July 4, 2016 MICHIGAN Richland - America's 240th Birthday

I'm not always proud to be an American, but I am glad to be an American. Even though people dwell on the bad, there is a lot of good stuff going on here. I'm not going to get all philosophical on you today. It is a day to celebrate and enjoy. To be with family and friends if you can or at least have them in your thoughts. I did wear my peace symbol earrings today though. Just a tiny and silent bit of commentary.

I attended the Richland, Michigan Fourth of July Parade today. There is a small, all-American home town vibe going on here. My lil brother's business (Kiss Financial) is right on the parade route, so he usually invites family, friends, and clients over to watch. We get a front row seat and a fabulous spread of munchies after. Thanks, bro!

This year there were a lot of golden oldie cars, work vehicles, one-wheel motorized unicycle thingy ... well, every kind of vehicle. Two great marching bands (Gull Lake Schools and Michigan Home Schooled Association). Robot battle-bots. Many "characters"-- ghost-busters, pirates, fairies, a man captured by a gorilla. There were dogs, horses, goats, and donkeys. There was red, white, and blue everywhere. Kids on decorated bikes and in strollers. Smiles galore. And much more. Here are a few photos.

From our balcony we have a 180 degree view of the horizon. Every little community and a lot of private parties are shooting off fire works for hours. Other brother Bob and wife Lo came by to watch the show. Here are a few shots.

 

2015 ITALY Parma 21 - Shame on Me

With the holidays, a wedding, four short trips, business obligations, volunteer gigs, and half a year of pure lack of inspiration, I got side-tracked with the "Italy story." Look at blog entries September 29 through November 23, 2015 to see the first part of the story.

As we have signed up for another Italy tour this fall, I figured I better finish documenting this one. So I start back today to complete that commentary. Better late than never?!?

Still near Parma ...
After visiting the Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese production, we continued to Antica Corte Pallavicina (website) located n the Po River region. And it earned one star in the Michelin guide. There is a small B&B attached to a fabulous restaurant. Workmen were cutting grapes from the arbor of vines in the lovely courtyard.

We met Chef Massimo Spigaroli for a little aperitivo of cheese, cold-cuts and, of course, wine. A newlywed Japanese couple that was staying at the B&B joined our group for the tour. A little cat kept us company and voluntarily hopped on my lap for a snuggle. Heaven!! Oh, how we miss Bella.

Then off to see the culatella production, a cured pork product called the King of Salumi (salami). It is made from the large muscle mass in the back of the rear leg of the pig. The meat is removed from the bone, wrapped in a bladder, hand tied in a string "net" semi-football shape, and hung to age for 8-10 months. Then there is a second aging in a cellar or cave for up to 3 years.

Culatella is only produced from pigs raised in this region of Italy. First we saw the pigs in their breeding and maturing yard. There were itty bitty piglets up to full grown hoggers. Among other things their diet includes cereal, barley, whey and chestnuts. Cute seeing the tiny squeakers run around. Pretty stinky though.

 

Next we drove to a nearby farm complex sitting next to a maturing vineyard. There was a veggie garden abundant with corn, tomatoes, beets, etc., and a pen with a mixture of various domestic geese, chickens, and ducks. A few wild German mallards where invading the feed stations as well. 

Here we entered a big barn and found the mature fattened up pigs, ready to become culatello. Our guide said the pigs were very intelligent. They reach 260 kilos by about two years of age before they are ready for slaughter. That's almost 600 pounds. They are a black pure breed only raised in Parma near the Po River.
The next structure housed the culatello in the first aging process. Windows open left open to help with humidity. 

This made us all hungry, so back to the restaurant we went.

5/7/2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - OK, Zia (and the Greeks)

Zia translates to aunt in Italian. My totally fun Auntie Joan shamed me into getting some blog work done. Her last email to me said, "I can't wait to hear all about Greek Fest!" That was early June. So here is the Greek Fest review.

We live very near to the festival site in town, so we get to see (or at least hear) them all up close. Usually you can get in before 4pm and see all the fun for free. After that there is a charge because the bigger entertainment shows start at that point. But we can sit on our balcony and hear all the wonderful music.

Friends stop by when they see our balcony lights on (a sign that we are open for company). Some stop for a short visit or to use the bathroom!! (instead of the sometimes stinky port-a-potties at the site). Others bring their food up to eat with real silverware instead of plastic forks. Always a cocktail on the ready for those that wish to linger longer.

