The "Cats" Part - or Why I Haven't Posted in Almost 2 Months

The week before Thanksgiving, my beautiful and fiesty 12-year old tabby cat, Phoebe, yowled in pain and was taken to the vet, presumably with some sort of UTI. After a week of blood work and antibiotics, we discovered that she had Chronic Renal Failure (or CRF). This is a common killer of kitties and we were heartbroken. We hospitalized her for IV fluid treatment and she didn't respond well. Phoebe quit eating and her blood tests weren't showing improvement after the initial downtrend. We took her home, presumably just to give her a little bit of good time at home before it was her time to leave us forever. After a few hours, it became clear she was miserable and we took her to the emergency vet thinking she would be put to sleep. Fortunately for all of us, the emergency vet was wonderfully supportive and we ended up giving her some fluids and anti-nausea drugs and taking her back home. She perked up overnight and even ate a little bit. We have since then been on a mission to find a treatment pattern to help her. She is on Sub-Q fluids three times a week and is eating normally and living a typical kitty life, with the exception of the fluids. She is a CRF cat and that isn't going to go away, but we for the moment are all in a good spot and I'm very grateful for that. Phoebe is an amazing little kitty and I'm so happy she is still with us.

Quick and Spicy Pasta

I should preface that this recipe was done by mistake. I meant to make a simple tomato sauce of frozen tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning mix. I grabbed the wrong spice jar and made an altogether different sauce which my perennial dining companion and I agreed was quite tasty. The Hot Habenero Blend used in this recipe can be found at http://www.beyondtheshaker.com/products/Hot-Habanero-Blend.html.

I use a bag of frozen tomatoes in the recipe. From late summer until the local tomatoes end in the fall, I buy 12-20 a week, blanch them to remove the skins, then cook them (a little more than a simmer) in a big heavy pot without a lid for a couple hours to reduce the liquid. I let them cool, then freeze them in quart-sized freezer bags. I don't add salt or seasoning so I have a lot of flexibility when I add them to my recipe. The flavor is excellent. If you don't have the quart of frozen tomatoes use two 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes instead. In my house, this recipe serves 2 with leftovers for 1 for lunch the next day.

1 quart-sized bag of frozen tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fleur de sel or other salt of your choice
1 tbsp Hot Habanero Blend salt
1/2 pound spaghettini (or pasta of your choice)
freshly ground parmesan cheese, optional

Thaw the tomatoes (can be done right in the saucepan over low heat). Add the tomato paste and spices. Bring to a boil for a few seconds then reduce heat and simmer for about 1/2 an hour.

Prepare your spaghettini to package instructions. Toss spaghettini with a little bit of the sauce, then top with more sauce and cheese for serving.

Joe Pug at The Ark

I realized Friday night at the Ark that I have seen Joe Pug perform more times in one year than any other artist (twice at the Ark and once at Hill for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival). And I was just as impressed with tonight's show as when he stunned me with Hymn #101 at the Folk Festival. Joe Pug performed for an hour and a half at The Ark tonight, largely with material on his Nation of Heat cd. He had a few new songs from his upcoming release and a friend of his sat in on steel guitar for about half of the songs. He was riveting - bringing plaintive yet vibrant melodies to an enthralled audience. Joe Pug has delivered a musically excellent performance every time I've been so fortunate as to see him in concert. I love the harmonica, so similar in tone to his rich, soulful voice. I will see him every chance I get. http://www.joepugmusic.com/

Wolverine Alumni continue to make their mark on the ice

Porter and Kolarik continue to shine in San Antonio. I don't know if I'll ever forget Chad Kolarik, unable to even stand, continuing to play the puck until he could crawl off the ice two years ago at Yost. Kevin Porter (a singular player with professional polish beyond his years that last year at Michigan) got the Hobey Baker but Kolarik has the heart and soul of an athlete and I hope he does as well at the next level as he did at Michigan.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/rampage/69257667.html

eve - Day of the Dead

We had wanted to get back to eve in Ann Arbor and when we saw an upcoming event for a Day of the Dead feast, we were intrigued enough to make reservations and go blindly into what we were sure would be an amazing night of food. Little did we know how wonderful it would be. If I count correctly, 8 courses were served. Even eating a bit of each dish left me so full I doubted I would eat the next day. Amazing food and not anything run of the mill. Wonderfully smooth tequila and Dos Equis. I wish I had the printed menu to list out the dishes. Tamales and tostadas and short ribs and beans and some sort of to-die-for mole sauce. We weren't disappointed and it was a great chance to talk with a group of food-loving people all gathered to enjoy the feast. Visit eve soon:

