shallots, and anchovy in Olive oil, along with the red pepper flakes. Add the pasta to this sauce and mix in the herbs, cucumber, tomatoes and tuna, and lemon juice, adding more olive oil and pasta water to get the desired consistency.

COMMENTS:

Although any pasta will work with this, P and I prefer Linguine. I urge you to try this, with or without the cucumbers and tomatoes. It has become a staple in our kitchen.

CORN ‘N CRAB WITH SHRIMP 7-23

Tonight I am following up on a suggestion I made 3 days ago…the pasta was served with corn and potatoes in a creamy tomato sauce…and I concluded the post thinking this would be good with crabmeat substituted for the potatoes. So…with 3 ears of fresh sweet corn and half a container of crabmeat still in the fridge the rest came easily.

Crabmeat replaced the tomatoes, shrimp was added to the mix, and the tomato paste was replaced with diced tomatoes with a splash of Sweet Vermouth tossed in.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta…Campanella
Fresh corn, micro-waved and removed from the cob.
Fresh lump crabmeat
Shrimp, raw or cooked
Lemon juice
Diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
Fresh basil, oregano, parsley coarsely chopped
Sweet vermouth
Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and shallots in olive oil, then add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice, and sweet vermouth and cook for 10-15 minutes. Place tomatoes in blender or food processer and puree. Return the tomatoes to the pan and add the corn and crabmeat and cook over low heat. Add the shrimp now if raw.

While the pasta is cooking add the cream and stir intermittently. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.



COMMENTS:

This was great. I liked it better than the corn-potato dish. The corn and crab are a good combo, and I like the way the sweet vermouth adds to the tomato sauce.
Any shaped pasta would work well with this.

DOWNTOWN DINNING III... CLAY DRAWINGS

Three more in this series of clay drawings:


Shandies...the new kid on the block...clay drawing...9x12


Whalers...clay drawing...11x14


Di Fratellis...clay drawing...14x11...I know, there's a little bow her.

Several more are in progress and I'll post them as they're completed.

TOMATO SALAD...pasta...7-22

Next to pasta, this is the most memorable dish from my mother’s kitchen. It was made with tomatoes grown in south Jersey soil in the ‘40s and ‘50s, before they were spoiled by agri-business’ genetic manipulations. The tomatoes from my father’s garden were the crown jewels of summertime; sadly, like so many childhood experiences, I took them for granted.

That was then. Today, despite the decline in flavor, tomato salad remains a favorite summer dish for me. Several years ago I began using it as the “sauce” for pasta (usually Rigatoni). I’ve posted variations of this previously…May 12, and June 20. Tonight’s dish is all about the simple, un-adorned salad, using tomatoes from Graves County that I purchased this morning at the Farmer’s Market.



The real delight in this dish is when the pasta and tomatoes are gone and you are looking at a dish filled with the most delightful juice…waiting for you to sop it up with a piece of thick Italian bread.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh tomatoes…not Roma…cut into bite size pieces
Fresh Basil, oregano
Onion…several thin slices, chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Olive oil
Water
Rigatoni or shell pasta

PROCESS:

1-2 hours before dinner prepare the salad. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, add about 2-3 tablespoons of water, about ¼ cup of olive oil, and the remaining ingredients…mix well, cover, and set aside. Do not refrigerate. (I prefer the tomatoes at room temperature.)



Place the cooked pasta in a bowl, add the tomato salad and mix well. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

COMMENTS:

I cannot be objective regarding this dish…there are too many memories associated with tomato salad…all of them wonderful.

DOWNTOWN DINNING II... CLAY DRAWINGS

Here are 3 more drawings from this series:


Cynthia's...clay drawing...14x11


BBQ & Ice Cream...clay drawing...11x14


Tribeca...clay drawing...11x14

I feel like this combination of clay prints and drawing has so much potential, and I am only scratching the surface (sometimes literally) of it. In the back of my mind, coexisting with so many others, is the idea that I can expand the scope of what I'm doing with this media. Whether or not this comes to be remains to be seen. There certainly are enough subjects available to me.

DRAWING DOWNTOWN DINNING

I thought I would spend a little time with the clay...specifically the clay drawings...focusing on downtown Paducah, choosing the local restaurants for my first set of drawings. I don't know how far I'll go with this series, but it gives me something to do and think about besides pasta, napping, reading, and worrying about everything else. And they are fun to do!

