Cocktail of the Week: The Letter "M"

             M" Cocktails of the Week:  Malibu Barbie and Mailbu Ken

There are many cocktails that begin with "Malibu:"  Malibu Bay Breeze, Malibu Bomber, Malibu Dreams, Malibu Heaven,  Malibu Sunrise and Sunset, Malibu Surfer...but the one commonality that makes them "Malibu" is coconut rum.  This week I indulged in the cocktails "Malibu Barbie," and one that I invented called "Malibu Ken."

According to one bar jackdaw, bar attendance has dropped across the city dependent on smoking bans in effect.  HE's not a smoker, mind you, but cigars and booze go hand and hand in his opinion.  I also met a lovely couple, together 35 years, that were getting ready to relocate to Delaware.  They had done the suburban thing, raised their family, and now they are going for the next phase of their lives.  Good luck to you both.

Bartender Bill taught me a new little "twist."  You cut the rind off a lemon or lime, and rub the back part of the peel (with the oil essence in it), along the rim of the glass.  A tiny gesture, but it's those little things that make up bar etiquette and niceties.

 

        

Malibu Barbie

1 oz Framboise liqueur (strawberry)
3 tbsp sugar
4 oz coconut rum

Shake with milk and pour into highball glass.

 

 

       

Malibu Ken

1 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
1 oz creme de bananes
1 oz Malibu® coconut rum
fill with pineapple juice

Shake with ice and serve in collins glass

                                          

Potato Saffron Omelette - Guest Blogger: Methy

This recipe comes from a Spanish - Tapas themed party that Methy gave as a fundraiser for Walden.  The Walden School  is a five-week summer music camp and festival with an international reputation for providing creative theoretical training for young musicians, ages 9-18, beginners to advanced.  Miss Methy attended Walden herself as a young prodigy, has taught there, and continues to serve in an administrative capacity for it's support.

 

                         Music Camp and Festival: The Walden School

                                      http://www.waldenschool.org/

                              

                            Potato Saffron Omelette

Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cook Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes     Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped  (see cook's note 1)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 baking potatoes, like russets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (see cook's note 2)
1/4 cup chicken broth
6 large eggs
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet cook onions in 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and cool.

While onions are cooking, peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (see cook's note 3). In a saucepan of boiling salted water cook potatoes until almost tender, about 8 minutes, and drain well in a colander. (see cook's note 4) Cool potatoes and add to onions. Onion and potato mixture may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Crumble saffron threads into a small metal bowl. In a small saucepan heat broth until hot and pour over saffron. Let mixture stand until saffron is softened, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, scallion greens, saffron mixture, and salt and pepper to taste and stir in onion and potato mixture. In skillet set over moderately high heat, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking and add egg mixture, spreading potatoes evenly.Reduce heat to moderate and cook omelette, stirring occasionally, until eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Shift skillet so that 1/4 of omelette is directly over center of burner and cook 1 minute. Shift skillet 3 more times, cooking remaining fourths in same manner. Center skillet and cook omelette over low heat until almost set, about 4 minutes more.

Slide omelette, bottom side down, onto baking sheet and invert omelette back into skillet. Cook other side of omelette until golden, about 4 minutes. Slide omelette onto a platter and cool to room temperature.  (see cook's note 5)

Omelette may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring omelette to room temperature before serving.

Cut omelette into wedges. (see cook's note 6)

Cook's notes:
1. I used about half the onion quantity, approximately 1.5 cups chopped.
2. I used 1/2 teaspoon saffron, measured after crumbling the threads.
3. I sliced the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut the slices in half (or quarters) depending how large the slices were.
4. I brought potatoes to boil for about 1 minute, then removed pot from heat and allowed to sit for 5-6 minutes.  This cooks the potatoes without breaking them.  8 minutes would overcook them.
5. Instead of trying to flip the omelette, I placed the pan under the broiler for a few minutes to cook the top (until golden).  If your pan has a plastic handle just let it protrude from slightly opened oven door.  Allow to cool slightly to set (about 15 minutes) before removing from pan, to avoid breakage.
6. I served the omelette with creme fraiche.  If you can't find it pre-bought, you can make it by combining 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 Tbsp. of buttermilk in a glass jar.  Shake well, then remove lid and keep jar in warm place for 12-24 hours (room temp is fine... just don't put it near an air conditioning vent.  You can also put it in the oven with the light on).  Replace lid, shake well, then refrigerate.  Creme Fraiche is similar to sour cream, except it can be warmed (even boiled) without curdling.  It's delicious!

