Authentic Homestyle Italian Dinner for about $2/per Person

Hello to all,

It is difficult, scary, risky and just plain anxiety producing putting a recipe out there.

Recall from the last posting, this is not about Haute Cuisine, or (High Cooking).  This is more down home,  but of course I will provide you with as much (specific) direction as possible. My grandparents, where these recipes came from were peasants in Italy, and they ate what they had, when they had it. It was ‘local’, ‘fresh’ and ‘seasonal’.  All those trendy words we hear now that we think are new?

Here we go and hopefully the first of many.

Pasta e Lenticchie (pasta and lentils)

Ingredients you will need:

• 2 cans 12oz or 15oz tomato sauce. Whatever your favorite market sells is fine.(if tomatoes are in season and you want to use your own all the better just make them into sauce). If you do not know how, just used the canned tomato sauce.

• 1 ½ cup lentils. I use green or brown. Buy them in bulk they are cheaper

• 1 1lb. box of pasta. I like to use linguine style pasta for this dish, but have also made it with large elbow pasta or just plain spaghetti.  If using long spaghetti or linguine breakup the pasta into 2″ or 3″ lengths. Do this before you cook it.

• 1 medium diced yellow or Spanish onion

• 1/2 tsp. each of salt and black ground pepper. If you like spicy add 1 tsp. of crushed red chili pepper or more.
• 4 to 6 cloves of garlic. This is a matter of taste.  I use 8.
• 6 to 8 Tbsp. of olive oil (some people prefer extra virgin type) for this dish it does not matter.

Preparation: This is the stage of cooking where a lot of people “loose it.” The number one best hint here is to be organized before you start cooking. If you are one of those who tends to feel overwhelmed by the process of cooking and keeping all of the ingredients straight this is what I suggest.

• Lay out all ingredients you will need in front of you on your work space.
• Put in separate bowls or containers, measure it, have ready.
• Example with the above get garlic peeled, chopped, put in small bowl.
• Olive oil measure put in bowl.
• Same with other ingredients.  Makes cooking easier, keeps it manageable.

Let us begin:

1)      Wash lentils in a colander, and put in a 4 quart sauce pan. Cover with water. Add  a   pinch of salt, ¼ tsp black pepper. Optional: 1 Tbsp. spoon olive oil. Begin cooking.

2)  Bring lentils to boil, reduce heat to slow boil. Stir occasionally. Lentils done 45 to 50 minutes. If you cook them too long they get mushy. After 45 minutes taste. If  not hard they are ready. Cover let set. They will keep cooking for a while even though heat is off.

3)  While lentils cooking, put olive oil in six quart sauce pan and heat. When oil hot, but not smoking add garlic. Saute garlic until it begins to brown.  Add onion and saute until they become translucent/pearly/shiny looking.

4)  Add both cans of tomato sauce (to garlic and onions) and for each, a can of water. So that is 4 cans of liquid. This is what you want here. This is NOT a heavy, red sauce. It is meant to be lite. Stir to blend tomato sauce, garlic and onions. Bring to boil and turn down to simmer. (My suggestion is to cook this sauce for at least 2 hrs very slowly).

5) When sauce is done. In separate pot cook pasta. Usually 8 to 9 minutes. Strain pasta in colander. Add pasta to sauce and stir well so all pasta is well coated with sauce.

6)  Add lentils to pasta and sauce using a little of the liquid the lentils cooked in.  Mix/stir this mixture of pasta, sauce and lentils well so it is thourghly  blended. Desired consistency should be like a thick soup.

This will feed four people easily.

Serve in bowls, sprinkle with parmesan or Romano cheese.

Serving suggestions to compliment:

Green salad, rustic bread, red-wine
Enjoy it!

What Ancient Food Looks like Your Eye, Is Packed with Nutrition and Economical to Prepare?

Hello to all,

If you want something good to eat, try lentils. They are not only tasty, but very good for you. A bit more about that later on in this posting.

