Seafood Chowda

This weekend my daughter Katie made a great big pot of seafood chowder (chowda, she says, in a mock-New England accent) and it was GOOD!

We’d been to the Hand Melon Farm stand in Greenwich, New York, on Friday and picked up some nice veggies. We left with two huge tomatoes, radishes, celery, and Montauk corn – a baker’s dozen – and of course a sampling of their chocolate raspberry and chocolate cheesecake fudge (just to see if it was any good, and it was!). The stand is directly across from the Washington County Fairgrounds. The fair was in full swing and it was fun to see the rides in operation. Henry (now 16 months) was mesmerized by one ride that went forward at full speed, and then backward, (Tilt-a-Whirl?) all the while making interesting whistling and clanging noises. There's something about a fair and summer. Very Americana.

It's always good to travel east a few miles. It's a beautful ride across the Hudson River from Saratoga through Schuylerville and on to Greenwich. The sun was out and it was a warm, sunny late summer day, perfect for a short jaunt.

We had the corn that night (delicious) and there were many ears left over, so we decided to make a chowder the next day. We had a lot of the ingredients on hand and stopped by the store the next morning for seafood.

I was out running errands when Katie got started. When I came back, the aroma was heavenly, as if I were in a seaside restaurant! I couldn’t wait to ladle me a bowl of that chowda. It was GREAT and here’s the recipe in case you find yourself with a few extra ears of corn and most of the fixings. It’s well worth the ingredients and the time it takes to put it together.

Katie’s Seafood Chowda

3 strips bacon
1 Vidalia onion, diced
1 c. chopped carrot
1 c. chopped celery
4 red potatoes, skin on, diced
Kernels from 3 ears cooked, sweet corn
3 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbs. cornstarch
32 oz. seafood stock
6 oz. bottle clam juice
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig dill
Salt
Pepper
½ lb. bay scallops
1 lb. medium shrimp, cleaned, tails removed
2 cans chopped clams
1 pt. heavy cream

Cook bacon in large stock pot to render fat. Once crisp, remove bacon and add onion. Saute until soft. Add cornstarch and stir until incorporated. Add corn kernels, carrot, celery, garlic, and potatoes. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add herbs, salt, pepper, and then stock and clam juice. Bring to a simmer. Add seafood and cream and simmer for about a half hour or longer until it thickens up a bit. Remove sprigs of thyme and dill. Ladle into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon.

Photo credit: http://www.marketpride.com.au/Portals/6/RecipeImages/Thumbnails/SeafoodChowder_Damper_thumb.jpg

I have a dishwasher!

This may seem like a very little thing to be excited about, but I am. This is the first dishwasher I’ve had since 1996, when my home was sold as part of the divorce, and I moved into rentals. Since that time, everything has down-sized, including conveniences.

There are many things that are not so little when it comes to doing without. No dishwasher? That’s not ideal, but OK. There’s a double sink and a bottle of Dawn. I’m all set. No washer and dryer? Hold on. That is NOT OK. While I realize many people in this world still heat their dish water over an open flame and wash their clothes in rivers, in this society having a washer and dryer is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And it’s been a long time. The one washing machine in my 12-unit apartment building was often in use, or broken down. I mean, it’s a real pain to gather laundry, bundle it up, lug it out of your house, load it into the car, drive to the Laundromat (a cultural study in itself), score the machines you need and pump quarters into them like slot machines (with no potential for a jackpot) wash, fold, bundle, and then haul it all back to the house. And those quarters! During apartment living time (many years) I held on to quarters like they were platinum! I’d see things in terms of laundry currency. Five empty bottles of Diet Coke equaled one quarter. Twenty-five returnable bottles equaled $1.25 which translated into one load of laundry in one of the small machines at Bubbles Laundromat. (A recent trip to Bubbles found the machines begging for an additional 50 cents!). I’d go for a ride in my sister’s car and notice an abundance of change in a dash compartment. Coveting the quarters, I’d think, “…wonder if she has any idea how many loads of wash that’d take care of?” I’d deliberately pay for things with an extra dollar bill rather than use coins in my purse in order to score more quarters. Sometimes I’d even drive to a Laundromat for the change vending machines, load up my pockets, and use the quarters in my apartment building’s washer and dryer. (That seemed a little sinister, somehow, as I walked past people actually doing laundry there, and leaving with heavy pockets.) Other times I’d get rolls of quarters from the bank or from the office at the grocery store. I loved those quarters! It was a sickness, this quarter obsession. If I found myself one quarter short of a load (!) I’d proceed to tear through my apartment in the quest to find just one – through pockets and pocket books, couch cushions and under furniture. Quarters were like crack to me!