The festival season starts each year with Greek Fest. This event started 40 years ago in the basement of the Dionysos restaurant owned by Theo (now passed) and Stacy. They wanted to share their heritage and culture--food, drink, music, dance--with a small group of friends and family. Over the years it morphed into a 3-day outdoor fundraising event that welcomes the entire community. Thousands of people attend.

It was announced earlier that this will be the last year for the festival in its present form. Stacy is getting on in years and says 40 years is long enough for such a huge operation. Per Stacy's daughter, the family will continue fundraising with a large indoor dinner event that still includes traditional Greek food, music and dance.

Stacy personally cooks and directs the kitchen in making ALL the food for the festival with fresh ingredients. No store bought or processed frozen products here. The fare includes gyros on the spit, handmade dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita (spinach pie), and other traditional Greek dishes. They also serve Greek salad (with Kalamata olives and feta cheese). Desserts include all manner of Greek sweets including baklava and kourampedes (powdered sugar cookies).

Greek items are also for sale--olive oil products, souvenirs bearing the blue and white Greek flag, dangly belly dancer belts, and other Greek items.

Family entertainment is pure Greek culture immersion with the Levendes Greek Show. It is a Greek orchestra with traditional instruments. Folk dancers perform in full cultural costumes.

For kids, there is the Wonders of Hercules tent. There you could see a clown or magic show. There was also balloon twisting and face painting and a bounce tent.

But the most popular bit is the belly dancers. The star is Joette. Above see her walking under our balcony headed to the stage. How often do you see belly dancers walking down the street in full costume!! She stopped to pose as folks took her photo. Me included (from above).

Here is Joette in action during a performance. She is just one of about four dancers.

This is not only a belly dance demo, but the dancers entice audience members to come up and take lessons. It is a wonderful hoot and you learn some key moves.

No people pix here because we can no longer see the stage from our balcony. Trees in the park have grown to high, but that is OK, we can hear the music quite clearly.
We hope to attend Greek Fest, in whatever form, next year. Huge thanks to Stacy and family for all you have done for our community over 40 years. OOPAA!

6/10/2016 - I'm Not Really a Sports Fanatic (Gordie Howe)

... but I do have a soft spot for some sports characters. Mohammad's passing got to me and this Friday it was #9 Gordie Howe.

I don't know if it is just me or most gals, but when you go out with a guy that loves a certain sport you kind of get into it through osmosis. Around 1970 I was going out with a Bob. He was into hockey and baseball, so we went to a lot of Detroit Red Wing and Detroit Tiger games. The Tigers were OK, but I loved the hockey games at old Olympia Stadium. Although Gordie's prime action days were in the 50's and 60's, he still had it going as far as I was concerned.

I loved the mostly graceful quietness of the sport. Yet it was exciting with a lot of action. Players zooming across the ice with a swish-swish of ice skate blades or a braking side slide. The puck's sharp slap sound when it was slammed by a hockey stick. The organ music playing in the background when the action was at a lull. Yes, there were fights and I usually closed my eyes for that, but the refs stopped them before too long. Today the fights are part of the entertainment and it is part of what people pay to see. Fights and violence seem just ho hum now.

Anyway Gordie was the star of stars in the hockey world. His nickname was Mr. Hockey. In 1999 readers of The Oakland (Michigan) Press proclaimed him the greatest Detroit athlete of the 20th Century. Mohammed was more of a world athlete, so no competition over who was the greatest in Michigan. But Gordie did win over Detroit's boxing champ Joe Louis and baseball star Ty Cobb!!!

Gordie played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons from 1949-1971. He even scored 15 points in his last season at age 51, unheard of for a hockey player. He retired as NHL's all-time leader of 801 goals and 1,850 points, and held that record til the 1990s when Wayne Gretzky finally surpassed him. He was said to be the toughest player on the ice and the nicest player off the ice. You always saw photos of him talking with fans and signing autographs.

Gordie was 88 years old when he passed. 

PS - I could not find any U.S. postal stamps honoring Gordie. Canada has a number of stamps honoring their hockey greats, but I didn't see one for Gordie. Boo!