            

                                      Potato Saffron Omelette

 

 

*Thank you T-Square for taking the photograph

Guest Blogger: Methy - Roasted Prawns With Romesco Sauce

           

                         Oven-Roasted Prawns with Romesco Sauce

 

Methy has returned to guest blog with one of her wonderful recipes from an event she catered in Chevy Chase, Maryland:

 

                        Oven-Roasted Prawns with Romesco Sauce

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes     Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings    

Ingredients
3 tomatoes, halved
10 garlic cloves  (see cook's note 1)
2 slices crusty bread
1/2 cup whole almonds, with skin
1/2 cup hazelnuts or pine nuts (see cook's note 2)
1 pimento or roasted red pepper (see cook's note 3)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds prawns, shelled, tails removed, heads on (see cook's note 4)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  (see cook's note 5)

Arrange the tomato, garlic, bread, and nuts on a baking sheet; roast for 10 to 15 minutes.  (see cook's note 6)

Transfer to a food processor and pulse to roughly break up.  (see cook's note 7) Add the pimentos, vinegar, oil, and paprika. Pulse again until well combined, add salt. This sauce is best if allowed to rest so the flavors can meld (may be made a day in advance).

(see cook's note 8)  Heat oil to almost smoking in a large skillet or roasting pan.  Toss the prawns in half the romesco sauce to coat, and pan sear the shrimp quickly in the oil just until barely opaque. Then roast for 10 to 12 minutes in a 450 degree F oven. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Cooks notes:
1.  I reduced garlic to 7-8 medium-large cloves
2.  I used the pine nuts.
3.  I used jarred chopped pimento, about 1/3 of a 4 oz jar, drained
4.  I used 2.5 lbs of shrimp, 13-15 count (per pound), salt water (freshwater shrimp has a more chewy texture)
5.  I heated oven to only 400F
6.  Pine nuts only required 5-6 minutes to toast.  They burn quickly, so keep them separate and keep an eye on them.  Hazelnuts can toast longer.
7.  The bread crisps up alot.  You may have to break it/cut it into smaller pieces to give your food processor a break.  Also, cut the tomato halves into 2 or 3 pieces.
8.  Bring romesco sauce to room temperature if you want to speed up the cooking process.

Final note: this recipe makes a LOT of sauce, more than is needed for dipping the shrimp.  But the sauce would be good on pasta, as a dip for bread, a variety of things.  It's worth having the extra.

*Thanks to T-Square for taking the photograph.

I Am A Camera

We all have those "I wish I had a camera" moments.  This past week I've wanted my camera handy three times and missed out:

1)  I had just finished receiving a manicure and am putting in my requisite  "dry time," when the power blows out in the salon.  Two women to my left, receiving pedicures, are so determined to have their tootsies polished (and the manicurists are determined not to lose the money,) so the clients are sitting in pedicure chairs, leaning over holding candles down by their feet so the manicurists can see to work.  It looked like a Dutch painting gone haywire.

         

 

2)  On one of our blistering hot days, I go into a shop, and the cashier is working in a spaghetti strapped tee (no bra), flip flops, and men's boxer briefs...YES.  UNDERWEAR.  For all the complaining Washingtonian's do about flip flops as footwear, they haven't even begun to tackle the issue of wearing men's boxer's to work.

                                 

 

3)  I am sitting as the lead car at a red light, and a Buddish monk crosses the light in front of me, wearing burgundy and saffron robes, shaved head, and sandals.  Is that good luck?  The antithesis of the black cat? 

             Do monks call their sandals "mandals," or "mandalas?"

Briefs Of Belief

              

                                                 Surrender Dorothy

As you approach the Mormon Temple on the Beltway, and witness it's Oz-like spires, many remember when there used to be graffiti on the overpass that proceeds it that said "Surrender Dorothy." 

Many of the mysteries contained therein are hidden from the general public (including a rumored "Heaven Room,") but one thing that is fairly common knowledge is the fact that Mormons who have been through the "Endowment Ritual" wear unique undergarments with Masonic markings which are always required as Mormons believe that this protects them from physical harm and from Satan.

                  Online Catalog - Endowed Members (For Members Only)

              

                         Foundations of the Church...for the endowed.

 But what about other faiths?  What about...Baptists?  Last night, a friend brought to my attention, a satirical website put together by two misfits kicked out of Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and she asked me to note the Jesus thongs which I am sharing with you now.

Landover Baptist Store | Gifts for the Hellbound : CafePress.com

Click on this link for thongs of praise:

Abstinence Thongs : The Landover Baptist Store : CafePress.com

                      

                          So....What's under YOUR jumpsuit????

                             

 

*** Curtsey and many thanks to pal AZ for alerting me of this novelty and planting the blog seed.

Where Can I Get A Bucket To Kick?

 

 

 

I've been asked to write an obituary this weekend, where I have to meet with the individual late Saturday afternoon and hash out a memorial tribute to their life.  Call it a pre-need arrangement.  I don't want to do it, but how on earth do I get out of something like this, other than leaving the earth myself?  "Gee...I'd really love to help you, but $4 Happy Hour awaits?" 

