Pete G's Blography

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T16:24:00.002-04:00

Marching Into Fall

2011-10-09T10:27:00.002-04:00

Valley Country Club

Heirloom Tomato Salad

2011-08-18T07:53:00.000-04:00

Has been a great summer for tomatoes! My garden runneth over with heirloom tomatoes. Eating tomato/basil salads just about every day! I am a tomato addict!

A-Rod Plays Two Games With AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

2011-08-16T22:33:00.003-04:00

Today Hit 94!

2011-05-31T15:09:00.016-04:00

My Friday in Jim Thorpe, PA

2011-03-25T22:57:00.003-04:00

Zoe the Calico, greeter at

the Secondhand Book

Store & Art Gallery..

NO explanation needed!

Lunch at Broadway Grill; crab cake

sandwich..

At one time a great

restaurant. Been closed for

several years now..

Hello Basil

2011-03-06T17:34:00.002-05:00

Lake Nuangola

2011-03-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

Food Porn

2011-03-03T06:51:00.003-05:00

My cioppino (fisherman's seafood stew)

Paella at Mediterra, Princeton, NJ

Cheesesteak wit onions! Pat's, Philadelphia

Good-bye Spectrum

2011-02-27T18:45:00.001-05:00

Mezzaluna Pasta

2011-02-21T01:00:00.003-05:00

Made mezzaluna pasta..from scratch of course!

Stuffed with ricotta and spinach.

Winter in the Lehigh Gorge Part II

2011-02-21T00:56:00.002-05:00

Winter in the Lehigh Gorge Part I

2011-02-20T18:52:00.001-05:00

Rack Of Lamb

2011-01-04T10:02:00.001-05:00

Rack of lamb with cranberry chutney and ginger pudding prepared by chef Rebecca Gabriele at River Grille in Plains, PA.

Lake Marie

2010-12-27T17:40:00.003-05:00

Pond hockey on Lake Marie in Beaver Meadows.

The Semenza sisters, Danielle (left) and Nicole.

Forks Farm

2010-12-18T15:06:00.003-05:00

Forks Farm in Orangeville, PA held its 1st Annual Christmas Market Dec. 18.

House Tour

2010-12-05T20:23:00.004-05:00

Conyngham Valley Historical Society presents "A Victorian Christmas"

Budweiser Clydesdales

2010-10-27T14:24:00.001-04:00

Downpour On The Square

2010-09-22T19:02:00.003-04:00

Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Bruschetta

2010-08-29T00:38:00.001-04:00

Outlets

2010-08-23T20:06:00.002-04:00

Tom looks for an available wall outlet..

Garlic

2010-08-06T11:14:00.002-04:00

Untitled

2010-08-04T19:33:00.001-04:00

Nescopeck Twp., PA

Sunset

2010-07-09T15:54:00.003-04:00

Sunset in Mountaintop, PA

Patch Town Days: Eckley Miners Village

2010-06-19T20:41:00.002-04:00

Andrew Zimmern Visits NEPA

2010-06-17T20:33:00.003-04:00

Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern comes to Luzerne County to film an episode for "Bizarre Foods" on making turtle soup (at Delmar Anthony's Butler Twp. home). Show is expected to air sometime this fall.

N.Y. Strip Steak Marinaded In Old Brown Dog Ale

2010-04-23T22:38:00.005-04:00

For the marinade
2-1/4 cups dark beer (for my choice Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale)
2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 T bs. kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the rub
1 Tbs. sweet paprika
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt

Make the marinade

In a large bowl, combine the beer, onions, molasses, garlic, salt, bay leaves, pepper, and 1-1/4 cups water. Add the beef, cover, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, turning occasionally.

Make the rub

In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Remove the beef from the marinade, pat dry, and rub all over with the spice mixture. Put the meat on a rack set in a roasting pan and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Roast the beef

Original recipe calls for a 4-to 5-lb. boneless rib-eye beef roast to be roasted in a 425 degree oven for nearly 2 hours but I opted to use the marinade and rub recipe on New York strip steaks and grilled them on my Weber barbecue instead. The results. ¡Muy perfecto!

