I.E. Castellano's Blog, page 15
April 13, 2012
The Garden Chronicles: In the beginning
Food from your own garden always tastes better than anything bought in the supermarket. Sometimes that’s because of growing a different varietal. Most times it is because food from your garden gets picked at the height of ripeness. Planning your garden should be done well ahead of the ideal time to plant.
In preparation for this year’s garden, we made lists of what plants we wanted to grow. Of those plants, we’ve decided which ones were going to grow from seed and which were going to transplant from nursery flats. Over the last month or so, different stores have been having sales on seed packets. Collecting seed packets are a fun first step to building this season’s garden.
Earlier this month, Home Depot had a buy one get one half off sale on herbs and veggies. Even though we cannot plant much yet, we also could not pass up a sale on our favorite garden plants. We bought 20 plants from our local Home Depot.
Those collection of plants include a variety of herbs, a few peppers, a cherry tomato, cabbages and brussel sprouts.
Usually when we bring plants home from the nurseries or the home improvement stores, we leave them on our sunny back stoop until we can get them into the ground, if we don’t plant them that day. This time of year, our sunny back stoop is much too cold for tender plants. Just the other night I watched buckets of snow drop from the sky in the soft yellow light of the street lamp. Later that day, tiny ice balls pelted the ground. We’ve had overnight freeze warnings.
Finding a sunny window inside the house was our only option if we want to keep our newly bought plants alive. With three very curious cats and two equally curious dogs, we also wanted the plants to stay intact and in no way munched.
I live in an old house with three floors. The stairs to the top floor are conveniently blocked by an old door with an old brass doorknob. Neither cats nor dogs venture up there. Two west facing, non-dormered windows fill the third floor with a healthy amount of afternoon sunlight.
All twenty plants were placed into a plastic box and set on some wood to bring them up to window level. Here, they are kept cool, but not cold. Every day they are turned to keep them from growing in one direction. They get watered as needed.
These initial plants are doing well. Once the local nurseries open, we will be adding flats of other plants to grow in our garden. Soon, our early bought herbs and veggies will be bursting from their little peat pots and ready to flourish.
To be continued...
April 10, 2012
This Wednesday's Poem -- 11 April 12
Beauty is revolting
in a superficial way.
Attraction is deceptive
when it isn't meant to stay.
The game of love's suspense
is one I never wish to play
==>Again<==
A philocalist sees beauty most clearly when he keeps his eyes closed.
By: paradox
April 6, 2012
Pantry Pasta Perfection: Tuna Noodle No Casserole
A week or two ago I was in the middle of spring cleaning which really means spring re-organization. Just about every surface was covered with something. My stomach was rumbling and I wondered what was for dinner. Takeout does not satisfy the way a home cooked meal does.
Why not pull from the pantry? I was spring cleaning after all.
Digging in the pantry I gathered, two cans of tuna, a can of anchovies, a can of string beans, a can of condensed mushroom soup, and two 13.25 oz boxes of whole wheat spaghetti.
First, I filled my pasta pot (with insert) with water and turned on the flame. While that heated, I got out my trusty 7 quart dutch oven. Into the pan, I dumped the entire small can of anchovies plus the packing oil. The tuna was drained before it made it to the pan. I added a touch more olive oil to help sauté the fish.
The very thought of canned anchovies may repulse some of you. For you food snobs out there, the canned product I buy is very nice with wide, firm fillets. Jarred anchovies are nice too because you can just use a few from the jar at a time. Jarred anchovies are also hard to find unless you spend mucho moola more for the same product. This is especially true if the anchovies are packed in salt. Not to mention having to drive to the specialty food store which isn't worth it if you are only going for one or two items. For those who say, "eww anchovies," you are missing out on something truly wonderful. Anchovies are not only good for you, they disintegrate as they sauté giving the finished dish an underlying deliciousness.
Canned tuna will never be anything like fresh tuna. I don't use tuna packed in olive oil because again it is hard to find. I happened to have two cans of solid white in oil in my pantry. This oil is drained because I do not like using soybean oil in my food. Plus they add broth to oil packed tuna.
