Will the Real Saint Valentine Please Stand Up? A Holiday Where All You Need is Love

There used to be a game show show on TV called What's My Line. Running on CBS from 1950 to 1967, it has the distinction of being the longest running game show in the history of U.S. prime time TV. The show had three persons of some notoriety trying to stump a panel of celebrities. The panel would ask pointed questions in their attempt to root out the true person. At the conclusion the host would say "Will the real __________ please stand up."

Perhaps if he were alive, St. Valentine might have been a worthy guest on the game show for his real identity is a bit of a mystery. It appears that there are at least three different martyrs named Valentine all listed with a feast day of February 14th. Two appear to have lived and died in the second half of the third century, buried in Rome. The third Saint Valentine seems to have died in Africa. Confusing? Yes! According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the three contenders were a priest in Rome, a bishop in Terni and that third mysterious St. Valentine who met his end in Africa.

St. Valentine, the priest 
He lived around 270 AD in Rome and fell into disfavor of the Roman emperor Claudius II. Catholics and Protestants agree that he was beaten with clubs and eventually beheaded because he refused to renounce his faith. 

St. Valentine, the bishop
He was a bishop who held secret marriage ceremonies. These marriages were made to soldiers in opposition to Claudius II who believed that the best soldiers were unmarried soldiers. Claudius subsequently gave the order of execution for Valentine. Folklore says that just before he died, Valentine asked for a pen and paper from his jailer, and signed a farewell message to a friend signed "From Your Valentine,” a phrase that has lasted to this day.

St. Valentine, from Africa
Other than the fact that he died in Africa, not much else is known.

So February 14th became a day for all who love and Valentine became its Patron Saint. It began to be observed each year by young Romans who sent handwritten notes of affection, known as Valentines, to the women they admired. With the coming of Christianity, the day came to be known as St. Valentine's Day.

And then there's Cupid. Where does he fit in? In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love. Cupid is often said to be a boy who causes humans to fall in love by wounding them with his arrows. Cupid is often used to illustrate a Valentine card.

There was also a belief in Europe during the Middle Ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February. The day was dedicated to love and people wrote love letters, sending small gifts to the ones they loved. According to legend, Charles, duke of Orleans, sent the first real Valentine card to his wife in 1415, while imprisoned in the Tower of London. The first American Valentine's Day greeting cards were created by Esther A. Howland (right) a native of Worcester. Mass. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures. When Howland began Valentine's cards in a large scale the tradition really caught on in the United States.

The Catholic Church no longer officially honors St. Valentine.

Free Stuff, Part Deux: Cream Cheese. Breakfast Sausage From Pathmark and a Bagel or Two From Panera!

A couple of months ago I wrote about deals advertised on store receipts. These are traditionally supermarket receipts but have eked over into drug and department stores, food establishments and sometimes just on your computer. About three weeks ago I signed up for Pathmark Online Advantages (mentioned at the bottom of my weekly food receipt) through the Pathmark Supermarket website. Almost immediately I received an email with a coupon for a free cream cheese. Last week another came, this time for Brown & Serve Breakfast Sausage. From their website:

Introducing electronic coupons conveniently linked to your Pathmark Advantage Club Card so there's no more paper coupons to clip, print or carry.

The catch is the expiration day is quick, maybe three days to redeem, But hey, it's free, it shouldn't be that easy!
https://pathmark.zavers.com/login

Similarly, a couple of weeks ago, the cashier at our local Panera Bread store where I occasionally purchase a bagel and soda, alerted me to their new Panera card. This one comes with a plastic key chain token like ones from drug store and supermarket chains. Just for signing up I was offered a pastry. Maybe a week later I earned my choice of an espresso or smoothie followed as the weeks progressed by a free bagel, free soda, a dollar off my order, another espresso an now I have $1.00 off on any of their breads waiting for me to redeem....a great deal!

What I like about Panera (in addition to their rewards cards) is the staff and atmosphere. We have two Paneras on Staten Island and both have workers who are friendly and efficient. The bakery-cafes are generally immaculate with classical, soothing background music. I notice a lot of business people holding meetings, making calls or using the Internet available in the store and I like the fact that the Panera chain is tolerant of this.
http://www.mypanera.com/home.php

I'm sure most of us who use the Internet to shop get discount emails all of the time. They can get annoying but many times there's a great deal lurking behind the hyped-up come ons. Snapfish sent me one yesterday that would give me a $25.00 restaurant card if I spend $5.00 on photos. Not clear which restaurants are included so I'm mulling that offer over.

