Catch up time

Apologies and belated thanks to all that inquired here concerning our absence for the majority of February 2008. A problem with the delivery gizmo of the isp or some sort of technical jazz I could not phantom in three lifetimes. Glad to be back , and happy that anyone notes this scribble as a worthy read........ I will have to continue this annoying habit of using these running dots until I can learn how to use the technical gizmo's that allow for composition of sentences and paragraphs on these pages. If a nineteen year old can understand such sundry devices I suppose I should seek the means to this grammatical end. In the mean time I am afraid you will have to suffer along with me.....Can I pick 'em! The 2008 Detroit Tigers are off to a zero and seven record. I bet the puddy tats on the nose to win more games than the hapless tribe hooligans who fool around at winning baseball down the block from here. It is a long time before October first , and who knows? "Iffy The Dopester" perhaps? Who is this "Iffy The Dopester"? A Detroit newspaper editor named Malcolm Bingay who created in 1934 this immortal imaginary character to celebrate the Detroit Tigers baseball team on the sports page of the Detroit Free Press. I bring up " Iffy" , here in hopes that the Tigers can complete the 2008 season ahead of the tribe in the games won column in the American League Central division.......Betting with Slipsy JR is always a pleasure , and his recipe for salad always hits the spot! I offer this springtime salad recipe as a quick alternative to the regular lettuce and tomato variety that later comes from your garden. Take two cukes and peal and pare them , slicing them into rounds. Place them in a ceramic or glass vessel and sprinkle them with coarse salt and let stand for an hour or so. In the meantime , take a couple of medium or small red and white onions and peal and pare them as well. Take care to remove any of the green sprouting growths common in most storage onions found in market today. Slice these onions in half lengthwise and then in thin half moons and place in a glass bowl. Rinse the salt off the cukes in cold water and place with the onions in the glass vessel. Cover the cukes and onions with white vinegar , and season with coarse black pepper , white pepper , and freshly purchased dehydrated garlic powder. If you have access to fresh California garlic by all means please add these peeled cloves to the salad according to your taste. Do not in any case use or purchase Chinese garlic. If you consider the amount of lead and toxins that exist in merchandise imported from China , please do not consider a purchase of any agrarian products that originate from China. Let your cuke / onion vinegar salad sit at room temperature for a minimum of eighth hours , taste and dilute to taste with fresh cold water. Chill and serve later with grilled meats or fish. I prefer to add at least six jalapeno peppers that have been washed quartered and taking care to remove the white veins and stripped of their seeds of this hot pepper.This addition gives some zing to this salad . I omit the jalapenos here for the faint of heart , though those of you with a bit of verve , please feel free to add. And thank you and a tip of the old green hat to JR Slipsy whose conversation produced this culinary idea....... Enough of this chatty bloviation for the day. I remain sick and tired of politics in this and every season. The behavior of all the National media concerning the 2008 election seems to be extraneous and without much merit. Get used to the idea of Barack Obama as president and get out and work for his cause...... My thanks and a tip of my baseball cap to the kindness of Kim and John who keep me in care packages and help me to mind my business affairs in an active fashion. They are true real people in an often thorny phony world. I am in great debt always to their kindness.Kim's colorful packages are a treat to put my eyes upon , and the figures from history that cover the boxes are refreshing and relaxing and easy on the eyes............. Book Selling Time! I promise myself to work harder at selling and describing for sale books in this space. In possession of a great plan to describe and talk about books and events more than the local politics and cheap players that raise my ire. A recent and timely acquisition of note is a autographed copy of Bill Clinton's MY LIFE. Simply signed on the books title page by Bill Clinton , this is a great opportunity to own an authentic autograph of a rather important American President. I say no more here . I am certain that most all of you reading these words have formed an opinion concerning this rather rascally former President. Say what you will about this Arkansas traveller , the world seems to embrace him in a higher fashion than our current seated President. Now if we could only convince Bill Clinton to tell Hillary to sit it out in 2008 , we might just get someplace down the road. I am afraid that yet another Whitehouse dynasty is not to many of our likings. Sit it out Hillary. No more business as usual please.

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da p.d's Litt serves up placenta as Rebirth , Brian Cashman goes gnats