These sumptuous little legumes have been around quite awhile and have been found in archeological digs dating back 8,000 years.  If one is a proponent or student of the Holy Bible, you may recall that Esau even gave up his birthright for a bowl of red lentils and of course a chunk of bread..and I would bet there was some red wine thrown into that deal. I mean after all, one’s birthright has got to be worth a glass of red. Right?

Their origin is not exactly placed, but generally thought to be somewhere in the Middle East. They are so named botanically, because their shape resembles the eye or more specifically the shape of the lens of the eye.They are tiny exquisite little legumes that come two to a pod.

Lentils are in the family known as Fabaceae (peas), the sub-family of leguminosae, the genus, lens.  This adds up to the scientific name, culinaris Medik.  Are you not, at this point,  glad you asked?

In more common language they are known by the following designations: brown lentils, yellow lentils, red lentils,  black lentils, green lentils and mung beans. There are hundreds of varieties.

In my world I have always known them in the Italian vernacular as “Lenticchie.”

Once thought of as ‘the poor man’s food” lentils have certainly achieved a higher status in our modern day world and we should all be grateful because they offer us so much.

Here is a partial nutritional breakdown for this wonderful legume:

For a 77gram serving size, which equals about a cup:

Saturated fat:     0

Cholesterol:         0

Carbohydrate:   17gr.

Protein:                7

Calories:              82

Lentils are also high in: Folic acid, Fiber, Vitamins, C, B and  contain 8 of the essential amino acids. It is also the highest in antioxidants of any legume .

So to recap, lentils are nutritious, filling, flavorful and have a lot of protein.

Why this posting about lentils? Because back in a previous posting I said that we would get to some recipes here in this site and lentils will be the main feature of the first recipe I am going to offer.

The recipes will be old, ethnic, Italian-home style recipes.

That means if you are one of those who is inclined to dabble in ‘haute cuisine’ (from the French, meaning High Cooking), then this style is definitely not for you.  If on the other hand you are basically a  peasant, a regular type home cooking kind of  person, then you are in the right place.

So tomorrow a recipe for Pasta and Lentils, or as the Italians would say it, Pasta e Lenticchie.

With sincerity…enjoy the day!

The Passionate and The Profound- EPILOGUE

Hello to all,

I would like share the  words below as an Epilogue to the two previous postings, more specifically though to the last one.

I was once assigned to read these words  aloud in an acting class. At the time because of my own self-consciousness or better stated because of a lack of  my own conscious awareness I did not really, as the saying  goes “get it.”  They were words by some famous person, that was all.

We are awakened I think in good time to things that we want to have meaning to us and since I have saved this for years I must have wanted the words  to have meaning to me  at some point in time… and now they do.

These words by Johanna Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

“Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw  back, always

ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation there is one

fact, one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas

and splendid plans:  That the moment that one definitely commits oneself,

then providence moves too.  All sorts of things to help one that would never

otherwise have occurred, a whole stream of events issue from the decision,

raising in one’s favor all matter of unforeseen incidents and meetings and

material assistance no one could have ever dreamt would have come their

way.

WHATEVER YOU CAN DO OR DREAM YOU CAN, BEGIN IT. BOLDNESS

HAS GENIUS AND POWER AND MAGIC IN IT.

BEGIN IT NOW.

I think writing is a search for ourselves.

The Passionate and the profound-continued

Hello to all,

The last posting contained some of my thoughts about what the passionate and the profound mean to me. I gave short definitions and then went on to illustrate by way of citing two examples of famous persons (Janice Joplin and Marlan Brando) whom I felt exemplified by their work the meanings of passionate and profound.

Once again there are  many examples and of course not just from famous entertainers, or other publicly recognized personalities, but from more down to earth, ‘normal’, everyday people who so many times go unrecognized for what they are doing that is passionate and profound…and important for the community good.

I am fortunate, because recently I happened to meet one of these people. Her name is Lisa Taylor and for me she is unquestionably and deeply into this whole area that I have been discussing by way of the work she has chosen to attend to.

