Category Archives: Other Stuff

Mar1

Cupid Party

Posted on by
Standard

……..well as you can see from the painting…..we love to entertain…

I have the wonderful pleasure of having retired from my professional career

as a Health Care Administrator, after 35 years of service and

get to work in the field of my true passion………..the Culinary World!

I work in a retail food environment (i.e. Grocery Store) that is very innovative and trendsetting…

I am the resident Chef for my location and have a wonderfully ordained kitchen in which I get to prepare all sorts of culinary delights for customers wanted to expand their foodie interests.

Due to this I also maintain a recipe site : www.Chef-Emil.com , should you ever be interested in checking out my creations!

I work with the most amazing group of people and so very enjoy what we bring to our customers.

Each year I throw an appreciation party for our group, this year it was the Year of the Cupid…

I ran about the house and gathered up all the Hutschenreuther Puttis I could find to create the tablescape

Just as a point of interest, the Hutschenreuther Company was founded in 1814 by Carolus Magnus Hutschenreuther in Hohenberg an der Eger, Bavaria, Germany.   He had previously worked at the Wallendorf porcelain manufactory in Lichte.   After his death in 1845, the factory was headed by his widow, Johanna Hutschenreuther, and her two sons.

From 1860, they produced hand-painted gilded porcelains, and were quite famous for the use of the Putti (my cupids).  

A large part of the factory was destroyed by a fire in 1848.

I wish the photos would show the marvelous detail of the work….We  fell in love with Hutschenreuther and have been collecting for some time..

First and foremost,  we had to pick out the wines for the eventing…

Then, of course,  have the coffee bar ready for those who may have had too much wine…

…..the house is ready for the guests to arrive…

The food is simple and easy to eat, as we plan on doing a lot of talking and mingling…

….a plate of Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche,  Rye and Gerkins…

…all sorts of cheese, representing the marvelous tastes of our planet…

…this is The Cupid Party, so some sweets were in order…

This Trifle is made with Triple Chocolate Cake, drenched in Godiva Chocolate Liquor, Strawberries, Vanilla Bean Custard and Fresh Cream…

….wonderful Caprese Salad, with Mozzarella Nibs….

 ……….of course the guests of honor for the evening……

a grand time was had by all ……and then at the culmination of the festivities, these wonderful people

present me with something I shall cherish for all time…

…can you believe the were able to find a Tin Man Chef!!….

….so until next year….Ciao….hmmmm…… wonder what the theme shall be..

 

Feb13

The Orientalist

Posted on by
Standard

I am currently reading ” The Orientalist” by Tom Reiss

imagesCAMC026W

A marvelous biography about the flamboyant Lev Nussimbaum

imagesCAHRY8LG

So often when I am reading, a certain passage will resonate so strongly that I make note of it in my journals

The life of Lev is riveting as he mixes memory with desire, straddles the chasm between east and west and becomes Jew, Christian and Muslim…

You see Lev was born in October, 1905, in Baku, Azerbaijan

…but enough, here is the passage that I so wanted to share with you…

 

“….over the great arched portal ran the secret arabesque symbols of a vanished past.

Mighty, incomprehensible letters and delicate ornaments.

imagesCAPHJDZB

I looked at them for hours, during which I would fall into a sort of dreamy, trance like meditation.

It was a state of true bliss that lasted for hours and hours.

After I returned home I changed back into my lazy, sickly, good-for-nothing self…”

278803_stock-photo-face-through-prison-window

 

 

Feb5

Beyond the Clock Face ………….Musee d’Orsay, Paris

Posted on by
Standard

imagesCAO41VFB

Beyond the clock face is Paris, beyond
the ticking away of the ordinary
moments is a lamp-lit cafe with rain
streaking its windows, poetry
spattering its walls. Outside, the
angels gathering on the banks of the
Seine grin back at the ancient
gargoyles. Meanwhile, here at home, the
bed is unmade, the floor unswept. The
party dresses are quiet in the dark
closet……. But there, just beyond the clock
face is Paris. Her angels are listening,
extending their cold fingers to our
outstretched mittened hands……

tumblr_m6vug4fc5L1qbmzz0o1_1341819538_cover

Diane Hanna

Jan31

Grab A Beer – Shiner, Texas

Posted on by
Standard

shiner sign

The Flying Monkeys were restless and wanted to explore some new place, so off we went to Shiner, Texas

Shiner is located in Lavaca County.