Da p.d.'s architectural writer Steve Litt , once again shows his penchant for churning out advertising copy disguised as news, via his Sunday Febuary 10 , 2008 [ above the fold on the front page none the less! ] article entitled The Rebirth. Litt's delirious gushing travesty disguised as journalism concerning the expected success of the massive $200 million plus Euclid Avenue Corridor project , is indicative of the , long on graphics short on copy , variety of pharisaical hyperbole common to the printed efforts produced at 1801 Superior Avenue today. Mister Litt should sleep fit every evening secure with the knowledge of future employment in the field of writing advertising copy for either the Regional Transit Authority or Cleveland Clinic should his sad reportorial skills at da p.d. be terminated. My favorite laugh out loud part of this article are the two out of focus amatuerish before and after photographs used to illustrate the messy project on page A9. This pair of obfuscated images say it all . Not much discernable difference before or after on the " silver line". The Euclid Avenue Corridor boondoggle appears to date no more than a corporate welfare project for The Cleveland Clinic and University Circle , and the downtown corporate hotels and entertainment activities that will be served by it's riders. Rebirth occurs sometime after a project is completed . Let us then examine this project then with resolute scrutiny. After it's completion and with a cold calculating approach to actual losses and gains , not the lamentable posturing of a for hire civic cheerleader disguised as a reporter............Spring has arrived in Florida's Everglades region , moving northward at a fifteen mile per day clip. Baseball's spring training is just around the corner. No better way to celebrate the approaching season than to savor again the Cleveland American League Teams 2007 brighest moment .A snipe at our most hated baseball rivals from the Bronx. The New York American League baseball franchises general manager Brian Cashman was quoted recently in the New York Times sports pages on Febuary 1 , 2008 in an article by Tyler Kepner . Cashman said " his team was not mentally tough enough to withstand the bug swarm in Cleveland in last fall's division series." Who would have guessed that the once mighty , now flighty NYAL team is still looking for an excuse for their post season failure against our Cleveland American League team ? I would! Blame it on the bugs? Hardly! NYAL pitcher Joba Chamberlain choked mightly tossing two wild pitches in the critical third game Cashman refers to , and the NYAL team batting average after game three was a meger .121. Cashman's efforts as NYAL general manager are laudable , and the teams successfull record speak for itself . Always in contention is the operative goal and NYAL baseball standard. Having to work under the likes of owner George Steinbrenner , and now Steinbrenner's boys Hank and Hal would be enough to give any GM a case of major league willies. Though I must admit to being suprised that a class act like Cashman would resort to such a humiliating description of his teams " not mentally tough" post season play , versus the lack of hits and runs that comprise the games bottom line and box scores. Gnats aside , the Cleveland AL team outplayed the NYAL team . The Cleveland choke against Boston that followed in the AL Championship series , made the victory over the NYAL team for the Division championship the high water mark of Cleveland sports in 2007. As always , anytime that a Cleveland sports team defeats a New York team post season is time to celebrate. It is such ruminations concerning this buggy event that help keep the hot sove burning offseason , and a warm place in our collective Cleveland baseball hearts...... Now for the real hot stove. Culinary moment in time. Simple is best!Baked brisket of beef is a winter favorite , and remember simple is best. Purchase a three to four pound beef brisket placing it in a covered glass baking dish and marinate it with a cup of red wine , a shot of soy sauce , splash of worchestire sauce , some garlic and onion powder , and an assortment of ground white and black pepper. Place the brisket in your refrigerator and turning it over on the half hour for four or five hours , thus coating the brisket. Chop a half of dozen small onions into rounds and cover the bottom of a roasting pan. Add to this a healthy squirt of tomato paste , and the contents of a 12 ounce Boylan soda of your choice. The Boylan cola is the most traditional , though if you are into exotics let your mind roll on. [ It is important to note that using a Boylan soda , or any equivalent soda that has cane sugar , not , corn syrup as a sweeting source is imperative] Place the brisket in the roasting pan with the marinade , cover the baking pan tightly with alluminum foil , and bake for three to four hours in a preheated 325 degree oven. No peek! And I do mean no peek. Leave the roasting pan tightly covered for the duration in the oven for the alloted cooking time! Remove the roast , and let set for a few minutes. Slice crossways against the grain of the meat , and serve with the cola / marinade as a gravy of sorts on the side. I prefer to serve this dish with mashed root vegetables: your choice and combination of ; potato , turnip , rutabaga , parsnip , beets .Braised red cabbage or oven baked bacon and brussel sprouts go well as vegetables. Dijon mustard , a large container of horseradish , or fresh grated horseradish root should be provided as condiments. Fresh baked seeded rye bread , and plenty of cold beverages.....Book Selling Time! Baseball in New York City is a full contact sport in the areas newspapers and their reporters. It is two such reporters in Bill Madden and Moss Klein that covered the NYAL team in the 1970's and 1980's and teamed up to pen ," DAMNED YANKEES, A no- holds barred account of life with " Boss" Steinbrenner". What better way to while away a winter's evening than to read of the surreal accounts of " King George Steinbrenner" , and his affected behavior concerning his beloved NYAL team. Brian Cashman should be given battle pay for working under such an odd over involved baseball owner as Steinbrenner , and his kin ..... I truly hope a silver lining exists for the RTA Euclid Avenue Corridor project silver line. Da p.d.'s Steve Litt I suppose is just doing his job. Hyping up the fiscal figures to fit the criteria of success of the Euclid Avenue Corridor project. Litt was talking to most of us Cleveland lifers when he quoted $4.3 billion in investments as " one big positive number is sure to impress all but the most hardened cynics." Yeah , I admit to be such a hard boiled case of cynicism walking and talking daily.A lifetime spent around Cleveland , Ohio digesting the crackpot lies disguised as journalism served forth by the likes of da p.d. makes one into that very misanthropic , satirical citizen. As for all the big plans that Litt shills about in his Rebirth article, I have a rather ordinary plan that I project as accomplishing everyday that finishes on time and with a mighty flush and flourish.

