When someone mentions New York, the first image that comes to mind is New York City. And why not? It’s our nations largest city. It’s the financial capital of the world. Most of our ancestors passed through the city at one time when migrating to this country.
Because of this, the city has so many diverse cultures. As you pass through the city, it’s like taking a tour of the world, with different sections of the city representing different countries and cultures. Because of this, its one of the only places that you can find any type of authentic world food, and its readily available.
Because there are so many choices, like California, I will have to submit a number of choices for New York.
So lets step out of the city, and take a look at what the whole state has to offer.
It’s been a while (not that long!) since grade school and our exciting geography of the United States class. So here is a reminder of some of the fascinating facts about New York.
The first capital of the United States was New York City. In 1789 George Washington took his oath of office there.
Alexander Hamilton established the oldest running newspaper, “The New York Post”, on 1803.
There are numerous inventions that have come out of New York. Many have become commonplace in our country and the world including the first Steamboat. And yes, lets not forget toilet paper.
One of the most amazing facts is a great trivia answer. Did you know that Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic parks combined? Wow!!
When I was trying to decide which food would truly represent New York as far as American Cuisine is concerned, it was very difficult at first. So many choices! But then it hit me. There is one food that we have all had, and probably love. A food that is one of the most popular dishes in America that can be found in every state, yet originated in New York in the 1960’s in..
Buffalo, New York
Well that probably gave it way, but if you haven’t guessed yet, we’re of course talking about..
Buffalo Chicken Wings
OK, OK…Maybe not the most sophisticated dish, but no one can argue that fact its one of the most popular foods in America, and one of the best tasting. Whether in Restaurants, Parties or even Tailgating, it’s the one food you will always see served.
So where did this idea come from?
It’s pretty much agreed on, that this American staple was first prepared at The Anchor Bar, located in Buffalo New York. Whether it was created on the fly because of a late night visit by the owner’s son and his college friends, or because of a mistake in a food delivery, its believed they were first served on Oct. 3 1964.
There is another story of a man supposedly served chicken wings in a special “mambo” sauce at his restaurant in the mid 60’s. Because of the popularity of the wings, he named and registered his restaurant John Young’s Wings and Things at the courthouse before leaving in 1970.
I like many, give credit to The Anchor Bar.
Some people shy away from Buffalo Wings because they associate the words “Hot” with Wings. I like my wings with a little spice but I promise you, these are not over bearing. This recipe is so easy to adjust to your preference, that you can kick up the heat, or sweeten the chicken with out missing a step.
The original version of Buffalo Wings was served fried. Today many people love them served this way. In a small effort to make these a little healthier, this recipe calls for the chicken to be baked.
Up until a couple of years ago, I prepared Wings in a very simple way. I cooked the wings, and then just added the bottled wing sauce and served. They were great.
Then a friend turned me on to a little twist to prepare the sauce, and I’ve never gone back. Apparently this recipe has been around but I had never tried it. I’m sure you’ll love it as well.
Before the recipe, I wanted to make a couple of comments about the sauce. There are hundreds of versions of Wing Sauce on the market. In this recipe we use one of them. It might sound like a good idea to make your own sauce from scratch but it is so much work and takes so much time, for very little sauce.
If you have a favorite, feel free to use it, but I prefer Franks Red Hot. Don’t let the name fool you; it’s just a brand name. Like other brands, it comes in Hot, Medium and Mild.
I use Medium.
So lets get to it. This is so easy!
RECIPE
12 oz Bottle “Franks Red Hot” Wing Sauce
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
1 Stick Butter
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic (3 Cloves)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 – 1lb Packages Chicken Drumetts (40)
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
PREPARATION
Pre Heat Oven to 350 Degrees
Place all Chicken directly onto Lightly Greased Large Cookie Sheet.
Do not wash chicken. I do not use foil as the chicken will tend to stick and it’s easier to turn without the foil.
Season Chicken with Salt and Pepper and place in Oven
Pour all of Bottled Wing sauce into a small Sauce Pan.
Slice up whole stick of butter and place in Sauce Pan with Wing Sauce
Add Garlic to mixture
Add Brown Sugar to mixture
If you would like your sauce a little more sweet add a little more Brown Sugar. If you like it a little hotter add less.
Add Worcestershire Sauce to Mixture
Place pan on Low to Medium Heat. Stir frequently.
** Watch carefully as you do not want to burn
Bring to a low boil continuing to stir for 1 minute
Remove from Heat and cover
After 45 Minutes remove Chicken from Oven.
Turn Chicken and place back in Oven
Cook for another 45 minutes.
Remove Chicken from Oven.
With a spatula or large serving spoon, remove Chicken from Cookie sheet to a Large Mixing Bowl
Pour Sauce Mixture over Chicken and Toss
Let Stand for 5 Min
Heat oven to Broil
Place Sauced Chicken back onto Cookie Sheet and Place back in oven 3-5 Minutes
Remove Chicken from Oven and Place directly into Serving Dish.
Serve with Celery and your favorite Blue Cheese Dressing.
Enjoy!!
Be sure to vote your opinion of this recipe in the top left hand corner. Your comments are always welcome.
Next Week we will not be heading to a specific state as we need to mix in some vegetables. I'll have 4 great recipes for you as well as a couple of salads.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
In Search of American Cuisine - Maryland
I’ve been to Maryland a few times in my life. The first time was when I was 10 years old. Of course at that age, I was not able to experience all of the great things about the state. Maryland’s largest city is Baltimore. In 1814 the British attempted to capture Baltimore. While the British bombarded Fort McHenry, a man named Francis Scott Key observed, and was inspired to write the words of “The Star Spangled Banner”. Maryland is also the home of the U.S. Navel Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland. Our nations Capital is located on land that was ceded by Maryland.
Maryland also has one of the largest waterfronts of any state. This is pretty amazing considering the size of the state. Baltimore ranks as the nations second largest port. Maryland’s eastern and western shore surround the Chesapeake Bay, which produces more seafood than any other comparable body of water. Whether it’s oysters, crabs, clams, or Fin fish, this area is a Seafood Factory.
As I got older, I was able to visit Maryland a few more times. These times I was able to experience amazing food that I missed out on when I was 10. As my eyes began to open or I should say my taste buds, I realized that this particular type of food group is readily available throughout the country, and is very popular. Talk about living in a cave!
When people think of foods from Maryland, they of course think of Seafood. But there is one type of Seafood that is synonymous with Maryland. More important the way to prepare this type of seafood has become the trademark of the state, when it comes to food.
This food of course is….
CRAB CAKES
If you like Crab, you probably have had a Crab Cake. If you haven’t, you are missing out on one of the most delicious items ever put on a plate. That being said, if you have been fortunate to have tasted this wonder, chances are its been in a restaurant. Depending on where you live in the country, this could really make a difference in your impression of this very simple, but very tasty treat.
You see, unless you’re in Maryland, with the exception of a few restaurants in the country, the importance has become what is mixed with the crab, instead of the crab itself. Whether it crackers, big chunks of onions, or any other filling, the focus has become all the other ingredients besides the CRAB!
The reason for this is simple. Crab can be expensive, unless you live near the source. But don’t worry. This recipe, is not only economical, but is true the standards that made this creation so great.
The secret is your selection of crab. But more importantly, how you prepare it. Obviously, anyone’s first choice would be to use fresh crab. Another real challenge is deciding what type of crab to use. Sounds like a lot of decisions to make for such a simple dish. So lets keep it simple.
I actually like Dungeness Crab, but because we want to stay true to the region, we are using Lump Crab for this recipe. You’ll notice that I didn’t say Blue Crab. That’s because 95% of all Blue Crab Americans consume, don’t originate from this country anymore. If you live in Maryland, feel free to use Blue Crab. The rest of us will look for Lump Crab, which is basically the same thing. This Crab can be found in many Major Super Market chains. The Crab- meat comes in one pound cans, found in the refrigerated Seafood Section. I know that Fresh Crab would always work best, but the chore involved cooking and then removing meat from crab shells can somewhat be over bearing… And to be honest, that is a lot of work for not that much more reward.
In the preparation the real big secret is to not over stir your crab. You don't want shredded crab.
I mentioned that for this recipe we are focusing on the crab. You’ll notice that there aren’t as many ingredients as you would think. This is great as it keeps the recipe really simple, and that’s what we’re looking for. I’ve come across a few recipes for Crab Cakes that I just love. I took the best of each, experimented, and came up this recipe, which is pretty good.
