Tag Archives: Home

Mar1

Cupid Party

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……..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..

 

Dec18

Havre de Grace

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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

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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.

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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”. 

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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……

 

 

Nov27

Thelma & Louise at the Greek Festival – Baltimore, Maryland

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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.”

 

Aug15

Useful Advice and Thoughtful Quotes

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This Summer is one that has brought an overbearing heat wave to the Emerald City

It is so hot you could fry an egg on the Tin Man’s head!

The water well is barely hanging on so therefore the garden had been left to die….

….all this oppression has made it difficult to run about in the Enchanted Forest and gather fodder for this blog!

I did run across these wonderful tidbits of advice and some marvelous quotes; I thought you might enjoy…

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

 

There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness”

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

You should never confuse your career with your life

Nobody cares if you can’t dance well…..just get up and dance!

Never lick a steak knife

You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason

why we observe daylight savings time

You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she is pregnant

unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment

There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. 

That time is age eleven

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside,

we ALL believe that we are above average drivers

A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person

Never be afraid to try something new…….remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. 

A large group of professionals built the Titanic

“I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls.  They always say because it’s such a beautiful animal.

There you go.  I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.”

Ellen DeGeneres

“A lady came up to me on the street and pointed at my suede jacket: 

“You know a cow was murdered for that jacket?!?!!”, she sneered.

I replied in a psychotic tone,

“I didn’t realize there were any witnesses, now I’ll have to kill you too!”

Jake Johansen

“If your parents never had children, chances are you won’t either.”

Dick Cavett

“Thou shalt not kill.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.  Don’t eat pork. 

I’m sorry, what was that last one??  Don’t eat pork.  God has spoken

Is that the word of God or is that pigs trying to outsmart everybody?”

Jon Stewart

May15

Visiting the Neighbors – Enjoying the Garden

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The Garden Gate

  We have a big garden and try to grow plants that we can harvest and enjoy all year round.

Today, I decided to see what the neighbors were up to….

…I had seen them busy with their homes over the past few weeks…..

They were all occupied inside so I went on to visit the other neighbors………….

They expressed their dismay at my not bringing any vegetable scraps or at least some weed pullings so I moved on…..

the magnolia has been blooming so wonderfully this year…..

We have had several years of very harsh weather and this Spring and Summer have been filled with mild temperatures and wonderful rain so you can see the flowers giving thanks…….

 

The Gardner found this beauty on the property and brought it home to enjoy.

We are still harvesting Artichokes, so many that we have decided to let some bloom and enjoy the wonderful flowers…..
………..you do remember The Demoniac Vegetable – Artichokes blog post don’t you??!?

………but enough of all this let’s go to the garden….

all sorts of wonders…..corn, green beans, okra, white onions, yellow onions, red onions, cabbage……oh my!

………and then yummy cabbage…..when you garden organically, even the bugs get to eat a little…….


………almost ready for the kitchen…….


….the Fennel so prolific, we are unable to eat all the bulbs….

..now blooming and producing seed…….yum, more for next year……


..the carrots peeking out…..


….beautiful peaches…hopefully the squirrels won’t eat them all……..


….Figs…..they never make it out of the garden….we eat them right off the trees..

..this tree is from a cutting from my Great Grandmother’s tree……sigh…..


..even pears this year……..yippee….

More Sqaush growing

Elmer beat me to the Garden and has harvested this morning’s Yellow Crook Neck Squash and Honduran Beans. Here they are nestled in his shirt.

The Herbs are going wild…….for years I so longed for fresh herbs and now I have a jungle of them….

..sometimes I wish I was a cat so I could just roll around in them and enjoy the beautiful fragrances……

Beautiful Basil

…….Omnipotent Oregano……..

…..Timid…..yet Terrific Thyme……

…..Tender Tarragon……..

….Powerful and Potent Papalo….

…………back to the kitchen…….the rains are starting again……

………the counter full of garden goodies…….green beans…….

 
…….marvelous……..magnificant………beets….

……..cabbage already in the steamer……..

……then the final creation…….Augustine has worked his magic on the wonders from the garden and produced a Magnificent Vegetable Soup…..complete with garnish of Jalapenos, Fresh Lemon and Avocado………

…..I saved you a bowl…..wish you could join me……

May8

Pasta Making – Mazara del Vallo – Sicily

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During the second World War, Vito Gallo made a bet with a companion-in-arms that if  he could make a safe return home to Mazasra del Vallo, Sicily, he would set up a large pasta factory where he would produce one of the best Italian pastas.  He was convinced, in fact, that the values of peace, friendship and family could also be enjoyed around a table. 

