hp's blog

Some new recipes...

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:08:09 -0700

...over at Ward Street Bistro.

Market Seafood Chowder:

Chowder

Red Wine & Mushroom Sauce for Beef:

Sauce

Press-in-the-pan Pie Crust:

Crust

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My Greek Connection

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Mon, 26 May 2008 18:20:19 -0700

Growing up, not only were our next door neighbors Greek, but so was my classical guitar teacher (with whom I studied for years). It gave me early exposure to Greek food and culture. Mrs.Dadas, our neighbor, was an elegant lady and a wonderful cook.

My family was somewhat adventuresome anyway from a culinary standpoint (at least for the 1960's) and so I developed a real taste and appreciation of Greek food. Our favorite Greek restaurant was the Parthenon, located in Chicago's Greek Town. Last Wednesday night, while I was staying in the Loop, I paid a visit to the Parthenon, which is still in operation. It's been at least 30 years since I've been there.

Chicago has a whole class of restaurants that hardly exist in Seattle. Family-style restaurants that have been in operation for years serving the same specialties, year in and year out. I had the dolmades and they were exactly as I remembered them.

Parthenon

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Back from Chicago

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:33:13 -0700

Walking back from Greek Town

I did have some time to enjoy the city a bit this time around: dinner in Greek Town, an afternoon at Lincoln Park Zoo.

It's good to be home, though.

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More spectacular tenor singing

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:03:40 -0700

Juan Diego Florez got quite a bit of mainstream media attention when he nailed the nine high C's of Fille du Regiment not once but twice (the second time in a near unheard-of encore of the aria).

Last night at Seattle Opera we experienced something that I think is equally amazing:

Brownlee

Lawrence Brownlee took a high F (that's 3 notes above a high C) in full chest voice. He sang the note so strongly that I could literally feel it hit me (physically).

Not even Pavarotti could sing that note in chest voice - he sang it using head voice (falsetto).

Not to reduce Brownlee's performance to a single high note. He's got the total package - an absolutely amazing voice for the bel canto repertoire. It makes it seem so effortless.

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Attack of the car wash

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:41:01 -0700

EEEEE...

I still think it's fun to go through the car wash!

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It's like a heat wave...

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:05:49 -0700

...burning in my heart

This is about as hot as it ever gets in Seattle, even mid-summer. I had planned some pie-baking over the weekend, but did it last night because I sure as heck won't fire up the oven when it's in the mid-80s.

We've had some lovely fresh local rhubarb, which I've turned into a couple of Rhubarb Custard Pies:

pie

I'll be gone next week - in Chicago on business, with a quick visit up to Northbrook to visit my Dad's wife. I'm on a rather challenging work project currently and the distance from the client (who is based in Chicago) doesn't make it any easier. Mostly I work with clients who are local (in Seattle). I am hoping the Chicago trip gives me some traction there. I am hoping for some decent weather to make up for what I experienced in my February visit.

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Pink snow

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Sat, 10 May 2008 12:23:39 -0700

Spring has sprung!

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Marionette opera

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:22:26 -0700

Don Giovanni

I was vaguely aware that there was a marionette company in Seattle that did an opera production each year. And when it crossed my consciousness I would think, "well that would be interesting to attend sometime."

This year, we did it. And boy am I sorry we didn't take advantage of this sooner. First of all, the production is not for children. But, I wasn't sure who might show up at a marionette opera-- opera people? early music people? (a number of notable early music musicians were performing) -- puppet people? I'm still not sure. It was an older crowd - older even than the symphony crowd - but there wasn't anyone we recognized. We go to enough music in Seattle that we are familiar with a set of "usual suspects" that show up to various types of classical performance.

Donna Anna & Don Giovanni

The opera was Don Giovanni, done in its entirety, with only very minor cuts. Rather than sing the recitative, it was spoken, in English, much of it quite funny (and adult -- again this was not for kids). The English dialog helped move the drama along. But the marionettes were amazing dramatically. It's hard to explain how expressive they were--both in the spoken dialog and the aria singing. The singers (local favorites, including a couple from the Tudor Choir) were accompanied by a string quartet plus flute. They were seated, dressed in black, in front of the stage. The experience was so intimate--it felt like you were in someone's salon. It was an incredible theater experience.

They announced next year's opera, which is Don Quixote. Marionette opera is clearly something we're going to be looking forward to each year. Marionettes have a very interesting history in theater--particularly in Italy--which you can read about here.

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Knitting up next

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:48:46 -0700

I'll have Drake take some photos this weekend of me and the sweater I finally, finally finished. Darn that looped crochet trim almost had me beat. But I would not surrender. Not to the looped crochet trim!

Up next is a shorter, summery project:

Berocco Can-Can

The yarn is beautiful mix of silk, linen, rayon and nylon (I'll be making it in a denim blue color):

"Silk Demin"

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Grilled Mustard-Rosemary Chicken

nobody@vox.com(hp) — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:23:55 -0700

Chicken!

We've had an exceptionally busy week, but I did manage to post another recipe over at the Ward Street Bistro: Grilled Mustard-Rosemary Chicken.

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I've got a big backlog of things I want to post about, including an incredible marionette (yes, as in puppets) version of Don Giovanni that we saw last weekend.

But, now I am off to finish some laundry and housecleaning that I didn't get done earlier in the weekend. I've always thought a 4-day work-week would be perfect. Sometimes, there is just so much to cram into those two little days (Saturday and Sunday)...

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