I know in the Washington Post the first thing listed under the name of the deceased is their occupation, regardless of how long ago it was that they held the position.  Personally, I hate this practice, and I wish the Post would drop it.  I've often thought people should cite things like "Drove Wife Crazy," or "Golf Handicap:  Broke 80," or "Size 16EE Shoe," or "Free Farter."  What do they do in the rural Midwest?  "Cletis Robleski:  Pig Farmer?"

The person I have to write this for hasn't treated me well in recent years, and I find it bizzare that I am given this request.  I know I will do the proper thing, and I will go over their life with them, and I will let them dictate the flow of the eulogy as I write and edit.  I won't put down what I'm thinking, or feeling, but I wish that this weekend I could rest in peace.

 

                        

How About A Little Plinko?

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED OR NEUTERED

Movie Review: Hustle and Flow

As I was buying tickets for the weekend opening of Hustle and Flow, an elderly couple were debating an alternate choice to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that wasn't starting until much later.  The wife asked me what Hustle and Flow was about, and I said "A pimp who wants to be a rapper."  She made a tiny moué with her mouth and turned away from me.  They wound up getting tickets for The Wedding Crashers, but they might have liked Hustle and Flow, who knows.  To quote from the movie "Everybody got to have a dream,"...even ole peeps.

Set in the wrong end of Memphis, this movie has that same plucky American spirit as Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland movies.  True it's about a pimp and his ho's, but he's got hope and a dream, and he knows he can express it through music and succeed, if only he can connect.  To that end, DJay, played by Terrence Dashon Howard (that I last saw in Crash), seeks to find the right source to promote himself.  As he puts it, if he can pimp a whore into another man's car, he can pimp his music into the right hands.  Howard continues to amaze with his range, and he has a strong ensemble of supporting cast, including Ludacris (who also was in Crash with him) as well as local girl Taraji Henson (as Shug) who gives a stunning performance as Djay's pregnant prostitute/bottom woman.  It's Shug who lays down the "hook" for Djay's song, and to see the emotions play across Henson's face as she realizes her value and what she's accomplished is some top notch acting on her part.

I was hoping for a more interactive Saturday night crowd, since the theatre was packed, but it was not to be.  I couldn't help but remember the crowds at the midnight shows at the Ontario Theatre in Adams Morgan where the audience would be yelling at the action on the screen, rolling beer cans down the aisle and impromptu break dancing demonstrations between films.  Too bad I didn't run into the older couple when I left the theatre, so I could have told them how much I enjoyed it and how many true notes it sounded about life.  To quote from the film again, "Is a pig's pussy pork?"

Guest Bloggers: T-Square and K of Kapitol Hill

                            RFK Stadium, Thursday night - 07/21/05

               The Washington Nationals vs The Houston Astros 

 

We have our tickets for the Nationals and are pretty excited about the game.     

             

 If you have ever climbed up the steps to the pyramids at Teotihuacan, Mexico you will understand how steep the steps were to our seats were and what the view was like. We were so high up that we were getting a breeze though the infield and better seats were not.  

            

During a break in the action field workers came out with their HUGE flea-combs to makeover the infield. In Mexico's bullrings they used these combs to cover up the blood from the previous match so the upcoming bull wouldn't get the scent. All play stops as player and umpire look on.  

               

Thursday night was special because it was "Umbrella Night" - anyone attending the game received a Washington Nationals' Umbrella courtesy of PNC bank...KGG uses her new natty umbrella and checks to see if there could be precipitation today!  

              

By the way, The Nationals lost to the Astros by a score of 3 - 2   I have to say that it was a good night for baseball despite the loss. Plenty of action off and on the field...AND we got new umbrellas!!!

 

K (the female perspective):   The Nationals looked crisp and spiffy in their bright white and red uniforms.  The Houston Astros' uniforms were a dreary grey-taupe, and looked muddy by contrast.  Some serious rethinking should be going on back in Texas about their color palette.   One quibble about the Nats outfits, and it applies to most baseball uniforms:  when using contrasting color, really USE it!  The baseball field is one really big stage, and small gestures simply won't do.  So:   * Nationals: you need to use a much broader red stripe on the sides and a wider red collar contrast!

We saw a stunning red baseball-player-style jersey in the gift store of the stadium:  only $105.  Such a deal.

Another quibble about the stadium: a little bitty airline-size bottle of Chardonnay: $7...AND there is only one place on the first floor to buy it.  I guess this is not a Chardonnay crowd. 
 

Cocktail Of The Week: The Letter "L"

                       Little Bastard and La Bomba Cocktails

 

Cocktail week and the choices were Little Bastard and La Bomba.  My friendly little bartender told me about a lethal drink called Liquid Cocaine, but I knew I would be on my keester if I even tried to drink it.

Liquid Cocaine  (feeling brave?)

1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1/2 oz Goldschlager® cinnamon schnapps
1/2 oz Jagermeister® herbal liqueur

La Bomba

1 1/4 oz gold tequila
3/4 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz orange juice
2 dashes grenadine syrup

Shake all ingredients (except grenadine) with ice 3 times. Pour into sugar rimmed cocktail glass. Add grenadine and garnish with a lime wheel.

