Great Americans

By request Emmylou Harris

Great Americans

Richard Feynman Physicist

Great Americans

OK I was going to do this earlier. Sort of chain mail affair reminding us of what kind of people the USA has produced. And what kind are currently in power. Never got a to it so here it is in blog form. I'll keep tossing up pictures until it I feel better. Let's start with John Coltrane. Check out the John Coltrane foundation's web site. http://www.johncoltrane.com. Nicely done.

Am I crazy or what...

I live in a wonderful city in a wacky, beautiful country filled with happily loco people. I have a swell. smart, funny five year old kid who speaks 4 languages and tells jokes and dances. Yep I'm proud of her. I love to eat, cook, play music, walk, ride my bike, draw, write, hang out with friends and talk with my family. Why then does it seem to me that everything is so messed up? And that we are all so lost? My home country is now in the hands of a fascist dictatorship that openly tortures people, invades countries for gasoline... you fill in the rest. My countrymen re-elect a really stupid dangerous moron who is just an oh so obvious puppet for some unbelievably scary people and entities. New Orleans sank, here Spain is alternately becoming a desert or like this week under a biblical deluge indicating to those that can look outside their window that our species has obviously really gone too far and should stop driving cars to Wal Mart to buy cheap DVD players, crappy sweatshop made clothes and 5 gallon tubs of nacho cheese dip. Oops, I now have entered the rant zone. Sorry...

So I write down my little recipes and try to look at all that I have that is good though this blog. And I really do feel that there is so much out there that is terrific. And that life is a gift. And that if I use somebody like Tom Waits as an example, we are one amazing species.

But ladies and gentlemen we seem to be at each others throats. I see couples tearing each other apart. Same with families. I see violence, anger and hatred and people sinking to actions and thoughts that seem to be out of some primitive dark ages. Where is hope and optimism? Where is understanding? Where is humor that makes you laugh at yourself and empathize with your fellow man? Where is love? Where the hell is Atticus Fitch?

So I'll continue to observe and write down my little recipes but some days I just have to stop myself from screaming, "What the hell is going on?"

"Love Power.
The power of a sweet flower is gonna rule the earth.
And there'll be a great rebirth."

"Love Power" from Mel Brooks "The Producers"

The last tomatoes

Out on the terracita my tomato plants are just about done. Chilies too but the big guy keeps hanging in there. Everybody else is doing fine. The annuals seem to be perenials as they keep on flowering. Sadly the christmas tree has given up. But the basil is cranking out the leaves as is the mint and the chives. My botany field projects are starting to root and the rosemary just will not be subdued. Film at eleven.

Dorado al horno con sal

Otono has hit Catalunya hard and early this year. It gets cold at night. The leaves are changing color not because of the smog but because of the temperature. The tomatoes on the terrace are just about done. In the kitchen it's time for old favorites and new recipes.

Last night I baked 2 dorados in salt. Dorados are perch like fish that are have really mild flesh and are naturally juicey. Baking fish in salt may very well be Spain's finest contribution to culinary techniques. It's dead simple and it works every time. Take one whole medium sized, firm fleshed fish, like for example, a dorado or a perch or maybe a red snapper (which do not work that well but hey they're close). Take an oven proof pan or a casserole. In Spain they have special baking salt which is coarser that kosher salt and less coarse than rock salt. Use either and get what is cheapest because you are just going to throw it away when you are done. Cover the bottom of the pan with like a 1/2" of salt. Place your fish (which should only be gilled and not cleaned or descaled, trust me, and of course still have the head on) on the salt and then bury that sucker in more salt so it's completely covered. Of course while you are doing this you have preheated the oven, I just leave it at 11, no messin' around for me. Puter' in and go put some Spanish white wine in the freezer because you forgot to chill this earlier.

Cut to 25 minutes later. Pull out the fish. Now it's a little tricky here but give it a go, no? Remove as much salt as possible (you'll have lots left on) then take a knife and cut the skin of the fish end to end right down the middle. Peel back the skin trying to keep errant salt away from the fish. The salt is only a cooking vehicle and not a flavoring agent. OK now lift off the filet in either one or two pieces. This reveals the backbone. Grab the tail and pull the backbone towards the head, which should come free exposing the second filet. leaving the skin behind remove the second filet. A twist of lemon, some lovely boiled potatoes and some green beans and venga! Es bueno.

The heart of America is black.