If I come across any others, I'll do a follow-up report.

I'm Stuck On You: A Valentine's Day Project You Can Make By Hand; Pincushions To Love and Cherish

Before I left my job, I was lucky enough to score a copy of Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts. It's a 400 page beautifully photographed and illustrated book that comes with a CD with printable full sized patterns, templates and easy instructions. Many of the projects interested me but one in particular seemed perfect to do while watching TV and I'm just getting around to it.

Making a pincushion involves a small bit of fabric, needle, thread, embroidery thread and scraps of  ribbon, felt, contrasting fabric or buttons. There is lots of room for creativity here, there is no wrong way to construct your pincushion.

The other day I mentioned some sites that I like. One of them was Schmaltzy Craftsy,  created by a woman who seems to have dedicated her life to making beautiful pincushions. OK, that's a bit dramatic but she certainly corners the market on the small fluff-filled pin depositories.

Here's my step-by-step for making a small pincushion, a perfect, thoughtful Valentine for a friend or family member. I mean seriously, who doesn't love a pincushion?




If you didn't take a minute to check out that website...here it is again.

http://schmaltzycraftsy.com/


Instructions:

Instructions:

• Cut a rectangle out of fabric on the bias 3 inches x 6 inches.
• Sew ends together on to form a ring.
• With double thread, use a running stitch at ends to gather into a tight circle.
• Stuff before closing one end, forming a ball.
• Using six-ply embroidery thread to make 5 tucks, almost like the lines of a tomato, running the thread through the center of he ball. Secure with a tight knot.
• Cut a small circle out of felt or use a button to cover raw end on bottom. Sew in place
• Cut a larger circle of felt, make a rosette or use a large button or pom pom to cover top raw edge. Glue or sew in place

Punxsutawney Phil, Staten Island Chuck: I Think I Love You; Spring Is In .....The Stores? Green Acres Is The Place To Be

What a difference a week makes: My weather beaten jockey

is looking a little more hopeful.

Back in October I was incensed (that might be a bit strong....maybe incredulous) that JC Penney's had Christmas decorations in their stores mid-October. So incredulous that I wrote a blog about it. Couldn't we just enjoy Halloween, I asked?

Earlier today I was in 'The Christmas Tree Shop'. Valentine's Day merchandise was difficult to find. St. Patrick's Day wares were in full display but what startled me was the amount of Easter, spring and yes, even patriotic summer products were in abundance throughout the store!

What surprised me most though was my reaction to rushing the winter season, somehow I am all for it!

Daffodils peek out from the warmer nether world.

Who isn't sick of winter at this point? All across our country this winter has been wicked, disrupting our lives, breaking our backs, causing accidents vehicular and personal. While I resented displacing autumn I was suddenly all for shoveling winter aside. 

When I left my house this morning I noticed a patch of grass on my front lawn which I hadn't seen since December 26th. It was green, a glorious green! I also noticed daffodil buds (probably not a good thing) peeking through the soil in a garden area nearby The stalwart jockey who stands guard at my front door was free and clear of snow. Perhaps I should remove the Christmas bow?

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's grass!

This is a short entry. I'm not going to get my hopes up only to have them dashed next week when a snow storm might once again blanket our area. But I do believe that the groundhogs might be right this year and I'm placing my faith in their expertise. 

I'm going to start planning my Fourth of July party tonight!

New York Jets Not in the Super Bowl? Let Us Eat Cake! A Tart That Will 'Steel' Your Heart; Who Won the Game?

Yesterday, like most other Americans, we attended a Super Bowl party. Hosted by friends despondent over the New York Jets loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they countered by throwing a 'super' bash attended by friends and family. Group therapy is always a good idea.

Guests were asked to bring dessert and I seized the opportunity to try out a recipe held over from the summer. Back in July of 2004, Martha Stewart Living magazine had a section devoted to tarts. I saved all of the recipes and this past August was going to make a Plum Tart handsomely illustrated in the issue. Instead, yesterday, I opted for another called Red Grape Tart (originally Fig and Grape) since some very ripe grapes were in the process of fermenting in my refrigerator.

The recipe is in three parts, not especially difficult, but taking the better part of an hour to assemble not counting required refrigerator time. In the end it was delectable, picturesque, very 'continental' and loaded with calories ... but what a way to go. Marie Antoinette would be proud!