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Of corned beef and kings

In Cleveland , Ohio for the majority of the twentieth century a decent corned beef sandwich was as easy to locate as a politician with his hand extended in an outward fashion. I remember one such juxtapasition at the old Flat Iron Cafe in downtown Cleveland's flats in the early 1970's. The Flat Iron Cafe at this time was owned by the fine old Cleveland Chambers family . On any given lunch hour the joint was swarming with all manner of citizenry , many ironworkers , dockworkers , and laborers , along with downtown office workers , and the likes of us regular Cleveland long haired freaks. The inclusion of politicians in the Flat Iron mix usually meant that an election was at hand and the politico at hand posessed an agenda. George Voinovich and his rather gargantuan front man Ed Richards were working the lunch hour crowd one autumn Wednesday afternoon..... Having walked downtown with some friends from the area of West 65Th and Detroit , we were hungry and thirsty. Beer was our balm and Wednesday was also the day when corned beef and cabbage or corned beef sandwiches were the daily special. The Flat Iron cafe at that time was more steeped in the nineteenth century than the twentieth. Upon entering the smoky large dining room , get in line and send your pals to grab a table after taking their order. At times grabbing a place at one of the long tables that were shared with whoever decided to sit next to you at any given time. An empty spot at a table was game for any chow hound to plop into to get his grits down his gullet. A lost tradition this notion of shared seating , though a perfect position for a politician to ambush you from . Food was ordered and served from the back of the room by white aproned elderly women. These matronly women took your order , only a few simple delicious choices so no head scratchin' allowed , and handed back through a large open French doored kitchen , your tray heaped with whatever you ordered. Friday fish fries here were among the best in the city. Ditto the corned beef sandwhiches piled high with meat on crusty New Heights Bakery rye bread ,, and a large serving of cole slaw and hand cut french fried potatoes to go with them. Serving hundrds of lunches to many blue collar and other time clock workers meant quick service and hot food , which was always a winner. So we had grabbed our corned beef sandwich platters , started to glug our long necked Strohs from the bottle , when the far door opened and this giant of a man Ed Richards , in a thick black overcoat , entered with a dapper , diminutive , and youthful George Voinovich decked out in a trendy modish green suit following him , raincoat slung over his arm. Voinovich was running for Cuyahoga County Auditor , and Richards was going up and down the line at all the tables introducing himself handing off a political flyer and explaining that the candidate Voinovich was right behind him looking for your vote. Big Ed and little George made a rather odd Mutt and Jeff routine at any event...... The Flat Iron was a frequent watering hole for West and East side politicians alike , and this sort of campaigning was business as usual. Voinovich to his credit introduced himself , shook hands , not minding the errrant horseradish or stadium mustard stains of our collective mitts , asked for our votes ,and worked his way down the line..... I often think of those afternoons now , the large steaming fragrant kettles of corned beef giving off a strong pickling spice whiff , mixed with the yeasty odor of better than a centuries worth of fresh beer. The constant whirring of a mechanical slicer , run with exacting care by a white aproned biped with a steady set of hands. No such places still exist in a city that was once filled with unique old restaurants that were frozen in time and busy taking their deserved hallowed place in the local myth called " history". Otto Moser's , and the Rathskeller both formerly located on the west side of East Fourth Street between Euclid and Prospect , , are still in business today at other downtown locations , though with changes of address , they left the better part of their histories behind. People about town tell me of the great corned beef at Slyman's restaurant on Saint Clair in downtown Cleveland .Though I have enjoy their corned beef it strikes me best served with eggs or grits.Thus removed from the disgraceful soft rye bread it is served on in it's ubiquitous sandwich form. Ditto all of the other downtown sandwich shops , Slyman's cousins at Danny's Deli down the block on Saint Clair , or the Superior Restaurant a few blocks away. Counter joints that peddle corned beef on rye are very common throughout the inner city of Cleveland's east side. Every last one serves quality meats on spongy Orlando Bakery restaurant rye bread. Better no bread than this pasty crustless rye...... Slyman's may serve all forms of politicians and celebrities when they visit Cleveland , though politicians and those that seek attention are drawn by the crowds , not the bread. Slyman's knows from corned beef and crowds , not from sandwiches. I once observed Al Gore while he was vice president eat a absurd Cleveland version of a Pittsburg style sandwich made famous by Primanti's in the strip district off Penn Avenue. Gore ate the whole mess , french fries cole slaw and all. Al Gore survived long enough to lose the Presidential election , though eating in public in an incessant fashion cannot promote good health...... To really find a true satisfying corned beef sandwich in Cleveland today it is necessary to leave Cleveland and travel east up Cedar Road to Jack's Deli and restaurant, at the corner of Cedar and Green , or head southeast to Corky and Lenny's Deli and Restaurant at Chagrin Road and the intersection of interstate 271. Jack's and Corky's both know from corned beef . Their sandwiches are served on crusty slighly sour hand formed seeded rye loaves. Corky's bakes their own. Jack's buys theirs half baked from the nearbye Pinkus bakery and finish baking the loaves on site . Both Corky's and Jack's also have chopped liver on their menus as well , for a great complement on your next corned beef or pastrami sandwich. Upon entering these delis a bowl of pickled pepeers ,cukes , and sour tomatoes are placed in front of you along with bread or rolls and butter. Orlando's bakery to their credit does bake a number of crusty Italian loaves , sold mostly on weekends , and they are fine and without fault....Book Selling Time!Politicians like bread , and so do most of us bipeds. most of us prefer the green paper script " bread " used to purchase the ingrediants to make the yeast risen edible bread. So be it bread. If you care to get a rise out of life while , " loafing around" , you might consider a purchase of Ursel Norman's A BASKET OF HOMEMADE BREAD. Most of us have little enough time these days to bake our own bread , and prefer to let others do it for us. If you have a strong desire for a loaf or two of your own consider this tome as a guide to your rise in baking.[Chuckle and drum roll rim shot]. I will throw in a sure fire and pug simple winter season corned beef brisket recipe for kicks tomorrow. As for bread , pickled meats , and politicians use your own judgement. Mix these ingredients in a word jumble and see what ya' get? Pickled politicians tossing meat while taking bread. Hmmmmm? I suppose that might describe the variety that are caught with their pants down in all form of fashion depraved and otherwise. Not to forget to mention the other type of politician who tosses bread around to pickled wholesale meats inspectors for a messy profit........ George Voinovich on the other hand always seemed sincere in his initial quest for the Cuyahoga County auditors office in the early nineteen seventies. His handler " Big Ed " ,much later got in to some type of trouble , though I do not remember it reflecting on Voinovich in a direct fashion. That day in the Flat Iron thirty seven years ago with Big Ed leading the youthfully long haired , burning proud with his "full Cleveland look " flying way out .George was dressed complete with a multi colored ultra wide tie , loud lime pastel green suit with wide lapels and yellow and purplish highlights in stripes . Buffed nad polished to a gleam white shoes finished off his look. The whole strange magilla. More likely than not Diamond Brothers or Robert Hall clothing off the rack. Which any of us locals recognized as thrifty rags and identified with the percieved frugal nature of George Voinovich. Walking around pumpin' on paws , not seemingly affected by some real nasty mitts in the crowd . While his handler introduced him as " George is looking for your vote" was the only time I ever encountered him about Cleveland, Ohio. Mister Voinovich now lives in Washington , District of Columbia , and is as most of you realize a multiple term United States Senator.

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Central Market site chosen for downtown Cleveland, Mule Trekking comes to Cleveland