Since then the Pastificio Gallo has been producing pasta that appeals to everyone’s taste, thanks to its taste, savour and smell.   This is pasta that makes you experience the yellowing Sicilian cornfields, the burning sun and the beautiful sea breeze.

The recipe comes from Vito Gallo’s sons Natale and Calogero who are personally engaged in the selection of the best hard wheat bran of Sicily, as well as the daily monitoring of the various production stages.

Vito Gallo has succeeded in winning this ancient bet with his marvelous pasta and I had the grand privilege of touring his amazing factory and watching the pasta in action.

From the tons of and selected flour that arrives around the clock to the flour silos…

the pasta is made into large sheets that continually pour from the machines towards the bronze dies that will cut the most amazing shapes……..

out come all the marvelous pastas on their way to the drying bins…..

the drying bins turn the pasta and dry it at a very low temperature………the pasta spends from six to twelve hours in the drying bins………

the out comes the most fragrant, beautiful pasta……..

treated like gold by the Gallo sons…….

then it is off to the packaging portion of the process…..

the robots stack and wrap the packages of pasta……


and then it is off to all parts of the world…………

but this is my favorite part of the entire process………

Mangiare Con Gusto!

Flag of the Sicilian Region Italiano: Bandiera...

Flag of the Sicilian Region Italiano: Bandiera della Regione Siciliana Sicilianu: Bannera dâ Riggiuni Siciliana Deutsch: Flagge der Sizilianischen Region (oder der Autonomen Region Sizilien) Français : Drapeau de la Région Sicilienne Español: Bandera de la Región Siciliana Polski: Flaga Regionu Sycylia Português: Bandeira da Região Siciliana (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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May2

Lunch on the Beach – Ristorante La Pineta : Marinella di Selinute – Sicily

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The weather was perfect, about 70 degrees, the sky clear and the Mediterranean breeze so very refreshing.  We were off on an exploration and my senses were heightened with anticipation of what we might encounter. 

We pulled the car over to the side of the road, at the edge of a cliff, sloping steeply to the beach below, as I peered over the edge the most beautiful, isolated beach came into view.

 
It was then that my companions turned to me and informed me that I was in for the culinary experience of a lifetime…………all I saw at the base of the earthen staircase was a small unassuming building with some beach chairs outside. I thought perhaps that we did not share the same culinary visions…………….but I trusted, so off we went to Ristorante La Pineta

I was reminded about so many beach front restaurants that I have visited in the past…………extremely casual, relaxed and promising below mediocre food and service. Inside I groaned and thought of all the other wonderful places on the island of Sicily we could now be. Then it began………….
A pure symphony of food and service…………I nearly swooned and soon forgot that there were any others in my presence; I so became one with this culinary experience. The very lines between reality and the tastes, smells and vision of the most marvelous food became blurry and the air around me seemed to shimmer with the perfect harmony of smell, taste and sight. This was nirvana!

I had been transported to a celestial table and Edesia herself was presiding over this magic.

The notes awaiting the skillful hands of the Chef to arrange them into a marvelous symphony

The antipasto arrived one dish at a time………..here they are nestled together…..

Octopus – Swordfish – Anchioves – Shrimp

…but now it was time……..the orchestra had warmed up and the room filled with the fullness of the majesty of the symphony…..

The melodic sweet and light clams dancing like the notes of the woodwinds in front of the uplifting notes of the French Horn – Trombone and Trumpet Pasta entwined by the Drums – Snares and Tympani of the Olive Oil and Herbs

……….the composer does not rest……….. he completes the symphony by joining the complex movement of Mussels – Shrimp – Clams into a euphony that brings the participants to a near euphoria….

the eyes are rolling back, the palms sweating profusely………the heart no longer rhymthic….the conducter senses that the audience must be calmed and introduces

a simple melody of fresh fruit to return us back to the earthly plane……..


………..we slump in our chairs and hold on to the fleeting glory that just passed us ……… like satiated lovers…..

we wander into the sunlight and delight in our experience….

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Apr18

Baltimore, Maryland

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Remember the wonderful Aztec people we visited in the rainforest?……….. NO!

Well check out Mountain Top Rain Forest, Mexico with the Aztec People.

Turns out our favorite Modern Aztec Warrior lives in Baltimore now so we went off to visit him.

The Daring - Dashing Diego

We had a marvelous visit and so enjoyed Federal Hill Park

which provided the most magnificent views of the Inner Harbor.

 

There be Dragons Here!

