The Only Salmon Recipe You'll Ever Need

I'm not Catholic, but for Lent I eat fish every Friday.  Why not?  It's on sale everywhere, and we're supposed to eat more fish.  Especially salmon.  The trouble is the only salmon I like is the salmon served at The Rusty Bucket.  Their salmon has kind of an Asian flare.  They used to serve it with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables.  Now they serve it with sticky rice, but I like it with mashed potatoes better.  Either way at $14.99 a serving, it's a costly way to get salmon into my diet.  I figured I could learn how to make it at home and save a bundle.  I googled Asian salmon and came up with several recipes.  Experimenting in the kitchen I tweaked the recipes and found exactly what I wanted:  the most delicious salmon I've ever eaten.  Easy to make, and I serve it with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables.  Last week I had it with carmelized cabbage.  Yum!

Pan-Seared Asian Salmon (Serves four, or two really hungry diners)

1 pound frozen wild-caught salmon (four fillets), thawed
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. peanut oil
black pepper

In a shallow dish combine vinegar or lemon juice, soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp. peanut oil.  Coat salmon fillets with marinade and let sit for 15 minutes.  Heat up 1 Tbsp. peanut oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Place salmon fillets in pan and sprinkle with black pepper to taste.  Cook 3-5 minutes per side.  Serve with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables.

Beatles Songs: A Baker's Dozen

Yesterday was George Harrison's 70th birthday.  The youngest Beatle would have been seventy.  How is that possible!  And recently my son declared "Let It Be" the best Beatles song, which made me wonder....If I were on a deserted island (you know, that notorious deserted island we're all destined for), which Beatles songs would I take with me.  Following are a baker's dozen of my favorites, newest to oldest.  These aren't necessarily my favorites, although they would make any island stay more pleasant.  If you had to pick one Beatles song, which one would you choose?

1. Let It Be (Let It Be, 1969, McCartney).
2. For You Blue (Let It Be 1969, Harrison).
3. Something (Abbey Road, 1969, Harrison).
4. Here Comes the Sun (Abbey Road, 1969, Harrison).
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles, 1968, Harrison).
6. Hey, Jude (Post Masters Volume 2, 1968, McCartney).
7. All You Need Is Love (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967, Lennon).
8. A Day in the Life (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967, Lennon and McCartney).
9. In My Life (Rubber Soul, 1965, Lennon).
10. Run For Your Life (Rubber Soul, 1965, Lennon).
11. If I Fell (A Hard Day's Night, 1964, Lennon).
12. All My Loving (With the Beatles, 1963, McCartney).
13. I Want to Hold Your Hand (Post Masters Volume 1, 1963, Lennon and McCartney).

All Things Must Pass

Here between Valentine's Day and President's Day, I find myself in a rather morbid frame of mind and feel the need to inventory the stars from the television shows of my formative years who have passed.  I'm not sure what prompted this macabre mood: perhaps simple nostalgia, maybe the passing of so many classic television stars last year, or possibly the St. Valentine's Day massacre paper my son wrote.  Whatever the reason, here's my tribute to my small screen idols.

I Love Lucy (1951-1957).  With the passing of Doris Singleton (Carolyn Appleby) only Shirley Mitchell (Marion Strong) and Richard Keith (Little Ricky) are still with us.  William Frawley (Fred Mertz) was the first to check out, collapsing of a heart attack at the age of 79 on March 3, 1966, while walking along Hollywood Boulevard after seeing a movie. Fitting end, given that Frawley acted in over 100 movies.  Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz) succumbed to breast and bone cancer in 1979 at the age of 70. Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo) was 69 in 1986 when he died of lung cancer.  And three years later when she was 77 everybody's favorite red head died of an acute aorta aneurysm.

Bonanza (1959-1973).  None of the Cartwrights are living.  Dan Blocker (lovable Hoss) was only 43 in 1972 when he died of a pulmonary embolism following gall bladder surgery. Following his heart surgery in 1987 Lorne Greene (Ben) died at the age of 72.  Michael Landon (Little Joe) died of pancreatic cancer in 1991 when he was 54.  Also of pancreatic cancer, Pernell Roberts (Adam) died at the age of 81 just two years ago.