As all of us civic minded souls realize , within the web of any city worth it's salt in the world a vibrant central market exists. Cleveland , Ohio had in it's downtown design such an area for over two hundred years , until it was spirited away in a shady election fueled by the ignorant local fish wrap propaganda mill , da p.d. , and replaced by a faux intimate baseball stadium and indoor sports arena. All over the world , markets similar to the late Cleveland Central Market are being celebrated and given the dignity that they deserve. See Mimi Sheraton's New York Times article of November 18, 2007 " Markets as both Feast and Spectacle" , for an idea of the reverence and acclaim that public markets are in receipt of throughout the civilized world today. A tiny public space exists today between the corporate arena and corporate baseball stadium , comprised of a bench illustrated with some art works that commemorate the Central Market. A small insignificant homage to a rather large piece of Cleveland history. The powers that ran Cleveland into the current sad state of affairs that it is today from their cozy suburban digs , did not like the colorful Central Market , and made it their dire business to first run into the ground and then finish off by choosing it's grounds as the site for their corporate welfare plans involving publicly financed sports stadiums. Our loss as citizens , turned into a major gain for the vested powers that be , and those they serve. The Central Market and it's vendors were shipped east to George Forbes Glenville neighborhood , and existed in a diminished form at a new location at East 105Th and Saint Clair Avenue until closing for good in 2007.... Time has come to build a new Central Market in downtown Cleveland , Ohio. A legal end run was committed in the haste to destroy the old Central Market , and build the stadiums. Part of the land that the current baseball stadium is built upon had been donated in perpetuity as a site for a public market by it's previous owners who donated this space to the City of Cleveland with this proviso. Some foot gazing , gee whizzing , and shuffling of papers done , with the result being the ignorance of the benefactors wishes for a permanent Central Market in downtown Cleveland near the intersection of Carnegie and Ontario Streets. It seems that today in the year 2008 , just such a parcel of unused land exists in a triangular fashion at that very intersection of Carnegie and Ontario Streets. Perfect for a small Central Market to serve the burgeoning aesthetic tastes of new downtown citizens , chuckle loudly here, and the visitors to the baseball stadium alike.Just imagine the healthy alternatives of fresh fruits and vegetables that could be carried into the baseball stadium by the sack full , to augment the current slew of greasy meats and nacho cheese dishes served currently to the customers indulging in our National Game. Not to mention the ultimate end usage of these perishable fruits and vegetables in case the home team receives a bad call from an umpire , or a visiting teams player becomes obstreperous. Fresh barrel roasted truly hot peanuts , a variety of smoked meats , and fresh cheeses would be available as well. The honorable city of Baltimore , Maryland has six public markets that are City run and managed , and prove an integral part of the old world charm that graces that City. These markets are dotted throughout Baltimore and are open six days per week. A larger privately run market the historic Lexington market exists in downtown Baltimore and is the comparative size of our West Side Market. The Lexington Market has a great number of prepared food stands as well If you visit the Lexington Market be certain to visit the J.W. Faidley Seafood Company , faidleyscrabcakes.com, and sample their stupendous homemade lump crab cakes. One taste of this crab cake and you will be spoiled for life when ordering a similar knock off in any other City. The proof is in the crab cakes simple fresh preparation using Maryland shore blue crab backfin meat , and Faidley's does it best. Faidley's for local raw oysters as well. Just ask my pal Slipsy JR , who is a first class gourmand and trencherman of some repute. Visit the Baltimore Public Markets Internet home page at bpmarkets/markets.html , for a better view of these proud facilities and a glimpse of what could be in a truly , sic , progressive , Cleveland.....And what could possibly be more awarding than a nice vacation to Cleveland , Ohio and the opportunity to take your family mule - trekking around our fair city ? I have heard from a reliable source that the currently vacant East Ninth Street Pier , former home of the ultra fabulous Captain Frank's Seafood Restaurant, will be developed as a state of the arts stable building for a herd of mules to be used in our tourist trade sometime in early 2009. Some arguement is being tossed about by the adjoining tourist activities , rock and roll hall of fame , and Cleveland oranges football stadium. Seems that they are fighting over the scraps left over from the mule stalls. As if they do not have enough of their own! Mule trekking is quite the international rage , and acknowledged as a great family tourism event , why should we be denied of such a progressive activity here on the south shore of Lake Erie? Currently the mule trekking stable plans are tied into the potential jet boat pavilion and customs house planned to house the water ferry to Canada, and we will avail you of more information concerning these exciting downtown tourist attractions as it becomes available to us. Mule trekking routes are in their nascent planning stages , with routes to historic League Park via Superior Avenue and Payne Avenue onto Chinatown slated as a logical first choice. Future plans include 20 mule team wagons for the longer journey to University Circle , and our cultural institutions on Cleveland's east side , including a luxurious hay and straw station planned for the corner of East 18th and Superior. For more information concerning current mule trekking events visit www.muletrekking.com. Oh boy I can't wait for the mules to return to the street level in Cleveland , and crawl down from those lofty peaks they currently occupy. Book Selling Time! All this talk about mules , crabs ,and Baltimore , maketh me hungry. We offer today a copy of a famous cook book entitled MARYLAND'S WAY , The Hammond Harwood House Cook Book. A bargain at $5.90 , exactly .90 more than it was sold for when published in 1963. I will throw in my recipe for crab cakes for free. The first and most difficult task for cooking up qualitry crab cakes is to locate native blue crab meat these days. Living in Cleveland , Ohio presents a problem , so if you know any person travelling to our East Coast who can procur a few pounds please have them pick you up a pound or two of lump backfin meat , or claw meat if the lump is not available. The current one pound cans of fresh crab meat are rather oxymoronic in that they originate from southeast Asia , and are pasturized for safety purpouse , and lack any real flavor. When I resided in North Carolina thirty years ago , we would often take our crab traps , wire trap baskets with a long piece of rope attached , and find a piece of costal water and trap our own blue crabs for dinner. A fairly easy way of fetching your dinner> Using a mullet ,or other cheap fish attached to the traps bottom with fish line , merely drop the trap into the water , where the trap opens , wait for a crab[ s] to scurry and crawl into the trap and pull the rope up , closing the wire basket around the crabs. Heave ho , repeat process until a basket is filled, boil water with crab seasoning and a little vinegar , cook a few minutes and go to work with nut pick and hands , bib around your neck of course. Cold beverage optional but recommended. Natty Bo was our fave back in the day. Lets get back to the crab cakes at hand. I have found Asian markets to carry fresh blue crabs when they are in season , and it is work , but picking over three or four pounds of blue steamed crabs will provide a pound or so of meat for cakes , if you can stay focused on the task at hand , and not eat the catch prior to the cakes.Recipe on! Take a pound of native crab meat and combine it with a shot of Worcestershire sauce , salt and pepper , paprika , and dry mustard , old bay seasoning , to taste and a few slices of torn and lightly oven toasted commercial soft white bread that you have removed the crusts from and soaked in a quarter cup of whole cream or half and half. Combine all of these ingredients along with some melted butter and a small dab of commercial mayonnaise in a mixing bowl , and form by hand lightly into cakes. You should have mostly crab meat and spices staring back at you , not the dry bread crumb cakes that you are familiar with at your local restaurant. Take these cakes and place one or two to a low pie tin , and after dotting with a bit more butter place under your pre heated broiler for a maximum of two minutes or less.By using buttermilk or whole cream instead of the ubiquitous egg , you are able to taste more of the crab in the crab cake , not the egg flavor that requires frying the cake. If you have steamed and picked the crabs yourself , the meat is already prepared , so reheating it in cake form is merely introducing the crab meat to its natural friends butter and cream and spices. It has been a good many years since I have visited Baltimore , Maryland and the Chesapeake shore , yet I have amazing fond memories of this old and wise American country. Reading Shirley Povich baseball and sports columns in The Washington Post , spoiled me for life in that department. So di the great flavors of Baltimore, Maryland. Life provides kind moments , and it was not that many years ago , perhaps twelve or so, when a stunningly beautiful fair young woman wandered into this Book store and within the course of conversation mentioned that she was native to the Chesapeake shore . She also mentioned that her Father was an oysters man , and that by my description were the very oysters that I had purchased in previous trips to Baltimore at Faidley's market. How could I tell , you might ask? The oysters that this Maryland gentleman sold were tonged out by his very hands in ages old fashion and were the last to be received at Faidley's put up fresh in glass mason jars. Wouldn't you know it , but later that spring she returned bearing a glass jar that her Father had tonged the very day and sent her back to Cleveland with to give me as a present. I about broke into tears for the beauty of that moment , and it is that very sort of human kindness that now seems so rare and distant in this modern Internet age. Those very oysters came from this man's private beds , and he made for me the greatest of all gifts. Wild food , hand harvested , and no more process than sliding them into a cool glass jar , and sending them my way with his strikingly petite and gorgeous daughter. That my friends is life at it's best , and a true story to boot!