The best way to prepare this recipe, is to use a food processor. If you don’t have one don’t worry, you can use a whisk. It’s a little more work but you come out with the same great tasting Crab. You will also need a large rubber spatula and 2 mixing bowls.
So lets get to it.
RECIPE
1 Pound can of Lump Crab Meat - I use “Phillips”
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tablespoon “Old Bay” Seasoning *
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice ( ½ Lemon Squeezed)
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
2 Stalks Celery ( Diced ¼ inch)
1 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Peanut Oil ( Canola Oil can be substituted)
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Worcestershire
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
3 Cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs
2 Lemons
1 Prepackaged Bag of Mixed Greens
1 jar of your favorite Red Cocktail sauce
PREPARATION
Drain and Crab Meat and place in Large Mixing Bowl. Carefully pick through meat for any shells. You can Break up crab slightly but not too much. You don’t want your crab to be shredded. Set aside
In a small or medium sized Food Processor, add Egg Yolk, Old Bay Seasoning, Onion Powder, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, Cider Vinegar, and Worcestershire. Blend until smooth.
Once smooth, add Oil to Food Processor while running. Blend until it begins to look like a mayonnaise. Add Salt , and Pepper to mixture.
Transfer Mixture to a bowl and carefully FOLD in the Crab Meat and Celery using a rubber spatula. This is critical. DO NOT over stir the Crab Meat into the mixture. This will cause the mix to break apart when forming the cakes.
In a separate casserole dish Add 2 Cups of Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Once Mixture is combined, form 8 - 3 inch wide cakes with mixture. About ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Place Cakes in Bread Crumbs.
Add remaining Bread Crumbs on top of Crab Cakes.
With your hands carefully make sure all sides of the cakes are covered and then cover dish with Plastic wrap.
Place container in refrigerator and leave for at least one hour. This is important to firm up the cakes. The longer you can leave the container in the refrigerator the more firm the cakes will be.
*Be sure not to leave the container in refrigerator for more than 12 hours, because of the raw Egg Yolk
When ready to cook, heat up a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add ½ stick of butter. Once melted, place 4 crab cakes in pan. Fry until each side is brown and crispy. About 2-3 Minutes on each side . Only turn once.
Transfer fried crab cakes to lightly greased cookie sheet. Add remaining butter to skillet and repeat process with remaining Crab Cakes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Once all cakes have been fried and placed on Cookie Sheet, place in oven for 3-5 minutes. Do not over cook.
Remove and serve over mixed greens with lemon wedges and Cocktail sauce.
Many people like Tartar Sauce but because there is already mayonnaise in the Crab Cakes, Cocktail sauce is a nice contrast and really brings out the all the flavors.
Makes 8 and Serves 4.
Enjoy!
Please be sure to Vote your opinion up in the left hand corner of the Web page. As always, if you have a Crab Cake recipe to share, please forward along and I’ll be sure to post it.
Next Week we head to the State of New York.
Maryland also has one of the largest waterfronts of any state. This is pretty amazing considering the size of the state. Baltimore ranks as the nations second largest port. Maryland’s eastern and western shore surround the Chesapeake Bay, which produces more seafood than any other comparable body of water. Whether it’s oysters, crabs, clams, or Fin fish, this area is a Seafood Factory.
As I got older, I was able to visit Maryland a few more times. These times I was able to experience amazing food that I missed out on when I was 10. As my eyes began to open or I should say my taste buds, I realized that this particular type of food group is readily available throughout the country, and is very popular. Talk about living in a cave!
When people think of foods from Maryland, they of course think of Seafood. But there is one type of Seafood that is synonymous with Maryland. More important the way to prepare this type of seafood has become the trademark of the state, when it comes to food.
This food of course is….
CRAB CAKES
If you like Crab, you probably have had a Crab Cake. If you haven’t, you are missing out on one of the most delicious items ever put on a plate. That being said, if you have been fortunate to have tasted this wonder, chances are its been in a restaurant. Depending on where you live in the country, this could really make a difference in your impression of this very simple, but very tasty treat.
You see, unless you’re in Maryland, with the exception of a few restaurants in the country, the importance has become what is mixed with the crab, instead of the crab itself. Whether it crackers, big chunks of onions, or any other filling, the focus has become all the other ingredients besides the CRAB!
The reason for this is simple. Crab can be expensive, unless you live near the source. But don’t worry. This recipe, is not only economical, but is true the standards that made this creation so great.
The secret is your selection of crab. But more importantly, how you prepare it. Obviously, anyone’s first choice would be to use fresh crab. Another real challenge is deciding what type of crab to use. Sounds like a lot of decisions to make for such a simple dish. So lets keep it simple.
I actually like Dungeness Crab, but because we want to stay true to the region, we are using Lump Crab for this recipe. You’ll notice that I didn’t say Blue Crab. That’s because 95% of all Blue Crab Americans consume, don’t originate from this country anymore. If you live in Maryland, feel free to use Blue Crab. The rest of us will look for Lump Crab, which is basically the same thing. This Crab can be found in many Major Super Market chains. The Crab- meat comes in one pound cans, found in the refrigerated Seafood Section. I know that Fresh Crab would always work best, but the chore involved cooking and then removing meat from crab shells can somewhat be over bearing… And to be honest, that is a lot of work for not that much more reward.
In the preparation the real big secret is to not over stir your crab. You don't want shredded crab.
I mentioned that for this recipe we are focusing on the crab. You’ll notice that there aren’t as many ingredients as you would think. This is great as it keeps the recipe really simple, and that’s what we’re looking for. I’ve come across a few recipes for Crab Cakes that I just love. I took the best of each, experimented, and came up this recipe, which is pretty good.
The best way to prepare this recipe, is to use a food processor. If you don’t have one don’t worry, you can use a whisk. It’s a little more work but you come out with the same great tasting Crab. You will also need a large rubber spatula and 2 mixing bowls.
So lets get to it.
RECIPE
1 Pound can of Lump Crab Meat - I use “Phillips”
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tablespoon “Old Bay” Seasoning *
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice ( ½ Lemon Squeezed)
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
2 Stalks Celery ( Diced ¼ inch)
1 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Peanut Oil ( Canola Oil can be substituted)
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Worcestershire
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
3 Cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs
2 Lemons
1 Prepackaged Bag of Mixed Greens
1 jar of your favorite Red Cocktail sauce
PREPARATION
Drain and Crab Meat and place in Large Mixing Bowl. Carefully pick through meat for any shells. You can Break up crab slightly but not too much. You don’t want your crab to be shredded. Set aside
In a small or medium sized Food Processor, add Egg Yolk, Old Bay Seasoning, Onion Powder, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, Cider Vinegar, and Worcestershire. Blend until smooth.
Once smooth, add Oil to Food Processor while running. Blend until it begins to look like a mayonnaise. Add Salt , and Pepper to mixture.
Transfer Mixture to a bowl and carefully FOLD in the Crab Meat and Celery using a rubber spatula. This is critical. DO NOT over stir the Crab Meat into the mixture. This will cause the mix to break apart when forming the cakes.
In a separate casserole dish Add 2 Cups of Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Once Mixture is combined, form 8 - 3 inch wide cakes with mixture. About ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Place Cakes in Bread Crumbs.
Add remaining Bread Crumbs on top of Crab Cakes.
With your hands carefully make sure all sides of the cakes are covered and then cover dish with Plastic wrap.
Place container in refrigerator and leave for at least one hour. This is important to firm up the cakes. The longer you can leave the container in the refrigerator the more firm the cakes will be.
*Be sure not to leave the container in refrigerator for more than 12 hours, because of the raw Egg Yolk
When ready to cook, heat up a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add ½ stick of butter. Once melted, place 4 crab cakes in pan. Fry until each side is brown and crispy. About 2-3 Minutes on each side . Only turn once.
Transfer fried crab cakes to lightly greased cookie sheet. Add remaining butter to skillet and repeat process with remaining Crab Cakes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Once all cakes have been fried and placed on Cookie Sheet, place in oven for 3-5 minutes. Do not over cook.
Remove and serve over mixed greens with lemon wedges and Cocktail sauce.
Many people like Tartar Sauce but because there is already mayonnaise in the Crab Cakes, Cocktail sauce is a nice contrast and really brings out the all the flavors.