http://www.evetherestaurant.com/

Tomatoes Apizza

Every once in awhile you run into food that is at the same time excellent and an old friend. This pizza is that for me. The White Pizza at Tomatoes Apizza with tomatoes, garlic and basil is divine. When my perennial dining companion and I were in our second apartment, an amazing little pizza place called Tomatoes Apizza opened up across the street and we would get pizza a few times a month, we then moved away and forgot about this pizza - our loss. Simple yet perfect, there is nothing else like their pizza. This week, we had it again for the first time in years and it tastes exactly the same and yet just as wonderful. When you think about it, how many things can you say that about? Pick some up soon: http://tomatoesapizza.com/

Matthew Perryman Jones - New Favorite Song

When it Falls Apart by Matthew Perryman Jones off the Swallow the Sea CD. Great stuff. Thank you, The Ark. Check him out - http://www.myspace.com/mpjmusic

Fall Colors, Great Breakfast, Chickens

Saturday we took a little drive to check out the last of the fall color, pick up some freezer chickens from Turk Farms in Fenton (http://turkfarms.com) to get us through the winter for chicken and made time for a fabulous breakfast at The French Laundry in downtown Fenton. I had the Flavion Vax (eggs scrambled with parmesan cheese, basil, and roasted tomatoes with roasted potatoes and a slice of tremendous whole grain toast). I could have eaten a whole plate of the roasted tomatoes. My perennial dining companion had the Norma and Floyd's which was corn beef hash and eggs over easy. Wonderful food, service and atmosphere. If it were closer, we would eat there frequently. Good friends live in Fenton and we often get carryout from The French Laundry while visiting. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. http://www.lunchandbeyond.com

Great Music at the Ark in October

We saw three acts at the Ark in Ann Arbor this October. The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ingrid Michaelson and the warmup act for Ingrid Michaelson, Matthew Perryman Jones.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops are amazing. We saw them at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival last winter and were charmed and impressed. Charmed is the word I keep using with this band. The band IS charming and engaging and remarkably talented, playing a variety of instruments with tremendous fluency and acumen. We fell in love and you will too. They are a must see whenever nearby:

http://www.carolinachocolatedrops.com/

Then, we saw Ingrid Michaelson for a midweek show (preceded by a 2 Hearted Ale and tempeh burger at the Old Town Tavern on Liberty - YUM! http://www.oldtownaa.com/ - happy hour prices on Bell's on tap from 4-6). Ingrid Michaelson was more than entertaining. The music was excellent, the band tight and obvious closely knit, the show sold out. But Michaelson herself was terrifically funny and original. My perennial dining companion was actually crying from laughter at one of her interludes and at one point one of Ingrid Michaelson's band members couldn't start a song because she was laughing too hard. Good stuff.

http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/

The most anticipated part of seeing a show at the Ark is the warm up act. For truly singular acts like the Carolina Chocolate Drops, there may be no warm up band. But for most of the shows, look out! You may find yourself at a concert looking forward to seeing the headliner and walk out 25 dollars lighter in the pocket but 2 CDs richer in music by the warm up band as we did tonight. Matthew Perryman Jones (http://www.myspace.com/mpjmusic) hooked us almost instantly with the catchy singer/strummy guitar fare I so enjoy. Check him out if you can.

Hockey

Our season tickets arrived this week for UofM hockey showed up in the mail this week - I am so excited! Between Michigan's hockey games and playing hockey Fridays myself in Ann Arbor, I should be watching and playing hockey just about every weekend in my favorite city. Good stuff.

Mike Farris at the Ark

I was expecting to like this band. Funky gospel revival style music with a full band and backup singers. I wasn't expecting to be dancing in the aisle at The Ark unable to sit still. Even more remarkable, my perennial dining companion was up dancing with me. Previously, the closest I'd come to dancing at the Ark was to a Joe Pug cover of Warren Zevon last winter (When Johnny strikes up the band) . Mike Farris and the Roseland Rythym Revue. All I can say is WOW! You are missing out if they come to your town and you don't see them. Their home base gives me another reason to visit one of my favorite cities, Nashville, TN.

http://www.mikefarrismusic.net/

New Cool Song

BellX1 - The Great Defector. Love It.

