Monthly Archives: July 2013

Lang Lang at Ravinia

Posted on July 28, 2013 by steve

Chinese pianist Lang Lang rose to fame with his first performance at Ravinia in 1999, when he was just 17, as a last minute substitution. He returned this year for his 12th Ravinia appearance. It was a cool night for … Continue reading →

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Peach, Brie and Bacon Pizza

Posted on July 26, 2013 by steve

Thanks to Kara for bringing this recipe to my attention! It was fabulous. If served to me blind, I don’t think I could have identified the ingredients, they meshed so well. Ingredients 1 lb pizza dough Flour 2 Tbsp extra … Continue reading →

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Smoke House Garlic Bread

Posted on July 24, 2013 by steve

For years I’ve been trying to duplicate the amazing garlic cheese bread served at the Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank, California. Tonight I finally did it. The secret is to make up a paste and spread that on the bread. … Continue reading →

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Why Are Concerts So Loud?

Posted on July 24, 2013 by steve

I’ve never been to a concert that wasn’t too loud. But last night’s One Republic concert set records. Even though we always wear earplugs, our front row edge seats were right in front of the sub woofer, and we were … Continue reading →

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Easy Salmon Cakes

Posted on July 24, 2013 by steve

I’m not a fan of crab cakes, which I usually find boring. A lot of places brag about “very little filler,” but I actually think the filler is the only thing that makes them interesting. So I was skeptical of … Continue reading →

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Oil Painting Class

Posted on July 19, 2013 by steve

I took a one week break from my sculpture classes to attend a five day oil painting class taught by Ken Minami. Each day we spent the morning drawing and he afternoon painting. I leaned to use gray paper and … Continue reading →

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Bisquick Coffee Cake

Posted on July 14, 2013 by steve

  Since Bisquick isn’t the most healthful stuff in the world, I hadn’t had it in about ten years, but got in the mood to make some waffles. That reminded me of the delicious coffee cake we used to make. … Continue reading →

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Quinoa and Mango Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

Posted on July 12, 2013 by steve

I heavily modified this, and have modified it more since testing it. Quinoa and Mango Salad: 1 cup quinoa 1/2 cup lentils Water to cook quinoa and lentils 1 container of fresh mango from Whole Foods (slicing mangos is a … Continue reading →

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Vegetable Ceviche

Posted on July 9, 2013 by steve

This salad was billed as “Vegetable Ceviche” in a vegetarian magazine I was reading, and it sounded good. It actually does taste quite a lot like ceviche. I used completely different vegetables than they did, however. Ingredients juice of 3 … Continue reading →

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Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty at Ravinia

Posted on July 5, 2013 by steve

For the Fourth of July Dani and I took the Metra up to Ravinia Park for dinner and a concert, rather than watch the Evanston fireworks from her balcony. The timing on the train worked out pretty well, because we … Continue reading →

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