File Under: Sometimes I Like to Cook!
I don't watch a lot of TV but I do have my shows that I like. One network that I watch a lot is The Food Network. I love tuning in to see how much butter or mayonnaise Paula is adding to her recipes, I get a kick out of seeing Ina dote over her husband and party with her gaggle of gay friends, I laugh whenever Semi-Homemade "Aunt" Sandy says "It's Cocktail time." Girl loves her booze! I relate most to the things that Giada De Laurentiis prepares. Her recipes are easy to follow and they produce excellent results. Here's a recipe for the most recent dish I prepared.
Prosciutto Ravioli
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
2 large egg yolks
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
48 wonton wrappers
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano Freshly grated pecorino
Whisk the ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, egg yolks, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
Place 1 tablespoon of the ricotta filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper in half, enclosing the filling completely and forming a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal. Transfer the ravioli to baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. (Can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
Melt the butter in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add the oregano and stir 1 minute. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Working in batches, cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the ravioli to a large shallow bowl.
Pour the oregano butter over the ravioli and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the pecorino over the ravioli and serve.
Try it, you'll really enjoy it!
Do you like to cook? Do you have a recipe you recently tried and were pleased with the results? Post a comment and tell me about it.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
This is DeDe
File Under: Friends
Who says that your friends are people who you see in person on a regular basis? Thanks to these things called computers and the internet, you can make friends with people around the world. Well, DeDe doesn't live around the world, she lives San Jose, CA. Thanks to The Go-Go's, DeDe and I became friends.
I was first introduced to DeDe through another friend who I met in line at a Belinda Carlisle show in 1990. She told me about this woman in California who published a fan magazine for the band and told me to contact her. I did, and we conversed by mail from time to time.
Not long after, I got my first computer with all the bells and whistles, including a modem. I signed up for AOL, and soon after I found a Go-Go's message board. DeDe welcomed me with open arms. It was fun back then, there wasn't a lot to talk about since the band had been disbanded for some time but the individual members were doing solo things and there had been rumblings of another reunion. The message board was fun as there were regulars on there - DeDe and I, along with Doug, Melissa and Joseph. More than the rest of the people on the board, I became friends with them.
DeDe asked me to become a co-editor of "Beatnik Beat," the Go-Go's fanzine. I answered letters and wrote a column for each issue. It was fun having a bit of an "inside peek" into the lives of the band members. We got each of them to do interviews for us, we wrote questions for them. DeDe, being a California girl, would go to shows and get autographs and memoribilia and send things to me.
In 1999, The Go-Go's announced a reunion tour, all of the dates were taking place on the west coast. Thanks to DeDe's prompting, I flew out to San Francisco and began a week-long journey during which time I saw 4 shows. Best of all, I finally got to meet DeDe in person and it felt as if we had been friends for a lifetime. Good thing, considering we were spending the next few days together, much of that time in a car, a van, or on an airplane. Our adventure began in San Francisco, then I went back to San Jose for the night. The next morning we drove to Los Angeles where we spent the night. The next day we drove from LA to Santa Barbara where we spent the night. The next day we drove back to LA, directly to LAX where we boarded a plane bound for Las Vegas. The entire trip, was filled with laughter and good music, and rubber chickens. There were as many of 7 of us along for the ride at one point (hence the van).
DeDe was the original designer of http://www.gogos.com/, the band's original website. She became privvy to some of the band's graphics for the CD they released in 2001 (God Bless the Go-Go's, the band's first collection of all-new music in 17 years). I provided some ideas for the website and became a collaborator both with her and with a couple of the band members. 2001 was another year of travels where DeDe and I got to spend time together.
Our next adventure was 2003, a long weekend in Vegas at the Las Vegas Hilton. More of the same laughs, music and a trip to the Liberace museum for good measure. Vahona was along for that trip, as were may of the other regulars who I'd known from the message board.
Most recently we got to hang out in January 2007, again in Vegas. The most exciting part about that trip was seeing DeDe's transformation. Having been challenged by weight issues, she finally made some drastic changes and was well on the road to finally losing a significant amout of weight. I think I spent the most amount of time with DeDe during that trip. It's as if there's a need for us to make up for lost time, and I have no complaints about that.
I'm happy to report that as of her 1-year anniversary from when she embarked on the weight loss journey, she took off 80 pounds. She's still going and she looks amazing. GO DeDe, GO!
This is a picture of DeDe and I upon my arrival to Las Vegas, January 25, 2007. GOOD TIMES!
I'm sure there will be many, many more good times in the years ahead!