It all began in 1887 when Henry B. Shiner donated 250 acres of land for a railroad right of way.

As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 2,069.

shiner old

To our amazement there are no hotels in Shiner!  So we booked a room at the Shiner Country Inn..

Not the lap of luxury, but clean

Shiner is the home of the Spoetzl Brewery,  the oldest independent brewery in Texas.  The brewery is most well known for producing Shiner Bock,  a dark German/Czech-style beer that is now distributed in 41 states.

imagesCABG7SSI

………..but more about that later.

We explored the entire town to plan our itinerary………okay that took 10 minutes,

so we went to Snowflake Donuts for breakfast…

 

Upon entering we found a table of about 20 locals, all of whom ceased conversation and stared at us the entire time we were in the place…….okay weird!

………..now back the the Spotzl Brewery……

A group of businessmen incorporated Shiner Brewing Association

and placed Herman Weiss in as the company’s first brewmaster.  

In 1914 a German immigrant brewer named Kosmos Spoetzl co-leased with Oswald Petzold

with an option to buy in 1915.  

kosmos

Spoetzl had attended brewmaster’s school and apprenticed for three years in Germany, worked for eight years at the Pyramids Brewery in Cairo, Egypt, and then worked in Canada.   He moved to San Antonio in search of a better climate for his health, bringing with him a family recipe for a Bavarian beer made from malted barley and hops.

During Prohibition in the United States,  Kosmos Spoetzl kept the brewery afloat by selling ice and making Low-alcohol beer  “near beer.”   After Prohibition only five of the original 13 Texas breweries were still intact.   When the Prohibition laws were repealed, larger beer plants, such as Anheuser-Busch, moved to Texas making life harder on the smaller independent breweries,  but Spoetzl kept things small and simple,  never going more than 70 miles for business.

The owner’s daugher, Miss Cecelie took over operations in 1922

and became the only woman in the United States to be a sole owner of a brewery in 1950.

In the 1970s and 1980s the brewery’s ”Shiner Beer” and ”Shiner Bock”  had less than 1 percent of the Texas market.   In 1983 Spoetzl produced 60,000 barrels of beer;  in 1990 only 36,000.   Sales improved after Carlos Alvarez of San Antonio acquired the brewery in 1989:   Production grew to 100,000 barrels in 1994,  and over the next ten years,  production nearly tripled.

As of 2012,  it was the fourth-largest craft brewery and tenth-largest overall brewery in the United States.  Spoetzl currently produces eight beers year round and four seasonal brews per year.

shiner beer sign ending

We were so lucky to have the Brewmaster, Jimmy Mauric, conduct a personal tour!

brewmaster

The brew house was so very beautiful with the copper brew tanks…

The view of the bottling room was amazing……..many thousands of bottles whirling around…..

The tour over it was time for a late lunch……….where should we go…..oh yes the only restaurant in town….

The Shiner Restaurant and Bar..

The place was empty!  The bar was quite beautiful and ornate

The dining room sported wonderful old cabinets…

The food was great….we began with the Shiner Beer Bread and Shiner Black Butter

…..then on to the Pulled Pork Sandwich and the “World’s Best Sandwich”……that was really the name!

It was a Club Style BLT with a Chicken Fried Steak thrown in for Good Measure…….don’t tell my Cardiologist about this post!

Well that was Shiner a quiet, quiet, quiet little Texas Town

So until next time…………PROST!

imagesCAQGC2C1

Dec24

Tea & Cakes….and perhaps some Welsh Rarebit

Posted on by
Standard

If you have been reading the exploits of the Tin Man, you know that he often travels to Media, Pennsylvania to visit the Marvelous, Magical Mary.

…………so in usual Tin Man fashion, here is a bit of history of the place called Media….

imagesCA7AL330

The borough of Media was incorporated in 1850 and  is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania.     

In June 2006, it became the first fair trade town in America.

imagesCAXXVYQL

The history of the town goes back to William Penn, who was named proprietor of the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 by King Charles II of England. 

William Penn

William Penn

  

The Delaware County Institute of Science was founded in Media in 1833.

Media promotes itself as “Everybody’s Hometown”.

 Peter and William Taylor bought the land where Media is now located, directly from Penn. 