Before I turned on the heat under the pan, I added a bunch of dried spices. Those included: onion, garlic, thyme, red pepper, oregano, basil, and black pepper. After a quick stir while on a medium flame, I drained then rinsed the green beans. The beans were added to the pan and quickly stirred.
Dried herbs and spices are great. I find them just as good as fresh and when you are pressed for time or space they work very well. The flavor of dried herbs are much more pungent than their fresh counterparts. Some herbs, such as oregano, are actually better dried. The oils become much more concentrated and cooking them in a little oil first helps to coax the flavor out of them. When my garden is in full swing, then I'll use fresh over dry.
Canned veggies need to be rinsed before using. They tend to keep the flavor of the can, which can completely ruin a great dish.
Once I could smell things cooking, I sprinkled seasoned breadcrumbs to just cover the bottom of the pan. The breadcrumbs absorbed the oil as I stirred them to get them toasted lightly.
The water came to a boil and I added some salt before dropping the pasta in the water.
Salt is added to the pasta water to give pasta a little oomph. Otherwise, pasta can taste like cardboard. In cooking, I typically use kosher or sea salt. But in pasta water, I use regular inexpensive table salt. Be careful though, you can over salt the water. The sauce does not need any salt. The soup, fish, beans, and breadcrumbs all already have copious amounts of salt.
As the pasta cooked according to the package directions, I dug the soup out of the can adding it to the beans and tuna. To that, I added a half a can of milk. Because I drink skim, about a quarter can of half and half was thrown into the mix. And, I can't forget the splash of dry vermouth. Everything was stirred well. A knob of butter gave the sauce a smooth finish.
Resist the urge to add more milk. The breadcrumbs will absorb the liquid. Adding a second can of condensed soup or too much milk will make the sauce soupy. A soupy sauce can turn any pasta into mush rather quickly. If you find that you have too much liquid, cook the sauce without the lid so the excess liquid can evaporate.
The "sauce" was thickish. I turned the sauce down to low while the pasta finished cooking. Once the pasta was ready, I dumped it into sauce pan. Using my wooden spoon, I stirred the pasta and sauce to coat. If it doesn't coat well, add a couple of ladles of pasta water. The pasta water loosens the sauce and allows it to coat beautifully.
The pasta was creamy without being heavy. The touch of red pepper flakes gave such a balance. This delicious dinner served 4 hungry adults with leftovers to serve at lunch the next day.
I wish I had taken pictures but, before I could breakout the camera or the camera phone we ate it. Imagine a plateful of taupe colored spaghetti with hints of mouth melting tuna punctuated with cut green beans.
***
Leftovers were spread into a buttered 8-inch square pan. I added milk to the pan to give it more moisture. The top was lightly sprinkled with seasoned breadcrumbs then dotted with butter. It was baked in a 350F degree oven until hot and bubbly which took about 30 minutes.
Why not pull from the pantry? I was spring cleaning after all.
Digging in the pantry I gathered, two cans of tuna, a can of anchovies, a can of string beans, a can of condensed mushroom soup, and two 13.25 oz boxes of whole wheat spaghetti.
First, I filled my pasta pot (with insert) with water and turned on the flame. While that heated, I got out my trusty 7 quart dutch oven. Into the pan, I dumped the entire small can of anchovies plus the packing oil. The tuna was drained before it made it to the pan. I added a touch more olive oil to help sauté the fish.
The very thought of canned anchovies may repulse some of you. For you food snobs out there, the canned product I buy is very nice with wide, firm fillets. Jarred anchovies are nice too because you can just use a few from the jar at a time. Jarred anchovies are also hard to find unless you spend mucho moola more for the same product. This is especially true if the anchovies are packed in salt. Not to mention having to drive to the specialty food store which isn't worth it if you are only going for one or two items. For those who say, "eww anchovies," you are missing out on something truly wonderful. Anchovies are not only good for you, they disintegrate as they sauté giving the finished dish an underlying deliciousness.
Canned tuna will never be anything like fresh tuna. I don't use tuna packed in olive oil because again it is hard to find. I happened to have two cans of solid white in oil in my pantry. This oil is drained because I do not like using soybean oil in my food. Plus they add broth to oil packed tuna.
