Biker bytes

MOVED TO NEW SITE

2011-02-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

The chef has moved !

Hello ....just want to let you know that I am no longer using this site for blogging. My new site is found at:

www.szpin.net

and in the winter months, while weather is not conducive to riding, I am in the kitchen riding my pots and pans!

Richard

Thanks for visiting !!

I've moved to a new site... szpin.net

2010-12-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

I have moved

I wanted to learn WORD PRESS,
so I have moved my blog to a new location.

See me at....

wwww.szpin.net

OR JUST

                                                       szpin.net

you can also link to my new blog by clicking on the link below

szpin.net

Thanks for visiting. I hope you will visit back at my new site.

Regards,

Richard

CHILI RECIPES wanted !!!

2010-11-29T07:42:00.000-08:00

Chili is something I can eat like crazy, anytime, anywhere, any recipe. Over the years, like my tomato sauce, I have made chili over and over again, and never has the outcome been the same as any made before. I think the reason behind this continuously changing chili is because whenever I make it, it is created spontaneously, on a whim, as my mood suits. If I feel like adding ground chicken, boom; tabasco, boom; ketchup,ok; and so on. I get away with these constantly varied preparations because I am the only one in our home who eats the result.

I recently made vegetarian only chili. It was good, not superb, but good. I ate it all over a period of about a month. However, I prefer meat in my chili. I think my chili may be have been prepared incorrectly all the times I have made it because I do not use cumin, an ingredient which I now feel may be absolutely essential to a good chili. So now my search for a good chili recipe begins, a recipe, tested, tasted, prepared and served.

Please send your chili recipe with your commentary included. I will begin my testing next month, after I have finished my cookie making. Send recipe to szpin@sympatico.ca Thank you!

I will try every recipe and post my critiques, criticisms and compliments along with the recipes which I liked the most.

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OK...made the choice ... Bosch wins !

2010-11-25T17:36:00.000-08:00

I looked at the two best selling stand up mixers, Kitchenaid and Cuisinart, and compared them with the Bosch.

Bosch won out for the following reasons in order of importance to me:

1. Ease of cleaning: Bosch disassembles easily and everything except the metal parts, is dishwasher safe. Mind you, I have used it twice already, making a cake and shortbreads, and both times I washed by hand, easily and quickly.

2. Crucial drives, gears in the Bosch are all metal while they are plastic in the competitors. This means that heavy mixing puts a real strain on the gears and transmission. Metal is better than plastic or nylon. I can doubly confirm that from motorcycling for Suzuki is a good bike that had parts problems because they used to nylon and plastic. So, I chose German metal engineering. We shall see. Kitchenaid users have told me their machines have lasted for years but daily use was not in their cards.

3. I like that the Bosch is squat with a wide, wide rim allowing for easy filling of ingredients for mixing. The competitors either have tilt back heads or crank up bowls. Bosch sits low, squat and ready to go.

4. Accessories are easily changed on the Bosch. I cannot say much hear, at least not from experience, for I only have one accessory, the blender. But the demo videos at a Bosch web site, sure made accessory attachment look easy and practical.

One complaint, which may be applicable to the other mixers too, is that accessories are costly. I want to make my own pasta. For that I must be the meat grinder attachment at about $200 and then the pasta attachments for nearly another $200. I thought motorcycling was expensive. This baking business might break me!

ITALIAN FOCCACIA CAKE
I am not to post the recipe for this cake yet as it was my first run with the mixer. Also, remember please that I am not a baker; I am a cook! I dont measure or work with lots of patience. A baker does!

So my first effort came out but I think I should have folded in the egg whited instead of mixing them in. Also, maybe tad less flour so it remains a bit more moist. Sure helped having scotch with the cake!!!

Now I begin my Christmas cookie blitz.

Each year my "sous chef" and I make at least a half dozen different kinds of cookies. This year we have the mixer. So it should be an easier job.

Find out by revisiting soon.

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And the winner of the stand up mixer comparison is....BOSCH

2010-11-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

The standup mixers were a difficult choice because 2 are well known brands and quite popular.

KITCHENAID

Kitchenaid has been around longer than I have and there are many users who have inherited their appliances from parents. However, based on their incorporation of plastics into the current model's construction, I have rejected their machine. I fear their appliance may not withstand heavy use. I also dislike their warranty which is only one year. I think almost any electronic appliance will last a year. It is beyond that time that worries me. This machine was also the most expensive.

CUISINART

Cuisinart has an excellent warranty and the price is very competitive. I am tempted to make it my number one choice based on those two factors, price and warranty. But I still do not like the tilting head as explained above. Furthermore, the machine seems overly large, standing very tall. I like something smaller and less obtrusive.

BOSCH

However, after viewing the video demo of the BOSCH, I finally chose it for a number of reasons. It looked like it was easy to use, load and operate. It has metal parts and a sealed transmission. Its power was applied directly to the center spindle, rather than being redirected through a tilting head where torque is lost. It is almost totally dishwasher cleanable. And finally, I ride a BMW motorcycle which seems to be very sound mechanically. So I side with German engineering. Stay tuned to see what happens once I put the thing into operation in our kitchen.

Hopefully, Christmas cookie making will be easy as pie this year...dont you just love it!!! LOL

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Solution to COOKING CROSSWORD 1...

2010-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hope all of you found this crossword easy and entertaining !

I ask for feedback and if you enjoyed the puzzle, I will create more !

Glad to hear from you readers...special hello to Kenza and Bill...nice to see you both and great hearing that you read the cooking blog.

Regards to Vancouver Island readers and appreciations for the blackberry jam...made a great baste for roast bbq chicken breast...simply delicious !

I always like sweet/heat bastes for the bbq on any crispy meat.

Looking for some feedback on another matter....

WHAT STANDUP MIXER DO YOU USE?
I am considering buying a standup mixer as I want to try my hand at making pastries and pies. Maybe even take a shot at making some breads...dont know...but I have narrowed my shopping down to three machines. Here they are in my order of preference:

BOSCH:
German engineering, all vital parts are made of metal, not plastic, ease of cleaning, ease of use with very practical splash guard, minimal buttons, quieter than others.

I like:
looks like a small kitchen appliance but it is more
compact and not overbearing in appearance
looks like it belongs in a home kitchen
great warranty
I dont like:
not sure if it is a bit noisey...like who is sleeping?

KITCHENAID:

good reputation, good availability, sales for accessories are commonly found

I like:
   reputation
   availability

I don't like:
   plastic parts can overheat with heavy loads
   tilt back head means counter clearance is needed
   overall size...it is huge

CUISINART:
well known, good reputation, good availability.

I like:

   availability of timer...would be convenient
   fold button for starting of some mixes
I dont like:
   machine is very large and cumbersome
   tilting head means counter clearance is essential
   it just looks it should be in a commercial kitchen rather than in a home kitchen.

I really liked the features on the Bosch. All of its parts easily come apart for dishwasher cleaning. That's right up my alley. I also liked that in the demo, it showed making egg whites with just ONE egg...quite amazing I thought. Plus those engineers recognize that pastry, pie dough needs less air than other blends/mixes. I liked that. A bonus right now given by the Canadian distributor is that a blender accessory is included. It would mean one less piece of equipment on the counter in the kitchen.

Please let me know what you use and what you like/dislike about the machine you have. Send your responses to szpin@sympatico.ca

Thanks and a big hello to those who follow me on a regular basis.

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MY FIRST COOKING CROSSWORD ...hope it works !

2010-11-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

You may have to print out this page in order to write on the paper and solve the puzzle.