We enjoyed some great seafood at some local restaurants

Oyster Stew and Maryland Crab Soup

Crab Imperial and Green Beans

We visited the Famous Cross Street Market and Enjoyed All the Wonderful Merchants

 

Cream of Crab Soup

But enough of this……….the Aztec Warrior takes us off to fare more of his liking………..

A Molcajete fiery hot from the oven filled with Cactus, Shrimp, Beef, Chorizo and Chicken in a rich, thick, spicy sauce!

 

and a visit with Diego would not be complete without him

playing the guitar and singing his most beautiful songs to us……

…..we also took the chance to celebrate Augustine’s Birthday!!!

The food was wonderful, the sights delightful, but most of all it was so, so very incredible to see our Diego……..

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Mar21

The Demoniac Vegetable — Artichokes

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“Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke.”

Bette Davis in All About Eve

I have so loved artichokes, even since I was a young boy. I find their rather uninviting, yet intriguing exterior to be a wonder…..much like the lobster…who was the first person brave enough to decide that this was something to eat?!!? And then there is the eating process itself: pulling off leaves and sliding them between your upper and lower teeth to remove flesh, having to avoid the choke…because if you don’t …. you will….choke, that is!  Finding the tender heart and snatching it out to slowly devour it, dripping with hot butter. Wow — sounds a bit ritualistic and frightening.

Rather than go into the bloody detail of it all, if your are interested in step-by-step directions, go to: http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-an-Artichoke

The more I think and write on this subject the more I wonder why I even began! So in my just-past-middle-aged wisdom, I decided to grow my own artichokes…… what else should an aging Tin Man do to entertain himself (?), my rusty knees  can’t get in and out of an inappropriate sports car and it is too hard to keep a toupee on top of this funnel head! In my first attempt, I order plants [at a whim] and put them in the garden ….. during the drought, when temperatures remained over 100 degrees — did I mention that artichokes like cooler temperatures……so I nursed my plants through the searing heat, as they turned their burnt faces up to me every day and wondered why I was holding them hostage in this horrific hades of a place. As the temperatures cooled and they began to look as though survival was possible, a young lad offered to till the garden…………yes, you guessed it  …..goodbye artichokes!

So as the Fall approached, with promises of a mild Winter, I began my quest once again….and found an amazing person who sends the most wonderful plants in the world: http://www.sweetheartartichokes.com/buy.htm  Should you ever decide that you too want to wander down this path, I strongly suggest acquiring plants from her.

So the plants arrived and were so most lovely…………………… into the ground they went far from the garden, in a place the tiller could not go! Guess what……Spring is here and we have ARTICHOKES!!!

You, of course, know by now that I could have purchased approximately 300 artichokes for what I have endured; however, what satisfaction would lie in taking that route!  I do know that if I am ever in possession of 300 artichokes at once, I shall give them to the flying monkeys to hail down on the head of the Wicked Witch of the West who lives at the bottom of the hill, in retribution for NEVER removing her garbage can from the curb!  Click here for more information about that.

Moving on…………see how beautiful the plants have become……so lush and green, bursting with life!

…………..and now the fruit is bursting forth!!!                                                                                                                              Somehow, I am expecting a catastrophic event to put an end to this.

Did you know that the artichoke even has its own legend!??! It seems that according to an Aegean legend and in a song by the poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, the first artichoke was a lovely young girl [Cynara] who lived on the island of Zinari. Zeus was visiting (as he often did) his brother Poseidon one day when, as he emerged from the sea, he spied a beautiful young mortal woman. She was not frightened by the presence of a god, and therefore; Zeus seduced her.

 He was so pleased with Cynara the he decided to make her a goddess, so that she could be nearer to his home on Olympia [can't you hear the church lady proclaiming: "isn't that special!"] Cynara agreed to the promotion and Zeus anticipated all sorts of trysts with her when his wife, Hera as away…..oh the lives of gods and goddesses! But as luck would have it, Cynara missed her mother and was homesick, so she snuck back to the land of mortals for a visit. Zeus found this behavior appalling and hurled her back to earth and transformed her into the plant we now know as the artichoke.

In his journal of June 19, 1576, Pierre de L’Estoile writes:

“The Queen Mother ate so much she thought she would die, and was very ill with diarrhoea. They said it was from eating too many artichoke bottoms and the combs and kidney of cockerels, of which she was very fond.”

Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well.”

Willi Hastings

“These things are just plain annoying. After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual ”food” out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. Have the shrimp cocktail instead.” 

 Miss Piggy

…………lovely thoughts………just had to share them, now go eat an artichoke!

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