Entries categorized as ‘Utah’
Our home and native land….
Yes, my mother came from Canada and had a Green Card here for 50 years. She’s gone now but family abides in Canada and nearby and everyone loves the Olympics. We happen to be living where the 2002 Olympics resided and are keeping our eyes out on Vancouver.
Apparently Lindsey Vonn is a neighbor of ours who is using cheese (topfer) to help heal her shin. Let’s hope Lindsey and our other neighbor Shaun White do well in the Olympics.
My godfather/Uncle Don had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch prior to the Calgary Games. I salute all the athletes, thank Canada and Vancouver for hosting the Games, and wish everyone the best. OK, I’m from the USA so will shout a little bit louder there.
As a nation, we’ve spent a lot of time walling off one neighbor, Mexico. We’ve ignored our Northern neighbor, Canada, for far too long. It’s as if we’re such good friends that we forget about Canada because it doesn’t pose a threat to our borders.
We’ve been engaged to Canada for many years. While I don’t have inside info on what Canadians think of the US right now I believe we pay Canada no mind. It seems we like to be involved with Iraq and Afghanistan but ignore our kindly neighbors to the North.
For me, I hope the weather allows for a good and fair Olympics. Kudos for taking on this monumental challenge and we look forward to visiting Vancouver and sacred places nearby where my mother has been memorialized in future years. Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Utah
Tagged: Canada, Lindsey Vonn, Mom, Olympics, Shaun White, Vancouver
February 1, 2010 · 1 Comment
I wrote an entire piece for you with recipe ideas, everything, and it was lost. I continued an earlier post and went to post it and my kind host made me sign in and everything was lost! I’ll try to reconstruct over the next couple of days because there was some good stuff in there for you.
Beef Carbonnade with traditional Pappardelle noodles; and a chicken liver mousse that is softened by onions, apples, brandy and cream cheese. I just looked up a recipe on epicurious for duck ragu that will go with the prepared egg pappardelle I found at the specialty grocery.
Not that there’s a competition going on, but when my neighbor brings over a plate of cookies or other treats, I return it in kind. So I got gorgeous cookies today and responded in kind with a bowl of chicken pate. It was a joy to spend much of the day exploring new territory on an eastward drive we’ve never taken, even though we were splashed by every semi going the opposite way.
Then I got to spend several hours in the kitchen making stew and pate. I love to have a fire going, look at the mountains and figure out what to cook. Lately, now that Sundance is over, it’ll be easier to find a place to live. Someone here doesn’t like the fact that we have a dog. They like our dog. Their dog likes our dog. But every time we see them there’s a complaint lodged against us because we have a well-behaved, now (I just decided this is her birthday) six years old. Happy Birthday Zoe! We got her March 12 and instead of being 8 wks she was only six. So I don’t want her to have to compete with Punxatawny Phil tomorrow.
It’s interesting that some of the places have been on the market forever, always for a reason. Two properties look promising, I’m steering clear of the places that advertise regular moose sightings because moose hate dogs and kick them to death. Yes, Ms. City Gal is talking about moose properties. What has become of me? I’ve got to tell you what my dear husband tells all the recruiters that call him: “this is the prettiest place I’ve ever lived.”
I’ve lived in a number of pretty and interesting places but this, with the mountains and wildlife, is rich. And I’m going to learn to make a proper Texas chili (taking it from Lady Bird Johnson’s White House recipe) and maybe even cassoulet before the weather warms up in May.
What did you make this weekend? Are you helping a friend out? Write in and let everyone know.
I’m sending out a dedication today to Wynk, a horse saved from the slaughterhouse by Val, our cousin and our dog Zoe’s hip surgeon, only to become a dedicated endurance-race riding horse. It appears he died of a heart attack in the stable overnight, in old age. Godspeed, Wynk, and cheers to all reading this blog today. Dee
Categories: Editorial · Utah
Tagged: lodging, lost posts, moose, Wynk
January 22, 2010 · 1 Comment
As I become wiser I know to look to someone who lives their art. Sundance opened today and it is a huge extravaganza of parties, are there movies? I don’t know. We’re recent “locals” who didn’t get our tix three months ago.
When it comes to movies, books I look for a basic truth in the story (even if it’s an animated fable). The storyteller lived something or got to know someone to tell the tale. I may have to wait for the Oscars to be awarded to a film I did not see, but as an outsider I see Sundance as something its founder may not have wanted it to be. A bunch of rich Hollywood folks competing for titles. There are other indie gatherings but this is star-studded and the place to be this winter.