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Ludlow Gang ,Dick Feagler , cold beer and worms , green fallout for digital television mandate

Following up from our January 7 ,2008 entry concerning the tragic crimes committed by a local gang on the person of a Shaker Heights man walking his dog on New Years eve , resulted in no fewer than eight letters to the editor on da p.d.'s opinion page today January 9 , 2008 , under the banner "Feagler couldn't be more wrong about Shaker". All of these letters managed to take Dick Feagler to task for his implied racism as cause and effect of suburban flight that he included in his op/ ed piece that ran in the January 5 ,2008 p.d. It would be interesting to have Mister Feagler field questions and opine concerning this tempestuous Shaker Heights crime via the supposed public airwaves of wcpn , however as is more often than not the case , wcpn is asleep at the wheel again. It is obvious to regular listeners that wcpn and da p.d. are near incestuous in their on air couplings. As I have stated in prior entries , da p.d. and wcpn at times need a chaperon to break up the make out sessions that occur on air replacing the objective coverage on the news topics they purport to cover. Thus exists the benign or mild form of news reporting on wcpn that becomes a series of trivialized forgettable chapters or episodes as opposed to seeking diverse and perhaps controversial opinions as in calling to question Feagler's editorial stance .The lack of incisive moderation via questions and commentary from the wcpn radio host is sorely apparent , and a change in this important local news department long overdue. As bad as the current daily nine to ten news slot is , the former wcpn reporter April Baer did a fine job in this seat before her dep[arture for the greener climes of Portland , Oregon. April's talent is sorely missed , and the current host needs to be found a new task. The " idea stream " , is the oft used jingo that wcpn uses to sell itself as an intellectual enterprise by repeating this absurd notion frequently in the course of a day. Preceding this jingo is what appears to be the audible flushing of a commode. Perhaps wcpn would consider changing their weak " ideas stream " to the more apt moniker diarrhea stream?...... From the bowels of wcpn radio to the bowels of the United States Department of Agriculture laboratory located at Mississippi State University comes this exciting news that should be of interest to pestilent biped lager louts and worms alike. Cheap beer! Seems that a Doctor Frank M. Davis raises a number of worm species , for the purpose of testing corn plants resistance to said worm pestilence , using cheap American manufactured " Milwaukee's Best " beer as the slimy creeping crawling spineless worms taste of choice for help in mating purposes. Doctor Davis claims that the cheap cold beer fed to these caged worms makes them frisky and ready for mating and ovulation action. No wonder there seems to be so many Cleveland sports lager louts milling about downtown after games looking for action. I always suspected these sports louts were worms , and now Doctor Davis offers hope in establishing proof of their heritage......A sad moment will appear for a few million obdurate television viewing Americans in February 2009. Our Federal Government has decided for us that the day has come then to switch from traditional old school analog broadcasting to the new digital format of television reception. Ostensibly this switcheroo is to enable public safety forces expanded usage of the mandated abandoned frequencies , and to enable consumers to utilize advanced multi casting technologies. The sad and dire aspects of this ploy is the abandonment of the millions of soon to become obsolete television sets and the ecological consequences of this heavy load of electronic junk headed for the landfills across America. Bad enough that those consumers that have purchased non digital television receivers will be forced to either purchase a converter or subscribe to cable television against their wills. As is the well honed buying habits of the American consumer , many will choose to jettison the old set into landfills , thus giving the electronics industry a fine cash cow via the efforts of our Federal Communications Commissions decision to abandon the old television technology. Personally , I will not be making the adjustment to the modern. The ancient black and white set that we drag out for odd sporting events has served just fine , and less television viewed produces a personal benefit of more hours spent reading or writing. I shudder to imagine the millions of soon to be obsolete discarded television festering in our shrinking landfills. If the wisdom of our FCC holds forth this massacre , the same said FCC should institute the means to strip out and recycle to the best ability the remnants of these television dinosaurs. Write or telephone your elected Senator or Congressman and demand that they pay attention to this problem prior to it's impending date in thirteen months.This whole mess smacks of the evil side of too much Government , and the influences of the k street lobbyists carrying the ball for the electronics industry. As usual placing the cart before the horse with no regards to the ecological fallout of this potential green disaster. Not to mention the Orwellian aspects of the loss of analog broadcasting being replaced by the big brother cable plugged into your home. Not in my house! ..... Winter is upon us with a fervor and we offer two e complementary recipes for Chili and cornbread. Remember simple is best! In a #8 cast iron chicken pan , or dutch oven fry gently two pounds of fresh ground chuck , sirloin, or ground round , or any combination thereof. Purchase this beef from a butcher , not a chain supermarket , and have the butcher grind it to your taste. When finished cooking remove the ground beef to a stainless steel or ceramic vessel and set aside , leaving the leftover juices in the cooking pan. Add to these cooking juices two or three finely chopped onions and garlic cloves , to taste , and after a few minutes two or three finely chopped , seeded and deveined red , green, or yellow bell peppers and two jalapenos , I prefer one of each color , and cook over a low heat until done to taste though still firm , . If you have access to fresh Roma tomatoes in a separate pan drop a dozen or so Roma's in boiling water and cook for a few minutes , after removing from the water peel of their skins and set aside. Add two pounds of cooked pinto beans , a pound of red kidney beans to the cooked peppers and onions. Add the Roma tomatoes and the following spices , ground white , cayenne , and black pepper to taste. Ground chili pepper , paprika , and a solid one half cup of liquid black coffee , a shot or two of brandy or aged sherry wine. Stir and simmer for at least an hour over low heat , checking to make sure no ingredients stick. Add more liquids if you choose , including canned or jarred tomatoes , tomatoes and green chili's , and at the end of the hour a tablespoon of finely ground cornmeal or masa harina should be stirred in and cooked for another twenty minutes. Take the ground meat from the refrigerator and add it to the cast iron pan and cook for another ten minutes. Remove to a glass container and let sit until cool enough to refrigerate. Serve this chili , with your favorite garnishes , sour cream , cheese , pickled peppers , the next day after reheating what portion you desire with the following never fail homemade cornbread. Never fail cornbread.Heat oven to 450 degrees. Again a #8 cast iron skillet or similar cast iron baking oven is required. Heat a few slices of bacon in the cast iron skillet , remove bacon , pouring and reserving the bacon fat , should yield about a scant quarter cup of bacon drippings , in a glass Pyrex container. Having at room temperature one cup of buttermilk , and one egg combine in Pyrex with bacon fat. Beat wet ingredients together until smooth and set aside. Sift together one and one half cup of corn meal and one half cup of flour with one teaspoon of fresh baking powder and one teaspoon of salt , and three teaspoons of fresh baking powder. Having fresh baking powder and baking soda puts the never fail in this recipe , so go out and purchase some if yours is out dated or stale. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl , adding ground black pepper , and a pinch of sugar if desired. Pour into hot cast iron pan and bake until just set. Using a toothpick or straw strand from a broom to test by inserting into the cornbread middle. Should take twenty to twenty five minutes. Derivations for this and the previous chili recipe are ubiquitous. I find whole yogurt and milk combined to be an able substitute for buttermilk. Crumbled and fine chopped bacon can be added to the batter as well as diced fine chili peppers. As with any baking recipe , altitude as well as attitude conspire to create differences in baking time. Consult a reliable cook book for questions that may occur , and use your imagination concerning your favorite takes on this classic combination of chili and corn bread. I prefer chuck long cooked on the bone shredded with black beans , lamb chili with white beans , Texas style with no beans. All the same to me. Good! Book Selling Time! I like to wash mine down with a cold soft drink. Yeah , wash down the bitter , sour taste of a snarky pseudo public radio station such as the local disaster wcpn and their notion of soft convenient corporate local news. Also wash down the bad taste left in my heart for the FCC ecological disaster in the making analog kaput television scam. One of my faves for washing down the chili and cornbread combo is good old Dr. Pepper. We offer today more than you ever cared to know about this fine carbonated beverage in Jeffery L. Rodengen's THE LEGEND OF DR. PEPPER AND SEVEN UP. A large format well illustrated history of this fine soft drink. Most of you that drink the good Dr. daily at ten, two , and four are aware of the not so secret secret ingredient which is prune juice. I sure wish more of the lager louts that stumble around sports stadiums would take up guzzling Dr. Pepper or Seven Up , instead of imitating the lowly worm and sucking down the cheap beer they seem to favor! Best wishes to all and any who love their chili and cornbread!

