The Great Gatsby

Our book club meets this coming Friday and I just finished "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Yes, I actually finished early, which for me is an accomplishment. This was a quick read and a good slice-of-life story about the lives of the wealthy in the 1920's.

A Special Saturday

     Wow, yesterday (Saturday) was a busy but delightful day for me. It was filled with art, and food (naturally). A week or so ago, I decided I wanted a new painting for the large wall in my living room. Since I moved in two years ago, I have enjoyed the "Embers of Venice" painted by my friend and high-school classmate, Peter Stilton. I love the painting, but always felt it was a little under-sized for the wall. I decided to move it to the bedroom, over the bed (photograph to follow in a future post) where it adds a new focal point to the room and is complemented by my photographs of Venice and Florence. After considering a number of options, I decided to ask Peter if he had something abstract that might work in my space. His lovely wife, Jill, emailed me an image of a great abstract painting titled "Autumn, New England" which I liked but again the size (48" x 48") did not seem appropriate. Peter actually brought this painting with him and it now resided temporarily in my living room. Long story, but I am getting to the point... hold on, I finally decided to commission Peter to paint a special piece just for me. So, yesterday began with Peter coming over to discuss the space, size of work, colors and concept. I am truly excited about this project and I know Peter will create a wonderful painting. 
     Next, Peter, Shirley, Frank and I headed to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the current special exhibit of  "Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940". We started with a nice lunch in the MFA Cafe (at the Museum) where I enjoyed a delightful and tasty Smoked Duck salad with Frisee and a lemon champagne dressing. We toured the special exhibit with Peter providing additional comments on many of the paintings. Not only is he an artist, he is an art educator. There were some paintings from the Ashcan School which is a current favorite for Frank. This very interesting exhibit showed the impact the European impressionist had on American artist during this period, but with the Americans adding their own imprint on the style and subject matter. We also toured the permanent collection, as this was Shirley's first visit to the museum. As I have mentioned before, this is a wonderful small museum with an amazing permanent collection.
     Shirley, Frank and I had dinner at Salt Rock Grill in Indian Shores. In all these years Frank and I never dined at this very popular and well regarded restaurant. We shared a Portobello and Crabmeat appetizer which was served with polenta and topped with three cheeses. It was very good, but Frank and I both felt it actually had too much going on. We think it would have been better with fewer ingredients. But we cleaned the plate none the less. For our main course, Shirley order the tuna kabob with an Oriental preparation, served over rice. This was very good. Frank and I each had grilled Caribbean Lobster Tail. We each opted for the single 1/2 pound tail; more than enough food for us. I enjoyed a Mediterranean Orzo for my side, and Frank had a baked potato. The lobster was sweet and tender and I used every piece to transport the traditional drawn butter to my lips. For dessert we shared the Hot Apple Crisp Pie, served upside down with a bourbon pecan crunchy crust. This too was very tasty, and large enough of a portion for us to share. While we had a very nice meal and a lovely evening, Salt Rock Grill was not quite the "wow" experience we expected. Frank commented that it felt like an upscale Bonefish, and I would agree. It was very good, well prepared food with good, but not great, service. The view of the intracoastal water way from the tiered dining area was enjoyable, but for an overall dining experience it does not compare to a place like Cafe Ponte.


And before I close, I must extend a grazie mille to my dear cousin Shirley for spending the past week with me and helping me during my recovery from the last round to IL2 treatment.


The following images are of the two painting by Peter Stilton mentioned in the post.  The two dimensional photographs do not do justice to these lovely works of art. They must be enjoyed in person.
For more of Peter's work check his Website... Stilton Studios

Embers of Venice

Autumn; New England

The Lone Cypress

My good friend, and seeker of 15 minutes of fame, Bob G. returned recently from a trip to San Francisco to visit his son and daughter-in-law. While there he journeyed to Monterey and the 17 mile drive. I really liked his photograph of The Lone Cypress, so with his permission I am posting it here. There is a peaceful quality to the photo with the cypress sitting alone in the mist overlooking the ocean. Thanks for sharing this with me Bob.

