Boggie Nights

Well it's another end of the summer and that means the end of Concerts in the Park. My Husband and I braved 105 degree weather, to watch Boogie Nights.

The last time I was there, was 4 years ago for CTA: Chicago Transit Authority. Click the link to take you back to my review of that concert.

I had wanted to see Boogie Nights mostly because they are the closest that any performer gets to star status, for this concert year. They have played Concerts in the Park several times over the past 25 years and each time, I wanted to see them. They are based in Las Vegas and so I figured they were pros.

I won on that bet, they are indeed pros and they gave the audience exactly what they came for. The hits.

The audience generally is younger than I am and they bring their young children, who they give lots of sugar. It makes for a bit of a madhouse and I am sorry to say the band doesn't get the love they probably expect. I wrote about that part of the experience, HERE. But onward to the concert.

Boggie Nights opened their show with (surprise) "Boogie Nights". I was glad to hear it, because that was what I kept singing in my head. They then went on to play "Brick House" and as I worked my way up to the front to take a few photos, they broke into the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive". Great song choice, in my humble opinion and as I walked back to my seat, I felt that I was John Travolta walking the streets of Brooklyn. :-)

Other songs I remember:

"Dancing Queen"
"Play That Funky Music"
"You Should Be Dancing"
"Le Freak"
"Car Wash"
"We are Family"
"Celebration"

They closed with "YMCA" and then "The Hustle"

The show lasted 1:45, which for this crowd, was just about perfect.

Nice evening, all in all.

More Clouds

During the same week as the popcorn clouds, we had an evening when thunder storms were in our area. Unfortunately, they did not get to us to give us drought stopping rain, but they did make quite a cloud show.

I was impressed with the look and took a photo.

That is a Kindercare Child Care Center, right behind our favorite Chinese Restaurant.

Darn, make the drought stop.

Twisted Colossus

I wrote about the closure of Colossus, back in June. You can read the original post HERE.

They said there would be a video on the 28th and they kept their word.

Check out the video that they posted on Youtube. THIS is what is taking over for the Colossus roller coaster.

What do I think? Well, I am happy that there will still be the white wood, out at the edge of the parking lot.

It has been a landmark for decades.

Will I ride this one...honestly, I am not sure. I think my roller coaster days are far behind me.

Interesting though.

Clouds At My Workplace

These were the clouds that showed up in Los Angeles about a week or so ago.

Popcorn clouds or Cumulus clouds, are not usually in our area often...especially in the summer because we don't get rain.

Surprise! We had some weird humid weather and along with rain in areas of Los Angeles, came some popcorn clouds and I almost missed my bus home, taking a photo of them.

When your corner of the world is blue sky and sun, every day, you take any excuse to show off some differences.

The Pointe (my workplace) is reflecting some of them, over on the left side of the photo.

Enjoy.

Burr Oaks

While I wait for my Burbank Bus, out in front of The Pointe, I stand by some oak trees.

I really didn't notice them...until recently.

They are very slender trees and some of them actually are full of huge nuts. Other trees don't have a thing on them.

A squirrel was running up the tree I was standing by and that is when I noticed that it is the fullest tree of all. Holding hundreds of nuts!

So I took some photos of the trees, intending to find out what species they are. A man standing by the tree today mentioned that they are Burr Oaks. It is the State Tree of Iowa, where he is from.

As usual, I go looking for more on the Internet and this is what I found.

The Burr Oak has the largest nuts of all the oaks, which is why I noticed the tree in the first place. It may grow about a foot a year and may live for 400 years!

The reason why some oaks have nuts and others don't is a matter of survival. The tree in bloom that year makes so many nuts, that the predators have no way of eating all of them and so the the remaining nuts will make new trees and continue the species.

The tree mostly grows in mid-America, in states like Iowa. :-)

Vaca Frita (Cuban Shredded Beef)

Another from the Cuban episode of America's Test Kitchen.

This one was much yummier than the one from last week.

Again, many thanks to Blogger My Year With Chris.

Vaca Frita (Cuban Shredded Beef)

2 Lbs boneless beef chuck-eye roast
Kosher salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 limes: 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1/2 onion
2 tablespoons dry sherry

When selecting the beef, choose a well-marbled roast.

Pull the roast apart at the fat seams. Trim away any large knobs of fat, but don’t remove all visible fat. You will use some of the rendered fat in stead of vegetable oil. Cut the beef into 1-1/2″ cubes.

