A lover’s kiss

                             A lover’s kiss

Come lie beside me softly, and share a lover’s kiss

And while passing not a word, absorb ourselves in bliss

Wind your arms around me love, cast off the cares within

For surely from the core of heaven comes this warmth again.

There is no struggle in our world, the private world we share

It comforts every longing with us lying there.

Just as the moon arises to replace the setting sun

A single kiss can light our way and sorrows overrun.

And oh the strength of touching, how it overcomes our need

As wistful as the willow, the lightness of a breeze.

So cling to me and pass the night just as I cling to you

Allow the strength and joy to flow, and our love renew.

                             ---William Stroud

Stroud’s Middle Eastern Damn Sure Better Like It Vegetable Stew

Stroud’s Middle Eastern Damn Sure Better Like It Vegetable Stew

And by middle eastern, I’m talking about the middle part of the eastern United States of bygod America!

But, I must warn you, especially those timid folk who live and die by teaspoon and cup measurements, while I give you the recipe in detail, I really use the TLAR method….That Looks About Right.

And I also admonish those picky eaters who tell the world what they will and will not eat….well, you know who you are and why I find you tiresome.

But enough idle banter that causes all but my faithful readers to shudder.

I’ve found with a very short prep time and only mildly longer cooking time, that a delicious 30 minute, exquisite meal is possible.  So put down that cell phone, forget about ordering take-away and let’s get cookin’!

Stroud’s Vegetable Stew (And Accompanying Salad)

Canola or any other neutral oil, a few splashes in a heated stew pot w/lid

A medium sized sweet onion, halved and sliced thinly

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

3 small zucchinis, sliced 

2 yellow squash sliced

4 small carrots sliced

A palm full of dried cranberries (adds color and flavor)

Juice of one small lime

4 cups vegetable broth (I used four cups of water and 3 cubes of dried broth)

1 heaping teaspoon of ground cinnamon, cumin, coriander or more to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste (I used a good shake or two)

Salt and pepper

Grated cheese for dressing the stew

Put all the sliced vegetables in the hot oil and stir until they just begin to wilt.  Don’t let them brown.

Add the vegetable broth and seasonings.

Toss in the Cranberries.

Cover the pot and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Serve in bowls and sprinkle with grated cheese.  I used a Mexican white cheese, but take the initiative and add any cheese you want!  Don’t be shy!  You can do it!

That’s it for the stew.  Now let’s make the very simple Tomato-Avocado Salad.

Chop a tomato or two, removing the seeds.

Peel and chop an avocado – I added ‘peel’ for my few faithful readers who frequently put on their shoes and then their socks.

Add to the chopped tomatoes an avocado: a few shakes of Herbs de Provence, a tablespoon or more of sesame oil, and olive oil, and a few shakes of salt and pepper.  Squeeze on a half a lime.  Sprinkle on roasted sesame seeds. (Already roasted available at Asian markets.)

Congratulations!  You have created a masterpiece of a meal.  The only finishing touch you need is a snifter of brandy, as you sit back and pat your stomach.

Stroud’s Middle Eastern Damn Sure Better Like It Vegetable Stew!

Amelia Island: 2020 Quilts by the Sea

Amelia Island: 2020 Quilts by the Sea

To tell the truth (as I almost always do), I was not familiar with quilting, other than memories of my grandmother’s threadbare and faded coverings that warmed me in the chill mornings on the farm, with snow so deep the horses had to be lifted by elevator to the hayloft and even we tiny children drank Jim Beam for breakfast to keep our blood from freezing.

No, that’s not true.  It was Johnny Walker.

But, of course quilting goes back even farther than my ancient memories.  As my young sons would ask, “Geez, Dad, back before cell phones?”

Yes.  Matter of fact, quilting can be traced back (by those even older than I) to Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs, and in the U.S. back to the Pilgrims, which we all know was even before video games.

As you might guess, quilting began as a necessity for bedding and warmth.  Simply put, quilting is hand-stitched patches of ragged cloth, with padding in between.  

In modern times, quilts are mostly machine made, but that doesn’t mean the old customs and crafts have passed on to the great beyond.  In fact, quilting is quite popular today, but gone are the ragged pieces of cloth.  Quilting has become a vibrant art form, the realm of super talented (and very patient) people, whose art has taken flight to ridiculous heights of ingenuity, design, color and construction.

At this year’s 2020 Quilts By the Sea, sponsored by the Amelia Island Quilt Guild, I saw stitched fabrics that rival, in texture and technique and sheer beauty, the art hanging on the walls of the finest painting galleries.

Interested in quilting, even beginning quilting?  Here’s where to start:

http://www.aiquilters.com

But, to talk and tell is not to see!  And you need to see.  So, I will step aside and do my best to show you the wondrous world  and art of modern quilting.

Best in Show!  Wind Beneath My Wings by Janet Sebastian, JB McCrary, and quilted by Sue Daurio

My personal favorite by Mary Williams.

The artist with her masterpiece.

Another favorite:

Favorites, yes, but all the quilts were magnificent!

Angel make from a book!  Pages folded to form the skirt and wings.

