I'm Back...

And been away far too long. To you my dear readers I humbly offer my sincerest apologies for withholding my wit and wisdom.

Yeah right, like I'm some kind of Plato and you're my students at the Academy.

Not going to waste your time with excuses, just get to work and start posting again. It's autumn once again, my favorite season, and there are things happening out there that I would like to share with you.

I do however thank you all for your patience. It will be rewarded.

Motion Pictures and Memories of my Father

Yeah I know, that's an old term that no one uses anymore. I just love the sound of it. Also the way it's called the cinema in England. It just gives film that special something that the term movies doesn't have in my mind. As noted in my profile, I'm a film snob. Why? Frankly I consider most contemporary stuff to be absolute crap. An insult to the intelligence of the film-going audience.

One of the things I do miss about living in Noo Yawk is the fact that there were alternatives to the latest dreck at the monsterplex. Theaters such as the Film Forum and the Angelika are amongst my favorites. Foreign films, revivals, limited release "arthouse", you name it. Anything but the latest "I saw what you screamed at the final destination last summer IV" garbage.

I can remember seeing William Castle's classics, House on Haunted Hill, 13 Ghosts and The Tingler shown as they were originally screened with the gimmicks Castle added to make it an interactive experience. A rare film geek pleasure it was. I even have a vague memory of my father telling me about seeing House on Haunted Hill and 13 Ghosts when they originally ran in theaters.

My father was a fan of classic horror films and he passed that on to me. Some of my childhood's most treasured memories are of watching the classics on an old black & white television set with him. Creature Features and Chiller Theatre were what I grew up on and I don't believe my mother approved of such material at my tender age. In fact my father used to wait until mom, who worked overnights, left for her commute to Manhattan before waking me up to watch whatever was on that night. Of course dad also allowed me to do other things mom didn't approve of either such as a cup of coffee to start my day before getting on the bus to kindergarden.

We also shared going to see films too and I can remember some of them such as Yellow Submarine (which was way over my head at four years old), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Valdez Is Coming, Farewell, My Lovely, and The Wind and the Lion. I begged him to take me to see The House That Dripped Blood and spent the entire film hiding my face in the seatback in front of me as I was terrified out of my six year old mind by the vampire in the film. We stayed for the entire film. Not sure if it was because my father was enjoying it or he was too busy laughing at my reaction. I do know it was a long time before I asked him to take me to a film like that again.

Nowadays I'll watch these films, especially the horror classics with a sense of nostalgia and longing. For the experience of sitting there in the darkened theater or our living room with the lights turned off and sharing the enjoyment of it all with my father. One of those things that was just between us. Everytime I watch one, I think of him and how I wish he was still sitting there beside me. Somehow I think he is.

I can't forget mom though. She took me to films on the opposite side of the spectrum such as The Adventures of the Wilderness Family and The Goodbye Girl. Of course there was the time that my sister Linda was home from college and the three of us went to see Blazing Saddles. My mother was mortified if I remember correctly and said something to my sister about such a film for a ten year old (me). But then Linda was the one who unwittingly turned me on to Monty Python's Flying Circus. It was late one night in our living room and we were watching PBS. Even at such a young age I found the show hilarious.

Once I did watch a horror film with my mother. I was up late one summer night, watching television in the dining room when mom came out to see what I was doing. Somehow I convinced her to sit and watch The Comedy of Terrors with me. Mom said that she couldn't believe I got her to watch this "silly" film but laughing and enjoying herself as she said it.

Here for your viewing pleasure, are some films that I highly recommend if you've never seen them.
1.Mister Roberts (1955)
2.The Thin Man (1934)
3.The Night of the Hunter (1955)
4.The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970)
5.The Getaway (1972)
6.The City of Lost Children (1995)
7.Key Largo (1948)
8.The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
9.Paint Your Wagon (1969)
10.The Anniversary (1968)

Fresh goodies from the oven, Part 2

Honey almond bars-These are a crowd pleaser. Simple and delicious but not too sweet. I've made this with all three varieties of honey from Uriah Creek Apiaries and been very pleased with the results. You can taste the subtle difference in flavor and it's wonderful.

This the first batch I made, following the recipe to the letter. Since then I no longer put the icing on them, they're just too good by themselves. The honey does it without needing any other flavors to distract from the simple combination with the almonds and cinnamon.

