Final Day the Best!

Our last day at the OSF and two wonderful shows. First up was August Wilson's Fences one of a series of ten plays Wilson wrote about the African Americn experience in the 20th century. We have thoroughly enjoyed 5 of his plays having seen them in various locals and mediums over the years. We saw one of them in Seattle, another in NYC, another on TV. Regardless, the productions have all been fabulously staged and acted and this production was no different. Starring Charles Robinson, famous for his roles in Night Court and Home Improvement, he was stunning in his portrayal of Troy Maxson, a man embittered by the disappointments of life--the lost opportunity to play professional baseball and making poor decisions that send him to prison for a time and of course those opportunities not available due to his race. He, nevertheless, loves his family and does the best he can to take care of them, flawed as he is. The cast was superb and the story so moving. We can't wait until the next time an August Wilson play crosses our path.

We had dinner at the New Sammy Cowboy Bistro in Talent, a restaurant we had read about in Gourmet Magazine. Located along the old highway 99 between Ashland and Medford, New Sammy's owners grow much of their own produce and herbs in an adjacent garden fun to wander through before your reservation time. A funky, eclectic decor, the bistro has a knowledgable, friendly staff lead by co-owner Vernon Rollins--his wife Charlene is the chef and runs the kitchen end.

Several mini-courses surprised us along our culinary journey including an egg cup filled with a wonderful concoction of flying fish roe marinated in wasabi and a cheese bruschetta. My main was freshly flown in sashimi-grade Ahi Tuna perfectly seared. Leslie had ravioli stuffed with 3 different cheeses. Our dessert was a homemade strawberry ice cream in a warm puff pastry floating in strawberry-rhubarb coulis. Sweet and sour, hot and cold, it was delicious!

Sammy's is a place you want to make reservations for well in advance, but it is the best restaurant anywhere in the area for a special night out. Our bill with apperif, 2 glasses of wine, salad, main, a shared dessert and coffee came to $150 with tip.

Our final evening at the OSF was a performance of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. It was wonderful to see this old chestnut of a play brought to life again. I performed as a part of the cast in a college production in 1972, but I never realized the power of Wilder's words. Many in this cast do a wonderful job. Most noteable the part of the stage manager and Emily's father. What bothers me most about this show was the way it was cast. In the Playbill notes from the director, she mentions the racial overtones within the play as an issue (a point I whole-heartedly disagree with. Yet she has gone ahead and cast the show with mixed race married couples and set them down in an early 1900's small New England town where just such a thing could never have happened. Key members of the cast are weak and unimpressive, especially the actresses playing Emily, a critical role and the actress playing George Gibb's mother. Yet despite the shortcomings of this production, we found ourselves moved by the sheer power of Wilder's message and by some of the staging decisions made by the director. In the final scene, the entire cast is seated in the cemetary. The stage manager walks over, takes his seat among the dead and you hear a collective sigh from them all as the stage goes to black. Oh, my! Brilliant! Despite its faults and there were many, the brilliance of Wilder's message shines through and we were moved to tears. A great end to our time here at the OSF. We look forward to returning next year.

Day 3 At The OSF!

Our first show today was a VERY bizarre, but fantastic performance of the OSF's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. From the opening scene with a Tony Soprano-like characterization of Theseus and his Hippolyta sitting in white leather chairs with 8 foot tall backs, this schizophrenic romp through the Athenian forest includes a gay chorus line of "fairies" who prance and dance and fight over the costume parts they steal from the mortals invading their realm and cause the mischief that creates all the fun of this show. Totally bizarre, yet the show won me over.

The Clay Cart, an ancient Sankrit folktale, was interesting mostly due to the staging. A Brahmin, once wealthy and now poor, faces execution when he is framed for a murder. A beautiful courtesan is wooed by the King’s dumb and evil brother-in-law. The good people of the kingdom triumph in the end but not before much intrigue and moments of humor.

We had lunch at Si Casa Flores again. Leslie loves it and so do I. Clay Cart was about an hour too long and so we didn't arrive back at the room until about midnight.

Tomorrow is our last day at the festival when we'll see Our Town and August Wilson's Fences.

Day 2--Ah, Shakespeare!

Day 2 dawned bright and beautiful--a sunny day, high about 80 degrees. Beautuful!

We had breakfast here at the hotel and then headed off the Ashland. Our first play was Coriolanus, a not so well known tragedy by the master. This production was in a contemporary setting, but its lessons ring as true today as they did then. A hero returns from battle and is encouraged to become a member of the Roman Senate, but, despite all those around him encouraging him to do so, he is unwilling to lower his standards and expectations just so "the people" will accept him. The end is indeed a tragedy for him and for Rome. It definately reflects our political times. The star of the show was amazing. Others of the cast were not quite up to his equal but it was still a wonderful production.

We ran home between shows for a quick nap and ate at the Black Bear Diner in Medford.