The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968).  Only Ron Howard (Opie), Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou), Elinor Donahue (Ellie), and Jim Nabors (Gomer), who just last month married his life partner of 38 years, are still living.  Howard McNear (Floyd the barber) was only 63 in 1969 when he died of complications following a stroke.  Francis Bavier (Aunt Bea) died from a heart attack in 1989 when she was 86 years old.  In 1994 when he was 77 Hal Smith (Otis) also died of a heart attack.  Aneta Corsau (Helen) died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 62.  Don Knotts, at the age of 81 in 2006, died of pulmonary and respiratory complications. George Lindsey died at the age of 83 last year following a brief illness. Driving home how old some of us have become, Andy Griffith, a mere 86, died last year of a heart attack.  Fun bit of trivia: Andy Griffith and Marilyn Monroe were both born June 1, 1926.

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966).  Most of the main characters of this show are still with us: Dick Van Dyke (Rob), Mary Tyler Moore (Laura), Carl Reiner (Alan), Rose Marie (Sally), Larry Mathews (Richie), and Ann Morgan Guilbert (Millie). We have lost Morey Amsterdam (Buddy), Richard Deacon (Mel), and Jerry Paris (Jerry).  Buddy died in 1996, age 87, of a heart attack; Mel in 1984, age 63, of hypertensive heart disease; and Jerry in 1986, age 60, of a brain tumor.

That Girl (1966-1971). Marlo Thomas (Ann Marie) is still alive; she writes a blog for The Huffington Post and looks much younger than her 75 years.  Dabney Coleman and Bonnie Scott (Leon and Judy) are still with us, as is Bernie Koppell (Jerry), who also played Sigfried on Get Smart, but gone are Lew Parker (Lou, Ann's father) from lung cancer in 1972 at the age of 64, Ted Bessell (Donald Hollinger) from a heart attack at the tender age of 61 in 1996 (just four days before the birth of my son), and Rosemary DeCamp (Helen, Ann's mother) at 90 in 2001--not a bad innings.

R.I.P. and thanks for the memories!

Pork Fried Rice

I make a lot of Chinese dishes at home.  I still eat out occasionally, too.  Christmas, for instance.  We always order Chinese take-out for Christmas.  Have done for three Christmases now.  Next Christmas I'm getting Peking Duck.  I can't believe I've never eaten Peking Duck. I might not like it either, but, like cooking a live lobster, it's on my bucket list.  This past year, I added three more Chinese dishes to my repertoire:  pork chow mein (lovely throwback recipe from Woman's Day), pork lo mein (from America's Test Kitchen), and pork fried rice.  I'd found several recipes online for fried rice (chicken, pork, shrimp) and took something from each of them.  The resulting recipe is is really easy and tasty.  You don't need a wok; just a really big skillet will do the trick.

Pork Fried Rice (Four Servings)
I use pearl rice (sushi rice) which is in the Asian section of my local supermarket.  One cup of raw rice makes 3 cups of cooked rice.

8 oz. pork tenderloin
1 Tbsp peeled grated fresh ginger
3/4 tsp. Penzey's Chinese five-spice powder
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. peanut oil

2 eggs, beaten
1 head of baby bok choy1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. Penzey's minced garlic
3 cups cooked cold rice
salt and pepper

In medium bowl combine pork, ginger, five-spice powder, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Marinade at least 10 minutes.

In large skillet heat 1 Tbsp. peanut oil over medium heat.  Pour in eggs and add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until set, about one to three minutes.  Remove; let cool.  Roll up and slice crosswise into thin strips.  Set aside.

In skillet heat 1 Tbsp. peanut oil over medium-high heat.  Add pork and, tossing frequently, cook until browned, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Heat another 1 Tbsp. peanut oil.  Add bok choy, onion, and garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook stirring often 2-4 minutes, until bok choy is crisp tender.

Add rice and, tossing frequently, cook until heated through, about 2-4 minutes.

Add pork and egg, and, tossing frequently, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Serve

Why Teach Literature

One of the duties of my day job is to write a blog.  Today I posted an entry entitled Why Teach Literature, a subject near and dear to me.  The new Common Core Standards of English call for public schools to increase nonfiction reading, so that by senior year 70% of reading material be nonfiction.  In effect literature is being driven from the high school curriculum.  Read Why Teach Literature for my reasons why this is unacceptable, and let me know what you think.