Here are the first three...they all measure 11x14 (or 14x11)


Kirchoff's

C.C. Cohen

Max's Brick Oven

NOTHING INTERFERES WITH A PASTA DINNER 7-20

The day began with quiet hope and anticipation. My spirits were good and I looked forward to having a special dinner waiting for Patience when she returned from work. Around 9 AM I placed a sweet potato in the microwave for Mama Pajama’s dinner, and set it for 5.5 minutes…oops…pushed the wrong button and re-set it. A few minutes later I decided on a quick trip to the Library, put the dogs “away” and headed out.

I was gone no more than 30 minutes, and when I returned I walked into a house full of smoke. I ran to the basement door convinced our ailing sub pump was responsible but there was no smoke there. I let the dogs out…they seemed impervious to the smoke…and ran upstairs…no smoke there, and went back to the dog room realizing this is where it was most intense.

You guessed it…I must have set the microwave for 55 minutes, not 5.5…and when I opened the door I saw a totally charred potato. The microwave burned itself out before any other damage could occur. What a stinking mess!

I opened the doors, set fans in the doorways, turned of the ac and wondered if I could get rid of everything before P came home. I don’t think so. The fans have been running for almost 1 ½ hours and things are much better…but not normal.

Now it would be easy to cancel my dinner plans and order out, given the circumstances, and a lesser man than me might do that...but not me. The tiger in me won’t allow it and pasta will prevail!

Tonight I will be acting on Patience’s suggestion on how to use the corn and the potatoes that are accumulating in our fridge.



INGREDIENTS:

Fresh corn, cooked and removed from the cob
New potatoes, diced into small pieces
Fresh sage, parsley, and thyme
Kohlrabi
Garlic, onions
Heavy cream
Tomato paste
Pancetta
Butter

PROCESS:

Cook the potatoes in olive oil until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain. Cook the garlic, onions, pancetta, and diced kohlrabi in olive oil with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Then add the corn, herbs, and butter and simmer for 5-10 minutes before adding the potatoes. Add the cream while the pasta is cooking. Mix the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and serve.



COMMENTS:

Tonight I used pasta that I have never seen before, and it was perfect for this dish. Like all pasta dishes, there are so many variations that can be explored. How about replacing the potatoes with fresh crabmeat?!

I SUPPOSE IT WAS INEVITABLE

That sooner or later this would happen… I would overcome my resistance and the horizon would disappear. It was not by design. I began the piece with the idea of completing this series of landscapes depicting large dramatic skies that overwhelm the horizon and foreground. With the exception of one painting with a few trees, the landscapes were barren, and the horizon became less distinct with each piece. But it was always there!...until now.


All sky...acrylic...16x40

As always, I completed the sky first, before attempting to define the horizon, but as soon as I finished I knew…There was no way I was going to interrupt the painting with anything else…even a horizon. (I can already hear H.T. saying, “I told you so”.)

Below you can see the transition as it unfold in each subsequent painting:



The lesson here? Never say never!

PASTA-CRAB-CUCUMBER SALAD

This was going to be the night! Tonight I would prepare the crab sauce that has been running around in my head for days…the sauce I thought I would prepare last week only to discover I didn’t have the crabmeat I thought I had. But it was not to be; I came home from the farmer’s market with our box of veggies and discovered 6 ears of sweet corn, and with 4 already in the fridge, I knew I had to use them. The result was a pasta/crab salad fortified with cucumber and served on a bed of lettuce with corn on the side.



INGREDIENTS:

Elbow pasta
Fresh crabmeat
Cucumber, peeled and diced
Celery
Mayonnaise
Lemon juice
Fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley

PROCESS:

Cook the pasta, drain and rinse with cold water, mix in just enough olive oil to keep them from sticking together, and chill.

In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and part of the herbs and cucumbers. In a larger bowl add the mayonnaise mixture and the crabmeat, plus the pasta, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with the corn on the side and tomato for color.

COMMENTS:

Patience advised me to use more crabmeat…but she is from Maryland and there is never enough crabmeat for her.

A great meal for a hot summer day.

VEGGIES, VEGGIES, & MORE VEGGIES 7-18

I have not actually seen it, but I am absolutely convinced that the zucchini, green beans, and other veggies are propagating in our fridge! Every time I think I’ve used them up more appear. It is becoming a challenge to use them without repeating basic recipes. Sometimes the best I can do is to add a new twist to a previous recipe. Tonight’s dish falls somewhere in between.



