Milwaukee Wedding

We attended a wedding over Memorial Day weekend. Here are a few photographic highlights.

Happiness personified.

The lovely couple.

Checking out the Performing Art Center's view of the Milwaukee River.

Vivacious even after the party.

Reaching for her briefcase in a dream.

Minestrone Man

While comparing, combining, and altering several minestrone recipes today, Rich exhibited all the signs of a gastronomic sensualist. (I won't go any further.) We're hoping to post a final recipe later this afternoon if our concoction turns out wonderfully.

May Minestrone

May Minestrone
12 oz. dry cannelloni beans
5 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 medium onions (diced)
5 stalks celery (chopped)
4 carrots (chopped)
4 T good olive oil
2 T Italian seasoning
1 t dried sage
1 t ground fennel
1 t dried parsley flakes
4 qts chicken broth (16 cups)
1 lb. pasta noodles
1 sm. head cabbage w/outer leaves removed (chopped)
3 med. zucchini (chopped)
6 oz. spinach
4 to 8 ripe tomatoes (or 1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes quartered)
freshly grated parmesan (2-3 T shredded to garnish each bowl of soup)

Sort through dried beans, rinse, cover with water (at least 3 inches above beans for expansions), and soak overnight. Drain water from beans, and simmer in medium pot for two hours. Set beans aside. Sauté garlic, onions, celery, and carrots in 3 to 4 tablespoons of good olive oil for 20 to 25 minutes (until tender) in covered sauté pan. About 10 minutes before vegetables reach desired tenderness, stir in the herbs.

In a large soup pot, bring chicken stock to a boil, and cook noodles. When noodles are very el dente, add cabbage, zucchini, spinach, and tomatoes. Reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and add beans and sautéed vegetables. Stir together, and let sit for about 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy with Willakenzie Pinot Meunier 2003.

Pinot Meunier Tasting

We're trying a new wine this evening that we're enjoying so much we decided to make it our featured wine of the week. It goes well with our May Minestrone. We followed the recommendations in the tasting notes and let this wine breathe for two hours before drinking. Pinot Meunier is similar to a Pinot Noir with a dark color and somewhat fruity taste. It has a slight spiciness that characterizes most Willakenzie wines. Willakenzie also recommends Meunier for those transitioning from white to red wine. Meunier is a very limited production wine grown on only four acres; Willakenzie produced only 300 cases of 2003.

Rain Respite

Although the weather continues to be dreary, we had a few moments of respite from rain this morning. The deer were out in full force to nibble as many tree buds as possible before the clouds set in again.

Pinot Noir

We drank Pinot Noirs long before Sideways. As part of our vacation last summer, we visited 8-10 (at some point we lost count) Oregon wineries. The two we liked most were Willakenzie and Archery Summit, although we also liked Torii Mor, Bella Vida, Ponzi, and Argyle. The picture below was taken at Bella Vida.

Hannah Banana's Journal

Hannah took to blogging immediately. Within a few hours she had pictures, captions, and part of a story. Her blog can be found at http://herj.blogspot.com/

Lauren's Locker

Lauren's blog can be found at http://mybabyemmaka.blogspot.com/ She worked diligently last weekend on her blog, but we haven't seen any additions so far this week.

Anniversary Painting

Deanna comissioned one of her former students to do a painting as an anniversary present to me. The painting combines images from our travels, lines from Deanna's poetry, and of course, our faces.

Brief Clearing

The May weather in Wisconsin has been awful--cold, rainy, and windy. Just before sunset last night, we had a short respite.

Lauren's Chicken Night

Whenever Lauren comes to Eau Claire, we usually have grilled chicken legs with Brussels sprouts or cauliflower or asparagras. Chicken legs happened to be the "manager's special" this weekend, so instead of the usual dozen legs, we grilled 28, a new record for our Weber.

Seasoned chicken ready for the grill.

Almost finished. We like 'em crispy.

Resting before the feast.

A Night Out in Madison for Deanna's Birthday

For her birthday dinner, Deanna had ahi tuna at one of her all-time favorite restaurants--Magnus in Madison. The tuna was melt-in-her-mouth rare, and the sauce delivered a subtly fruity mouth tingle. We also shared a bottle of Jeffurs Syrah.

Deanna enjoying Jeffurs Syrah at Restaurant Magnus.

We also did some Madison walking on Deanna's birthday. Of course, we went to the University Bookstore, and on the way back to the Hilton, we stopped at the White Horse Inn to enjoy a glass of Willamette Valley, 2002 "Whole Cluster."

