award ceremonies

In my family, whenever an award show is being broadcast, I always take the opportunity to cook up a storm. This way we can feast on goodies while we watch the celebrities, performances and presentations with rapt attention. Sunday, my favorite Awards show, the Tony Awards, was no different. (Several months ago, we had the opportunity to see 2008s Tony Award winners for Best Musical and Best Play.) I decided to keep the menu simple. An indispensable favorite is li'l smokies wrapped in Pillsbury crescent roll dough baked in the oven. Additional traditional favorites are bruschetta, summer sausage served with Carr's crackers, sliced tomatoes and muenster cheese and red seedless grapes. This time to minimize my kitchen time, I also made Corn Soup with Shrimp, Salmon Croquettes with Remoulade Sauce (essentially crab cakes with salmon instead of crab), Stuffed Artichokes a la Varenne (from the famous French cooking school of the same name), and chocolate mousse. (If I had the foresight of one of my friends, another blogger, I would have taken photos of the spread. Perhaps next time.) All this for two of us. It used to be for three of us, but since my daughter has moved to NYC, it is only two of us. And yes, we typically eat the leftovers for two or three days. Food. It is a glorious thing.

happy like Hugh Jackman

Last night I dreamt Hugh Jackman was a very good friend of mine. While we hung out I noted that he was very, very happy and remembered that throughout our friendship he was always that way. Then he started climbing this huge water fountain in a very exuberant manner. I watched him as he seemed to abandon all cares, oblivious to how ridiculous he looked. I couldn't help but think, "Hugh Jackman is very, very happy." Followed by, "I should be happy like Hugh Jackman."

At that point my alarm sounded, awakening me from my deep state of REM sleep. As I sat up, I thought, "I SHOULD be happy like Hugh Jackman."

old times . . .

One of my friend's blog is all about her wonderful family life (replete with photos). We are all at different "passages" in our lives. Our daughter, Marissa, has grown into an independent woman presently residing in Brooklyn, working in Manhattan. But, there was a time when she was just a child too and our lives were tied together more compactly as a family unit.

I gave my wife a digital photo frame as a Mother's Day gift with the intent of digitizing a large number of slides she has never seen before. It has been a wonderful trip to the past. Like my friend, I can see that I was engaged in photographing a lot of our family activities. So, as a brief glimpse into an earlier time, I've loaded a few of the photos above.

lobster rolls

When we lived in Connecticut (during Joni's Yale Law School days), we discovered a largely East Coast delicacy known as lobster rolls. Essentially, lobster rolls are similar (sort of) to chicken salad sandwiches only they are made with lobster instead of chicken and they are typically served on rolls that bear a suspicious resemblance to hot dog buns (depending upon the pretentious or lack thereof of the eating establishment).

During certain seasons, the lobster harvest is bountiful and the prices on the East Coast are amazingly low. I recall buying fresh caught lobster in the supermarket (The Stop and Shop) for $2.95 each! I suspect that such low prices encourages the use of lobsters in ways we would not think of in the West (inland) due to their preciousness and high prices. I've even made and seen lobster in macaroni and cheese recipes. Yes, we COULD make a Kobe Beef sandwich, but do we really want to dress an elegant, sophisticated cut of meat in a T-shirt rather than the tuxedo it deserves? (OK, OK. This is not the best analogy here, but you catch my drift). Similarly, lobster in a sandwich? Shouldn't it only be served elegantly on a plate with a cup of drawn butter that will not "interfere" with the pure subtle shellfish flavor?

Absolutely not!

A lobster roll makes this delicacy accessible. It CAN be mixed with other ingredients (typically mayonnaise, pickle relish, minced onions, etc. - look for my all-time favorite recipe for lobster rolls - a rosy tartar sauce blend in an upcoming post) and still be delicious. Admittedly it's an expensive sandwich, but hey, I've had $12 + hamburgers. As long as it TASTES great, no price is too high, no ingredient too extravagant. A lobster roll is an indulgence dressed in everyday clothing. I eat them with potato chips and a side of baked beans. It is yet another delight in my arsenal of guilty pleasures. Look for my next post, the actual recipe I use for my version of Lobster Rolls. Again, no need to thank me. Just try it once and ENJOY!