Across

2. The 'royal' meat used for making a roast.

7. This is part of the process used in the making of brandy.

8. To a Pole, this means a stew.

10. A favourite Italian cheese eaten throughout the Western world.

11. An Italian liqueur based on distillation of grape must.

12. Liquid gold to a scotsman.

14. First name of a famous Irish libation.

15. The young version of the the roast meat.

16. This veggie would be well suited at a funeral.

Down

1. Refers to the wheat used for making the best of Italian pasta.

3. This garnish has a standard one and an Italian one and is used for flavour as well as decoration.

4. A favourite way of serving potatoes for dinner.

5. The cheese most often associated with dieting.

6. "Mexican parsley"

7. It is how Italians prefer to have their pasta cooked.

9. These cookies are literally baked twice.

10. The Irish eat them daily but Poles might compete well with the Irish.

12. This process used to remove the fat from milk.

13. Coupled with "au," it means prepare with cheese.

16. Coopers would often use this material.

I have never tried this before. So for you readers who cannot solve the crossword, I say, "Get help!" or else write me for the solution. I hope I dont get innundated with solution requests.

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My COOKING / FOOD sites and my computer paranoia !

2010-11-09T08:03:00.000-08:00

It's time to let my readers know what I think about my blogging and internet use in relation to giving credit where credit is due.

As a freelance writer, I know the challenges and difficulties that come with this territory:

                   need for inspirition
                   motivation
                   writing, re-writing, editing, and
                   rewriting
                   finding information
                     being original and much more

And then you need to keep your ego intact after being criticized and lambasted for how you wrote something.

However there are rewards: satisfaction that you are creating something yourself, an original piece of writing, and perhaps something that will entertain and inform others. But very importantly, to me is getting positive feedback and I am grateful to all of you who have made comments and written me feedback.

My paranoia is that I fear "stealing" someone's work. I do not intend that ever. I give credit everywhere I can, everywhere where I remember to do so. If I omit someone, it is an oversight likely to forgetting. I apologize to any I may have omitted. I still strive and will continue to try to give all the credit that others deserve.

Here is a list of my FOOD RELATED SITES which I have collected and use

www.foodtimeline.org A great history of food site, editor Lynne Olver
www.diannej.com/blog Just a fun site for a freelance writer, though there are notes relating to food
www.cherylsternmanrule.com A food writer who lives in my favourite city in Calif, Santa Barbara
www.lifemadedelicious.ca Nice recipes, easy navigation and terrific photographs
www.wikihow.com This is great "how to" site. I struggle with "how to" do things but I get some things done thanks to my brother-in-law or thanks to this web site
www.easy-chicken-recipe-ideas.com This site is authored by a Pole, Monika Fraczek, a fellow Pole, my people, and her chicken recipes inspire me into cooking chicken and creating my own variations to her great original recipes.

Those are the sites I use most often right now. As my list changes again, significantly, I will update this note.

I thank the editors and authors behind those web sites for all the hard work they do and for the ideas they give me.

Hope you find this note of value and use to you in your cooking and internet exploring in relation to food.

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ROASTED RED PEPPERS APPETIZER.....simple and deeeelicious !

2010-11-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

DID YOU KNOW…

Christopher Columbus tried to start a sweet red peppers import business in the Mediterranean Sea countries? The biz failed because sweet peppers grew easily almost everywhere in his marketing region
.

Though Columbus may have discovered and imported the first peppers to Europe, it was the Spanish and Portuguese who are credited with spreading it throughout the world into their wide ranging colonies.

Sweet red peppers, sometimes called bell peppers, come in a variety of colours: red, orange, yellow, brown and purple but all start off green?

The sweetest peppers are red, orange and yellow and they become even sweeter when they are braised?

SELECTING PEPPERS AT YOUR GROCERS

The peppers should be smooth, rich in colour with no wrinkles or soft spots. Though available almost year round, the best tasting ones are harvested in late summer. Peppers keep well. Just dry them and store them in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Peppers are high in vitamins A and C as well as fibre and folic acid which helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

ROASTED PEPPERS APPETIZER

serves 6-8 persons
can be frozen for future use

6-8 whole red peppers (yellow and orange can also be used)
1 finely chopped medium sized garlic bud
1 tbls drained capers
1 tbls finely chopped parsley
2-3 tbls virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

ROASTING THE PEPPERS

I have found the barbecue to be my most practical way to char my peppers. It also seems to give the best flavor. But the peppers can be done DIRECTLY on your stove elements, on open flame, in a frying pan, or under the broiler on a pizza pan. The only requirement is that the heat must be very intense in order to burn the skin of the peppers. Experiment to find the method that works best for you. My barbecue method allows you lots of control, least cleaning up.

1. Set barbecue to highest heat and allow the barbecue to heat up fully.

2. When bbq is at its highest temp, place the peppers directly on the grill and close the lid.

3. 3. Roast for about 1 – 1 ½ minutes, rotate the peppers a half turn if they are skin is blackened well. If they are not charred enough, bbq longer. The skin should look burnt black. Then do the half rotation, close the lid and repeat the cooking time. Repeat this process enough times so that the peppers are charred on all sides.

4.
4. Place fully charred peppers into a sturdy brown bag and fold the bag closed. This allows the peppers to “pop” their skins loose for easier removal.

5. Take the bag of charred peppers into your kitchen to a work area and work one pepper at a time

6. Remove a pepper from the bag and using a sharp knife, scrape away the skin from the pepper.

7. After all the peppers have been cleaned, work one pepper at a time again. Cut the pepper from stem to base and gently fold it open. Remove the seeds, and the whitish spines from the inner part of the pepper.
Cut away the stem. Cut the pepper into strips each about approximately ½ inch widths.

7.
If you are storing for future use, place the strips into clear baggies for the freezer. If you are going to use the peppers within a day, place them on a plate aside.

8. Repeat the internal cleaning and slicing into strips for the rest of the peppers. These should be put away
into the freezer.

SERVING THE PEPPERS

1. Arrange the pepper strips into a floral pattern on to a white plate.

2. Drizzle 2-3 tbls virgin olive oil over the strips.
3. Sprinkle the parsley and finely chopped garlic over the peppers.

4. Sprinkle the capers over the peppers.
5. Salt and pepper to taste and cover with plastic so allow the flavours to develop and blend.

If you are not serving for a few hours, refrigerate the peppers.

Serve the peppers with toasted, crusty Italian bread slices.

Buon appetito!

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RISOTTO...eat like a king, pay like a pauper

2010-11-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Rice is part of the main meal, if not the main dish itself, for more than 2/3 of the world’s population. For a rather inexpensive staple, rice has tremendous nutritional value and it is eaten throughout much of the world, from all of Asia to the Latin and South Americas. Only corn is grown more as maize production feeds livestock while rice feeds people.

Rice is grown in high rainfall regions where labour cost is low. The rice grain bundles grow at the ends of 5-6 ft. stalks and are harvested annually. The most practical and economic way to grow rice is in flooded fields as the flooding discourages vermin, weeds and pest plants which do not grow well under water.

Most cooks who make risotto prefer Carnaroli, Arborio or Vialone Nano rice. These varieties of rice have the necessary properties to make a good risotto: high starch content and good capacity for absorption of liquids. The starch is what makes the rice so creamy as it is cooked. Some cooks claim that Vialone Nano is the very best rice for risotto because it is nearly impossible to overcook. Don’t bet on it !

My Risotto chef

My wife is my risotto chef and her risotto can compete with that of the best professional chefs in the world. She makes it simply, easily and it never fails. I like to think her risotto is heavenly because every grain seems like an ‘angel's kiss on the tongue,’ with each flavour packed mouthful gently, gradually ascending you to dining paradise!

Here is her

RISOTTO RECIPE for royalty

For 2 royal persons

Use CARNAROLI or ARBORIO rice. Try Vialone Nano if you ever find it.

Basic ingredients

1 diced small onion

2-3 tbs butter

1/2 cup of rice

2-4 cups chicken stock

½ cup dry white wine

2 tbs Parmiggiano grated

Optional ingredients

1 cup diced of whichever ingredient you prefer:
cooked chicken
cooked or raw squash
                                                                                    raw cauliflower
                                                                                    fresh mushrooms
                                                                                    fresh or frozen green peas
                                                                                    fresh or frozen asparagus OR
                                                                                    cooked crab, shrimp, or lobster)
                                                                   You can use any ingredient you like, but if it is raw, chop it well.