In Madison, we were able to find a couple of shops that carried Sanford, Archery Summit, Torii Mor, Fess Parker, and various other wines we'd been looking for, so we also worked a bit on stocking our "cellar."

Rich's brother, Jeff, and his nephew, Kyle, figured out how to build a simple wine storage system that holds 60 bottles of wine in our understairs closet. Now we just need another four cases to fill our new cellar.

The flock of wild turkeys in our neighborhood became aggressive during the winter. It wasn't safe to get the mail without taking along some kind of weapon (nine iron, barbeque fork). The big toms would even chase cars. The flock has now thinned considerably, probably due to the opening of turkey season. In recent weeks we have seen only a few scared-looking lone turkeys here and there.

Fowl Attack

One of the reasons that I felt traumatized by turkeys this past winter is because most animal species (including humans) have an innate distaste for bird attacks. Hitchcock's The Birds comes to mind. So does this quotation from Nicholson Baker:

Claire told me last night that Lucy, the frail but funny woman who lives on our street, has had to go into the hospital. She’s going to be okay, but the woman who helps Lucy was trying to find a home for Lucy’s pets. Claire was wondering whether we should take one of the cats. I see that it would be a good thing to do but it seems to me that our current cat gets into terrible fights with neighbor cats already, and he’s had a major blow this year as a result of the arrival of the duck. Greta, although not very bright in some ways, is shrewd about cats. What you do is you walk up to the cat slowly, as if you want to say hello, and when the cat tentatively extends its nose in the willing-to-sniff-and-be-sniffed stance, you peck at him sharply. Then, when the shocked cat turns to walk away, his ears back, his feelings and nose hurt, lunge at him again and peck him directly on or near his anus. That makes him gallop off—for no animal likes to be pecked on the anus by a duck.

from A Box of Matches by Nicholson Baker, 2003

Minneapolis Restaurants

We have been exploring restaurants in downtown Minneapolis for almost four years. These are the restaurants we return to most often.

We have probably eaten at the Palomino more than at any other restaurant. In the spring of 2002, a Palomino waiter asked us if we lived in the Skyway, and that question got us thinking about what it would be like to live in the Skyway for a while. We then decided to find an apartment downtown for the month of July—in the Skyway. The best thing to order at the Palomino is one of the fresh fish specials. It’s also fun to go to the Palomino for happy hour to explore the hors d'oeuvres and drink menu.

We started going to the Capital Grill when it first opened because we could never get a reservation at Manny’s, and then Morton’s became just as trendy. Our favorite menu item is the steak au poivre. We have tried making it at home but have never come close to the Capital Grill’s creation.

Our first restaurant dinner together was at the Oceannaire. We still go there a couple of times a year for the huge portions of grilled fish, especially the big eye tuna.

Our favorite “gourmet” restaurant is Vincent. The dining room and bar are nice, but plain. We have tried somewhat successfully to replicate a couple of their soup recipes: potato-leek and squash. We have never been able to replicate their baguettes, however. Deanna has tried and tried for two years, and she has it down to buttermilk as the magic ingredient. Finding the right combination of time, heat, and moisture content has proven impossible. We haven’t even attempted anything approximating Vincent’s sauces—they’re too technical.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled Chicken Salad

½ c Wishbone Italian Dressing or other vinaigrette
6 chicken breasts (with bones and skin or boneless and skinless)
½ medium onion
2-3 stalks celery (omit if serving on celery)
2-3 tablespoons capers—rinsed thoroughly and drained
½ cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons tarragon
3-4 grinds pepper

If you are using boneless and skinless chicken breasts, marinate the breasts in a plastic bag with the Italian dressing at least ½ hour before grilling. If you are using regular chicken breasts, arrange the breasts on a large plate and brush Italian dressing onto the breasts at least ½ hour before grilling. Grill the breasts 20-30 minutes on indirect heat or until internal temperature reaches 160°. Occasionally brush remaining Italian dressing onto the breasts while they grill. Cool breasts at least 30 minutes before removing skin and bones.

Coarsely dice onion and celery and process in mini-prep food processor with capers. Use pulse button, and do not over-process. Cut chicken into one-inch cubes and coarsely chop in mini-prep. Process the chicken in several small batches.

In a large bowl, stir together processed chicken, celery, onion, and capers with mustard, mayonnaise, tarragon and pepper. Refrigerate one hour before serving on Deanna's fresh ciabatta bread.