INGREDIENTS:

Zucchini and yellow squash, diced
Green beans
Broccoli
Fresh basil, oregano, sage and parsley
Garlic
Onion
Lemon juice or zest
White wine
Olive oil
Heavy cream
Mascarpone cheese

PROCESS:

Sauté the zucchini with green onions and garlic in olive oil. Remove and set ½ aside and puree the other half with Parmesan cheese and 2 chopped sage leaves.



Cook the broccoli and green beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime sauté garlic in olive oil, then add the veggies to the pan, along with the un-blended zucchini and the fresh herbs and lemon juice, plus a splash of white wine. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.



While the pasta is cooking in the water used for the veggies, add the pureed zucchini to the pan with the veggies and mix well. Then add butter and cream, stirring constantly. One or two tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese are optional.

PROCESS:

I hereby proclaim this meal an unqualified success! The flavor of the green beans and broccoli remained intact, enhanced by the Mascarpone cheese. I wonder what a dollop of Gorgonzola or Blue cheese would add. Although I don’t pay too much attention to measurements and time, the veggies were just right, still a bit crunchy, but cooked through. I suspect that was accidental, but I’m willing to take credit for it.

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER...

I thought I would linger a while longer in the '80s and early '90s.

Looking at St Michaels on the Chesapeak Bay...12x37...$70

Cape May Hospitality...12x37...$50

Baltimore's Inner Harbor...12x37...$50

Philadelphia's Boat House Row II...12x37...$100

A Farm...10x24...$40

LINGUINE IN CLAM SAUCE…7-16

My original plans called for hand picked crab meat, which I thought I had on hand. To my dismay I was mistaken, and add the last minute I had to subsitute a can of whole baby clams. This was after I had invited Elaine and Keyth for pasta in crab sauce. They were troopers, and the clams worked out quite well.



INGREDIENTS:

Chopped clams
Anchovy fillets…finely chopped
Tomato paste
Garlic, shallots
Fresh thyme, oregano, and parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Lemon zest
White wine
Linguine

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots,3 anchovy fillets, and about 1-2 teaspoons of tomato paste in the olive oil. Add the clams with their juice, lemon zest and juice, and a splash of white wine. along with the chopped herbs.

Place the cooked linguine in a serving bowel, add the sauce and mix well. Drizzle with olive oil and add additional pasta water if needed.

COMMENTS:

Elaine gave this a ten! I cooked one pound of pasta for the 4 of us and there were NO leftovers. I consider this a success!

PASTA DINNER # 50! Pasta/chicken salad 7-15

This has to be some sort of milestone…our 50th consecutive pasta meal at home. Given the Kentucky heat I decided on a cool summer pasta salad with fresh sweet corn on the side.

INGREDIENTS:

Campanelle pasta (little horns)
Chicken breasts…sauteed and cut into bite size pieces
Celery
Fresh basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley…finely chopped
Mayonnaise
Lemon juice
Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
White wine
Olive oil
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Blue berries

PROCESS:

Saute the chicken in olive oil and white wine, cut into small pieces and set aside to cool

In a large bowl mix the olives, chopped herbs, and mayonnaise with the lemon juice. Add the chicken and mix well.

Drain the past and rinse under cold water and place in serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Serve over fresh tomatoes or lettuce or arugula and top with Blue berries or Rasberries.

COMMENTS:

The Kalamata olives and blue berries, which were a last minute addition, primarily for color, compliment one another and create an alluring flavor. This is a great dish for a warm summer night. The fresh sweet corn came from our Amish friends.

BEEN THERE...DONE THAT

From the mid ‘80s into the early ‘90s I published a rather large (53) series of limited edition prints and posters based on my watercolors. These streetscapes, town and cityscapes, and architectural paintings represented cities and towns in eastern U.S. In a moment of nostalgic fervor I decided to photograph my remaining inventory to have for my personal files and to add them to my new website.

The towns and cities represented include: Wilmington, DE, Fenwick Island, DE, New Castle, DE, Odessa, DE, Philadelphia, PA, Annapolis, MD, Baltimore, MD, St. Michaels, MD, Arlington, VA, Williamsburg, VA, Cape May, NJ, Washington, DC, Boston, MA, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, New Port, RI, Atlanta, GA, Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC.

Creating these images from dozens of photographs was both challenging and gratifying, but the real joy was visiting all of these cities and towns, often accompanied by a good friend. Each print holds cherished memories for me.


Newport, RI...12x28...$50.00


Philadelphia Skyline...13x27...$100.00


Stockton Place, Cape May NJ...12x37...$50.00


Victorian Sampler...12x37...$50.00


Summer's End, Martha's Vineyard...10x24...$40.00