PREPARATION

1. 1. Fry the onions in olive oil and butter until the kernels start becoming translucent on their edges.
For the diet conscious, “fry” the onions in a bit of the stock instead of the oil and butter. My wife’s recipe is the “lighter” version as she is looking out for my waistline...LOL.

2.
2. Add the rice to the frying onions and stir the mixture frequently.

      3. Add the white wine and your dry ingredients (mushrooms, veggies, seafood, whatever you are using). Continue stirring. Risotto preparation requires the cook’s full and continuous attention to avoid burning the risotto.

4. Add hot chicken stock to the mixture in small amounts, a couple of tablespoons at a time.
    Continue stirring and add more stock as the rice absorbs the previously added liquid.
    Use as much stock as needed. You want the mixture to remain creamy but not too runny.
    Most likely you will use all 4 cups of stock.

5. About 15 minutes after starting the cooking, taste the rice periodically to see if it is cooked,.
    Do not overcook the rice. The Italian phrase ‘al dente’ is how it should be done. It kind of "resists" easy

biting. The rice is “just” cooked, not mushy.

6. Remove the risotto from the stove. Stir in 1 tbs of grated parmiggiano and 1/2 tbs of butter.

7. Serve immediately and call me to come over to taste it with you. I'll bring the wine!

Serve risotto in heated bowls with grated parmiggiano on the side for those who like their risotto nippier.

Risotto with braised sweet red peppers

Let me know how you like your own preparation!

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A series: The BEST CHEFS in the Canadian West and a haunted hotel

2010-11-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

I promised to begin more chicken recipes, but I thought readers would enjoy reading some bios of professionals in the field. In 2009, I did a motorcycle tour out west, all the way to Tofino on Vancouver Island, one long tour! As I traveled west, I stayed at top notch hotels, the Deltas, the Fairmonts, the best in the west. In Saskatoon, yes, they have an outstanding hotel with a great chef and a very sharp manager. The hotel was the Bessborough, locally referred to as "The Bess." (bez).

The DELTA Bess

Let me begin this series with a blurb about The Bess.

The Bess was the Crown in the hotel chain of the Canadian National Railway. The Canadian Pacific had the Royal York in Toronto and CN needed something of the same. Designed by Archibald Schofield, a Montrealer, whose insipiration for the hotel's design was a Bavarian castle. Incredibly, the hotel was built during the Depression era with construction started in 1930 in February, the coldest time of the year, dead of winter, in Saskatoon, no less. Using equipment modified to work in the extreme cold and with property tax exemptions granted by the city to encourage the hotel's construction, Overcoming numerous hurdles besides the weather and the economic times, the hotel construction was completed in 1935 and it was dedicated to Sir Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough and the 14th Governor General of Canada.

Through the 1970's - 1990's, ownership of the hotel and CN Railroad changed hands and hotel management changed also. Today, the Bess is a DELTA hotel, accommodating guests in its 225 rooms, catering weddings and banquets in its beautiful historic dining halls, and hosting rock festivals and garden parties in its beautifully landscaped setting behind the hotel on the shores of the Saskatchewan River. When I was there, I saw a wedding and attended a rock festival. The rock festival was more fun, though the groom at the wedding likely would disagree.

The Bess is a haunted hotel, Albert, a butler type hotel employee, stalks the hotel sporadically after the midnight hour. I was too tired my nights there to stay up and look for him though some staff assured me, he was very visible if you stayed up long enough and knew where his apparition would appear. I was too full of other spirits to stay up long enough to encounater Albert !

Chef Ryan Marquis is the Executive Chef of the Bess, and I was very lucky to not just dine on his food, but to be his personal guest at one dinner and a downtown tour of another hotel, and the local city market. But that will be another blog!

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Let's start eating some chicken !

2010-10-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

I eat chicken a lot because I have this self delusional hope that if I eat enough of it, I will be a bit less rotund in girth. No, I dont fry my chicken. I don't make it with gravy and mash potatoes unless company is coming...but that is another recipe and one to die for!

The recipe I offer here comes from Cheryl Sternman's blog site. She is a Californian blogger who lives in my favourite part of that state, Santa Barbara. She has been doing cooking related activities for a few years, online and in real life. I found her chicken recipe which called for marinating and I thought I would try it out. My comments are reserved for the end, but to overcome your suspense, the recipe is excellent, the chicken comes out with lots of flavour and very moist. I would play with the recipe but Cheryl's basic one would work well for most people. I like my recipes with more "bite" to them so read my modifications.

FIG BALSAMIC VINEGAR CHICKEN
Recipe from Cheryl Sternman (www.cherylsternmanrule.com)
I am always looking for chicken recipes, particularly because chicken is supposedly less fattening than the meats which I prefer. This chicken recipe got me curious as it requires marinating, something which I don’t normally do. I tried the recipe. My critique and comments are written at the end.

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-3/4 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2 large)

PREPARATION
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Worcestershire, and olive oil until emulsified. Season generously with salt and pepper and transfer to a large ziploc bag. Add the chicken, squeeze out all the air, and zip closed. Fold the bag in half and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally if you think of it.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Fit a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade (let excess marinade drip off) and place on the baking sheet. (Discard marinade.) Pat chicken gently with paper towels.

Roast in the hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 175 degrees. Cool slightly, then cut the meat off the bone in one large chunk and slice crosswise for serving.

SZPIN’s Changes
1. The marinade suggested is very tasty. However, it is crucial to bake this chicken at high heat on a flat baking tray, pizza pan or such, in order to get a crispy result. Some munchers may choose to discard the skin. I made a mistake and baked my chicken in a deep, Dutch oven which resulted in a more juicy but less crispy chicken. Don’t bake your chicken this way unless you prefer your chicken more moist. It will not be crisp.

2. I would try this recipe with finely chopped garlic in the marinade. I love garlic. Garlic is me! No Pole in the world can live without it! In that regard, I am a true Pole!

3. I would play with another variation for this recipe. Try ginger, chili flakes and honey as part of the marinade. I haven’t tried these variations yet as one can only eat chicken so often in a week.

FINAL ASSESSMENT
The chicken as prepared according to this recipe results in a very nice baked chicken with lots of flavour. It was moist, juicy and very flavourful. I liked it a lot. I would try making it again with the changes which I suggest above, either the garlic or else the ginger, not both.

It is a terrific recipe for using chicken breasts with skin and bone, likely the most inexpensive way chicken is sold.

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Wanna play "CHICKEN?"

2010-10-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!

Chicken is good for you, I have read. It is healthier than beef, leaner than pork and almost as healthy as fish. Well, I eat so much of it, I should sound like a chicken. But I can't say I am healthier for eating it. I dream that I should be thinner, leaner, a mass of muscle for all the protein that is found in chicken. But look at me and you'd think all I do is eat it in its I fried mode. Never !!

I have had fried chicken maybe twice in the past year. When I toured the southern USA, areas famous for their fried chicken, I never ordered it once. I don't know why I didn't order chicken. Maybe I was being diet conscious...me??? Now I regret not having had it for I might have been able to say, "Deeelicious, or fantaaaastic!" As is, I cannot comment in any way about real southern fried chicken. Too bad!

In my next few blogs, I am going to write some of my best chicken recipes. Here are a few comments people have made about my chicken meals...

"Only a coward would make a better chicken!"

"A feather in his cap for his Chicken diablo!"

"No foul with his fowl !"

"More than something to crow about !"

So come back soon and check out my chicken recipes. The stuffed chicken breasts will get you rave reviews. My stuff breasts get cudos and BRA_vos all the time, so often, in fact, that I am a bit embarrassed about it all.

So come fly with me and my chicken recipes !

Watch for my next blog for some really good chicken recipes !

