Gee My Dad Smells Terrific

Father's day. A day to celebrate your father. I've already posted one missive about my dad Joe here.

There are many things that remind me and my daughter, Isabella, of Joe, most of which have to do with scents.

Herewith, a small list (with pictures) of just three of the many scents of Joe.

1. Dial Soap

The other night, I washed my hands with Dial soap before going in to say goodnight to Isabella. She inhaled deeply and said "Oh! That smells like Joe, I can't wait to go to New York this summer." When I recounted this to Joe, he laughed and said that though we grew up using Dial soap, it wasn't always in our house. Apparently, this was the soap they used in the Navy boot camp Joe was at in the '60's. He said he couldn't stand the smell of it for years because it reminded him of boot camp. Go figure, one girl's great scent memory is another man's nightmare.

2. Tide Detergent

I recall a lot of laundry going on around our house, everyday, several loads a day. With five kids and two adults, I suppose it was necessary. Joe is the king of laundry. He taught us how to sort, which temperature water to use and how much detergent to put in. There were definitely rules around when you could do the laundry, timing the drier just so, making sure the end of the cycle coincided with whatever TV show was on that night, so folding might be a bit more enjoyable. The Tide I show here is my own scent. Joe and Gran Fran use the original style Tide.

3. Mrs. Meyer's Geranium Scent Cleaning Products

Several years ago during one of our many New York visits, my sister Danielle invited the entire family over to her house. She was doing dishes when we walked in with a new dish soap that smelled fantastic. Joe went over to the sink and stood quietly while he inhaled the beautiful geranium aroma. It was Mrs. Meyer's dish soap, and Joe was immediately hooked. My sister Nicole and I, who both live out here in San Francisco, are kept in Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products sent in shipments by Joe. What a treat, huh?

There are many more scents from the present (cedar mountain shampoo) and the past (vanilla pipe tobacco) that are Joe-tastic. Happy Father's Day to you, Joe Claro, you wonderful smelling guy!

Repost for Father's Day: Shrimp Salad and a Love Song

reposted for Father's Day, 2012.

My dad, Joe, made a really good shrimp salad when I visited NY last week. He knows just how much mayonnaise to add and includes celery, too. I'll share the recipe in a minute, but want to tell you another thing or two about Joe that makes him extra spectacular.

1. He teaches English (used to be HS level, now tutors at the College level).
2. He has a great sense of humor and has taken to emailing New Yorker cartoon clippings he has saved over the years to all of us.
3. He is a fantastic writer with several children's books under his belt, as well as novelizations of 80's movies that made me proud in Jr. High.
4. He has a love for musicals, especially ones with great lyrics like "Guys and Dolls".
5. He writes lyrics.

Wait, what? I didn't know he was a lyricist until this summer when Ms. Iz and I visited for two weeks. Joe's friend Bobby wrote a piece of music and asked Joe to come up with some lyrics to go with it. Secretly, I guess, Joe had been waiting for someone to supply him with some music so he could try his hand at lyrics. I do recall him taking music theory classes when I was a kid, but thought that had to do more with learning how to write music.

Well, let me tell you something. I had the joy (with some heartbreak thrown in) today to hear a version of the song he wrote with the music Bobby crafted. The song was fantastic. The heartbreak comes with the news that Bobby got a late diagnosis with cancer and died within two weeks. The song was recorded by his daughter for his memorial service and shared with my family.

The lyrics are beautiful, and take on a new meaning with Bobby's passing. I know that Joe was pleased to have been able to collaborate on this project and I'm proud of the result.

We didn’t know the road ahead.

How could we know,

So long ago?

Because we didn’t know, we said

It will go on

Forever.

Yet time has many tricks to play,

And  time, we know,

Has played them all.

But still, when I look back today,

I see us then

Forever.

            If we knew

            All we know now,

            Then could we two

            Even know how

            To promise each other

            True happiness?

We thought we’d found the magic key.

We didn’t know.

How could we know?

We thought that we would always be

Like fine Bordeaux.

We did not know.

Make this shrimp salad and think of Joe's friend Bobby while you do so.

Shrimp Salad a la Joe

• 1.5 pounds of medium shrimp (20-25 to a pound)
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 scallions
• ¼ cup whole pepper corns
• 1 bay leaf
• ¾-1 cup mayonnaise
• salt, pepper, cayenne

• In a non-reactive pot, add pepper corns and bay leaf to about three quarts of water and bring  to a boil.
• Cook the shrimp for 4-5 minutes, until they’re the color of shrimp cocktail.
• Drain the hot water.  Run cold water over the shrimp, or let them sit for about 10 minutes.
• Dice the shrimp and put the pieces into a serving bowl.
• Chop the scallions and celery and add to the bowl.
• Add two tablespoons of mayonnaise and stir. Add more mayonnaise until you’re pleased with the mixture.
• Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour, or as much as 24 hours.
• Serve with crackers or bite-size pieces of toasted bread.
• Serves 4-6 people.

What, Really? You Want Me To Make Bolognese Tomato Sauce, Vegan Style?

I have discovered that, although I love my homemade tomato sauce with meat, I've managed to make a vegan version that is just as good.

I'm not kidding. I've had a few people taste it: vegetarians, newly-healthy eaters, and avid meat eaters. All of us agree that it is amazing.

