NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER!

The morning started with a trip down memory lane … well not exactly my memory or my lane but it was my friend Eric’s memories and past.  I was in charge of reading about life in the Catskills: I had done my research, I had seen the movies reminiscing the hotel life, read articles, researched all travel guides of the area at my own personal library at the local Barnes and Nobles reading room, and I was in charge of feeding snacks to the actual guest and survivor of the Brickman Hotel.  Yes, a real turn of the Century Catskill Vacationer and now my own personal guide; Mr. E. W. SCHOEN.  Thanks to his driving, knowledge, stories and the step by step directions of the Garmin GPS, we were able to drive through the area and find the Hotels with no problem at all.

Even though his stories were most interesting, the movie being projected in my mind was even greater… It was “Dirty Dancing”. Yep, Carrie (Eric’s sister) was learning how to dance the forbidden dance, “The Cha, Cha, Cha”, Rumba, Meringue and Mambo”, while Eric was with the guys playing shuffle board and sneaking behind the building with the cool crowd, to smoke a cigarette and drink Manischewitz!  Don’t you agree…a great plot!!  Now, for an Oscar award winning scene from; “Dirty Dancing”……..

Johnny was accused of stealing a wallet and Carrie …I mean BABY… I mean Carrie confronted Johnny:

Carrie/Baby:  [finding out the Schumancher’s were guilty of stealing the wallets] So then – so then it’s all right!

 I knew it would work out.  I knew they’d have to apologize…

Johnny:  [shrugs her off] I’m out, Carrie/Baby.

Carrie/Baby:  [pause] They fired you anyway because of me.

Johnny:  [sarcastically] And if I leave quietly, I’ll get my summer bonus.

Carrie/Baby: So I did it for nothing.  I hurt my family, you lost your job anyway, I did it for “nothing” !

Johnny:  No, no, not for nothin’,

Carrie/Baby:  Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before.

Carrie/Baby:   You were right, Johnny.  You can’t win no matter what you do!

Johnny: You listen to me.  I don’t wanna hear that from you.  *You can!

Carrie/Baby: [pause] I used to think so.

                                                                                   [END SCENE]

Carrie/ Baby leaves the site in a rush; she needs to get ready for the final Dance competition; she enters her room to change into the latest fashion bathing attire, recently purchased from either Frishmans or Dorothy Stein.  She needs to gain strength and commune with the universe before the big competition, so she goes to the pool. #@*^% …. Oops, that is a different story.  Well…The hotel pool was the location where Carrie became the pool side Diva we know today, and Eric developed the taste for his short weekend travels.

 Back to the road, and my story! So many hotels in disrepair. We stopped at the site of the former Flagler; Grossinger; Nevele; Raleigh; Browns; Pines;Monticello Country Club; and the Concord at Lake Kiamesha, this was the largest hotel in the Catskills, with more than 1,500 rooms and a dining room that seated 3,000.  Golfers can still tee off at its famous “Monster” course; there are still plans to renovate this property.   Hotels like The Kutsher and the Brickman have been converted into Meditation ashrams, “Shree Muktananda Ashram, Ananda Ashram, O Guru, Guru, Guru” to name a few.  The place that once hosted the latest fashions, entertainment, sport activities, laughter and comradery is now silenced; the face of the area has changed completely.  The lakes of “Borscht” and the rivers of “Sour Cream” do not flow through the kitchens that used to prepare the top of the line foods; the hustle and bustle of the waiters and the busboys has stopped its course in these haunted restaurants. 

The Catskills, the home of performers like Eddie Fisher, Woody Allen, Milton Berle, George Burns, Shecky Greene, Danny Kaye, Jackie Mason, Don Rickles, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hacket, Totie Fields, Red Buttons,  Joan Rivers and Henny Youngman. This was the place where many performers were made.  According to the Catskills Institute at Brown University, almost 1,200 hotel resorts and boarding houses, and close to 900 bungalow colonies operated in the Borscht Belt ( Catskill Mountains of Sullivan, Ulster and southern Greene counties).