Raspberry peach bread-I throughly enjoy making seasonal quickbreads and this was my first try at this combination. Very well received but next time I'm dicing the peaches instead of being lazy and just slicing them.

Blueberry peach bread-I made this at the same time as the raspberry to start off my spring season baking. I try to use local ingredients as much as possible and go with the seasons.


Forest fruit bread- I call it this because saying blueberry strawberry raspberry bread is just too long. I love the base recipe for this quickbread because it's only limited by my tastes and imagination. In the fall and early winter I make it with apples and cranberries, by themselves or combined. I've also made this in a pineapple coconut combination. I expect to try my hand at a version of this, come autumn, with fresh pumpkin from the garden of my friends Rob and Mary.

I've gone over to using local, seasonal, and organic ingredients as much as possible. It only makes sense to me to follow the rhythm of the seasons, support local farmers, and stop putting unnatural chemicals into the earth. Not trying to change the world, just how my behaviour affects it. I'm a part of the cycle of life on this planet and need to act accordingly.

Fresh goodies from the oven

I've waxed lyrical about my baking, but never actually posted what I make. Here is some of what I've been bringing forth from my oven this season.

Pineapple cookies-I'll have to go back and try this again. They came out more like biscuits in smell, taste, and texture. Not a problem in itself but not "pineappley" enough. If I can get this recipe to work to my satisfaction, I will experiment with pineapple coconut cookies.

White chocolate macadamia coconut cookies-No need to change this recipe, they were a hit the first time around. I brought a few dozen to a friend's barbeque and there were no leftovers for my friend to enjoy. I used a tool called a cookie scoop and they came out perfectly uniform in size, allowing me to get a dozen more than the recipe said it would make.


Blueberry buckle-A "buckle" is a berry filled, single layer cake with a streusel topping. It's not a cobbler which it is sometimes confused with. Another first time hit, the only changes I'd make to this would be how many varieties I could make. Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, etc.


Molasses cake-Good but it needs something. I'm trying this one again with raisins and a cream cheese based icing like you would find on a carrot cake.


Fruit filled oatmeal bars-Another first time favorite, this one is with cherry pie filling. I'll be doing this again with apple, blueberry, and peach. I went lazy on this and used canned pie filling. Eventually I will be making my own, just not yet.

I've got a few more recipes to show off but that's for the next posting. Need to get off my lazy ass and not go weeks between posts. I apologize to you my dear readers.

Support Your Local Farmers

It's that time of year again. The farmer's markets are open. Yesterday was the first market day of the season here in Barnegat. Pictured below are some of the delicious things that were available, all grown here in New Jersey, not shipped halfway across the country. It's a beautiful thing to get to know the people who actually produce what you eat, to talk to them face to face and let them know how much their efforts mean to you.

I can't understand not having a personal relationship with the good folks who bring food out the earth. For too much of my life I knew nothing about what I ate except that it came from the store. Not anymore.

Next week I'll be picking up some of these cucumbers and try my hand at making my own pickles. It's much easier than you think. What's better than eating food you produced yourself?

I didn't catch their names, but here are the two lovely ladies running the stand I stopped at. That's okay as I will be back next week and bring them a sample of what I baked using the honey purchased from them. I did converse at length with the young lady on the left. She's pursuing a career in culinary arts and is starting at the same school I am looking at attending next year. We also knew some of the same instructors as she just completed school where I took courses this past spring.

I only had enough cash on me for some wildflower honey and peaches, the first pick of the season. I had one today and it was wonderful.

To make my day better, a suprise was waiting for me at home. I recently subscribed to Edible Jersey Magazine and my first issue was in the mailbox. They even sent me the last issue as a bonus. It's published quarterly, following the seasons. The summer issue has stories about scallops from off the Jersey coast (and the hard working fishermen who bring them in), Hopewell Valley Vineyards, and pickles (including how to make your own).

Just more reasons I'm settled here and never leaving. As for the blueberries from my previous post? My home is filled with the scent of fresh baked blueberry bread.

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." Julia Child

Blueberries and my #@!&ing kitchen

Once again it's blueberry season here in New Jersey. I wish I had a freezer so I could put a couple of flats of blueberries away and have them year round. Eventually, when I gut my kitchen and turn it into something that I can really work in, along with a separate pantry including the aforementioned freezer and plenty of storage.