Caribbean Travel Vignette

San Juan Cigarette

After enduring about 13 hours without a Camel, Deanna was getting a little edgy, but since every airport in America, including San Juan International, treats smokers like lepers, she would have to go outside to burn one. Going outside meant coming back through a security system that would make most nuclear facilities proud. Another problem was that she had only 35 minutes until the puddle jumper to Philipsburg began boarding. Deanna’s boon traveling partner, Rich, wanted her to enjoy the relaxation that only nicotine could provide before the inevitably loud, bumpy flight, so he encouraged her to step out for a smoke (or two). He would wait with the luggage. After two separate replies of “no, it’s not necessary” and the wall clock clearly pointing out that it would be nearly an hour before the plane lifted off, Deanna relinquished her luggage and sought the easiest exit that promised the most expedient return.

Rich tries to live a rational life, but sometimes he gets a little antsy about schedules and deadlines. During the first twenty minutes of Deanna’s smoking absence, he read. Soon a fairly large line formed in front of Gate 1A. He stopped reading and started watching the shoes and legs of passengers coming down on the escalator to the nearby gates. Black slides, similar to those Deanna was wearing, traveled down the escalator intermittently and disbursed between a myriad of other footwear attached to legs that didn’t look like hers. This observation only helped promote Rich’s impending anxiety: no red toenails, no toe rings, no Deanna. An overnight in San Juan? A different flight? Missed flight? Oh, the horror! Rich felt the tightening in his throat, across his face, perhaps the strain on his heart.

Soon, Rich couldn’t read another word. He organized the luggage into a pile and started pacing back and forth. The line in front of Gate 1A was now more of a crowd. He could overhear conversations about St. Maarten by a mixture of people donning diverse clothes and accents. He kept telling himself that even if Deanna were late and they missed the flight, there were four more flights that night to St. Maarten, and he should simply relax and sit down. Sweat beaded on his forehead and a ringing rose in his ears, a sure sign that his blood pressure was skyrocketing. He was tempted to dig through his backpack and find a couple of ten milligram Prinivils before a ventricle blew, but he knew that with twenty milligrams of Prinivil his blood pressure would probably bottom out, and Deanna would find his prostrate body next to their looted luggage. Finally, he just stood in despair as only a couple of passengers remained waiting to have passports and tickets checked before walking through the doors into the oppressive Puerto Rican air.

Then, Deanna’s red toes, black slides, and black linen dress descended, like an angel from heaven.

She’d seen him first, she thought. His head facing down, rumpled hair hanging over the luggage, he feverishly attempted to organize the unwieldy bags for boarding. Deanna couldn’t get down the escalator any faster; passengers before her stood motionless on the moving stairs. She knew Rich would be having a strong reaction, to say the least, to her extended absence. But she, too, had endured trauma. Waiting in line for nearly 30 minutes to reenter through the security gate had had a similar sinking effect on her. How had a cigarette and a half, taking no more than 7.5 minutes (a remarkable feat in itself) been worth the extended reentry line that had appeared while she was gone? As Deanna had taken her place at the back of the line, an ankle-shackled prisoner led by two plain-clothed policemen sluggishly jangled through security without the penalty of waiting in line. Exhausted babies lay in cushion-lined carriages, beads of water pooling in the lines of their foreheads. Sorrow-ridden families had motioned her in front of them; they needed more time. She’d had a conversation with a Latin woman which had helped to alleviate her worry and panic about the line—at least temporarily. But the tension lay in wait in her shaking knees. With no watch and the passing time fleeing, there was little she could do—short of having a panic attack.

Happy to have arrived again at Gate 1A, she said, “Hi, Honey, you ready?”

Scooting around Madeline Island in July is fun, but the scooters are too slow.

Summer Travel Poems

Montana Mountain Journey 2003
(a phrase poem)

Denise’s McCandless memories at Carthage, SD, tavern

Mammoth roadside bull with uncooked oysters

Corncob murals at Mitchell, SD, palace

Golden hay rolls across the SD prairie

300,000 burley bikers at Sturgis rally

Grazing cattle congregations in Montana mountain meadows

Perfumed vistas by piney mountain meadows

Montana Grizzlies sweatshirt with marsupial pouch

Swingin’ 70s décor at Missoula Doubletree


Desert Southwest Sojourn 2002
(a list poem)

Vegas throngs
Desert driving
Death Valley dunes
Sandy toes
Zabriskie meditation
Scary, curving mountain roads
Panic turns
Lonely clouds
Mount Whitney sunrise
Assembling hikers
Pepe’s burritos
Grey Goose (the miracle vodka)
Cigars and jazz
Chatty tourists go away!

