Saturday, August 30, 2014

THE BEGINNING OF THE ITALIAN KITCHEN TABLE

              

The Italian Kitchen Table was my first choice for this blog before it changed hands. Unfortunately, I have noticed many of my original articles have been lost in the transition.
         
The Italian Kitchen Table concept was, I felt, a very warm and vivid memory of my experiences over the years during the days when visiting our relatives was a prominent part of our lives. However, here in the states, this practice has dwindled.

Fortunately, in Europe, Italy, Spain and Portugal, that I have experienced, the practice of visiting relatives is still intact. When you visit your relatives and/or friends, there is always a table of special ham and cheese and bread for you to enjoy with your glass of wine, and pastries to savor with your espresso. 


In our Italian household, those of my family and my friends from Spain and Portugal, even here, when children and or parents come to our homes or some one comes to the house, to visit, they all gather around the kitchen table. There is usually a delicious dish of cultural variation awaiting your enjoyment and pleasure.

There is something about the kitchen table that is comforting and safe. We talk about problems, we reminisce, we laugh together and cry together, we look to the future and throughout these conversations, there is always something good to eat on the kitchen table to sooth and help us remedy our situations, hence, "The Italian Kitchen Table."


Friday, August 29, 2014

A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN SOLDIER....



In today's edition of the "Good Stuff," a marked down flag at a flea market has more value than one could ever suspect. CNN's Chris Cuomo reports.
Nearly ten years ago, U.S. Marine Fred Maciel was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq.
His surviving brothers-in-arms signed an American flag in tribute to him.
But then, the flag disappeared.
No one knew if it found its way home, and his family didn't even know it existed.
But last month, while a couple was shopping at a Texas flea market, they spotted the flag.
It was something that looked too special to be there, though the flag had been marked down because it had writing on it.
Walter Brown, whose son is a Marine, immediately recognized the flag's significance, and used the messages on it, and social media, to determine its owner.
"We realized it was a flag intended for a fallen Marine," Lanie Brown, Walter's wife, said. "We knew we had to take it home with us."
Then, in a special ceremony, the flag finally found its way home to Maciel's mother, Patsy.
There are about two dozen messages written on the flag.

One said, "We'll always remember the sacrifice you made," and another read, "Thank you for being who you were...Rest in peace."

A WONDERFUL WAY TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF LIVING!

   

There's No Slowing Down This 99-Year-Old

In today's edition of the "Good Stuff," a 99-year-old woman is on a mission to sew 1,000 dresses for little girls in Africa by her birthday. CNN's Michaela Pereira reports.
Since 2011, Lillian Weber has been sewing a dress a day for“Little Dresses for Africa," a charity group that distributes them to orphanages and schools throughout Africa.
Since she started, Weber has made over 840 dresses.
She recently set a goal of sewing together dress number 1,000 by May 6, 2015 – her 100th birthday.
But she says she won't stop there.
"When I get to that 1,000, if I'm able to – I won't quit."
To see her work and the organization, go to www.littledressesforafrica.com.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

BREAKING NEWS! HELLO KITTY IS NOT A CAT!

BREAKING NEWS! HELLO KITTY IS NOT A CAT!




She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She's never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it's called Charmmy Kitty."

"IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE" BEST SONG EVER FOR OUT TIMES!


www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhKlBH2_dVY

EASY FRIED RICE SIDE DISH....FOR THE TERMINATOR OR THE VEGANATOR!




Okay, it is quite simple.

Sauté 2 cups chopped celery in ½ cup vegetable oil In a 3 quart saucepan until celery is partially cooked. 

Sprinkle with Salt, Pepper, Cumin and Cajun Seasoning to taste.

Pour in 16 oz bag of Brown Rice and continue to fold rice into celery at 3-5 minutes intervals giving the rice a chance to crisp between folds.

Pour in 16 oz of water or chicken stock. Lower heat and let simmer until liquid is absorbed.