When I first spoke with Lisa she told me about something she was very interested in and was wanting to do something about. I could not only sense an urgency in her voice but an unquestioned sincerity. When at the very beginning Lisa described  the particulars of what this issue was I could tell that deep within her was a very strong passion for this most profound work.  When she speaks of it, one is commanded to listen. The reason is because she is totally present within what she has resigned herself to do. She is not cutting any corners with it….she is totally committed and she more than anyone else knows she has to be to realize the desired outcome.

Briefly, Lisa is spearheading the desperate fight to stop the slaughter of the Elephants of Chad, for the purpose of ivory poaching. This was a problem I knew a little about, but when she told me I could not help, but be very moved, saddened and then angered about what is going on with that whole issue.  It is not only heartbreaking, but unnecessary and epitomizes inhumanity toward animals.

The story of the elephant slaughter is Lisa’s to tell and she can tell it much better than I because of her wealth of information on the topic, so I will leave it at that.

My intention here is to point out the amazing spirit with which this individual is going about her mission…and believe me she is on a mission.

Lisa exudes the deep passion and committment to see this most difficult of problems through until the end and no doubt she will succeed. Her passionate, deep feelings for this cause have moved her, in just a brief time, to mobilize many of the worlds leading figures to aid her in her objective. In fact as of this week she has the support of all of the top names (globally) of people who were already concerned about this most hideous of conditions that the elephants of Chad face every day. One of these people, an attorney living in Chad, and already working for this cause, acted quickly, motivated and I am sure a bit inspired by Lisa’s fervid and intense sentiments, “that something needs to be done now.” She  has posted a petition: bit.ly/dF7GiI that all can sign and please do.

There is no doubt  Lisa Taylor is a living example of person who feels deeply about something, but went a step further and put action to her feelings. That is the important ingredient.

A few postings ago  I was discussing compassion and cited a well know expert on the matter who pointed out, feeling compassion is one thing, but for compassion to be meaningful it needs to have some action attached.  This is the same case here. Lisa feels deeply, but she is putting more meaning behind those feelings and including positive, strong, decisive action. Exactly what is needed if she is to succeed in this profound work.

No doubt the work she has chosen is profound. It just simply is. For the world to sit back and watch as these magnificent vertebrates experience butchery on a daily basis because some one wants a figurine carved out of ivory, is senseless. This is by no means denying the economic, political and cultural variables that can enter in at this point.  And by the way Lisa Taylor is sensitive to those. Lisa just believes and I for one agree, there must be alternatives.

So it is my pleasure to have met this person who I feel is a great role model for us all.

Going for the passionate and the profound in this world is not just for the famous, but we all as citizens of the community, the world community, need to do it. There is plenty of work to be done.

To contact Lisa Taylor: avonelldesign.com

The Passionate and the Profound

Hello to all,

Passionate: strongly compelled, ardent, intensely strong feelings or emotions.

Profound: penetrating, deep insight far beyond the superficial or surface of things, deep meaning.

I think writing is a search for ourselves.

I was tempted to end this posting with the above short sentence, but with much reluctance and trepidation I am going to continue with as much attention as I can give to any narcissistic, self-indulgent, tangent or just plain ridiculousness.

I genuinely seek to avoid all three.

But the main intention I have here is to point out the notion,  that all of us long for the passionate and the profound in our lives. Whatever level or longing it may reside at is a different, complex and individual matter. In some it can be hovering just below the surface of their ’normal’ personality. Other individuals have these longings so shoved down in their psyche or mental apparatus that they will never see them emerge.

At times, if we study people’s projections we can gather a glimpse of where their longings  for the passionate and the profound are held, but that is the subject of another type of writing and way beyond the bounds of this posting.

At the same time, the passionate and  the profound, are many times not well received in the day to day mediocrity of life.

I mean lets face it, regardless of the lip service, as in the cries to “be passionate” has gotten over the last few years, truly passionate or profound people are not easily ‘tolerated’ in the run-of-the-mill office or job environment or at your average social gathering, and God have mercy on someone if they exude both of these qualities. If they choose to let these (beautiful) parts of themselves out in the average daily course of events, they can be looked at as “out there” which carries with it a negative connotation.

Most people feel much more comfortable with the mundane and there is nothing wrong with the mundane. It is  needed to accomplish….you guessed it… the mundane.

