I found this article while surfing the web on my blackberry during a meeting today.  Some people like to attend meetings, while I would rather read about what silly things are going on in this world.   I came across this article below and found it interesting.

FARMINGTON, Maine (AP) — The forecast calls for sunny skies, and some people are ready to put the top down. In Farmington, Maine, they’re not talking about a convertible. They’re talking about the dozens of women who’ll be marching topless downtown.

The women want to be able to go shirtless in the summer, just as men sometimes do.

It’s already perfectly legal under Maine law for both men and women to bare their chests. But the protesters want women to feel comfortable doing so.

Friday’s event is organized by Andrea Simoneau, a student at the University of Maine at Farmington. She participated in a similar event in Portland and decided to try it in Farmington.

My only comment to this is if the “protesters” want women to feel comfortable going topless in public, is having a bunch of them topless walking together going to solve that little problem?  I would think having people starring at you while you are **topless** would make someone feel uncomfortable.

While I do agree that a little stunt like this will draw lots of attention to this very important protest in Farmington Maine, is it really the attention needed to make them feel comfortable?  And after the protest, will the women feel comfortable all of the sudden walking around by themselves topless in public?

I’m all about the law being the law and equal rights etc., but the other point I will bring up is that there are quite a few oddballs out there who are either sex offenders or just perverts who can’t control themselves.  Ladies, think about the safety risk involved with this.  Do you really want to attract that kind of attention from those types of people?  And for those who have kids, how to do explain this?  And would you want your young daughter at the age of 13 to one day decide she is going topless to go grab a slushy at the corner store?

Maybe I am missing the big point here.  Anyone want to clue me in?  I would love to read your comments on this “issue”.

Oh, and why doesn’t Maine change that slogan on their license plates from “Vacationland” to “Land of the Topless”?

This morning I had the privilege of playing music at a pep rally for the Best Buddies program at North Middlesex Regional High School.  My sister Meryl (or Mrs. Higgins as they call her) leads this program at the school and asked me to help make this a memorable experience for the kids.  She and her team (including not only para professionals but also students) do an exemplary job and really worked hard to send these students off on a high note.

The entire Junior and Senior class came together in the gym to give their fellow students a wonderful sendoff to the Special Olympics.  Students in the Best Buddies Program dd a great job giving speeches, reciting the oath and leading the students in the Pledge of Allegiance.  The NM voice class did an amazing job (as always) singing the school song and The Star Spangled Banner.

It was truly a great experience to watch these kids. The respect they all have for each other and the way they showed their support for the students in the  program with standing ovations, applause and the loud cheers was really special.  I was proud to be a small part of it and give the leadership, teachers and staff at North Middlesex kudos for creating such a positive environment for all of the students at North Middlesex.  I also want to say how proud I was to watch students in a school I grew up in, show such tremendous support for their fellow students.  In the news today, you often only hear about negative issues going on in schools across the country and this is an example of something positive that if not for me posting it in this blog, would go unnoticed except for those who were there and know what great students/young adults we do have in our schools.

Good Luck to the students from North Middlesex who are competing in the Special Olympics as well as all of the other students from around the area who will be participating.  Oh, and just in case he is reading this and participating, Good Luck to my good pal Jamie Minton of Quincy!

My shiny head with the Best Buddies Program at North Middlesex Regional High School

And the winners are…

 This weekend the winner of the Shaws and Vermont Beef Board promotion will celebrate their catered dinner in there home. The event started last year in October and went through December, you may have heard some of the radio promotions or saw the advertising at a Shaws meat counter? The response was pretty incredible and I imagine some individuals may not have realized they were entered when they made their purchase & used their Shaws card. (That’s how easy it was to enter) The winners receive a catered dinner for 8 in there home with me, as their Chef for the night. I plan to have some fun as I shop at my local Shaws for the ingredients and provide a simple session on “how to create” our menu.  I’ll include some techniques, thoughts on cooking to make life easier and most importantly how to cook beef. I plan on using a variety of cuts…and the market will determine which ones. Our menu:

Variety of Middle Eastern Dips with Pita Chips

Mixed Field Greens with Marinated Vegetables

Grilled, Roasted and Pan Seared cuts of Fresh Beef

Shallot Red Wine Sauce

Fresh Potato Cake with Rosemary

Roasted White and Green Asparagus

Sauteed Apples with a Scented Lemon Cheese Mousse 

Wrapped in Pastry

 Pretty nice menu, eh? So for those who are curious if anyone ever wins these contests, they do! We plan to have a great time with our winner and their invited guest and I plan to have fun in the kitchen and share some ideas on cooking. Hopefully we have some photos, recipes we made up on site and our “creatively delicious” results for you to view in an upcoming blog. This was a great contest and many are out there for us to participate in. I have had the privilege to be invited as a guest to 2; Pillsbury Bake-Off’s where the grand prize is a Million dollar’s. It’s an amazing event and if you inquired with any participating finalist, if they thought there recipe or they could end up where they were that day, the majority would have said no. But, nearly everyone at that time believed what they were making was the best! I think our readers would like to know if you have participated in any recipe cook-offs. May be you have a winning recipe you may like to share with us or a thought on a future food contest promotion. 

Thanks & ciao

Bernard

Not sure if we are facing a new fad here (similar to when little starlets like Paris Hilton would buy tiny dogs and then carry them around in their purse) but 2 of my friends in the past week have taken in baby Squirrels!

“Peanut”

“Bubba”

In both cases, they said the little nut eaters were just hanging out looking at them and trying to crawl up their legs.  They also both felt that they were motherless and needed help.  In any case, I just found it odd that days apart from each other, they both were taking care of Squirrels.  I would say “I smell a rat here”, but that may offend the Squirrel.  But I digress…

They both gave names to them.  Friend #1 named his “Bubba” and Friend #2 named hers “Peanut”.  They both gave them shelter, food, blankets and most importantly, love.  Yes, they love their little furry friends.  Both have had playtime with them, held them close, let them fall asleep while holding them and I’m sure told them many stories of the crazy world we live in and how you should look twice before crossing the street.

1 of my friends is going to school to be a therapist of some sort, so I’m sure she told hers to be good and surround herself (or himself I guess as we don’t know the sex of the squirrel’s) with positive little squirrel friends and don’t cave into any squirrel pressure.  My other friend probably taught his about business, hard work and how to get a perfect tan.  Both gave their squirrels a great foundation to build their little lives with.

It reminded me of the time last year when I met Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel.  Yes, you read that correct.  Twiggy is a real squirrel and can waterski better than I could ever imagine too.  Here is a quick video I shot with the little guy:

What amazed me about him was how calm he was.  He just wanted to eat, perform and then chill.  Oh, and how could I forget, “relieve” himself on my head.  I was actually a bit nervous at 1st when he looked at me with those big round eyes and made a little noise.  I had never been so close to a squirrel before so I didn’t know what to expect.  In the end, me and Twiggy became good friends and to this day still exchange text messages.  But back to my 2 friends….

Sad news with my friend who was caring for Bubba.  After a couple days of being cared for, Bubba passed on to Squirrel heaven.  While waiting for the wildlife people to show up and take over the care mission, Bubba must have just been too sad to know he was leaving my friend and the pain was too much for him to take.  He loved his new life, the people he met and the music that played in the background.  He also loved his nuts and milk.  He just couldn’t face returning to the life he came from.  Never knowing where your next meal would come from, where you would sleep and dealing with angry badgers.  RIP Bubba.

“Bubba” enjoying some milk and nuts.

As for Peanut, he/she is doing fine and should be picked up by the wildlife peeps tomorrow.  I have a feeling though that my friend will not want to let Peanut go as they have developed a close little bond.  It pains her to be away from Peanut and she is finding herself not being able to even go to the gym without rushing home to cuddle with her little pal.  She even went as far as to buy Peanut some sort of puppy milk from the pet store and special food.  Peanut loves his new dog carrier bedroom and the blankets that come with it.  I’m sure wherever Peanut goes, it will not be getting this 5 star treatment.