The MBA Widowhood Diet

With my perennial dining companion at Michigan State doing his first MBA residency week in East Lansing and with a refrigerator overflowing with summer squash coupled with a hectic work week, lots of sports to play, and extra household chores to attend to, I tried to decide a strategy to efficiently cook healthy, tasty snacks for myself using up the produce at hand. Feline preferences not withstanding, I resorted to vegetarian fare - and came up with a nifty little recipe. The results can be used in several different ways (I would have the Quesadilla one night and the pasta for lunch the next day).

1 medium summer squash - sliced thin (ovals cut into halves or quarters if too big)
1 medium zucchini - sliced thin (ovals cut into halves or quarters if too big)
1 onion diced medium
2-3 jalapenos, diced (seeds removed on preference)
3-4 mushrooms sliced thin
Garlic Powder
2 tsp Cumin
Olive Oil
1 can black beans rinsed/drained

Heat approximately 2 TBSP olive oil in large skillet

Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes. Add remaining veggies, season with garlic powder to taste and cumin, and saute until soft but not mushy about 10 more minutes over low heat. Add black beans and saute 2-3 more minutes until heated through.

Serve 1 of 3 ways:

Pasta:

Toss 2 cups of mixture with 2 cups whole grain fusilli pasta cooked as per package directions (optionally top with grated parmesan cheese).

Quesadilla:

Spoon about 1/2 -3/4 cup of mixture into flour tortilla, add a small amount of shredded jack cheese and fold over in half. Heat in a preheated Forman Grill for 5 minutes. (serve with optional salsa and sour cream).

Plain:

Terrific as a stand-alone dish.

Hockey - The Best Sport Ever

How do you define an addiction? I suppose we could talk about coffee. I can't function without it in the morning. But I've reached new levels with my love for hockey and it manifested itself during a rainy August Saturday. I played drop in hockey last night. I will play drop in hockey tomorrow morning at the same rink. But today, I was sad because there was no hockey. Due in part to the torrents of rain that kept me indoors most of day? Perhaps. But I even spent 2 hours this afternoon watching a replay on some college sports station of last year's GLI championship (and I already knew the outcome) with Michigan beating Michigan State 5-1.

After tomorrow's hockey, there will be no hockey for me until Wednesday. Maybe I will take my stick out and practice shooting in the driveway....

Granola is Easy - The No Excuses Recipe

I could give you all of the ecological and cost-saving reasons for making your own granola, but let's face it, unless it tastes good it would not matter. Here's a tasty granola recipe with natural ingredients that's easy to make. It takes prep of 5 minutes and stores in a sealed container in a cool, dry place for 10-14 days. Preheat your oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with foil, then spray with non-stick cooking spray. This recipe is flexible so you can tailor it to your preferences.

2 cups Quaker Oats (not quick cooking or instant)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (or chopped walnuts or pecans)
1/3 cup raisins (or dried cranberries or cherries)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2-3 tbsp flaxseed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey

Mix the oats, almonds, raisins, sunflower seeds and flaxseed into a large mixing bowl. Microwave the oil and honey 30 seconds and then stir into the oat mixture until well distributed. Spread over the foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool when done and then break into pieces and store in an air tight container. I like to mix some granola into my yogurt for breakfast.

Note: When you bake the granola, the raisins get chewy like in oatmeal cookies. If you prefer the granola with raisins that are less chewy, just add them when storing the granola in the container instead of before baking.

Creativity and the abundance of summer squash and zucchini

I remember giggling while reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver's tale of moving back to the farm and trying to either raise/grow her family's food or buy it locally) and reading of families locking their doors against furtive, unwanted gifts of zucchini being received from neighbors whose harvests did a little too well. I have a new understanding of this phenomenon, having received quite a few summer squashes in our CSA boxes within the last two weeks. While I will undoubtably end up making zucchini bread, I have been trying to find other ways to use these vegetables. Here's my latest attempt:

Summer Squash Pasta

1 cup whole grain fusilli pasta
1 -2 cups zucchini, washed, and cut in half and then into thin semi-circles
1 -2 cups summer squash, washed, and cut in half and then into thin semi-circles
1 cup pea pods, washed and ends removed
1 cup Great Northern Beans, rinsed
Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional) for serving
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste

Cook the pasta per the package directions

Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet or saute pan

Saute zucchini and summer squash 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add peas (I like to use the thinner ones as pea pods and have the fatter ones be shelled peas) and saute 1-2 more minutes

Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Add great northern beans and heat through

Toss with Pasta. Add a little more olive oil if the dish is too dry. Add optional parmesan and serve. Feeds 2 people.