Cowboy Cookies

Everybody from Laura Bush to Martha Stewart has a recipe for cowboy cookies, though no one seems sure of the origin of the name.  My guess is their gigantic size and heartiness invokes a strapping cowboy.  I first made these cookies this past Christmas, and they are already a staple of my baking.  The batch I made yesterday is gone already.  Many recipes contain pecans and coconut, which I can't include as my son has a tree nut allergy.  Not to worry, my cookies are still packed with delicious cookie goodness:  butter, sugar, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pretzels.  They also contain a hefty dose of oats, so you can tell yourself you're eating a healthy snack.  And for teenagers this is a great snack: pack a few in their lunches, and they'll stay full through weight lifting and other strenuous after-school athletic endeavors.

Cowboy Cookies (3dozen)

13/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups oats
1 tsp. coffee powder
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
l large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup thin pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces

Whisk together the flout, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and oats.

Dissolve coffee in the hot water.

Beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended.  Add coffee and vanilla.

Add half of dry ingredients.  Mix 15 seconds. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just blended.  Mix in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pretzels.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, roll into balls.  Arrange 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with hand.

Bake until edges are golden brown, about 11 to 13 minutes.  Cool slightly on sheets; then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Lum and Abner Christmas Special

One of my favorite Christmas specials is a radio drama.  Lum and Abner's traditional Christmas story, which aired every year from 1933 to 1954, is set in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, but reflects Bethlehem's nativity story.  After paying their taxes in the county seat, a young couple is forced to take up lodging in an old abandoned barn, where the wife has gone into labor.  Lum, Abner, and Grandpappy Spears, armed with blankets, an oil heater, and a box of groceries, are trudging through the snow on Christmas night to provide comfort and sustenance to the couple.  On their Christmas journey, the three old men contemplate the joy of helping others, the passage of time, and the bittersweet circle of life.

Bing Crosby Christmas

More than any entertainer, Bing Crosby is synonymous with Christmas.  In the sixties and seventies my family watched the Bing Crosby Christmas specials every year; David Bowie, of all people, guest starred on Bing's last special (Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas) in 1977, which aired posthumously.  Who hasn't heard Bing and Bowie sing "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth"?  I'm not a fan of Bing's crooning style of singing--save "Mele Kalikimaka"-- but I did love those specials and still love his Christmas movies.  If you haven't ever seen a Bing Christmas movie, watch one (or all) of them this year.

1. Holiday Inn (1942).  Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire play a singer and dancer competing for the attentions of a beautiful ingenue.
2. Going My Way (1944).  Bing plays the animated Father O'Malley who is sent to take over St. Dominic's from its crusty old priest Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitgerald).
3. The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).  Father O'Malley is back in this sequel to Going My Way.  This time he ruffles the feathers of Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman).
4. White Christmas (1954).  A song-and-dance team (Bing and Danny Kaye) become romantically involved with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen), and the four of them join forces to save the Vermont inn of a former general.

To order from Amazon, click on links below.
 Holiday Inn (Special Edition)
Going My Way (Universal Cinema Classics)
The Bells of St. Mary's
White Christmas (Anniversary Edition)
White Christmas [Blu-ray]
White Christmas (the music CD)
Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth/ White Christmas Featuring Ella Fitzgerald (7 inch 45 limited edition red vinyl)

A Little History of the World

A Little History of the World
by E. H. Gombrich
translated by Caroline Mustill
Yale University Press (2008)
304 pages
ISBN:  030014332X
All Ages

When I want to learn something about a non-fiction field I have no knowledge of, I turn to juvenile books, as they tend to give me the information I want in an entertaining way.  Like E. H. Gomrich's A Little History of the World.  Gomrich wrote the book in 1935 when he was 26, and it was first published in Vienna.  But another seventy years would pass before this brilliant little book was translated into English, a task Gromrich undertook with his assistant Caroline Musthill, who completed the undertaking after Gomrich's death in 2001.  It quickly became a bestseller; the paperback and an illustrated version followed.

Through vivid imagery, engaging storytelling, and humor, Gromrich brings to life the history of our world from the Stone Age to the Atomic Age.  He uses mirrors to demonstrate the vastness of history:  "Have you ever tried standing between two mirrors?  You will see a great long line of shiny mirrors, each one smaller that the one before, stretching away into the distance, getting fainter and fainter, so that you never see the last.  But even when you can't see them any more, the mirrors still go on.  They are there, and you know it."  And so it is with grandparents.  Who had grandparents.  Who had grandparents.  And so on.  And you can never reach the beginning, because there's always another set of grandparents.