So that wraps up this little blog.  I’m not sure if you learned anything or if I even had a point.  The web boss called and needed me to post a blog, and well, this was something I wanted to share.

And if you find a squirrel looking at you with sad eyes that say “take me in…feed me…give me shelter…hold me and play with me”, well, it just may be better to hold back the tears, turnaround and walk away.  After all, it is illegal to have one as a pet without a permit and it will just cause them heartache when they have to go back to the wild.  I’m sure my friend will have a hard time tonight watching Peanut have her last little bit of puppy milk knowing tomorrow, it is back to rain water.  But I’m sure Bubba will be looking down on Peanut and will keep a close big round eye on her/him.  Good luck Peanut!

A simple salad warm or chilled…

This time of year at home I clean out my spice cabinet and no, I don’t through everything out. I understand that spices and dry herbs have a six month shelf life. So I come up with ideas to use them before I lose them or there potency.  Various ingredients can be used in a variety of ways, a few examples:

• Spices can be made into dry rubs or marinades; label them…
• Dry herbs with the right balance, can be made into a pesto
• Blending again, of certain ingredients as specific to Southwestern, Mediterranean,  Middle Eastern etc, helps in planning a menu for a party at home  

Some ingredients stimulate me to use them other than what I had originally purchased them for. Take for instance Lentils, which I love to prepare because of their ease of cooking, health factor, low-cost and versatility of use. The benefit of making marinated salads is that they typically last for 2-3 days refrigerated. (If in there that long) So I consider it one part of a meal that’s ready to serve. The following warm lentil salad I made was to go with grilled Salmon. This week I made the recipe & served it with pan seared sea bass. It was for a segment called Educating Jenny which airs this Saturday on the TV Diner program or you can click on the link to view the segment we did http://www.necn.com/pages/landing?blockID=223315 . The color, presentation and steps to make the dish are brilliant. The segment was filmed for my upcoming class at the BCAE in Boston which offers numerous sessions in all categories. The cooking classes I perform their keep me creative and it’s a great way to meet other food enthusiast or those just starting to cook. So if you haven’t cooked with French lentils before you may want to give this recipe a try. If you need step by step directions tune into the segment of Educating Jenny this weekend as we review the procedure. If you have a favorite lentil recipe post it or let us know how you serve them: are they braised, pureed, slow cooked or….

PANSEARED SEABASS WITH WARM LENTIL SALAD AND CURRY OIL

SERVES 4

¼ cup brunoise-cut carrots

¼ cup brunoise-cut celery

¼ cup finely diced onion

¼ cup brunoise- red pepper

¼ cup brunoise -yellow pepper

2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon canola oil

¾ cup fresh green lentils-(soak over night)

1 ½ cups water, or more, as needed

Salt and pepper

4 5-ounce Sea Bass fillets

Chopped fresh chives, garnish

METHOD- To prepare the lentils: Cook the carrots, celery, onion, and ginger in the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Add the peppers and lentils, cook for 1 minute. Then add the water & continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1/2 hour, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are tender. If the water has been absorbed and the lentils are not tender, add additional water, several tablespoons at a time, until the lentils are not completely cooked. Season to taste with salt & pepper, and then add 2 Tablespoon of olive oil to the salad just before serving, toss to combine ingredients

To prepare the Sea bass: Season the bass with salt and pepper and brush with a light coating of the Curry Oil. Heat a sauté pan to a med-high temp, & place the bass flesh side down for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the bass is flaky and cooked through.

ASSEMNLY- Spoon the lentil salad on the plate and place the prepared bass on top. Garnish with chopped fresh chives.