Wilco at the Royal Oak Music Theatre

My perennial dining companion and I went with two friends to see the Wilco concert at the Royal Oak Music Theatre last night. The show was amazing! There was no warm up band and Wilco played for 2 and 1/2 hours including two encores (totaling 7 encore songs). Great stuff. Most of the songs were from there last few albums - one that stood out that was from the AM/Being There era was I Got You (At the End of the Century) from Being There. Being There and AM were the albums I fell in love with after the break up of Uncle Tupelo but the newer songs shine and sparkle with almost a carnival background. The band is very tight and work hard on stage. I have seen them many times in different configurations but this may have been one of the best shows I've ever seen. See them in concert if you can. Visit Wilco at www.wilcoworld.net. To discover Uncle Tupelo, you may want to start here: http://www.rhapsody.com/uncle-tupelo. Some credit Uncle Tupelo for launching the "Progressive Torch and Twang" style of alternative country.

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic, Tomato and Basil

Around the middle of July, I start accumulating tomatoes. I have been pulling Early Girls off the vine and eating any way I can - these tomatoes are spectacular. A beautiful red color, they are neither too big nor too seedy and have an amazing fresh tomato taste. I could eat them for days. Which is a good thing because I have about 15 tomatoes sitting in a row in my kitchen ready to be eaten. Here's a quick little recipe to use a few tomatoes and some basil to boot! One note, if you are using a tomato with more seeds than my Early Girl variety, you may want to seed the tomatoes when you take the skins off. Also, because I used angel hair pasta, I recommend getting all your ingredients together before putting the pasta in as it only takes a few minutes to cook. So get your pasta pot going with salted, boiling water before starting the sauce! Start another small pot of water boiling as well (this is for your tomatoes). This will feed 2-3 people.


1/2 pound angel hair pasta (or pasta of your choice)
4-5 tomatoes
1 clove garlic - minced (ok to mince with kosher salt)
1/3 cup basil leaves - rinsed and snipped with kitchen shears into smallish pieces
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese (optional)


With a paring knife, take the top of the core of each tomato out and cut a small cross in the base . Boil each tomato for about 1 minute and then put in a bowl of cold water. This will loosen the skin. Remove the skin and chop the tomatoes into a large dice and set aside.

Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan. Saute minced garlic for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until heated through.

Cook your angel hair pasta. Make sure to stir a few times to keep the strands separated. Drain and return to pot and mix with a few tbsp olive oil to keep the pasta a little separated. Stir in tomato mixture. Right before serving, stir in basil. Serve immediately, topped with grated parmesan if desired.

Veggie Medley - Great for using up veggies

I have a hard time not buying everything in sight at the Farmer's Market in Ann Arbor on Saturday mornings. Which means I am frequently trying to come up with tasty ways to use up lots of veggies in one dish. Here's a great summer side. You can switch it up to accommodate the veggies you have available. The proportions are suggestions. One note, cook the corn separately first if it's too early in the season for fresh corn and you have to use frozen.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1 small jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
4-5 mushrooms sliced thin
2 small zucchini, sliced thin (cut in half if the circles are too big)
1 cup corn
1 cup torn hearty green like kale
Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper


Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add peppers, onion, mushrooms and zucchini and saute until softened. Add corn and heat through. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add kale and saute for 1-2 more minutes until brighter green and slightly wilted. Serve immediately.

My new favorite song

Band - Fanfarlo, Song - Harold T. Wilkins. Thanks NPR.

Woo hoo Inge!

Brandon Inge - Detroit Tiger and All Star! Great job!

Pesto with Garlic Scapes

10 -12 garlic scapes, roughly chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
leaves from one good sized bunch basil, rinsed and spun dry
1/4 cup spinach leaves or 2-3 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts plus some for serving
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated plus some for serving

1/2 pound cavatappi pasta cooked per package directions.

Using a food processor, pulse garlic scapes until chopped. Add olive oil and continue to process. Add basil and either spinach or parsley and continue to process. Add pine nuts and cheese. Process until well blended. If you need to thin out the pesto, add a little more olive oil.

Drain pasta and toss with pesto. Top with additional pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese.

The Amazing Phoebe

Somehow, Phoebe is savvy enough to not only notice that the scratching post is no longer blocking her entry to the room with all the albums, but patient enough to try,try, try again until her little paw has opened the folding door to exactly her body width to gain access. Viva la Phoebence! Little stripedy kitties definitely get all the street smarts! Just don't tell Itty Bitty.

Farewell Hockey, Hello Baseball

A bittersweet end comes to a fabulous season for the Red Wings. How amazing to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals 2 years running - even without bringing the Cup back home to Hockeytown. Thank you Wings for the fun and for bringing sunshine to Detroit. Wait to go Ozzie! We will miss you Zetterberg and Cleary and Franzen and Datsyuk and Lidstrom and Helm and the rest of the Wings. Looking forward to next season.