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking

magazine April/May 2010

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/beer-buttered-roasted-rib-eye-beer-cide-sauce.aspx

Cropping Up

2010-04-22T09:43:00.002-04:00

Red Leaf Lettuce mix

Heirloom Green Tomato

Philly: Tinto restaurant

2010-03-08T10:34:00.004-05:00

A look at Jose Garces' Tinto restaurant located in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.

Philadelphia Flower Show

2010-03-07T16:31:00.002-05:00

Pipe Smokers

2010-03-04T22:07:00.003-05:00

Ward Wesley of Wilkes-Barre sends up a whisp of smoke from his pipe at a recent pipe smoking contest held at El Humidor in Wilkes-Barre.

Stephen Roberts of Butler Twp. lights his pipe.

Snow Storm Conyngham Valley

2010-02-10T14:15:00.003-05:00

As the crow flies

2010-02-10T10:43:00.002-05:00

Crows fly into my compost pile

to grab a snack.

Ice Flow

2010-02-07T17:24:00.000-05:00

View of Hudson River off

Gesner Ave., South Nyack, NY

(Tappan Zee Bridge in

background)

Just a little fire

2010-01-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

Fire destroyed a maintenance building at the Woodlands Inn & Resort in Plains Township on Tuesday.

Taking a cool dip on New Year's Day

2010-01-01T17:24:00.002-05:00

Valley with a Heart jump in

lake fundraiser at Harvey's

Lake, PA

Rob Domanski and Selena

Robinson

Fundraising organizer

Chris Concert

First Night in Hazleton

2009-12-31T20:16:00.001-05:00

Ryan Welsh, 10, of Hazleton takes a seat in chair made of ice that is also an ice sculpture created for Hazleton's "First Night" celebration on New Year's Eve.

Benton Antiques Inc.

2009-12-26T16:30:00.001-05:00

Eagles clinch playoff spot on Sunday

2009-12-20T17:40:00.000-05:00

Asante Samuel celebrates after snagging an interception.

Sheldon Brown (24) of the Eagles strips the ball from the arms of Niners' Delanie Walker.

Tis the season at the Linc

2009-12-20T17:28:00.008-05:00

Shoveling out the seats

Hmm..a gift wrapped cheesesteak perhaps?

A present for me? And I didn't get you anything!

Snow shower!

Let it snow! Swoop sprinkles snow over Stacy.

Christmas Card 2.0

2009-12-18T00:02:00.004-05:00

My cat Willis returns again to appear on this year's Christmas card!

Beer Tap Cake

2009-12-12T17:01:00.005-05:00

The fine folks at the Arena Bar & Grill are celebrating their 7th anniversary in business this week. The cake creating gurus at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, MD (perhaps you are familiar with their acclaimed television show "Ace Of Cakes" on the Food Network) made an anniversary cake in the fashion of a beer tap for the ABG's upcoming anniversary party (I believe it was Dec. 12). The beer tap cake will be featured in an upcoming episode of "Ace Of Cakes" but not sure when that is? Possibly not for several months is what the owners of ABG tell me. Stay tuned! Here are a few shots of the cake.

Cornish Rock Game Hen

2009-12-11T01:28:00.002-05:00

Made this for dinner Thursday night. Stuffed with lemon wedges, garlic and rosemary. Goat cheese under the skin. Roasted in oven for an hour, maybe a smidge over. 2/3 the way into cooking at 375 degrees then the last 10 minutes upped the temp to 400 to help brown up the skin. Served with smashed red skin potatoes and fresh steamed green beans. Meal turned out GREAT!

Eagles 27, Redskins 24

2009-11-29T22:48:00.001-05:00

That's gotta leave a mark!

2009-11-27T21:32:00.001-05:00

First round of the PIAA Class A football playoffs between Southern Columbia and Northwest Area on Friday night. Above photo, Northwest Area running back Bret Rutkoski has his helmet turned around when Southern Columbia's Alex Fidler grabs hold of Rutkoski's face mask. Southern Columbia went on to win the game 60-7.