While us locals will not be able to go to restaurants for the next couple of weeks these folks are propping up the sad economy and should be commended.
It is a gift for a writer of non-fiction, poetry, song or prose to sound like themselves in the final product. I have the privilege to know a few who can transcend everything and write or play or sing and create a unique profile. I wish I could, instead I study or am lax in my studies, and marvel at all the wonderful people I’ve met in my life that has made that life richer for meeting and knowing them.
Categories: Editorial · Utah
Tagged: mentors, Recipes, songs, Sundance
Zoe (our dog) recoils as the guns blast: avalanche control measures are in effect in ski country. It must be time for comfort foods, as detailed in my latest blogs.
Regarding delis, I’ve a tale to tell. Raised Catholic (lapsed long ago) and married to a fundamental Christian, my knowledge of the Jewish faith is meager, only what I can read or glean from friends. A short time ago friend and noted cowgirl poet/singer/songwriter Juni Fisher was visiting and the subject of Ashkenazy and Sephardic Jews came up. She asked the difference.
I explained the cold climates of Russia and Poland, and the Southern climes of Spain and told her about borscht and matzo ball soup as opposed to the one Sephardic meal I was invited to attend (a friend was shocked to see me there as she didn’t know I was in the “tribe,” no I wasn’t, just a guest). I waxed poetic about foods to keep you warm and foods to keep you cool and when I finished, Juni said “Leave it to you to explain the entire Jewish faith in terms of food!!!”
She’s right. It’s laughable and a comment I’ll remember. I guess that’s what started this blog. Food has been an interest of mine for most of my life. I cook, and have attended great schools: I write so why not combine the two. It’s been an honor to host this blog and have nearly 25K hits in 18 months. For a niche blog that’s pretty impressive. I’m certainly thankful that so many people consider my prose worthwhile reading.
View to Nature Preserve
Boom! Boom! Someone here is not happy. The blasts must sound much louder to a dog’s ears. My husband just called to say he got to work OK even though I-80 was not plowed. Thank goodness he has AWD, DSTC and great snow tires! The ladies are walking to lunch today, in boots. I just sent in a photo report to our local weather station.
Time to get moving and make progress indoors as it’s snowing yet again and will for the next few days. Early this morning I read that this is the driest winter here in 67 years! Enjoy the day, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Utah
Tagged: Ashkenazy vs Sephardic, avalanche control, comfort food, deli, Juni Fisher, snow
January 15, 2010 · 1 Comment
The PIB’s are back. This is our first year living up here on the mountain during Sundance. PIB, in localese, means Person In Black. We couldn’t find a parking space downtown Park City and the festival hasn’t even started yet, so ended up coming home to a local fish restaurant with a neighbor who flew in to get ready for Sundance people to come in. As I believe I’ve mentioned, the window for “locals” to get tix was first week of November. Who knew?
Apparently roads and restaurants will be packed until end of the month and the only way to see a film is to camp out in the cold and hope that someone sells you a ticket on the street before the film begins. Not for me. I’d rather be invited.
Our neighbor is a musician and documentary film maker. Very interesting folks we meet up here. Sometimes because we have dogs, sometimes a burst pipe. Anyway, he took me to see another property and while it doesn’t work for us (doesn’t give me an office or the ability to get our “stuff” out of storage) it’s fascinating to see other neighborhoods and homes as we may have to look sooner rather than later. We love this place and it’s ideal except we need a two-car garage and more storage space. And our stuff!
I have to have a working kitchen, whenever we’re anywhere longer than a week. At my age the nomadic lifestyle should be packed in a bag in the attic, but instead we have high ceilings! I don’t mind it usually, but for five years we’ve had a dog, so it’s going to be more difficult as time goes on. Going out to eat 3X per day is more than I can take. If my father complained about our talking about food at family gatherings, having to get everyone together and go to a restaurant B, L, and D is insurmountable. Give me a flat where I can make eggs or a bowl of cereal with fruit and a glass of juice. Let my husband go to lunch with the guys from work while I have a grilled cheese sandwich I made at home. And in Scotland I’ll make my own burgers, not the hockey pucks they serve in restaurants, but I will go out for mussels and fresh salmon!
We are very lucky to have our place overlooking the nature preserve as we’ve seen elk and coyotes and watched the Greater Sandhill cranes rear a young colt. They’ll be back in March and it would be a joy to see them again. No, I don’t have a high-tech camera with huge telephoto lens but I’ll try my best to get you some wildlife shots this year.
