Sunday, April 26, 2009

A Literary Salon

I have always wanted to be a member of a literary salon. I am not just talking about an ordinary book club where lonely gals get together to drink wine and commiserate about their lives. I am talking about a salon like the ones hosted by the literati and their hangers on during the high periods of European culture. Often, the mistress of some powerful official or the wife of a professor would host the event. She would invite an interesting mix of educated men and women and they would sit around her salon, sipping on wine and puffing on cigarettes, and discuss the important topics of the day from the latest philosophy to the most scandalous politics. How delicious it must have been to be so completely intellectually stimulated and challenged.

Modern technology and our extremely busy schedules are increasing the isolationism in our country. People no longer gather to discuss and debate much of anything. I can’t even gather my girlfriends once a month for brunch! People no longer have time for a conversation. The newspapers are faltering, giving way to online sources, television spoof news, and info-blogs. Students were once at the forefront of the discussion, and yet, most that I meet know nothing of the headlines today. The average twenty-three minute network evening news consists of six minutes of sports, six minutes of weather, seven minutes of entertainment or local happenings, which leaves just two minutes for world news. I never bother watching anything but the weather. I read the New York Times and BBC World News online edition. I also check the Montreal Gazette and Le Monde at least once a week. But, I have no one to discuss it with. What good is news that cannot be shared or debated?

Putting my modern technology to good use, I found two interesting Meet Up groups in my area. The first one is a French club. It has 296 members and small groups meet several times a month. I’d like to give it a try. I need to practice my speaking and listening skills. I often have difficulty deciphering spoken French…it is so dang fast! The French meet up doesn’t have any scheduled meetings for May. The other group I have heard of before. The group was founded in 2004 and has nearly 200 members. It is poetically labeled the Socrates Café due to the philosophical nature of the discussions. That could be very interesting and very intellectually stimulating. The next meeting is on May 7th. I will plan on going to check it out. Hopefully, it will be just the thing to cure my craving.

Men, meet the telephone

I was having a bottle of wine with my girlfriends a few months ago and the conversation turned to men as it usually does. Of the four of us, one has a sexy boyfriend, one is sleeping with her single and very hot boss, one is on Match.com and I am playing the field with several men. Don’t get me wrong; we are all ok with our current situations to an extent. For example, Nina is dating a great guy that loves her, but he really never gives her what she wants. And her roomie is looking for love on Match but hasn’t found Mr. Right, or even Mr. Right now. I am dating several men, nothing too serious, and no one in particular. I refuse to settle for less than I want and none of these men have shown me that they have what it takes to be a great match for me. The one thing that all of these men have in common is that they DON’T CALL.
Some schools of thought say that they (the men) are just not that into us if they don’t call, but others say that Mars needs to be in control and Venus just needs to wait around for them and let them run the show. Modern women don’t like to sit around for any man to run the show, we just go after what we want and if they can’t handle that it is their problem! Men need to catch up and get in the new game. Or do they?
Personally, I have never been good at the dating game because; I am smart, educated, successful, and often impatient and don’t have time to sit around and wait for a man to get it together to pick up the phone and call me when it is convenient for them. What about that is convenient for me? I don’t like to play that game and if he doesn’t call there are other men lined up who may want to take me out to dinner or a show.
Now, granted, this tactic leads to a lot of first or second dates and nothing else…. but, I am also not waiting around pathetically for the phone to ring.
Why can’t guys get this message…Women hate waiting for your call…call us the next day if you are interested…because we are not going to wait around for long!!!!
We know you want to chase us and we know that you need the control but in a day and age when email takes less than a second and I can get my dry cleaning in 12 hours, I expect a guy to call me with in a few days. I am not going to wait for a telegram or the pony express to figure out if you are interested or not. It’s true, when you don’t call when you say you will, I do assume you are just not that into me and I say “well that was nice, but, NEXT!!!” So you lose and I may lose too. By the time you get around to figuring out if you are in to me I have moved on and we are both wondering what could have been.
So. Let me ask you all out there, why don’t men call and how long do women wait for a call?

Friday, April 17, 2009

Last night I went to Venice

One of my favorite restaurants in Denver is Venice on 17th and Wynkoop Street in LoDo. My friend, Mario is the GM. He always has a smile and a Limoncello for me at the end of my meal. In the summer, I frequent Venice for their amazing happy hour, which runs from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm weekdays. They have a roomy patio where I can have a glass of wine with a selection of small plates and watch the sunset as the bustling crowd rushes past. Their cuisine is classic northern Italian. It is always delicious and satisfying.

We started our meal with Champagne and Vongole “Canal Grande,” Manila clams with fresh tomatoes, baby arugula, roasted garlic, served with a marinara wine sauce. I enjoyed my favorite salad, Mozzarella Caprese, made from vine ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and Mediterranean dry oregano, drizzled with Tuscan olive oil. My friend decided on Insalata di Rucola e Pomodori with baby arugula, vine ripened tomatoes, Tropea onions, buffalo mozzarella, olives and Modena balsamic dressing.