Meet Brian
File Under: Friends
The guy I'm hugging in the above picture is Brian. How we met is a funny story. Brian knows just about everybody in Chicago. He has lived here for a lot of years. About 8 years ago, I found his profile on an online dating sight. I sent him an email, hoping to initiate contact. I never heard back from him. I was disappointed but didn't lament (too much) over it. As I would review the site from time to time, I'd see his profile.
A couple years later, I was spending the day with my friend Chuck. We were having a yard sale at his place. A mutual friend of both Brian and Chuck came by and Brian was with them. We met, chatted briefly but I was at a loss for words because I didn't know if he remembered that I had written to him so I was generally just trying to be polite. He was nice though and I was glad that I got to meet him in person.
Sometime later, maybe a few months or so, I was out with my friend Dan. Wherever we were, in walked Brian and he and Dan, who were friends, began to chat. Dan introduced me and we acknowledged that we had met previously. Still I was kind of tongue-tied around him. At that point on, I started seeing him out a lot, Dan and I would run into him often, or I'd see him when I was with Chuck and we'd laugh at how our social circles overlapped. Things became friendlier between us.
As time went on, we became better friends. We would run into each other at a party and hang out and chat. I learned more about what made him tick, saw that he had some of the same insecurities as me. All the time that I thought he was just one of these great social butterflies without a care in the world, I realized that he had a vulnerable side and on a few occasions I was the one he would confide in.
We've had some great adventures out with our friends, some of our more memorable events were Cinco de Mayo 2007 (TEQUILA!) and the Pride parade 2006, among others.
Our most recent event was actually for a sad/happy reason. Brian was promoted and is moving to Washington DC this week. Saturday night (1/12) was Brian's going away party. A whole bunch of Brian's friends gathered at Crew Bar to send him off in style. It was a fun night, but a sad chapter for those of us who won't see Brian on a regular basis any more. Oh sure, he'll visit, and we'll visit him so he'll always be in our lives. I'm just glad I finally got to know the guy that I first saw in that profile picture, all those years ago.
Here's a few of us from Brian's party.
The guy I'm hugging in the above picture is Brian. How we met is a funny story. Brian knows just about everybody in Chicago. He has lived here for a lot of years. About 8 years ago, I found his profile on an online dating sight. I sent him an email, hoping to initiate contact. I never heard back from him. I was disappointed but didn't lament (too much) over it. As I would review the site from time to time, I'd see his profile.
A couple years later, I was spending the day with my friend Chuck. We were having a yard sale at his place. A mutual friend of both Brian and Chuck came by and Brian was with them. We met, chatted briefly but I was at a loss for words because I didn't know if he remembered that I had written to him so I was generally just trying to be polite. He was nice though and I was glad that I got to meet him in person.
Sometime later, maybe a few months or so, I was out with my friend Dan. Wherever we were, in walked Brian and he and Dan, who were friends, began to chat. Dan introduced me and we acknowledged that we had met previously. Still I was kind of tongue-tied around him. At that point on, I started seeing him out a lot, Dan and I would run into him often, or I'd see him when I was with Chuck and we'd laugh at how our social circles overlapped. Things became friendlier between us.
As time went on, we became better friends. We would run into each other at a party and hang out and chat. I learned more about what made him tick, saw that he had some of the same insecurities as me. All the time that I thought he was just one of these great social butterflies without a care in the world, I realized that he had a vulnerable side and on a few occasions I was the one he would confide in.
We've had some great adventures out with our friends, some of our more memorable events were Cinco de Mayo 2007 (TEQUILA!) and the Pride parade 2006, among others.
Our most recent event was actually for a sad/happy reason. Brian was promoted and is moving to Washington DC this week. Saturday night (1/12) was Brian's going away party. A whole bunch of Brian's friends gathered at Crew Bar to send him off in style. It was a fun night, but a sad chapter for those of us who won't see Brian on a regular basis any more. Oh sure, he'll visit, and we'll visit him so he'll always be in our lives. I'm just glad I finally got to know the guy that I first saw in that profile picture, all those years ago.
Here's a few of us from Brian's party.
Friday, January 11, 2008
In Today's Mail
File Under: Voice Your Choice
Actually it was in Monday's mail, I'm just late in posting this:
Actually it was in Monday's mail, I'm just late in posting this:
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
To-Do List
File under: Get it done!
Here's a list of things I need to do, in no particular order.
*Organize my desk. I've got receipts, packs of gum, credit cards, pills, Duran Duran's latest CD, candles and an Easy Button (which as many times as I push it doesn't make my life any easier but it makes me laugh) scattered across this desk and I need to sort through it all, put some stuff away and throw out a bunch of this crap.
