Dinner reviews from our Casa SaltShaker evenings
“Grab your pig’s feet, bread, and gin, there’s plenty in the kitchen. I wonder what the poor people are eating tonight?” – Fats Waller, American jazz pianist and singer Almost six years ago, shortly after moving down here… oh wait, happy anniversary to me! Today is six years since the day I moved down here,… Read More The Platter of Little Feet
“BAAL, n. An old deity formerly much worshiped under various names. As Baal he was popular with the Phoenicians; as Belus or Bel he had the honor to be served by the priest Berosus, who wrote the famous account of the Deluge; as Babel he had a tower partly erected to his glory on the… Read More A Little Sun God in Winter
“The tango is a feeling that is danced. That’s why it is not choreographed, though it can have sequences, like all feelings. You can dance love, rage, happiness, pleasure, every mood. The tango is not a dance to demonstrate ability but rather an interpretation of feeling. It is not just moving your feet and posturing.… Read More The Tucson Tango
“Truth is the shattered mirror strewn in myriad bits; while each believes his little bit the whole to own.” – Robert Burton, 17th century English writer and clergyman Random notes…. When you have leftover par-cooked lasagna noodles, what do YOU do with them? I took a baking pan and put butter, brown sugar, raisins and… Read More Bits and Bites
I was going to put a quote from the Queen Mother, Norodom Monineath, of Cambodia, but if the internet is at all accurate, it seems the woman, who has been a Cambodian royal for 60 years now, speaks fluent Khmer, French and English, has never uttered a word in public. She smiles, she waves, she… Read More The Queen Mum’s BD
“The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including birds, reptiles, earthworms and some fish. This specialized stomach constructed of thick, muscular walls is used for grinding up food; often rocks are instrumental in this process. In certain insects and… Read More Chicken Nuggets
“Every painting I do is related to the last one: it may be a continuation of a previous painting or it may be a reaction against it.” – William Scott, artist In last week’s dinner writeup I laid out a little project for cherry-picking from some of my earliest dinner menus and coming up with… Read More The Early Years 2
“How do I explain this… well, way back in May of 1994, a few friends and I started getting together at my apartment for a monthly dinner. The company varied, though there were regular attendees. Over time, the group morphed this way and that, with the regulars slowly changing (though my friend Frank Rocca has… Read More The Early Years 1