In the new house, the washer and dryer are ready to go. Well, not exactly ready. The washing machine is all set. The dryer, however, requires a propane conversion kit which neither Sears (who sold it) nor any local plumber seems willing or able to convert. So, I’ve had a load of clothes in the wash for two days now, and no way of knowing when the dryer will be functioning. Now I have the joy of hauling WET if not stinky clothes to the Laundromat to rewash. If anyone knows someone who is willing to convert a brand new gas dryer to propane, we need to talk.

Hold on to your quarters if you see me coming. Seems my Laundromat days are not quite over.

Photo credit: http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/photos/stylus/101410-dishwasher.jpg

Nest leaving

My sister Anne is missing her son Patrick, who is transferring from Marist for the prestigious PGA program at Florida State in Tallahassee. He’s worked especially hard to get there and deserves this wonderful opportunity. I know all moms miss their kids when they leave for college. This particular saying good-bye seems especially hard. Tallahassee is much farther away than Marist, though my practical daughter Katie reminds me that “it’s just three hours away by plane.” We’ll see how that plays out when Henry goes away to school!

Patrick is a terrific kid. He’s the kind of nephew who comes up to you, wraps his arms around you, and says, “Hello sweetheart!” and not in that Eddie Haskell, brown-nosing way, either. He is playfully affectionate but he really means it.

When Patrick was born, he joined two older brothers, Jack and Ben, and he was followed by Will, brother #4. I refer to them as the “Boys Bishop.” Patrick is not one to get lost in the crowd. He’s always made his presence known, establishing his individual personality early on. Patrick was a little baby when I made him a patch-work quilt for his crib and a muslin bunny to keep him company in there. He loved the blanket, hated the bunny. I’d find it thrown on the floor. Rejected and ejected. It seemed to creep him out. The blanket, however, was so loved that it eventually fell completely apart. So, when he was a bigger little kid, I made him another blanket, this one reflecting his love of baseball. I had to smile last week at the beach house in North Carolina, when I went into his room and saw the baseball blanket there, on his bed. I love that he still has a place for it in his grown-up life.

Patrick (Pat to his brothers and friends – always Patrick to me) expresses his emotions openly. When he was just a tiny little guy, I’d visit their home in Cazenovia and he’d open my door in the morning, the first to greet me. When I’d get ready to leave, he didn’t want me to go. He threw himself on the floor, wrapped his arms around my ankles, and held on as I pulled myself to the door. I’ve always known him to be just as happy to see me, and that’s a precious thing in anyone’s life.

I consider myself very lucky to know such wonderful people in my children and my nephews and nieces. Whenever something terrific happens in any of their lives, I feel that joy. Whenever something difficult or challenging happens, I share that, too. Right now, I’m understanding how hard it is for my sister and her husband to say good-bye to Patrick, for now, but I am also feeling the excitement and optimism he must be feeling as he starts this exciting new chapter in his life.

Hey buddy, I’m proud of you!

Photo by Suzette O'Farrell

Banana Walnut Muffins

Not to seem too blogger-schizophrenic, today's entry is short, simple, and deliciously sweet. I made these last night and they came out beautifully! I made 32 for a crowd but I'm pretty sure you won't need that many, so here's a recipe for a good baker's dozen, plus some.

BANANA WALNUT MUFFINS
(Makes 12-16 standard-sized muffins)

1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 over-ripe bananas, cut in chunks
1 cup light sour cream (1/2 pt.)

