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Savoy Cabbage, Bacon, and Mushroom Sauce (Long Cooking)
**Taken from Lidia’s Family Table / Lidia Bastianich 2004. It is the recipe cooked up for us by Serafina as mentioned in the previous post.

8 Ozs Thick-cut bacon or prosciutto ends (including fat and lean)
1 lb firm mushrooms, mixed types
2 lb head of savoy cabbage
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
7-8 cloves Garlic – larger the better
½ tsp dried peperoncino pepper flakes – or to taste
1 tsp Salt
1 cup or more, simple Vegetable Broth

Use a 14” sauté pan with high sides, or dutch oven.

Cut bacon into 1” pieces. Slice mushrooms 1/8 “ thick…should have about 6 cups. Trim off tough discolored, or loose leaves from cabbage; slice it in half or quarters, and cut out hard core. Slice cabbage into shreds about 1/3” thick; you should have nearly 4 qts.

Pour oil into pan, strew in garlic and bacon pieces. Cook over med. Heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, as bacon renders. Don’t let ingredients get too crisp or brown….. Add pepper flakes during this cooking time, toasting it in a hot spot for a minute before stirring in.

**That’s how it looks at the start. By the end, it’s simply a rich dense sauce inviting in looks, aroma……….

Pile all cabbage and mushrooms into pan; sprinkle salt all over. Stir a bit, to begin mixing vegetables w/oil, bacon, & garlic. Cover pan, turn down heat slightly, and let vegetables heat & begin to sweat for 3-4 minutes, then stir again. Cook, covered, and stir every couple minutes —it will get easier as vegetables wilt – until everything is mixed well.

Continue to cook, covered, for about an hour or so as cabbage and mushrooms continue to shrink and soften. Stir every now and then, adjusting heat so everything is sizzling and steaming but not darkening or sticking. Add ½ cup or so of broth or water to pan whenever vegetables seem too dry.

Uncover pan and cook for 45 minutes or longer, stirring frequently and moistening the sauce w/broth or water at intervals. Adjust heat to maintain the slow and steady concentration of cabbage. Taste for salt, and add more if needed. When cabbage shreds are completely soft and there’s about 1 ½ quarts of sauce in pan, remove it from heat.

Use sauce immediately if you want. Store it in refrigerator for a week or freeze for use within several months.

GOOD WITH: Penne Pasta, Gnocchi, Polenta, Risott, grilled meats.

**NOTE HERE: AS long as this cooks, most of the ingredients are rendered into a lovely sauce, yes, a bit softy-chunky, but don’t wonder if something’s wrong if you no longer see cabbage / mushrooms pieces…….. / mark

That’s part of the meal Serafina served us our first night in Alameda. I kept asking for seconds for two days.

We finally actually checked out at the Mark Hopkins, and THIS time, took what are always reasonably priced in a big city, a taxi, to BART. We boarded BART with a sad goodbye to SF, one of our favorite cities and traveled UNDER the bay….to the west Oakland station…..

With glee, we saw Serafina arriving to Pick us up! We soon were on the move to Alameda, and their fabulous 100 yr old Craftsman home where we were greeted with many licks by Abby & Glenda. I’m not sure whether they were so happy to see US, or the smells of MAC still on our clothes was the REAL draw.

A busy afternoon of talking steadily began while Serafina began the rough prep work for an Italian dish she claimed was simply fabulous………. Savoy Cabbage, Mushrooms, and Bacon Sauce w/Penne Pasta. No, not a fabulous long foreign name, but……by evening, the name no longer mattered. Serafina was right: THIS is a fabulous dish…..and classic Italian, slow cooks for hours with a few simple ingredients. **Recipe to follow after this post**

Well, it seemed that day was gone in an instant, but we were up early next morning for walking the pups along the Bayshore Parks that run so close to their home.