Place 12″ non-stick skillet over medium-high burner, add beef cubes, 2 cups of water and 1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (or 5/8 teaspoons table salt). Bring up to a boil.

Reduce burner to low, cover the skillet, and allow beef to gently simmer for 1h45m, until the beef becomes very tender. Chris Kimball suggest that you check the beef every 30 minutes, adding water so that the lower 1/3 of beef remains submerged. However, I saw very little evaporation during the simmering, and did not have to add any water.

Meanwhile, press 3 garlic cloves directly into a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. In a second small bowl, add orange juice, lime zest and lime juice. Set aside both bowls until Step 12. Cut onion in half and thinly slice.

After 1h 45m, increase burner to medium and remove the lid from skillet to allow the water to evaporate. Allow to simmer for 3 to 8 minutes, or until all water evaporates and the beef begins to sizzle.

Using slotted spoon, move the cooked beef to a rimmed baking sheet, then pour fat from skillet into a small bowl.

Place sheet of aluminum foil over beef and, flatten the beef with a meat pounder or a heavy sauté pan until it is 1/8″ pieces. Pick through to remove any large pieces of fat or connective tissue. Some of the beef will become shreds, but most will resemble skirt steak in texture. If some pieces are too large you can just tear them in half.

Rinse out the skillet and dry it using paper towels to dry; put over high burner. Add back 1-1/2 teaspoons reserved fat to skillet (supplement with vegetable oil if you don’t have enough). Pre-heat until the fat begins to sizzle, then saute onion and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt for 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions become golden brown and some spots become charred.

Add sherry and another 1/4 cup water. Cook for 2 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Empty onion to bowl (you can use your serving bowl to minimize clean-up).

Put now empty skillet back over high burner, adding 1-1/2 teaspoons reserved fat (supplement with vegetable oil if you don’t have enough). Again, pre-heat until the fat begins to sizzle. Add beef and cook for between 2 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef becomes crusty and dark golden brown.

Decrease burner to low heat, and move beef to sides of skillet. Saute garlic mixture in the center of the skillet for 30 seconds, then remove skillet from burner. Add orange juice mixture and sauteed onion, and stir until combined.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately with wedges of lime.

Jones Beach Turned 85

My Water Post For Today.

Earlier this month (on August 4th), Jones Beach turned 85 years old. They had a party at the beach with cupcakes and such and celebrated the fact that, in spite of it all, Jones Beach is still there and still in operation.

This photo is actually taken at Fire Island National Seashore, looking toward the Jones Beach area of the South Shore. The Water tower you see is one of two that grace the area. The other is actually at Jones Beach, where Wantagh Parkway meets the shore.

It is a wonderful area, even at the time of year when this photo was taken...as you can see the beach is not yet ready for its summer visitors and the waves are huge.

If you have access to Newsday, you can read more about it HERE.

Enjoy.

Charlotte Russe

Many years ago, I was a young girl growing up on Long Island in New York. Our immigrant ancestors were not far removed from our generation and so things from the "Old Country" were more prevalent in those days. A Charlotte Russe must have been one of them.

A real (read original) Charlotte Russe was a confection served to royalty and the thought is that when the immigrants came to New York, they modified the food to be eaten by the vast immigrant population in the new Country. The fact that it could be held in your hand and eaten on the run, made it especially attractive to the Jewish population, who could not mix meat and dairy at their dinner meal. In the case of the Italian population, we didn't care about that restriction, but maybe after seeing it in other bakeries, it probably reminded them a bit of a traditional Italian dessert, Zuppa Inglese. Thus, their bakeries started making them, too. As a matter of fact, in my travels, I saw some recipes that added liquor to the sponge cake, which adds some truth to my theory.

I have not had one of these things since the 60's, but I will never forget eating one and pushing the cake up from the bottom of the tube, as the whipped cream disappeared (sort of like eating a pop up ice cream).

CHARLOTTE RUSSE

The following recipe was found in THIS article. Photo is from Holtermann's Bakery on Staten Island. As far as I can tell, this is the only place that still makes this yummy delicacy from my childhood. Glad I found it.