Thomas Minshall, a Quaker, was an early Media resident, settling just outside the small village then known as Providence, along the Providence Great Road.  The village then included a tailor shop, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop, barn and other buildings.  Minshall bought 625 acres from William Penn and arrived in 1682. The Providence Friends Meeting was established at his house in February, 1688, and a meetinghouse was later built on land he donated for the purpose.  The original meetinghouse was built out of logs in 1699 or 1700 and the current building dates to 1814. 

Minshall’s house still stands and was given to the citizens of the borough in 1975. 

imagesCAL49R1U

The John J. Tyler Arboretum occupies part of Thomas Minshall’s original  property.   This farm was used by the underground railroad.   The land was donated to a public trust in 1944 by an eighth generation descendant. The arboretum was started as a private collection by brothers Jacob and Minshall Painter.  In 1825 they began systematically planting over 1,000 varieties of trees and shrubs.  Over 20 of their original trees survive including a giant sequoia.

imagesCAZTZBR4imagesCAG8ZWVW

Media may be best known for secret government documents which were illegally seized there by activists in 1971 and distributed nationwide.  On March 8 of that year, the Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI raided a FBI ”resident agency” in Media. They later released thousands of documents to major newspapers around the country. These documents revealed controversial and illegal FBI tactics, like the recruitment of Boy Scouts as informants, and confirmed for the first time the existence of COINTELPRO, a FBI program to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize” dissident groups in the US.

imagesCAIWF6L2

Now back to the Tea Room…..

Downtown Media is a plethora of restaurants, shops and art….

We love to walk the streets and run across them to avoid the Trolley Cars, exploring all the marvelous culinary delights.

imagesCABE4LYJ

On a recent trip, we went to explore the delights of an English Tea Room… Tea & Cakes

what a delightful and interesting place. ……. one of the owners sits in the Tea Room and joins any and all conversations she desires…and she is quite opinionated!

We had some delightful fare……

A plate of High Tea Sandwiches and Sweets…

….of course Welsh Rarebit with Toast Points….

and Tea…Marvelous Tea…..

….back outside to run in front of the Trolleys!…..wish me luck……….

200500600 (133x303)

 

Dec18

Havre de Grace

Posted on by
Standard

Whilst driving from Baltimore to Philadelphia, it was time for a break from the road and there before us was a sign for

HAVRE de GRACE, MARYLAND

imagesCAXXDQUT

Well the rusty old jaw of the Tin Man still has difficulty pronouncing this one correctly

(after all the Emerald City is located in Texas!!)

But off we did go………..

Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland  It is situated at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of Chesapeake Bay.

imagesCAGW1NO8

On May 3, 1813, during the War of 1812, Havre de Grace was attacked by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.   The American Lieutenant John O’Neill single-handedly manned a cannon to help defend the town. He was wounded, captured by the British, and soon released.   In gratitude, Havre de Grace made O’Neill and his descendants the hereditary keepers of the Concord Point lighthouse marking the mouth of the Susquehanna River.

The Town is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which in full was once ”Le Havre de Grâce”, “Haven of Grace”. 

imagesCAECVUNZ

In 1789,  Havre de Grace was in serious consideration to be the permanent capital of the United States.

Havre de Grace was a candidate for the honor of being named capital of the United States, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted on the new permanent U.S. capital,

the vote was tied between Washington, D.C. and Havre de Grace—with the tie-breaking vote cast by the House Speaker, in favor of Washington, D.C.

WOW………..and all we really wanted to do was stretch our legs and find a public restroom!!!

We found a marvelous place to rest and decided to have a bite to eat, since the view was so magnificent.

The Tidewater Grille

We got a great table that looked out over the water and a wonderful railroad bridge.

Two railroad main lines pass through Havre de Grace. More than 8 daily passenger trains on Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor speed through Havre de Grace at 90 mph on an elevated line. 

The double track bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad between 1904 & 1906

for its New York City & Washington, D.C. line. 

Well, I don’t know about you, but every time I am in Maryland I MUST have all the crab I can possibly consume!

So I began with a marvelous Cream of Crab Soup

Followed by the server’s recommendation of Susquehanna Hash…………and since we were sitting at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, it seemed appropriate.

It was a marvelous Hash made with Maryland Crab ( lots of it!) and Tasso Ham,  topped with an Egg..one of the best dishes I have ever eaten!