It’s time for pot roast and stew. I’m going to make chicken fajitas tonight (was last night until we neighbors decided to go out) then Mom’s simple pot roast if I can find the right meat. It’s also a good time for my Beef Carbonnade, with beef, onions, bacon and beer. Can I find egg noodles up here? Nothing says warmth and coziness than hot beef stew in front of a fireplace. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: burgers, corporate kitchens, Sundance, wildlife viewing
I picked up a couple of recipes from one of my butchers yesterday. I’ll try them and pass them on (with his permission) if they work for me. I always love a great stew recipe and haven’t anything but a basic rub recipe that’s in my brain. I can’t even find the smoked paprika recipe I made six months ago and have been using all this time!
No cookbooks. I’m starting to buy a couple of magazines from local newsstands but I’ve also bought Eric Ripert’s “On The Line” which has very small print. I’m 2/3 of the way through “Save the Deli” by David Sax. I enjoy the way he writes but end up craving a hot pastrami sandwich on rye with brown spicy mustard, a latke, and a bowl of matzo ball soup, and I can’t get them. And the only place he lists out here in this, can I say godforsaken, place is glatt kosher in someone’s living room. We’re in serious Mormon territory, but not so serious up here on the mountain. This may involve a visit to the gorgeous new Temple. Architecture, pastrami, get my drift. Hey, we need a serious deli up here!!!
Last night I made great burgers with 85/15 grass fed beef, melted Vermont sharp cheddar and arugula. Plus quartered cluster tomatoes and a few organic fries. This morning I smell onion in the frig. It’s sitting next to a red pepper that doesn’t have much more life in it. Plus grated cheese from last night. I’m thinking Dee’s version of a Denver Omelet/Frittata this morning before tackling the DMV and bathroom cleaning! You have a great day! Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
January 10, 2010 · 1 Comment
The complicated Utah DMV documents for registering a vehicle are next to a tax statement for brine shrimp revenues. In Mendocino County, CA my local post office warned that it was illegal to send pot via US mail. The local grocery boasted a sign stating “no wetsuits in store.”
In Utah, it seems owners of a passenger car need to pay 1% to 1.5% of its value every year it’s owned by the taxpayer. I still have no idea what they’ll do to us on sales tax from MN as that’s where we got my husband’s “new” car. We’d love the weather in California but they are in a bad financial state. Texas, who knows? I’d hate to think we’d move just for auto fees. All we wanted to do is be safe. All-wheel drive, snow tires, good brakes. Don’t fall off the mountain is our mantra.
It seems we’ve been out of the loop in regard to Sundance, two months late for “locals” to actually be able to get tickets. If “local” is a pejorative term around here, lessee is worse. It appears we are the worst of the worst. I’d rather be the worst of the Wurst as I’m reading Daniel Sax’s “Save The Deli,” the first two chapters have me hooked, and not on gefiltefish. I can’t wait until he reveals where I can find good deli out west. No, I’m not going to skip to that chapter. Life is a journey, ok with sour pickles and mustard and smoked meats. On Rye. No white bread or mayonnaise or butter. Latkes. Matzo ball soup. Oy vey! Give me a deli! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Utah
Tagged: Daniel Sax, delis, dmv
We thought we had everything in our winter arsenal but were missing one thing. Ski pants. I can don a pair quickly in the morning to take Zoe out instead of long johns and jeans, and Jim can take her out on a snowy weekend afternoon or evening. Now all he needs are good ankle-high boots and gaiters for deep snow. So the ski pants will go on easily because right now my head, hands, feet and core are warm but my legs freeze in low temperatures. These should help.
Tonight was sauteed boneless pork loin with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes with garlic. The carrots suffered a bit from being in the oven too long because Jim didn’t come back with the dog in a timely manner. The pork was ever so slightly undercooked. I cooked Jim’s more so it was better but I only took a bite and put mine in the frig for further cooking. Timing is everything.
We haven’t had the worst of it yet. We’ve had barely anything and are gearing up for blizzards with high winds and snow. What do we do when the power goes out overnight and we have no heat and the pipes may burst? We spent a couple of years getting together the perfect hurricane kit. Now that’s in storage half a country away and it looks as if we’ll have to start again. We’re now members of REI so will get a discount on camp meals. We do have a gas grill outdoors for food and a gas fireplace and stove. We’ve seen our next door neighbor’s place flood itself and the neighbor on the other side so know what burst pipes can do, like split a commode in half.
