Check Your Vocabulary Skills: Five Words From the Pages of Today's Wall Street Journal and New York Times

I came across a few words in Monday's paper that I read often but am not quite sure of their exact meaning. I thought I'd teach myself a few things while posting my fourth vocabulary test. Here are 5 to test your word power skills on...Good luck!

1. Pluralism
A. The act of adding things to a list
B. Dealing with more than one item
C. Belief in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

2. Kirchnerista (Spanish)
A. Member of a political movement in Argentina
B. Argentinian lover of a popular soft drink
C. An Argentinian outdoorsman

3. Bete noire
A. Person intensely disliked
B. A woman of the evening
C. A French lawyer

4. Paradigm
A. A shape with 10 sides
B. Confusing riddle
C. Serves as a pattern or model.

5. Polemic
A. Opposite sides of the world
B. Involved in controversy
C. Style of dancing, notably in a strip club

Answers
1. c
2. a
3. a
4. c
5. b

Waiting For The Plumber Who Didn't Show Up Is Draining; Making Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies Save Me From A Day of Petulance

What do you do while waiting for a plumber who doesn't show up? Pacing, cleaning and catching up on reading lasts just so long. My out-of-house long 'to-do' list was undone and hanging over my head as I waited patiently and optimistically for the no-show repair crew.  To wrench me from my restlessness I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies.

A few years ago while working in New York City, our office was lucky enough to get some samples of a cookie made by restaurateur David Chang whose restaurant called Momofuku, has several eateries in the city. But it is his 'Milk Bar' where the bakery items are made. The cookie, called the 'compost', was the best I'd ever had. Back then, I made a vain attempt to imitate it using a recipe I found online. I failed miserably.

But today was a new day so while I waited I got out my collection of cookbooks. I found what sounded like a 'luxe' cookie in a book called 'Chocolate Snowball'. The recipes are from the Deer Valley Resort in Utah. Letty Halloran Flatt is the Executive Pastry Chef and deserves all the credit for a cookie recipe that rivals my memory of the Momofuku masterpiece.

I called the plumbing store toward the end of the day after waiting for four hours and was told they were coming in about two hours. We had plans for the evening so I angrily cancelled the appointment and decided to deal with it on another day. I was actually on a chocolate high, having just taste tested my first batch of the cookie whose recipe follows. Clogged shower? Not a problem. Double chocolate chip cookies? Priceless!

Both cookbooks are linked below. I made a few changes to the recipe highlighted in bold.

http://www.amazon.com/Momofuku-David-Chang/dp/030745195X

http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Snowball-Fabulous-Pastries-Valley/dp/1560448288







Jumbo Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant expresso coffee powder (I left this out, not being a coffee lover) 
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
 (I also added a smashed Heath Bar, a half cup of crushed walnuts and a half cup of raisins.)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy
• Add eggs and vanilla
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
• Add to the butter mix, scraping sides.
• Add chips and other fillings
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use canola oil
• Scoop dough into 1/2 cup mounds at least 3 inches apart.
• Bake until flat about 25 -30 minutes.

Praising the Cupcake; American in Character, Numerous in Variety, These Small 'Heavenly' Cakes Are Always in Good Taste

What singular food item seems to make everyone happy? There are many of course depending on your tastes, age or locale but I'd venture to guess that the cupcake will bring a smile to anyone's face no matter who you are or where you're from. One only needs to stand on line at Magnolia Bakery in New York's Greenwich Village to experience the universality of the small cake phenomena.


But I think the real popularity of the cupcake is it's simplicity with so many options available for the creative baker. I remember my mother making cupcakes from a small box ( I think it was Jiffy's Golden Yellow Cake Mix) but she never cheated when it came to the icing always using the recipe on the back of the Domino Confectioners Sugar box. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm....a happy memory!