And as spring gives way to summer, hockey gives way to baseball and all I have to say is:

Go Tigers!

Wings/Pens

Boy do I hope Datsyuk is back in the lineup today. He may not be scoring a lot of goals this post-season but he feeds the guys who do and his defense is tremendous. We need him to neutralize Malkin. This series should be very exciting. Go Wings!

Woo hoo Wings!

On to Pittsburgh! Datsyuk vs. Crosby round 2. Little do they know the best player in hockey is Johan Franzen. Go Wings Go!

Memorial Day Weekend 2009

We had Friday off and my perennial dining companion and I spent the morning buying perennials at the Northville Flower Sale (the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend every year - next year we bring a wagon) and then on to breakfast at Gest Omelettes in Redford on Plymouth Road. What a great way to start a long weekend! Gest Omelettes is a true gem - great food at a reasonable price, good service, and a pot of coffee left on your table to boot. We've been going to Gest a few times a year for over 15 years now and never get tired of it.

On Saturday, we ventured to Eastern Market in Detroit. All I have to say is for those of you thinking Detroit is a ghost town is We Are Not Dead Yet! Wow. Thousands of people and cars and vendors and flowers. Produce left and right. Amazing. We went to Eastern Market to avoid Flower Day in Ann Arbor. And as overwhelming with choices as Eastern Market was, I will happily and gratefully be back in Ann Arbor sometime between 8 and 9 next Saturday morning with my canvas bags picking out salad greens and asparagus spears from local farmers. Farmers whose produce I don't have to question "Where is this from" and even if I did, the person behind the table wouldn't have to check a box label before he or she could answer. I'm glad I went but I'm not sure I'll be back. But somehow with the thousands of folks in attendance, I don't think I'll be missed. This was a tremendous market and it was great to see so many people in our city shopping and eating and enjoying a beautiful day.

http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/

After the Market, we made an unplanned trip to Slow's BBQ in Corktown - my first visit. Despite my perennial dining companion having previously visited, we had to be helped in finding the door (it's past the sign to your right) to enter. I was so glad we went. The food and service were outstanding and Oberon was on tap! The other patrons were friendly, the decor modern but with a neighborhood pub feel, and retro Prince was playing for most of our visit! You couldn't beat it. After a pint of Oberon and the pulled pork (with sides of mac and cheese and green beans) I needed a nap but it was worth the time out in the weekend. We will be back and you should go. Try the apple barbecue sauce - it's out of this world.

http://www.slowsbarbq.com/

We stayed at home Saturday night and watched a dvd from Netflix of my new favorite show "Dexter". It's a Showtime production and we've been watching the first season on Netflix for a few weeks now. It's not for the faint of heart or the queasy, but it's got a great plot and terrific acting. Check it out at:

http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.do

Sunday morning I was saved from a sports-free Sunday by drop in hockey at Suburban Ice. We had a great turn out and a great skate! Sunday we visited friends for BBQ ribs and shrimp and a bonfire. My perennial dining companion had his first s'more (they don't know what they are missing out on down river) at age 42. Yum! Great way to celebrate the holiday weekend.

Perfect Asparagus Salad

Feeds 2:

Red Leaf Lettuce
10 spears asparagus
1 large green onion, sliced thin


Rinse and spin dry the lettuce leaves and divide lettuce between two bowls
Boil the asparagus until it is firm but tender and divide between the two bowls, placing on top of lettuce and then garnish each bowl with 1/2 the onion
Dressing to taste

Dressing
1 part good tasting extra virgin olive oil
1 part honey
2-3 parts dijon mustard

Shake well.

First Asparagus

A farmer at the Canton Farmers Market had asparagus today. We will evaluate tomorrow at dinner, but how exciting! First asparagus of the year!

Easter Weekend

Having a long weekend is always nice, but was especially so as we started Friday night having beers at The Old Town Tavern in Ann Arbor (Two Hearted Ale on tap - nice!) before the Ryan Montbleau concert at the Ark. I was intrigued by the food passing me by - next time we will eat as well as drink. Visit Old Town:

http://www.oldtownaa.com/

Then on to The Ark to see The Ryan Montbleau Band - they were tremendous! Great show. The warm up act was Zach Deputy and all I can say is WOW! Great stuff! We bought his cd and two from Ryan Montbleau. The Ryan Montbleau Band is tight and their songs are funky and folky all at the same time. Zach Deputy is more reggae but oh so good! Check both acts out:

http://www.ryanmontbleauband.com/

http://www.zachdeputy.com/

On another positive note, the coney dog heaven of Bill's on Michigan Avenue in Ypsi has opened for the season. YUM YUM YUM! Don't forget the root beer!