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Resolute

A few hours prior to the New Years a friend asked what was my New Years resolution? I replied... To remain Resolute.

It is easy to see what problems exist in a destitute City in decline like Cleveland, Ohio today. Much more difficult to come up with strategies and means to help improve these conditions of decline.

I will remain resolute in scrutiny and critical examination of this Cities meager media concerns. Holding both the, for profit and public mediums accountable for their actions, or lack of said actions.

My pal Slipsy Junior moved here from Youngstown, Ohio some years back, and this region seems like paradise to him compared to the Mahoning Valley.

Be that as it may, Youngstown was always a greasy backwater burg between Cleveland and Pittsburgh that never served as much as a model for any Civic activity with the exception of a highly organized mix of crime and politics, that made Youngstown more resemble some loutish New Jersey city than Cleveland, Ohio in its better previous years.

I would have preferred a little better start to this New Years 2008, though being pinned down on our street awaiting the gunfire to cease was the way it began for a group of us eager to leave a party for a neighborhood club, though not willing to run the gauntlet of errant bullets being fired with rapidity into the sky as if a street in Baghdad, not Cleveland's east side.

This unfortunate display of local firepower seems to grow in intensity and length of time every New Years, and the smoke and gunfire did not die down until an hour had passed. Driving to fetch a New York Times the next morning brought a look at the spent cartridges and shell casings that littered many street corners and sidewalks.

These folks who discharge their firearms seem to have no regards to where the bullets might land, and I am surprised that more harm has not come from this barbaric practice. I have a distinct feeling that this practice is not status quo in Westlake, Bay Village, Strongsville, or any of the swell suburbs that most of the well fed and cared for members of the local media clans reside. Perhaps in the year 2008 some of these folks will consent to a cultural exchange program, and actually reside in the City of Cleveland that they purport to provide news coverage of.

Fat chance!

You see it is easy to cover a war from a comfortable distance equipped with a fat paycheck, and do not think that life in contemporary Cleveland does not more resemble a war zone than a civilized outpost.

I am tired of local crime and gunfire, and vow to remain resolute in letting as many other people who care for a taste of reality, versus the local media fictional tidy universe quilted by da p.d. at 1801 Superior. I do intend to describe the sordid truth and shameful conditions that rue life here today in Cleveland, Ohio 2008. In this I remain resolute.

To say that business conditions in Cleveland today are rough seems an understatement of fact.

The law of diminishing returns comes to mind, and the diminishing part of this equation is the population that has fled making it difficult to sell books to those who remain.

So I will remain resolute to sell more books outside of the area that we call home. We have over nineteen thousand books listed for sale online, and we have at least that many awaiting description and cataloging for sale.

If you are looking for a title and having little to show for your efforts please contact us. We will do the best we can to connect you with the book you are looking for.

Book Selling Time!

Forget the lousy lies of politicians, and the media concerns who do the lying for them. Celebrate the season with a warm look at Cleveland 's recent past provided via a copy of Richard Karberg's great illustrated volume of recipes and accounts of the late Silver Grille, an art deco restaurant which occupied the tenth floor of the Higbee Company Department Store on Cleveland's Public Square until it's closing in late December 1989.

Yet another dark sad day in downtown Cleveland history. The Silver Grille was a favorite "tea service style" lunchroom in the grandest fashion. This fine volume recounts the history as well as the recipes and flavors that made the Silver Grille a hometown favorite for over fifty years.

Happy New Years to all of our friends and Family!

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Glenn Schwartz is alive and well

and still playing regular gigs around Cleveland, Ohio. I have been listening to Glenn Schwartz play electric guitar live for forty-one years, beginning with his James Gang days in the mid 1960's, and following him right along to this very day.

I caught his homeboy gig at the Beachland ballroom this very evening and as usual was rewarded immensely by his style of play.

Glenn and his bass playing brother Gene are Collinwood natives and raised not far from the Beachland Ballroom on Waterloo Road. I make no bones about my belief that Glenn Schwartz is one of the top ten electric guitarists working today. Period.

Sure, the stories are the stuff of legend and yore. Jimi Hendrix did request Glenn to play guitar at his final birthday party before his tragic early passing. Glenn did perform for Hendrix, and his ascended style of fretwork gave him truck with a wide variety of fellow blues inspired guitarists the likes of Beck, Clapton, and Page among others. Brother Gene served as both bass player and automobile driver to the late great Robert "Junior" Lockwood, who held high opinion of Glenn's guitar playing.

His Beachland Ballroom gigs are polite affairs, not to be confused with the often drunken crowds who trade barbs and act in a confrontational fashion concerning the often preaching style of Glenn's raps and rants while playing his weekly Thursday evening show at Major Hooples bar on Cleveland's west side.

Glenn plays in a unique blues style, completing the task of playing intense, sonic lead riffs and runs simultaneously, while accompanying himself with stiff rhythm chords for effect. -- Truly amazing stuff.

Equivalent to the amazing way a Bert Blyleven curve ball would break over home plate in baseball parlance. Combining the basic blues with psychedelic melts, and then runs at precise rhythm and blues, makes for an exiting evenings listening.

Glenn is a born again Christian, and often relates in an honest heart-felt manner his sometimes graphic vision of our next world and common fate. Calling the media out on their collective lies, referring to the television as the "gooftube" and warning us away from its ill affects also a part of Glenn's rants and raps.

He speaks of going twenty days without food and having to shoulder quarters of beef for delivery while working driving a truck at the NOFT at Fortieth Street and Orange Avenue, just east of downtown Cleveland.

This is so common in America today or yesterday, give our true artists and musicians chain saws, power tools, knives, and meat hooks and tell them to earn a living with their hands.

Glenn talks about his gigs at Cleveland's Warrensville Workhouse, Coolie's Farm, where the "black people called me slide," and Glenn breaks out his slide and works out a few musical numbers using this piece of round steel for incredible bent notes and explosive rapt points.