Some would say that those were the good old days, paradise, the ultimate in entertainment and recreation; but for the workers at these resorts it might be a different memory and story to tell.  One thing we know for sure is that even though the Catskills, as a compound of hotels, do not exist today, the talent, people, and the spirit can be found all around the United States and the world.  From Florida to Atlantic City, from Las Vegas to Aruba, one will find a little piece of the Catskills.  Every stage in this nation has hosted or will host a performer who directly or indirectly has been influenced by the greatness that once performed there. Remember …”Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner!” and nobody was able to put the Catskills in the corner either; The talent that was contained for the enjoyment of a few is now being enjoyed and admired by the entire World!

Fall Fruit Salad

1Teaspoon of Cinnamon (please adjust to taste and by the amount of fruit salad)

Pomegranate seeds (1 unit)

Fuji Apples chopped bite size pieces

Golden Apples chopped bite size pieces

Pear chopped bite size pieces

Toasted Almonds (Ruff Chopped)

Toasted Walnuts (Ruff Chopped)

Blue Berries (hole)

Raspberries (hole)

Dried Cranberries sweetened with apple juice

Chopped dried dates

Toss all ingredients together and serve

Honey Cake

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup honey (preferably buckwheat)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon
•  9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F. Oil loaf pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk together honey, oil, and coffee in another bowl until well combined.

Beat together eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add honey mixture and whiskey and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Finish mixing batter with a rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl.

Pour batter into loaf pan (batter will be thin) and bake 30 minutes. Cover top loosely with foil and continue to bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Cool on a rack 1 hour.

Run a knife around side of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack. Turn cake right side up and cool completely.

Glaze

·         1/2 cup butter

·         1/4 cup water

·         1 cup sugar

·         1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Until it has the consistency of syrup. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.  Glaze cake while hot.

BESITOS DE COCO (Coconut Kisses) the Puerto Rican version of coconut macaroons

Long version of the recipe

Ingredients

• 3 c coconut shopping list
• 1/2 c flour shopping list
• 4 egg yolks shopping list
• 1 c brown sugar shopping list
• 1/4 T butter shopping list
• 2 T coconut extract shopping list
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Melted chocolate for drizzling on baked cookies shopping list

How to make it

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a bowl thoroughly mix all ingredients into a dough
• Divide dough into 24 balls
• Place balls on greased cookie sheet and bake for about 35 minutes to a golden brown.
• Cool and drizzle chocolate on top

Short version of the recipe

Ingredients

• 2 / 3 cup flour (all-purpose) shopping list
• 5 ½ cup shredded coconut (bagging) shopping list
• ¼ teaspoon salt shopping list
• 1 can condensed milk shopping list
• 2 teaspoons vanilla shopping list

How to make it

• Preheat oven to 325° F (170°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix in a large bowl the flour, coconut and salt
• Add milk and vanilla
• Using your hands mix the dough
• Then with a spoon to medium cookies place the mixture into the mold, besitos should remain as the size ½ lemon (lime).
• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool.

Living in the square states

If you find a child… come on, let’s be real, ask anybody in your office to point out on a map, the mid-west states of the United States and then ask them to locate Nebraska, nine out of ten would not know where it is located.  For a great amount of them, their eyes will go blurry and they will start to look towards Florida; for others they will start talking fast and change the conversation, trying to evade the embarrassment of admitting that they don’t have a clue to the location of Nebraska. The remaining few will touch the map as if they were going to receive telepathic waives; as if they were in a coven asking questions on the “Ouija Board”,  expecting that their fingers will miraculously glide over the Square states and by magic end up on the state.   We had it much easier; Uncle Sam decided to place a joke on us and sent us to Offutt AFB in Belleview, yes...Nebraska!  While other new Lieutenants were assigned to Spain, Hawaii, Germany, Japan or Italy, we were to enjoy the corn plantations, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Aksarben, and The Old Market, and... That’s all Folks!  Yes, Life in the Square States….was a barrel of FUN.   

This is how my journey started in the Square states; I arrived two days before Thanksgiving, the only turkey that day was me! The snow reached the height of the car and the wind was blowing like nothing I had ever experienced.  The Parka and boots became part of my glamorous outfits and I learned how to drive and scrape my car windows at the same time.   Head Quarters SAC… a castle on a bluff, the morning aroma of the rendering plant, sweet smell, almost fruit like but not in a good way!,  There were a thousand blue penguins rushing towards the same entry door.  Hat, scarf, ear muffs, gloves, coat, sweater, T-Shirt, long johns, thick socks and goulashes all packed on one single individual.  The only thing we could do was to wobble towards the building, try to escape the rushing freezing winds, being careful not to slip on the ice, and be cognizant of the upper ranking officers so we would not forget to salute with a bright morning smile.