Gosh Darn Good BBQ

My dear Cousin Shirley has been here this week tending to my care and feeding after the week of treatment. Fortunately my recovery has been much quicker this time than two weeks ago, so I have been able to get out more. Tonight Shirley, Frank and I ventured south to Ellenton, FL (yep, home of the famous outlet mall) to have dinner with Biff, Butch, Cherie, and Mike at Hickory Hollow BBQ. Hickory Hollow is a no-frills, eat-with-your-fingers, super casual restaurant. They serve up some mighty good BBQ offering both North Carolina style (vinegar base) and Virginia style (tomato base) sauces. Their extensive menu includes various pork and beef dishes as well as a nice selection of seafood. They even have a char-grilled pork shank on the menu. The wooden pig platter listing of sides includes approximately 20 tasty options. Toss the calorie counter out the window and pig out. We shared appetizers of Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Green Beans which were accompanied by horseradish sauce and ranch dressing and very good. Baby back ribs (some NC style, some Virginia style), pulled pork sandwich and platters (NC style) were the popular main dish selections at the table tonight. With the main you get two sides and two large corn fritters (very yummy). Our selection of sides included Roasted Corn and Peppers, Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens (not me, thank you very much), black eyed peas, and steak fries among others. We finished with two desserts, carrot cake and apple crisp, both very good. I must say we all belonged to the clean plate club attesting to the quality of the meals.
So for my friends and readers in the Tampa Bay area, take a short drive to Ellenton and have a great BBQ meal at Hickory Hollow. Even better, combine it with a shopping trip to the outlet mall. A word of caution: I understand that in season there is a line out the door, and no reservations are taken. Also it is cash only (ATM is on premises). 
Best of all, it was a fun evening with a great group of friends and relatives. 
That's my story, and I am sticking to it !

Checking out today

Yea! I am being released This morning from Moffitt after another week of high-dose IL2 therapy. I feel I am going home this time further along the recovery path than after than last cycle.
That's all I'm saying

Fast Food, Frank's Way

A couple of months ago, Frank and I were watching Everyday Foods (yes, a Martha Stewart production, but don't tell anyone I watch it). They prepared Classic Cheeseburgers which was a simple and quick recipe. Last night, Frank stopped down to prepare them for me, and they brought fond memories of what I refer to as "Short-order" hamburgers; thin, slightly salty, quickly fried, and served on a toasted bun. They were really good. We believe the key is to roll the patties thin, and don't overwork the meat. Fry them quickly in a cast iron skillet (if available). Frank suggests 1 1/2 minute a side for medium rare. 2 minutes per side yielded burgers closer to medium. This produced a slightly charred exterior with a tender and juicy interior. A true classic in my opinion and very tasty. 
Here is the recipe from the show:

Old-Fashioned Cheeseburgers

Prep: 20 minutes Total: 20 minutes

To grill the burgers, simply roll the patties slightly thicker (3/8 inch) and grill over medium-high heat, 2 minutes per side.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

         1 pound ground beef chuck (20 percent fat)

         4 teaspoons softened butter

         4 hamburger buns, split

         Coarse salt and ground pepper

         4 slices melting cheese, such as American or mild cheddar

         Toppings, such as shredded iceberg lettuce, pickle chips, thinly sliced red onion, mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise

Dick's Favorite: Cheese, ketchup and tomato

Frank's Favorite: Mustard only

DIRECTIONS

1.    Heat broiler. Divide beef into 4 rounds and place each between two layers of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll beef into 1/4-inch-thick patties. Butter inside of each bun. Place on a baking sheet, buttered side up, and toast under broiler. (Frank variation: Skip the butter if desired, and toast cut side down in a dry frying pay on the stove top)

2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over high. Generously season patties on both sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook burgers 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and top each with cheese; cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Place burgers on buns and serve with desired toppings.

Barcelona Finale

Our Barcelona photographs are ready for viewing. Just click on the Barcelona collage below.


The Barcelona photographs are now accessible from the right sidebar.

Teaser Pic

La Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's still under construction cathedral in Barcelona. It is amazing !

Internet Rumors - A Rant

Forgive me for a minute while I step out of topic (OT) for a short rant about emails rumors that constantly circulate view email. I am sure we have all received some of these and may have at times been guilty of forwarding them on to others. Fortunately I am receiving fewer and fewer of them, since I have at times, checked snopes.com to either verify or refute the claims and sent the clarification back to the person who sent me the email. But, there is really no way to stop this, since people will believe what they want to believe regardless of the facts. A case in point is well documented today in a snopes.com posting. Click here--->  SNOPES to read the post. The issues are not always political, many center on popular culture, or requests to send cards to sick/dying children (some of these have been circulating on the web for years). Thanks for listening.
That's All I'm Saying.

Still Waiting?

If you are still waiting for the posting of a link to my Barcelona photographs, you may have to wait a while longer. I completed my first round of inpatient treatment last Sunday, and have not yet tackled the photographs yet. The treatment knocked me for a loop, (OK, I am loopy anyway), and I am recovering under the watchful eyes of my two great friends, Frank, and Carol S, who came down from Mount Dora for a few days to provide superior care and great meals. I go in for round 2 next Monday. Hopefully I will finish the culling and editing this weekend. 
That's all for now!