Archive for 2009
Love Thursday: The Loveshroom Fest
Our love of ‘shrooms is one of the reasons we don’t really mind the rain here, since just after a good soaking, it’s time to enjoy the funghi . . . one might call it our Loveshroom Fest.
Read on...
Remembering Corporal Pat Tillman: Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
Today would’ve been Corporal Pat Tillman’s 33rd birthday.
Tillman was an American professional football player who gave up his own freedom (and millions of dollars) to serve with the United States Army Rangers after 9/11 during the so-called “War on Terror.”
Tillman’s journals show that he quickly became disillusioned with the presence of the U.S. military in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but even when offered a discharge before his time was up–after a tour of duty in Iraq–Tillman refused, and was sent to Afghanistan.
He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April of 2004, but from the moment of Tillman’s demise, circumstances surrounding his death have been debated, to say the least. The government initially told the world (including Tillman’s family) that Tillman died a hero, protecting his men from enemy fire; it turns out that, actually, everyone on the ground knew the truth immediately: Tillman had been shot by one of his fellow platoon members–and yet General McChrystal pushed through paperwork to get Tillman awarded a Silver Star, which isn’t given in fratricide situations.
Here is the heartwrenching testimony of Cpl. Tillman’s brother Kevin, who served beside him with the Rangers, in front of the 2007 Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in a hearing entitled “Misleading Information from the Battlefield”:
And here’s an interview by Jim Rome with Mary Tillman, Pat and Kevin’s mother, talking more about the cover up after her son’s death:
There is also a fabulous new book about Pat Tillman’s life and death called Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer; I first heard about the book during Krakauer’s interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show–and ordered it from The Book Depository the next day.
It is an amazing, highly emotional, highly recommended book.
Much of the information in the book comes directly from Tillman’s handwritten journals, which show him to be a smart, sensitive, driven man with a great love for his friends, his family, and above all, his beloved wife. It also demonstrates how disgusted Tillman would be with how his death was used by the government to ramp up support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tillman’s family has created the Pat Tillman Foundation “to carry forward Pat’s legacy of leadership and civic action by supporting future generations of leaders who embody the American tradition of citizen service.” The Foundation provides scholarships, programs, and resources for students to develop leadership skills; it also holds an annual Pat’s Run, “a 4.2 mile run/walk around Arizona State with a finish on the 42-yard line of Sun Devil Stadium (#42 was Pat’s number while a Sun Devil).”
Rest in peace, Pat Tillman, and all of our fallen.
**Edited one year later to add a video of Bill Maher’s interview with Pat’s brother Richard, who stars in The Tillman Story about Pat’s life and death.
La Bella Lingua/Celebrate Italian Heritage Contest
Remember when we talked about Dianne Hales’ book, La Bella Lingua? Well here is your chance to win another copy–plus four other Italian-themed books from Random House through the:Celebrate Italian Heritage Contest
From the contest page:
October is Italian Heritage Month so Living Language and Broadway Books are pleased to provide five lucky winners with an all-about-Italian prize package, valued at $115.79.
Each prize package will include the following:
• (1) signed hardcover copy of La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales
• (1) Living Language Complete Italian: The Basics package
• (1) Living Language Baby’s First Words in Italian package
• (1) Living Language 2000+ Essential Italian Verbs with CD-ROM
• (1) Fodor’s Italy 2010
The contest runs until November 7. The email addresses go straight to a computer in Random House’s vault and will not be used for any solicitations. The contest is limited to people with mailing addresses in the U.S and Canada.
Read more at the contest page, and hurry!
Viva l’italiano!
This Halloween, May All Your Cauldrons Be Boiling
Read more about what happens (or, actually, what doesn’t happen) for Halloween in Calabria over at Cherrye‘s My Bella Vita.
Buon weekend!
Mediterranean Cooking on a Budget
This isn’t a traditional What’s Cooking Wednesday post. In fact, it’s not even written by me (welcome dear Heather of Yummi Sushi Pajamas!), but it’s full of great information–and TWO recipes–for those trying to eat healthier and save money. Pretty much all of us, I imagine?