Little Bastard  

1 oz Bacardi® white rum
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz pineapple juice
4 oz 7-Up® soda

Shake ingredients together with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini glass filled with ice cubes.

                                                   Little Bastard         

 

                                                               La Bomba      

 

Anything after this was Appletini time...

AMENDMENT:  Thanks to man about town, "Hefe," I was reminded that Little Bastard was also the name of a song by the Ass Ponys.

 

String Beans Redux

 

                                   

                                          JUST SAY NO !!!

 

Memoof:  To Cubic's Friends

Re:  Garden Surplus

Dear Friends: 

 NO MORE EXTRA VEGETABLES FROM YOUR GARDEN....EVER. 

Yesterday, I had green beans for lunch, and green beans again at dinner, and I was sick last night (so much for healthy eating), and I've been off since then.  Today was one long water purge to cleanse out my system.  Naturally, I went out for cocktails later to detoxify and nourish my intestinal tract.  Look...it's MY theory, ok?  Alcohol is one of the tiers in the revised food pyramid, isn't it?  I managed to pull it together for happy hour (which I will write about shortly), and now I'm back to drinking huge glasses of ice water and feeling fine as frog hair.

Postscript:  All of that stuff you gave me?  I tossed it.  Out.  Gone. ....but thanks for thinking of me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flip, Flop And Fly

I wasn't even going to address this minor flap over a women's lacrosse team wearing flip flops in the White House.  Obviously they are ignorant and totally lacking in any knowledge of protocol.  When a friend in San Francisco asked me yesterday if I had heard about it, I said "Yes, and I blame the parents for not educating their daughters in knowing the proper way to dress for formal occasions."  She then told me the girls had been on the Today show with their mothers, and some of the mothers backed their daughter's decision.  I rest my case.

 

                            How Do We Look?   Answer:  "Bleh."

Last night I had the television on briefly and Breakfast at Tiffany's was just about to begin.  I knew I didn't have the time, but I thought "I'll just watch the first 15-20 minutes of it."  Made in 1961, during the era of Kennedy style, the film opens with Audrey Hepburn exiting a cab at 727 Fifth Avenue in the early hours, wearing a Givenchy evening gown with elaborate pearls, a tiara, and a white bag that holds a Danish pastry and a paper cup of coffee.  She takes a nibble of the Danish, a sip of the coffee and tosses them, then she wanders over to the display windows at Tiffany to peruse the jewels.  A study in street versus penthouse.             

           

  Slightly further into the film when her new neighbor (played by George Peppard) meets her, Holly is in a flurry to get ready to go visit mafia chief "Sally Tomato" at Sing Sing prison.  She is scrounging around for her shoes (alligator) and throws on a simple black dress, oversized black hat with beige chiffon scarf, huge black sunglasses.  The entire assembly is meant to portray thrown together, but when she turns to "Fred" and says "How do I look?" the collective audience always thinks "you look...amazing."

 

So I was thinking about Holly Golightly casually throwing together her look, wearing her alligator shoes to Sing Sing and the flip flop girls who can't even put together proper footwear to enter the White House.  I suppose it fits the times when you have a President who wears a cowboy buckle that says "President."

 

        

                 How Do I Look?  Answer:  You look...amazing

 

What's Up With Mary Worth?

           

Well Hung Meat

            

                                           Well Hung Meat

 

                          ...somewhere in D.C....a local sub shop.

Oh Thank You. I Love String Beans.

This past week, I have been absolutely buried in gifts from people's gardens.  It started on Friday when a coworker gave me seven pounds of string beans from his summer garden.  "Why, thank you.  I love string beans."  I spent Sunday evening snapping, then steaming them.  While I was snapping away it reminded me of how I would perform this chore for my mother since string beans were one of the first foods I was allowed to help with in the food preparation for family dinners. 

My family always had a garden, so I got in on the ground floor with this nature's bounty thing.  I would help my mother make strawberry jam in the late spring, and then in the summer we would shift to pickles (ice box, bread and butter, dill and okra),  and can tomatoes and string beans (AGAIN with the beans!),  and later in the summer and fall we would  make jams and jellies from the grape vine we had, and we would freeze peaches we'd pick from an orchard out in Maryland and corn would be shucked and frozen, and in the fall we would shell pecans and black walnuts for Christmas cooking.  If you don't know, black walnuts in their protective shell will stain your hands dark brown if you aren't careful, and they have the same effect (only worse) of henna. 

There was a lot for a child to learn in terms of what to pick and when, and having to stand in a kitchen on a hot summer day surrounded by boiling pickle spices is no treat.   We would go to apple orchards in Winchester, Virginia and bring home bushels of apples to make applesauce and apple butter...and all sorts of things.  I can remember my mother talking about what a treat it was to thaw frozen peaches and leave a little ice on them to have in the dead of winter.  For her, that was a greater luxury than caviar.   I know this sounds very "Little House on the Prairie," especially given that I was raised in the city, but this was something my mother had done with her mother, and it was passed down to me. 