Redheads

2009-11-21T16:54:00.004-05:00

Irish Setters in West Pittston, PA

Penn State-Indiana Football Game

2009-11-14T17:40:00.002-05:00

Penn State 31, Indiana 20

Eagles 16, Cowboys 20

2009-11-08T23:37:00.001-05:00

Eagles 40, Giants 17

2009-11-01T22:27:00.001-05:00

Halloween in Lambertville, NJ

2009-10-31T23:11:00.000-04:00

October Snow

2009-10-15T12:20:00.003-04:00

It's official. Winter has arrived.

Hazleton,PA

"Mother Hen" Toast: Gallina De Madre

2009-09-22T12:09:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

8 thick-cut slices country bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 slices shaved serrano ham
8 eggs

Bechamel:

1/2 stick unsalted butter
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly to incorporate - you do not want any color. Gradually pour in the milk as you stir, and whisk out any lumps. As the mixture thickens up continue to stir until it reaches a boil - this ensures that the flour is cooked completely. Using a microplane or a fine grater, grate nutmeg into bechamel and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 cups

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay bread out on a sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toast lightly. Spoon a dollop of bechamel onto each toast. Arrange 2 slices of ham on each slice of toast and nestle it into a nest shape so the egg will rest in the center. Crack egg and drop into nest on each toast. Bake in oven until eggs are just cooked but the yolk is still slightly runny, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Baez Performs At Misericordia University

2009-07-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

Folk singer/songwriter of more than 50 years Joan Baez performs on July 25 at the Wachovia Amphitheater on the campus of Misericordia University in Dallas.

Kickin' Back Around The Fire Bowl

2009-07-16T09:06:00.003-04:00

Last Friday hangin' around the ol' fire bowl smoking stogies. Tom (top photo) sports a new doo, The Coolio, whilst smoking a Romeo & Juliet.

Ji Wins U.S. Womens Open

2009-07-12T19:43:00.004-04:00

Eun Hee Ji of Korea wins the 2009 U.S. Womens Open on the 72nd hole with a birdie. Ji finished the tournament at EVEN par. Candie Kung of Taiwan finished second at +1 over par. Once again Saucon Valley Country Club hosted another brilliant major tournament. Look forward to another visit to this gem of a golfing mecca! Hopefully as a guest of a member!

Ji on Friday.

Kung on Saturday.

My pick for fan favorite was Suzann Pettersen from Norway. I found out that she has a relative living in Bethlehem! Perhaps she'll visit the Lehigh Valley more often? On my mother's side of the family are Peterson's (unlike Pettersen; minus the extra 'T' and 'son' instead) but we're Swedish! Anyway, Suzann finished T6 place. Nice playing SP!

Saucon Valley CC Hosts 2009 U.S. Womens Open

2009-07-07T01:01:00.005-04:00

Saucon Valley Country Club (Bethlehem, PA) plays host to the 2009 U.S. Womens Open: July 6-12, 2009. This is the sixth time, going back to 1951, the club has hosted a USGA event on the Old Course. Other courses on the premises include the Grace Course and Weyhill, plus a 6 hole practice course.10th tee on the Old Course. Clubhouse in the background.

LPGA players Cristie Kerr, left, and Morgan Pressel get ready for their Monday practice round.

LPGA player Lorena Ochoa blasts her drive off No. 1 tee, a 546yd. par 5.

RAIN!

2009-07-04T08:48:00.002-04:00

Page 1A of Saturday's paper. The kid had the whole street to himself and having a grand ol' time. One gigantic wading pool. I wouldn't go in there without a tetanus shot first!

Take Your Dog To Work Day

2009-06-27T16:02:00.004-04:00

Take Your Dog To Work Day (other household pets apply to)-- Times Leader employee Nick Delorenzo of the composing room walks with his dog Nika, a Chihuahua/Boston Terrier mix, through the newspaper's advertising department on Friday. It was Take Your Dog To Work Day.