This is new plowed/groomed territory for both of us but I intend to keep on cooking, and hope you will as well. Cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: hot pants, kitchen timing, pork, potatoes, roast carrots, ski pants
Last night my love arrived home bearing two TX license plates, sans Texas star, but they do say The Lone Star State. We sold the car in another state so TX advises us to keep the plates. I’ve never been one for posting license plates on our living room walls, or five-pointed stars to remind one that one grew up in or lived in TX for a time.
So, the plates mean that the Honda has gone to a good home and that we’re settling in to a cold weather existence with two AWD vehicles equipped with the best snow tires available. Jim got his rubber floor mats for the Volvo today and ordered me some because he didn’t have mats on the car he got two weeks ago. I have the expensive carpet mats and the driver’s side is filthy from mud and guck.
That’s where the cheating comes in. I’ve two pair of boots now, that I hate to wear except to walk the dog. But on a nice, sunny day when everything is melting I wear open clogs and end up in an icy, mushy parking lot that was not cleared out overnight. I end up with wet feet and a wet, dirty car. We’ll take care of the car next week when the mats are shampooed and real, sturdy rubber mats are installed throughout. It’s the translation to another climate and world that is a bit unsettling.
I grew up in cold weather and snow, and Jim promised I’d never have to shovel snow again. Well, here we are and maintaining the decks is no problem for me. Just a few shovels full. The rest is taken care of by the HOA. It’s drying shoes and boots and the dog and mud and salt. We were told a mud room was a must out here, they were right.
The cold weather begs other issues and aside from roasting (I’ve a decent roasting pan here and an excellent one in storage) I’m looking to find out about dutch ovens, particularly Le Creuset and what sizes I’d need for the two of us and for entertaining. I’m thinking perhaps a 2 qt for risotto or side dishes or mac and cheese just for us. Perhaps 4.5 qt for guests? I have to go look at them. I’d like to be able to roast a fillet or whole bird in the larger one or make a nice stew. I do not want oval because my burners are round and unless it’s big enough (too big for us) to go on two burners, it’s an affectation.
Warm food for cold climates. With the cars, boots, dutch ovens and altitude, this year has truly brought us to a new place. I’d say about now that we’re surviving the change, not yet thriving. But we’re living in someone else’s home with all their things so only Jim and I and the dog are familiar. Jim even has all new non-banker clothing so sometimes I don’t recognize him! Funny that the safe car he bought looks like it belongs to a banker! For all of you living in cold weather and warm, cheers! Dee
Categories: Editorial · Recipe Ideas · Utah
Tagged: boots, cars, dutch ovens and altitude, enameled cast iron
Do the words “undercarriage blast” mean anything to you? Up here it doesn’t matter if your car is red, green or blue, it’s covered in salt. Every week one must drive through a car wash to eliminate the salt before the next onslaught of snow and salt to melt the snow and eat your paint and undercarriage.
A few months ago I went through one car wash with Zoe the dog in the way back of the SUV on a tie-down and behind a cargo screen. She jumped around the screen onto the back seat and nearly hanged herself. Today we went through the car wash across the street and I talked to her the entire time and she was cool about it. I was very proud of her.
Togetherness and food are the motivations. She didn’t get any food for this but she got to come with me in the car and for a herder that beats a treat and being left alone at home. And I spent half a day yesterday going downtown to get her frozen raw lamb for dinner. I am a fan of the BARF diet (Bones And Raw Food) for dogs. She loves it, is regular like clockwork and her coat is so soft it’s like human hair. Everyone comments on the quality of her fur. If I do take up knitting, I should keep dog fur for a year or two and have someone spin it into yarn. It would make a great sweater.
My leaving the dog at home in her crate secret is very simple. Take a Kong (a spherical device, we get the black ones that are nearly indestructible as Zoe can eat raw meat totally frozen) and put in some peanut butter. Freeze it solid. We have six of them and rotate them from dishwasher to filling to freezer, and she runs into her crate and sometimes pesters us to leave on a Saturday for lunch and a movie because she knows she’s going to get the PBK (peanut butter Kong). We can’t even call it that anymore because she knows the term and is even understanding “spherical device.” Well, she’s in the home of a Physics guy. Hopefully after 10 p.m. he’s finally on his way home. It’s been a stressful day. Cheers, Dee
Categories: Editorial · Utah
Tagged: dogs and car wash, peanut butter Kongs, Zoe