We took advantage of the long weekend to have breakfast at Angelo's in A2. As always, the raisin bread french toast is amazing, the bacon perfect and my perennial dining companion's lox eggs benedict exceptional (the hollandaise is very good). Visit Angelo's:

http://www.angelosa2.com/home.htm

The other highlight of the weekend (besides seeing the family at our house for Easter dinner) was Drop In hockey Saturday night at Suburban Ice. Awesome workout and great hockey fun!

First Weekend in April

What a great weekend! It really started on Thursday, because we bought tickets a little bit last minute to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra playing at Hill in A2. It was a great show and the conductor, David Robertson, connected well with the audience and was highly energized. I had never heard anything by the composer John Adams performed live before and the orchestra executed it tremendously.

http://www.ums.org/S_current_season/artist.asp?pageid=499

But the best part about seeing a show in Ann Arbor might be eating out before hand. At least in part to simplify parking, we visited Ashley's on campus for the first time. A plus, Bell's Two Hearted Ale on tap! My perennial dining companion had a sampler (of which I really liked the Old Speckled Hen). I ordered the Thai Chicken Quesadilla (yum, peanut sauce) which was really good and and my PDC had an excellent burger and we split some Stilton-enhanced fries. Wow. Way too much food but it was all so good! Next time we just split the fries. Ironically, we were some of the oldest folks in the establishment, but the tunes were all our high school years - Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis and the News, etc. We will be back:

http://www.ashleys.com/index.html

Friday night was my 41st birthday and we celebrated by playing racquetball at Lifetime and then grilling out bleu cheese burgers at home (topped with sauted onions and mushrooms). Good stuff! Who says you can't grill out in Michigan in early April!

Saturday we were back in Ann Arbor twice. First, to visit the Farmer's Market (greens, radishes, eggs, Empire Apples and some beets). Then, later, back to Hill Auditorium to listen to the amazing Chick Corea and John McLaughlin and crew (the awesome in their own right Christian McBride on bass, Brian Blades on drums, and Kenny Garret on saxophone) rocked the house. We didn't eat out though. I made chickpea cauliflower curry over jasmine rice (the recipe suggested basmati but I like jasmine better for something like this)....

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/fasteasyfresh/2009/05/curried_cauliflower_and_chickpea_stew

Best to Last - Music - Joe Pug

WOW! What a concert. After dinner at The Fly Trap (see the previous post) we ventured into Ann Arbor to see Joe Pug at The Ark. After seeing Joe Pug perform one song at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival this winter, we bought tickets to see him at The Ark. He brought a band with him, but still performed many songs solo with a guitar or guitar and harmonica. Amazing concert. Joe Pug is a tremendous singer songwriter (he draws comparisons to Bob Dylan). But his warm and amazingly strong voice, lyrical style, engaging smile and songwriting ability will set him apart. He performed his own songs in addition to three covers - one a standard gospel song, one by Warren Zevon, and another by Graham Parsons. I have never seen The Ark sold out before, but it was tonight and rightly so. I could listen to Hymn 101 and Speak Plainly Diana for days. The cover of Warren Zevon's Johnny Strike Up the Band had me dancing in my chair. See Joe Pug whenever you can:

http://www.joepugmusic.com/

Then Snacks

Yum! Dinner at The Fly Trap, a Finer Diner in Ferndale. Outstanding! I had something called Fire-Breathing Dragon which is grilled chicken with a chilled Lo Mein Noodle sort of a salad with basil and peanut sauce. Very tasty and a perfect kick on the heat level. My perennial dining companion had the Pho Bowl (I stole lots of vegetables). The most exciting part may have been that I was able to eat at least half my chicken with chop sticks!

Visit The Fly Trap:

http://www.theflytrapferndale.com/

First Sports

First, a sad farewell to the 2008-2009 Michigan Hockey Wolverines as they play their last game - a loss in game one of the NCAA tournament to the Air Force Falcons. Despite outshooting their opponent, the Wolverines couldn't catch a break and lost 2-0. This team was tremendous fun to watch this season and we will miss the seniors. Best of Luck to Miller, Turnbull, Sauer and the rest of the graduating class of 2009.