Baked Chilean Sea Bass With Onions & Bacon

2009-06-15T21:43:00.007-04:00

My brother-in-law picked up this recipe from his fish monger friend. Chilean Sea Bass smothered with onions and bacon. Hmm. Can't be bad if bacon plays a prominent role in the dish? Anyway, take one Chilean Sea Bass (yes the whole fish..this one weighed in about 7 or 8 pounds). I suppose you could just use the filets (with skin on) if a whole sea bass isn't available? Anyway, make sure to have the monger at the fish market remove the scales if it isn't already done. With a sharp knife make deep scores along the body of the fish. Depending upon how big your fish is, make 4 to 5 scores per side spaced a few inches apart. This is where the bacon plays its starring role by being stuffed into the score marks! Season the bass with pepper and kosher salt or sea salt. Using a deep baking sheet with high sides, scattered and spread out a few cups of sweet onion (Vidalia or red onion works fine) on the baking sheet, drizzle olive oil down over the onions, lay fish on top of the onions, drizzle olive oil over fish, add a few more onions with stuffing some in the cavity of the fish as well as on top. As a topper, several slices of roma tomatoes over the fish and a sprinkling of fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley. About a 1/4 cup. Place fish into a 400ºF oven for 25 minutes. I thought only 25 minutes for an 8lbs. fish? But the fish monger assured my brother-in-law it will turn out just fine. Well my brother-in-law's oven runs at a "cool" 400ºF, so we ended up cooking the fish for like 20 minutes longer and everything did turn out just peachy! It came out perfect! And de-boning the fish was a breeze to!

Crescenzo's Opens at the Woodlands

2009-06-12T21:23:00.004-04:00

The Woodlands Inn and Resort on Friday night celebrated the opening of several new features. Guests viewed Crescenzo's Brick Oven Eatery & Espresso bar, Shogun Japanese Steakhouse, Hibachi & Sushi Bar, Alexander's in the Woods Spa & Salon and Club Havana Cigar Bar. Pictured below Crescenzo Bassolino, left, and Brian Gallagher make pizzas as bartenders Stephanie Shirmer, left, and Bekah Nulton make a bevy of drinks behind the bar for Crescenzo's patrons.

James Guinan, 1925-2009

2009-04-25T23:43:00.004-04:00

I took these photos of Mr. Jim Guinan back in Nov. 2007 during a Thanksgiving visit to my sister's place in Rockland County. Jim's pub/general store was the subject of book published in 2006, 320 pages, paperback (categorized as history/memoirs I guess?) "Little Chapel on the River: a Town and the Search for What Matters Most" by Wall Street Journal reporter Gwendolyn Bounds. I just started reading her book when I decided to pay Guinan's a visit the day after Thanksgiving on a joy ride across the Hudson river to Garrison with my sister and her husband. Anyway, there he was. Minding the pub by himself tidying up the bar, straightening chairs, tinkering with the Budweiser shamrock neon sign in the window. A soft-spoken Irishman. Jim had tremendous praise for Gwendolyn's book. "That little book of her's really put this place on the map!" He said. "We're grateful for Gwendolyn. She's a great gal," he added. Sad to say Guinan's closed late January 2008. Jim moved to FL a very short time later and the pub/general store has either been converted into office space or apartments. Not really sure which? More info. on the fate of Guinan's building and tributes to Jim over at Gwendolyn's site LITTLE CHAPEL ON THE RIVER.

Tobacco Tax

2009-04-01T17:00:00.002-04:00

Levy on cigarettes rises to $1.01 per pack. Cigars even higher. But Matthew Mack (pictured) of Wilkes-Barre says he can afford it.

Olde City in Philadelphia On Sunday

2009-03-09T01:50:00.004-04:00

Indulging in a few Belgian ales at Eulogy Belgian Tavern.

And yes the beer was good! (read the sign)

Stopped in at Amada Restaurant for some Spanish tapas.

Diners be us three, Tom, Leah and me outside Amada.

Fennel Potato Soup with Butter Poached Shrimp and Blood Orange

2009-03-06T00:02:00.009-05:00

This is my rendition of Stephanie Izard's Fennel Potato Soup recipe. Anybody that follows Bravo's Top Chef series will remember Stephanie as the winner of season FOUR. She garnished her soup with butter poached lobster tail. Since I had an abundance of shrimp in my freezer, I opted to use them instead. Shortly before posting this entry I recently won a recipe contest at work with my version of soup. Next time I make this I'll try using both shrimp and lobster!