Not surprisingly, cupcakes do have a bit of history and it is decidedly American. Back in 1796  a 'cake to be made in small cups' was mentioned in a book called 'American Cookery' and the first time the actual term 'cupcake' was documented was in a book published in 1828 called “Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats”. The actual term comes from a cake that would fit into a tea cup and before muffin tins were available, cupcakes were baked in small pottery or ramekin-style baking cups. The tins, also called gem pans, became popular around the turn of the 20th century. Now, there are not only cupcake tins that come in small, medium and large, but cupcake cake pans, Christmas tree ornaments, cupcake-themed fabrics for aprons or kitchen decor, cupcake stands, pillows, cookie jars....well, you get the picture.

In the last ten years at least, cupcakes have had a renaissance. Popularized by HBO's 'Sex and the City' and cookbooks by Martha Stewart and many others devoted to the subject, cupcake bakeries have sprung up towns and cities all over the world with varieties unimaginable just a couple of years ago.

My daughter has a thriving cake business and cupcakes are one of the most requested items. I'm using her fabulous photos as illustrations here and will attach her website. I'm also including a basic cupcake recipe (for vanilla only) but using boxed cake mixes are perfectly acceptable in my world. The icing recipe is the original from the Domino's Sugar Box mentioned above. For nostalgia or just for fun, bake a batch for you and your family to enjoy!

http://www.heavenlybitescakes.com/#!

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes about a dozen regular size 
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans and line with waxed paper or parchment paper. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs and vanilla to creamed mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Continue beating one minute. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on rack; remove and cool completely before decorating.

Cupcake toppers for a new baby

Domino's Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients
3 3/4 cup - (1 lb. box) Domino® Confectioners Sugar
1/4 teaspoon - salt
1/4 cup - milk
1 teaspoon - vanilla extract
1/3 cup - butter or margarine (2/3 stick), softened

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer or with heavy spoon until smooth and creamy; scrape bowl often. If too stiff to spread easily, beat in a few drops of milk.

Not a cupcake but a popular cake 

from Heavenly Bites!

Variations:

• Peanut Butter Crunch—substitute peanut butter for butter, sprinkle either candy peanut butter pieces or chopped peanuts over frosting.
• Chocolate—add ½ cup cocoa, top with chocolate curls, if desired.
• Orange—substitute fresh orange juice for milk, add 1 tsp. orange rind, top with thin strips of orange peel. 
• Cherry—substitute 3 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice for milk, add in 1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries.

From Russia With Love, Maybe: Chicken Kiev, A Ukranian Dish That's Like Chicken Cordon Bleu Which Isn't French; Confused? Me Too

I've had Chicken Kiev many times or so I thought. It looks a lot like the chicken served in many catering hall buffets and also popular with home caterers who might call it Chicken in Wine. I decided to make Chicken Kiev for diner tonight but when checking the ingredients I discovered that what I really was thinking of was more like Chicken Cordon Bleu. I also discovered that Chicken Kiev, a Ukrainian dish named after the capital of that country, might actually have been invented in Moscow. Представьте то!

To further confuse (mostly myself), I discovered Chicken Cordon Bleu is not named after the famous French cooking school but is actually American and is based on Chicken Kiev. Chicken Kiev is rolled and stuffed with garlic butter, then fried. Chicken Cordon Bleu is rolled and stuffed with cheese and ham then also fried. Cordon Bleu translates to Blue Ribbon. The Russian word at the end of the paragraph above means 'Imagine that!'

I decided to make up my own recipe and name it after my street, Edinboro Road. That way, someone might think it English or Scottish, further confusing would-be cooks. This was easy to make and I paired it with roasted red potatoes and salad greens, both very American!

Chicken Edinboro

Stuffed Rolled Chicken in a Lemon Butter Wine Sauce

Makes 9 pieces

3 large boneless chicken breasts, not pounded

1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced thin

1/2 Mozzarella, shredded 

Steamed fresh spinach with garlic and oil (recipe to follow)

2 cups bread crumbs

1egg

i cup milk

kosher salt and pepper to taste

canola oil for frying

Sauce:

1 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)

3 tablespoons butter

juice of one lemon

Directions

• Butterfly chicken pieces and divide into three parts of equal size
• Pound pieces so they are flat and tender
• Spoon 2 tablespoons shredded cheese, 1/2 slice of prosciutto, 2 steamed leaves of spinach
• Roll from one end as tight as possible
• Dip rolled chicken in egg and milk mixture
• Add salt and pepper to breadcrumbs, then coat with breadcrumbs(you might have to do this twice)
• Add to frying pan with heated oil, turned low, open side down.
• Fry until golden on both sides. Repeat with rest of pieces.
• Place the chicken in an oblong glass baking pan.
• Melt butter, add lemon juice and wine.
• Pour over chicken and bake for about a half hour or until bubbly.