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A better TOMATO SAUCE? Only in Italy !

2010-10-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Federico Fellini's movie, La Dolce Vita, was made in1960 at which time, I was too young to take an interest in such movies. My idea of "La Dolce Vita" was neighbourhood bicycling, road hockey or softball at the local park until the streets lights came on. Then, I had to head for home, or else there'd be hell to pay. As for the name, Federico Fellini...my italian buddies were Fausto Depede, Frank Oliverio and Sal Acciavatti...no Federico amongst the bunch.

I lived in an Italian neighbourhood and though I was Polish, we all fit in. I tasted good Italian spaghetti sauce only when I was invited to stay for dinner while playing with the Italian family's kids from down the street, the Stanghetta's. And boy, could their momma cook but she never went all out for us as we were just the kids on the block, and "mangia cakes" who wouldnt have known the difference between good tomato sauce and ketchup. I kind of resent that today as I know good ketchup...Heinz!!. So spaghetti with lots of sauce was just about it for us with Mrs. Stanghetta. If we got real lucky, we might get a meatball or two thrown in. But to a Polak kid, raised on kielbasa and pierogi, the sauce was out of this world. We may not haven known beans from fagioli in Italian cooking but we knew good tomato sauce when we were eating it. But Mrs. Stanghetta knew us even better...quantity always trumped quality with her neighbourhood kids.

Now however, watch out! I am an "Italian wannabe" by marriage. I speak the language but only paid Italian waiters and bartenders understand me really well and compliment my linguistic skills! I wonder if it could be because of the tips I leave which makes my Italian so good, according to them.

So I offer you the best basic Italian sauce ever. You'd have to fly to Italy to get better and in that case, I can recommend a few places, but not in Rome! That's another story!

I learned how to make this sauce from an Italian chef, Mario Folco who owns his own Italian bistro in Markham, Ontario. His tomato sauce is outstanding and when I tasted it, I asked Mario if he would let me work for him, gratis, instead just teach me how to make his marvelous sauce.

And now....ecco...

The BEST Tomato Sauce outside of Italy !

INGREDIENTS

The amounts you choose to use will depend on total volume of sauce that you want to make. Exact measurement isn't crucial to this recipe. Preparation is.

4 28 oz cans...san marzano tomatoes FROM ITALY* (see below)

2 lge fresh onion (white), finely chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (adjust volume of oil as you desire...I find this amount ideal)

6 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped

1⁄4 cup dried basil

1-2 tbs salt

1 tbs ground black pepper

OPTIONAL Ingredients
2 tbs dried oregano
1-2 pinches of chili flakes

*Preparation of TOMATOES

Canned tomatoes are your best bet unless you grow your own and know when to pick them for optimum sweetness. SAN MARZANO canned tomatoes are Italy's best, but any canned tomato, especially any from NAPLES, is fine. Canned tomatoes are a good choice because the tomatoes have been picked at their peak maturity and processed very quickly. This means you are getting tomatoes that are at their peak of sweetness and taste.

Open the can and blend the tomatoes with a hand blender. This step can also be done about mid-way into the cooking process where you will also be pureeing the onions and garlic (if you used garlic) and you can do it in a large pot. You kitchen walls won't likely be sprayed quite as much.

Add the basil, (oregano if you chose to use it), salt and pepper

On the stove

Fry the finely chopped onions in a skillet with the olive oil until they are golden, but not dark.

As the onions start to become translucent, add the chopped garlic, if you are using it, so it will blend its essence with the olive oil and onions.

When the onions are golden, add your tomatoes and now puree this mixture with the hand blender. Gently simmer all ingredients on the stove for 2 hrs, at which point the tomato sauce will thicken, as if by magic. One moment, liquidy, the next moment, a nice thick sauce. I am amazed by this very timely transformation every time I make this sauce.

And ecco, you now have what I like to call my "mother sauce" which means it can be used for pizza sauce, as a pasta sauce, a sauce for veal or Italian sausage braising. It is simply a great base for other dishes. But watch out, this sauce is deadly. Taste a bit, and you will be bread dipping into it, depleting your volume incredibly quickly.

Buon appetito and visit back !

BLOG SCHEDULE

2010-10-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

BLOGGING SCHEDULE

It may be beneficial for readers to know my intended schedule and goals in doing this FOOD Blog.

I will aim to post something new TWICE a week, Tuesday and Thursday. In that way, readers will grow to expect new posts regularly and can stay on top of my blogs more easily. Besides recipes, I also would like to include reviews and comments on kitchen products, foods, utensils, cooking methods and much more. Eventually, I am certain I will find my more narrowed subject areas and will stick with them. For now, I am using a broad brush and broad strokes as I determine what my areas of interest are.

I mention my "AGENDA" because readers should know what my objectives are in doing this blog. I love cooking and am OK at it, though I like to think I am better than I really am. This is a more highly inflated self opinion than is true because I like to think my food is very well prepared but as my wife underlines, I am far better at presentation than preparation. I do not do many kitchen things well: baking, ethnic foods, sauces, appetizer variety, and more. Also, I am terrible at low fat cooking as my cooking philosophy holds that fat means flavour. Hence, I use lots of olive oil and butter in much of my cooking. Furthermore, I am not consistent. For example, I have been making chili con carne for as long as I can remember. Never have I made the same recipe twice. So if you were to ask for my chili recipe, I would be hard pressed to give you a good one. In that vein, I would love to have a good chili recipe, but again, please, those of you who make one with no meat or a low fat one. Sorry, but I still believe no fat = no taste. No meat means no substance !

But please do send me comments, ideas, what you would like to see more of, less of. I would appreciate your feedback (couldnt resist that one !). Most importantly, do send you recipes for me to try. I will post my results, my opinions and comments about them.

Finally, some commentators have posted without a name or anonymously. I appreciate your desire for privacy and will not reveal what I shouldnt. Be aware, I get more detailed information about comments "behind the scenes". However, I would like to acknowledge people publicly when I can and when it is right to do so. So if you comment, please choose whether you wish to be anonymous or not.

Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

Visit back !

The best seafood cocktail sauce in the world

2010-10-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Some like it hot !

That shot got your attention, didn't it?

The movie, ‘Some like it hot!’ is arguably the best comedy every made.

Tony Curtis (Josephine) and Jack Lemon (Daphne) play the part of two out of work Roaring Twenties era musicians who witness a mob hit. To escape the mob, they enlist in an all female band traveling to Florida. There, their female impersonations take on hilarious roles as they start flipping in and out of disguise. Tony Curtis is credited with saying “ kissing Marilyn Monroe was like kissing Hitler” but the quote was likely never said as Tony and Marilyn actually had a torrid affair prior to the movie. MM proved herself am amazingly good comedienne in this movie portraying the ukulele player, Sugar Kane.

Though the plot is hard to swallow, Billy Wilder’s movie is a banquet of laughs easily digested and always served in good taste.

But speaking of good taste, here is the recipe for making THE BEST SEAFOOD COCKTAIL SAUCE in the world. You can make it in minutes, keep it for weeks and control its special taste.

INGREDIENTS
(makes about ¾ cup)
½ cup Heinz Ketchup
1 very finely chopped garlic bud
¼ tsp garlic powder
juice of ½ fresh lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbls strained horseradish (hot)
¼ tsp Tabasco (if you like less heat,
use just a drop or two only)
¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
sprinkle of salt
(Please note that some of displayed ingredients are not to be included in the mixing of the sauce, but are to be ingested directly by the cook. I am certain you can pick out these ingredients from the above photo.)

FIRE EXTINGUISHER !

PREPARATION
Combine the lemon, garlic, ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and salt and mix thoroughly. Strain the vinegar from the 2 tbls of the horseradish and add it to the sauce combination. Stir the mixture and add in the garlic powder. Taste for spiciness. The sauce’s taste will intensify after a day in the refrigerator.