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the soup:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced (reserve some fronds for garnish)
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Pernod
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
½ cup heavy cream

For the shrimp:
16 shrimp (size 41-50 count per pound)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Blood orange reduction
Juice of 2 blood oranges (reserve two segments for garnish)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or medium soup pot over medium heat.. Add
the onion and garlic and sweat them for 3 minutes. Add the fennel and sweat
5 minutes, until it begins to get tender. Add the potatoes, wine and Pernod
and simmer to reduce the liquid until it is nearly gone. Season with salt
and pepper. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat
and simmer for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the cream in a small heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium
heat. Simmer to reduce until it has thickened and has rich nutty flavor.
Set aside. While the soup simmers, prepare the Blood Orange Reduction. Whisk together
the blood orange juice, lemon juice and honey in small non-reactive
saucepot. Simmer over medium heat to reduce to a syrup, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Transfer soup in batches to a blender and process until smooth (or use a
stick blender in the pot). Pass each batch through a mesh sieve, pushing it
through with a rubber spatula. Discard solids. Return the soup to the
saucepot over medium heat. Whisk in the reduced cream and adjust seasoning
to taste. Keep the soup warm while preparing the shrimp.

Bring a medium saucepot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and boil
for 30-45 seconds not to cook through. Put the shrimp in an ice bath to stop cooking.

Melt the butter in the saucepot. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Add the shrimp and poach over low heat until just cooked through, about 2-3
minutes.

Ladle hot soup into bowls. Add poached shrimp to each serving (four
shrimp). Drizzle the soup with blood orange reduction and garnish with
orange segments and fennel fronds.

**Photo by Aimee Dilger; Recipe adapted from Stephanie Izard (stephanieizard.com)

Lehigh Gorge State Park

2009-03-05T11:21:00.005-05:00

In keeping with the outdoors theme of my last post, here are a few shots from a recent trip to the Lehigh Gorge State Park (last Sunday) and photos of Lock 22 (3 miles north of Rockport entrance) that was part of the Upper Grand Division of the Lehigh Canal which was decimated by a flood in the 1860's and ceased operating once the railroads established themselves in this part of PA right around the time of the Civil War.

Wood Frog Way Loop

2009-02-23T10:26:00.005-05:00

Out for a walk at Nescopeck State Park
on Sunday checking out some trails.
One particular trail I haven't been on until
now is Wood Frog Loop (located on the west
side of the park). It's a flat, wide path.
A few swamps or ponds nearby. It's a
quickie hike..less than 3K. I'll be back
with my cross country skis the next
time we get some substantial snowfall.

Peach Orchard

2009-02-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

Greg Heller of Heller's Orchards in Wapwallopen, PA takes advantage of Wednesday's warm temperatures to inspect acres of young peach trees growing on his family's farm.

Benton Antiques, Inc.

2009-02-07T22:44:00.005-05:00

Quaint little antique shop in Columbia County, PA

Auto Show

2009-02-05T20:32:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to post these images from this year's Philadelphia Auto Show for some time now. Shot at last week's press day. Top photo is a Rolls Royce, second, invited guests of press day stare at the Subaru Legacy concept car, third, a Silverado truck gets polished, and last is another shot of the Subaru Legacy concept car. Last day of the auto show is February 8.

Up, Up And Away!

2009-02-02T16:43:00.003-05:00

Salvatore Altimare of Dino's Party Center in Philadelphia organizes helium balloons at the Pennsylvania Convention Center the day before the opening of the Philadelphia International Auto Show. The show runs Jan. 31 thru Feb. 8.

Do Not Touch!

2009-01-30T12:35:00.005-05:00

Mounds of cups and bowls piled up beneath an escalator at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The display is part of some on-going artist's exhibit. Wow! How much glue did they use?

'Snow-Down' On North Main Street, Mtn. Top

2009-01-28T19:08:00.003-05:00

Kids in Mountain Top, PA get into a good old-fashioned snowball battle. The photographer escaped with only two strikes, one of his lenses taking a partial hit.