Enhance with a sprig of Basil and grated Pecorino Roman Italian Cheese.  


Excellent with broiled Salmon, Chicken Breast or any meat you desire.


RUNNING DOG CLOUD OVER NEW YORK CITY

WOW! he must be on an important mission or running through life's journey!


THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER HAVE POOCHES GOING FOR A SWIM

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

BURGER KING IS BUYING TIM HORTON and moving its headquarters to Canada to evade taxes!


Burger King announced that it has reached a deal to buy Canadian doughnut chain Tim Hortons and base itself in Canada, a controversial transaction that raises questions about business taxes and corporate patriotism.

The deal is the latest example of a U.S. company buying a foreign company and moving its legal home to that of the company it is acquiring. Typically that move allows a company to pay corporate taxes at a lower rate, though Burger King officials insist that's not the case here.

MONK MANIA

Monk Mania is on Cox NE Channel 7 Wednesdays from 1:00pm to 6:00pm. Monk Mania is on Cox NE Channel 7 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm. He is a bit eccentric and takes a while to become familiar with his method of operation, however, Monk grows on you and you become addicted to his hilarious but successful solving of crimes. I Love the Theme Song, "It's a Jungle Out There."



Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the eponymouscharacter, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a police procedural series, and also exhibits comic and dramatic tones in its exploration of the main characters' personal lives. The series was produced by Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television in association withUniversal Television.
The series debuted on July 12, 2002, on USA Network. It was well received and continued for eight seasons, with the final season concluding on December 4, 2009. The series held the record for the most-watched scripted drama episode in cable television history from 2009 through 2012 (broken by The Walking Dead) with "Mr. Monk and the End – Part II", its last episode and finale, with 9.4 million viewers, 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic.[1]


It's a jungle out there
Disorder and confusion everywhere
No one seems to care
Well I do
Hey, who's in charge here?
It's a jungle out there
Poison in the very air we breathe
Do you know what's in the water that you drink?
Well I do, and it's amazing
People think I'm crazy, 'cause I worry all the time
If you paid attention, you'd be worried too
You better pay attention
Or this world we love so much might just kill you
I could be wrong now, but I don't think so!
'Cause there's a jungle out there.
It's a jungle out there.




Monday, August 25, 2014

MY 5 MINUTES OF FAME ON THE TODAY SHOW WITH KATHIE LEE AND HODA


The STRONGEST EARTHQUAKE in 25 years in NORTHERN CALIFORNIA(NAPA VALLEY).