Makes 8 and Serves 4.
Enjoy!
Please be sure to Vote your opinion up in the left hand corner of the Web page. As always, if you have a Crab Cake recipe to share, please forward along and I’ll be sure to post it.
Next Week we head to the State of New York.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Having a Ball- The Baseball Hall of Fame in between Naps
A quick wrap up of Major Sporting Events from the past week and my opinions on a specific topic in the Sports World.
I was thinking over the weekend that this is a really slow time in the sports world. But don’t take my word for it; check out the Home Page of any major sports Website. Major League Baseball is entering the “Dog Days” of the season. The NFL is a week away from starting up Training Camps. Golf is pretty non-existent until the PGA Championship next month. There were a few events in some of the minor sports and we’ll be able to review them since things are so slow.
One event that did occur over the weekend was this years Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Unless one of your favorite major league rs is being inducted, most pass on this riveting event. That being said, every time this event rolls around, it sparks a big debate on one person who many believe should be inducted, but hasn’t. Pete Rose. This week I’ve chosen to share my thoughts on the big question. Should Pete Rose be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame?
But first, a quick Sports Wrap up…
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
While many teams are positioning themselves for a playoff run, most of the talk is on Free Agency. The St Louis Cardinals acquired Outfielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies, which seems like a great move. Since the move, the Cardinal’s have lost 2 of 3 and fallen out of first place heading into a tough series with LA Dodgers who have the best record in Baseball.
Everybody is talking about the Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Roy Halladay being traded.. The top contenders are the Philadelphia Phillies, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. I’ve heard a lot of talk that the Red Sox and Yankees were in the mix. I think this is a fantasy, generated by fans of these two clubs. There is no way the Blue Jays would trade their best player to a team in the same division. It will never happen!
Taking Charge
LA DODGERS -
Still poses the best record in Baseball and have a 9 Game lead in their division. However they are playing .500 for the last couple of weeks. They are playing like they are bored.
NY YANKEES-
Have been on fire for a month. Still only 2.5 games ahead of the RED SOX but if this play continues, they will take complete control. Many road games coming up, We’ll see.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES-
Have quietly taken a 7 game lead in their division. Right where they were last year. In one of the weakest divisions in baseball they should be set for playoffs.
LA ANGELS
Have won 12 of 14 and taken a 4 game lead in their division. This all happening, with 2 of their best hitters on the bench. The lead should grow as the season wears on and they get healthy. Count on them to be back in the playoffs.
On the Edge
EVERYBODY IN THE CENTRAL DIVISION OF BOTH LEAGUES
Except Cleveland, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh
Both divisions are going to be great to watch down the stretch.
TEXAS RANGERS-
Won’t go away. Have given a little ground to the Angels over the past couple weeks. Is the annual nosedive around the corner?
BOSTON RED SOX.-
Can beat the Yankees. Solid Team, but they better be careful , the Wild Card is no Guarantee this year
TAMPA BAY RAYS-
Still a solid shot at making it back , but need to win within their division.
CHICAGO CUBS-
This was a tough one. They are only a ½ game up as I write this. However, they have climbed back in it and are playing the best baseball in the division. Remember, this team held the best record in the NL last year.
COLORADO ROCKIES-
2 and 3 since the Holliday Trade. Lead the Wild Card race, and their competition is in their division… San Francisco. Have been very good since Tracy took over.
SAN FRANCISCO-
Still hanging on but really dropping. Have the best 1-2 punch in baseball starting pitching. Need a bat, but if they can hang on and make the playoffs anything can happen with that pitching.
Season Over
EVERYBODY ELSE
NFL
This is the week Bret Favre gives his announcement on whether he will be returning from retirement, to play for the Minnesota Vikings, Right????? Riiiiiight……….
NASCAR
I heard Jimmy Johnson won the All State 400 at Indianapolis. OK here is the thing. NASCAR promotes itself as the people’s “sport”. They say that’s why it’s so popular, everybody can relate. Recently there has been a big decline in the popularity of the “sport”. They are losing sponsors left and right and I’m sure the economy has something to do with that.
They need to contract a little just like every other franchise that goes through tough times. They race something like 44 weeks out of the year for crying out loud.
I can’t relate.
Here is a great idea to get more viewers. Instead of having the cars drive around in circles, have them race city to city. Maybe have them drive 10 laps around the track when they get there to finish. Every time they need to change tires, they actually have to pull into a service garage. Get out, sit in a smelly waiting room. Be forced to eat a stale doughnut and a bad cup of coffee. Wait two hours and then pay $500 out of their own pocket, on the spot. Same goes for gas! Every time they fill up, they got to get out and pay at the pump with their own credit card. And if any part breaks on the car, they got to order the parts and wait for a teenage kid to deliver it in a pick up truck.
It could be like a Soap Opera for guys. “As the Wheels Turn”
In this weeks episode, Tony Stewart has a melt down as he is told his car won’t be ready for 2 more days and is forced to drive loaner car.
Or…. Jeff Gordon refuses to stop for gas even though he is almost on empty, hoping he’ll find a better price up the street.
Now that’s something I can relate to..
TOUR DE FRANCE
Alberto Contador won the Tour de France over the weekend. This is his second in a row. I know these guys are tremendous athletes, and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I think we need to rethink following this event as a sport. I mean the guy rode most of the last leg of the event not only carrying, but drinking a huge bottle of Champagne. That’s illegal in most countries, isn’t it?
WNBA
Please……
PETE ROSE AND THE HALL OF FAME
Every year I go back and forth on the issue of whether Pete Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pete Rose was a dominant Player when I was growing up. When he played for the Cincinnati Reds, I was a huge Dodgers fan. The two teams were big rivals, and I had a chance to see him play in person a number of times.
It wasn’t until I got older, that I realized what I was fortunate to have seen, one of the best players to have ever put on a uniform in the history of baseball.
Here is a look at some of his accomplishments:
More Hits than any player in the history of Baseball- 4256
More Times on Base than any player in the history of Baseball – 5929
More Games Played than any player in the History of Baseball – 3560
17 All-Star Games
World Series MVP
Rookie of the Year
2 Gold Gloves
2nd All Time in Doubles
6th All time in Runs Scored
Pete Rose is Baseball.
The reason Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame is that he has been accused of and later admitted to betting on Baseball. Although the actual betting was legal, ever since the Black Sox scandal in 1919 this offense has carried with it a life time ban from Baseball.
This decision was made to protect the integrity of the game. In 1919, players from the Chicago White Sox ( The best team in the league hands down) fixed the World Series and threw 3 games to Cincinnati. The White Sox shockingly lost the series. Although never convicted, 8 players from the team, including Shoeless Joe Jackson were banned from Baseball for life. Like Pete Rose, Joe Jackson has always been considered one of the best players to have ever played. It has never really been proven that Joe Jackson did anything to throw a game or even a single play, but he is still suspended today.
There are differences between the Black sox scandal and the issue with Pete Rose. The first is that Pete Rose was not a player at the time. He had already retired and became manager of the Cincinnati Reds. The Black sox scandal involved actual players.
The second is that he never bet on his team to lose. He always bet on his team to win. The players involved in the Black Sox scandal purposely lost to collect money on the side.
I understand that even betting on your team to win could somehow adversely effect your teams performance in other games, but there is still a big difference in betting to win or betting to lose.
I think in order to look at this logically we need to look at the playing career of Pete Rose. We need to judge him on that alone. It’s what he did on the field that made him one of the best, and is what should be honored. Lets face it, he was a horrible manager and would never be recognized for his managerial accomplishments anyway.
I hated Pete Rose when he was a player…. because he was so good. And, because he was so good, it’s why I’m rooting for him now. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
The Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig has recently been contemplating reinstating Pete Rose, making him eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame. He’s prevented this for 20 years because he says it would hurt the integrity of the game. But what hurts Baseball more? Pete Rose not being in the Hall of Fame? Or me not being able to share memories of the greatest player I ever saw take the field with my 5 year old son?
We’ve already erased 10 years of the game because of the steroid scandals. Lets not lose another 20.
Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.
I was thinking over the weekend that this is a really slow time in the sports world. But don’t take my word for it; check out the Home Page of any major sports Website. Major League Baseball is entering the “Dog Days” of the season. The NFL is a week away from starting up Training Camps. Golf is pretty non-existent until the PGA Championship next month. There were a few events in some of the minor sports and we’ll be able to review them since things are so slow.