When Glenn plays the slide guitar, I close my eyes, and can here the industrial noises of the former Coit Road Chevrolet plant that was formerly on Coit Road in Collinwood until the early 1980's.

As a nod to the season Glenn, Gene, and their drummer played a magnificent version of the Christmas classic Holy Night. Unique and authentic was their read of this hymn.

When we were young men we would visit the fields at the edge of town, take all the wmms buzzard t-shirts we could find, placing the t-shirts over and around stumps, or with the t-shirts fastened to propped up logs, we would kick back, load up our guns, and blast the living shit out of the stinky buzzard rags, leaving them pocked with holes, perforated strips of cotton cloth flapping in the breeze.

It was only in this rather inert fashion that we could achieve any real satisfaction and cathartic response from the radio oppression that that lousy bunch of east coast pirates were peddling in our home town.

Revenge is best taken cold. We once appropriated a buzzard statue and dragged it along to our shooting site, though it only took a few shots from our guns to reduce it to plaster and dust. Big deal, the lousy image of the wmms buzzard was swiped from the Kansas Jayhawk likeness, and always seemed just as phony as that tasteless radio station wmms was in the day.

Iron Gut alert.A Middle Eastern Buffet is serving up an all you can eat spread on west 117Th street north of Lorain. We attempted this fare twice with mixed results. The meats are mostly back of bird chicken, utility lamb, and ground beef, and fairly uninspired stews of these meats combined with various vegetables:

eggplant and beef: oily yet surprisingly fine tasting
squash and beef: mealy
lamb, ribs and okra: slimy and chewy
potato and chicken: mushy
chicken with lemon: dry
No fish in sight.
Salads are standard fares
humus, babaganoush, tabbouleh: predictable.

plenty of plain white rice and pita bread for starch. pickled radishes, turnips, cucumbers, and a sparse green salad rounded out the mess. Beverages are extra, and if you desire water bring your own.

Desert was limited to a single philo-dough based cheese pastry. Tea, coffee, and sodas are available as well. My bride suffered mightily from the effects of the beef meatballs and cold falafels.

I had stomach pains for twenty four hours after eating at this spot.

Most food seems to suffer from sitting around on the steam table a bit longer than it should, and when we arrived at six p. m. on a Tuesday night we were only joined by one other couple while we supped.

Would have preferred to boil the wmms buzzard and serve it back to the buffet folk instead of ever consider eating there again.

Book Selling Time!

As remedy to the bad buffet , and to acknowledge Glenn Schwartz's wisdom considering the merits of a good appetite and the fine tasting and comforting food we are provided in substance with while dwelling our short time on planet Earth may we suggest a copy of the Time Life MIDDLE EASTERN COOKING.

This finely illustrated and historically accurate cook book will cure any ill effects from a local iron gut buffet.

Thanks again to Kim, John and my Family.

If you can pass or forward this post to a friend. Glenn Schwartz and the Beachland Ballroom are a great combination. Come out the next time that the Schwartz Brothers Band plays and make an evening of it. The Beachland Kitchen puts out a great dinner these days. telephone ahead for choices. And please support these two great Collinwood institutions and their unique symbiosis.

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Conrad Black media hack

Former newspaper mogul and Canadian native Conrad Black is now a convicted criminal.The United States District Court in Chicago , Illinois and Judge Amy J. St. Eve felt that Mister Black's and his insider gang that committed a thirty two million dollar fraudulent heist of the assets of Hollinger International, was worthy of a six and one half year term for his part , six and one half million , in the plunder. Yet another case of corporate evil in America? Wait a minute , this scoundrel Black is not even an American citizen. Shades of the NatWest Three , see previous post NatWest Three. Fraud and obstructing justice. The obstructing justice part of his conviction resulted from Mister Black's removal of boxes of documents from his Toronto , Ontario office. This caper resulted in the capture of Mister Black on videotape , smile felon! , and resulted in a mere fine of $125,000. Prosecutors had hoped for a sentence of 24 to 30 years for the crimes committed by Mister Black , who will of course appeal this decision. At one time Mister Black's newspaper holdings were the third largest in the world. Moral of this story is trust your local newspaper and it's contents as if a convicted felon was at the helm. In this case Mister Black was , and his felonious behavior gives an already suspect news source a larger ethical black eye. Now Mister Black the media hack will be kept in check by a variety of prison guards referred to in common prison slang as "hacks". .........Might as well enjoy those fine meals that lavish dining via the expense account now provides while you still can. Look for massive layoffs in the financial centers of commerce after the disastrous earnings and under performance of the banks and associated industries. Trim the fat from the fickle corpse of a dying nation of debtors. My pal Slim has the right idea downstate when it comes to setting a table. Pick a long table , set your clients down , and after forging about locally for some prime and affordable victuals , provide them at an affordable price point and prepared just right. The only business that open and close quicker than book stores are restaurants. Put on your thinking cap and let your mind roll back a few years , and you will not be surprised to find that many of your previous favorite nosh spots are caput. This is not news as much as a sad fact of life. Tastes change , and one either adapts to change and survives or perishes while holding forth in an obdurate fashion to the old ways. I will list some old deceased favorites at a later time. Send me yours...... Simple is best , and I will give you a great antidote for the winter blahs that rapidly approach. A unique recipe for split pea soup. Take six quarts of water , and bring to a boil , while adding three pared and cut into pieces of carrots , a hand full of peeled fresh garlic , a few onions peeled and whole , tops of a bunch of celery , fresh parsley , black and white peppercorns and a dried red chili pepper are optional, leeks if available , and some chicken bouillon or Minor's ham or chicken concentrate. If you have fresh stock replace the six quarts of water with the stock. Add two pounds of washed and sorted split peas and one piece of ham hock or smoked pork to the liquid and vegetables and reduce to a strong simmer. The top of the water should ripple about it's contents. Cook this for about two hours or until the peas are cooked , skimming the top of the water and stirring the pot so the peas do not stick. When done , remove from heat and remove the cooked vegetables and ham hock to a bowl. Take the cooked peas and strain them through a fine sieve until you have the essence of legume captured in a bowl or dish. You may wish to chop the carrots fine and add them back to the soup. I usually discard them with the spent vegetables , preferring to add fresh cooked carrots diced fine , and finely chopped well cured Parma style ham along with croutons as garnish. You can use potatoe water and even add a cooked potatoe when putting the peas through the sieve if you care for a richer and denser soup. Feed the scraps of ham hock to your favorite quadraped , a bit strong for bipeds. A sure cure for the cold weather blues. Turn those blues split pea green. Book Selling Time! A nifty volume on fine cooking on the cheap is our offering for the day. ECONOMY GASTRONOMY , A First of its Kind Collection ; A Gourmet Cookbook for the Budget Minded by Sylvia Vaughn Thompson. Not to mention the introduction by Slim's old pal M.F. K. Fisher. Plus the books title closely resembles an early Pink Floyd song if you pronounce it quickly. A free volume of our choice to the first client who can name this Pink Floyd tune correctly and send it via email. Good luck! Best wishes to all my Family and freinds at this festive time of year.