For cake:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Raspberry jam
15 Maraschino cherries
Chocolate sprinkles or shavings (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10x15 inch nonstick jellyroll pan.*
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, set aside.
In a mixing bowl using a wire whisk or electric beaters, whip the egg whites and water together, gradually adding 1/2 cup of sugar, until mixture is thick, bright white, and glossy. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, using a wire whisk or electric beaters, whisk the egg yolks until thickened and slightly lighter in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup of sugar followed by the vanilla and beat until quite thick and pale. Gently fold the yolks into the whites with a rubber spatula, then fold in the dry ingredients until just combined; be careful not to over-mix.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned and springy to the touch. Remove pan from oven and set on a wire rack to cool slightly. Cut out rounds of cake with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter and set aside.
With a chilled wire whisk or electric beaters, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the confectioners’ sugar and continue whipping until it forms stiff peaks.
Assemble the Charlotte Russe: Place a round of sponge cake at the bottom of a paper cup or small glass. Top with a teaspoon of raspberry jam, followed by a generous dollop of whipped cream. If desired, spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fit with a star tip and pipe into the cup. Top with a cherry and chocolate sprinkles, if desired.

A jellyroll pan works best but if you don’t have one, substitute a 9x13 inch nonstick baking pan. Butter the pan generously, and increase baking time to 15-18 minutes.

The Final Oswego By Air Film

Earlier in the year, I found a small 1:56 clip from a video called Oswego By Air. I said at the time, that when the full video was completed, I would post it. Well, the day has arrived and yes, I finally found it.

Oswego By Air (The Full 8:30 Video).

Enjoy

My Final Project For Integrated Media, Finally Has A 50th Anniversary Home

Back in March and April of this year I did 16 posts about KCET shows from the past and also things we did while working at KCET. If you are a reader of this blog, you probably remember them. They originally posted in a section of the KCET website called TV Talk.

Well they finally got the 50th Anniversary pages going and they made a home for my posts!

I was so gratified to see that. You can check them out HERE.

They took the time to do a bit of rewriting on them, to make them more relevant to today. Especially, they took the top explanation of who I am and moved that to the very bottom of the posts. I personally am fine with that.

Oh, check out the cool logos through the years, on the top left hand corner. I think they did an outstanding job on it.

Saving the best for last...they finally made a Donate Button! I cried for that literally for 2 months.

KCET is counting down to our Anniversary, on September 28th.

Half Sour Pickles

I got some pickling cucumbers from the people at Abundant Harvest Organics and so I had to put them up. I found a great recipe from Brooklyn Farm Girl.

Hopefully, they will turn out OK.

See me again in a week. :-)

Half Sour Pickles

Ingredients

5 kirby cucumbers (or however many you can fit into your jar)
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
few pieces of fresh dill
3 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup sea salt
6 cups water
additional whole coriander seeds and peppercorns to add on top

Instructions

Wash your cucumbers.
Dissolve your sea salt in the water.
Grind up all the dry ingredients (coriander, mustard seeds, peppercorns, 2 bay leaves). If you don’t have a mortar/pestle, throw it in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
Put the cucumbers in your jar.
Put the minced garlic in the jar, then ground up spices, then pour the salt water mixture on top. If you have any water left, disregard it. Add a few pieces of fresh dill on top.
Add in your additional coriander seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf.
Make sure your cucumbers are completely covered in water and close the jar.
Put in the refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 4 days before eating.
Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is for a half gallon jar. Please make sure you are using this size as it's important for the salt to water ratio.

For a crunchy pickle add 1/4 teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp Granules at the end.

Cuban Picadillo

It was Cuban cooking day and I saw this recipe on the TV show, America's Test Kitchen. Since (for some reason) it looked good enough to make, I went searching for the recipe online. Remember, you need to find an ATK recipe on someone else's site, since ATK is by subscription only.

This kind cook and Blogger (who is obviously taking a page from the movie, Julie and Julia), had the recipe. I have a feeling I will be revisiting his wonderful website, often.

Cuban Picadillo

1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
1 lb ground pork
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Salt and pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 garlic cloves, minced
14-1/2 ounce can whole tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup raisins
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

In a medium bowl, combine beef, pork, water, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon table salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stem and seed you bell pepper and cut into 2″ pieces. Cut the onion in half and then into 2″ pieces. Process the bell pepper and onions separately if you have a small food processor. Pulse about 12 times until the pieces are chopped to about 1/4″.

Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high burner, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and preheat until the oil begins to shimmer. Saute chopped vegetables, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt for 6 to 8 minutes. While the vegetables cook, drain your tomatoes and chop them coarsely, and peel your garlic cloves. When the vegetables have begun to brown, press your 6 garlic cloves and saute them for 30 seconds, then add tomatoes and 3/4 cup wine, using the liquid to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until it becomes almost dry.