Back to Ashland for a production of A Comedy of Errors. This show was set in the wild west days and had been turned into a musical. I know, sounds odd, but it really worked. The themes were there, the lesson to be taken away even though all the characters were dressed in the garb of a an old west town, complete with sheriff and hanging tree. Absolutely hilarious! Mistaken identity, confusion, slapstick, corny humor all reign supreme throughout this show which ended about 11 and we drove on back to a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow we see Midsummer Night's Dream and Clay Pots.

Day 1--Drive to Medford, Oregon

Well, we arrived! The 10 hour drive broken up only by gas stops and a lunch stop in Portland that was AMAZING!

We left Bellingham seven minutes late this morning (intended time of departure was 8 AM) but had few traffic issues other than the occasional slow downs due to summer road work. Stopped in Mount Vernon to tank up at the cheaper Costco pumps and then straight through to Portland. Leslie started in reading all about out trip and found a list of restaurants in Portland--the list is endless and there are so many outstanding places, how do you choose? I asked for one not far off the freeway so we wouldn't have to spend a lot of time getting off and on I-5. Down the list she went, describing this place and that. Then she got to Pambiche, a Cuban place just off I-84 only a couple of miles from I-5. It sounded so fantastic we had to try it.

We called and got directions and in 5 minutes pulled up in front of the brightly colored facade. There were lots of tables out front and cuban-style music added to the festive atmosphere.

I decided to order some ice tea and a combination plate with a Cuban-style red bean soup, rice and a pile of mouth-watering shredded pork which had been chared and cooked with garlic and onions. Though the photo to the right doesn't look it, the meal was drop dead delicious. Leslie decided only to order some fried plantains since we agreed to share. She excused herself to wander inside and look over the dessert case and then returned to our table. When the food arrived she was handed a Cuban Sandwich. Hey, what happened to our agreement. Too tempting! The sandwich was fantastic--shredded pork, ham, swiss cheese on a french roll which had been pressed on the grill. Pambiche gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up. We'll be back for sure.

Back on I-5 and south to our goal for the day. The drive was just too long but we arrived in time for dinner at our favorite Mexican place in Medford--Si Casa Flores. Funny name but great food. It is a bit on the expensive side for a Mexican restaurant but the food is worth it. Leslie had an enchilada plate and I had a combination (we were supposed to share) with a chili relleno, an enchilada and a taco. Muy Bueno!

We drove just around the corner and arrived at the Comfort Inn South. This is a very comfortable place on the south side of Medford, just a little closer to Ashland only 10 miles away. We always call ahead and ask for an upgrade to a suite. We are seldom turned down when we just say we are Choice Priviledge Members and the points we accumulate staying in this chain during our trip will help get us free stays in hotels in England next Christmas. Pretty great deal.

We are safe in our suite and ready for a quiet evening before all the excitement for the next three days at the festival. Oops, Leslie just went down to swim a few laps in the pool, then we are planning a few hands of Cribbage before bed.

Back On The Road Again!

School is out and it is time for us to head out on the open road with another trip! This year our trip will be pretty simple and straight forward.

We venture to Ashland, Oregon and the famous Ashland Shakespeare Festival. We will see six shows in three days including Coriolanus, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Clay Cart, and Our Town. We will pay a visit to New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro in Talent, Oregon just south of Ashland on the old highway. We visited Ashland last summer during our trip to California and decided to become members of the festival.

On our way back north we will stop in Portland, Oregon and have lunch at Higgins, one of the top restaurants in the Northwest and the U.S. Chef Greg Higgins presents an atmosphere reminiscent of a French bistro. We have looked forward to this dining experience for some time and it will finally happen.

We will then drive on home to our beloved Bellingham in time to spend the rest of June, July and August close to home--something we haven't done in many years. No doubt we will take short jaunts to outlying parts of the Northwest. We just can't sit still that long.

So stay tuned and watch all the fun as we travel this summer, putter in the garden, make changes to our home and a few surprises.

The climax of the summer will happen in September when our kids Kate and Nick arrive home from England to celebrate their engagement at a soire in our backyard. There will be live jazz with the Julian McDonough quartet, which played at our 30th anniversary party last summer, and the menu will include King salmon on the barbie, fresh caught on my August salmon trip to Canada, roasted local red potatoes and fresh berry cobblers hand picked from the local fields.

Friends and family from all over the world will descend on our home for this party and we can't wait!

Calamari Pasta Salad

This unusual creature makes tasty main dishes, appetizers and salads. I created this salad after I found myself with a lot of leftover squid following my annual squid dissection activity with my 5th/6th grade science classes. After cleaning the squid I cut off the tentacles and sliced the mantle into ribbons. A quick fry in hot oil, followed by draining on paper towels and my squid are ready for any number of uses.

Recipe for Calamari Pasta Salad

1-2-3 pounds whole squid, cleaned
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 fennel bulb and tops
1 # ziti pasta, cooked and drained
4 T Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of fresh garlic, smashed and chopped finely
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 T dry red chili pepper flakes
1 T dried oregano flakes
salt and pepper

In boiling water, cook 1 pound of ziti-style pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. Using a mandoline, slice part of the fennel bulb into thin slices. Chopped fennel tops into large pieces for use as garnish. Chop red bell pepper and parsley and place in a bowel. Add cooled pasta.