We enjoyed our meals and watched the trains as they sped along the tracks over the Susquehanna River and imagined the Capital Building sitting here, but for one vote!

Then it was off to explore more of the town and have a coffee at Java by the Bay

For joy!  The fragrances of the coffee beans was so wonderful in the Shoppe…….

……and the coffee so pleasing, as it was quite windy and cold outside.

Well, hope you enjoyed our little visit to Havre de Grace, now it’s time to get back in the car and continue our journey……

 

 

Dec15

Dining in a Greenhouse

Posted on by
Standard

Have you ever been in a new town and just “happened” upon a magical place?

That is Styer’s Cafe at Terrain’s

Entry-Sign-225x300

We were just driving down the street in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and wanted to purchase a plant as a gift for some friends we were visiting.  The Greenhouses caught our eye and in we drove……….

……..only to wander into one of the most amazing restaurants we have ever visited!

The bread is baked in Clay Pots!!!  It is so fresh and wonderful and served with Herb Infused  Butter

Chef Keith Rudolf uses the local harvest of farmer’s to create his incredible dishes…….

…….like the Mushroom Skillet.

The Pumpkin Latte was creamy and wonderful..

Stop the maddness……….Bread Pudding with Ice Cream……

It  is so magical to be sitting among all the beautiful plants and fountains as you dine on the culinary creations

…..and, oh yes, we did find a rhododendron for our friends which now has a home in this marvelous sitting area….

…….listening to the stories being told over glass after glass of prosecco..

Dec11

Wolff’s Apple House

Posted on by
Standard

The road to Wolff’s Apple House is a bit windy and littered with wine bottles…….

……at least the road  Tin Man took to get there is!

imagesCAF3LC2M

You see Tin Man lives in Texas and Wolff’s is in Media, Pennsylvania

One evening (while enjoying wine with The Equestrian Wizard) Tin Man notice a large alien pod lying in the kitchen

images

…thinking that perhaps too many glasses of Chardonnay had been consumed……

…….. or that the Munchkins had returned to claim their planet

one had to find the origin of this giant pod. ……… A HUBBARD SQUASH!!!

Well it was my very first encounter with such a beast and my culinary mind began to wonder what one would do with such a thing.

Okay……..anyways……….back to Wolff’s….off we went on our journey to visit the Mystical – Magical – Mary of Media

……the second nor’easter of the season was blowing in and the promise of winds and snow were in our immediate future!

AHHHHHHH………Gingerbread Hubbard Squash Soup……..says The Tin Man, with all the confidence of a world renowned Chef, inspiring confidence in the small group huddled around!

“We shall go to Wolff’s and obtain this Hubbard Squash,” announces Jim, husband of Mary…

YIKES………. they think I know what to do with this Beast!

It was easy…..I just thought…….WHAT WOULD VIRGINIA DO?……You know Virginia of Bel’ Occhio’s Blog …..

…..NO!!!        Then click on it and go visit…she is a CHARM!!   With all the confidence of Virginia, the Culinary Goddess,

I set forth on my quest…….

Wolff’s Apple House has been supplying local residents with farm fresh produce since 1910, four generations of Wolff’s have dedicated themselves to this mighty task and the goodies all come from farms within a 50 mile radius. 

Such an amazing place! 

 

Several acres filled to the brim with marvelous, fresh produce, flowers, herbs, spices and did I mention baked goods!

 

We returned home and with all the confidence of a Master Chef, The Tin Man created

Gingerbread Hubbard Squash Soup topped with Pumpkin Oil

imagesCAWAA4MS

It was a wonderful evening and to the Tin Man’s great surprise the soup was very good and left a smile on everyone’s face

We loved Wolff’s so very much that we went back and shipped a case of apples

back to Oz in Texas and are still enjoying them!

Thanks for the confidence, Virginia!