Nebraska, Four years of my life… the birth place of my most innovative experiences and ideas, the place I met friends that I know I will have throughout the rest of my life.   A place, far, far, far away from your home, family and friends but at the same time you were surrounded by people that loved you and were going to become one of the strongest forces in your life.   Nebraska is the place where I met my greatest professional mentor. Even today, over twenty years later, I still mention his name almost on monthly bases.  LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROBERT H. LUDWIG (General Bob), the man that would go to the country auctions in his bibs (overalls) put a weed in his mouth and go over to talk with the farmers.  The man that taught me that everybody will put on their pants one leg at the time.

At lunch time, we would go down the hill to have lunch at the Officers Club.  Our table would have different players every day, but usually sat around 8 to twelve diners.  This was the same group that would go to Friday happy hours at the Officers’ Club or invent a party for no reason at all; we celebrated our birthday parties, we even celebrated Barbie’s birthday, engagements, weddings, Ground Hog Day, Leap Year, Cinco de Mayo, Saint Patties day, Pajama parties or would go skiing in Colorado and return in the worst winter storm of the decade.  My friends and I ate, cooked; ate, cooked and ate again!  We served as hosts at the Dining Inns, worked the Air Show, and even helped create a haunted house at Generals Quarters for Halloween, we worked hard and partied hard. 

Maybe it is referred by some as the square states in the middle, or maybe Nebraska who? What? Where? I refer to it as the place I met my best friends!

Omaha has...
- five Fortune 500 company headquarters
- the home of the world's most successful investor, Warren Buffet
- the highest number of restaurants, per capita
- the highest number of public golf courses (per capita) of any city > 100,000 population
- the largest indoor rain forest (Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo)
- the world's largest geodesic dome (Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo Desert Dome)

- Home of Head Quarters SAC
Famous Omahans
Astaire, Fred
Brando, Marlon
Buffet, Warren
Fonda, Henry
Ford, President Gerald
Gibson, Bob
Nolte, Nick
Roddick, Andy
Sayers, Gale
Welk, Lawrence
X, Malcolm
Invented Here...(a food theme?)- Reuben Sandwich
- TV Dinner
- Cake Mix
- Raisin Bran

Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place apples in a slow cooker. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt; pour over apples and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown, stirring occasionally (stir more frequently as it thickens to prevent sticking). Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. If desired, stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Cover and refrigerate or freeze.

BAVARIAN MINTS

Ingredients

• 3 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.    Butter an 8x8 inch dish.

2.    In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine milk chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate and butter. Heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in condensed milk, peppermint extract and vanilla extract.

3.    Beat with an electric mixer at a low speed for 1 minute, then at a high speed for 1 minute. Chill mixture for 15 minutes, beating by hand every 5 minutes. Beat again with electric mixer two minutes more. Pour into prepared pan and chill until firm. Cut into 1/2 inch squares.

Cabbage Burgers (remember Runza Huts)

Ingredients

• 3 (1 pound) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
• 5 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 large head cabbage, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide each loaf of frozen bread dough into 6 pieces, and roll into balls. Set aside.

2.    Crumble the ground beef into a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir until evenly browned. Drain off grease. Add the water, cabbage, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring as needed, until the cabbage is soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like to use more pepper than salt. Drain off any excess liquids, and set aside.

3.    On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough balls into 5 inch (approximate) squares. Place about 3/4 cup of the cabbage burger into the center, fold the dough over, and pinch to seal. Place on a baking sheet with the seam side down.

4.    Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and brush with melted butter. Serve hot.

Spice Bars

MIX

¾ CUP COOKING OIL

¼ CUP HONEY

1 CUP SUGAR

SIFT AND ADD TO ABOVE

2 CUPS OF FLOUR

1 TEASPOON SODA

1 1/2 TEASPOON CINNAMON

½ TEASPOON SALT

MIX WELL, HONEY AND OIL

WILL NOT MIX, SO USE HANDS.

