“If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer.” – Alfred North Whitehead
Friday, May 09, 2008
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
The other night, Andy, Dick and I went to watch the Yankees lose to the Indians at Yankee Stadium. That is not why we went, of course. We went for the hot dogs, popcorn, beer and peanuts. And, we had optimism the home team would win.
This was a special event for me for a couple of reasons. First, this was only the second pro baseball game I’ve ever been to. The first was to watch the Rockies play the Yankees at Coors Field in Denver many years ago (the Rockies lost a lot back then.) The second reason was that this is the last year the Yankees will play in the current Yankee Stadium and I wanted to experience a game there before they tear it down.
The current Yankee Stadium was built in 284 working days in 1922 and 1923 and opened on April 18, 1923 in a game against the Boston Red Sox. Babe Ruth, a recent acquisition from the Red Sox hit a 3-run homer leading the Yankees to a 4-1 win. It was Babe Ruth’s popularity that drew over 74,000 fans to the game at “The House That Ruth Built.”
A new stadium is being built right next to the old one. It looks beautiful. And, I look forward to a game there next year.
Posted under: Stuff You Gotta Know! • by Rick on 05/09/2008 at 04:24 PM
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Sunday, May 04, 2008
Morel
When in Colorado, I spent hours walking our mountain land each Spring looking for morel mushrooms. There are two types in Colorado, a “yellow” or “white” morel that grows at lower altitudes, usually along stream banks under Cottonwood trees. And, the black morel—a mountain mushroom that grows in mixed forest—a rare treat indeed. I never found a sample of either!
Imagine my surprise and excitement today when I was planting a few flowers by the front door of our house in New Jersey when I discovered this treat:
Posted under: Mushroom Articles • by Rick on 05/04/2008 at 12:36 PM
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Thursday, March 13, 2008
Shopping Around Pays Off
Since our recent trip to Cancun, we’ve been exploring Mexican food more. And, not the typical Tex Mex or even the food like I grew up on in New Mexico. But, more fish and pork and sauces.
Some recipes call for slow roasting meat wrapped in banana leaves. So, I went in search of banana leaves. I started online, of course (although we did check to see if Goya had any in our local ShopRite.) Banana leaves come frozen in 1 pound packages. The worst deal I found online was for one package for about $5.00 and, since they must be shipped frozen, about $40 in shipping. The best deal I found online was for 3 packages at $3.50 each ($10.00 minimum order….) and $30 shipping. So, that would be just over $40 for 3 one pound packages.
Lynne had a great idea suggesting I check a local Asian food market that is less than a mile from where I work.
Sure enough, they had one pound packages of frozen banana leaves, imported from the Philippines. The woman dug one package out of the freezer and rang me up. $1.29 including tax.
Posted under: Stuff You Gotta Know! • by Rick on 03/13/2008 at 08:09 PM
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Blood and Thunder
I grew up in New Mexico. I lived near a Mescalero Apache Indian reservation. When I moved from New Mexico and lived in other parts of the country and world, I used to make fun about “fighting indians” when I was growing up. (Which really did happen since we went to the same schools.)
I’ve driven through Navajo country and admired the scenery and the people and their culture. Lynne and I own an authentic Navajo rug which is hung on the wall of our Colorado cabin.
Living in Colorado, we’ve heard about the Sand Creek Massacre.
Living in New Mexico, I’m familiar with Carson county and stories of Kit Carson.
I’ve been to Fort Craig and camped and dug for Civil War memorabilia.
Here is a book about the settling of the West. It is really a biography of Kit Carson to some degree, and I enjoyed it (while being ashamed at times) immensely! I highly recommend this book, especially if you have an affinity for New Mexico like I do.
Posted under: Books I've Enjoyed • by Rick on 10/10/2007 at 06:08 PM
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Saturday, October 06, 2007
Shrooms of October
Okay, you saw my first NJ fish.
Now it is time for my first NJ mushrooms.
We signed up for a mushroom foray for today at a local farm. What a pleasant surprise when we got there. Wonderful people, wonderful land. And a great “honor system” organic store where we bought some jam, tomato sauce, squash and onions. And, she had eggs and lettuce and…
But wait, before we go to the afternoon foray…
It was time to walk the dogs this morning. We walked toward Green Turtle Pond. The road is closed below our street for a while (what a pain), but that means no traffic for a while. As we walked in the “no car zone”, Lynne noticed a group of mushrooms growing on a tree a bit off the road.
I thought it was a Hen of the Woods and got pretty excited since that is a choice edible mushroom. But, after returning home and doing some research, it turned out to be a Chicken of the Woods—even better! Lynne went and took pictures. I went with a knife and brought it home.
It was 2 pounds of choice mushroom! (Which I am sure will end up on Lynne’s blog too.)
Okay, this mushroom is going to get washed, cut into strips and frozen. It will be great in a risotto, soups, etc. Since it “tastes like chicken”, you can use it anywhere you would chicken.
Now, to the afternoon. Our goal was Honey Mushrooms. Yum. And, we found some. Since it has been so hot and dry, there weren’t a lot, but this is the only time of year you see them, and we found enough to make some pickled mushrooms to serve on toast.
If we are here to post after eating them, we’ll let you know how they were 
Posted under: New Jersey • Mushroom Articles • by Rick on 10/06/2007 at 06:58 PM
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