  Today my brother asked me to visit him in the countryside outside of D.C., and I hauled home two bags full of lettuce, squash, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and yes (heavy sigh), MORE string beans.  I was given enough yellow squash to feed me for the next month, so it's either toss it, or go back over a steaming stove and then freeze it. I realize people love the whole principle of having fresh vegetables from their garden during the summer, but I think they forget a lot of it starts coming in at the same time, hence the overload.  It turns into garden refuse and "who can we dump this on."  The bounty becomes the burden.

My brother had pleaded and cajoled for me to drive out to teach him pointers on how to sell on eBay.  How little did I know the dreaded string bean lurked.  If you start seeing bags full of vegetables scattered around the city, you'll know I've been there.  I will Borf* this town with beans.  My tag?  "String Bean."

                    

                   Don't even THINK of giving me any more of these.

 

*For my out-of-town readers, Borf is a local teen who was arrested recently for smearing the city with his graffiti.

DCist: Who is BORF?

Guest Blogger: Methy

Per her fans' request, here is the recipe for Methy's party olives.                                     

                                          Methy's Party Olives

 

Lemon-vermouth green olives

Combine 3 Tbsp dry vermouth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tsp lemon zest, and 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.  Rinse 1 cup of spanish green olives (plain, or stuffed) and pat dry.  Add olives to the marinade and toss well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Serve at room temperature.

Olives with Herbs de Provence

Rinse and drain 2 cups of Nicoise or Kalamata olives.  Mix 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 5 teaspoons Herbs de Provence*, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil, and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint.  Layer olives and marinade in wide neck jar.  Add additional olive oil to cover, seal, and marinate in fridge for at least one week.    Serve at room temperature.

[*To make your own Herbs de Provence, combine 1 teaspoon each of thyme, rosemary, oregano, fennel seed, and marjoram.]

 

              

Guest Blogger: Methy

[My dear friend (blog name) Methy is a wonderfully creative cook and party giver.  This years she  once again provided the catering for the Walden School's summer fundraiser, hosted at a friend's home in the Bolton Hill neighborhood of Baltimore last month.  I'm always amazed that she creates these wonderfully thematic culinary combinations and events, yet in real life she has SUCH serious work  :/  ]  

 

                               Methy's Evening In An Italian Garden  

                          

 

  The culinary theme for the 5th annual event:  "An evening in the Italian garden - an antipasto menu".  The delectables included the following passed hors d'oeuvres...

Summer vegetables on grilled polenta... triangles of tender-crisp polenta topped with grilled eggplant, red bell pepper, squash, and fresh tomato dressed lightly with a balsamic vinaigrette

Fried calamari with ancho chile remoulade sauce... cornmeal-crusted calamari served with remoulade spiked with finely minced poblano chilies, capers, celery,onion and cornichons

Grilled Caesar "bruschetta" with artichoke mousse.... diced grilled romaine, anchovy oil drizzle, and shaved parmesan with a puree of grilled lemon-marinated artichoke hearts, atop bruschetta toasts

Italian style shrimp toasts...wedges of bread stuffed with shrimp, parmesan, parsley and thyme,  and fried golden brown, served with roasted red pepper sauce

Sausage puff pastry pizzettas... baked squares of pastry topped with pesto sauce, sundried tomato, crumbled Italian sausage, caramelized onion, and black olives

Mom's Italian meatballs....  authentic Italian meatballs with homemade Italian tomato sauce

Chicken marsala kebabs.... marsala-marinated chicken strips and mushrooms with creamy marsala sauce

Insalata Caprese skewers.... cherry tomatoes, basil and mozzarella dressed with olive oil, parsely and chives

Now, what would an antipasto party be without olives?  So we served two types:  herbs de provence marinated nicoise olives, and lemon-vermouth marinated green olives.  Rounding out the savory selection was a light and delicious tuna mousse -- spuma di tonno -- served with crackers and crudite.

For dessert, there was homemade, chocolate-dipped mini cannoli, and pear-almond turnovers -- a puree of pear, bourbon, butter and almonds encased in crispy phyllo wedges.

The fundraiser was a smashing success, with many guests expressing eagerness and suspense for next year's menu!  

 

 

 The Ten Tenors : One Is Not Enough : 'Italian Medley'

Guest Blogger: Methy

                                   Methy's New Click and Slap  Shoes*

* A huge thanks to Stare for naming slides and mules "click and slap"

To quote Stare, "They go with the bitch pants and the tops you tie at the waist like some kind of 1950's Married to the Mob wife."

        

            

 

           

 

She's got the cute pants, the cute tops, the cute shoes...now where can she go to get into some trouble?

Stare Question:  "What's that handkerchief in one shoe?  Is that for fetishists?"

Cube:  Stare!  It's tissue paper tucked in to show detail!"