Steamed Spinach With Garlic and Oil
Ingredients
1 large cello bag of fresh spinach
4 cloves garlic minced
olive oil

Directions

• Steam spinach in double boiler until wilted
• In pan, coat bottom with Olive oil, add garlic and cook until tender and golden
• Add steamed spinach and toss 'till coated

Candlepin Bowling, Fatbread Pizza: A New England Tradition; I Sink To New Lows; Alley...Oops!

Our family did something very New England-ish this weekend and, no, we didn't go to a Red Sox game. While visiting my son, daughter-in-law and two young grandsons, we went to a candlepin bowling alley in a town called Somerville, not far from Cambridge in Massachusetts. I'd never heard of this kind of bowling and was more than curious to see what it was all about.

Part of the reason New Yorkers are unaware of this sport is that it is found mostly in the Canadian Maritimes and New England states having been invented in Worcester, Ma. by a Mr. Justin White. In 1879, Mr. White inherited a bowling alley with pins that resembled broomstick handles and balls ranging in size from three to five inches. The game was not very compelling so the following year Justin increased the size of his new pins to twelve inches high with a two inch center tapering down to one inch on each end. The new game took off, and Justin began manufacturing the new pins for other alley owners. It was 1880, candlepin bowling came into it's own!

I looked up the rules to the game and they are lengthy but basically here is how we played: Each player gets three turns. Unlike regular bowling, the downed pins, if any (and in my case, not many!), are not cleared until the bowler is finished with his turn. The ball, about 5 inches in width and lightweight has no holes for fingers and is simply held in the palm. After each player's turn, a reset button clears and repositions the pins for the next one up. Bowling shoes are worn and because of the small ball size, it's a great game for kids.

The alley we went to was called Sacco's Bowl Haven and is run by the 4th generation of the Sacco family. Founded in 1939, the establishment is decorated in 'early warehouse' with a side order of '50s decor. Colorful globe pendants mimicking bowling balls hang from the exposed metal beams lighting the restaurant area and candlepin-style lights hang above the bowling area. Sacco's has recently added a Flatbread Pizza restaurant with table or alley service. The pizza was cooked in a brick oven right on the floor of the restaurant and was delicious. Appetizers, salads and desserts are also available.

I took a lot of photos only to discover that they were corrupted and not recoverable from my camera but I did find a few online images to use as illustrations. You might note I made no mention of the scores. After getting a spare my first time up, I suppose I got overconfident and subsequently sunk to new lows on almost every turn eventually coming in second to last just 3 points above my 3 year old grandson! I had a lot of fun, we all did, but I'll be looking for another sport to 'excel' in sometime soon!

The New York News Stand: R.I.P.; 'Coordinated Street Furniture' Replaces A Part of New York's Unique Architecture

Maybe it's because I worked in the newspaper business for twenty years or maybe it's just because it's a part of old New York that I love, but I am weirdly attracted to the old green shack-like newsstands that still dot some street corners of New York City. These newsstands have been around since the early part of the 20th century (maybe even earlier) and I'm sorry to report that their days are numbered. Since 2007, many of the newsstands have been replaced with steel and glass structures (a.k.a. 'coordinated street furniture') designed by a British Company called Grimshaw Architects and manufactured and installed by a Spanish company named CEMUSA. But more about that later.