Many of us have been fortunate at some point in our lives to witness passionate and profound personalities (usually from afar as via a performance) and in many instances these opportunities come to us from people in whom we expect it to occur, want it to occur  and will accept without judgement if a lot of passion and profound expression does take place when we are in their presence.

On a personal level one of the most outstanding examples of the passionate and the profound that I was witness to was from Janis Joplin. In performance she almost could not help herself from either of these two qualities.  Another example, again from the entertainment realm,  was the actor Marlan Brando. It is difficult to describe the depth and profound nature of this man as shown in his performances. And of course there are many many more examples from various walks of life.

These individuals though not only possessed, but expressed the qualities of the passionate and the profound, and it was the expression of the qualities that set them apart, i.e. they let themselves have those two attributes without censoring them.

Do we all, as human beings, have these qualities or are they reserved for only a few?

To be passionate and profound one need not be an entertainer or even on the public stage whatsoever. People can and do show these qualities in many ways. It may surface in their work or profession. It may show in an avocation or hobby or in other ways that will have an impact on the world around them and people they know.

In the next posting I am going to give an example of some one who is very much doing this right now.

With Sincerity, have a nice day!

Getting off the Ground (continued)

Hello to all,

In my last posting I announced officially beginning work on another book that deals with grandparents and their changing roles in this century and particularly how much they can enrich the lives of their grandchildren.

Also the fact that grandparents are and always have been a highly significant aspect of the family constellation. There is little doubt about that.

The last posting  gave some  statistics about grandparents and in this piece I want to offer more of those statistics/facts to drive home the point of just how significant in social, economic, and spiritual ways grandparents are to the family unit.

These numbers are taken from Grandparent Magazine- July 2010 issue, with the actual statistics furnished by grandparents.com.

• 80 million Americans will be grandparents as of 2010
• 30 % increase in the last decade of children under 18 living with their grandparents
• 43% play sports or exercise regularly
• the average age of grandparents is 53 years
• grandparents will spend $100 billion on entertainment
• 60% have a full time or part time job
• <3 out of every 10 Adults is a grandparent
• 72% of grandparents take care of the grand children on a regular basis
• 75% of the wealth in this country is controlled by grandparents
• 10% of grandparents have a tattoo

Getting Off the Ground

Hello to all,

I am, as the saying goes, ‘getting off the ground’ again and beginning preliminary research today on a new book.

To be completely honest I have already done a little, but today is the official launch date for the project. That is, I have a handmade sign staring at me above my PC that says, “do the work necessary.” Next to that sign (a large post-a-note actually) is a birthday card someone special gave me that reads, “IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN.” I am not sure if that statement provokes me, exasperates me or rouses me, but every time I read it  sends my mind spinning and I get mild-to-moderate anxiety attacks…..but I digress….back to work here.

My first  book, Growing Up Green: a simple gardening book for children and adults is a general guide mainly to get kids and adults out in the garden and by exploring that environment hopefully develop some relationship skills to better serve them.  As I point out in that book I firmly believe that the garden environment has a magic in it that works wonders on kids and their adult caretakers, whether that be parents, teachers, or other significant adults in the children’s lives. It seems to be a ‘playing field’ we can all relate to.

This next book I will commence work on shortly (after finishing this blog) will specifically address grandparents and kids and what truly wonderful gifts grandparents have to offer their grand children. And as you may have guessed these grandparent gifts can be issued via the garden environment. Again a place of magic and wonder for any who seek it there.

I have written a bit about this already, and just yesterday I received notice that an article I have written, ‘Grandparent Gardening Gifts: Enduring Gifts Grandparents can give their Grandchildren’ has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, in their first issue of 2011.

In my next posting on this site I will offer some eye-opening facts about grandparents of which you may not have been aware. Why is that important? and who cares?….well as one of those grandparent facts states: 80 million Americans are grandparents…ok not impressed? here is another… 72% of grandparents take care of the grandchildren on a regular basis.  Both of those are impressive and you will be amazed by the others also.

With Sincerity …..have a wonderful day!

CharlesM.