Can you even imagine the needlework this took???

Even at close inspection, this cloth quilt appears to be be made from tiles!

An apron made from a shirt!

First time quilter?  Classes and conversation offered!

Moonlight Rapture

Moonlight Rapture

Bless the moon that lights our way

Through the shadows after day,

That begs us ponder where and why

Infinity high in the sky.

The myth of distance shines its light

In the speckled, starry night.

I tramp the earth, aloof, alone

And gaze above the heaven’s dome.

And wonder of the vast unknown

With the brightness on me shown.

Are we all our destiny

Racing blindly o’er the sea

Toward the bright and onward soon

In the lightness of the moon?

---William Stroud

New Orleans, Today and Yesterday

New Orleans, Today and Yesterday

Crowds at Central Grocery Co.

I must admit, today’s New Orleans is no longer the New Orleans of my misspent youth and wistful dreams.  But, memories are kind, and if the city falls short, perhaps it’s my memories that need adjustment.  Oh, the faded visions of the women who were prettier, incomparable food that changed my expectations forever, aromatic beer that washed down sea brined oysters, and starry nights that made me never want to leave!

The reality of today’s New Orleans is as sad as seeing an old lover in a nursing home.  Oh, yes, it gets worse.  Time doesn’t march on, it stomps, wearing jack boots.

The French Quarter’s sidewalks are like broken teeth, and roads have potholes big enough to bait a hook and give it a try.  Swamps and tangled jungles of millenniums past seem to be creeping forward again.

Sad, because the French and Spanish, Cajun, Creole, and African people have given New Orleans every cultural chance to rise above the muddy waters of the Mississippi, to push back against modernity.

In decades past, was the French Quarter really so crowded that I couldn’t find my feet?  I don’t remember a two-block line on Decatur Street waiting for chicory coffee and beignets at the fabled Café du Monde.  Not to worry.  These days there are several locations scattered around the city. But, it wasn’t really the coffee that called; it was an atmosphere of the clip clop of horse drawn carriages and timeless views of the wrought iron fence enclosing Jackson Square.  Café du Monde in a mall just can’t compare, beignets or not.

Could be that my expectations are just too high, or maybe I’m just too damn old to fit in.  On the streets of today’s New Orleans, the young women wear ripped jeans and dirty t-shirts, as tasteful as a smudge of dirt on a hamburger bun.  Their faces look as if makeup was applied by Stevie Wonder. Tattoos, or as I called them, body-graffiti, adorning every inch of skin, and smart dressers stand out like Tuxedoes at a beach party..

The good news is, there is still much to enjoy in New Orleans. The French Quarter still boasts of elegant restaurants and glorious street jazz.  Only a short walk away, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas offers a truly marvelous adventure in aquatic life.  I watched penguins fed by hand, and personally hand fed stingrays. Give yourself lots of time!

Another attraction not to miss is The National World War II Museum. Displays and recordings and films (Don’t miss the films!) lead you all the way through.  A friend of mine told me he spent four hours there.  I said to myself, no way, then spent four and a half hours myself and only felt as if I’d seen a portion.  All phases of one of the greatest conflicts in all of history, is right before you.  Better than any history class and a hell of a lot more fun!  Visit this fabulous museum!

B-24 Liberator 

A mockup of the D-Day Invasion at Normandy, France, June 6, 1944

So, how did the city get it’s name and what’s all this Frenchy stuff?  Only time for a thumbnail sketch. 

The French arrived in 1682, and Nouvelle Orléans was founded by Jean Baptist Le Moyne is 1718.  In 1763, the Spanish took possession. 1800, France reacquired the city and the Louisiana territory.  Then in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the entire territory for 15 million dollars, which was about 3 cents an acre, and almost doubled the size of the United States.  And by the way, Orléans is still a city in France!

So now my pagan readers are tired of rich history and ripped jeans culture. “How ‘bout them damn restaurants? I don’t go to Nawlins for no damn museums!  And I flunked historeeee three times.”

Ah, I detect proud members of the drinking class.  So, I’ll heed your plea and mention some restaurants.

Antoine’s:  A noble restaurant, visited by royalty and celebrities for ages.  Exciting to soak in the elegant atmosphere and be served by waiters in black suits and white shirts, but for the exorbitant prices you pay, you can find better chow, if not better ambience.  Ask a waiter to show you around and impart some thrilling tales of Antoine’s glory days.

Red Slipper:  A small chain, with outlets around the city.  A wonderful breakfast with a variety of eggs Benedict and don’t forget to try the award winning Bacon Bloody Mary.

Gianna:  An Italian restaurant owned by the wonderful butcher shop, Cochon.   Best food of any variety I had on this visit to New Orleans.  Gianna features northern Italian Cuisine, meaning very fresh pasta with cream sauces rather than the red sauces from the south of Italy. Wines are superb and the bar will satisfy your every alcoholic dream.

It’s easy to give up on this interesting old city, but adjust your view and spread your wings.  Enjoy the French Quarter and street jazz, but don’t stop there.  There’s a new New Orleans that has much to offer.