Before I turned on the heat under the pan, I added a bunch of dried spices. Those included: onion, garlic, thyme, red pepper, oregano, basil, and black pepper. After a quick stir while on a medium flame, I drained then rinsed the green beans. The beans were added to the pan and quickly stirred.
Dried herbs and spices are great. I find them just as good as fresh and when you are pressed for time or space they work very well. The flavor of dried herbs are much more pungent than their fresh counterparts. Some herbs, such as oregano, are actually better dried. The oils become much more concentrated and cooking them in a little oil first helps to coax the flavor out of them. When my garden is in full swing, then I'll use fresh over dry.
Canned veggies need to be rinsed before using. They tend to keep the flavor of the can, which can completely ruin a great dish.
Once I could smell things cooking, I sprinkled seasoned breadcrumbs to just cover the bottom of the pan. The breadcrumbs absorbed the oil as I stirred them to get them toasted lightly.
The water came to a boil and I added some salt before dropping the pasta in the water.
Salt is added to the pasta water to give pasta a little oomph. Otherwise, pasta can taste like cardboard. In cooking, I typically use kosher or sea salt. But in pasta water, I use regular inexpensive table salt. Be careful though, you can over salt the water. The sauce does not need any salt. The soup, fish, beans, and breadcrumbs all already have copious amounts of salt.
As the pasta cooked according to the package directions, I dug the soup out of the can adding it to the beans and tuna. To that, I added a half a can of milk. Because I drink skim, about a quarter can of half and half was thrown into the mix. And, I can't forget the splash of dry vermouth. Everything was stirred well. A knob of butter gave the sauce a smooth finish.
Resist the urge to add more milk. The breadcrumbs will absorb the liquid. Adding a second can of condensed soup or too much milk will make the sauce soupy. A soupy sauce can turn any pasta into mush rather quickly. If you find that you have too much liquid, cook the sauce without the lid so the excess liquid can evaporate.
The "sauce" was thickish. I turned the sauce down to low while the pasta finished cooking. Once the pasta was ready, I dumped it into sauce pan. Using my wooden spoon, I stirred the pasta and sauce to coat. If it doesn't coat well, add a couple of ladles of pasta water. The pasta water loosens the sauce and allows it to coat beautifully.
The pasta was creamy without being heavy. The touch of red pepper flakes gave such a balance. This delicious dinner served 4 hungry adults with leftovers to serve at lunch the next day.
I wish I had taken pictures but, before I could breakout the camera or the camera phone we ate it. Imagine a plateful of taupe colored spaghetti with hints of mouth melting tuna punctuated with cut green beans.
***
Leftovers were spread into a buttered 8-inch square pan. I added milk to the pan to give it more moisture. The top was lightly sprinkled with seasoned breadcrumbs then dotted with butter. It was baked in a 350F degree oven until hot and bubbly which took about 30 minutes.
April 3, 2012
This Wednesday's Poem - 4 April 12
Spring days, spring nights…
Hear the wind course as birds take flight…
The morning a time for growing pains,
The night a time for laughing dreams.
The soul a wondrous creature,
How it gazes out upon the land,
Wishing for hope, for dreams
For midnight moonbeams…
Spring days, spring nights…
Watch for the caterpillar or the worm
Those the birds peck and feed upon--
More lovely their dying, serving part.
by Mark Alan Murray
MARK ALAN MURRAY works, composes and creates in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
http://markamurray.com/home.html
March 31, 2012
Savory Character
Think of an orange. The bright, pebbly skin. The sweet, juicy insides. Oranges pair well with foods like chocolate, toast and vodka. But, how about with mozzarella? Or tomato? Olive oil and capers? Garlic and red onion? Absolutely.
Do not be fooled by its breakfast and sweet persona. Oranges play well with more savory items also. In Sicily, from where a portion of my ancestors hail, oranges are used in salads with lettuce and shaved fennel. Since that salad is delicious, we decided to change it a bit.
My mom has the best food ideas. There are many times where we sit around and talk about different recipes. This recipe is one of them.
Take a Caperese Salad. All it is is sliced fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Now let's look at our more Sicilian version:
Sure we have slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato. But we also have sliced red onion, black and green olives, sliced garlic, and slices of supremed cara cara oranges.