One event that did occur over the weekend was this years Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Unless one of your favorite major league rs is being inducted, most pass on this riveting event. That being said, every time this event rolls around, it sparks a big debate on one person who many believe should be inducted, but hasn’t. Pete Rose. This week I’ve chosen to share my thoughts on the big question. Should Pete Rose be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame?
But first, a quick Sports Wrap up…
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
While many teams are positioning themselves for a playoff run, most of the talk is on Free Agency. The St Louis Cardinals acquired Outfielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies, which seems like a great move. Since the move, the Cardinal’s have lost 2 of 3 and fallen out of first place heading into a tough series with LA Dodgers who have the best record in Baseball.
Everybody is talking about the Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Roy Halladay being traded.. The top contenders are the Philadelphia Phillies, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. I’ve heard a lot of talk that the Red Sox and Yankees were in the mix. I think this is a fantasy, generated by fans of these two clubs. There is no way the Blue Jays would trade their best player to a team in the same division. It will never happen!
Taking Charge
LA DODGERS -
Still poses the best record in Baseball and have a 9 Game lead in their division. However they are playing .500 for the last couple of weeks. They are playing like they are bored.
NY YANKEES-
Have been on fire for a month. Still only 2.5 games ahead of the RED SOX but if this play continues, they will take complete control. Many road games coming up, We’ll see.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES-
Have quietly taken a 7 game lead in their division. Right where they were last year. In one of the weakest divisions in baseball they should be set for playoffs.
LA ANGELS
Have won 12 of 14 and taken a 4 game lead in their division. This all happening, with 2 of their best hitters on the bench. The lead should grow as the season wears on and they get healthy. Count on them to be back in the playoffs.
On the Edge
EVERYBODY IN THE CENTRAL DIVISION OF BOTH LEAGUES
Except Cleveland, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh
Both divisions are going to be great to watch down the stretch.
TEXAS RANGERS-
Won’t go away. Have given a little ground to the Angels over the past couple weeks. Is the annual nosedive around the corner?
BOSTON RED SOX.-
Can beat the Yankees. Solid Team, but they better be careful , the Wild Card is no Guarantee this year
TAMPA BAY RAYS-
Still a solid shot at making it back , but need to win within their division.
CHICAGO CUBS-
This was a tough one. They are only a ½ game up as I write this. However, they have climbed back in it and are playing the best baseball in the division. Remember, this team held the best record in the NL last year.
COLORADO ROCKIES-
2 and 3 since the Holliday Trade. Lead the Wild Card race, and their competition is in their division… San Francisco. Have been very good since Tracy took over.
SAN FRANCISCO-
Still hanging on but really dropping. Have the best 1-2 punch in baseball starting pitching. Need a bat, but if they can hang on and make the playoffs anything can happen with that pitching.
Season Over
EVERYBODY ELSE
NFL
This is the week Bret Favre gives his announcement on whether he will be returning from retirement, to play for the Minnesota Vikings, Right????? Riiiiiight……….
NASCAR
I heard Jimmy Johnson won the All State 400 at Indianapolis. OK here is the thing. NASCAR promotes itself as the people’s “sport”. They say that’s why it’s so popular, everybody can relate. Recently there has been a big decline in the popularity of the “sport”. They are losing sponsors left and right and I’m sure the economy has something to do with that.
They need to contract a little just like every other franchise that goes through tough times. They race something like 44 weeks out of the year for crying out loud.
I can’t relate.
Here is a great idea to get more viewers. Instead of having the cars drive around in circles, have them race city to city. Maybe have them drive 10 laps around the track when they get there to finish. Every time they need to change tires, they actually have to pull into a service garage. Get out, sit in a smelly waiting room. Be forced to eat a stale doughnut and a bad cup of coffee. Wait two hours and then pay $500 out of their own pocket, on the spot. Same goes for gas! Every time they fill up, they got to get out and pay at the pump with their own credit card. And if any part breaks on the car, they got to order the parts and wait for a teenage kid to deliver it in a pick up truck.
It could be like a Soap Opera for guys. “As the Wheels Turn”
In this weeks episode, Tony Stewart has a melt down as he is told his car won’t be ready for 2 more days and is forced to drive loaner car.
Or…. Jeff Gordon refuses to stop for gas even though he is almost on empty, hoping he’ll find a better price up the street.
Now that’s something I can relate to..
TOUR DE FRANCE
Alberto Contador won the Tour de France over the weekend. This is his second in a row. I know these guys are tremendous athletes, and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but I think we need to rethink following this event as a sport. I mean the guy rode most of the last leg of the event not only carrying, but drinking a huge bottle of Champagne. That’s illegal in most countries, isn’t it?
WNBA
Please……
PETE ROSE AND THE HALL OF FAME
Every year I go back and forth on the issue of whether Pete Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pete Rose was a dominant Player when I was growing up. When he played for the Cincinnati Reds, I was a huge Dodgers fan. The two teams were big rivals, and I had a chance to see him play in person a number of times.
It wasn’t until I got older, that I realized what I was fortunate to have seen, one of the best players to have ever put on a uniform in the history of baseball.
Here is a look at some of his accomplishments:
More Hits than any player in the history of Baseball- 4256
More Times on Base than any player in the history of Baseball – 5929
More Games Played than any player in the History of Baseball – 3560
17 All-Star Games
World Series MVP
Rookie of the Year
2 Gold Gloves
2nd All Time in Doubles
6th All time in Runs Scored
Pete Rose is Baseball.
The reason Pete Rose is not in the Hall of Fame is that he has been accused of and later admitted to betting on Baseball. Although the actual betting was legal, ever since the Black Sox scandal in 1919 this offense has carried with it a life time ban from Baseball.
This decision was made to protect the integrity of the game. In 1919, players from the Chicago White Sox ( The best team in the league hands down) fixed the World Series and threw 3 games to Cincinnati. The White Sox shockingly lost the series. Although never convicted, 8 players from the team, including Shoeless Joe Jackson were banned from Baseball for life. Like Pete Rose, Joe Jackson has always been considered one of the best players to have ever played. It has never really been proven that Joe Jackson did anything to throw a game or even a single play, but he is still suspended today.
There are differences between the Black sox scandal and the issue with Pete Rose. The first is that Pete Rose was not a player at the time. He had already retired and became manager of the Cincinnati Reds. The Black sox scandal involved actual players.
The second is that he never bet on his team to lose. He always bet on his team to win. The players involved in the Black Sox scandal purposely lost to collect money on the side.
I understand that even betting on your team to win could somehow adversely effect your teams performance in other games, but there is still a big difference in betting to win or betting to lose.
I think in order to look at this logically we need to look at the playing career of Pete Rose. We need to judge him on that alone. It’s what he did on the field that made him one of the best, and is what should be honored. Lets face it, he was a horrible manager and would never be recognized for his managerial accomplishments anyway.
I hated Pete Rose when he was a player…. because he was so good. And, because he was so good, it’s why I’m rooting for him now. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
The Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig has recently been contemplating reinstating Pete Rose, making him eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame. He’s prevented this for 20 years because he says it would hurt the integrity of the game. But what hurts Baseball more? Pete Rose not being in the Hall of Fame? Or me not being able to share memories of the greatest player I ever saw take the field with my 5 year old son?
We’ve already erased 10 years of the game because of the steroid scandals. Lets not lose another 20.
Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.
Friday, July 24, 2009
In Search of American Cuisine - Texas
Whenever I think of Texas I think of Barbecue. However to be fair to Missouri, Tennessee, and North Carolina, I don’t think I could dedicate Barbecue to Texas. I’ll choose to dedicate a week to Barbecue, using recipes from all these states in the coming weeks.
I have spent of 12 years of my life in Texas. I was born in San Antonio. With all my time there I have been able to spend time in many different cities of the state. Besides Barbecue there are a few foods that are prominent throughout the state. There is one food that everybody has enjoy, no matter where you live. There are thousands of versions, and everybody thinks they prepare it the best. That’s probably why is it is such a staple of American Cuisine.
This food is so popular that it is the Official State food of Texas. How could I not dedicate this Food to Texas? We are talking of course of…
CHILI
Sorry Cincinnati, Ohio…. It's no Contest.