Chorizo & Kale Soup

2009-01-27T19:39:00.004-05:00

A great, great hearty soup from the Iberian Peninsula! Takes literally minutes to make! About 30 minutes actually. My recipe is a bit more carb friendlier as compared to other kale soups in that I don't always use potatoes. That way you can double up on the crusty bread! But if you want to bulk up that soup a wee bit more chuck in three large Yukons or red skin potatoes (skins left on the red taters makes it more rustic looking!) cut into medium to small chunks. Add them into the pot at the same time you add the bell pepper, onion and carrots.

Chorizo and Kale Soup

10 oz. chorizo, diced into cubes **(SEE NOTE)

1 lb. of kale (stems removed) and coarsely chopped

1 large red bell pepper cut into strips and then coarsely chopped

1 large green bell pepper cut into strips and then coarsely chopped

3-4 large cloves of garlic minced or grated (I like using a micro plane)

1 large sweet onion. It could be a Mayan, Spanish or for a little color a red onion

2 medium size carrots diced into cubes

1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

Course salt and fresh cracked pepper

1 tsp. of cumin (adds a warm Mediterranean flavor)

Half a tbsp. of Herbs de Provence

2 bay leaves, fresh or dried

32 fl. oz. of chicken stock

32 fl. oz. of water

2 14.5 oz. cans of cannellini beans drained and rinsed

Grated Manchego or parmesan cheese

Parsley or cilantro

In deep pot or large stock pot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chorizo and saute for 4-5 minutes to render some fat from the sausage. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and set aside on plate. You will see that oil in the pot has been infused with the fat from the chorizo giving the oil a reddish hue.

Add the chopped onion, carrot and bell pepper to the oil, season with a hefty pinch of salt and 3-4 grinds of black pepper and saute over medium high heat for 5 minutes.

Turn heat down to medium. Add the cumin, Herbs de Provence, bay leaves and garlic, stir until incorporated then return the chorizo back to the pot, give a good stir once or twice. Add chicken stock and water. Let soup come up to boil then lower the heat to simmer. Add kale a few handfuls at a time allowing the greens to cook down otherwise all the kale will not fit into the pot. Once all the kale is in, cover pot and let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the kale is wilted. Season with another dash of salt and pepper to taste if needed?

Discard bay leaves, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle grated manchego or parmesan cheese over top and garnish with parsley or cilantro. Serve with crusty bread like a French baguette or Portuguese rolls or saloio bread.

**NOTE: You can also use chouriço. The Portuguese version of the Spanish chorizo. Only difference between the two, all the same spices are used but red wine is added to the chouriço. Linguiça sausage is another good option.

He's In!

2009-01-20T17:09:00.007-05:00

Presidential Inauguration Luncheon Party: Obama fans gather at the Newtown Cafe in Ashley, PA to watch President elect Barack Obama take the oath of office on the cafe's wide screen televisions.

Sunday Morning Constitutional On Skis

2009-01-11T21:46:00.002-05:00

Nice day for cross-country skiing in Conyngham at my usual digs on the golf course at Valley Country Club. Other places I frequent on xc skis are Butler Twp. Community Park and Nescopeck State Park in Dennison Twp.

Still Tinkering With cars At 89

2009-01-09T14:38:00.004-05:00

Miller Stella, 89, of Wilkes-Barre still operating his garage since 1950. Catch the full story posted here!

Heading for Hawaii

2008-12-29T15:13:00.006-05:00

Just a humorous-ish photo I snapped of Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader Amy Mecca running off the field with several Hawaiian leis around her neck. Reason for wearing the flowery motif is because she was picked to represent the Eagles cheerleaders at the upcoming 2009 NFL Pro Bowl game in Hawaii on February 8.

The Golden Nugget, Lambertville, NJ

2008-12-14T22:44:00.005-05:00

Took a cruise to Lambertville, NJ as I usually do about a dozen times a year to check for some good deals on antiques at the Golden Nugget outdoor flea market. Also tooled around across the Delaware (river) in New Hope. Posted a gallery of photos HERE from today's excursion.

Chili Cook Off 2008

2008-11-24T10:42:00.003-05:00

Photos (unedited) from Sunday's annual chili cook off in Chuck's Dank Pit. And the winner is...Chuck Kemzura! Winning the coveted vintage Gibbons Beer ash tray award.

