Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day To All Of The Fathers, Grandfathers, Foster Fathers, Step-Fathers And Every Other Kind Of Father! You Are Truly Appreciated!
Saint Anthony
June 13th Feast Day
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon was born Fernando Martins de Bulloes on August 15, 1195 and died June 13, 1231. He was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He died in Padua, Italy, but was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, which is where he was raised. St. Anthony is best known as the patron saint of lost things. Barren women also claim St. Anthony as their patron saint most likely because of his association with the Baby Jesus. There is a popular story that one night during St. Anthony’s lifetime the Baby Jesus visited him, kissed him and told him that He loved him. The story is so well loved that, aside from Mary, St. Anthony is the saint most often depicted with the Baby Jesus. St. Anthony is often shown carrying a lily as a symbol of purity, innocence and integrity probably because he was entrusted with the Baby Jesus.
St. Anthony had a special love for the poor and oppressed people which is in keeping with his beloved Franciscan tradition. Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching and expert knowledge of Scripture, he was declared a saint almost immediately after his death and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church January 16, 1946.
Interesting Chicken Facts
I have loved chickens for many years. Twenty years ago I had a chicken coop built on my property where I lived in the Pacific NW. I raised laying hens so that I could cook with fresh eggs. During the day I let my hens roam my property and at dusk my son’s corgi would herd them into their coop. Each morning I would go out to the coop, thank the “girls” and gather beautiful fresh eggs. Those days are gone and I now live a much different life dividing my week between my apartment in New York City and my house in Fairfield County.
Here are some fun and interesting chicken facts:
Chickens are omnivores. In the wild they will scratch the soil searching for seeds, insects, young mice and lizards.
Alektorophobia means “fear of chickens.”
The older the hen the larger the eggs she lays.
Chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs. Chickens with red earlobes lay brown eggs.
Chickens can live for 5 to 10 years depending on the breed. According to, The Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s oldest chicken died of heart failure at age 16.
A fresh egg sinks in a bowl of water, and old egg floats.
Hens start clucking to the eggs a few days before hatching, making it more likely that they will all hatch at approximately the same time.
DNA evidence suggests that chickens are the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The first pictures of chickens in Europe were found on 7th Century BC Corinthian pottery.
Eggs dry out more quickly in your refrigerator’s egg rack so it is best to leave them in the carton.
If you can’t remember which eggs you cooked then spin them. If an egg spins quickly then it is hard boiled. If an egg spins slowly and wobbles then it is raw.
It is estimated that there are four chickens to every human on the planet.
The egg carton was invented in 1911 by a Canadian newspaper editor named, Joseph Coyle, in Smithers, British Columbia
An egg standing on its end can bear up to 200 pounds. The record was set by the Ontario Science Centre.
For best results, eggs should be brought to room temperature when used for baking.
A plastic egg, golf ball or avocado pit placed in a nest will encourage a hen to lay in it. This is the origin of the term “nest egg.”
“Go away, boy! Or I’ll spank you where the feathers are the thinnest.” – Foghorn J. Leghorn
Tatte Bakery & Café
Yesterday I was on foot from my hotel to the M.I.T. graduation ceremony at Killian Court. It was early in the morning and I hadn’t eaten a thing although I had managed to choke down a couple cups of lousy hotel coffee. I ended up walking past a bakery that smelled divine, and stopped dead in my tracks. Some backpacked students briskly walked past me and shouted out, “that place is super expensive, but tastes great!” I thought to myself, “my kind of place,” and ventured in. What a place! The displays were unbelievable and the smells even better. I picked up an almond croissant and an apricot brioche and carried them to the graduation ceremony. I figured that I would be sitting there awhile and needed something to nibble on. Each bite was heaven.
Apparently, Tatte Bakery & Café is brand new with its grand opening a month ago. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and take-out cookies, cakes and pastries. You can check them out at www.tattecookies.com.
Tatte Bakery & Café
318 Third Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-354-4200
Hours:
M-F 7am to 10pm
Sat 8am to 10pm
Sun 9am to 6pm
How To Peel A Tomato
Score the blossom end of the tomato (the bottom – opposite the stem) and drop into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. 15 to 20 seconds if the tomato is very ripe. Transfer to a bowl of cold water. The skin will wrinkle immediately and peel off easily.
One of the things that I like to do is collect cake plates. Whenever I am out I keep my eye open for beautiful or interesting plates. Of course I like a good bargain as well and won’t pay more than $25 for any cake plate. Thrift stores and consignment shops are a great place to find a good bargain. I found this antique cake plate in an antique store in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
17 Things To Do With Homemade Ricotta
Now that you’ve made your Homemade Ricotta what are you going to do with it? Here are 17 things to do with that delicious Homemade Ricotta.
- Make a Cheesecake
- Fill Ravioli
- Eat Warm Drizzled With Good Quality Olive Oil
- Make A Tart
- Toss With Penne Pasta And Quickly Cooked Tomatoes
- Savory Bruschetta – Toast Or Grill SlicesOf Italian Bread. Top With Sun Dried Tomatoes, Ricotta, Fresh Basil Leaves, Salt & Pepper
- Eat For Breakfast With Milk, Honey And Nuts
- Enrich Egg Dishes
- Make A Fruit Dip By Blending Cocoa Powder, Ground Cinnamon And Sugar
- Layer In Gratins And Lasagna
- Top A Dish Of Cavatelli
- Stuff Pasta Shells
- Bake In Pancakes
- Enrich Sauces
- Sweet Bruschetta – Spread On Thick Slices Of Italian Bread And Top With Jam Or Fruit For Breakfast Or A Snack
- Use In Italian Meatballs
- Use With Fresh Berries
A Note About Zest
The intense flavor and aroma of citrus zest adds great flavor to so many foods from soup to sauces to cookies and cakes. The real trick in using lemon, lime or orange zest is to remove only the outer, colored layer of the peel. Avoid the bitter white pith underneath. Scrub the citrus well with a vegetable brush or coarse sponge to clean off any dirt or markings. Next grate the zest, using a zester or the smallest holes on a conventional box grater. You can also slice the zest off with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler and then finely mince it.
TheSchoolhouse At Cannondale
Saturday night I had dinner at The Schoolhouse At Cannondale. Dinner was well executed and excellent. The schoolhouse is very sweet and tastefully decorated. Owner, Tim LaBent, does such a good job of making customers feel welcome as well as cooking up a storm. I was invited to come into the kitchen, take a look around and get introduced to the staff. The kitchen was tiny, but hopping and everyone seemed to be in-tuned with cranking out dishes with love. The Schoolhouse At Cannondale is such a class act the menu personally welcomes you with your name printed at the top. Dinner consisted of “Baby carrots, avocado, radish, grilled scallion, lime, cilantro and sesame seeds;” “Posh n’ beans, ricotta, watercress, pea greens, and wave hill toast;” “Lamb sausage with cavatelli, broccoli rabe and preserved tomatoes;” “Squab with lacindo kale, spring onions, oyster mushrooms;” and “Chocolate soufflé with chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream!”
I will definitely be making my way back to The Schoolhouse At Cannondale. A great place to bring friends as well.
The Schoolhouse At Cannondale
Owner Tim LaBant
34 Cannon Road
Wilton, CT 06897
203-834-9816
http://www.schoolhouseatcannondale.com/
BUSINESS HOURS
Dinner: Wed-Sat 5:30-9:30 PM
Lunch: Fri-Sat 11:30 AM-2:00 PM
Brunch: Sunday 10 AM-2:-00 PM
Today I Potted Herbs For Memorial Day. Thyme For My Mother And Basil For My Father. I Pray That Both Are Resting In Peace.