When we try to look back at the origins of Chili, things get a little confusing. One thing we are pretty sure of is that it did not originate in Mexico. The reason we are confident of this, is that it is not there today. This heritage has not changed their food culture over the centuries, so its doubtful that it originated here.
There are legends that it originated in Spain in the 17th century using Venison. There is another story that it originated when families emigrated from the Canary Islands to colonize what is now known as San Antonio in the 18th Century.
Many believe it originated around 1850 by Texan Cowboys on Trails to and From California. I choose to follow this legend. It mean come on!! What do you think of when you think of Texas? Cowboys and Cattle out on the trail!! Right?? Yep, I’m sticking with this Legend.
So what’s in Chili?? Well , its a lot of good stuff mixed together. As mentioned there are many different recipes. But there are 3 main ingredients. Meat, Tomatoes, and Peppers. After that it’s up to you and your taste.
I chose a recipe that I’ve used for years and cook often. I try to incorporate the ingredients that are popular in most Texas Chili recipes. My recipe does not include beans, but DON’T let anybody tell you that real Chili doesn’t have beans. There are fabulous Chili recipes that have beans as an ingredient, just not this one.
In the interest of time I use Dried and Canned Spices. Obviously the use of fresh peppers and tomatoes can’t hurt , but to be honest the flavor really doesn’t change much so we’re going with this option.
RECIPE
3 Pounds Sirloin or Round Steak cut into ½ inch pieces
( Round Steak is a little less expensive but tastes fabulous in Chili)
2 - 28oz Cans Crushed Tomatoes with Juice
1 – Can Tomato Paste
2 – 4oz Cans Diced Green Chilies
1 – 4oz Can Diced Jalapeños (Optional)
5 Teaspoons Minced Garlic( 5-7 Cloves)
2 Teaspoons Chopped Dry Oregano
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Ground Pepper
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Bottle Premium Beer
1 Teaspoon Masa
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
All of the Chile spices are in the Chili Powder , however to add a bit of texture I prefer to add the Green Chilies as well. These chilies are mild in flavor but really do enhance the dish.
Cooking
Chop Steak into ½ inch pieces. ( Most Meat departments have Steak already chopped and Prepackaged. If you can find this, get it. It saves so much time.)
Heat a Cast Iron Skillet to Med High Heat. Add Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Add meat and season with 1 Teaspoon of Salt. Cook meat until browned.
Remove Browned Meat into Dutch Oven or Large Cooking Pot.
Add Garlic to Skillet and cook until Garlic starts to turn Brown
Remove Garlic from Skillet to Cooking Pot along with all Juices.
Heat Stove Top to Low and add the following ingredients to Cooking Pot in this order.
Green Chilies ( For more heat, you can substitute 1 can of Jalapeños for 1 can of Green Chilies)
Oregano
Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper
Stir and add Crushed Tomatoes
Stir in Tomato Paste
Chicken Stock
Bottled Beer ( Choose one you like , NO LIGHT BEER! )
Cover and Cook for 45 Min. stirring occasionally.
After 45 Minutes remove cover and Stir in Cumin and Remaining Chili powder
Cover and Cook for another 30 min. After 30 Min add Masa to thicken if desired and heat uncovered for a few minutes.
Your Chili is now ready.
Makes 6 –8 Servings.
If you have a recipe for Chili that you would like to share , please send it and I will post. Be sure to vote on this weeks selection in the upper left hand corner of this page.
Next week......We go to the North East.
I have spent of 12 years of my life in Texas. I was born in San Antonio. With all my time there I have been able to spend time in many different cities of the state. Besides Barbecue there are a few foods that are prominent throughout the state. There is one food that everybody has enjoy, no matter where you live. There are thousands of versions, and everybody thinks they prepare it the best. That’s probably why is it is such a staple of American Cuisine.
This food is so popular that it is the Official State food of Texas. How could I not dedicate this Food to Texas? We are talking of course of…
CHILI
Sorry Cincinnati, Ohio…. It's no Contest.
When we try to look back at the origins of Chili, things get a little confusing. One thing we are pretty sure of is that it did not originate in Mexico. The reason we are confident of this, is that it is not there today. This heritage has not changed their food culture over the centuries, so its doubtful that it originated here.
There are legends that it originated in Spain in the 17th century using Venison. There is another story that it originated when families emigrated from the Canary Islands to colonize what is now known as San Antonio in the 18th Century.
Many believe it originated around 1850 by Texan Cowboys on Trails to and From California. I choose to follow this legend. It mean come on!! What do you think of when you think of Texas? Cowboys and Cattle out on the trail!! Right?? Yep, I’m sticking with this Legend.
So what’s in Chili?? Well , its a lot of good stuff mixed together. As mentioned there are many different recipes. But there are 3 main ingredients. Meat, Tomatoes, and Peppers. After that it’s up to you and your taste.
I chose a recipe that I’ve used for years and cook often. I try to incorporate the ingredients that are popular in most Texas Chili recipes. My recipe does not include beans, but DON’T let anybody tell you that real Chili doesn’t have beans. There are fabulous Chili recipes that have beans as an ingredient, just not this one.
In the interest of time I use Dried and Canned Spices. Obviously the use of fresh peppers and tomatoes can’t hurt , but to be honest the flavor really doesn’t change much so we’re going with this option.
RECIPE
3 Pounds Sirloin or Round Steak cut into ½ inch pieces
( Round Steak is a little less expensive but tastes fabulous in Chili)
2 - 28oz Cans Crushed Tomatoes with Juice
1 – Can Tomato Paste
2 – 4oz Cans Diced Green Chilies
1 – 4oz Can Diced Jalapeños (Optional)
5 Teaspoons Minced Garlic( 5-7 Cloves)
2 Teaspoons Chopped Dry Oregano
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Ground Pepper
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Bottle Premium Beer
1 Teaspoon Masa
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
All of the Chile spices are in the Chili Powder , however to add a bit of texture I prefer to add the Green Chilies as well. These chilies are mild in flavor but really do enhance the dish.
Cooking
Chop Steak into ½ inch pieces. ( Most Meat departments have Steak already chopped and Prepackaged. If you can find this, get it. It saves so much time.)
Heat a Cast Iron Skillet to Med High Heat. Add Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Add meat and season with 1 Teaspoon of Salt. Cook meat until browned.
Remove Browned Meat into Dutch Oven or Large Cooking Pot.
Add Garlic to Skillet and cook until Garlic starts to turn Brown
Remove Garlic from Skillet to Cooking Pot along with all Juices.
Heat Stove Top to Low and add the following ingredients to Cooking Pot in this order.
Green Chilies ( For more heat, you can substitute 1 can of Jalapeños for 1 can of Green Chilies)
Oregano
Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper
Stir and add Crushed Tomatoes
Stir in Tomato Paste
Chicken Stock
Bottled Beer ( Choose one you like , NO LIGHT BEER! )
Cover and Cook for 45 Min. stirring occasionally.
After 45 Minutes remove cover and Stir in Cumin and Remaining Chili powder
Cover and Cook for another 30 min. After 30 Min add Masa to thicken if desired and heat uncovered for a few minutes.
Your Chili is now ready.
Makes 6 –8 Servings.
If you have a recipe for Chili that you would like to share , please send it and I will post. Be sure to vote on this weeks selection in the upper left hand corner of this page.
Next week......We go to the North East.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Hot topic - Health Care Reform
The big topic this week in our country is Health Care Reform.
This has been a hot debate. You can't go anywhere or talk to anybody that doesn't have an Opinion.
So what is Health Care Reform?
The President, Congress, insurance companies, providers, and health care consumers like you are all talking about it. But the simple answer to "what is health care reform" is, well, there's no simple answer. But whatever the answer is, it's likely to have a profound effect on many Americans.
It would be nice to explain in a simple way Health Care Reform. But we can't. Our Health Care System has a lot of parts. It isn't really a system at all. There are Private Payers , Government Payers, and private providers. Its full of Holes and Gaps . With all this, 46 Million people in this country are not insured at all.
Before we dive in I would like to make a few observations I've seen over the past year or so concerning this topic.
A wise person once said "Never discuss Religion or Politics in an open setting". The reason I bring this up is that this issue has become completely Political. I've been really struggling with why this is. It would be a good bet , that your view on this topic would be right in line with your political affiliation. Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but in general this is what I have observed.