Penn State Wins Big Ten Championship

2008-11-23T11:18:00.003-05:00

Click here to view gallery

Double Vision: The Snow Goose Gallery

2008-11-18T21:39:00.015-05:00

Drove down into Bethlehem on Sunday, 11/16/08 to attend an art gallery reception at my friend Mary Serfass' The Snow Goose Gallery. Mary and fellow artist Chuck Nelson presented several paintings and sketches of their work in the entitled exhibition "Double Vision". It was a show two years in the making. The premise behind the exhibit was to show both artists interpretation of the same subject as for example a dogwood tree (pictured below). Up until Sunday's show Mary and Chuck had not seen each other's work. They worked primarily from photographs in 11 of the 13 pieces shown (25 in all) at the gallery. Two other depictions were from actual still lives. Keep in mind the kicker in all of this was at no time during the two years of producing their art work for "Double Vision" were the artists permitted to see each others work until the day of the reception. It was really cool seeing the their reactions as they walked around the room looking at each others work. Very moving experience for all who attended the show. Got a lot of great candids.

Mary and Chuck walk into the gallery for the first time.

Works by Mary Serfass & Chuck Nelson. Chuck's "Pink Dogwood",

on right, oil on coated paper; Mary's "Springblooms", ink/colored pencil.

Magnifying glass and programs from the show.

Paella Saturday

2008-11-08T23:07:00.008-05:00

It was "Paella Saturday" in Mountain Top at Jack's house.
Plenty of beer, wine, great friends and of course food!
Oh yeah, and a bonfire in my Weber!

Photos courtesy: Tom Raski

Very Excessive With Halloween Decorations

2008-10-31T20:25:00.006-04:00

The neighbors caddy corner across the street from me, their lawn was all deck out (in full regalia) with those giant inflatable Halloween lawn ornaments this year (as it's become a regular occurrence every year since day one when they moved in about 6-7 years ago). I am grateful my home is not directly in the line of fire of this ensemble. Which I compare to that of a large bonfire with its glow of light beaming through every window of your home! I feel for that neighbor directly across the street. Can't wait to see what NEW ornaments they have added for Christmas this year!

Eagles 27 - Falcons 14

2008-10-26T16:58:00.001-04:00

More photos from the game!

Basque Chicken and Chorizo Sauté

2008-10-14T11:58:00.008-04:00

I am absolutely bonkers over this recipe,
which is fast becoming my 'go to' dish
(at least for now until another recipe
comes along to top it?) I made it
for my sister and her husband during
a recent visit to their home and it was lauded one
of the best dishes they had for some
time (as rustic family dishes go).
Serve with crusty French bread or
baguette and a nice bottle of Spanish rioja.
Or my new personal favorite, a Portuguese
red wine called Cedro do Noval from
the Duriense region.

Recipe as follows:
4 ounces dry chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 whole chicken legs, split (3 1/2 pounds)
(I USE BONELESS CHICKEN THIGHS
FOR THIS RECIPE..BUT YOU CAN USE
JUST ABOUT ANY CUT OF CHICKEN YOU
LIKE?)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large thyme sprigs
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup dry sherry
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper
One 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and pressed dry
2 tablespoons shredded basil
Crusty French bread, for serving

Heat a very large, deep skillet. Add the chorizo and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned and some of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large plate.
Heat the olive oil in the skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until well browned, 15 minutes. Add the chicken to the chorizo.
Add the bell peppers, red onions, garlic and thyme to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sherry, paprika and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
Return the chicken and chorizo to the skillet. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the artichokes, tucking them in between the chicken pieces. Raise the heat to moderate and cook uncovered until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a deep platter. Stir the basil into the sauce and spoon over the chicken. Serve with crusty bread.

River Street Ale House

2008-10-13T23:00:00.001-04:00

Just a few photos from a recent
trip to The River Street Ale House

in Pittston, PA

The River Street Ale House
1575 River Road, Pittston, PA
(570) 602-6374

www.theriverstreetalehouse.com

River Street Ale House

Chef Dave Ciminelli with bartenders

Holly Humanik (left) and Sara Gorman.