2 cups flour (all A.P. or half A.P./half whole wheat)
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Beat together oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and pieces of banana, mixing well. Add sour cream. Mix well.

In a separate bowl or over wax paper, mix flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this dry mixture, along with chopped walnuts, to banana mixture, incorporate well.

Fill muffin cups (sprayed with cooking spray or lined with muffin papers) 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees Farenheit until tops are dry and muffins begin to brown on edges (about 18-20 minutes, depending on oven).

Photo credit: http://weblogs.cltv.com/features/health/livinghealthy/banaas.jpg

Coming back from vacation

It’s the pink elephant in the room as your vacation ends and thoughts of going back to work invade your psyche. It’s there, but you don’t want to acknowledge the fact that your total escape from accountability is coming to an end.

When I’m away, I try to be away from everything. This trip to North Carolina found me packing basically a swimsuit, flip flops, a night shirt, shorts and t-shirts. The one pair of pants I wore on the plane served me well for our solitary restaurant night. Not packed in my bag was a blow dryer or my new big-barreled curling iron for my new, shorter “do.” Nope. My hair took a vacation too and it was pretty interesting given its propensity to curl in a not-so-lovely way with sea-side humidity factoring in… Despite my hair’s self expression I enjoyed the freedom from maintenance and all things typically required in regular world. I was not ecstatic at the thought of resuming real life. Sometimes, though, the end of something wonderful opens the door to another thing totally unexpected.

My trip home was eventful in regard to meeting a very interesting person. I chose an aisle seat because I hate having to climb over two people if, God forbid, I have to use the plane’s bathroom. I was sitting there anticipating which of the people approaching me was going to occupy the center seat, hoping it would stay empty. I usually prefer not to chat (believe it or not!) and would rather sleep or read on such trips. But, the flight was oversold so I knew that seat would be filled. The man who sat next to me (man – actually, the same age as my kids) turned out to be one of the most interesting people I’ve EVER met, and we had such a terrific conversation that I’ve thought about it a lot since saying good-bye. Adam Sabourin is a Black Hawk pilot, a West Point graduate, now a full-time pilot in the Army National Guard. Adam was part of the Class of 2002 at West Point, written about in Bill Murphy Jr.'s book In A Time of War (link here: http://www.amazon.com/Time-War-Perilous-Journey-Points/dp/080508679X). While an Army pilot, he served two tours of duty in Iraq. When I met him Saturday, he was on his way to a wedding for his friend Katie, the widow of his best friend from West Point. Her husband, Timothy Moshier, was shot down and killed in Iraq (his company replacing Adam's) in 2006, leaving behind his wife and one-year-old daughter. Adam had been to Albany once before, when he bore the honor of returning his friend's ashes to the Moshier family in Delmar. And now, he was flying in to Albany again, to attend Katie’s wedding to her second husband, also a graduate of that same West Point class. Adam spoke with such respect and regard for Tim, and for Katie, and was attending this new wedding with happy optimism for her while remembering his lost friend. What an emotional day it must have been for him.

Adam and I spoke of my connection to West Point (I was married there, at the Catholic Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity, in 1974. A family priest assigned to West Point officiated). We also spoke of our families (babies - his daughter, my grandson), work, backgrounds, and even cakes, and weddings. He told me that his mother is an accomplished cake baker. He knew a lot about the process and the demands of baking cakes for people. I told him about my blog so he added it as a “favorite” on his Blackberry, and he said he could see comparisons with my masters thesis topic and Paula Deen’s life. Turns out he knows Paula Deen’s family well, and has met her on occasion. He said she’s just as lively and vivacious in real life, a treat to know. What a wonderful two-degrees from Paula Deen I’ve experienced!

Adam and his wife Erica live in Sacremento now, have a brand new house, and are expecting their second child, a son who will join their 3-year old daughter, in October. Adam is an accomplished, confident, and honorable young man, and I’m happy to have met him. I hope to find him on facebook to continue the conversation that seems to have just begun.