We shared a bottle of the famed Castello Banfi Poggio all’Oro Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. The wine is produced only in excellent vintages. "Poggio all'Oro," translated as "Hill of Gold," is a single vineyard, 820 feet above sea level, particularly noted for its favorable microclimate, on the southern slopes of Montalcino. This wine has a gorgeous ruby red color with hints of violet. It has a lush bouquet, with black fruit and spice, complemented by tobacco, violet, and chocolate notes. On the palate, the wine is full bodied with a velvety mouthfeel and well structured with supple tannins and good acidity. It offers rich flavors of plums and cherries followed by a long finish with nuances of berries and spice. Delicious!

For my main course I decided on Anatra al Balsamico, a lovely dish of slowly roasted Petaluma duck breast stuffed with ricotta and fontina cheeses, glazed with a sweet Modena balsamic reduction sauce. It was amazingly rich and succulent. It was served with a side of creamy risotto. My friend selected the Scaloppine ai Capperi, which is veal scaloppine with capers, roasted artichokes and roasted garlic that is finished with a Pinot Grigio-lemon butter sauce.

For dessert we shared the incredibly decadent Mousse al Cioccolato with fresh raspberries and pistachio gelato. He sipped on Galliano and I finished with rich, earthy espresso.

Some of my other favorite dishes include the Risotto all’ Aragosta e Fragole made from
imported Italian rice, chunks of lobster, fresh strawberries and a creamy lobster sauce; the Pappardelle alla Veneziana made from wide pasta ribbons with prawns, clams, mussels, scallops, fresh tomatoes and finished with a light marinara sauce; and lastly, when I am looking for something light I choose Carpaccio dei “Sospiri” a thinly sliced filet mignon with baby artichokes, micro greens, capers, and shaved grana dressed with a light mustard-lemon dressing.


A few of the delectable entrées that appear as small plates on the extensive happy hour menu include Cappellacci di Zucca, a hat- shaped ravioli filled with butternut squash, walnuts & parmesan cheese with marinara sauce and sage& brown butter; Gnocchi alla Caprese, a dish of potato dumplings, fresh tomatoes, basil, fresh buffalo mozzarella and parmesan cheese; and Calamaretti Fritti al Pesto, which is flash-fried baby squid; served with a spicy marinara sauce and basil pesto.

Venice makes the most beautiful, traditional Italian desserts. I love Torta al Limone, a short paste dough filled with a lemon pastry cream, 
garnished with pine nuts and almonds and served with hazelnut gelato. The classic Tiramisu made with ladyfingers soaked in espresso and layered with 
mascarpone, cream and chocolate chips is fantastic. The Profiteroles al Cioccolato Bianco are filled with chantilly cream and covered with 
a white chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings.

A trip to Venice is always worth it, even if it is only for one evening!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

What’s New Pussycat

Is it possible to be in love with a song? I know it sounds silly, but I am smitten with a song. I first heard it when I watched Ocean’s 11 on the big screen. The movie pays homage to the glitzy Rat Pack days of Vegas when men wore tuxedos and ladies were ladies. The soundtrack for the film is peppered with Jazzy Bluesy instrumental pieces from a more sophisticated era. Naturally, I bought the movie and the soundtrack. In fact, I own all of the Ocean’s movies and their respective soundtracks. Each one is uniquely different yet they all have the same flavor. Thief movies are my favorite!

The song that has my heart, by Quincy Jones, is listed as “Blues in the Night” on the soundtrack. After doing a little bit of research on Quincy and the song, I found out that Quincy originally released the song in 1962 on an album called “Quincy Plays For Pussycats.” ITunes has the album, so I listened to each track. “Blues in the Night” is on the album but it is not the same song. The song I love is actually called, “What’s New Pussycat” which makes it even cooler in my book. Very glam, very early 60’s, very sexy.

From there, I looked for other, similar songs. There were several cool songs on “Quincy Plays For Pussycats” and a few other Quincy Jones albums from that era. I also looked into Henry Mancini who wrote many award winning soundtracks and theme songs for film and television. I stumbled on the original theme song for the Pink Panther Series. I love that song too.

I’ve put together a play list on my IPod that I labeled “Sexy.” It never fails to put a smile on my face. I walk to it, I dance to it, I clean to it, I relax to it; I love it. It makes me feel sexy, and mysterious, like I have a secret or a lover. I feel like I am a Cat Burglar or maybe a Showgirl. It’s a fun and scandalous little diversion from life.

What’s New Pussycat,
Blues in the Night,
The Stripper,
The Gentle Rain,
Edge of the World,
L’Appuntamento,
Crepuscolo Sul Mare,
Thé à la ménthe,
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,
Hot Child in the City,
Brass in Pocket,
Hot in the City,
Call Me,
Message of Love,
Rebel Yell,
Are You Gonna Be My Girl,
Can’t Get You Out of My Head,