Joynt Adventure

She may have missed the first exchange, yet reads
the burly beard--the one he only half hopes masks
the precarious visage exposed beneath: vague
words testing deafening waters--covering
his heavily woven sighs that still intimately dance
dressed in Ian’s lingering conversation.

He aptly addresses, however, this verse--
with neither preface nor prologue:
a poetic exhibition of dangerous tension
in which he wholly revels.

She cannot process the abundance of music:
circuitry through neuron, over muscle and back:
pure voracity on her part. She cannot name it,
utter it or drink it down before it first consumes her
and finds her in a somewhat compromising position,
“You two make a cute couple.”

I still cannot conjure the response
suspended over the crowded room,
yet I have memorized the feeling
across her face and the smile of her toes.

The nightmare of those who have swum to rafts anchored in the "dark" waters of the Caribbean.

Lemon Zest Pasta

Lemon Zest Pasta

Olive oil
Butter
8-10 green onions quartered the long way
Crushed garlic
One 14.5 ounce can Hunt’s whole tomatoes in sun rich tomato sauce
Lemon juice from zested lemon
2 ounces dry vermouth
Dash cayenne pepper
2-4 tablespoons lemon zest (from one medium lemon)
1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream

Sauté onions and garlic briefly (2-3 minutes) in olive oil and butter. Add tomatoes (break up with spatula), lemon juice, vermouth and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Let stand about 5 minutes. Add zest and thicken with crème fraiche.

Add one pound sautéed shrimp and/or grilled tuna, billfish, or wahoo (if available); serve over linguini.

Another Florida line-up. This one is at Disney World.

A Florida line-up at the Villages.

Caribbean Poem

Beach Bungalow 163

At our first meeting,
the cabin seems generic:
Scandinavian cedar walls,
salt encrusted windows,
corrugated steel roof.

Upon closer acquaintance,
it speaks
about Hurricane Luis,
living by the sea,
tourists arriving and departing.

Over time,
this cabin reveals truths:
sun and sand dissolve schedules;
friends grow dearer with distance;
relaxation brings tranquil reflection.

Year pass.
A new door,
a quiet, efficient frig,
some fancy wooden chairs,
do not alter the enduring conversation.

Curried Lentil and Spinach Soup

We took this soup to our first gourmet group dinner. Rich has made it so many times that Deanna will no longer take it for lunch.

Curried Lentil and Spinach Soup

16 oz. bag lentils
3 32 oz. boxes chicken broth (low sodium)
Olive oil for sautéing
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2/3 head of celery, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped carrots
3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T. fresh ginger, grated
1 T. ground cumin
2 T. Madras curry powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
5-8 oz. fresh baby spinach

Plain nonfat yogurt

Prep onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and ginger (a food processor is useful for chopping everything). Sort through lentils and remove anything disagreeable. Bring lentils and broth to a boil, and simmer until tender, 30-40 minutes. Sautee onions, celery, carrots, garlic, ginger, cumin, red pepper, and curry powder in olive oil. When lentils are tender, add sautéed ingredients and bay leaves to soup pot. Turn off heat and let stand 30 minutes. Add cilantro and spinach. Simmer as needed to bring ingredients to desired tenderness and texture. Add 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to each bowl before serving.

Funning Ones

I wrote this poem a few years ago to Deanna. It started out as a Valentine's Day poem but went in another direction. I think about it often because it holds a basic truth for those of us who "make up stuff" more than we should.

Funning Ones

Those who rely
on rhetoric’s repertoire
of playful puns,
mocking metaphors,
wayward wit,
teasing tone
and irreverent irony
to sport
with friends
(and enemies)
risk misinterpretation,
which often adds
to the mirth.

But when the
funning ones intend
sincerity,
truth,
and honesty,
others may feel
they have cried “Wolf!”
too many times
by hiding real feelings
under a mask
of wordplay.

Deanna on the Victoria to Port Angeles ferry last summer.

Rich biking around Stanley Park in Vancouver last summer.

Getting ready for gourmet night.

We're almost finished making the salad we will be taking to our monthly gourmet group dinner. Here is the recipe:

APPLE, DRIED CHERRY, AND WALNUT SALAD WITH MAPLE DRESSING

Maple Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or other white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon course grain Dijon mustard
1/4 cup walnut oil

Salad:
Mixed baby greens including spinach
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
1 pear, prepared in a similar way
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
Goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Dressing best when refrigerated an hour before using.

We're taking this particular salad because tonight is "Maple Night"--everything must have a maple component.