Nyack, NY: Gesner Ave. Yard Sale

2008-10-12T17:30:00.004-04:00

My sis and a few of her Gesner Ave.
neighbors held an all day yard sale
over the Columbus Day weekend

(held Sunday). Nyack's most notable

resident and fellow Gesner-ite

Rose O'Donnell was not a participant

in Sunday's yard sales. Aww shucks!

Many literary books and art
books for sale.

Gesner neighbors monitor
their tables full of treasures
for sale.

Potential customers
scrutinize the recycled
merchandise.

Wings Of Freedom Touch Down In Hazleton

2008-10-10T20:06:00.005-04:00

The Collings Foundation (Stow, Mass.), a nonprofit organization devoted to living history events, flew four vintage World War II aircraft into the Hazleton (PA.) Municipal Airport on October 8 and stayed through October 10 before taking off to another venue in northern NJ. Vintage aircraft included: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24J Liberator, North American B-25 Mitchell and finally a North American TP-51C Mustang. Check the Collings Foundation web site for dates and times on when they'll be at an airport or air field near you? If you're a fan of aircraft from the WWII era it is an absolute must see! It's quite the experience.

Chorizo Burgers

2008-10-07T18:07:00.005-04:00

Anymore this is becoming my de facto recipe for making burgers as I love to jazz things up a bit instead of using only salt and pepper as the lone seasonings. I was making some hamburger patties for the grill recently one evening and spotted some leftover chorizo sausage hanging out in the frig and immediately recalled seeing a Portuguese meatloaf recipe that incorporated the chorizo into the loaf. I thought if chorizo works for meatloaf it will work for burgers! So I grabbed a bowl, took a box grater and shredded the small link of chorizo (a couple ounces worth I guess, I eyeballed it), into the bowl it goes, add the ground beef (1-1.5lbs.), throw in a half of a finely diced small red onion, a clove or two or THREE of finely grated or minced garlic, some fresh herbs chopped up (I like thyme or rosemary), a teaspoon of olive oil, a splash of worcestershire sauce, a few grinds of fresh black pepper, pinch of kosher or sea salt. Now get your mitts in there (wash them first of course) and incorporate everything really well but don't over work it to much. The meat will look like SPAM then. You want a little bit of texture in there. So just mix the ingredients so everything just comes together. Make the patties however thick you want. I made my patties about 1/2" thick and slightly bigger than a hockey puck so I only got about 6 burgers in my batch. Deploy your Weber grill, get the Kingsford charcoal stoked up good and hot..glowing, dump coals into the kettle, put the cooking grate on and then you're ready to get grilling those burgers man! Cook 3-4 minutes a side for med. rare-ish, add a few slices of cheese (I like manchego**Spanish sheep milk cheese**), put between a toasted kaiser or Portuguese roll, with lettuce and a slice or two of tomato..Oi! Burger bliss!

Redskins 23 - Eagles 17

2008-10-05T23:53:00.012-04:00

I was in South Philly on Sunday at the "Linc" covering the Eagles-Redskins game. The birds looked great early against Washington scoring two TD's the first quarter. One by Brian Westbrook on a 9 yd. run and then DeSean Jackson on a 68 yd. punt return. Then things went stagnate for the birds. By half time the skins closed the gap 14- 9. Then taking the lead for good in the third quarter 16-14. The birds had plenty of other scoring chances to regain the lead but could only muster a David Ackers FG in the fourth quarter from 23 yds. Skins got the ball back with 7 minutes remaining in the game and basically used the running game to run out the clock. 00:00, game over! Next up for the birds the Niners @ San Fran. More pics from the game

My blog sets sail..

2008-09-30T19:13:00.000-04:00

Well I tried the 'myspace' thing for a little while. Even Facebook. Hmm..neither one was my cup-o-tea. So for some 'ghits & siggles' why not challenge ourselves and take a stab at some blogging! Shouldn't be all that hard for a guy that doesn't have much to say? So here we GO! About this blog; no real agenda behind it other than to share a few photographs through my work as a photojournalist and an occasional post scruntizing my exploits as a serious foodie in the kitchen with some big sharp pointy knives! Heh-heh!