She and David call their local Park Employee, “Uncle Neal” . . . ..a nice guy, the dogs seem to love. This is truly one beautiful part of the San Francisco Bay not familiar to many, but rich in history. In the late 1800s, early 1900’s, many of the wealthy San Franciscans built “summer” homes (ESTATES) here since San Fran’s summers were always so foggy and cool. Alameda STILL has NOT lost that charm, feel, and attitude. It seems in much of the historic Park Street District, few tourists have ever discovered the charm found here.

Dozens of small cafe’s, restaurants, California’s OLDEST Bakery (Boniere…….luscious), and an ice cream maker, called TUCKER’s, who’s Ice Cream is made with ultra rich dairy cream, and fresh flavors…one of the finest ice creams I’ve ever tasted. It’s like being in the Tom & Jerry’s Factory would be…. AND….they give you samples of any flavor you seem attracted to.

Well, we BEGAN that day’s food-feasting with a fabulous breakfast at Ole’s Waffle House, another Alameda tradition……

Yes, it was crowded as always, but with a friendly service staff…THIS place is where to start your day.

As a treat, Serafina showed us a true GEM for old hardware store fans. We shopped at Pagano’s Hardware today…

THIS is one of the few RARE classic Hardware Places operating the same way it has for probably 60-80 years. Browsing through brings you to Odd hidden stairs, trails, merchandise hidden all over the place. We found a few treasures, left, and I couldn’t help but look at the place when we left. After we’d wandered through trails, tunnels, alleys, for 30-40 minutes I expected to see a giant building….. Whew! Fun experience.

That evening, another unique dining experience. I have never dined at a restaurant claming to serve the foods from BURMA. But the Burma Superstar was wonderful.

With its proximity to China, Thailand, Vietnam, etc….it’s foods are a rich mix of all those venues. ALL delightful.

We once again were allowed to peruse artist David’s work, and that’s always a delightful experience. I feel like I’m in an art gallery when we get to do this.

After one more morning walk, Wednesday, we HAD to leave…one day was DUE to spend w/Rodger’s Dad in Oakley, prior to our departing for the excuse for this trip, the RIPON Almond Blossom Festival at Aunt Paula’s.

What a goodbye from Alameda……we had a fabulous time. The two pups, did a good job of mourning our departure. Abby/Glenda showing off such a sad look…….they wouldn’t even come to the door to say goodbye. THANKS, David and Serafina.

After a fabulous Saturday, it was impossible to equal that Sunday. After all, Sunday became a rain day. Like Portland rain days: slow, light, gray, misty spitty rain ALL day long.

We STILL ganged up with K&B for one more afternoon of pure fun. We spend a couple hours at MOMA, then, because of the rain, chose to have Chinese Food delivered to the apartment.

THAT became an adventure in itself as we were waiting for delivery just after dark. A Power generator one block away blew out, darkening the Bay Bridge as well as US for a couple hours. So, via cell phone, the delivery guy had to be told how to find us, etc. We sat in the dark for a couple hours. Have you ever eaten IN the dark and been SURE of which dish you were eating? It WAS fun, but was nice to see lights by 9:00 pm.

We headed our for the hotel about 9:30…. On arrival at the fashionable address, the REAL question was: Since we’ll only BE IN THIS hotel once, isn’t a visit to the TOP OF THE MARK going to be required?

It WAS sunday night, so the place should be quiet…. so, of course we were on the elevator fast! Not so surprisingly, as was every experience at this place, people don’t talk to you, (no we weren’t’ IN suits…is that why?), and even the server was able to ignore us AT the counter until I stared so hard at him, he couldn’t turn away…we ordered, he gave us the drinks AND the bill at the same time turning around without a question, or comment, and also left shift….OH, that’s why the cold shoulder? OH erase this whine.

We’re glad that didn’t annoy us enough to leave. The New bartender came on, and the manager came over to us. We began a wonderful discussion about SF in the 70’s…this guy grew up in Haight Ashbury…..some wild stories there. So, Sunday night ended up a lot of fun. **Oh yes, and, including tip for 2 cocktails apiece? $90….. well drinks.