PPS - We have only been to one Kalamazoo Wings hockey games since moving to Kalamazoo. It was St. Patrick's Day a few years ago. We rounded up the family (mom, bros, sis, nephews and nieces) and made it an outing. On this day each year they dye the ice green. It was fun to get together, but the game itself was not as enjoyable as I remembered. Fans cheering encouraging fights and refs letting them go a little too long. Emphasis seemed to be on that rather than the sport.

Our friends R&D also have given us tickets to Western Michigan University's hockey games. We've been to four and that WAS a lot of fun. Sportsmanship was honored, and good and fair games were played. Students dress up in crazy hats and costumes and act silly, adding to the entertainment. Bonus - Another friend of ours manages the penalty box, so fun to see him in action.

6/15/2016 - The Funeral
I'm sure this funeral in Detroit was not as big as Ali's funeral in Louisville, but very special in its own way. Thousands from Canada and the U.S. passed by his closed casket to say a final farewell at the Joe Louis Arena visitation. The funeral was held at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and was attended by sports heroes that included baseball legend Al Kaline (friends with Gordie for 60 years) and hockey hero Wayne Gretzky (retired from the Red Wings).

Wayne was born in Canada, but always hoped to play for his idol Gordie Howe's Detroit Red Wing team. Wayne succeeded in that childhood dream in a big way and broke a number of Gordie's records. His #99 was retired from the NHL league. Wayne's hope is that Gordie's #9 will also soon be retired in the NHL. The Red Wings did retire #9 in 1972.

7/3/2016 - Connections
There is a new bridge being erected between Detroit, Michigan, USA and Ontario, Canada. It is a huge project and will be completed in 3-4 years. But it was announced on May 14, 2016 that it will be named the Gordie Howe International Bridge. The bridge was named before his death, but I just found out today. What a wonderful "double" connection with our friends in Canada.

6/3/16 - The Greatest (Mohammad Ali)

Mohammad Ali died today. I'm thinking his last days (or even years) have been mostly pain and suffering, both physically and mentally. So it is probably a blessing for him to finally be in peace. I feel so much empathy for his wife and children and all those that loved him. Brings tears to my eyes. He was an inspiration to the world, no matter what shade your skin color might be.

I met him in person once. Must have been over 30 years ago when he was in his prime. There was a midnight flight each night out of Detroit to New York on Northwest Airlines. I checked him in and just a few minutes later he was laying on his back on the floor. Not in pain, but in gleeful delight. He was wrestling with the kids in the waiting area. Giving them horsey rides on his upraised knees. Totally oblivious to the adults incredulously watching him with their children. There were smiles all around. It was an endearing sight that I will never forget.

I was trying to find some royalty free pix to put on the site and came across a number of stamps from various countries. Just goes to show you how much he was loved all over the world. Getting your pix on a stamp is a BIG deal.

The one I found from the US was printed with his birth name of  Cassius Clay. The others all say Mohammad Ali. I found stamps from Austria (shown above), several from United Arab Emirates, Dagestan (part of old Russia), Laos, Togo, Zaire, Guinea, Malawi, Tajikistan, and Maldives. I'm sure there are more.

I do not have to tell his tale of success over black suppression as a child, rising from nothing to greatness. A man with a peaceful soul who would not be swayed from his beliefs even though it meant great monetary sacrifice. He was not only a champion in boxing, but a champion for racial and religious equality and human rights. He was a shining star and an inspiration to so many.

June 10, 2016 - Ali's Funeral:

(information gleaned from TV news and online articles)

Today was 74-year old Mohammad Ali's funeral in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky. The funeral procession was 19-miles long with residents and visitors lining the streets. "Ali, Ali" was chanted by some on-lookers, while others fell silent and bowed their heads as the hearse passed by. A profusion of flowers were thrown onto the hearse. "We love you" banners, or the like, were abundant. 

Many dignitaries such as King Abdullah of Jordan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, personality Arnold Schwarzenegger, director Spike Lee, boxing promoter Don King, football great James Brown, and soccer star David Beckham were among those attending in the funeral. Some 18,000 fans were also able to get free tickets to the funeral held at a local stadium. Pallbearers included boxing champs Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, and actor Will Smith, who played Ali in the 2001 film "Ali," as well as some of Ali's nine children.

Other world champ boxers expected to attend were George Forman, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins, and boxing promoter Bob Arum.

Eulogies were made by Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and others speakers. U.S. Past President Bill Clinton spoke and top advisor Valerie Jarrett made a statement on behalf of President Barack Obama. (Obama could not attend in person as today was also his oldest daughter Malia's high school graduation.) 