Photo credit: http://media.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/newsroom/images/3164196.jpg

Dinner Out and Key Lime Pie

One of the best things about the beach house is its massive and well-equipped kitchen. We hadn't been to a restaurant once, which was a welcome break for me since I'd been eating out much too much at home, waiting for my new apartment's kitchen to be operational. I love to cook for a crowd and this week we've stayed in for dinners except for last night. We decided to make reservations at a near-by restaurant. We went to Riverside Steak and Seafood in Swansboro, on the other side of the bay. It was nice change of pace. The service was excellent and we all enjoyed our dinners. My brother Danny ordered a seafood pasta dish that had him wrestling with lobster claws, but once he was provided some apparatus, it all went very smoothly.

Typically, I don't order dessert, especially after salad and a good meal. Last night I decided to go for the Key lime pie. My sister-in-law Suzette ordered the same. We are both big fans. Ours was very good, but not the best we'd ever had. I look for a graham cracker crust. Suzette prefers a meringue top rather than whipped cream, and we were expecting a bigger lime punch. Still, it was a cool and refreshing finale to a delicious meal.

I've heard a number of stories about the origins of Key lime pie, and the universal thread seems to be that, until the 1930s and transportation and shipping improved, there was no refrigerated milk available on the Keys. Canned milk was used for milk recipes. The silky smoothness of sweetened condensed milk, when combined with the citric acid of the Key lime, produced this heavenly dessert, and we're the lucky beneficiaries of that set of circumstances.

Once home, I decided to look up the recipe in Joy of Cooking, one of the cookbooks here at the beach house. Authors Irma Raumbauer and Marion Raumbauer Becker offer the following:

This pie owes its distinctive character to the pungent citrus variety--native to Florida--called the Key lime. It may be used in any other recipe calling for either lemon or lime.

A 9-inch Single-Crust Pie

Prepare a baked pie shell, 640 (I don't know what that number indicates!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix together well:

1 can sweetened condensed milk: 15 oz.
1 tablespoon grated Key lime rind
1/2 cup Key lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 slightly beaten egg yolks.

Stir until thickened, a result of the reaction of the milk with the citrus juice.
Pour the mixture into the baked crust and cover with a meringue made by beating until stiff, but not dry:

2 egg whites

to which are gradually added:

2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake pie 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Eggless version: Use 1/3 cup juice and omit egg yolks. Use whipped cream as a topping. No baking.

Photo credit: http://static.open.salon.com/files/keylimepie11228412463.jpg

Pelicans and other coastal creatures

If you sit on the beach long enough, you'll see flocks of pelicans flying overhead. These massive birds look like they've been immune to evolutionary forces and retain an almost prehistoric apprearance.

Especially fun is watching these birds at meal time. You will see one out above the ocean, surveying the water's surface and then suddenly dive-bombing down at a 90-degree angle to catch its prey.

There's a lot of wild life here on Emerald Isle. During last night's walk, my brother-in-law John saw a fox. Anne's seen something, while sitting out on the porch late one night, that we have yet to identify! There are deer walking down the street at night, or nibbling at bushes during the day in groves of trees. One of us noted that deer are as plentiful here as squirrels are in New York!

Poolside, in the flora surrounding the back yard we've seen some substantial webs with proportionately large spider residents. My daughter Katie has a morbid fear of spiders so we sent her that photo, right away!

I've been scanning the ocean to see any trace of dolphins, but so far, no luck. While we were bouncing around in the waves yesterday, a man a few yards away said he saw a little shark, and held up his hands to indicate something about a foot long. He seemed unphased and stayed right where he was, so I guess it's nothing to be afraid of! Still, when I'm out in the water, the dark theme song to JAWS is thumping in the back of my head. I'm always scanning, but love my time in the water so much that I'll take my chances.

Two more days of fun-in-the-sun are in store. While Hurricane Bill might make his presence known in the form of bigger waves and rip tides, the sun is shining bright and we plan to enjoy every second!

Photo credit: http://www.calliebowdish.com/Birds/PelicansSpring05_4059.jpg