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mermaidcamp

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Penca, Downtown Tucson

September 8, 2014 — 1 Comment

Our Sunday brunch today was exciting new and different. We went downtown to Penca, a restaurant we have been wanting to try.  We both loved our experience and want to return very soon and often.  The cuisine is labeled Mexico City style, but it is also a very fine example of fresh combinations and very artful mixology.  Our favorite Mexican restaurant in Tucson burned to the ground a few months ago, so we have been hunting for a new one.  Penca wins for many different reasons.  The decor is post industrial modern with as much of the old building in tact as possible for style.  The design successfully tells you that the place has a unique flavor and point of view.  It is refreshing after so many meals in the corny Mexican restaurant decor with pictures of parrots and Javier Solis. (not that I want to get rid of that forever).  The open kitchen also sends the smells of the kitchen wafting through the space in just the right way to make you hungry.

The restaurant is housed in a building that was once owned by the Graham Truck Company.  The brick openings  still visible on the walls are large enough for vehicles to pass.  The  designer did a great job of keeping the industrial feel with plenty of metal features.  I particularly love the swiveling doors that can create privacy in an area in the back for parties or events.  The mural on the wall is the street view of the building in the past.  They warm up the room and the acoustics by using wood for tables, walls and the bar.  It feels spacious because the ceilings are high.  The exposed duct work becomes a design element and sets a modern tone.

We arrived before the crowd arrived and therefore had very personal service.  The chef dropped by our table to chat, which was fun and informative.  He let me know that the dish I had ordered, the corn cakes with chalula butter and jalapeño syrup with a side of 2 eggs and some black beans, was his favorite on the menu.  He also told me to get a side of Chalula to add to the flavor.  This was the perfect suggestion for me because although the butter had some heat, and the syrup also, the complete sweet and heat balance was brought out by using that extra hot sauce.  I loved the whole thing. Bob had to help me finish after he enjoyed his own pork hash breakfast.

One reason we favor this as our new Mexican restaurant is the creativity at the bar.  When I was first told about the place my friend mentioned the tepache, a pineapple drink with a slight fermentation that is made in house and used in some of the cocktails. I ordered a bourbon and tepache, the preparation of which you can see here below.  The flavors were really intricate, including the bitters sprayed on the top, making it both pretty and giving a distinct bitter note to the first few sips.  They also make their own shrubs, and a pineapple shrub (they refer to it as pineapple vinegar) was used in my drink as well.  Bob reported that the Bloody Mary he had with his has was spicy and went perfectly with his food.  This is a pleasant departure from the usual margaritas and mojitos.  We are planning to go back again soon early on Sunday to repeat this super dining delight.  I want to try the tacos, and Bob wants to have the corncake special.  Compared with places we dine with similar gourmet offerings, the pricing at Penca is generous.  We were pleasantly surprised at the bill and I had to take my beans home because we both were so full.  If you enjoy delicious food and inventive bar service, try Penca.

 

Cutting Losses-Unexpected Twists of Fate

September 6, 2014 — 1 Comment

I like to be very punctual. It is polite, which is fine, but if one has a few extra minutes to compose oneself in any venture rather than rush, the odds improve. Leaving only the bare minimum of time for preparations of any kind seems foolish to me. I think I developed these beliefs while doing a lot of traveling around the world. There are always some unexpected time suckers in each mode of travel. In airports we are helpless if our flight is cancelled or delayed. In a car traffic can stop us in our tracks on the road. Sometimes we have no other option and must endure wasting time or spending it in ways we abhor. Today I count myself as lucky even though I have postponed a trip I looked forward to taking that will not be available again for 8 months.

We had reserved a place on the Grape Train, a wine tasting moonlight train ride on the Verde Valley Railroad. We were excited and ready to go when we found the battery in my car to be dead. I have a BMW, so the battery is hidden under the back seat and the replacement battery is not carried by everyone. We fiddled around with the car for a while, then went to a car rental agency, determined to save the weekend plans. I now feel fortunate that this agency had a very odd system that involved doing the paperwork on 5 or 6 clients before anyone was given a car. We had been processed, but as we waited for the car we did some math. We asked ourselves “What is the very last minute we can leave here and make the train on time?” We reached the conclusion that it was already the last minute, and after all this anxiety we still could miss our departure at the train depot. We thanked the inefficient clerk and cancelled the rental. It was a favor, a blessing in disguise. If they had rushed us into a rental car we would have rushed home, grabbed the bags and hit the road. By showing us what could go wrong right out of the gate, at the rental agency, these good folks saved us a high anxiety drive through Arizona with possibly disastrous results.