TASTING and MODIFICATION
Tasting this sauce is best done with a piece of shrimp but you can do it with just a teaspoon. I usually use about a dozen or so shrimps, just so I am sure I get the sauce right.

Too hot? Add more ketchup
This sauce can never be too hot for me but then I like Tabasco by the teaspoonfuls.
Too sweet? Add more Tabasco and horseradish
Too liquidy? Add more horseradish, strained

I have also displayed my favourite FIRE EXTINGUISHER for extra hot sauces at the right.

I recommend frequent tasting with shrimp until you get the taste right where you want it.

I guarantee that once you have made this sauce, and got the right balance of the ingredients, you will never ever buy prepared cocktail sauce from your grocery store again. This sauce will store well in the refrigerator for days, if not weeks. Have you noticed how ketchup is always on the counters, for weeks on end, at your local breakfast diner? Amazingly, ketchup does not spoil and the basis for my sauce is ketchup.

Buon appetito and visit back!

001 FISH: Trout a l'orange

2010-10-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Cajole your fish monger to learn how fresh the fish is. When I did this I found out that my grocery store gets fish delivered two days a week, Tues and Friday, before dawn. So those are the days I shop for fish.

And yes fellas, I do grocery shop, when my wife lets me. But it is not as often as I would like as she somehow doesn't appreciate Jalapeno potato chips or Polish sausage as much as I do. Also, she claims my final grocery bills add up much higher than hers. Well, hey man, how much can a couple of yogurt cost. Thank goodness she hasn't said anything about my LCBO shopping yet.

And another thing, she always reminds me to shop after I have eaten. Why in the world would I shop when I am not hungry. Nothing looks good then. I find when I am hungry, my shopping cart results in a lot more goodies than her's.

And ladies, yes, I really do cook. Recipes you read here have been created and prepared by yours truly. I wish I could say I didn't eat all that I prepare, but I ask you, "How would I know if the preparations are good without eating them?" and so I eat all that I cook to ensure you get easy-to-prepare recipes which taste great.

Here’s a nice recipe for trout which enhances the light flavor of the trout with the complementary taste of oranges. A bit different than the usual lemon which most cooks expect and use. And the dish is very low in calories.

For anyone dieting, this is a delicious meal which is very healthy and light on the calorie count. Of course, skip the baked potato as seen in the photograph, something which I find very hard to do

INGREDIENTS
(for 2 persons)
2 5 oz. trout filets
1 garlic bud, very finely chopped, prechopped garlic is fine
2 tbls orange marmalade, Roberston’s Thick Cut is excellent
2 pinches of dried chili flakes
1 tbls dried dill, crushed or ground
2 tbls olive oil
Salt and pepper

PREPARATION
Cut two pieces of aluminum foil into squares about twice as large as the 2 filets laid side by side and place the filets, skin side down on one of the sheets. The other sheet will be used as a cover, for heat retention.

In a bowl, mix the other ingredients and then, spoon half of the “paste” on to each filet. Salt and pepper to taste but remember you have added chili flakes already.

Simply cover the fish with the second piece of foil and place this flat preparation on a preheated barbecue directly on the grill. The temperature should be between 350-400F. The higher temperature will result in a more cooked fish. I prefer the lower temperature as I like my fish barely cooked.

Bake the fish for 5 – 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. Cooking beyond 6 minutes will be too much.

With a flat platter at hand, slide a broad spatula under the entire foiled preparation and slide it on to the platter.

To serve, discard the top tin foil, and gently slide a spatula under each piece of fish, one at a time, so as to free the filet from the skin which will have adhered to the bottom foil. If done slowly, you will have the spatula under the entire filet and can transfer it to a serving plate, leaving the skin behind stuck to the foil.

Accompany the dish with green vegetables such as broccoli or asparagus and a side salad. I like a baked potato, so 'poof' to my dietary ways!

Voila, a tasty, light trout dinner.

A viewer commented that marmalade is not a liked taste. Therefore, use HONEY instead of the marmalade but in this case, I would add more lemon peel, or even some lemon peel.

Buon appetito and visit back !

My food blogging is in tribute to my dad, a professional chef

2010-10-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

My dad passed away in February, 14 years ago. Another reason why I dislike Februarys so much, a dreary month with dreary days and dreary memories for me.

Dad was Polish, at least so he claimed. But when I look up his birthplace which he claimed was near Lvov, he could be Ukrainian. That area of Poland-Ukraine changed nationalities frequently. What citizenry the residents claimed to be depended on who was the most recent victor and which flag was currently flying over the region. To be on the safe side, residents of the area spoke Polish and Ukrainian equally well. When I visited the area in the late 1990’s, I found the residents had really covered their hind ends having both a Catholic church and a Ukrainian Orthodox one, two schools also and even two cemeteries. Still, in some ways the people there suffered even more for no matter who was dominant militarily, some of the people were still likely to be persecuted as they had divided allegiances.

My dad was not a well educated man, maybe some grade school, but if you ever saw the poverty of the region, you would understand that no family could have able body children having the luxury of attending school and not working the farm. So likely, if my grandparents had land, my dad was a farm hand. Born in 1916, when WWII broke out, my dad was drafted or enlisted, I don’t know which, into the Polish army as a cavalry soldier and went off to war. Poor man, poor Poland, six weeks later, the Polish army capitulated and my dad became a prisoner of war, transported to a farm labour camp somewhere in Germany.

While the war was going well for the Germans, my dad was not that badly off, working on a German farm, he was able to steal food, enough that he even smuggled butter and eggs to help less fortunate friends. But as the German war effort turned for the worse, my dad was put into a concentration camp, possibly sometime in 1943. His stories of concentration camp days matched the horror stories of any other interned prisoner, though my dad never spoke about his prisoner experiences very much. When he was liberated by the British and Americans in 1945, my dad was an emaciated skeleton of his former self. My dad thinks he weighed about 75 lbs at a height of 5-8. I think one of my legs likely weighs more.

The British began assigning work positions to the newly freed prisoners and when they asked my dad what he did, he replied that he was a cook. Our family didn’t lack for “smarts” even at the worst of times. My dad got assigned to working the occupation camp kitchens preparing food. Eventually, somehow, he manipulated his way into cooking for the officers and he must have been pretty good at it for he was offered a job in Canada by a British officer, Sir James Dunn. At first my dad was offered a job in the United States, but he was told his family would be split up for a time. He delayed acceptance and fortune finally smiled and he got the Canadian job as a chef in a small northern Ontario town, Sault Ste. Marie at Dunn's hotel, the Windsor Hotel.

The story of how my dad and mom met was never clear but I gather that once he was liberated my father began courting my mother. She has another dramatic story of German imprisonment, though it was far less torturous than my dad’s.

My parents must have married very soon after meeting, but that doesn’t surprise me as watching many a Hollywood movies about war time romances, couples married after brief courtships as they feared their tomorrows would not last very long. A year later, I was born and within two years my parents got a call to move to Canada to take up the offer of cooking in Sault Ste. Marie.

My dad proved to be a very capable chef and very soon he became well known in the Soo, as Sault Ste. Marie was nicknamed. It helped that the Soo was a small city, less than 75,000 then and so it was easy to build a reputation quickly, easier if you actually had the professional goods. My dad did.

By the very early 1950’s, he had established the Windsor Hotel as the premier dining room in the city. Soon after, he was wooed away to establish another restaurant as a partner.

Within a couple of years, the Golden Steer Steak House was recognized as the best place to dine in the Soo and soon after, it was the place for banquets. My dad seemed to work day and night, master of every aspect of his kitchen, a one man virtuoso. Butcher, baker, pie maker, he did it all with dynamic success. By the mid 1950’s, CJIC TV, a fledgling TV station created a live cooking show starring my father. Speaking in his broken English, horrendous accent, my dad had the courage to do a weekly TV cooking show. I do not know how long the show lasted but I remember he was justifiably proud of its popularity.