The cheese, tomato, onion and orange were shingled in the dish. Then, we sprinkled the top with slivers of garlic, olives, chopped red pepper, thinly sliced celery, a few capers, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper. The whole thing got a generous drizzle of olive oil before covering with plastic wrap and setting aside.
After about an hour sitting at room temperature, we served it with genoa salami, pepperoni, and ham.
Of course we ate it with some bread. How else would you soak up the olive oil and orange juice mixture?
The salad was phenomenal. The cheese soaks up all the surrounding flavors. Olives and capers give it a sharpness while the orange balances the oil well. Getting a firey piece of slivered garlic mashed into a soft milky hunk of cheese plays music in your mouth.
What is leftover will marinate even more in the fridge. Tomorrow, it will taste even better. This salad would be great as an antipasto or cut into chunks and brought to a summer party.
Keep drinking orange juice at breakfast. But once you bring oranges out after noon, savory will be supreme.
Do not be fooled by its breakfast and sweet persona. Oranges play well with more savory items also. In Sicily, from where a portion of my ancestors hail, oranges are used in salads with lettuce and shaved fennel. Since that salad is delicious, we decided to change it a bit.
My mom has the best food ideas. There are many times where we sit around and talk about different recipes. This recipe is one of them.
Take a Caperese Salad. All it is is sliced fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Now let's look at our more Sicilian version:
Sure we have slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato. But we also have sliced red onion, black and green olives, sliced garlic, and slices of supremed cara cara oranges.
The cheese, tomato, onion and orange were shingled in the dish. Then, we sprinkled the top with slivers of garlic, olives, chopped red pepper, thinly sliced celery, a few capers, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper. The whole thing got a generous drizzle of olive oil before covering with plastic wrap and setting aside.
After about an hour sitting at room temperature, we served it with genoa salami, pepperoni, and ham.
Of course we ate it with some bread. How else would you soak up the olive oil and orange juice mixture?
The salad was phenomenal. The cheese soaks up all the surrounding flavors. Olives and capers give it a sharpness while the orange balances the oil well. Getting a firey piece of slivered garlic mashed into a soft milky hunk of cheese plays music in your mouth.
What is leftover will marinate even more in the fridge. Tomorrow, it will taste even better. This salad would be great as an antipasto or cut into chunks and brought to a summer party.
Keep drinking orange juice at breakfast. But once you bring oranges out after noon, savory will be supreme.
March 30, 2012
The Story behind Dogs Bark...
I can remember where I was when I wrote each of my favorite poems. This is the fun little story behind my poem, Dogs Bark off in the Distance.
During the summers of both high school and college, my family would spend a good number of evenings around the kitchen table playing games. Some nights we'd play poker. Some nights we would play board games like Sorry or Scattergories.
The kitchen table would be filled with snacks both salty and sweet. I was usually losing if we were playing Sorry. All four of my little plastic yellow game pieces would sit in the start while the other colors would grace the squares around the board. It became a running joke. I bet if we broke out the Sorry board today, we would have a good laugh as my pieces stayed stuck in start.
Our table sat in front of the sliding glass doors that went out to the deck. We would always have the door open, which would provide a great cross breeze with the open front windows. You could hear everything in our suburban neighborhood. During the day, the background noise was the squeaking of old swings in the park behind the nearby elementary school. At night, you could hear cars driving around the P shaped street and neighbors' dogs barking.
One night, I was sitting at the kitchen table with my family feeling the breeze sweep through the house. We were sipping iced tea and talking. My ears picked up the barking of dogs somewhere in the distance. On the counter next to the phone rested a pen and a pad of blue post-it notes.
Bringing those over to the table, I penned the poem on about six or so blue papers. When I had finished, I read the poem aloud. Everyone loved it. I stuck the papers together in order then ran them up to my room before we started our game that evening.
Somewhere I still have those sticky little squares. Inspiration comes from many places. Make sure you keep writing utensils near, you wouldn't want to miss hearing a thing.
During the summers of both high school and college, my family would spend a good number of evenings around the kitchen table playing games. Some nights we'd play poker. Some nights we would play board games like Sorry or Scattergories.