(CNN) -- The strongest earthquake in 25 years in Northern California struck early Sunday, injuring dozens of people, damaging historic buildings in downtown Napa and turning fireplaces into rubble. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck just six miles southwest of Napa, California's famed wine country. "Everything and everyone in Napa was affected by the quake. My house, along with everybody else's, is a disaster. It looks like somebody broke in and ravaged the place, room by room," said CNN iReporter Malissa Koven, who was awakened by the shaking at about 3:20 a.m. "Anything and everything that could fall, did," she said. 5 most powerful recorded earthquakes Napa quake like 'a rollercoaster' 6.1 earthquake shakes California QUAKE LOCATION One child was hurt when a fireplace collapsed and was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Vanessa deGier told CNN. Nearly 160 were treated for minor injuries at the emergency room at Queen of the Valley Hospital, though hospital CEO Walt Mickens could not confirm that all of those patients were injured in the earthquake. Thirteen people were admitted for orthopedic issues and medical conditions, according to Mickens. By Sunday night, only one patient was still in critical condition. ASSESSING THE AFTERMATH The damage in Napa is "fairly significant," said Glenn Pomeroy, the CEO of the California Earthquake Authority, who surveyed the area Sunday afternoon. At least 15,000 customers in and around Sonoma, Napa and Santa Rosa lost power, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Roughly 7,300 were still without power as of Sunday evening. In historic downtown Napa, the bricks and beams that once made up buildings' facades lay splayed in the street. Shattered glassware covered the floor of a local restaurant. One home had visible charring from a fire that occurred in the aftermath of the quake. Gas leaks and downed power lines were also reported. "The post office building had cracked, the local hardware store was destroyed with layers of shelves that had fallen over and busted the windows, multiple buildings had fallen apart, and all the local businesses looked trashed on the inside and out," Koven said. Pomeroy said that downtown was particularly hard hit "probably because of the age of construction." However, the damage "is not as bad as it could have been," Mark Ghilarducci, the director of the California Office of Emergency Services, said at a news conference Sunday. PUTTING OUT THE FIRES To help with the recovery Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. "We're here for the long run," Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNN. "Not just when we're putting out fires -- literally." The earthquake triggered six major fires that destroyed several mobile homes, said Napa Division Fire Chief John Callanan. Napa Public Works Director Jack Rochelle said it might take up to a week to get the water system back to normal after dozens of water main breaks were reported. The water that is still flowing is safe to drink, he said. How did it feel? Sunday's earthquake struck four miles northwest of American Canyon, six miles southwest of Napa and nine miles southeast of Sonoma, according to the USGS. The USGS estimated that based on their locations, 15,000 people experienced severe shaking, 106,000 people felt very strong shaking, 176,000 felt strong shaking and 738,000 felt moderate shaking. For those in Napa, close to the epicenter, the quake jolted downtown residents such as Karen Lynch. "It was not like other quakes we have felt," Lynch told CNN. "This was a violent quake." Although the quake has not resulted in any deaths so far, many residents were surprised by how strong it was. "Honestly it felt much worse than the '89 earthquake," CNN iReporter Garret Gauer said. "The refrigerator relocated itself to the other side of the kitchen" Farther south of the epicenter in San Francisco, CNN producer Augie Martin felt the quake differently. "It was a fairly good shake, about 25 or 30 seconds. It was a softer rolling type earthquake," he said. The quake struck about seven miles deep and was considered "strong" by the USGS. Major quakes start at a 7.0 magnitude, according to the USGS scale. More than 60 aftershocks struck in the hours following the quake, according to the USGS, ranging from 0.6 to 3.6 magnitude. The economic loss is likely to be more than $1 billion, according to USGS pager data. WINE COUNTRY HIT "I've got a lot of broken wine, being here in Napa," said Emily Massimi, who was woken up by the quake. "We tend to collect wine, so I have wine all over my kitchen, and glass, and pictures off the wall and books off of bookshelves," she told CNN. At Silver Oak Winery, owner David Duncan spent the morning cleaning up hundreds of broken wine bottles that fell off the shelves. "Those bottles were very unique," he said. They were part of his private collection and worth hundreds of dollars. Duncan said he plans to open the winery today. But it's not just the wine economy that will feel the pain. "There's a mythology about Napa, that it's all fancy wineries," Newsom said. "But underneath that there are a lot of folks here -- very low income -- that are going to need support." 25 YEARS LATER The quake was the strongest to hit the Bay Area since 1989, when a 6.9-magnitude one struck during the World Series. The Loma Prieta earthquake caused 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries and an estimated $6 billion in property damage, according to the USGS. The damage from Sunday's earthquake was relatively minor compared with the buckled highways and destroyed homes that scattered the Bay area in the aftermath of the quake 25 years ago. The 1994 Northridge earthquake in Southern California was nearly as deadly -- 60 people were killed and more than 7,000 were injured. The USGS says 20,000 people were left homeless in its aftermath.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Portuguese Poem, "Seu Rosto"

Seu rosto by Armando Freitas Filho Seu rosto
é um pedaço de música
muda conforme o vento
mas eu o escuto
de longe, sem olvido
mesmo sem ver
e acompanho, de cor
o suspiro deste ah
mor rasgado
 cego e só. Your face by Armando Freitas Filho Your face
is a piece of music
mute
 as the wind, but I listen to it
from afar, without forgetting
even without looking
and I follow, by heart
the sigh of this ah*
more torn, blind and alone.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

"ROGER THE DUCK~EL PATO ROGER" A true story bilingual children's book.