Great Stuff, however, by the Michigan State Spartans in their victory over Kansas to advance to the Elite 8 in the NCAA basketball tournament.

Spring Comes to the Farmers Market in A2

Every week brings more vendors and greater variety to the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market. This morning, several farmers had salad greens (at least one more than last week). Fresh eggs abounded. So did pussy willows and fresh flowers. The tamales were back another week. Perhaps most exciting were the small bundle of radishes I purchased. The first non-salad green vegetable available in months! I also picked up some fresh mushrooms for stirfry tonight. Spring is getting closer!

Pizza Sicily

We checked out a new pizza place in Canton on Ford Rd. between Lilley and Haggerty last night. Great stuff! We had the small Boss of Bosses pizza (carmelized onions, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms) and a large Italian salad. Very tasty and well done. I especially liked the touch of carmelized onions on the pizza (the mushrooms were fresh, also) and the dressing on the salad was fresh and light. We will return. I couldn't find a web presence, but here's a link to their location:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=Prk&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=pizza+sicily+canton+mi&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=2231982241493297078#

My Dad's 67th Birthday

We were a little late celebrating this year due to a snowstorm, so it was a belated celebration but well worth the wait. Tradition for our birthdays (three times a year - we combine my mother's and husband's since they are in the same month) is to visit a used record store so my father and husband can fill in their expansive record collections with 99 cent albums and then go out to eat. My parents and my perennial dining companion and I ventured into Dearborn, to visit 2 used record stores and eat at one of the best (by reputation - we had not previously visited) prime rib restaurants in southeast Michigan.

First, Stormy Records (http://www.stormyrecords.com/) where both my father and husband found a few albums, then on to Dearborn Music (http://www.dearbornmusic.com/) where thankfully we had the curfew of a dinner reservation or I can't anticipate how much lower my checking account balance would have been after my Perennial Dining Companion was through. Great stuff all around.

For dinner we went to Kiernan's, within walking distance of Dearborn Music. For the first time in our traditional birthday dinners out, we all ordered the same entree: prime rib. Differing sizes, of course. But we were all equally pleased with the atmosphere, quality of food and service, and overall experience of this restaurant. Salad and dessert were very well done as well. We will be back and you should visit. The mashed potatoes are excellent - don't miss out!

http://www.kiernans.com/kiernans.html

New Great Food!

My perennial dining companion and I went out to dinner with friends before the Umphree's McGee concert at the Royal Oak Music Theatre Thursday night and I ate perhaps the best veggie burger I've ever had. We went to the Vinsetta Grill on Woodward in Royal Oak. It's my kind of place. Clean, non-smoking, friendly bar staff, updated decor. We sat at the bar and had a beer (Blue Moon and Bass on tap) and three of the four of us built our own burger using a checklist that allowed us to choose cheese, toppings, delivery mechanism (ie type of roll/bun or salad greens) and burger composition (chicken, beef, veggie, etc). I had a veggie burger (made in house) on a whole grain roll with grilled onions, chilis, and roasted red peppers and cheddar cheese with house made buttermilk ranch dressing. Very Yummy. I would order the same thing again when we return, perhaps slightly adjusting my toppings. Very tasty. Here's a link, but it's not directly from the restaurant:

http://events.detnews.com/royal-oak-mi/venues/show/72502-vinsetta-grill

For lunch on Friday (I had the day off) we visited Zapatas in downtown Plymouth. Wow! Great Mexican food without being too heavy. The drill is to order your food at a counter, pay, and have it come out to you. We sat at a counter and looked out onto Ann Arbor Trail and had terrific food! I had chicken flautas which were served with a nice side of beans and rice (not too heavy), pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos. The flautas were nicely done, not too greasy and the shredded chicken was well flavored with a bit of a kick. Great stuff. My perennial dining companion had a tostada and was extremely pleased and surprised to find he could eat it without it breaking into pieces. We will return.

http://www.zapatas-plymouth.com/

Saturday in and about A2

Saturday morning this weekend started out and stayed soggy though warmish. But I ventured out to the Ann Arbor Farmer's market early Saturday and was rewarded with an expanded array of vendors and products. I left happy with several bags of salad greens, a small bag of Empire Apples, some cider and a loaf of bread from the Mill Pond Bakery (which made a tremendous grilled cheese sandwich later for lunch). The tamales were back, although for the first time I've seen this year as well. Sure sign of spring.