Folks we are talking about fixing a huge problem in our country. Its unbelievable to think that there are people out there who will say anything to make sure we have no changes. I wonder why that is?
So just as a refresher, here is what we are dealing with, and what we are trying to change.
46 Million Americans don't have any type of Health Insurance at all. So if they get sick or Injured, they have to pay cash or even worse , go without treatment.
30% of every Dollar Americans spend on Health Care is wasted on Unneeded tests, Emergency Room visits that aren't really emergencies, and care that just doesn't improve Health.
Americans spend more on Health Care than any other Nation, but it doesn't make us healthier, and we don't live longer.
We take care of Illness, but we do little to promote Health.
I think we all would agree that we would like to change these issues.
But how?
Government is looking many options.
One option is to guarantee that anyone can get insurance regardless of their health, even those with pre- existing conditions.
There is another option that goes even farther. It would REQUIRE that everyone has coverage.
The first question that comes to mind is why would we want this option? This would be so that people wouldn't wait until they are sick until they apply for coverage. If that happened we would only be insuring the sick , and that would raise the cost for everyone and defeats the whole purpose of Health Insurance. Insurance works because everybody contributes, which in turn, spreads out the costs.
Another idea is to let people choose between a Government plan like the one Government employees have today, or private plan. Choose whats right for you.
One idea is to start over. Let the Government administer Health Care like it does the Post office and Education System.
Whatever is decided the Government will have to help some Americans to pay for coverage. That means that it will come with a price tag for tax payers.
So the real question is how do we make Health Care less expensive.
Technology- Make the industry more efficient. Making medical records electronic , which would reduce paperwork.
Pay Doctors and Hospitals for "Quality of Care" instead of Quantity. This ensures patients pay for the right care at the right time.
Taking a more preventable approach to Health Care. This includes exercise, eating well and education. An astonishing 70% of Health costs today are from preventable chronic diseases.
You see its NOT about Nationalizing Health Care!!
Its about fixing a broken segment of our country.
We do this to strengthen our Nation. To invest in our children's future, and to make our society stronger.
We have all paid taxes for our public school system for as long as we can remember. We do this for the same argument. My children happen to go to a private school , but I have never had a thought of not paying taxes for education to better our society , just because I don't happen to use the system.
This isn't political . Its just common sense....
I look forward to your thoughts !
Hot Topic of the Week is Posted every Wed.
*Some Statistics and Excerpts used in today's Blog are from staysmartstayhealthy.com
This has been a hot debate. You can't go anywhere or talk to anybody that doesn't have an Opinion.
So what is Health Care Reform?
The President, Congress, insurance companies, providers, and health care consumers like you are all talking about it. But the simple answer to "what is health care reform" is, well, there's no simple answer. But whatever the answer is, it's likely to have a profound effect on many Americans.
It would be nice to explain in a simple way Health Care Reform. But we can't. Our Health Care System has a lot of parts. It isn't really a system at all. There are Private Payers , Government Payers, and private providers. Its full of Holes and Gaps . With all this, 46 Million people in this country are not insured at all.
Before we dive in I would like to make a few observations I've seen over the past year or so concerning this topic.
A wise person once said "Never discuss Religion or Politics in an open setting". The reason I bring this up is that this issue has become completely Political. I've been really struggling with why this is. It would be a good bet , that your view on this topic would be right in line with your political affiliation. Sure there are exceptions to the rule, but in general this is what I have observed.
Folks we are talking about fixing a huge problem in our country. Its unbelievable to think that there are people out there who will say anything to make sure we have no changes. I wonder why that is?
So just as a refresher, here is what we are dealing with, and what we are trying to change.
46 Million Americans don't have any type of Health Insurance at all. So if they get sick or Injured, they have to pay cash or even worse , go without treatment.
30% of every Dollar Americans spend on Health Care is wasted on Unneeded tests, Emergency Room visits that aren't really emergencies, and care that just doesn't improve Health.
Americans spend more on Health Care than any other Nation, but it doesn't make us healthier, and we don't live longer.
We take care of Illness, but we do little to promote Health.
I think we all would agree that we would like to change these issues.
But how?
Government is looking many options.
One option is to guarantee that anyone can get insurance regardless of their health, even those with pre- existing conditions.
There is another option that goes even farther. It would REQUIRE that everyone has coverage.
The first question that comes to mind is why would we want this option? This would be so that people wouldn't wait until they are sick until they apply for coverage. If that happened we would only be insuring the sick , and that would raise the cost for everyone and defeats the whole purpose of Health Insurance. Insurance works because everybody contributes, which in turn, spreads out the costs.
Another idea is to let people choose between a Government plan like the one Government employees have today, or private plan. Choose whats right for you.
One idea is to start over. Let the Government administer Health Care like it does the Post office and Education System.
Whatever is decided the Government will have to help some Americans to pay for coverage. That means that it will come with a price tag for tax payers.
So the real question is how do we make Health Care less expensive.
Technology- Make the industry more efficient. Making medical records electronic , which would reduce paperwork.
Pay Doctors and Hospitals for "Quality of Care" instead of Quantity. This ensures patients pay for the right care at the right time.
Taking a more preventable approach to Health Care. This includes exercise, eating well and education. An astonishing 70% of Health costs today are from preventable chronic diseases.
You see its NOT about Nationalizing Health Care!!
Its about fixing a broken segment of our country.
We do this to strengthen our Nation. To invest in our children's future, and to make our society stronger.
We have all paid taxes for our public school system for as long as we can remember. We do this for the same argument. My children happen to go to a private school , but I have never had a thought of not paying taxes for education to better our society , just because I don't happen to use the system.
This isn't political . Its just common sense....
I look forward to your thoughts !
Hot Topic of the Week is Posted every Wed.
*Some Statistics and Excerpts used in today's Blog are from staysmartstayhealthy.com
Sunday, July 19, 2009
In Search of American Cuisine - California
I thought it would be a good idea to start our search in a part of the country that I am very familiar with. California.
What was I thinking!!
California is like a country in itself. There are so many diverse cultures and communities. This region of course has a tremendous Hispanic community, as well as an abundant Asian culture. How do I pin down one Cuisine. There are so many different types of cultures from people that have migrated here from all over and abroad.
On top of that ,
California has been the number one food and agricultural producer in the United States for more than 50 consecutive years.
More than half the nation's fruit, nuts, and vegetables come from here.
California is the nation's number one dairy state.
California's leading commodity is milk and cream. Grapes are second.
California's leading export crop is almonds.
Nationally, products exclusively grown (99% or more) in California include almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, clovers, and walnuts.
From 70 to 80% of all ripe olives are grown in California.
California is the nation's leading producer of strawberries, averaging 1.4 billion pounds of strawberries or 83% of the country's total fresh and frozen strawberry production. Approximately 12% of the crop is exported to Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan primarily. The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $700 million with related employment of more than 48,000 people.
California produces 25% of the nation's onions and 43% of the nation's green onions.
Gilroy, California, "Garlic Capitol of the World," has hosted 2 million at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Where do I begin??!!!
I thought I'd take a simple approach. I grew up in Southern California, and true to the Stereotype, I spent most of my free time at the beach. All Californians do. There was, and still is one food that personifies this lifestyle.
THE FISH TACO.
There has been a lot of friendly debate on how and when this food migrated to Southern California. Many people give credit to Ralph Rubio for bringing this item to California in the 70's. However I have a picture of my Dad in the early 60's at a food stand with aFish Taco sign in the background while eating one. So Who Knows?! One thing everybody agrees on is that its origins came from Baja California. So we'll leave it at that.
There are two options when preparing Fish Tacos. Fried or Grilled Fish. Both are great, but I prefer grilled. I am able to get a better taste of the flavor of the fish, and its easier to season to individual tastes. But most important, Its easier to prepare!
There is also one more important decision. What type of fish?
There is really only one simple rule here. It needs to be a sustainable firm fleshed fish. I've had this made with Red Snapper, Striped Bass, Tuna, Sea Bass, and Red Rock Fish. But my favorite is Mahi- Mahi.
Not only for the taste and texture, but for the sustainability.