Dad’s independent cooking career came to a catastrophic end when his lawyer partner was finally caught embezzling funds from the restaurant. And though the Golden Steer had been doing amazingly wel, expanding to a banquet hall, adding a coffee shop, and even buying a fishing/hunting lodge with my dad cooking at each of the places. The crooked lawyer eventually was caught, charged and jailed but my poor father had been entrapped into co-signing many of the promissory notes for the man. My father was not jailed, but the court ordered him to repay the embezzled funds, even though he should have been liable for only half. Smart lawyer, trusting father!

This criminal incident must have knocked the wind out of my dad’s professional sails. But he was the kind of man that, no matter where he worked, he had to work his hardest, his best so that the establishment made money.

The Stanghetta brothers saw my father’s potential and hired him as their executive chef at the Canadian Hotel on the northern edge of the city. Within a few years, the Canadian Hotel was a booming enterprise: its tap rooms, never empty; its dining room ranked as the best in the city. Dad had done it again! Now, even the city politicians asked for his cooking capabilities. I remember how he was the first chef ever to roast entire steers so that a local politician could have a lunch to remember for voters.

Eventually, likely because of my mother’s intelligent influence, maybe because he saw no future in the Soo working 20 hour days for little pay, my dad chose to come to Toronto.

Working for a Greek owner of a Mimico restaurant called The Pickfair, my dad must have thought he had returned to his prison camp days. His days went beyond 20 hours. He made profit for the owner where none should have been possible. Delicious fish chowders from fish carcasses and fish heads, outstanding barbecue ribs from cheap cuts, and roast beef to die for. But again my mother convinced my dad that he was being exploited and he moved again. It was Toronto and job opportunities were easier to find, particularly if you were a good chef.

Dad became executive chef at the Hook and Ladder Club at the Beverly Hills Hotel in North York.Owned by Jack Fisher, I think, it was a night club which promoted well known American stage stars, Eddie Fisher, the Ames Brothers, Billy Daniels, Sarah Vaughn and many more. The club was tremendously popular in the 1960’s and I even worked there as a waiter; tips were outstanding!

Soon dad found that working at the club was far more than he could keep up with. In his eyes, the owners wanted to spend less, but profit more and no real help was offered to my dad in the kitchen. I think my dad may have thought his prisoner days had changed little if he looked at how hard he was working. When the offer from the Ontario Jockey Club came to become their executive chef, my dad moved.

Work with the Jockey Club became a demanding as any my dad had ever undertaken. He had to administer the premier kitchens at all the Ontario Jockey Club race tracks: Fort Erie, Mohawk, Woodbine, and Greenwood. For a man in his late 50’s, it was a daunting challenge. My dad was a success but administration of the top rung kitchens did not eliminate actual line work in the kitchens. He had to wear two hats, chef's and accountant. My dad rose to the task but I am certain it was taking a toll on my dad’s energy: all the work, the demands of the job, the paper work. His biggest personal joy was his daily betting on the horses and mom kept track of his winnings. He was good in this regard too because of his amazing memory. He would remember horses from their races as other OJC tracks, and his betting record showed more wins than losses

At the OJC, dad’s work was in high demand and his excellence was well recognized. In 1973, he cooked for Queen Elizabeth II. He was thrilled. My dad was an emotional man and this was the highlight of his cooking career.

Finally, at the age of 65, dad retired. Though he would occasionally go back to assist the track kitchens from time to time, the jobs became less and less frequent. By age 70, dad retired completely to take care of mom who suffered from emotional illnesses for many, many years. Her’s is an intriguing story filled with far more traumatic events than any person should experience in an entire lifetime, she experienced them by the time she was 21 years old.

In his retirement years, dad’s joy was cooking for company during festive/holiday occasions. He was good but as he aged, his cooking declined, he prepared fewer dishes, and made simpler meals. Eventually, just his strip sirloin and boiled potatoes, a preparation he could do in his sleep.

Dad was never a wine drinker, preferring Crown Royal with water. He served wine, but it was not his preferred libation. He also was not a big eater, nor did he like elaborate foods. He never dined out for he remembered when he had in his younger days, he was terribly disappointed at the incompetence shown by so many so called chefs. Yet, dad never criticized them, simply saying I can do better. And he could, without fail !

My dad’s last years were very sad for he had no social circle of friends, never developing such in his younger days. Too many hours spent working, I guess. The closing years were also saddened by his carrying the extra burden of caring for my mother. He was a devoted and compassionate husband who undoubtedly gave my mother the care she would never have received without him. An amazing man!

And so, some recipes which I will write in my blog are either my dad’s creations or they were inspired by my memories of his cooking.

A last word, a response to the question, “Why didn’t I become a chef like my dad?” I wanted to and wanted to quit high school in my last year of attendance. Dad forbade it. He had wanted me to become a doctor. I knew I did not have the drive, the desire or the motivation to make the efforts required to pursue such a profession. When I told my dad I wanted to become a chef, he angrily responded, “Never !” When I asked for an explanation, he added, “A chef has no life. No social life, no family life. You are never part of any festivity though you work like hell preparing for them. You have no weekends, no night life. It is a terrible job.” I think my dad was right. His words haunt me whenever I prepare for a big gathering.

I went into teaching.

I remember his pride in preparing the simplest of dishes. To my dad, frying a steak was an art!

I dedicate all my food related blogging to my dad! He was the best!

Dad, you live on in my kitchen, every day!

Retired and lovin' it !

2010-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Sobieski, the Wonder Dog, and was in the checkout line when woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IV’s in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I replied, “No. I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's ass and a car hit us both."

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say. (My thanks to an email friend for this one !)

RIDING ENDS...time to return to the kitchen !

2010-10-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

The riding season is coming to a close. The temperature is dropping, the sun sets sooner, rises later. It is time of depression for the world, for many people and for me too. I will miss my riding, very much. I will the relaxation it brings me, the destressing it gives me. But as I self-examine, I find the only time I sing now is when I am in the kitchen cooking up something.
   So, it's time to switch topics in the blogging too. As many of you know, I love to cook. I am not great at it but am more of a journeyman cook. I can boil potatoes, roast a chicken, carve a turkey. But, oh...can I critique what others prepare and when I do, I come home and say I can do better and then I tackle the challenge.
   In changing the blog direction, here is what you can look forward to: recipes, some tested and true, food ideas and preparations I want to try and when I do, you will know the level of my success.
   Just so you know, my culinary repertoire includes being able to make pasta and pasta sauces, roasting meats and knowing how to carve them, making stuffed dishes with a variety of stuffings, seafood dishes, baked, fried, boiled, steamed and smoked. I will try many things once. If they work well, I will do them again and maybe again. I have many successes in my past kitchen endeavours, but likely more failures. I count as a failure any dish which doesnt get whoopy raves! And I dont give raves like that often. Might show something about my self-esteem.
   In any case, do visit back and check out some of my food preps, my recipes...some of them are really very good. Then, do send me a comment, a critique, a criticism. Let me know what you think. In that regard, I am like the princess with the pea under her mattress, it will bother me until I get it right. But believe me, I will work on it till I get it right and then you will know !
   A final thought, I think I need to also give some serious thought to "leaner" cooking as many of my dishes fit under the category of "fat has much more flavour than non-fat. Unfortunately, I am not very lean myself ! But that is another part of the story for another blog.
   Let me know what you think ...
   Visit back

The Alpine “groupies” 2010

2010-10-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Having spent two weeks riding with this group, it is time to them, to write a little about each member.

PETER LINSCHINGER and FLORIAN NEUHAUSER

Peter was our lead guide, who used holiday time to do this motorcycle tour, to our good fortune. Peter was incredibly patient, a man for whom no question was too trivial, too dumb. He was an Austrian policeman who worked in the small town of Tamsweg, explaining that because the city was so small, his duties ranged from traffic patrol to family squabble settlement. His police duties, no doubt, developed the patience for which he was so noted. But also, we were amazed at his remarkable cartographical memory. I am convinced he rode with a GPS system inside his head for he took us into 5 different countries, over a multiplicity of mountain roads, not once seen consulting a map other than his own cerebral one.