"ROGER THE DUCK~EL PATO ROGER"

Order at AMAZON.com
DiSanto Roger The Duck




Roger the Duck Paperback – 

"ROGER THE DUCK ~EL PATO ROGER"
Order at Amazon.com:
DiSanto Roger The Duck 
A well written true bilingual children's story regarding the circle of life.
A wonderful stocking stuffer for your young reader. A story the whole family will enjoy!

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Thursday, August 21, 2014

"LA ROSA BLANCA"

La Rosa Blanca


La Rosa Blanca
Cultivo una rosa blanca,

En julio como en enero,

Para el amigo sincero

Que me da su mano franca. 

Y para el cruel que me arranca

El corazón con que vivo,

Cardo ni ortiga' cultivo:

Cultivo la rosa blanca.


Poemas de José Martí
Cuba 1853-1895



The White Rose

Cultivation of a white rose,
in July and January,

for the sincere friend
who gives me his free hand.
And for the cruel that I tear away from
the heart with which I live,

whether I cultivate a Thistle or nettles' : 
I Cultivate the White Rose.



"RIMAS"

"RIMAS"

PARA UNA MIRADA, UN MUNDO 
PARA UNA SONRISA, LOS CIELOS,
POR UN BESO... YO NO SÉ, 
¿QUÉ LE DARÍA UN BESO!

GUSTAVO ADOLFO BÉCQUER

ESPAÑA, 1836-1870

FOR A LOOK, A WORLD
FOR A SMILE, THE HEAVENS,
FOR A KISS...I DON'T KNOW,
WHAT I WOULD GIVE FOR A KISS!



CUADRADOS Y ANGULOS

Just to change the pace, a little, I am posting this poem by Alphonsina Storni, Argentina 1892-1938.

Cuadrados y Angulos

Casas enfiladas, casas enfiladas,
Casas enfiladas,
Cuadrados, cuadrados, cuadrados.

Casas enfiladas,
Las gentes ya tienen el alma cuadrada,
Ideas en fila,
y angulo en la espalda.

Yo mismo he vertigo ayer una lagrima

Dios Mio, Cuadrada.


Squares and Angles

Houses strung together, strung houses,
houses strung, square, square, square.

Houses strung together,
the people already have the soul square,
ideas in a row,
and angle in the back.

I myself have shed yesterday a tear my God, Square.


Signature Fluted Edge Nine Grain Cucumber, Onion & Tomato Pizza

They say, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention." Well, I had to come out of retirement from the kitchen for this one. The Original Italian Bakery on Atwood Avenue in Johnston makes 9 grain pizza dough. I had some cubed cucumber marinating in EVOO and Cider Vinegar, the refrigerator. So, I drained the marinated cucumber and added another cucumber and decided to broil the cucumber with EVOO, chopped onion, a dash of salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and Cajun seasoning and fresh basil.

In the meantime I had the 9 grain dough rising in a bowl with a little bit of flour to keep it from getting sticky. When it had risen, I took it out of the bowl and put it on a pizza pan that had been sprayed with EVOO cooking spray. I spread it out and let it stand for a while so it would start to rise again in order to get a puffy pizza.

When the pizza dough had risen in the pizza pan, I fluted the edges. I then spread my marinara tomato sauce, sparingly, around the the pizza dough to the edges. I then spread the cucumber mixture around the pizza dough being sure to pour any juice the mixture may have retained out so as not to have a soggy pizza.

It is a perfectly delicious vegan pizza as is, or you can add pepperoni to enhance the flavor. I then placed it in my convection oven for 25/30 minutes at 400 degrees and out came a yumlicious pizza!
There is one more little detail that my mom used to incorporated which made the pizza a little extra delicious. My mom would rub the crust or edge of the pizza with butter and oh how yummy it was.