My friends suggested, and I concur, that other fruit could be substituted: peaches, plums, apricots or the original figs....in season of course, but the red grapes were a pleasant surprise and quite tasty. Since Super Bowl Sunday is over and summer still a bit away, try this for Valentines Day. Nothing says love like three sticks of butter!

You'll need an oblong tart pan with a removable bottom available in most cooking stores.

Pate Sablee
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
4 and a half teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Mix butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add vanilla, then flour and salt on low speed until crumbly.
• Do not over mix.
• Pat the dough into a flat circle and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Almond Frangipane
Ingredients
1 cup blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons reserved
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Put toasted, cooled nuts in food processor with three tablespoons sugar until finely ground.
• In separate bowl, mix butter and remaining 1 cup of sugar and cream until pale and fluffy.
• Add whole egg and yolk, missing for two minutes more.
• Add nut mix, vanilla and salt, mixing for another three minutes.
• refrigerate until ready to use.

Red Grape Tart
Ingredients
pate Sablee pastry (above)
1 cup almond frangipane (above)
1 cup sweet ripe red grapes halved
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions For Assembling Tart

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Press dough into a 4 inch by 14 inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom ( do not butter pan).
• Refrigerate 10 minutes, then trim dough to make it flush with pan.
• Refrigerate another half hour.
• Bake 20-25 minutes until crust is golden. Remove from oven and pat dough in middle to create a well or pocket in which to place the Almond mix. Cool for ten minutes.
• Spread I cup of the Frangipane in the pocket covering the entire bottom.
• Press red grapes throughout.
• Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden for about 45 minutes.
• Cool on rack, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

The original recipe called for the tart to be served with Gorgonzola Dolce, a sweet Italian cheese, but I decided against it since I didn't have any. The extra frangipane can be frozen for up to a month. The host and hostess luckily had some whipped cream and another guest provided ice cream. Both are nice complements to this very European dessert.

In A Miami State of Mind; SoBe, NoBe? Collins Avenue From Top To Bottom

My sister and I in Miami, Easter 1957, sporting our pink check dresses 

made by our mother, straw hats, white gloves and saddle shoes!

During our recent winter sojourn to the Miami area (actually a bit north of Miami in Aventura) I opted to take a ride on the local 'S' bus that took me from the Aventura Mall (truly the 8th 'Wonder of the World', conveniently located in south Florida) to South Beach, Miami, 'SoBe' to the natives. The forty-five minute trip cost only $2 but allowed for a comfortable ride downtown past many hotels and condos, historic, new, glitzy and kitschy that dot Collins Avenue from about 192nd Street to Lincoln Road in the heart of South Beach.

My family had vacationed there in 1957 and I had some vague memories of Miami and its grandness and wondered how much still existed or if it was just a fantastical childhood memory. But when I got off the bus at the corner of Collins Ave. and Lincoln Rd. I found myself in deco-paradise and of course immediately had a million questions about the history of the area as I greedily snapped photos of historic hotel signs. Actually referred to as the Historic Art Deco District, South Beach contains the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s resort architecture in the world when Miami was being developed as a tropical playground for the rich and famous. It was all a bit 'fantastical' and I was enchanted.  My photos follow with a brief description and history of the properties.

The Sherbrooke Hotel on Collins Avenue was built in 1915 and has a futuristic facade with porthole windows in some rooms and deco-style metal railings. Winner of the 2004 Barbara Baer Capitman Award For Excellence In Historic Preservation.








Tiffany Hotel is now named The Hotel (after protests from a jewelry company of the same name), though the Tiffany name still remains on a tall spire atop the hotel. Recently renovated with a rooftop pool and Spire Bar.

Royal Hotel is a 1938 gem revamped by world-famous designer Jordan Mozer, adding a modern take to the Streamline Moderne architectural design. With it's marble floors, tiled bathrooms, down bedding and of course modern amenities like Internet access the Royal was featured in the 2001 edition of "Cool Hotels" and "The Best Designed Hotels in North and South America."

The Hotel Shelley constructed in 1936 is located on Collins Avenue in South Beach, Miami. A bed-and-breakfast hotel with deco-styled furniture and a veranda faces lively Collins Avenue. There's an open bar on the beach every night.








Stardust Apartments is a historical Art Deco building located is the heart of the Art Deco District of SoBe. This property gets the 'kitschy' award (by me!). Best part....it's cheap!

The Blue Moon Hotel was named after the Rogers and Hart ballad by Merv Griffin, a former owner. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Blue Moon is a combination of two smaller hotels and features hand-painted terrazzo floors and arched Mediterranean windows.