Dido : Life for Rent : 'Sand in My Shoes'

 

Guest Blogger: Lori

                      

 

                         Baltimore: For Non-Baltimorons

 

 

I was born in Baltimore City, hon. I grew up down in Dundalk, a small section of Baltimore County where the hair is high, the gum chewing is loud, and becoming a good bowler is considered a lifetime pursuit.

 

 I could “pick” an entire steamed crab by myself at age 5 and I grew up delivering “Natty Bohs” to my Dad, but not before I had sucked down half the can of beer before he ever touched it.

 

 

                         

 

 

Because of all of this, I feel I am somewhat of an authority on a few of the idiosyncrasies of my hometown, but certainly not all of them. If my knowledge can help you in  any way to enjoy Baltimore more (or at least annoy my fellow citizens less) then feel free to use it. If none of it helps you or even makes sense, well you’re just not a Baltimoron.

 

To start, I fully expect to get blasted up one side and down the other for my use of the term “Baltimoron” instead of the more politically correct “Baltimorean”. I will start by explaining…

 

Baltimorons like nothing better than to destroy words. We will literally take letters and/or syllables from some words and add them to others. The best examples I can give of this addition/subtraction process are the names of our two cities: Baltimore and Washington.

 

Enough press has already been given to the habit we have of pronouncing Baltimore as “Bawlmer” or “Balmer”. I don’t know many people who have trouble saying “ti”. People who live in other parts of Maryland seem to have no trouble with it. Yet my fellow morons seem completely incapable.

 

On the other hand we add a letter to Washington. In Balmer the word Washington is frequently pronounced “Warshington.” There’s no R in Washington. I was actually surprised during my childhood when I learned how to spell the word and found out there was no R there.

 

The bonus R doesn’t just apply to DC. We add that R to any cleaning we have to do as well.

 

“Going out to warsh the car before it gets too hot outside.”

 

 “Did you warsh behind your ears?”

           

I trust you understand what I’m trying to say here.  To that end, I can justify my use of the word “Baltimoron” instead of the more common Baltimorean because it has fewer syllables. I’m almost positive they’ll turn up somewhere else.

 

 

            

                                         Charm City, Hon

 

 

(not written by Washington Cube)

Chinatown My Chinatown

I wrote out some memories of Washington's Chinatown on another blogger's site, and I thought, "Well, during these sweltering summer days, I may as well add it to mine while I think about what I want to write about next."  I'm still debating telling stories about Capitol Hill, and given the high drama of the cast of characters and events, I need to weigh the danger of saying too much on that score.

There was a restaurant in Chinatown called The Ruby.  It may still be there, but I am writing of the era when the owner remained  enthroned on H Street.  There really was a Ruby, and she always sat in the back and oversaw everything, like the Dowager Empress. She had this look on her face that perpetually glared back at you.  I half expected her to open her mouth and see a giant black pearl wedged between her teeth.  At that time, there was a small parking lot next to the building (with an attendant), and Ruby's Cadillac with personalized "Ruby" plates was always there. One nice thing about Ruby's was that it had incredibly late hours; practically all night, and if you hit there at say 3 a.m. you would see the pimps bringing in their stable of "ladies" for their evening meal. I remember the first time I witnessed this tableau, my eyes were as big as saucers while I watched the women arguing over who was ordering what, sitting there in postage stamp sized clothing just before dawn.

My friends and I mainly went to Ruby's as an after hours place, but it also had wonderful food, and may have been the first restaurant (to my knowledge) that ever served dim sum in this city. To this day, I still think they made the best hot and sour soup I've ever had.  It is so hard to find the proper balance in the vinegary sour and the heat of the peppers, and every version I've had since then leans too heavily on one or the other.  They also had this one dim sum that I've never seen anywhere else.   It consisted of a steamed squared, slice of green bell pepper topped with a shrimp puree and a shitake mushroom cap.  It was very simple, but labor intensive.  There was also a pink cocktail that had danger written all over it's innocent face.  It was called "The Ruby Gem," and it was served in a champagne glass.  It consisted of some sticky sweet fruit base that always reminded me of Hawaiian Punch, and I used to jokingly say the other ingredient was grain alcohol.  Two "Rubies", and you were gone.  Despite the night ladies with their Superfly, it wasn't as sleazy as it sounds. I used to run into famous actors and politicians having lunch or dinner in there all of the time. 

 

                                 

Now they say the new Chinatown is in Rockville, Maryland, but not that long ago, the little Mom and Pop grocery stores still existed, and I can remember stepping over drunk bodies lying on the sidewalk to go visit them.  I would visit for the Chinese New Year's festivities and see the firecrackers being set off to drive off the demons, and I tried to always visit the Chinese market prior to that day to buy up the red envelopes for money, so that I could leave an "auspicious" tip for the waiter.