Among the topics Gomrich explores are the inventions by cavemen, in particular speech; life in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece; the Phoenicians' sound-based alphabet ,which we still use today; the growth of religion, beginning with Judaism, the first faith to worship one and only one God; the Middle Ages, which were not all dark but rather "like a starry night...showing them the way" and the Age of Chivalry; the discovery of the New World made possible by the invention of the compass; the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution; slavery in America and the secession of the southern states; and European Imperialism and the subsequent World Wars.  Gomrich spotlights some of history's most fascinating figures including Confucius, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Jesus Christ, Charlemagne, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon, and Columbus.  Believe me, you'll be glad you picked up this book, and in the reading you'll learn some history you never knew you wanted to know.



To purchase from Amazon, click on links:

A Little History of the World
A Little History of the World: Illustrated Edition
The Band
Greatest Hits(The Band)

Christmas Carols Pick Up Where Political Ads Leave Off

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."--Willie Nelson

I heard last night on t.v. that 1,000,000 political ads aired this political season.  I know it.  Here in Ohio I saw every one of them.  The ads weren't just polluting the television airwaves; they were contaminating the radio airwaves, as well.  Finally, today, knowing I wouldn't have to put up with any more political ads, I turned on my favorite classic rock station, only to hear Brenda Lee singing "Jingle Bell Rock," followed immediately by Eartha Kitt singing "Santa Baby."  Oh no, they've started Christmas caroling already!  I can't bear it.  How can Christmas be as toxic as politics?  And how did Thanksgiving get crushed between Election Day and Christmas?  The only way to counter all the noise is to count your blessings, like Willie, and remember, in thought and deed, those less fortunate.  Here's a video of that traditional Thanksgiving hymn, "We Gather Together."

Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein (1974)
Directed by Mel Brooks
Written by Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, and Mary Shelley
Starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman and Cloris Leachman
Featuring Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, Gene Hackman, Liam Dunn and Danny Goldman

It's that time of year when it's good to watch horror movies, but on the whole I don't care for them.  I don't do slasher movies or torture porn at all.  Occasionally, a movie, such as The Ring, will scare the bejesus out of me, an experience I do not relish.  It must be an age thing:  I didn't mind having the pants scared off of me when I was in my teens and early twenties.  Back then I watched Halloween and Friday the 13th (the first one), and rode home from the movies afterwards, seeing masked Michaels and Jasons behind every tree.  But nowadays, I like to remain in a calm state during and after a movie, so I was most agitated this past weekend when, for his sixteenth birthday, my son wanted me to take him and three friends to see Sinister.  As the movie was R-rated, I couldn't just drop them off; I had to go in and watch it with them.  Fortunately, the movie was rather banal and did not give me nightmares.  In any case, Arsenic and Old Lace and Ghostbusters are more my speed.

My favorite movie to watch in the weeks leading up to Halloween is Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein.  A parody of 1930s classical horror flicks, the movie is filmed in black and white, and uses other classic cinema techniques of the horror genre, including scene transitions such as iris outs, wipes, and fades to black, and a significant period soundtrack by composer John Morris.  Dr. Victor Frankenstein's grandson (Gene Wilder), who has spent his life distancing himself from his notorious relative, even changing the pronunciation of his last name, inherits the family castle in Transylvania.  When he finds his grandfather's how-to manual for reanimating corpses, he finds he is not so different from his crazy ancestor.  With Igor (Marty Feldman) and Inga (Teri Garr) assisting him in the laboratory, he gives life to a monster (Peter Boyle) who only wants to be loved.  Following is a snippet of dialogue from the scene in which Frankenstein meets Igor.

Igor: Dr. Frankenstein...
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: "Fronkensteen."
Igor: You're putting me on.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No, it's pronounced "Fronkensteen."
Igor: Do you also say "Froaderick"?
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No... "Frederick."
Igor: Well, why isn't it "Froaderick Fronkensteen"?
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: It isn't; it's "Frederick Fronkensteen."
Igor: I see.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: You must be Igor.
[He pronounces it ee-gor]
Igor: No, it's pronounced "eye-gor."
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: But they told me it was "ee-gor."
Igor: Well, they were wrong then, weren't they?