The moral of this story is about time. The entire drive might have turned out to be a waste of time.  I called the train company and was given an entire year to use the tickets I purchased. I also let the landlady know we were not going to be staying with her tonight and she offered to give us the night if we come later and stay for 2 nights at her place. The only “lost” money was a booking fee from Air bnb, which is fair and reasonable. I also think that we will enjoy staying for 2 nights in Clarkdale and doing the train ride when the fall colors have begun.  We were poised to have a high anxiety rush, and now we will have plenty of time at home, and after the car battery mystery has been solved we can take a more leisurely trip.  Thank you, car rental company that shall not be named, for saving our weekend plans!!

Fall Food Fiesta, Pears

September 5, 2014 — 2 Comments

bartlett pears

bartlett pears

Peak Pear season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier.  These Bartletts will be perfect to slice and bake with brie and port wine for an evening bite. We have that simple combination a few times during the season with different varieties as they ripen.   The versatility of pears makes them good from breakfast until midnight snack.

Very simple pear preparations include:

If you want to do some special baking pears will enhance pastries, cakes and other desserts:

Don’t for get the cocktail hour:

Pears keep well so we will have them all winter from different parts of the country.  I hope you will enjoy the season as much as we do at our house.  What are your favorite ways to eat pears? Do you have a favorite variety?  Mine is Comice, very hard to transport, but worth the effort if you can find them.  Bon appetite!!

Elena DeNazzi, Tenth Great-grandmother

September 4, 2014 — 5 Comments

My 10th great-grandmother was born near Venice and died in London. Her husband was a musician from a musical family hired by Henry VIII to play and compose music in court. She and her husband were probably Jewish in origin.  She is buried in All Hallows Barking, a very old church in London.

Elena DeNazzi (1515 – 1571)
is my 10th great grandmother
Lucreece Lucretia Bassano (1556 – 1632)
daughter of Elena DeNazzi
John Thomas Lanier (1631 – 1719)
son of Lucreece Lucretia Bassano
Sampson Lanier (1682 – 1743)
son of John Thomas Lanier
Elizabeth Lanier (1719 – 1795)
daughter of Sampson Lanier
Martha Burch (1743 – 1803)
daughter of Elizabeth Lanier
David Darden (1770 – 1820)
son of Martha Burch
Minerva Truly Darden (1806 – 1837)
daughter of David Darden
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Minerva Truly Darden
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor

Elina DE NAZZI died on 23 Sep 1571 in All Hallows By The Tower, London, England. She was born in Bassano Del Grappa, Italy

BIOGRAPHY: Elina (Ellen) was the daughter of Beneditto de Nazzi. She was born in Venice, Italy, probably as that is where she married Anthony Bassano on Aug. 10, 1536. He stayed there until their daughter, Angelica was born In Nov. of 1537. One can not help but wonder about the name of their daughter. At least three of the brothers named daughters, Angelica, Angell and Angela, possibly indicating that could be the name of their mother. BIOGRAPHY: Beneditto de Nazzi is considered to possibly be a Jewish name because Nasi or Nasis means ‘leader’ or ‘prince’ in Hebrew. So this makes both families Bassano and de Nazzi probably Jewish.

What Terrifies You?

September 3, 2014 — 6 Comments

Terror is the new leisure.  We have become so accustomed to the word being used all over the world to describe atrocities, political take overs, and now the rising stars of the terror world, ISIS.  The meaning has become scattered and diluted, so now that real sociopathic mobs roam the desert with intent to do massive destruction we have no new way to describe what they do.  We have allowed fear and loathing to become part of everyday living.  While I am personally glad I am not in a position to direct military or political policy I do see a reason for declaring exactly what we are doing (besides fear and loathing) with our military might.  When war is actually declared there is incentive to negotiate peace and end the war.  By free styling war with no declarations we have gathered new enemies and spread distrust all over the globe.  I have objected and protested publicly against war since I was a teenager, but in all that time the government has never had the guts to declare one.  We are just participating in one huge covert operation that changes frequently and irrationally as we become less popular.

John McCain and I have never agreed before and will not be likely to do so in the future.  I usually think my Senator from Arizona is a paranoid militaristic dweeb with too many houses.  If a bunch of violent punks can declare themselves to be a sovereign nation and run rampant over rule of law the United States needs to declare SOMETHING!!!  Are we bullies?  Are we cowardly?  Are we completely out of touch with reality? I think yes to all of the above questions.  I personally think this is more than a decisive moment in history.  It is  pivotal now to stop this armageddon warm up before momentum takes us to a new world order that we can’t imagine.

What terrifies me is the idea that our government is full of self serving and dishonest people who have no will to act. I am not naming any names because there is no individual responsible.  It is a culture that tells us to “support our troops” without telling us what those troops are really doing and why.  Going to war is serious business, but going straight to hell because we won’t declare war or peace terrifies me.