Curry Oil:

YEILD: ½ cup

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

METHOD- Sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the curry powder and cook for 3 minutes. Puree the mixture with the remaining canola oil for 3 minutes, or until completely combined. Refrigerate for 1 day then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Thanks and ciao

Bernard

This is the time of year I feel where it makes sense to make recipes that are healthy and use ingredients that are interchangeable with lunch or dinner ideas for the week. Recently, I had the opportunity to take two of my favorites and create them for several cooking sessions that I had this week. The point I wanted to push with the attendees is that, when using certain ingredients to make a recipe, try prepping for your next dish. While both salads are quite different, some of the fresh vegetables are used in either recipe or can be used to create another recipe while you are chopping away. Some people do this once a week; cook dinner for 2-3 nights in a day, I hear it all the time. What’s your easiest meal solution that you make at home and how do you use the ingredients for multiple recipes? Let us know…Thanks and ciao

Bernard         

Tabouli Salad  (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bulgur wheat                                                  
• 1 cup boiling water
• ¼ cup roasted garlic oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp garlic chopped fine
• dash cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup green pepper diced fine
• ¼ cup orange pepper diced fine
• ½ cup green onion chopped
• ½ cup parsley chopped
• 1 tomato chopped
• ¼ cup black olives chopped

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, pour water over Bulgur wheat. Let sit for 20.mins.
2. In a bowl or blender combine the next 5 ingredients.
3. Mix the Bulgur wheat and vegetables toss with the vinaigrette.

 Best if refrigerated for 1 hour before serving.

 Mediterranean Style Couscous with Roasted Vegetables Salad  (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups eggplant cut into ½” dice pieces
• 1 cup zucchini cut into ½” dice pieces
• 1 cup red onion cut into ½” dice pieces                                                 
• 1 cup red bell pepper cut into ½” dice pieces
• 2 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1tbsp. salt and pepper
• 1-1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup couscous
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp. capers
• 1-1/2 tbsp. fresh basil sliced thin

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss vegetables and chopped garlic in a bowl.
3. Add olive oil, vinegar, herbs and seasoning. Toss to coat and combine.
4. Spread vegetable mix evenly on a baking sheet and roast in pre-heated oven for 40 min. or until tender. Stir mix in the oven to cook evenly.
5. Bring water to a boil add salt and oil then couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside until the grain absorbs the water.
6.  Fluff the couscous with a fork after the water is absorbed.
7. Place the roasted vegetables in a bowl, add the last 4 ingredients and toss to combine.
8. Serve warm or chill and serve as a summer salad.     

Throughout the winter I enjoy grilling outdoors. I must say though, its time for a new grill. The one I have presently has lasted a number of years, actually more than I imagined! I’ve been on the lookout for early spring deals, last years models “reduced” and the newer version of the old one I have. There are quite a few to choose from. Features include side burners, rotisseries, broiler options which conduct heat from the top as well as the traditional underneath heating element. They include charcoal that last through the grilling season and absorb the grill flavors you cook with and a good conductor of heat. I thought about a smoker, but I know I can turn my grill into a smoker when I need to. With my old grill my biggest concern was replacement parts, I could never find exactly the correct piece I needed from where I purchased my grill originally. I kept that manual for its phone number and description of parts after running out to various local stores for parts, I sometimes could not find.

I think the best use unless you have two propane tanks is a gas line to the grill. Yes, I have run out of gas in the middle of cooking. Fortunately, to refill a tank is not far away. To avoid extra parts, I always buy a pre-assembled grill, I enjoy creating great meals on them, but putting them together is another task I prefer to leave to the experts. I believe purchasing a cover if its not included is a smart move; it’s like an extended warranty for your knobs and keeps the body looking first-class. I’ve a few brands in mind to date, but was interested to see what input or thoughts on purchasing a grill you may have? What are the benefits of some of the extra features that come with a grill and how often do you use them? Any information on the act of getting a grill will be helpful to us all…especially if you’re grilling and not chill-in!

Thank you-ciao

Bernard