James Brown, comedian Billy Crystal, sports commentator Bryant Gumbel, and Ali's wife Lonnie also spoke. Words were said to remind us all of the senselessness of war and the inequities of racial injustice--things Ali believed in and worked to change.

March 2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Rum Party

Well, I didn't really travel for this blog entry, except down one flight of steps to our downstairs neighbor's loft. But the event was worth blogging about.

Our friends Jeanette and Alanta invited us to a rum tasting party on Saturday. Eight folks attended and I was surprised at the intellectual banter that surrounded the six dark rum tastings. Not really surprised, but just had not thought about it too much, and there was a lot to drink and think about.

Mike and I are loyal Myer's rum fans. When we first met, Mike introduced me to that brand. Before that I drank boring Bacardi's light. Now we only wander elsewhere under duress, when a bar does not stock Myer's. Yes, we are rum snobs, if it is not Myer's. Maybe not so much after today though.

We started the evening with a Gosling's Cuba Libre cocktail (rum served with Coke and a lime wedge). Mike and I secretly turned up our noses a bit. Not bad, just not the taste we love and adore. After that it was pure tasting in miniature tasting cups. A new cup for each brand. How elegantly "pure" was that!!

The first tasting shot was the same as above--Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda Rum (priced $21 per 750ml and 96 points with Wine Enthusiast). It was smoother than we expected, not too spicy (like a Captain Morgan's which I abhor) and with a touch of almond background.  It was paired with raw almonds, which might have "encouraged" the hint of almond.

Next was our current fave, Myer's Rum Original Dark from Jamaica (priced at $23 and 89 points with Beverage Testing Institute). We contributed this bottle, of course. Mike and I usually order this Cuba Libre, but drinking it without a mix was way different. It was not as smooth as the Gosling's. I would not recommend this one straight. Quite alcoholy, but mildly sweet. This was paired with dark chocolate, which seemed to smooth it out a bit.

Third was British West Indies Pyrat XO Reserve (priced at $27 and 96 points with WE). For me this had more of a whiskey like flavor and my least favorite. It did have a hint of orange and maybe that contributed to the problem for me. I like oranges, but not orange-flavored things. This was served with Cheetos, a play on the color, I guess, but a fun match. Wondered why a Buddha is on the label. Also, Patron is a "sister" brand of Pyrat. I definitely would rather have the tequila.

Kraken Black Spiced Rum brand was next. It is a mix of Caribbean island rums (priced at $16 and not rated). It comes in a jug-handled bottle, has the motto "Put a Beast in your Belly," and logo of a menacing giant squid on the label. It has a vanilla after taste that I really liked. A&J nicely paired this with a wonderful brie and cracker. Alanta thought it would also be wonderful mixed into egg nog.

The last two did not have, nor did they need, a food pairing. Next was Zaya Rum from Trinidad.($26 and rated 89 with BTI). BevMo says " Double Gold Medal winner at 2005 San Francisco Spirits Competition. Distilled in small copper pots to achieve greater complexity and matured for 12 years in oak barrels." This was smooth enough to drink as a sipping rum.

Our last tasting was  Diplomatico (green bottle) from Venezuela ($50 and 94 points with Anthony Dias Blue 2013 rating). It was the smoothest of the day, silky even. Had hints of brown sugar (rather than molasses or sugar cane) and not spicy. No burn whatsoever. This was the favorite for seven out of eight in the group.

Along the way we also munched on delish mini BBQ pork sandwiches, shrimp cocktail, and a nice selection of fresh veggies and dip. Our last rummy drink was Myer's mixed with pineapple juice. It went well with the homemade rum ball cookies and rum cake we had for dessert. And we all got a little carry out of those sweets, which "paired" well with our Easter Sunday morning coffee.

Today turned the rum tide a bit for us. It was interesting to try some new brands. Tasting the difference between them on a raw (no mix) basis was intriguing. I'm still a huge fan of Myer's, but if I'm going to sip a straight shot of rum, I'd go with Diplomatico. And ... can't wait to try some Cuban rums when they are available in the U.S.

3/16/2016 MICHIGAN Plymouth - Italian Food Run

After our trip to Italy last year, we are often disappointed when trying to buy the Italian products we discovered there. We've gone to G.B. Russo's in Grand Rapids (an hour's drive) which is wonderful (and we have blogged about it in the past), but we wanted to try something new. 