Florian, our tail gunner, a guide in development but already demonstrating sound leadership capabilities: unflappable, consistency, tolerance, patience and sociability. He rode with each of us, keeping up with the most experienced, yet slowing to match slower paced riders. He was cool when under pressure, and persevering when experiencing challenging stresses such as downed bikes, his own included. The young man was a great ‘last rider’ and he’s a great pupil of Peter’s.

BOB JOYNT

Bob was the only rider to carry a passenger, his wife, Barb. The disappointing thing for Bob was the touted Beemer reliability was not confirmed with the R1200RT which he and Barb rode. Because of endless clutch and throttle problems, Bob found his great biking skills tested endlessly, and with a switchback failure, twice. Thankfully, due to their great “get-off-the-bike-fast” skills, neither of them suffered notable injuries. But, had they, no doubt, Barb’s nursing experience would have done them good stead.

Bob was our Gadget Guy, owning just about every piece of electronic gear relating to a bike one could own, many of which he brought with him: video cam, GPS unit, SPOT locator, Iphone, bike adapters and bike adapter cables. He had more electronic gadgets than Future Shop, Best Buy and The Source combined and he knew how to use all of them, too. Additionally, Bob was a Honda man, longing for his ‘home’ bike, a Goldwing, more each day as the Beemer kept causing him difficulty.

BARB JOYNT

Barb was Bob’s married partner, a nurse in the Smith Falls area of Ontario. Her nursing experience showed early but not in the usual and expected medically related capacity. It was displayed in her organized and succinct way of describing anything, outlining anything. It was a pleasure to hear her explain anything for she would do it in a clear, precise and systematic way, so you could easily comprehend what she was explaining. She too tired of the mechanical inconsistencies of the R1200RT which she and Bob rode. A number of times, because of the challenges of the precarious ascents, she chose to ride as Peter’s passenger rather than continue to risk life and limb with the Beemer.

DAN FISHER

Dr. Dan, dentist to the downtrodden as well as others. Practicing his profession in Tennessee, Dr. D, humbly stated that he owned numerous bikes and many cars and that he would need to review storage of this growing stable of vehicles. First day of riding after getting our bikes in Lenggries, Dan was quite critical of his little Beemer. “Too tall, too high, feels tipsy, too light,” just a few of his early criticisms. Day 2, “a bit light.” Day 3, “Handles nicely.” Day 4, “I gotta get me one of these bikes when I get back!” Day 5, “fantastic little machine, stable, maneuverable, rock solid on the road.” Day 6, “This bike is unbeatable as an Alpine rider!” Dr. D progressively changed his assessment of BMW’s but then he wasn’t riding the R1200RT.

DON THRUL

Don was a New Yorker, clearly evident whenever he spoke. A gentle man, who spoke softly, sometimes so softly, he was almost overlooked. He was a Harley man, having ridden them for years and a ride captain in his HOG chapter back home. Here, he rode a R1200GS, probably the biggest sport bike in the Beemer stable and he rode it with great confidence even though he experienced a couple of challenging moments with it. Again, no injuries, thank goodness. He too ‘videoed’ aspects of our rides and was one of the very first to post fotos and messages about the tour on the web. Reading his description of the tour, one can see Don is a meticulous man who pays attention to detail and takes time to do things in a comprehensive manner.

JP COUTURE

JP, one of the two Montrealers on the tour, was a man proud of his analytical skills. He wore a watch which determined altitude and he gladly interpreted and related our climbs often. But this man was also a daring, accomplished rider. I was following him as we both tailed a log carrying lumber truck up a steep and narrow ascent. Passing was impossible, or so I assessed. As we were about to enter a built up area, speeds slowed, but JP decided to pass. An oncoming curve would prove to be very tight for passing the truck and JP was now stuck out in the oncoming traffic lane. Lo and behold, an oncoming car and JP was without escape, in my view. Lean left, up the far side shoulder, JP passed the oncoming car, the logging truck, leaving me behind the truck, gasping for breath from seeing his narrow escape. “It was my only recourse,” claimed JP when questioned about his daring escapade later.

PAUL HEUMILLER

Paul was our artist, a guitar maker as well as a guitar player. He is a an American from the south, some would say a “good old boy” but knowing him as we did, he was a quiet, soft spoken and a generous old boy. He was proud of his mother’s German heritage and expressed regret at not being able to speak the language of his forefathers. Still, he indulged in all things German with gusto, the schnitzels, the beers, the wines. As a rider, a very capable one underlining that he and his wife were both Harley riders, so the light Beemers were not a difficult riding transition. He also was ranked as one of our more capable riders, occasionally acting as tail gunner when Florian had to deal with other matters.

PENNY BROACH

Penny was our Ms. Bubbly with a lovely, effervescent personality. She engaged everyone in conversation, always remembering things one had said previously and often revisiting that same conversational thread. She and her husband, Larry, live in a rural area of West Virginia, an area where they claim “very well-to-do” celebrities have homes. Both were quick to underline, “they live there but aren’t one of the moneyed many.” We weren’t so sure when we learned that Penny, who hates food shopping, simply phones for food shopping home delivery and the next day receives her ‘vittles’ at her door. Oh that we all should have such service! Again, Penny too was a steadfast, confident and solid rider.

LARRY BROACH

Penny’s other half, Larry was a very soft spoken man. But when he engaged in the conversation, he was a man of detail, of facts, with exceptional recall. He and Penny are what we Canadians call “campers” which means that they will pitch a tent as easily as stop at a motel on a ride. They are proud of a rural home, beyond where they currently live and in warm weather, you likely find them at their “cottage” rather than at their regular home. Larry beamed ceaseless in the short riding time which he and Penny had with the group. Sadly, their trip was cut short because of a family illness back home in the US.

TIM JAMES

Another New Yorker, Tim was our ‘techie on the bike’ guy for he had camera attached to his bike with which he videoed everyone. Nightly, the entire group gathered around Tim’s dinner spot as he displayed the day’s takes. Yet, Tim too was an exceptionally capable rider, having ridden bikes, from trail and off road, to cruiser and autostrada heavy weights. Often seen standing on the pedals of his bike, he would seem to be peering way ahead for a better view of the riders ahead of him. Tim would zip in and out, and flit about in positioning himself for new shots, new subjects for his video taping. A jovial, caring, generous man, whose age belied his youngish looks. Good genes or good self care, it showed on Tim.

MARK WILLIAMS

Mark was our Marlboro man, enjoying his cigarette at almost any lengthy stop we made. I can relate to his pleasure easily for there was a time when I smoked, and my favourite cigarettes were Marlboros even though I lived in Canada. Mark was involved in security work and had worked in Afghanistan for a period of time. His time there impacted on his outlook and he seemed to have a more serious attitude about life than others. Still, he had his convivial side, laughing with all of us at our evening dinners, relating his stories of his riding experiences, and explaining in detail the pros and cons of many things, from riding gear to bike rides. He too chose a lighter Beemer for his European tour and was very pleased in how well his bike handled.

KEN KING

The King of Fenelon Falls, Ontario, Ken and his riding wife, Karn, were superb bikers. They rode within their limits all the time, but even in doing that, Ken experienced a problem in one mountainous, traffic clogged ascent, and turning a tight corner, went down. Talk about reflexes, Ken’s bike went down but Ken hopped off as fast and effectively as might a man half his age. Ken also was a raconteur with great recall of the many rides he and his wife had done. Ken remembered every ride, every region and could tell you about all his experiences in incredible detail. A great lover of travel, he and Karn were the only members of the group to have ridden with a previous RoadRunner magazine tour, having done so in South America the year before. As Ken said, “RoadRunner gives great value for the dollar on the rides which they organize, everywhere,” and likely he will ride with them again, as will many of us.