Add 1/2 cup beef broth, 1/2 cup raisins and 3 bay leaves bring up to a simmer, then reduce burner to medium-low. Add meat to the pot in 2″ chunks. Return to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and eventually using 2 forks to break the meat into 1/4-to-1/2″ chunks. Meanwhile coarsely chop your olives, and rinse your capers.

Remove the bay leaves, and add chopped olives and capers. Increase burner to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes. The sauce should become thick and should coat the meat. Add vinegar and adjust seasoning (salt, pepper and vinegar) according to your taste. Serve.

Back to me, Angel.
I did not use capers, but I did use everything else and I enjoyed it. I cooked the meat in a fry pan and then transferred it over to the pot, to get most of the fat out of the dish. I don't think that bothered anything.

I personally think it would be excellent, served with rice. Enjoy.

American Experience: JFK

I worked with a man at KCET for years and years. He and another former staffer (now his wife) left us, due to her completing her Masters in her home town (sound familiar?) He went with her and married her and when she completed her Masters, he sent out resumes and that led to them moving up to Boston, where he got a job at WGBH. He works on the promos for the national production series, "American Experience". For some reason, he ended up working on the production of a 2 part show called JFK. He was one of the producers on part 1, the younger days of John F. Kennedy.

While I was up in Oswego, I watched the show, because I knew he had a part of it. It is hard not to be impressed with anything coming out about JFK, especially on the 50th Anniversary of his passing. It was an excellent show and it was nominated for a National EMMY.

That brings us to this past weekend, when the Creative Arts EMMYs were announced and JFK beat out the rest of the competition and won that EMMY!

Glenn, not being a very happy person in front of the camera, did manage to smile for the official photo (he is on the far right).

Yes, I was so very happy to see him, and the rest of the team, win.

Good Job!

The North Platte River In Wyoming

My Water Post For Today.

This photo is from our train trip across the Country.

Once in a while the announcer on the train brings something to our attention. That is what happened here.

They made an announcement that the North Platte River was coming up and I managed to get a quick photo of it, as we crossed a bridge.

It didn't look too impressive to me and after doing the research on it, I found out that it has 9 dams along the way and that this causes the river to be a very small one with lots of mud and not much depth.

The thing that makes it amazing is the fact that it runs 500 miles, from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, to its confluence with the South Platte River in North Platte, Nebraska. The two rivers (now one) then become the Platte River and drain into the Missouri River at Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The Missouri drains into the Mississippi River, just north of St. Louis and then the water heads out to the Gulf.

I found the history interesting and I hope you did too. As the 49er's used to say: The Platte River was "too thick to drink, too thin to plow", but it brought growth and green trees to a desolate part of the Great Plains.

Enjoy.

Community Supported Agriculture

So, I took the step. I signed up for an organization called Abundant Harvest Organics.

What you are seeing in the photo is my first delivery, that I picked up at our local college on Saturday. The fruits and vegetables come in a cute little plastic crate that folds up after use. You bring it back the next time you get your order and so it goes.

No cardboard boxes used in this transaction and (of course) no store bags. Of course I had to pack them into little plastic bags when I got home, but that's life. So what did I get? First off, I introduced myself and told the lady that I was a first time AHO user. She started to explain about what was in the little box and I happened to see some figs and asked if they were in my box. She said that no, they weren't, but she had 2 extra little containers of figs and would I like one of them? I told her I used to have a tree back when I lived in Canyon Country and so yes, I love them. So she gave them to me. Win!

Next, she showed me that they had left over produce from their delivery day on Tuesday at our Whole Foods and that I was welcome to take from that box. So I took the little eggplant (very firm, so no worries about it being bad) and I took 2 pickling cucumbers, for my guy. Hopefully we will make some half sour dills from them. We tried this once, a long time ago and it wasn't a big deal. I just have to find a jar to put them in.

Here's what came in my box.

Bell Pepper (3 Red Peppers)
5 Carrots
1 small Cauliflower
Dark Red Grapes (2 bunches)
Lettuce (not sure what type)
2 Red Potatoes and 5 mini Yellow Potatoes
Savory (an herb wrapped in a bunch)
2 Shallots
3 Tomatoes
1 Watermelon (I had quite a choice here, but went small, since I still have some at home)

On our agenda are a couple of America's Test Kitchen recipes that will use some of these ingredients. Expect posts sometime next week on that.

We decided to make potato salad with the potatoes, leaving the skin on. More on that, later.

Oh and I am hoping to make some homemade stuffing, to use up a loaf of white bread I have in the freezer and plan on adding some of the savory. It can't hurt. :-)

That's it, now let's see if it works out for me.