 

 

Floatli for All Seasons

September 1, 2014 — 1 Comment

I like to work out in both the warm and cool water in the morning.  If I go early the pool is in the shade, which my skin requires for happy water dancing.  The warm jacuzzi is perfect with the steps and handle for my long stretches and yoga postures.  The ladder in the deep end of the big pool provides similar advantages.  Not featured in the video here is the full set of steps with a handrail in the sallow end.  There are endless stretches and sun salutation variations that can be done when you have steps.  Each pool has its advantages.   Some pools and bodies of water have dangerous safety issues to consider.  A water movement routine can take advantage of all depths of water and all architectural features that are safely installed.  In nature you can use the tide or the current to your advantage if you are careful and have a clear understanding.

I am very lucky to have such a warm climate and pools that suit my purposes right at home.  In the winter our community pool is not heated, but the large jacuzzi is, so I can still enjoy a stretchy warm water work out at all times of the year.  My body is used to this kind of large movement in water and starts to miss it if I am away for very long.  The only places I like better than my own pools at home are hot springs pools.  My idea of pure bliss is to Floatli for hours in a mineral hot spring with a nice view.  Glenwood Springs, Colorado comes to mind.  I also love Desert Hot Springs, California. Euro hot springs resorts are the bomb.  Where do you like to go in the water, Gentle Reader? Do you have a pool, beach or lake near your home? How do you like to enjoy the water?

The Spa Spy

August 31, 2014 — 6 Comments

Spa Lady logo

Spa Lady logo

My business cards are running low so I have thought how I would like to edit the next batch I order.  I do love my logo that I had designed many years ago, but the way I work now and want to work in the future has changed.  I still love spas and travel, but am much more moderate about the amount of time I want to spend away from my home now.  I have not taught at a destination spa for ten years and I have no desire to resume any teaching like that.  I have been enjoying learning to blog and communicate in new ways in order to spread my talents and my message.  I still am a big believer in water immersion and bodywork as a restorative feature of holiday merriment.  I no longer have any need of classes all day and a competitive program to follow in an all-inclusive package.  I don’t need instruction to make good use of a gym, pool or a steam room. I am an expert at all of that.  I appreciate good teaching but now prefer to study in short spurts, doing workshops with teachers I truly admire over a one size fits all health curriculum.  I now like an a la carte approach to my own health.

This has made me think about my very first job in the spa industry which was not a paid position.  I was a swimming teacher and also taught aquatics and studio fitness classes at a local health club.  I was invited to Canyon Ranch in Tucson to meet one of my travel clients and deliver a ticket to her (airline tickets were on paper and very valuable, if you remember). She took me to a class in which I was invited to participate.  During the class the teacher, who was the fitness director, danced over and asked me if I wanted a job.  I said no.  After class I spoke to her and she made me an offer I did not refuse, which was to be a spy in the pool classes.  There had been complaints and she wanted to have a person take the classes and evaluate them.   This dandy offer came with no strings attached.  I went to 3 or 4 pool classes a day and wrote a short evaluation of them for the office.  If the teacher was very bad I had a talk with that instructor about improving the class, but never wrote them up to be as bad as they were.    If they did not improve, then I did make the report more negative.  The rest of my busy spa day was spent in the steam room, taking classes or getting discount body work.  I was really good at that job and added value to the operation while taking from it exactly what I desired at the time.  Later I went on the payroll, which I think was a big mistake.  I liked spying much better than working and going to meetings.

I think I have particular specialized knowledge that is useful to anyone operating a spa, and that I am going to launch a service called The Spa Spy.   I will offer to do an evaluation based on the needs of the client spa.  I can bring the spa director new perspectives, most importantly that of the customer.  Secret shoppers help retailers narrow down and eliminate problems in stores.  Since spas depend a lot on energetic and emotional elements it is even more important to find out how a customer who is not known to the staff is treated.  I can provide valuable feedback about in house rumors and attitudes…always easy to extract during a one hour service.  It is the easiest thing in the world to get the dish on how the staff feels about management during a spa treatment. My vast experience as a travel agent as well as a spa instructor makes me uniquely qualified to provide this service.  My next card will have a revision.  She will undergo a makeover..and become The Spa Spy….same classy lady, new services offered.  What do you think, Gentle Reader?  Do you own a spa and wonder what is really going on there?