The most important part of the sauce is the canned tomatoes you use. My mother, Gran Fran, swears by canned San Marzano tomatoes. They just taste better, even if they cost way more than the others. I think she learned about these from her Italian grandmothers, who hail from Southern Italy, not sure. They make for a much richer flavor, real tomato-y and not metallic at all. I used the diced ones. I'm sure Gran Fran is not happy with this at all, but the pre-diced ones make my life easier and the sauce chunkier.

When we were kids Gran Fran used to make use push whole canned tomatoes through a sieve to extract the seeds, skin and core. No matter what, I somehow always had a cut on my hand, which the acid from the tomato would burn. Gran Fran had no time for these kinds of complaints. There was likely some sort of a response along the lines of "When I was your age, we had to can the tomatoes ourselves." Or some such other silliness.

The addition of a generous handful of fennel seeds to the sauce makes it taste just like it does when I put sweet Italian sausage in there. I've tried it without the fennel, and it's just kind of bland, still better than store bought, but nothing special. A great trick that Gran Fran uses is to heat up the tomato paste in a small saucepan and most of the dried spices to it and some olive oil. By cooking them together, the tomato paste picks up the flavors and distributes them into the sauce more evenly. I think Gran Fran told me once that cooking the spices this way makes their flavors release more strongly. It's one of those things I do because my Mom told me to.

Oh, and don't forget to brown some garlic lightly before putting the tomato sauce and wine in the pot.

I do also add a half bottle of red wine. Any kind will do, even cheap stuff, though more expensive wines definitely add a little more depth to the sauce.

Cooking for a really long time over a low heat once everything is incorporated (Gran Fran-ism) is key to your sauce's success. This time I had to go out for a few hours after I started to sauce. I turned the flame off and let the pot sit until I came back, partially covered. This seemed to help the sauce thicken because when I came back, it was more set than when I left. I turned the flame back on and cooked it for another two hours, for a total cooking time of 4 hours. Slow cookers can be tried here, but I have not had the best luck with getting a good thick sauce in my slow cooker until the second day, reheating on the stove.

I'm going to make a bunch of this and can it for future use (or sale, who knows?). Last night, in a rush to make myself something to eat, I was lucky enough to find a gluten-free pizza crust in my cupboard and a jar of this fabulous tomato sauce in my fridge. Let me tell you, with a couple of anchovies and some pine nuts, I had myself a wonderful pizza, in under 20 minutes.

Bolognese Sauce: Italian Vegan Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cans San Marzano diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed, skins removed
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsps tomato paste
• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 spring fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

 Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed non-reactive pan. Add the garlic and let sit for two minutes, just before it browns.
2. Pour both cans of diced tomatoes into the pan, bringing it to a boil.
3. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the tomato past, fennel, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
4. Cook the tomato paste and spices for three minutes, until fragrant.
5. Add the tomato paste with spices, the red wine and the bay leaves to the boiling tomato sauce.
6. Boil for one more minute, stir, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
7. Cover the pan halfway and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Turn off the heat for an hour or two, keeping the sauce in the partially covered pan.
9. Return the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional two hours, stirring occasionally.
10. Serve over pasta, on pizza or over broiled chicken breasts.

Juice Cleanse....Two Great Raw Juice Recipes

I tend to do a cleanse once or twice a year. This is the first time it's a full-on juice cleanse, with no solid foods for 3 days. My friend and I are in this cleanse together. I made it 66 hours total, pretty close to the 72 hours I had committed. I've been keeping myself going on store-bought raw juices, coconut water, herbal tea, and a small amount of probiotics.

When I re-read that last sentence, I realized just how crazy this cleanse may be. Even though I'm an avid meat eater, there is something I love about eliminating everything but raw veggie and fruit juice for a few days. The challenge of making the smoothies taste good enough to satisfy my desire to eat keeps me going.

I make smoothies regularly, but they always have almond or rice milk in them. I'm using coconut water for the cleanse smoothies. As long as there is some avocado mixed in the texture is similar to the ones I usually make. Nice to know that I can eliminate the milk from the smoothie and not miss the flavor, but cut down on the calories.

The way I see it, if I can get in the habit of making one or two smoothies a day that are primarily veggies and good stuff, I can eat all the other stuff I love without worrying about getting all my nutrients in.

I do have to say that so far I feel great and very calm. That might just be because I'm a little crazy from not eating, but I think it has to do with giving my system a rest. Your body uses up a lot of energy trying to digest meats, grains and processed sugars. Eating this way always gives me perspective on how much and how often I eat or snack. It's a kickstart to remembering portion control and being more aware of my eating habits.

Not to worry, the mouthwatering meats, gluten and dairy free treats and all the other wonderful dishes I love to make will be back shortly. I'm sure to have a new appreciation for them!

Raw Beet, Avocado, Basil, Peach, Nectarine, Ginger, Cucumber, Celery Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 1 small nectarine, pit removed, sliced
• 1 small peach, pit removed, sliced
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 4 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground ginger
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Raw Spinach, Carrot, Beet, Avocado, Peach, Strawberry and Banana Juice

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 15 to 20 spinach leaves (a small handful)
• 1 beet, skin removed, sliced
• 2 carrots, skin removed, cut into rounds
• 1 small peach, pit removed, sliced
• 1 banana, sliced
• 2 strawberries, hulled, sliced
• lime juice (about 1/4 of a lime)
• 1 cup coconut water
• Ice cubes

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender or drink mixer with a good blade.
2. Pulse on high until everything is chopped up.
3. If you want the juice to be thinner, add more coconut or regular water to the mix.

Enjoy!