Dharma Bums

I finally read this book. I found it at Goodwill while buying Mitchell's English books for next year. Great book. I had to go buy "Myths and Texts" by Snyder afterwards and dragged out my copy of "Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen & Jack Kerouac in the Cascades" by John Suiter.

One of the best and most popular of Kerouac's autobiographical novels, The Dharma Bums is based on experiences the writer had during the mid-1950s while living in California, after he'd become interested in Buddhism's spiritual mode of understanding. One of the book's main characters, Japhy Ryder, is based on the real poet Gary Snyder, who was a close friend and whose interest in Buddhism influenced Kerouac. This book is a must-read for any serious Kerouac fan. -- Amazon Review

Grilled Chicken Salad

This is good, fast & easy - I served it on lettuce. Next time, I'd serve it on more greens as the salad is sweet. I grilled garlic naan (pita bread would work as well) to serve on the side.


Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup seedless green grapes
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1/2 cup mango chutney
* 1/3 cup finely chopped celery
* 1/3 cup canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum organic)
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring to combine. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place yogurt mixture in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken, breast side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of breast registers 160°. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 10 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Coarsely chop chicken and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Add grapes and remaining ingredients to chicken mixture; toss gently to combine. Chill 30 minutes.

Asian Street Sandwiches

MMMMMMMMMM! Guy Fieri's recipe from Family Circle, July 2009. I haven't tried his other recipes, but here they are.


* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Sriracha Thai hot sauce)
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 pound pork roast, sliced on the bias into 12 thin pieces
* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup mirin (Asian cooking wine)
* 1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
* 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1-1/4 cups)
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 6 hero rolls, each 6 inches long, split
* 6 romaine lettuce leaves
* 1 cup cilantro leaves, stemmed and cleaned

Directions

1. In a medium-size bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the oyster sauce, the garlic, the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Add pork and toss to coat. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag, remove the air and let marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 4-1/2 hours.

2. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the rice wine vinegar, mirin and mint; mix until sugar dissolves. Add cucumber and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, blend mayonnaise with the remaining 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Let sit for 5 minutes.

4. In medium-size saute pan or on hot grill, cook meat to medium-rare, until it registers 145° on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate or platter.

5. Drizzle olive oil on rolls and brown lightly on grill or under broiler, about 2 minutes. Spread mayo onto each roll, dividing evenly. Place pork in roll, top with marinated cucumbers, lettuce and cilantro. Slice in half and serve.

Roasted Huevos Rancheros

This was my breakfast yesterday --- kind of a "clean out the frig" type meal.

For the scramble:
cubed ham (cook in oil & butter before adding eggs)
6 eggs & milk or cream, scramble & season with "Slap Ya Mama"
shredded mozzarella and cheddar
roasted red peppers
chopped Kalamata olives

Serve on:
6 corn tortillas - fried crisp

Top each with a dollop of:
sour cream or Greek yogurt
fire roasted salsa

Egg Fu Yong

6 eggs
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
¼ cup green onion (minced)
¼ cup bamboo shoots (minced)
4 water chestnuts (minced)
¼ cup slivered ham
1 teaspoon soy sauce
oil (for cooking)

Foo Yung Sauce -
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

New Year's Dumpling Delight

These are a family favorite. With all of us putting them together, it doesn't take overly long and it is a fun time for family conversation. From "Cooking Light".

CHILIGARLIC
DIPPING SAUCE:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
1 hot red chile, minced

DUMPLINGS:
10 ounce ground pork
3 1/2 cups shredded Napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)
3/4 cup minced green onion
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine) or sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
40 won ton wrappers
2 large carrots, thinly sliced

Preparation
To prepare dipping sauce, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. To prepare dumplings, combine pork and next 10 ingredients (pork through black pepper) in a large bowl.

Working with 1 won ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon about 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on carrot slices (cover loosely with a damp towel to keep them from drying). Arrange half of dumplings in a single layer in a bamboo or vegetable steamer. Steam dumplings, covered, for 10
minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; place on a platter. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings. Serve with dipping sauce. Note: If you don't have a steamer, use a heat proof plate. Set it on top of a heatproof bowl placed in the bottom of a pot filled with 2 inches of water. Cover and steam.

The easiest bar cookies EVER!!!!

These taste kind of like Almond Joy bars. I melted the butter in the glass baking pan and then sprinkled the crumbs over the top and it worked fine. No mixing bowl so one less dish to wash! This is what my version of the recipe said. Also, my recipe called for 1 cup of choc. chips not 2 c. and they were WAY sweet enough. Cut these bars into small pieces - they are rich. Vary the type of candy chips, nuts and cookie crumbs to change the taste.