The old stands grace many of New York's parks including Union Square, Central and Madison Square and in some of the outer boroughs (not Staten Island unfortunately) they may reside economically under the subway stairs perfectly positioned for workers or travelers going to and from the city. Some ooze charm, others are a bit on the seedy side like the one pictured above located on 7th Avenue in Chelsea but all are very much a part of the fabric of the city that I love.

CEMUSA Newstand

There must be almost a thousand items packed into these little kiosks: newspapers of course, but also magazines, candy, aspirin, grooming tools, Lotto, beverages, maps, books and nuts of every variety oftentimes including the proprietor of these compact 'corner stores'. There they stand, day in, day out, in good weather and bad, ready to dispense their wares and perhaps a bit of New York character to those who stop by.

I discovered not too long ago that a company called CEMUSA was responsible for replacing these newsstands, New York City bus  shelters and street toilets as well. The replacement project was started back in 2007 but here's the rub: you would think that an American company at least would have gotten the lucrative contract for these items but CEMUSA it seems is a Spanish company with an 'office ' in New York. And the architectural company responsible for the design is British!

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/newsstands3/newsstands3.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/nyregion/22furniture.html?_r=1

Back in July, I did a post about how our American homes are filled with items made in other countries, chiefly China. Recently, ABCs Diane Sawyer did a week-long special on the same subject. Possible presidential candidate and New York cheerleader-in-chief, Donald Trump, frequently brings up our increasing reliance on cheap imports while American factories and workers lay idle.

CEMUSA Bus Shelter

To be sure, the CEMUSA deal to provide America's largest city with sterile looking kiosks has been well documented but it bears mentioning again. Apparently a deal was struck with the city that the kiosks would be provided free of charge in exchange for the lucrative digital advertising that these structures are capable of. I wonder how that's working out?

http://gothamist.com/2011/01/31/who_is_in_charge_of_shoveling_bus_s.php

But seriously, isn't there an American company that might have been offered or given the same deal? Not only is it unbelievable that the kiosks with distinctive New York personalities are being replaced but that an American company isn't the beneficiary of the contract. I ask, where's the outrage?

I'll be sending this blog to Diane Sawyer, Donald Trump, Mayor Bloomberg and some other elected officials. If you feel strongly, I invite you to do the same. Check out  the attached links for some great photos and more information about the 'coordinated street furniture' project.

Retooling the Tool Box: Home Repair Instruments Have Scattered Over The Years; A Heavy Metal Reunion of Sorts

For two people who have our handyman on speed dial, my husband and I seem to have accumulated a lot of tools. We don't have one of those deluxe waist high tool chests like they sell in Sears or Home Depot but we have two standard sized tool boxes that have served us well over the years.

Now that I'm home, I've been doing a few chores that require a tool or two. I've discovered (and I take the blame here) that our tool collection has been scattered throughout the house (upstairs and down), the garage and the basement. I decided to see if I could organize them better to save time when looking for something to hang a picture with.

One tool box was in the basement, the other in the garage. I retrieved them both and emptied their contents onto a table. I washed and dried the boxes and then set about grouping the items.

Baby memories!

In some ways, it was like taking a trip down memory lane. One thirty-year-old pink ceramic drawer handle from our children's baby furniture, my husband's boy scout pen knife and a door bracket from when we removed our two daughters' bedroom door because they kept slamming it when they got angry, were among the items buried in the boxes.

My husband's boy scout pen knife.

I discovered we had quite a collection of hammers and screwdrivers, wrenches and those 'L' shaped allen wrenches that you get when you purchase furniture from Ikea. There were nails, screws, glues and washers, picture hangers and dry wall inserts. I plastic bagged almost everything that was small and though that's not a great solution, it will have to do until I organize the rest of the stuff. You see, the tool boxes are just a part of the complete collection. There are numerous plastic containers, unemptied bags from defunct hardware stores like Pergament and junk drawers full of miscellaneous tool items that will be added to the mix.

One of the IKEA allen wrenches.

But today was a start and it's nice to see the tool boxes looking almost like new. I now know where to go for a hammer, some nails and a pen knife in case I want to whittle my days away this summer. That won't happen but  sometimes playing with a little 'heavy metal' can make you feel great!