So here is our first entry for California ( The First of many)
___
GRILLED FISH TACOS
Taco Filling
2 1/2 - 3 Pounds Fresh Mahi Mahi Fillet
2 Large Avocados
1 Pound Pineapple Coleslaw (See Easy Recipe Below)
One Container Chipolte Ranch Dressing if available. If not, Simple Ranch Dressing may be substituted
1 Tablespoon Ground Allspice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ground Pepper
1Teaspoon Ground Sea salt
1 Teaspoon Cayenne (Red) Pepper
2 Tablespoons Died Pepper Spice Blend ( Found in Most Groceries)
Tacos-
12 , 10 Inch Fresh Flour or Corn Tortillas
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
Preparation-
For the marinade, squeeze the Juice of 1 1/2 Oranges and 1/ 1-2 Limes into a casserole dish. Add Soy Sauce. Save remaining half of Lemon and Orange.
Wash and pat dry Mahi-Mahi with paper towel. If possible try to use a whole piece of Mahi-Mahi. If not available make sure each piece is at least 5 inches long in length.
Once dried, place fish in Marinade and cover at room temperature for 30 Min.
*Please note that some people like to add their spices to the marinade. This is OK but I feel that the citrus eliminates some of the spice. I prefer to add seasoning on top of the fish while cooking.
Dice both Avocados and place in bowl. Add One Small Squeez of Juice form Lime to Avocado and set bowl aside. This will help prevent browning of the Avocado and also add great flavor.
While Fish is marinating, Prepare Coleslaw.
Making homemade Coleslaw can be cumbersome. Besides that, at the end of the day there is an easier and less time consuming way to turn out a Slaw the is just as tasty.
I prefer to use a 1 pound bag of pre-packaged Coleslaw mix which includes Cabbage, Red Cabbage and Carrots. To this, I add 1/2 to 3/4 of a jar of Pineapple Coleslaw sauce and mix. There are many different options to choose from, but I prefer the Brand called Jimmy's. This is available in almost all Supermarket chains. If not available try to use a different Pineapple Slaw Mix. You won't regret it.
Its important to note that while the mix states to add the whole jar, our goal is to have a crispy slaw. 1/2 to 3/4 of the jar will deliver all the flavor but still keep your slaw crispy, which is what we are looking for. Whatever your preference in Coleslaw, Creamy is no way to go here!
Once mixed cover and refrigerate for 30 min.
Cooking-
Turn on Grill to High Temperature. If you don't have a grill, use your oven and set to Broil.
After 30 Min. of Marinating, place fish on Grill.
Season fish with half of Seasoning.
Cook for 5 Min. and turn Fish.
Season Fish with remaining Seasoning and grill for another 5 Min.
Remove Fish and Place on cutting board for5 Min.
Carefully chop Fish into 1/2 inch pieces.
( If fish should fall apart in some places, it's OK. These are Tacos, remember?)
Once Fish is chopped, place in large mixing bowl.
Add Remaining Juice from Lime and Orange
Tacos-
Add Vegetable Oil to 12 Inch Skillet and turn on Med High Heat.
Once heated add Tortilla
Turn tortilla with tongs after 5 Sec.
With tongs grab end of Tortilla and fold in half while still in skillet.
Place new casserole dish next to skillet and line with paper towell.
Remove Tortilla and place on top of paper towell in casserole dish.
Repeat process until all Tortillas have been fried.
Take tortilla shells and add Fish evenly inside all shells.
Dress each Taco with selected Chipolte Ranch Dressing
Add Avocado to each Taco
Top each Taco with Pinapple Coleslaw
Serves 4-6
Dig in.
If you can't be at the beach, eat like you are!!
Thanks to whoever did bring this to California!
If you have a different version of this Recipe, or would like to comment, please feel free to post in the Comments Section. I'll be happy to pass on.
This Friday we head to Texas!!
What was I thinking!!
California is like a country in itself. There are so many diverse cultures and communities. This region of course has a tremendous Hispanic community, as well as an abundant Asian culture. How do I pin down one Cuisine. There are so many different types of cultures from people that have migrated here from all over and abroad.
On top of that ,
California has been the number one food and agricultural producer in the United States for more than 50 consecutive years.
More than half the nation's fruit, nuts, and vegetables come from here.
California is the nation's number one dairy state.
California's leading commodity is milk and cream. Grapes are second.
California's leading export crop is almonds.
Nationally, products exclusively grown (99% or more) in California include almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins, clovers, and walnuts.
From 70 to 80% of all ripe olives are grown in California.
California is the nation's leading producer of strawberries, averaging 1.4 billion pounds of strawberries or 83% of the country's total fresh and frozen strawberry production. Approximately 12% of the crop is exported to Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan primarily. The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $700 million with related employment of more than 48,000 people.
California produces 25% of the nation's onions and 43% of the nation's green onions.
Gilroy, California, "Garlic Capitol of the World," has hosted 2 million at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Where do I begin??!!!
I thought I'd take a simple approach. I grew up in Southern California, and true to the Stereotype, I spent most of my free time at the beach. All Californians do. There was, and still is one food that personifies this lifestyle.
THE FISH TACO.
There has been a lot of friendly debate on how and when this food migrated to Southern California. Many people give credit to Ralph Rubio for bringing this item to California in the 70's. However I have a picture of my Dad in the early 60's at a food stand with aFish Taco sign in the background while eating one. So Who Knows?! One thing everybody agrees on is that its origins came from Baja California. So we'll leave it at that.
There are two options when preparing Fish Tacos. Fried or Grilled Fish. Both are great, but I prefer grilled. I am able to get a better taste of the flavor of the fish, and its easier to season to individual tastes. But most important, Its easier to prepare!
There is also one more important decision. What type of fish?
There is really only one simple rule here. It needs to be a sustainable firm fleshed fish. I've had this made with Red Snapper, Striped Bass, Tuna, Sea Bass, and Red Rock Fish. But my favorite is Mahi- Mahi.
Not only for the taste and texture, but for the sustainability.
So here is our first entry for California ( The First of many)
___
GRILLED FISH TACOS
Taco Filling
2 1/2 - 3 Pounds Fresh Mahi Mahi Fillet
2 Large Avocados
1 Pound Pineapple Coleslaw (See Easy Recipe Below)
One Container Chipolte Ranch Dressing if available. If not, Simple Ranch Dressing may be substituted
Marinade-
2 Limes
2 Oranges
1/2 Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Ground Allspice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ground Pepper
1Teaspoon Ground Sea salt
1 Teaspoon Cayenne (Red) Pepper
2 Tablespoons Died Pepper Spice Blend ( Found in Most Groceries)
Tacos-
12 , 10 Inch Fresh Flour or Corn Tortillas
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
Preparation-
For the marinade, squeeze the Juice of 1 1/2 Oranges and 1/ 1-2 Limes into a casserole dish. Add Soy Sauce. Save remaining half of Lemon and Orange.
Wash and pat dry Mahi-Mahi with paper towel. If possible try to use a whole piece of Mahi-Mahi. If not available make sure each piece is at least 5 inches long in length.
Once dried, place fish in Marinade and cover at room temperature for 30 Min.
*Please note that some people like to add their spices to the marinade. This is OK but I feel that the citrus eliminates some of the spice. I prefer to add seasoning on top of the fish while cooking.
Dice both Avocados and place in bowl. Add One Small Squeez of Juice form Lime to Avocado and set bowl aside. This will help prevent browning of the Avocado and also add great flavor.
While Fish is marinating, Prepare Coleslaw.
Making homemade Coleslaw can be cumbersome. Besides that, at the end of the day there is an easier and less time consuming way to turn out a Slaw the is just as tasty.
I prefer to use a 1 pound bag of pre-packaged Coleslaw mix which includes Cabbage, Red Cabbage and Carrots. To this, I add 1/2 to 3/4 of a jar of Pineapple Coleslaw sauce and mix. There are many different options to choose from, but I prefer the Brand called Jimmy's. This is available in almost all Supermarket chains. If not available try to use a different Pineapple Slaw Mix. You won't regret it.
Its important to note that while the mix states to add the whole jar, our goal is to have a crispy slaw. 1/2 to 3/4 of the jar will deliver all the flavor but still keep your slaw crispy, which is what we are looking for. Whatever your preference in Coleslaw, Creamy is no way to go here!
Once mixed cover and refrigerate for 30 min.
Cooking-
Turn on Grill to High Temperature. If you don't have a grill, use your oven and set to Broil.
After 30 Min. of Marinating, place fish on Grill.
Season fish with half of Seasoning.
Cook for 5 Min. and turn Fish.