What movies do you like to watch for Halloween?  (Click here for a list of good Halloween movies.)



To order from Amazon:
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein [Blu-ray]

You Say It's Your Birthday

Today, my son's sixteenth birthday, marks the end of our birthday season, which begins September 30 with my daughter's birthday, peaks October 7 with mine, and closes on October 10.  (My husband is off by himself back in the middle of June.)  September and October tend to have more births than other months; no surprise there as the winter holiday season is nine months earlier.  If you are celebrating a birthday, you might enjoy one of these birthday movies.  You might enjoy one if you aren't celebrating a birthday.

1. The Little Princess (1939).  Shirley Temple is Sarah who learns on her eleventh birthday that her father has been killed in the Second Boer War; as a result she is banished the to the servants' quarters of the boarding school she attends.
2. Dumbo (1941).  A stork delivers an adorable big-eared baby elephant to its circus elephant mama.
3. Sleeping Beauty (1959).  Maleficent lays this curse on Sleeping Beauty on her first birthday:  She will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die before her sixteenth birthday.
4. The Birds (1963).  Cathy's eleventh birthday party is crashed by a flock of crazed seagulls.
5. Harold and Maude (1971).  Maude's plan for her eightieth birthday is in direct opposition to Harold's plan to propose to this animated woman he's known for only a couple of days.
6. Sixteen Candles (1984).  John Hughes' classic coming-of-age movie centers on Samantha (Molly Ringwald) whose entire family has forgotten her sixteenth birthday.
7. Uncle Buck (1989).  The french toast I made for my son this morning can't hold a candle to the giant birthday pancake Buck (John Candy) makes for nephew Miles (Macaulay Culkin).
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001).  On his eleventh birthday Harry receives an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
9. Signs (2002).  Morgan's seventh birthday is ruined by an uninvited extraterrestrial guest.
10. 13 Going on 30 (2004).  I love this chick flick version of Big.  On her thirteenth birthday, unpopular Jenna wishes to fast forward to 30.  When 30-year-old Jenna (Jennifer Garner) awakes, she remembers nothing of the past 17 years.

To order these movies from Amazon, click on the links below.
 The Little Princess
Dumbo
Dumbo (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack in Blu-ray Packaging)
Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition)
Sleeping Beauty (Two-Disc Platinum Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo + BD Live) [Blu-ray]
The Birds (Collector's Edition)
The Birds [DVD + Digital Copy] (Universal's 100th Anniversary)
Harold and Maude (Criterion Collection)
Harold and Maude (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
Sixteen Candles (High School Reunion Collection)
Sixteen Candles (Universal 100th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Uncle Buck
 Uncle Buck [Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy]
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Two-Disc Special Widescreen Edition) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [Blu-ray]
 Signs [Blu-ray]
13 Going on 30 (Fun & Flirty Edition)
The White Album

Read a Banned Book

"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all." - Oscar Wilde

September 30-October 6 is Banned Book Week.  Celebrate by reading one of these frequently banned  young adult and juvenile books:

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.  This one's got something for everyone who likes banning books:  homosexuality, suicide, profanity, drugs, teen sex.
2. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson.  This is the true story of two gay penguins who hatch an egg in New York's Central Park Zoo.  Enough said?
3. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.  Banned for racism.  Ironic, given that it was one of the first books to raise the question of race inequity.
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.  Language, sexual content, violence, high school gangs.
5. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  Among its sins is the promotion of witchcraft.
6. The House on Mango Street.  This one's a cornucopia for book banners: poverty, ethnicity, violence, and abuse.
7. Where's Wally? by Martin Handford.  A sunbather in one scene partially exposes her breast.
8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.  Witchcraft, crystal balls, and anti-religious subtext landed this one in hot water.
9. Goosebumps by R. L. Stine.  Too scary for kids.
10. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein.  One of the poem's encourages children to be messy and disobedient.  Others deal with the supernatural, i.e. demons and ghosts. 

For more banned juvenile and young adult books, click here. 

  

To purchase these books at Amazon, click on links below:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
And Tango Makes Three
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Chocolate War Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)
The House on Mango Street
Where's Wally?
Where's Waldo? The Complete Collection
A Wrinkle in Time: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition
Goosebumps HorrorLand Boxed Set #1-4
A Light in the Attic Special Edition