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Cleveland's political vegetables

Hero's have changed mightly since my youth's passage. Presently the two mature adult Afro - American men dressed in cast off clothing , pushing an appropriated supermarket cart past my doorway at two a.m. while in search for cast off aluminum can's qualify.Whatever sustains them against a bitter November's weather proves to me the true grit and spirit in our eternal quest for survival far more than any professional athlete's endeavors possibly could. A bunch of hapless men and a few women live the year around huddled in the confines of near bye Erie Street Cemetery. Hammocks slung over tree limbs during the summer months , building makeshift tented structures with building materials under bridges during colder months. These nomadic folks are survivors. Television clowns posing as such brave creatures while playing a reality game" , fall short. The former would consider eating insects as means for survival , the later for amusement and profit. Combining a homeless tribe of American citizens and a culinary reality show could be in the works? A morbid reality culinary big game three ring circus replete with contestants hunting , gathering , and ...... ? I suppose you can can fill in the blanks concerning this fictitious matter. Sadly , a morbid success would occur , and a new window into the narcissistic American " foodie " movement unfold as well. My current cooking heroes are the men and women that serve those less fortunate by donating their most precious resource , time , in volunteering in a soup kitchen. The real culinary art is to make fresh ingredients of a common or utility nature sing with flavor and feed a multitude . Stews , soups , chowders , salads , grains , tubers , thick with fresh vegetables , rudimentary proteins ,and the occasional sharp edge provided via very fresh spices the trick. . Fresh ingredients and scratch preparation the operative words. This form of work , given freely by those that have to those who do not , a great gift for all involved. Like those two men pushing the scrap metal gathering grocery cart up and down city streets until they gather enough for the scrap dealer. Real survivor's in today's America might live under freeway bridges on the edge of your downtown area. Thirty years ago Cleveland , Ohio had a terrible bitter cold winter , that barely saw any above freezing weather from early December through April 1978. That June of 1978 in old Cleveland Municipal Stadium , I witnessed snow in the air while attending a Indians game. Point is that it remained cold for quite sometime that spring. That same winter a number of homeless men had taken up residence in a abandoned multiple level parking structure on East Second Street between High Street and Huron Avenue , in the Historic Central Market district. These men had built human nests a few stories above the street and within the airborne spaces designed for the automobiles . Imagine a honey comb of multiple colored cloth American male human beings wrapped in cardboard boxes and attempting to survive such a brutal sub zero streak of weather with winds that drove the temperature into double digit " chill factor " territory. We stayed awake most evenings playing cards and drinking in the apartment above the Italian food store next to the homeless men in their parking lot suspended above the food store. I was always amazed by the resilience of these true " survivors" , and how they were able to still function after spending a night in a cardboard cocoon? One cold evening we were interrupted from our games with the loud wail of fire sirens. Seems that one of these men had built a fire for warmth and it got a little out of hand and caught a citizen's attention. Pretty weird on the eyes at three a.m. People that work long and hard at providing children with stability and education in the face of poverty and social ills of life in contemporary urban America are my heroes as well. Athletes and entertainment figures who give back to the world via a charitable pipeline to those with less on their plates are heroes as well. By the way , after the winter of 1978 I moved to North Carolina swearing off the absurd graven politics and darker nature of Cleveland , Ohio. Not to mention the rather frigid gulag winter's. Sworn never to return to Cleveland , Ohio again . Weather passed , and I returned to Cleveland in time for most of the 1980's , hoping against hope that a multi cultural progressive renaissance might occur. It never did. Hey Cookman! Here is a great way to clean out your vegatable drawer and feed a crew of hungry bipeds. In a large cast iron or non stick skillet over medium low heat shake in some olive oil or other fat. Add in this order the following combination of vegatables , chopped onions , peeled and chopped garlics and shallots , green , yellow , and red peppers , chopped , peeled , seeded , and devained. Any variatle squashes , members of the cabbage family , and whatever other non tuborous vegetable matter in your icebox. Season with fresh and dried herbs , including a large palm full of smoked parika , a shot of commercial hot sauce , and whatever flavor you personally find simpactico! Turn down the heat to low , cover , and simmer , turning occasionaly until done to your taste. Serve with a fresh loaf of crusty bread , pasta , or any starch of your choosing. Yes , you can add tomatoes in season or out , and a simple green salad is also a fine complement to this simple meal. Cleveland's Central Market district was a great asset to downtown, drawing customer's from both sides of the city drawn to it's fresh meats , fish , groceries , and especially quality fruits and produce. The Central Market served as a citizen freindly historic and festive public food market site downtown for over one hundred years until being dismantled for the short sited construction of the non historic district that is called today " gateway". Gateway is an example of corporate welfare that occured in the construction of the non descript " cookie cutter" baseball stadium called " Jacob's Field " for the Cleveland Indians , and the indoor sports facility " Gund Arena" for the Cleveland Cavalier's basketball interests. Ignoring an expensive 1970's urban plan executed for the City of Cleveland by Lawrence Halprin , which recommended preserving and embracing the Central Market District as a new urban residential area , the cabal of career corrupt politicians , and usual suspects in the media created enough ballyhoo and blather to pass a countywide tax by less than one half of a percentage in favor of establishing a sin tax to pay for these corporate sports facilities at the expense of the historic Central Market District. Less than one half of a percent! A recall should have been an immediate event , though when your media is merely the propaganda wing of government , you gets what you gets. In this case the citzens of Cleveland , who voted against the tax , lost valuable property now assigned to corporate professional sports interests got screwed mightly. This single political debacle has left downtown Cleveland the ghoulish creepy ghost town that it is now most days and evenings of a calendar year. A renevated public or municipal market with historic cache such as Cleveland's Central Market the dream of a contemporary City planner anywere in the world today. Destroying the Central Market District yet another Cleveland , Ohio mistake on a grand and profound level. The very wooden pear crates that hold the books inside the confines of Old Erie Street Bookstore are from the graces of a few kind freinds at the Central Market , and in choosing the location of this bookstore in 1980 much was based on the potential of a renovated Central Market District. Fast forward to 2007 , this booksotore is closed to the public due to lack of economic street level retail activity. Booze , cheap beer , and vomit are found in these parts instead. My old hero's the homeless men and women who lived and survived around the Central Market were polite and corteous compared to the coarse well fed drunken bums who gravitate around here currently. Bookselling Time! All this blather concerning vegetables , and not even a politician in sight. A scarce compendious tome is JANE GRIGSON"S VEGETABLE BOOK. If you are to own one volume on the subject of vegetables this would be a fine choice. Smartly researched and penned , this delightful volume won the prized 1978 Glenfidich Writer of the Year Award in England.

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