The kitchen table would be filled with snacks both salty and sweet. I was usually losing if we were playing Sorry. All four of my little plastic yellow game pieces would sit in the start while the other colors would grace the squares around the board. It became a running joke. I bet if we broke out the Sorry board today, we would have a good laugh as my pieces stayed stuck in start.
Our table sat in front of the sliding glass doors that went out to the deck. We would always have the door open, which would provide a great cross breeze with the open front windows. You could hear everything in our suburban neighborhood. During the day, the background noise was the squeaking of old swings in the park behind the nearby elementary school. At night, you could hear cars driving around the P shaped street and neighbors' dogs barking.
One night, I was sitting at the kitchen table with my family feeling the breeze sweep through the house. We were sipping iced tea and talking. My ears picked up the barking of dogs somewhere in the distance. On the counter next to the phone rested a pen and a pad of blue post-it notes.
Bringing those over to the table, I penned the poem on about six or so blue papers. When I had finished, I read the poem aloud. Everyone loved it. I stuck the papers together in order then ran them up to my room before we started our game that evening.
Somewhere I still have those sticky little squares. Inspiration comes from many places. Make sure you keep writing utensils near, you wouldn't want to miss hearing a thing.
March 27, 2012
This Wednesday's Poem
Dogs bark off in the distance
As i look out my window at the trees swaying in my head i hear a music calling me and dogs bark off in the distance.
A light flashes above my head i think about the fan circling around its idol the statue june it gets hot and dogs bark off in the distance.
I sit and watch the cars swerve by monkeys climbing the sky falling on the hen laying eggs frying with bacon and dogs barks off in the distance.
I see people jogging on a trail left behind their back door where the draft comes in crowd being led into battle and dogs bark off in the distance.
This is the life saving device opening the garage where mechanics work on planes flying overhead that is spinning a web of life as dogs bark off in the distance.
--IE Castellano
As i look out my window at the trees swaying in my head i hear a music calling me and dogs bark off in the distance.
A light flashes above my head i think about the fan circling around its idol the statue june it gets hot and dogs bark off in the distance.
I sit and watch the cars swerve by monkeys climbing the sky falling on the hen laying eggs frying with bacon and dogs barks off in the distance.
I see people jogging on a trail left behind their back door where the draft comes in crowd being led into battle and dogs bark off in the distance.
This is the life saving device opening the garage where mechanics work on planes flying overhead that is spinning a web of life as dogs bark off in the distance.
--IE Castellano
March 23, 2012
My Second Interview
My Author Interview by Kate Aaron
Check out my interview by author and blogger, Kate Aaron.
It's my very first author interview and I couldn't be more excited.
It's my very first author interview and I couldn't be more excited.
March 21, 2012
This Wednesday's Poem
Eulogy From A Late Arrival
by Anne Mikusinski
It must have been some party
The afternoon you left
And I, tardy as always,
Caught up in ephemera,
I came too late to say goodbye.
I wanted to be there
To see you off
And wish you a safe journey
As you left for parts unknown.
Being late is not fashionable
When goodbyes are involved
The loose ends that are left
Dangle like shoestrings
And lie in wait to trip me up.
The unsaid words hang in the air
Unspoken thoughts haunt me in late hours.
Nothing to do but remember
And hope I run into you again.
May 15, 2011
For Warren. RIP
I wish I'd known sooner.
About Anne Mikusinski:
I have been writing stories/poems since I was seven years old. Some of my influences are Robert Frost, EE Cummings, and Dylan Thomas.
Find Anne on Twitter
by Anne Mikusinski
It must have been some party
The afternoon you left
And I, tardy as always,
Caught up in ephemera,
I came too late to say goodbye.
I wanted to be there
To see you off
And wish you a safe journey
As you left for parts unknown.
Being late is not fashionable
When goodbyes are involved
The loose ends that are left
Dangle like shoestrings
And lie in wait to trip me up.
The unsaid words hang in the air
Unspoken thoughts haunt me in late hours.
Nothing to do but remember
And hope I run into you again.
May 15, 2011
For Warren. RIP
I wish I'd known sooner.
About Anne Mikusinski:
I have been writing stories/poems since I was seven years old. Some of my influences are Robert Frost, EE Cummings, and Dylan Thomas.
Find Anne on Twitter