the joy of cooking

I love to cook. I've been cooking now for many years, much to my wife's delight. Recently though, I've re-discovered the joy and creativity of cooking. I've benefited from a free subscription of Gourmet magazine for the past year and scored another free subscription to Bon Appetit magazine not too long ago (both compliments of Amazon.com kitchen appliance purchases ). The best cooking magazine however, is Cooks Illustrated. The recipes featured are amazing and often go into great detail about the scientific aspects of why a particular technique or combination of ingredients coalesce into the best possible result. If there are key ingredients involved in the recipe, you can be sure that the author will write a sidebar article regarding that particular ingredient with ratings of the most popular brands available. Interestingly, the highest rated products are often not the most expensive ones. As an example, one recent sampling rated vanilla flavorings. (McCormick pure vanilla extract was rated the best at a mere $4.00 per ounce. And did you know because of its high alcohol content, vanilla has an extremely stable shelf life? 10 year-old vanilla is virtually indistinguishable from new vanilla.)

I cannot tell you the plethora of techniques and "secrets" I've gleaned from my Cooks Illustrated issues. Recipes and ingredients alone do not the successful outcome produce. A deeper understanding of the underlying principals of cooking go a long way to make the difference between a good meal and one that is truly superb.

Over the years, my mother-in-law has become my most reliable critic (this is the woman who cried when she met me because she did not approve of her daughter marrying somebody of Japanese ancestry, but this is fodder for another posting). My mother-in-law is incapable of disguising her true emotions in any situation regardless of the sensitivity of the situation at hand.
(I'm not saying this in a BAD way . . . ). But I digress.

She simply loves to eat. She lives for it. She has sampled the cuisine of countless restaurants across the country and returns often to those fortunate enough to receive her blessings. She has developed a relatively sophisticated palate, although it is prone to her prejudices of an earlier era. For example, she abhors steamed vegetables and finds them too raw and crunchy. Nonetheless, it is her approval I seek most in trying out a new recipe.

I KNOW that I have achieved a certain level of mastery in my cooking because more often than not she gushes, "DELICIOUS!" after eating one of my meals. I have seen her tear up with gratitude and now she unfailingly embraces me with a hug upon departure (can I tell you I am probably the only one of seven in-laws that enjoys this dispensation?). Yes, this is the same woman who threatened to "ban" her daughter for marrying me. I guess the way to a woman's heart is ALSO through her stomach. Her gratitude spurs me on to increasingly complex dishes that require even more elaborate preparation (to the extent that some of my cooking often begins the day before the scheduled meal. I worry about my ability to maintain this pace over time.)

Cooking however, is just not about being another venue for creativity. More importantly, it is an expression of love for me. It all goes back to caring for somebody and nurturing them in a way that only cooking addresses. You are literally providing nourishment for another person and doing so in a way that hopefully brings them pleasure and enjoyment. (Yes, I admittedly go beyond just being in touch with my feminine side here, but perhaps those early hunter-gatherers also threw their catch on top of the fires when they were done for the day, thus becoming the first chefs.)

Needless to say, I'm proud of my cooking. More importantly though, I have found a way to express my love for my friends and family. For me, this is the true joy of cooking.

portraits

My first good photograph was a portrait of a girl name Marsha I shot with my Kodak Brownie in Junior High School. Since then, as my photographic skills improved, I've shot many portraits, often drawing upon my co-workers as models. Looking back, I started a concerted effort beginning around 1986 when one co-worker asked me to shoot photos of her for a Christmas gift for her fiance. I've been shooting portraits off and on from that time. I thought it might be interesting to post a series of these images to gauge the progression (if any) of my portrait-taking ability and to chronicle some of my past associations with my female co-workers. I could have taken portraits of my male co-workers, but let's face it, what fun is that? Below are some representative samples with approximate dates and some comments added where appropriate. They are chronological starting from the oldest to the most recent.

Linda, photographed in 1986. Shot with Kodachrome film. Linda began my series of portraits. I suppose the hair style and clothing betray the time frame, but overall, I was pleased with the results. Linda continues to be one of the most "giving" individuals I know. She is the "Mother Teresa" of all my friends, continually striving to do good in people's lives.