                   

 

The other is a childhood memory of when my parents were invited to the grand opening of a new restaurant on H Street, and I was allowed to attend this grown-up event. At first I didn't think I would be allowed to go, because it was snowing so heavily that night. You had to climb up steep steps to get into the main dining area, and the owner's wife was going to take me downstairs into the back to see how Chinese food was cooked (a rare and first time treat).   We stopped at a circular table by the top of the stairs, and I was introduced to the then Chief of Police's wife. She was stone cold drunk and had five full cocktail glasses in front of her.  I remember her fingering the lace cuffs on my dress and being all sloppy and slurry with me, and I drew back, because she frightened me. While the adults were chatting, she got up, stumbled backwards and fell, rear ending all the way back down the stairs. She must have been loose because she survived the fall unharmed.  I still made it into the kitchen, and I remember men in this heated environment working over huge flames with these oversized woks, contrasting so vividly against the heavy snow occurring outside.  Ah...childhood....and ah...D.C.

           

 

What's Up With Evil Mary Worth?

 

Guest Blogger: The Voice of Reason

                     Immediate Evacuation (my lunch disagreed with me)

There have been an average of 160,000 troops in IRAQ during the last 22
months, which has a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000.

The rate in Washington D.C., is 80.6 per 100,000.

That means that you are 25% more likely to be shot and killed in our
Nation's Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in
the nation, than you are in Iraq.

Conclusion: We should immediately pull out of Washington, D.C.

                       

                   Go back to bed, America!  Your government is in control.

 

Guest Feline Bloggers: Norville and Olive

Hello, my name is Norville, and I am 11 years old.  I live with my sister on Capitol Hill, and we are companions to T-Cube and K.   As you can see from my photograph, I feel that during these hot summer days that the coolest place to be is in the bathroom, either on the tiles or where I feel as if I am being properly represented--the throne.

Hi there! I'm Olive. I'm 7 years old.  I am daddy's little girl. Though my brother enjoys staying cool in the bathroom,  I feel that sitting by the open door sunning myself is the place to be. I just LOVE the warmth of the sun on my fur! I suppose it's a female cat's perogative to get as much sun, and quite possibly a tan, as she can!  It feels so good to lie in the sun that I say decorum can go out the window.

                         

                                           King Norville

      

              

                                          Olive Catching Some Z's

                                        Written By Two Cool Cats

                              

(not written by Washington Cube)                                                    

Movie: Land of the Dead--George A. Romero

The undead are making progress.  They are beginning to show some ability in taking direction, they are learning to work together cooperatively and they have some rudimentary deductive reasoning. Zombies have also become tool users on a very basic level. And they said the dead can't evolve. Land of the Dead has some excellent noir cinematography, and the opening sequences are very effective in setting up this nightmarish world.  It seems this post-apocalyptic land has a few enclosed outposts, one of which is Pittsburgh where the film allegedly takes place (Zombie Fun Fact:  Director George Romero wanted to film in his home town of Pittsburgh.  Filming was done in Toronto, however, in order to tax advantage of Canadian tax incentives.) 

At this point in the zombie saga, society has adapted to the circumstances of residing amidst the permanent infestation of the undead, and the living shield themselves within the confines of a protected city, bordered on three sides by a river.  The residents are polarized along the usual lines where the ultra rich live in an exclusive high rise complex called "Fiddler's Green," while the rest of the people are treated as a servant class who are responsible for maintaining and protecting the existence of the privileged.  In other words, a slightly exaggerated version of our own society.(Zombie Fun Fact:  "Fiddler's Green" is a song about the place where calvarymen go when they die.  It is located "Halfway down the trail to hell" and in the end advocates suicide by pistol when death is certain and the "hostiles" are closing in.) The city overlord is a man named Kaufman (played with deft understatement by Dennis Hopper), and he is a greedy, power-possessed C.E.O. controlling his self-visualized fortress.  He shields the rich with heavy policing at the borders, and the servant class is kept distracted with decadent amusements. (Zombie Fun Fact:  In one scene a young woman is thrown into a cage to fight two zombies to the death, a la gladiator style, and she is played by Asia Argento, the daughter of a noted Italian horror filmmaker, Dario Argento who was also co-producer of Dawn of the Dead.)

In several scenes a friend or co-worker is suddenly bitten by a zombie and, therefore, soon to be a member of the zombie hoard. This requires they be murdered on the spot, as it "only takes about an hour to become a zombie."  The viewer must ponder the question:  Are the zombies as inconsequential as the working proles?  In this film, the zombies seem to carry some vague memory of their previous roles in society, and they find a leader among them who takes them to the walled city and through his uber intellectual capacities grunts and gesticulates his orders to charge the barricades.  As in Dawn of the Dead, Romero shows his ongoing contempt for our consumer culture in his destruction of the Grand Concourse of "Fiddler's Green."  Basically, the zombies are out to eat the rich.  (Zombie Fun Fact:  A non-union zombie would make CDN$9 per hour while a union zombie, for a minimum of 8 hours, would make CDN$158.) 