Recently Lynn (of Lynn and Sandy, long time friends and Italy trippers with us last fall) has an Italian barber named Frank, who suggested Cantoro's Italian Market & Trattoria. They have two locations--Plymouth and Livonia, Michigan. We asked Steve and Karen (the other two Italy trippers from our fall trip) and L&S to join us at the Plymouth Market for lunch, shopping, and reminiscing. L&S could not make it, but Steve and Karen were all in.

We thought it would be good to eat before shopping, so that we would not buy out the store. We started at the pleasant Italian decorated Trattoria for lunch and were seated by the fireplace. Three had prosecco and Steve went for the cappuccino. There were so many good options on the menu, we had a hard time choosing.

We shared a Caprese salad with the most wonderful heirloom tomatoes and fresh bufalo mozzarella cheese. Then we each ordered a different pizza: 1) radicchio, Kalamata olive, tapenade, Scamorzza cheese; 2) grilled artichoke pesto, thyme, mint, scallions, chives,garlic, mozzarella; 3) Margherita (tomato / mozzarella / basil); and 4) San Danielle prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, arugula dressing, pesto. Each was 12" in diameter and delicious. We all had some to take home for later.

As we ate, two folks came in and they were getting a lot of attention from the restaurant staff and other employees from the market. Lots of smiles and back pats and hand shaking. It turns out they are the owners of the market, Mario and Pat Fallone. Mario was born in San Elia, Italy, and in the 1950s came to America. In Detroit he got his feet wet in the grocery industry and has owned Cantoro's for almost 50 years.

The couple had been traveling from Florida to their home in Michigan and stopped by their restaurant and market on the way. We said we were from Kalamazoo and were really enjoying our meal and were also looking forward to shopping. They were quite gracious and seemed like a very happy couple.

We chatted about our visit last fall to northern Italy, and that Mike and I were returning to see Rome on south to Positano this fall. We talked about food and Italy and G.B. Russo's. Mario said he was good friends with Phil Russo and to tell him "Hi!" next time we were there.

We got back to our meal and let them eat in peace. But a few minutes later our waitress presented a cheese, cold cuts, onion salsa, and olive assortment. Mario and Pat had treated us to this very special plate, which is not on the menu. There was chunky Parmesan, cheese with truffle bits, excellent cured meats, and more. We felt like we were back in Italy at a wine tasting or dinner. The quality was top shelf. Our waitress said that she loved working there because that was just the wonderful kind of people the Fallone's were.

On the way out, we stopped at their table to offer our greatest gratitude. All of the food was spectacular and the special plate was a real treat. As we chatted a bit more, the owner of Celani Family Vineyards stopped by the table. He is from Napa and had opened his winery the year after we left California, so we never had the chance to visit. He gave us his card and said to stop by if we ever made it out that way again.

Honestly I could have chatted with them all afternoon. We did find out that Mario and Pat will be in Sorrento about the time we will be there. So maybe our paths will cross again and we can continue the conversation.

At some point we had to get on with shopping at the market, and what a market! There is a hand-made gelato stand, an in-house bakery, a colorful fresh produce market, a huge cheese counter, an even "huge-er" meat counter, a deli counter with scores of ready made salads and dishes, a condiment bar, an olive bar, a fresh pasta counter, an extensive wine selection, and an enormous assortment of canned and packaged goods. Upstairs was a kitchen gadget and Italian accessories store. I just know I am forgetting to mention some other areas. 

Among our purchases were sun-dried tomatoes, fresh bufalo mozzarella, olives from the bar, Jordan wedding almonds, wine (one Celani and one Olim Bauda from a winery we had visited last fall), balsamic vinegar, muscato grapes, roasted garlic, ciabatta bread, fresh basil, purple artichokes (first time to try these), biscotti, Marcona Spanish almonds, fresh linguini, and more. To top it off, we brought home the best-we-ever-had traditional cannoli (no chocolate, just custard and sliced almonds). Ahhh, so good...

As we checked out, I saw this sign. It says "Life is too short to eat and drink poorly! Good-bye from Cantoro's." That was our sentiment exactly and a fitting farewell.

It was definitely worth the 2-hour each way drive and we will definitely return whenever we are in the area.

To Mario and Pat, what a wonderful experience. Five-star all around. Grazie and ciao!