On Monday morning —- we determined we MUST eat once again at SEARS FINE FOODS just steps from UNION SQUARE

Although a real tourist destination, Sears has great breakfasts…. **You can always have the 18 Swedish Pancake Dish!

Of course, Union Square is the heart of upscale shopping, but it really is the center of the city in many ways. Yes, thousands of tourists, saks, nordy’s, are all ’round you. BUT, WE saw something far more impressive to me:

At one corner/steps spot, where some shrubbery was growing, we looked on the ledge by the bushes to see Mom & Pop Chickadee coaching a JUST fledging baby…very near this spot

….NESTING at UNION Square! Are you kidding? What a heartwarming thing to see.

As we depart Union Square we see a favorite fountain…I’m not even sure which Hotel it’s in front of, but one can spend an hour here seeing much of what makes SF famous scrawled into this sculpture classic:

Like steep Lombard Hill with a car just turning down from the top:

Or a view recalling the Grateful Dead maybe:

Then we began the climb back up to Nob Hill. We passed a simple concrete alley, but could NOT help but think of friend Carol D who, changed her condominium residents minds about gardening in pots…NONE were allowed, and NOW, hundreds of them line their streets…they look fabulous in summer. Looks like someone’s beginning that tradition here, Carol:

So, finally back up on Nob Hill, to visit the park there, Grace Cathedral, and check out of the hotel. We needed to be in Alameda just after noon. . . . .to begin phase 2 of our trip.

The sites, views from, and history on the top of Nob Hill are fascinating. Grace Cathedral is beautifully situated here:

I got to hear something that’s ALWAYS my favorite…the organist practicing some wonderful modern French Music on the pipes…a very nice add-on to our visit inside the building:

This time, we cabbed it down that hill…my knee had had enough. We took Bart under the bay, off at the West Oakland station where we’re greeted by Serafina to begin a fabulous visit there.

Off to a good start…………

We got to the airport 2 hours early …… One hr before the scheduled takeoff, the gate sign was turned off. We got up to find a sign: delay to go control tower ……. Wh asked, and found high winds in SF had closed one of 2 runways used for landing. So. We sat at PDX from 1100 until 2:20….. Dang you say!

Well, it wasn’t a loss, but an interesting experience…..why?

The adjoining departure gate was for Eugene. There waiting for their own plane were two truly serious “birders”. For over an hour we had a wonderful “bird” chat with this couple. Dan & “Linda?” are BIG Bird watchers from Eugene who use almost every vacation to travel the world on Bird Eco-trips. This time, they were just returning from Morocco, where, for 3 weeks, they’d been seeking sitings of some rare Larks found ONLY there! They described the raw beauty of the mountains, larks, other rare birds the guides got to show them. When asked about other birding trips they might have taken? Wow. Peru’s Ande’s mountains, Ecuador, Portugal and more. These were fascinating stories about these trips. They are also big contributors to OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line) where one tracks our own songbirds spring and fall, plus daily news about bird sightings around the state.

So. We finally arrived in SF late. We got on airport shuttle to Bart , and took BART to downtown SF. Then we find ourselves on Bus 30 UP those hills to Sacramento Ave, and walked the final two blocks up steep streets to the top of Nob Hill for a priceline bargain at, of all places, the Mark Hopkins Hotel.

This is the “top” of the city, and is one block from Grace Cathedral, the mammoth Masonic Temple, the Huntington Club, and all the beauty of Nob Hill royalty.

The second we were settled, we took off back down the hills WALKING DOWN toward’s Bruce and Kevins place for a welcome visit with our favorite SF cousins! And it WAS a great time! We simply sat there and TALKED, went out for a fabulous Italian dinner in their own neighborhood. LA BRICIOLA !! After a fabulous time (so happens the owner was from Piedmont, where we’d visited just last year, so he talked with us plenty) We returned talked some more until we’re all done in. Luckily, Kevin drove us back UP the hills for some sleep. THANKS GUYS for a fabulous time!