ADD:

1 CUP PECANS

1 WELL BEATEN EGG

MIX WELL AND PRESS INTO GREASED PAN, 10X15”.

BAKE AT 350 FOR 20 MINUTES.

GLAZE FOR BARS

1 CUP OF POWDERED SUGAR

1 TABLESPOON WATER

2 TABLESPOONS MAYONAISSE

1 TESPOON VANILLA

MIX UNTIL SMOOTH, GLAZE BARS

Caniglia’s famous fried raviolis:

Ingredients:3 cups sweet cherry/plum or grape tomatoes
chopped parsley, small bunch

8 basil leaves
3 small garlic cloves
1 red onion
1/2 chili pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
Pinch of oregano
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Ricotta & Mushroom Ravioli or Medallione:
Ingredients:
12 ricotta mushroom stuffed Ravioli/medallions

I use the wonton skins and make my ravioli/medallions (ravioli is square and medallions are round)

Filling:

·         Ricotta cheese

·         Grated pecorino

·         1 egg

·         Oregano

·         Chopped mushrooms

·         Pepper

·         1 cup buttermilk
Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs to coat or 12 panko and ½ Italian seasoned bread crumbs.

Olive oil, for frying

Directions:
Boil the ravioli/medallione in salt water, once they begin to float, boil for 3-5 more minutes until al dente. Strain pasta, dip in buttermilk and coat with Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry ravioli/medallione in 1/4-inch olive oil at 375 degrees for 1 minute per side until golden. Strain on a wire rack. Serve with Italian salsa on the side.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

Mental health as I call it; is packing a bag, calling a taxi, getting a friend to take care of Miss Bella (my dog ,or as she thinks, “the Princess of the universe” and escape to New York for a little R&R…smog, noise, cement, people..mmmmm love it!  I think that as you are growing up you absorb the personality and ideas of people that have influenced your life.  For example I continue repeating a saying that my mom’s beast friend Carmen Mangrich would say when somebody would talk about the country or rolling hills or open air activities. She would state; “ that is too  green, no cement, I am not liking it!” As you can guess I am not a tree hugger; camping equates to staying at a Holiday Inn, hunting is a sport that takes place at the supermarket, and ESPN stands for “Emergency Send Pizza Now” because I don’t plan to cook!  Rewinding, back to the trip…. Smog, the essence of polluted air, the hustle and bustle and the noise of the streets; the roaring sound of the trains rushing through the tunnels, thousands and thousands of yellow taxis dancing a well orchestrated ballet thought the streets of Manhattan. One million eyes passing you by, like particles of dust passing across a beam of light, faces you see for a second and they are recorded in your subconscience for an eternity.  It is the craziness; the chaos and the confusion of the city that will drive you crazy, permitting you feel alive, sane and rational.

Yes, this is Manhattan; the time is 7:30 PM and we have a curtain call at 8:00 PM.  We are going to see a new play called “Million Dollar Quartet” and we are late!  We have been praying to the “Parking Gods and singing the parking karma chant and we can’t find street parking. Suddenly it works…Eric spotted a space at the corner of 37^th Street and 8^th Avenue; right in front of the “ Weiss Schloss”, “El Castillo Blanco”; “ Il Castello Bianco”, or better known as house of the best little, itsie bitsie hamburgers in New York…White Castle! (And now! The Flourish of the trumpets.)  We have 29 minutes to curtain call and only one minute to grab a tiny burger.  Back to the road, rushing to arrive on time to the “will call” window to retrieve the tickets, Carrie, Eric’s sister was already waiting for us in front of the theater and we were late!  … But … NOOOO! It cannot be! Right there at the North West corner of 8^th Avenue and 38^th Street, the Cathedral of hotdogs, yes!!! “Gays Papayas” two hotdogs for a dollar; just like the ones served at “Versailles or the White House” do we stop or do we continue running?… “Ayh Caramba”! What to do!  Twenty minutes and counting… Soooo we bought two hotdogs and continued the race to the theater.  Now we are almost there, just two more blocks … NO!!!! At the corner of 8^th Avenue and 40^th Street; the “Pizza King” yes the one dollar slice of New York pizza.  Come on, we had to stop to have a slice!  As Rachel Ray would say; “$1.00 Hamburger, $0.50 Hot Dog, $1.00 pizza and a $1.00 drink”!!! We just had dinner on the run for merely $3.50 per person.  Viva New York! Ops,  I forgot a $1.00 roll of TUMS (stomach medication).