Cameras, Corruption, and Cops

August 28, 2014 — 5 Comments

Well, as through the world I’ve rambled, I’ve seen lots of funny
men
Some rob you with a sixgun, some with a fountain pen- Woody Guthrie

I have been advocating for cameras on cops because it makes sense. Even if you don’t think the police are corrupt you must agree that getting evidence straight is a boon to justice. There is a petition being circulated by citizens who are demanding that all cops be wired with cameras when on duty.  I think it is essential to somehow regain respect for local law enforcement, but many of us have direct experience of cops wildly abusing their power.  My neighborhood has a fake neighborhood watch for the sole purpose of willfully denying crime.  This has lowered our quality of life for years and certainly lowered our opinion of the Tucson Police Department.  It seems that they apply for grant money by gathering signatures and submitting them to some agency claiming that they are doing some kind of relationship building or neighborhood policing.  It does not matter if the signatures are all gathered from folks who are committing heavy duty crimes against their neighbors, or that the cops refuse to respond to citizens reporting those crimes (for years).  They support these corrupt activities with Federal grant funding because it is so easy to defraud the funding agency.  Cops never expect to be investigated and act accordingly.

While I am also saddened by the loss of life and violent deaths of innocent citizens at the hands of cops, I believe that corrupt cops do more financial damage than we can imagine.  I think every word that comes out of  an on duty cop’s mouth must be recorded for everyone’s benefit.  The police departments using the camera system report a huge drop in complaints about the force, so I don’t know why they would resist this idea of recording what they do while they are on salary.  The people with the most potential to damage public trust in the police are the cops who interact with the public “informing” us.   Delivering highly edited and mendacious information is not the same as communicating with the public.  Communication is not a one way street.  Both parties have valid positions in communication.  Both parties are honest in ethical conversations.  In order for the public to have ethical conversations with police we need back up and evidence that protects us…the citizens.  We know cops protect and serve themselves, but I want them to start to protect and serve the public with the same zeal.  I do not think this will naturally occur.  Please sign the petition and communicate with the White House on this important issue.  It would be great to be able to trust the cops.

 

 

Fall Food Fiesta, Grapes

August 27, 2014 — 3 Comments

Thomcord grapes

Thomcord grapes

I look forward to all the changes of seasons, but fall makes me think about food and the farm.  My grandfather grew concord grapes on his farm in Arkansas.  He sold his crop to Welch’s but we had plenty to eat, juice and make jelly.  My grandmother had a farm kitchen with everything in super large industrial sizes.  She milked the cow and sometimes when I was young she even made butter in a churn.  That was some kind of demonstration for me, because she could.  Jelly production involved a mountain of grapes and a giant sieve to strain the solids.   I have strong memories of their farm, but my favorite part by far was the grape vineyard.  My love of concord grapes has never left me.  Of all the fruits I think it will always be the one I wait for and want the most.  This may also be because living in Arizona I can’t get my hands on very many and the season goes fast.  I am happy that I have found a variety known as Thomcord at  Safeway early in the season.  This small seedless table grape is reminiscent of the concord deep flavor, but without the seeds and the slip skin.  It is like concord light.   I rather like the slip skin, but I am fond of the way I can eat these non stop.  I like to snack on all kinds of grapes, but there are some extra cool ways to use them in cuisine and at the bar too.

The seedless varieties are less intense in flavor but lend themselves well to:

I would use the real concord with seeds and full flavor for the perfect versions of:

I am looking forward to some deep purple cocktails this season:

What are your favorite varieties of grapes and how do you like to use them?  I always love learning new customs and recipes.

 

Season of the Witch

August 26, 2014 — 1 Comment

When September sends kids back to school everyone starts to prepare for winter holidays.  I was at the grocery store yesterday and saw the entire seasonal section ready for Halloween.  It is still August but the candy, the costumes, and all the yard decorations are on display to get us in the mood.  Americans spend about 7 billion dollars annually on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation.  More money is spent on adult consumes than on children’s costumes.  The season that begins Nov 1 and runs through Dec 16, known as the holiday shopping season results in 52 billion dollars in spending.  You might say that the slow warm up in both celebration time and money spent on Halloween is a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the spending year.  People get very wound up with lists and crafts and party planners as New Years finally approaches.  The typical diet/fitness regime begins on January 1, along with new credit card redemption plans.  The remorse about over spending and over eating lasts about a month until Super Bowl time.

Fall is a natural time to store things and preserve them for winter.  Our ancestors endured heavy hardship if they did not prepare and store enough food for the winter months.  Harvest was a time of joy and celebration (perhaps not exactly like modern Day of the Dead) when neighbors came together and gave thanks for the crops they had grown.  They had to be mindful to keep enough and share enough to make it as community through the cold months.  Today we let the food banks worry about feeding society.  We follow an unnatural cycle of spending just when we should be doing some saving for future needs.  I suggest a few changes we can make to give the earth a better holiday season:

  • Buy locally made and locally grown products
  • Think twice before buying anything made out of plastic
  • Find crafty DIY ways to decorate with up cycled or recycled items
  • Teach your kids to give of themselves to those who need help
  • Limit the junk food treats as a central holiday theme
  • Don’t ask a single person if they’re ready for the holidays
pumpkin spice

pumpkin spice

glitter pumpkins

glitter pumpkins