We rested for MORE to happen Sunday!

We were treated to a first here At Paula’s Place in Ripon! We just watched mating behavior between two hummingbirds that went on for 5-10 minutes. The little female sat at a top branch while the male would fly straight UP from here, very high, then come flying straight toward her, at the last minute, curve tightly enough, a calling sound was made…. occasionally, he would absolutely come and sit right by here. Occasionally, they would flitter ’round a bit very close…. then he’d begin the whole thing over. Those were dramatic and beautiful flights. Sorry I can’t even identify the specie….it WAS fun….. THESE are the signs of spring!!!!

A quick little tip-o-the-hat to the end, the dead-end of winter.

Today, (in the valley, yes, MORE daffy’s are just beginning to bloom, but up here………) our first little tiny Japanese mini Daffodil began blooming (IN FEBRUARY!)…………..

Today, (in preparation for our week out of town), I had to mow the lawn because of grass LENGTH……….. ***IN FEBRUARY*** . THAT is a first. Pal and neighbor Karen ALSO was mowing HER lawn….. (LAST earliest record of mowing the lawn in our 15 years here was: March 6). I was astounded. It was 60, breezy, sunny, and dry.

But, still, as I am saying goodbye to the dead of winter, I pay tribute to a hearty plant class, I love to appreciate in that dead of winter. A bit of mossy growth that seems to thrive on dark and gray… A bit of moss that pales when the bright sun shines on it’s thick winter growth.

A couple of pics from today’s DOG WALK into Forest Park shows, I hope, the beauty I SEE in that simple little old plant, MOSS:

**ALL THESE just hanging from SMALL tree branches…….thickly coated……………………….

On Quiet mornings, nothing like this tiny pale green plant burying the tree branch that shows nature is SO rich and complex:

ON a rotting thick branch laying flat on the ground, a different moss grows exactly like a thick carpet:

AND it is true, when the moss gets THIS rich and heavy, it’s ALWAYS also true, the spring is knocking on the door of: Winter…….

AND NOW, we’re off air for a bit, into the wilds of California Country for a week……………. (is it too late for me to win American Idol in Hollywood?)

TODAY was THE day! I wait for it each late winter, until one certain week appears to be the “right” one. I have had the materials on hand for about 3 weeks……………..waiting.

Yesterday was sunny, it hit 52. Today began sunny and would be 52 just as clouds slowly began to move in……with RAIN tonight and in the morning….followed by 4 days of NO rain, mixed sun, temps around 50.

So what does that mean for the LAWN and flower beds here in February?

1) Get the hand carried spreader out. For the first round, load up the big bags of Lime pellets and spread that at EVERY spot in the yard with a lot of moss…..that should burn it some, and about the time it’s dying, MORE sun and other lawn food should replace it.

2) Load up the spreader with the big 50 lb bags of Iron Pellets (I forget the formal name)….THIS will get your lawn into dark green lovely color within 5-6 weeks. (Nitrogen, the standard commerically pushed product does that too, but then pushes growth so hard it burns itself out in 2-3 months. Iron will keep things nice almost all summer). Spread THIS stuff everywhere including flower / garden beds….can only help this clay soil.

3) Then, load up the spreader with some Bug deterrent……I’ve given up on the mole damage….I’m going to try to kill the bugs in the lawn BEFORE the birds get here.

4) Load up the Ammonium Sulphate and sprinkle it around the roots of all the hydrangeas…….WE WILL have solid BLUE blooms in a few months.

5) Load up the Epsom Salts and spread thin layers of it on EVERY big of garden space, and especially heavier on acid loving shrubs: Rhodies, etc. **Do this throughout the summer, and ON YOUR tomatoes ev couple weeks…….thin layers. **Hey ! A NICE inexpensive soil help, eh?