Magic Bar Cookies

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan. Pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Nilla Wafers Tiramisu Bowl

Ingredients

* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 3 cups cold milk
* 2 pkgs. 6 7/8 ounces Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
* 8 ounces Cool Whip, divided
* 48 vanilla wafers
* 1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled and divided
* 2 baking chocolate squares, grated
* 1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions

1.Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy.
2.Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mixes and mix well.
3.Stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping.
4.Place 24 of the wafers in a 2 1/2 quart bowl, and drizzle with half of the coffee.
5.Top with half each of the pudding mixture and chocolate. Repeat all layers.
6.Top with remaining whipped topping and fruit.
7.Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

**To easily grate chocolate, microwave unopened squares, one at a time, on high for ten seconds. Grate with large holes of a cheese shredder.

from east to west - fall '08

The fall '08 issue of from east to west: bicoastal verse (a free quarterly poetry journal) is packed full with 44 full color pages of featured poets, Patrick Carrington & Constance Pavliska, artists & photographers, Scott Davis, Constance Pavliska, Dave Wade & more, "time" poets, Brion Berkshire, Geraldine Cannon, Wendy Howe, Jim Knowles, Doug Knowlton, Ken Markee, Alice Persons, & Patricia Smith Ranzoni, and our "Best of the Net" nominations, Courtney Campbell, Laurel Dodge, Helmuth Filipowitsch, Gil Helmick, David Moreau, & Barton Smock.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

I made this at one of Ronda's get togethers one year-- raspberries, pork, greens, raspberry vinaigrette & easy! yum... Nicole asked for the recipe. I'd posted it before so click here for the recipe.

Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad

LHS Potluck, Friday 10/24.

From Cooking Light:

6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* Cooking spray
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 large ears)
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
* 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
* 1 cup diced red bell pepper
* 3/4 cup diced red onion
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
* 1 (19-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add corn; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Combine juice and next 4 ingredients (lime juice through salt), stirring with a whisk. Combine corn mixture, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients. Drizzle juice mixture over corn mixture, and toss gently to coat.

Beet-and-Lentil Salad on Cabbage Slaw

From Cooking Light


Beets may seem wintry, but in fact they're likely to be freshest in summer. Look for golden beets or Chioggia beets (a variety with red and white concentric circles) to add cheery color to this salad. But red beets work fine, too.


Pickled onion:
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Salad:
2 pounds small golden, Chioggia, or red beets
1 cup dried green or brown lentils
1/4 cup finely diced carrot
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Slaw:
7 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

To prepare pickled onion, combine onion and vinegar in a bowl. Let stand 30 minutes; drain.

To prepare dressing, combine oil and next 8 ingredients (oil through minced garlic), stirring with a whisk.

To prepare salad, leave root and 1 inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain; cool. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beets into 1/2-inch cubes; place in a large bowl. Set aside. Place lentils, carrot, 2 garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Discard garlic cloves and bay leaf. Add lentil mixture, pickled onion, dressing, 1/3 cup parsley, capers, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to beets. Set aside.

To prepare slaw, toss cabbage with red wine vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Divide slaw evenly among 4 plates; top with salad. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups slaw and about 1 cup salad)

Sliders with Shallot-Dijon Relish

From Cooking Light - I add cheese to the burgers.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons butter, softened
8 (1-ounce) Parker House rolls
16 dill pickle chips

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and sirloin. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Lightly coat both sides of patties with cooking spray. Place patties on grill rack; grill for 3 minutes on each side or until done.

3. Combine shallots, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and butter in a small bowl, stirring well. Cut rolls in half horizontally. Spread shallot mixture evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer 1 patty and 2 pickle chips on bottom half of each roll; top with top halves of rolls.


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slider)

Layered Tortellini Pesto Chicken Salad

Cook 9 oz package of refrigerated cheese tortellini. Add a cup of peas during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Layer:

5 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 1/2 c. matchstick carrots
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken
tortellini and peas mixture (see above)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

Dressing:

1/2 c. light mayo
1/2 c. basil pesto
1/4 c. buttermilk

Top with fresh, chopped parsley or basil leaves. This is also good without the chicken if you'd like a vegetarian salad.

Caribbean Shrimp Spread

Mix: 1/2 t. Caribbean jerk seasoning or to taste into 8 oz whipped cream cheese.