The finial tower on the Essex House Hotel on Collins Avenue tops an original 1938 Art Deco hotel authentically restored in nautical moderne, with porthole windows and racing stripes along its sides. The tower spells out Essex in neon and in its day lured many to to the hotel including Al Capone and his friends who played cards in a game room off the lobby.

The Hotel Astor is a renovated boutique hotel on Washington Avenue in South Beach. It boasts the original 1936 Vitrolite wall panels blended with contemporary style and '30s elegance.

The Royal Palm Hotel is another historical art deco hotel with modern amenities on Collins Avenue with beach front access and many rooms with ocean view.

On Collins Avenue Loews Miami Beach Hotel opened in 1998. Loews combines a new 17-story tower with the 60-year-old St. Moritz hotel, fully restored to original Art Deco splendor. Everything is on a grand scale. Built in 1939, the St. Moritz is one of the most exotic hotels in Miami. Architecturally the hotel combines modernism, cubism, futurism with geometrical forms in the Persian and Egyptian style.




The Sagamore was created in 1923 it had nine rooms are housed in the renovated structure of the former Hollywood Athletic Club.

Built in 1947 by architect Robert Swartburg The Delano was purchased in 2009 and its new owners have plans to expand the hotel scheduled for completion next year. The hotel's tower has four wings and is one of the tallest buildings in the area. The Delano was the first hotel in America with an indoor and outdoor lobby.

The Shelborne opened on December 28, 1940. Back then an Oceanfront Penthouse rented for $15 per day from December through June 1941. Well known bandleader, Chet Brownagle and his orchestra played at the opening of the hotel.

Heading back to Aventura I passed many other Miami properties including the
Fontainebleau Hotel (originally designed by legendary architect Morris Lapidus)
where my family stayed or visited back in the late 50s. I remember walking poolside while a
fashion show featuring bikinis, shocking and new then, had my mother whisking us out of there
fast either to protect our virtue or my father's! Wolfie's, a favorite restaurant of ours, is closed.

In 1979 Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Le Scoop About Le Tub; Burgers Recommended By Oprah Are Magnifique! A Bucket List Item Kicks The Bucket

The kitchen at Le Tub. 
Photo courtesy of Vicki F. from Portland, Maine.

If you ever watched the movie "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman you might have been inspired to compose your own.  A 'bucket list' for the uninitiated, is a list of things to do before you die. Depressing? I suppose, but not if you carry out your list's goals as you meander through life not expecting to kick the bucket anytime soon.

A couple of years ago on 'Oprah', Gail King (Oprah's best friend if you didn't already know) raved about her favorite hamburger joint in America.  Le Tub, located in Hollywood, Florida, is a beachy-styled hut situated along the Intracoastal Waterway at 1100 North Ocean Drive. This week found us in Florida, not too far away.

So last evening, armed with a GPS, four hungry northerners spending their last warm day in Southern climes before heading back to the arctic circle (seriously, not exaggerating!!), decided to pay Le Tub a visit and check off an item that was on the lower end of my personal bucket list.

Le Tub is indeed a shack (a shack with a tub or two), reminding me of a flat Swiss Family Robinson Tree House or a structure the Gilligan's Island castaways might have constructed had more driftwood washed ashore during their stay on the deserted island.

Water at Le Tub is 

self-serve in coolers like this.

Founded around 1975, the restaurant with its acclaimed bountiful burgers appears on many 'best hamburger joint' lists and the honor is well deserved. The fries were some of the best I've ever had and an order of succulent jumbo shrimp bathed in Old Bay was a delightful appetizer. We also liked the self-service, self-effacing water coolers located in several nooks throughout the meandering restaurant. Handmade picnic tables for dining, with toilet bowls, bathtubs and hand painted signs spotted throughout, are an indication that dressing up for dinner would be a fashion faux pas despite the establishment's fancy french name. Multi-colored Christmas lights and a pool table complete the decor. You get the picture?

The decor at Le Tub.

In addition to the burgers, our waitress recommended the barbecued pork sandwich and there are a variety of other dishes available. Key lime pie is the lone dessert and though it's a favorite of mine, I was way too full to consider it.

Hollywood, a planned 'dream town' and one of the most populous cities in the state, is probably most famous for it's beautiful oceanside hotel and condominium facilities and numerous shopping centers but I do believe that this one-of-a-kind burger shanty has put Hollywood on the map for the epicurean set.