KARN KING

The Queen of Fenelon Falls, queen in the sense that she is a ‘royalty’ among bike riders there who acknowledge and recognize her superior bike riding skills. Karn was the only rider of the entire group to not experience a mishap of any sort, nothing. No downed bike, no parking lot incident, no personal injury, nothing! It is something which would assume she credits to more than just experience, but also to a “heads-up-all-the time” attitude. I found it a delight and a learning experience to follow Karn up or down the Alpine mountain roads. She cut her curves properly all the time, leaned in at the apexes just right, shoulder checked ceaselessly, viewed the roadways far ahead of the front of her bike…all proper bike riding skills practiced successfully and without a break (pun intended).

A final word, when I first met with this group, I think each was surprised at my request to sign a photographic waiver and one chose to refuse me permission to use photos. I respect every single rider in this group and I ask that each understand that for whatever reason we do what we do, we ought to respect what others do or wish as need be. I am reminded of something I saw the other day as I was riding my bike. I saw a woman riding her electric wheel chair in the bike lane of a busy roadway near home. She was smoking a cigarette. Mentally, I started to criticize her for the health hazard, and then I caught myself and put myself into her shoes. I could hear her saying, “Do you think if I quit smoking, I will regain the use of my legs? Leave me to my own choices.” Additionally, as I get older, I see that every person has a story behind them that no one else may know or be privy to.

RICHARD SZPIN

One of my bike riding friends, seeing this foto, said, "Time to back away from the dinner table, szpinner!" But then, I have recognized that for years folks and she and Jenny Craig are dead on right. I try, and try! But I cook too damn well.

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Rocky VII, an Alpine knockout !

2010-10-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Sylvester Stallone did it over a series of years in six movies. I did it over a series of days on one motorcycle!

As many of you readers know, late this past summer, I toured the Alps as part of a motorcycle group tour sponsored by an American motorcycle magazine, RoadRunner (www.roadrunner.travel). I have not written an overview or summary critique about it yet. There is so much to say and it should be easy to say it but I have found that not to be the case. Others have written their say, verbally capturing their ideas and expressing them with emotion and spirit. Some readers would say, they have done justice to those rocky peaks. I am not about to critique what they have said or how they have said it but I still feel I have not been able to verbalize what I experienced. I have not been able to find the words to describe what I felt and what I saw. To just write a cursory descriptive list of the passes, the pastoral scenes would be an injustice to the majesty of what I saw. However, I am at the point where the freshness of the experience must be recorded before it begins to fade into the memory.

I rode Canada’s Rockies as part of another group ride a year ago (www.rockymtnmoto.com) and I loved the riding. The Rocky Mountains far surpass the Alps in grandeur, in height, in their reach to the skies. The skies were seemed bluer there, the peaks were grander, the expanses wider and the roadways faster.
But saying all that is like saying Rocky Marciano was the best fighter of all time because of his indomitable determination, or that Joe Louis was the epitome of pugilistic power or that Mohammed Ali was the apex of ringside bravado. All phrases are arguably correct, but does any one capture what the writer is really trying to say. The Alps took my breath away, not once, not momentarily, but daily, repeatedly, all day long. They knocked the Rockies out, unequivocally, no TKO, but a full 10 count!

It was like being in the ring with Ali, never a single moment without a damaging punch hitting the mark, not a moment of relief, reprieve, or respite. Every swing, a hit, every roadway, a jab, hitting its mark fully. Never a moment to catch a breath, every instant, the full Monty, unrelenting excitement. Bobbing, weaving, riding, swooping, bending, balancing, on the right pedal, on the right bar, on the left pedal, the left bar, no let up. Let up and the Alps knock you down, knock you out.

This is not a lament, but a tribute, homage to the majestic artistry created by nature. It is an accolade to what nature has created through eons of chiseling, sculpting, etching out of rock and stone. No Da Vinci, Bernini, Cellini, or Rodin, no Degas, Enk and Mokujiki, all sculptors renowned, from long ago to closer contemporary times, all artists of fame and recognition but none capable of the majestic mastery that nature has created in the Alps.

Every pass, another work of Rocky art (I couldn’t resist that one !). Again, I continue my lament of inadequacy in expressing the grandeur of these craggy peaks, awe inspiring rocky crags of beauty. I can list some of the regions through which I rode. I can post some of the photos which I took trying to encapsulate the beauty of what I saw. But these are feeble endeavours, failing counterpunches displaying human frailty and inadequacy.

There is no way to prioritize the beauty of these mountain passes, the incredible ridability of these roads. There is no way to compare roadways or rides. It would be like comparing one’s children or comparing one’s parents. How can one be better than the other? Each is unique; each different; each special; each to be loved for their uniqueness.

I can name the passes so easily: Stelvio, Vrisicpass, Predilpass, Sella Nevea, Passo Promollo, Passo di Giau, Arabba…the names mean little to me except for Stelvio, that Italian prima donna of the Alps, a heart stopper. She had 60 hairpin turns in less than 40 kms. She knocked out Stirling Moss. She has knocked many of the Giro d’Italia cyclists to the mat. There are many road warriors, car and bicycle riders, who have challenged her driver/rider skill testing roads. She has lashed back relentlessly, in every season, bicyclists and motorcyclists in the summer, automobile racers when no snow, but with snows, she has challenged downhill skiers in world cup racing, defeating many. I cannot even imagine skiing down the pass without the mechanical assistance of my R1200RT’s brakes. Moto Guzzi finally paid tribute to the pass producing a Stelvio model, as they should have. Italy’s glacial majesty at its peak.

A number of the rocky passes decked many of us, every one but one rider knocked to the mat, from innocent parking lot incidents, to more damaging transmission seizures after riders rode more aggressively, more blatantly, challenging the mountain roads with their personal riding skills. But the pass was victorious, over and over again. All but one of the riders experienced defeat but thankfully, not one suffered a serious mishap. Each rose and rode again. Thwarted by the mountainous challenges of the rock-sided roadways, each rode on. The indomitable spirit of man!

Vinegar versus honey, Stelvio versus the valleys that came after Fluelapass, Ofenpass, Reschenpass, and Serfaus. The valleys lulled us with their idyllic beauty. Such sweet riding. The rides became more languid, more serene, and more tranquil. The grazing cattle, the goat flocks, the pastoral scenes unsurpassed, anywhere.

Undoubtedly, there is no single group member who would eschew another opportunity to repeat this tour. I speak for each, I am certain, when I say, the budgetary challenge not withstanding, I will return. Like riding the ‘Rock,’ Canada’s Newfoundland, one is drawn back, as iron is drawn to a magnet. The Alps are Europe’s motorcycle seductress, beckoning every rider who has tasted their charms, seducing each, so that unreservedly, each rider’s words echo in the craggy canyons, “I’ll be back !”
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Not normally POLITICALLY oriented, but this one is right up my alley !

2010-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

I dont normally do political blogs but as my European riding mates saw, I do promote Canada whenever I can as I love this country beyond any verbal description.

Here is a copy of an email I received which I had to post.

An Australian Definition of a Canadian
In case anyone asks you who a Canadian is . . .

You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian..

An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.


A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.
A Canadian may also be a Cree, Métis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none. In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan . The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and the best minds.
But they also welcome the least - the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected.

These are the people who built Canada . You can try to kill a Canadian if you must as other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world have tried but in doing so you could just be killing a relative or a neighbour. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.

Please keep this going! Pass this around the World. Then pass it around again.
It says it all, for all of us.


'Keep your stick on the ice'

Dr. Dan, you would appreciate this one...it is a dentist who writes this. My experience with dentists and intellect has always been one worthy of much praise !!

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MAXINISMS....

2010-09-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Employment application forms always ask who should
be contacted in case of emergency. I think you should
write, "A good doctor."

Maxinisms....

2010-09-28T04:28:00.000-07:00

I've often thought that life is a like a roll of toilet tissue.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes !!!