Miss you Jim & Mary………until next time……

Dec4

Fells Point : Baltimore

Posted on by
Standard

fells

Fell’s Point is a neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, and home to a variety of shops, restaurants, coffee bars, music stores, and over 120 pubs.  Located on the harbor and famous for its maritime past, it now boasts the greatest concentration of pubs/bars in the city.  The pubs and bars in Fell’s Point provide excellent entertainment and nightlife.  This waterfront community is a much-visited location in Baltimore.   The neighborhood has also been the home of large Polish and  Irish populations throughout its history.  In recent years a steadily increasing numbers of middle to upper middle-income residents have moved into the area, driving up property values.    Fell’s Point is one of several areas in and around Baltimore that are listed on the National Register of Historic Districts, and the first from Maryland.

images

In 1965, transit planners proposed to link Interstate 83|I-83 and Interstate 95 in Maryland|I-95 by building an elevated highway along the north shore of the Baltimore harbor.  This project would have entailed extensive demolition within Fell’s Point, and the highway would have cut off the remainder of the neighborhood from the waterfront.  A  revolt against the proposals was raised by local residents and derailed the project.  Fell’s Point’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places prevented the use of federal funds for the road project, and contributed to the project’s cancellation.

Barbara Milkulski

Barbara Milkulski

  One of the leaders of the revolt was Barbara Mikulski, who would go on to become a U.S. Senator.  We had the great pleasure of visiting with her at the Greek Festival in Baltimore recently.

 We love Fell’s Point and are so grateful to the marvelous Barbara for saving the place from becoming a highway! 

We found Fell’s Point from the Most Incredible Theadora whose blog is called People, Places and Bling! 

Now, every visit to Baltimore includes a day in Fell’s Point.

Our very favorite place to visit is The Thames Street Oyster House, small Pub located on the waterfront which provides the most delicious fare!

The Mussels are, quite frankly, the BEST I have eaten anywhere on our planet, including Belgium!

The bar is small and always full of locals eating and socializing.

The cocktails are most interesting and creative concoctions, we had the Moscow Mule………oh for YUM!

I sometimes dream of having lunch at Thames Street!

The streets of Fell’s Point are full of quaint and interesting shops…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even the Police Department is charming….and it was featured in “Homicide: Life on the Streets”

 

If you are ever in Baltimore……….go visit Fell’s Point, it is a place lost in time……

Nov27

Thelma & Louise at the Greek Festival – Baltimore, Maryland

Posted on by
Standard

On a recent trip to Baltimore, we saw a sign for the annual Greek Festival

at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Greek Town………….

………..well we had to go, you really have no choice………………….. right?!!?

Little did we know what adventures lied in store for us….

But first, in usual Tin Man fashion, I must give you a bit of history about the Cathedral of the Annunciation…..

 ”The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation  is a church of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  

It is the oldest of all the 18 Greek Orthodox parishes in Maryland.

   

The Cathedral is an important center of History of the Greeks  and the survival of Greek culture in Baltimore, and hosts an annual Greek Food Festival.


The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation building was constructed in 1888 (the building originally housed a Protestant congregation), however the current congregation was established in 1906 and only moved to the building in 1937.  

In 1975, the Neo-Byzantine style Cathedral was designated as the state of Maryland’s first Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

In 1992 the Cathedral received a historic designation from the Maryland Commission on Historic and Architectural Preservation.

If you have never been to a Greek Festival, please know that you will be able to find the location from about one mile away, due to the enormous racket that ensures!

This was our first Greek Festival and we were almost afraid to venture up the steps of the Cathedral to enter……………………………but enter we did.

Immediately people were shouting at us to go into the basement………okay, perhaps we were part of some ancient legend and they have awaited our arrival to complete the sacrifice….

Off we went to the basement, being slapped on the back and given clamorous and insistent encouragement….

Who awaited our arrival ……………Thelma & Louise!!!

You see they were wearing parachutes and when the car went over the abyss they jumped out and moved to Baltimore and joined the congregation of the Cathedral of the Annunciation to atone for their sins…

Thelma insisted that we sit with them (NO,……..I really mean it, she had a fierce hold of me and I do believe any attempt to break it would have resulted in bodily harm………mine!)

They were quite charming and so very gracious!  The Tin Man got misty eyed as he enjoyed the pride in their voices as they told stories of Greek Festivals past and their childhood in Greek Town.

 The food was marvelous and the company so very divine!

It is a shame that these small festivals, celebrating our heritage are dying around the country.

We had the most amazing traditional Greek wine (who knew!) Restina,

made with the resin of Pine Trees added to it…….wonderful!

If you are ever traveling and see one of these festivals in progress, I encourage you to stop and enjoy a bit of fun……..perhaps you will be lucky enough to meet some interesting people, like Thelma and Louise…

……perhaps the Greek Philosopher, Epicurus (BC 341-270) said it best:

“Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”