Jane, photographed in 1994. Shot with PolaPan film. Jane commissioned me to shoot photos of her to one day show her grandchildren that "grandma used to be hot." This is one of the more artistic photos from the shoot. The "hot" photos are not included here and reserved for her grandchildren to see. Actually, it's almost time to be sharing them . . .

Siobhan, photographed in 1996. Shot with PolaPan film. My best friend in Connecticut. She made being a stranger in a strange land fun. One of the funniest people I know. I always laugh out loud when I think of her.

Bonnie, photographed in 1998. Shot with Ektachrome 64 film. Bonnie also commissioned me to photograph her as a gift for her husband. Interestingly, of all the women I've photographed, I've known Bonnie the longest. She came to work for AT&T around 1979 or 1980 when she was nineteen years-old. I've seen her grow into an independent, spiritual, intelligent and motivated woman from that young girl of so many years ago.

Stacie, photographed in 2001. Black and white photo shot with PolaPan film. Color photo shot with Ektachrome 64 film. She is my favorite model. I could not take a bad photograph of her. Stacie is one of the most remarkable women I know. She has the potential of being or doing anything she chooses. At present, she has chosen to be a devoted mother and I have no doubts she excels in this endeavor.

Colleen, photographed in 2002. Shot with PolaPan film. I think this is one of my strongest portrait images. Colleen was one of a pair of identical twins.

Sharon, photographed in 2002. Shot with PolaPan film. Sharon frames my artwork for Phillips Gallery. Since then, she has become one of my co-workers. Sharon was the most reluctant of all my models, being very camera shy.

Debbie, photographed in 2003. Shot with PolaPan film. I've also know Debbie for a very long time. I've had the privilege of seeing Debbie grow into a confident, independent woman over the years. She was very reluctant to model for me, but as we started shooting, she really got into the process and started suggesting different poses and ideas.

Hadley, photographed in 2004. Shot digitally. Hadley is one of my present co-workers. I cannot quite get the photographic rapport going with her. All of my photos of her turn out looking quite serious and almost hostile. Hadley is one of the few people I know who is seriously attempting to make a livelihood through her art. She is very disciplined, prolific and dedicated.

Adrienne, photographed in 2006. Black and white photo shot with Kodak TC400n film. Color photo shot digitally. Adrienne was one of my most pleasant surprises. She simply responds to the camera naturally. She seems to love the camera and the camera loves her. This is indicative of her personality, which is very straightforward and honest.

Kim, photographed in 2008. Shot digitally. Kim is the other photographer I work with. Her work is edgier and more contemporary than mine, so I wanted to portray that by simulating "cross-processing" digitally. Kim is always a willing model and really very fun to work with.

Julie, photographed in 2008. Digital photograph. Julie is presently my assistant. Can I say it is a challenge to have an assistant? I have enough difficulties managing myself . . .

phoebe in wonderland

As I've mentioned earlier, I'm an avid moviegoer. I'll even compromise my normally high standards some weekends (when the new releases are somewhat "iffy") and see some pretty marginal films. "Dragonball Evolution" is one example. Normally, I don't sing the praises of many films unless I find them truly exceptional. This weekend I had the opportunity to see one such film, "Phoebe in Wonderland." It is a gem of a movie that first showed at the Sundance Film Festival two or three years ago and has since had some difficulties in distribution. The film revolves around Phoebe (Elle Fanning), a troubled, but gifted nine-year old. When Phoebe's mother (Felicity Huffman) is summoned to school to address an "incident" involving Phoebe, she chooses to ignore the misgivings voiced by the principal (and later, Phoebe's psychologist). She does not want to stifle Phoebe's creativity and dull her spirit through medication. Sadly, Phoebe's behavior escalates and we witness the pain and suffering that begins to unfold around her as a consequence. Wonderland, it turns out, is the only place where Phoebe can find solace and comfort.

The cast also includes Bill Pullman, Campbell Scott and the always brilliant Patricia Clarkson as Phoebe's drama teacher. During the screening, I became aware of somebody sobbing several rows behind me during the more emotionally resonant scenes. I probably would have responded similarly had I not been distracted by those outbursts. At the end, I had to turn around to identify the perpetrator. Much to my surprise, the source of all that sobbing originated from a rather burly middle-aged bald man! None of us are evidently immune to the suffering of a nine year-old girl.