Spread on plate and sprinkle with:

1/2 lb chopped shrimp
4 chopped green onions
2 T chopped red bell pepper
1/4 t. grated lime peel
2 T. shredded cheddar

Serve with crackers or crostini.

from east to west - summer '08

In the summer '08 issue of "from east to west:bicoastal verse", enjoy featured poets Helm Filipowitsch & David Moreau, featured artists Don Schaeffer & Linda Sienkiewicz, and our "grafitti" poets and photographers James Lineberger, Jim Knowles, Pris Campbell, Jim Deuchars, Gil Helmick, Courtney Campbell, Linda Sienkiewicz, Ray Sweatman, Jacob Robinson and more.

Hot-and-Sour Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

From Sunset. Better than Thai food from a restaurant...

Ingredients

1 beef flank steak (about 1 lb.)
8 ounces dried thin rice noodles
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar (2 tablespoons if using soy sauce)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 to 4 teaspoons minced fresh serrano chiles
2 quarts salad greens (5 oz.), rinsed and crisped
1 cup cherry tomatoes (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, and halved
1/2 cup thinly slivered red onion, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed
Preparation
1. Rinse steak and pat dry. Lay on a grill 4 to 6 inches above a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook steak, turning once, until browned on the outside but still pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 9 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to a board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water to a boil; add noodles and stir occasionally until barely tender to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water until cool, and drain again thoroughly.

3. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup (1/4 cup if substituting soy sauce for fish sauce) water, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic. Add chiles to taste.

4. Thinly slice meat across the grain at a 45° angle, then cut the slices into 3- to 4-inch lengths. On each of four dinner plates, layer equal portions of salad greens, noodles, tomatoes, onion, mint, and cilantro.

5. Top salads with slices of beef. Spoon half the dressing over salads; serve remaining to add to taste.

Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto

Cooking Light again! I LOVED this. Craig, the meat-eater, maybe thought it was a girly pizza??? The lemon and arugula on top was lovely...

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 tablespoons commercial pesto
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups arugula leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Position oven rack to lowest setting. Preheat oven to 500°

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll dough onto prepared baking sheet, and pat into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread the pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over pesto. Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack; bake at 500° for 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven.

Coarsely chop artichokes. Arrange artichokes on pizza; top with sliced prosciutto. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Return pizza to the bottom oven rack; bake an additional 6 minutes or until crust is browned.

Place arugula in a bowl. Drizzle juice over arugula; toss gently. Top the pizza with arugula mixture. Cut the pizza into 4 (7 x 5-inch) rectangles; cut each rectangle diagonally into 2 wedges.

Almond Salsa Verde

This recipe is from Cooking Light and goes with spiedini of chicken and zucchini (which is basically just chicken and zucchini grilled on skewers), but I think this can go on grilled vegies and rice just as well. I love the combo of salty capers and zesty lemon - very fresh!

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Maine Speaks

My newest book purchase is a copy of Maine Speaks: An Anthology of Maine Literature, editor Jeff Fischer. This book is no longer in print, but it should be. It is a wonderful compilation of essays and poems about Maine, written by authors who have lived in Maine at some time during their lives. It is divided into 5 sections: Identity, Origins,Work, Nature, and Communities. I have decided to read it section by section, cover to cover, with a bit of skipping around thrown in for good measure .

My All-time Favorite Excerpt from Maine Speaks:

Lakes and Ponds: Some Blue Spots on the Maine Highway Map, by Kate Barnes

There's Blunder Pond and Bluffer Pond, Molasses Pond and Bean;

There's Scraggly Lake and Ragged Lake; there's Silver, Clear, and Green;

Bear Pond, Caribou, Beaver, Mink; Moose Pond and Eagle Lake.

White Horse Lake and Spider Lake; Panther Pond and Snake;

Hound and Otter, Togue and Salmon; Loon, and Swan, and Duck.

There's Hot Brook Lake and Cold Stream Pond; there's White Pond and there's Black;

Lobster Lake and Bean Pot Lake; Shin Pond for a stew;

(Toddy Pond will make you cheerful, Brandy Pond will too,)

Hay Lake, Harrow Lake, Chain of Ponds; Buttermilk and Mud;

White Oak, Cedar, Seven Tree, Elm; Mill Pond, Meadow, Flood;

Meddybemps and Pocomoonshine; Simsquish, Skitacook,

Syslodobsis, Nahinakanta; Ugh Lake and Ticook;

Indian Pond and Soldier Pond; Polly Pond and Jim;

Round Pond, Square Lake, Corner Pond; Cut Lake and Old Stream;

Endless Lake and Desolation; St. Froid in the snow;

Flying Pond and The Enchanted, its haunted stream below:-

Blue spots on the road map with their blue names printed by,

Many words for "water", many eyes that see the sky.