Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Here and There

I talk a lot about food in this blog…

Here are some of my favorite places to eat right now in Cleveland and in Vermont:

Cleveland –

Momocho in Ohio City - www.momocho.com/
Tartine Bistro in Rocky River - www.tartinebistro.com/

Vermont-

Positive Pie in Montpelier - www.positivepie.com/
River Run in Plainfield - www.riverrunbbq.com/

Have a great Labor Day weekend...

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Amazing what six weeks of rain will do for your lawn...

The place looks so green

Vermont has had an abundance of rain the last few weeks

We put gravel around the perimeter of the house to dissipate runoff

Side deck

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

To him who is able...

This morning I read through an online journal of a college friend who was diagnosed this past spring with breast cancer. Her courage and faith really strengthened me.

In the last few months it has become more and more evident to me how tenuous our life really is.

Our hold on life is made up of a slender thread of blood, sinew, organs and bone. And even those people credited with the best of physical health can succumb in a few hours under the right (or wrong) conditions. Such was the case of the mountain climbers on K2 last week.

The key is knowing that, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

And then living my life in such a way that I recognize that I don’t hold things together…but in him all things hold together.

I don’t have the power or the personality or the strength.

Live my best today. Love my best today.

Make as many memories as I can.

Friday, August 08, 2008

Moonlight In Vermont


Pennies in a stream
Falling leaves a sycamore
Moonlight in Vermont

Icy fingers waves
Ski trails on a mountain side
Snow light in Vermont

Telegraph cables they sing down the highway and travel each bend in the road…
People who meet in this romantic setting are so hypnotized by the lovely….

Evening summer breeze
Warbling of a meadowlark
Moonlight in Vermont

You and I and moonlight in Vermont

Friday, August 01, 2008

I love cured salmon...

I love salmon and one of the things I have come to enjoy is curing my own and making a version of gavlax. Its an easy and fun appetizer to make for friends coming over for dinner.

1 16oz piece of fresh salmon, skin removed
1 large bunch of dill
3 tablespoons of sea salt or Kosher salt
2 tablespoons of white sugar
1 tablespoon of crushed peppercorns

Remove the pin bones from the salmon with needle nose pliers or tweezers. You can feel them by running your fingers the wrong way along the fillet.

The sugar and salt draw water from the salmon. The weights are traditional, but you can just wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and lay it on a platter in the fridge, turning once. White sugar is traditional, but brown sugar also has interesting possibilities.

Spread this mixture over the fish then wrap in plastic wrap tightly. Use a weight to press for 24 hours in the fridge, turning once.

Wash off the salt, sugar and dill, pat dry, slice across the grain, fairly thick (1/8 inch). Serve with Dijon mustard or sour cream and crackers.

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