Whew! That was great to have it done, and tonight, the rain is coming in at the perfect level. YEAH!

SO? Are we keeping on our little diet this past week so we can “fool” family in CA next week about all the food we’ve been eating this winter? Well, NOT today! Ate at Sweet Tomatoes (Great salad BUFFET, YES, a buffet) at lunch……. overdid there, ONLY to find tonight after the once weekly swim aerobic night at the Smiths, we were dining on Pizza AND Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Did I spurn the ice cream? Heck no, and had two pieces of pizza. What’s the remedy for all this? DO NOT weight yourself tomorrow, Mark! Will that solve my indulgence in gluttony today? Hah.

Looks like a VERY WET day here, the radar’s full of yellows and oranges passing through……… that means, in MY brain, I should get to continue reading the Line of Beauty (mentioned in an earlier post)….it is SO beautifully written, and a true commentary on British Society’s upper middle class system…. a period I remember here, once they found out about you, as: “It’s okay to be gay, dear, you KNOW you have gay cousins. But, we don’t want to KNOW about it and for God’s sake, don’t TALK about it.” …. the way to improve your social position in that society of course, involved lots of quiet manipulation, etc etc….it’s a delicious exploration into class and money.

My favorite view from the book so far is: “The more one’s morals decline for those in “our” society, the more we tell others how simply beautiful they are.” (Paraphrased) Delicious.

Now, onto big news! Thanks to Turbotax, we both have a federal return banked. NO MORE looking at the tax work until March when we have to dredge up this hideous OREGON return where we’ll owe money, but THAT isn’t the sore point.

The REAL sore point in filing an Oregon State Tax Return for “RDP’s” (Registered Domestic Partners)…. remember, we CANNOT marry…..so they tell us “RDP” is nearly the same thing? NO, it’s not for taxation. For Oregon, partners have to prepare and file a federal return singly. THEN, you must prepare dummy Federal “as if” married filing jointly AND one “AS IF” married filing singly. Compare those, then compare them to likely Oregon results, and PREPARE state returns for either filing jointly and singly. Finally, one can file the return. THAT will take at least a full day if not two. Hrrumph!

So, throwing you a biscuit called registered partners and telling you to say thank you and keep quiet is NOT enough. Legal Marriage would help us ease our state tax filing….gee, just like real people.

But, I’m not complaining………….remember, I’d rather do this than live in a RED state where it seems Fundamentalist Christians have taken complete control….. There, we’d be fighting tooth and nail those who vilify anyone different than their Bible thumping selves.

Happy Friday! Now, on to paying off some credit charges, or maybe even buying a new spring outfit, eh? Maybe we ARE wealthy….remember they are suffering too:

Do you ever become suddenly AWARE that inside of you there’s a song groaning along, and then once you actualize its presence, you’re stuck…..

I’d sure like to know what triggered the rising up of this old country song this morning. I had to hear it over and over when I was just a young boy on a Mormon mission in the hills of Kentucky & Tennessee. Now, for about 2 hours, Skeeter Davis has been calling to me.

You have NO idea how many times I had to hear this in the late 60’s while “serving my time” in those poor country places:

Why does the sun go on shining
Why does the sea rush to shore
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world
‘Cause you don’t love me any more

I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Why everything’s the same as it was
I can’t understand, no, I can’t understand
How life goes on the way it does

Why does my heart go on beating
Why do these eyes of mine cry
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world
It ended when you said goodbye

Now ain’t that just a purty little whistle on your tongue? Ah hope you’uns don’t get li’l Ms Skeeter’s words up and dancin’ in your head…you’ll be stuck like me…….

Ah! I feel a change comin’………….maybe this one will get my mind off of Tennesee…....………………

Poor little Brenda Lee. God was SO Cruel.

WELL! I feel better now……….and I hope I have transferred these sticky songs to YOUR head……. go ahead, start humming these little ditties along…… Hah! I’m FREE!