Later that day, we headed back down to Ypsilanti for an early dinner at Sidetrack. I had the macaroni and cheese and a mug of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. It's hard to admit, but I think I may like the Two Hearted Ale even better than Oberon. I'll get back to you on it though. My perennial dining companion got the Shepherd's pie and it was extremely good as well. Every time we visit, we know it's been too long since the last time. The burgers are excellent. Visit:


http://www.sidetrackbarandgrill.com/

After Sidetrack we ventured to Hill Auditorium to watch the New York Philharmonic Orchestra with Lorin Maazel directing. They performed Mendelssohn and Schumann, both excellent, but the highlight was Mussorgsky's pictures at an exhibition. Amazing music in a terrific venue.

http://www.ums.org/s_current_season/artist.asp?pageid=487

Ann Arbor Folk Festival - Friday January 30

We have been members of The Ark for years. But we have never been to the Ann Arbor Folk Festival held at Hill Auditorium every winter to benefit The Ark before. Better we discover our loss now than five years from now, but I can't believe we've missed this gem of a concert for so long.

My perennial dining companion had to work, so we missed one or two acts. The format of the show is somewhat unique. Some artists play for 15 minutes, some for a half hour. One artist (and arguably the best of the evening) only played one song. Every artist we saw left us wanting more. The crowd was energized.

Important artists to investigate:

Joe Pug! Wow. I love strummy guitar music and this is some of the best I have heard (where are you, Paul Rader?). He played one song - Hymn Number 101 which I have played many times on Rhapsody since then. We have tickets to see him at the Ark in March. Get Tickets if you still can:

http://www.theark.org/

http://www.joepugmusic.com/home.html

Another very entertaining band was the Ryan Montbleau Band. Funky and smooth, hip and groovy. Music that makes it impossible to keep your shoulders still and your feet from tapping.

Great Stuff. We will be at The Ark in April to see him:

http://www.ryanmontbleauband.com/

Perhaps my favorite band of the evening was The Old Crow Medicine Show. It's hard to describe the energetic spirit, tight musicianship, and pure stage presence this band exhibited at the festival. Plus, they pandered to the crowd, as this band from Nashville discussed "The I 94 Corridor" and other pure Michigan terms. I was impressed and you will be too:

http://www.crowmedicine.com/

The Old Crow Medicine Show had a member of another truly amazing act, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, sit in on a few songs giving us a taste for what was to come. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this band. The crowd loved them and I did too. I don't even know how to label them. Roots music. Old School. I can just say that you should try to get a ticket when they play The Ark October 2 and 3 this year. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.carolinachocolatedrops.com/


The whole reason we bought tickets to the Festival was Jeff Tweedy. I have loved his work from Uncle Tupelo to Wilco to now. While he didn't play Box Full of Letters or Pick up the Change, he played some fan favorites as well as new material. Perhaps the most amazing thing was his ironic and brilliant transformation of Ann Arbor's Iggy Pop and the Stooges "I wanna be your dog" into a folk song. The rendition was almost showing off and smug, but the crowd was impressed and I was amazed. He could have just mentioned the I 94 Corridor or the Red Wings. But, no. He had to take a punk song from a local band, turn it into a folk song, and make it 100 fold better. Way to do your homework. Tweedy has aged, and so have I, but his voice and his songs are eternal and I will go to see him every opportunity I get. He may be the greatest living singer songwriter of my generation (with apologizes to Bob Mould and Stephin Merritt).

If you haven't seen Jeff Tweedy before, you should now:

http://www.wilcoworld.net/

We will be back to the Ann Arbor Folk Festival next year, but for both nights.

Tord Gustavsen Trio

On the coldest night in the year, my perennial dining companion and I ventured into Ann Arbor to the University Musical Society's presentation of the Tord Gustavsen Trio, a three piece jazz ensemble from Norway. The show was stark and warm at the same time with soft melodies and very talented musicians. Great stuff.

http://www.tordg.no/trio/

15 Most Played Songs of 2008

1 - The Magnetic Fields - Three-Way -26

2 - Josh Pyke - Memories And Dust - 24

3 - Unrest - Isabel - 14

3 - The Zombies - Whenever You're Ready - 14

3 - Ian Hunter - Fuss About Nothin' - 14

6 - The Magnetic Fields - California Girls - 13

6 - Harry Nilsson - Rainmaker - 13

6 - Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch - 13

9 - The Flaming Lips - Turn It On - 12

10 - Whiskeytown - Drank Like a River - 11

10 - The Undertones - Teenage Kicks - 11

10 - Grant Lee Buffalo - Change Your Tune - 11

13 - Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost - 10

14 - Liz Phair - What Makes You Happy - 9

14 - Joy Division - Transmission - 9