But before we get to Heather, in other food news:
I wanted to let you know that Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy and I, as co-hosts of World Nutella Day, (yes, it’s coming faster than you realize!) are holding a contest and giving away some Nutella!
All you have to do is tell us about your first time. Eating Nutella, of course. Get the deets, enter over at the World Nutella Day Facebook Fan Page–coming up on 1800 fans!–and why not become a fan while you’re there?
OK, take it away Heather!
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I am so excited to be guest posting on Bleeding Espresso! Here I am to talk about Mediterranean cooking on a budget.
I’ve been lucky enough to make three separate trips to the Mediterranean. Every time I come home, I look around and wonder how I can bring something of the Mediterranean lifestyle into my American living. It’s not an easy thing to do since in a lot of ways the culture couldn’t be more different, but there are some things I’ve been able to manage.
For me, food was the easiest change to make. Mediterranean meals are based on fresh, local ingredients with smaller portions of meat, healthy fats, and lots of veggies. I loved the food when I was there, and I knew I could find ways to work it into my cooking. Following the Mediterranean diet (whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins in small amounts, and tons of produce) helped me lose six pounds without ever having to measure a serving or count a calorie.
The problem came when the economy took a downturn and I changed my shopping style. Instead of shopping from a preplanned list, I’ve started clipping coupons and shopping sales. It saves us a lot of money, but makes it tough to purchase particular items for specific recipes. Saving money meant changing the way I thought about incorporating the Mediterranean mindset.
Instead of searching for Italian or Greek inspired recipes, I’ve started shopping at local farmers markets. I spend a lot of time putting together recipes from whatever I’ve got in the pantry (lots of canned fruits, veggies, and beans) and whatever produce I am able to grab from the local stands. I am trying to embrace the fact that it’s not olives, capers, or lamb that make a meal Mediterranean. I am learning to embrace the Mediterranean mindset of using what’s fresh and local instead of trying to incorporate specific ingredients.
Last week’s attempt resulted in two extremely good dinners made from local ingredients and pantry leftovers. My first experiment was born from the need to use up two pounds of plums before they rotted. I peeled and pitted all of the plums, then put them in a skillet with:
- A clove of minced garlic
- 1 ¾ cups of sugar
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
I boiled it all down, using a spoon to crush the plums a bit better, and waited for it to reduce. It took maybe a half hour total. I used the sauce to top some cooked chopped chicken I had in the freezer, and put it all over some ziti. It turned out really well, and went great with a simple side of sautéed zucchini.
Experiment two was even more adventurous. I sautéed the rest of the zucchini in a little bit of olive oil and garlic. I boiled some penne pasta while the zucchini cooked. After I took the zucchini out of the pan, I tossed in a little more olive oil and a can of sardines I’ve had sitting around forever. The sardines (I chopped them first) cooked down nicely until they were just crisp salty bits, and I tossed in some bread crumbs to soak up the leftover oil. Once that was all done, I tossed the zucchini and pasta into the pan just so it could all warm up together. It was really good and so easy!
Now I feel confident that I can get whatever is fresh at the farmers market every weekend and just make it work with what I’ve got at home. I try to keep some basics like olive oil, lemon juice and capers on hand, and just toss in whatever else I have. It takes some courage, and lots of experimentation, but eventually you’ll find your own style using things you can get inexpensively and creating quick, easy meals that are reasonably healthy.
I know these ideas don’t compare to the amazing recipes featured here on Bleeding Espresso [so NOT true, Heather!], but they’ve been a hit at my house!
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Heather Hurd is a freelance writer and blogger. She writes about food and wine for Examiner.com and blogs at Yummy Sushi Pajamas about raising a family and enjoying the good things in life.
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They sound delicious!
How have you been saving money on food lately?
Do you enjoy the Mediterranean Diet?
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
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