Now its 30 seconds to curtain call and… everybody in the room is giving a standing ovation.  But they are all looking to the back of the theater and the play has not even started!  It was President Bill Clinton ,his daughter Chelsea Clinton and her recent, plus one.  Even though when we purchased the ticket at the half price booth, we were informed that our $40.00 tickets at a $200.00 dollar section had an obstructed view. We had the best seats in the room.  Well ,I believe the seats were installed on a 30 degree slope.  It was great. I never had to tilt my head to see the stage, because I was already inclined. 

The play started mostly in a red stage that resembled an old record studio and then the action started.  Four individuals following their dreams, daring to be different, creating music entering into that zone that would permit them to feel alive.  The music was electrifying, the acting was superb and the surprise ending with Jerry Lee Lewis delighting us with his masterful compositions was inspiring!  

Mental health symbolizes different things for different people and there is no saying what is right or wrong.  Having an outlet that will permit your imagination to soar and be creative, is the best medicine for the soul! Go out and be daring, do something different, creative or exciting.  We only have one life to live…….. live it to the limit and don’t forget to exercise compassion, love and kindness.

FLAT BEAD PIZZA

Items you will need:

• A package of flatbread (lavash)
• cutting boards
• sauces:
• Italian
• Peanut
• Pesto
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• your imagination is the limit
• toppings
• cheese of your choice
• Assorted topping ingredients as desired
• arugula leaves
• ham
• chicken
• beef
• shrimp
• vegetables
• your imagination is the limit

1.    Cover bottom oven rack with aluminum foil to catch drips and spills. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.    Place flatbreads on center rack of oven and bake for about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and bake for another 1 1/2 minutes until slightly browned.

3.    Place lightly browned flatbreads on separate small boards. Spoon 1 tbsp. of sauce of your choice onto flatbreads, spreading evenly in circles from center to about 1/4 inch from the edge.

4.    Sprinkle a generous handful of your sauce and favorite toppings, such as browned sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers or olives.

5.    Use a large spatula to move each flatbread pizza directly onto the center shelf of the oven, side-by-side. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 450 degrees F, until melted and crusts are browned.

6.    Open oven, pull out center rack and slide pizzas back onto separate cutting boards. Cut each flatbread pizza into four to six slices.

7.    Top with pepper, other spices or arugula.

Tips

• Meat toppings should be pre-cooked or ready-to-eat. Peppers, onions and mushrooms are best pre-cooked by light browning.
• Flatbread is usually found in the deli

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1.     In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, coconut milk, water, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, ginger, and garlic. Mix in the cilantro just before serving.

DAD’s Special Hamburgers

For The Patties:
½ pound beef, preferably good quality coarse ground

½ pound chorizo, Dry Style good quality small ground

½ pound pork, preferably good quality coarse ground

½ pound veal, preferably good quality coarse ground

1 half onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed or a pinch of garlic powder

1 teaspoon Paprika
1 dash catsup sauce (about 4 tablespoons)
1 small dash Worcestershire sauce (about 1 tablespoon or less)
a little pepper, fresh ground is better
1 hand fresh bread crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 quarter beef bouillon/stock cube dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons water

For the Rolls:
8 rolls
thinly sliced onion
Potato topping
mayo-Ketchup sauce


Mix all the patty ingredients thoroughly, leaving the salt for after the patties are cooked if you prefer Make sure the mixture is cool. Divide mixture into 8 equal balls and mold into patties.  Cook on medium heat under the grill, on the barbecue or in a pan until the patty is cooked to your preferred degree of doneness or the internal temp reaches 160F/70C
Split the rolls and toast the cut surfaces lightly (under grill, on barbecue or in pan) just before the patties are done. Spread mayo-Ketchup on the bottom half; add a thin slice of onion, potatoes. Top it off with the patty and the other half of the roll.

Buen Provecho!