The original owner of the house did nothing to the place. No big deal, except that the amount of work space in the kitchen is miniscule. This house was built in the early Seventies when it was all tv dinners and frozen crap. No one needed or wanted counter space to work on. I literally have to juggle to do the prep work for real cooking and baking.

I hate it. To quote my friend Morphy, "I hate, hate, stabbity-stab, absolutely hate it!"

I can picture what I want in my head. The stove, sink, and dishwasher will remain in their locations because moving any one of them will require way too much trouble. Knocking out walls and re-routing water and electric lines. If I go whole hog, it will require gas being installed in the house for a combo gas/electric oven. Electric for the oven and gas for the stovetop. As it is I will be closing off a door and moving it into another room for access to the laundry. This will allow me to almost triple my counter and cabinet space. The kitchen table goes. To be replaced by an island with electric installed or a very large butcher block. Instead I'll just add some raised counter space with a few high stools and a view into the back yard for an eating area.

I haven't yet been able to picture the pantry/storage area. I do know it will be in another room. Either I greatly enlarge the laundry room or cut the mud room in half.

When (and I emphasize when) I'm done, I will have a real working kitchen that I can do large amounts of baking in, along with canning and preserving. And I'll finally be able to have friends visit and treat them with proper hospitality.

Someday. Eventually. Sigh...

But for now, back to the blueberries, the official state fruit of New Jersey. If you live here or are in the area this month and want some, go out and pick your own. There's baking to be done.

Memorial Day 2010

Memorial Day, when we honor our dead and their survivors. Those who didn't make it home, those who have passed on since, and the families left behind.

Here in Barnegat, we had two days of ceremonies. On Sunday we honored the fallen and were proud to officially present a brother with long overdue recognition for brave deeds from forty years ago. Monday was celebrated with a parade and barbeque at the American Legion hall.


VFW Post 10092 Commander and American Legion Post 232 Commander laying the wreath at the Barnegat memorial to veterans, fire-fighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians. We had a small crowd in attendance, which I did not get any pictures of unfortunately. Our neighbors, friends, and family; we are grateful for their support.



We remembered the fallen, but also honored a comrade in our ranks, affectionately known as "Captain Jack" .

1LT John Monahan, Vietnam-1970.

CPT (Retired) John Monahan-2010.

CPT Jack being presented with his medals by his son, also an officer in the US Army and Iraq veteran. In attendance was his father-in-law, the oldest member of our VFW Post at ninety-seven years of age, a B-17 bomber pilot in WWII.

These four medals were for actions committed forty years ago in Vietnam. The Silver Star, Bronze Star, Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, and Vietnam Wound Medal with two Oak leaf clusters.

1LT Monahan was a Mortar Platoon Leader with A Company, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. The Bronze Star Medal was awarded for his service in Vietnam and Cambodia while the other three were specifically for his actions during 19-25 May, 1970.

In essence a platoon from his company was pinned under extremely heavy fire and taking severe casualties. He fought his way forward through enemy fire with several other soldiers carrying much needed supplies. Discovering that the leadership of the platoon was killed or wounded, he assumed command and was wounded several times during the day from both enemy fire and napalm while directing artillery and airstrikes danger close to his own position, managing to keep from being overrun by the enemy. After the better part of a day, he was able to move the platoon back to the company position and finally accepted medical aid for himself.

In the most important words of the citation, I quote: First Lieutenant Monahan's valorous actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

I cannot do credit to the narrative of that day. His son read to us a full and proper account of the battle in detail. We are honored to count him in our ranks. CPT Jack left the Army in 1971 and served with both the Army Reserve and Army National Guard until 1982, when he retired from military service.

On Monday we had our parade which I marched in for the first time. Which unfortunately means I did not get any pictures to show here. It was a good event nonetheless, excepting whoever set off a firework as the veterans marched past. It went from downtown Barnegat, up Route 9 to the American Legion hall, where they graciously hosted a barbeque for the marchers and viewers. I met more of my brother veterans and several friends. Had some food and was also introduced to kind people who offered assistance if I need it in taking advantage my veteran's benefits.

I'm glad I moved here and decided to stay after returning from Iraq.

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan...

Pres. Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address-4 March 1865