Blanch fresh green beans until slightly crunchy, then cool in iced water. Drain and add to pasta mixture.

Clean the squid carefully, slice off the tentacles just ahead of the eyes. Make sure to remove the beak parts found in the center of the tentacles. Slice the mantle or body of the squid into 1 to 2 inch slices. In a pan of hot oil drop batches of the squid. Allow to fry about 45 seconds to one minute. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.

When cooled, add cooked squid to the pasta vegetable mixture.

In a small bowel mix 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar. Add oregano, pepper flakes, garlic and salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended. Pour over squid mixture and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then mix again before plating up.

Place a heaping serving of the salad on plate and garnish with fennel top pieces.

Serves 6-8

Clean Out the Icebox!

Time to clean out the freezer and fridge and use up whatever is found before it is too late.

Found all kinds of goodies lurking in nooks and crannies. Based on what was found we put together a menu for a Sunday afternoon supper for Leslie's Mother who was coming over for the day.

Beef Stew

Kitchen Sink Salad with Homemade Balsamic Dressing
Apple Galette with Caramel Sauce

I found a frozen package of strips of beef, and few frozen peas in the freezer, a few lonely potatoes and carrots in the fridge all needing using up. Mom can be fussy about what she eats and how she likes it prepared. She wants her beef and veggies tender. So, I went after a good old-fashioned stew.

Beef Stew

1 1/2 pounds--Stew Beef cut into 1" cubes

1 cup--Whole Wheat Flour

3 T--olive oil

2--cloves garlic, minced

1--onion chopped into large chunks

3-4--carrots peeled and sliced into 3/4" coins

1 cup--frozen peas

1/4 pound--mushrooms, cut in half or quartered

4 cups--beef broth

2 cups--red wine

salt and pepper

Toss the cubed beef in seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour. In a large dutch oven heat olive oil until near smoking point. Toss in the flour coated beef cubes and brown off. Remove beef and drain leaving drippings in the dutch oven. Add garlic, onions, carrots and mushrooms to drippings and saute until brown. Add meat back in along with wine and broth. Cook on low for 2 hours or until beef is tender. The flour should have also helped thicken the stew. 15 minutes before serving, add frozen peas, add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.
______________________

As I said, Grandma loves her veggies and especially salads. So when we make one of our Kitchen Sink Salads which are always given a fancy name when done in a fine restaurant, she loves it.

Kitchen Sink Salad

1 head--Romaine, washed and torn into 1" pieces

1--Carrot, peeled and grated

1 cup--Broccoli, cut into bite-sized bits

1 cup--Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized bits

1 c--red seedless grapes

1 c--Cucumber, sliced into thin coins

1/2 cup--walnuts, roasted (see recipe below)

This recipe does not need to be adhered to at all. Whatever you have fruit and veggie wise will probably combine to create an amazing salad. You can even toss in cheese--grated cheddar or more exotic kinds. Don't have cucumber? Don't put it in, or use something else. Be creative!

Roasted Walnuts

1/2 cup--Walnuts

1 t--Salt

1 t--Pepper

1 t--Sugar

1 T-Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine spices and toss with walnuts on a baking sheet. Place on middle rack of oven for 5-7 minutes. Pull from oven and pour onto another plate to cool. Don't leave it on the baking sheet as the walnuts may become too done and taste bad. Pour the cooled walnuts over the top of the salad just before serving.

Balsamic Dressing

1/4 cup--Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup--Apple vinegar

1/2 cup--Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 T--whole grain style mustard or Dijon style

2 cloves, Garlic

1 t--Oregano, fresh

1 t--Rosemary, fresh

1 T--Honey

1/4 cup--Mayonnaise

Combine all ingredient except oil in a blender. Start blender and slowly add oil. When combined pour into a jar or storage container. Dressing will last for a week in the fridge easily. ______________

Finally, Grandma has to have her dessert. My wife, who is the baker in the family, whipped up this delicious, melt-in-the -mouth apple galette with on hand items.

Apple Galette with Caramel Sauce

1--pre-made pie shell

2-3--Granny Smith Apples, cored and sliced thinly into wedge shape

1 t--cinnamom

2 T--almond paste, crumbled

1 T--butter, cut into small bits

1 T--lemon juice, fresh

1/4 cup--oats

1/4 cup--walnuts, chopped

1-egg white

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Fill the center of a thawed, frozen pie crust with sliced apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon and fold the crust over the apples leaving the center open. Top with crumbled almond paste, chopped walnuts, oats, and dot with butter. Using pastry brush, paint egg white over pastry. Bake in oven on middle rake for 45 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apple mixture is bubbly.

Caramel Sauce

6 T--Butter, melted

1 cup--Sugar

1/2 cup--Whipping Cream

In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, add sugar and mix until it melts (you may add a little water if you'd like). Add butter and continue stirring until it incorporates into sugar. Remove from heat and add Half and Half continuing to mix until smooth and all ingredients combine. Mixture will foam so be careful. Allow mixture to cool a while before use as it is VERY HOT!