There's more than enough of the usual gratuitous violence for the whole family, but it's all part of the Grand Guignol, and Romero gives you plenty to chew on.

                            Things To Know About Zombies - 2005

Kill the brain, kill the zombie (a classic)

Zombies don't have to know how to swim

Zombies retain a sense of work ethic, even after they are dead

Zombies like fireworks, particularly the chrysanthemum displays, (very much like the Mall on July 4th)

Zombies are tool users

Zombies are beginning to evolve a sense of deductive reasoning

Some zombies have leadership skills

It takes at least one hour to become a zombie

You can only be zombie food for one hour after you are bitten.  Then YOU are a zombie, and you are safe.

       

                              Oh yeah...zombies resent the living

     

 

Cocktail of the Week: The Letter "K"

                                  Kryptonite and Kill Bill Cocktails

Last week it was time to explore the "K" cocktails:  Kryptonite and Kill Bill.  The interesting thing about these two drinks is that they are so obviously colored to match their name.  Kryptonite is a glowing acid green, and Kill Bill is a chrome yellow that matches Uma Thurman's (Bruce Lee's) jump suit.

Kryptonite Cocktail:

3/4 oz Captain Morgan® Original spiced rum
3/4 oz Malibu® coconut rum
3/4 oz Midori® melon liqueur
3/4 oz pineapple juice
1 splash Bacardi® 151 rum

Combine ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

 Kill Bill Cocktail:  

1 oz Bombay Sapphire® gin
1/2 oz Southern Comfort® peach liqueur
1/3 oz peach liqueur
1/3 oz Lemonel® lemon liqueur
1/3 oz fresh lemon juice
1/3 oz sugar syrup
1/3 oz peach juice

Shake and strain into a cocktail (martini) glass filled with cracked ice. Garnish with lemon and lime peel, and serve.

The only interesting thing of note that happened during this cocktail session was that an extremely wrinkled man sat next to me at the bar wearing those Nantucket Red pants, and the entire time he was twisting his wedding ring on his finger while he winked at the female bartender and blew her kisses.  Le sigh...and yuck.

                The Kryptonite Cocktail

 

                   The Kill Bill Cocktail

Guest Blogger: Wrethwyn A Voice Like Velvet

                                               A Voice Like Velvet

                                       Luther Vandross

                                                Never Too Much

                                 April 20, 1951     -    July 1, 2005

 

                                     

His voice was like velvet and with it he could soften hearts to the possibilities of love so easily.  He was perfection pouring from the radio.  Whether you were in the arms of your lover, or just relaxing with a glass of wine (lights turned down low), he never disappointed to deliver. I was born at the end of the seventies and therefore grew up as a child of the eighties. 

 

It is not something that I knew as a fact until recently, but Luther’s solo career didn’t take off until 1981.  For me he has always simply been there, singing his soulful ballads as the background for romance, while presenting the unshakable image of a performer full of grace and charisma.  Luther’s upbeat tunes always made you want to dance, but it was the ballads that really took your breath away.  It was nice to be able to agree on music no matter what generation was in a room.  The power of his talent crossed generational, racial, cultural, and idelogical barriers.  No one could say that Luther Vandross wasn’t “good music.”

 

It was Roberta Flack who pushed Luther into his solo career, recognizing something extraordinary in her backup singer that she could not allow to  remain in the background.  He was a writer and producer as well.  One of the first features of his music writing prowess was a song Brand New Day in the musical The Wiz.    Every album that Luther released never went any less than Platinum.  A man was moving in the right direction when he pulled out the incomparable Mr. Vandross…if only for one night.

 

We are thankful that Luther rose to the challenge and broke out of his shell to become a man that almost every modern balladeer lists among the inspirations for their interest in the music business.  Luther was matchless until the end, winning Grammys well into 2004, even after being mostly immobilized due to a stroke.  He continued to sing and record music that spoke to the heart. 

 

Having lost my father in 1998, I remember the first time I heard Dance with My Father while driving.  I had to pull the car over to the side of the road.  The words touched my heart deeply, and the voice that carried them stirred emotions as if the sorrow were fresh.  I don’t say this to make anyone sad, but to illustrate that it takes a powerful musician to infuse music with soul that can touch the very heart of a person.  Luther was never just a singer he was an artist and he will be missed but never forgotten.  As long as we have music, Luther’s metaphorical chair will never just be a chair.

 

Just a few of Luther’s hits

 

Can Heaven Wait

Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
Your Secret Love
Any Love
I Really Didn't Mean It
Give Me The Reason
It's Over Now
Here and Now

Dance With My Father
Take You Out

Power of Love
Sometimes It's Only Love
Don't Want To Be A Fool
'Til My Baby Comes Home

Never Too Much

 

             

            A man was moving in the right direction when he pulled out the incomparable Mr. Vandross…if only for one night.

 

 

               Written by Wrethwyn

 

Luther Vandross : Dance With My Father : 'Dance With My Father'