*Listen to "Red Carpet Massacre," Duran Duran's latest CD. My secret source (VAHONA!) is a huge fan and was privvy to some tracks early on. I heard them and wasn't impressed. But I love the band and bought it, and even met them. I have yet to actually put this CD into my player and listen to it. It's on my iPod and as often as I use my iPod, I have yet to hear any of the songs other than "Falling Down," the current single.
*Organize my file cabinet. I bought it a couple weeks ago and freed up some space in some bookshelves, making room for some books. Now I need to go and sort the papers that I dumped into the file cabinet. They're semi-sorted, I just need to get some hanging files and finish the project.
*Get a new computer. Once I get my finances in a bit better order (these last 6 months kicked my ass!), I'm going to get a new computer. I want a laptop.
*Lose 10 pounds. Last February I set the goal to look better on my 40th birthday than I did on my 30th birthday. I lost 12 pounds. I then got lazy and I've gained back 5 of those 12 pounds. When I lost the weight, I decided another 5 would be good, so once again, I'm on track and hoping to lose 10 pounds before summer.
*Celebrate Christmas with Vahona. Hasn't happened yet, it will soon. Her presents keep staring at me, they're on my dresser. They were under the tree but the tree is now boxed up and in the closet.
I'm sure there's more, but that's a good start.
What's on your To-Do list?
Here's a list of things I need to do, in no particular order.
*Organize my desk. I've got receipts, packs of gum, credit cards, pills, Duran Duran's latest CD, candles and an Easy Button (which as many times as I push it doesn't make my life any easier but it makes me laugh) scattered across this desk and I need to sort through it all, put some stuff away and throw out a bunch of this crap.
*Listen to "Red Carpet Massacre," Duran Duran's latest CD. My secret source (VAHONA!) is a huge fan and was privvy to some tracks early on. I heard them and wasn't impressed. But I love the band and bought it, and even met them. I have yet to actually put this CD into my player and listen to it. It's on my iPod and as often as I use my iPod, I have yet to hear any of the songs other than "Falling Down," the current single.
*Organize my file cabinet. I bought it a couple weeks ago and freed up some space in some bookshelves, making room for some books. Now I need to go and sort the papers that I dumped into the file cabinet. They're semi-sorted, I just need to get some hanging files and finish the project.
*Get a new computer. Once I get my finances in a bit better order (these last 6 months kicked my ass!), I'm going to get a new computer. I want a laptop.
*Lose 10 pounds. Last February I set the goal to look better on my 40th birthday than I did on my 30th birthday. I lost 12 pounds. I then got lazy and I've gained back 5 of those 12 pounds. When I lost the weight, I decided another 5 would be good, so once again, I'm on track and hoping to lose 10 pounds before summer.
*Celebrate Christmas with Vahona. Hasn't happened yet, it will soon. Her presents keep staring at me, they're on my dresser. They were under the tree but the tree is now boxed up and in the closet.
I'm sure there's more, but that's a good start.
What's on your To-Do list?
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Paris A Go-Go - New Year's Eve with Belinda Carlisle and Rufus Wainwright
File Under: Ooh La La
Okay so I wasn't there but friends were in the audience and said that the show was amazing. Belinda appeared quite nervous at first which I think is endearing, considering she's had a long career on stage and should be beyond stagefright. However performing entirely in French is new to her and apparently she nailed it. The shows were fun and festive and while people are split in their opinions of Rufus Wainwright, it seemed like he was a good co-headliner with Belinda.
Below is a video that a fan posted on YouTube. It's kind of shaky (he said he was trying to keep his camera hidden from security) and the audio isn't the best but it give you an idea of how much fun was had by the performers. The set was beautiful, the dancers were amazing, and Belinda held true to always performing "Our Lips Are Sealed" when she plays solo. Here it is, in French.
This just makes me really happy. :)
Okay so I wasn't there but friends were in the audience and said that the show was amazing. Belinda appeared quite nervous at first which I think is endearing, considering she's had a long career on stage and should be beyond stagefright. However performing entirely in French is new to her and apparently she nailed it. The shows were fun and festive and while people are split in their opinions of Rufus Wainwright, it seemed like he was a good co-headliner with Belinda.
Below is a video that a fan posted on YouTube. It's kind of shaky (he said he was trying to keep his camera hidden from security) and the audio isn't the best but it give you an idea of how much fun was had by the performers. The set was beautiful, the dancers were amazing, and Belinda held true to always performing "Our Lips Are Sealed" when she plays solo. Here it is, in French.
This just makes me really happy. :)
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