Season Fish with remaining Seasoning and grill for another 5 Min.
Remove Fish and Place on cutting board for5 Min.
Carefully chop Fish into 1/2 inch pieces.
( If fish should fall apart in some places, it's OK. These are Tacos, remember?)
Once Fish is chopped, place in large mixing bowl.
Add Remaining Juice from Lime and Orange
Tacos-
Add Vegetable Oil to 12 Inch Skillet and turn on Med High Heat.
Once heated add Tortilla
Turn tortilla with tongs after 5 Sec.
With tongs grab end of Tortilla and fold in half while still in skillet.
Place new casserole dish next to skillet and line with paper towell.
Remove Tortilla and place on top of paper towell in casserole dish.
Repeat process until all Tortillas have been fried.
Take tortilla shells and add Fish evenly inside all shells.
Dress each Taco with selected Chipolte Ranch Dressing
Add Avocado to each Taco
Top each Taco with Pinapple Coleslaw
Serves 4-6
Dig in.
If you can't be at the beach, eat like you are!!
Thanks to whoever did bring this to California!
If you have a different version of this Recipe, or would like to comment, please feel free to post in the Comments Section. I'll be happy to pass on.
This Friday we head to Texas!!
Friday, July 17, 2009
In Search of American Cuisine
Lets get one thing clear. I'm not a Professional Chef. I've never been to culinary school, or even attended a cooking class. I believe my mom gave me a few pointers when I was in my teens, but besides that it's pretty much been trial and error when it comes to cooking.
That being said , I love to cook. I love to prepare old standards while experimenting with different seasonings, or even creating a dish with an ingredient that I've never had before.
A few weeks back I asked my wife what she was in the mood for , for dinner. After taking a few moments to decide, she said Italian. That's a very popular answer to one of our most asked questions. After she expressed her choice , I tried to narrow it down a little.
We all know what Italian food represents. Its Pasta, Pizza, Sauces , Bread, Meatballs , Sausage etc.. While there are many choices , we all can identify this type of cuisine.
This got me to thinking.. What do we classify as American Cuisine. Are there people in other countries craving American Food tonight? I mean its got to be more defined than Hot Dogs and Hamburgers!! Obviously one reason its hard to clarify is that we have so many diverse cultures in the U.S.. Only a very select few are native to our land, the rest of us are all immigrants from other countries. We are a huge Melting Pot, Right???
All of us tend to lean towards our own nationalities, as a staple in our food selections. But the great thing is, over a period of time in the U.S. we have blended these selections with other influences. Whether they be other immigrants tastes because they happen to live near us, or we choose to add local ingredients that are readily available.
Over the years ,I've lived on the West Coast in California, In the Southwest in Texas , The Northwest In Seattle, and the Upper Midwest in Minnesota. I've experiences many different views of food. I've never lived in the North East but have visited many times, and have decided I love food from this region. The same could be said about the South East. In every Region there are very specific tastes that are most popular and have become a signature of that particular part of the country.
Every Saturday I will try to pass on a recipe from a certain region of America. One that defines the approach to food in that particular part of the country. We will visit different states , select the local favorites and pass the our view of the best of these recipes to you.
Of course the real experts are the people who live in these regions. So of course, I encourage anyone to share their favorites and add their comments.
I try to follow five simple guidelines when making these selections.
1. It should be simple. Most of us don't have professional kitchens to create these meals. Ingredients should be readily available
2. Quick. Preparation should not take more than a half hour. This excludes marinating, and long slow cooks.
3. Limited cooking devices. All dishes should be made using an oven, stove top, or grill. No deep fryers, smokers, etc. Most people don't have these devices.
4. Healthy and Sustainable. These term can mean the same thing. Depending on your view , some dishes won't be as healthy, but ingredients should be sustainable. It's important to be able to enjoy these dishes for years to come. An example of this would be choosing a certain type of fish, our meat.
5. A true staple of the regions cuisine. Should be a dish that is popular in that particular region.
So lets see if we can find what truly is American Cuisine.
And remember, if you happen to be from a different country, this will be interesting as well. More than likely, we will be taking a standard from dish from a different country (Maybe yours) that has been adjusted to our influences.
Enjoy!
That being said , I love to cook. I love to prepare old standards while experimenting with different seasonings, or even creating a dish with an ingredient that I've never had before.
A few weeks back I asked my wife what she was in the mood for , for dinner. After taking a few moments to decide, she said Italian. That's a very popular answer to one of our most asked questions. After she expressed her choice , I tried to narrow it down a little.
We all know what Italian food represents. Its Pasta, Pizza, Sauces , Bread, Meatballs , Sausage etc.. While there are many choices , we all can identify this type of cuisine.
This got me to thinking.. What do we classify as American Cuisine. Are there people in other countries craving American Food tonight? I mean its got to be more defined than Hot Dogs and Hamburgers!! Obviously one reason its hard to clarify is that we have so many diverse cultures in the U.S.. Only a very select few are native to our land, the rest of us are all immigrants from other countries. We are a huge Melting Pot, Right???
All of us tend to lean towards our own nationalities, as a staple in our food selections. But the great thing is, over a period of time in the U.S. we have blended these selections with other influences. Whether they be other immigrants tastes because they happen to live near us, or we choose to add local ingredients that are readily available.
Over the years ,I've lived on the West Coast in California, In the Southwest in Texas , The Northwest In Seattle, and the Upper Midwest in Minnesota. I've experiences many different views of food. I've never lived in the North East but have visited many times, and have decided I love food from this region. The same could be said about the South East. In every Region there are very specific tastes that are most popular and have become a signature of that particular part of the country.
Every Saturday I will try to pass on a recipe from a certain region of America. One that defines the approach to food in that particular part of the country. We will visit different states , select the local favorites and pass the our view of the best of these recipes to you.
Of course the real experts are the people who live in these regions. So of course, I encourage anyone to share their favorites and add their comments.
I try to follow five simple guidelines when making these selections.
1. It should be simple. Most of us don't have professional kitchens to create these meals. Ingredients should be readily available
2. Quick. Preparation should not take more than a half hour. This excludes marinating, and long slow cooks.
3. Limited cooking devices. All dishes should be made using an oven, stove top, or grill. No deep fryers, smokers, etc. Most people don't have these devices.
4. Healthy and Sustainable. These term can mean the same thing. Depending on your view , some dishes won't be as healthy, but ingredients should be sustainable. It's important to be able to enjoy these dishes for years to come. An example of this would be choosing a certain type of fish, our meat.
5. A true staple of the regions cuisine. Should be a dish that is popular in that particular region.
So lets see if we can find what truly is American Cuisine.
And remember, if you happen to be from a different country, this will be interesting as well. More than likely, we will be taking a standard from dish from a different country (Maybe yours) that has been adjusted to our influences.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
MID SUMMER CLASSIC?? HOW ABOUT A LITTLE RESPECT
As we head into mid summer, the sports world takes a breather. The NBA has ended their season (Finally!). The NHL has ended another season under the radar. Football season has yet to begin. NASCAR is well... making another left hand turn. Golf's U.S. Open has ended and in the Tennis world Wimbledon has now past.
That leaves us Baseball. Every Summer Major League Baseball puts on their annual All Star Game. This brings together all the top players of the game to face off in a game that matches the stars from the American League vs. the National League's top players. Besides the actual game, both leagues put up their best Home Run hitters against each other in an entertaining Home Run Derby.
At least that's how its supposed to be.
When the All Star Rosters were released last week I noticed something striking. Both the Los Angeles Dodgers , and Los Angeles Angels did not have one player represented in the starting line ups for next weeks game.
This is a perfect example of the lack of respect West Coast teams receive.
At the half way point the Dodgers have the best record in the Major Leagues. They lead the league in Batting Average , Hits , and On Base Percentage. They are 3rd in Runs scored and have the best Runs Scored / Runs Against Ratio of + 93. This all accomplished without the services of Manny Ramirez for over half the season. Who is putting up these incredible numbers ?
The Los Angels Angels are also in first place again. After posting the best record in Baseball last year. They lead the American League in Batting Average, 3rd in hits, 3rd in RBI's and 5th in runs scored. Not as powerful as the Dodgers , but lets remember how their season started. They opened the season with 3 of thier starters on the Disabled List. Another starter, Nick Adenhart lost his life in a tragic car accident. Starters Vladimir Guererro and Howie Kendrick have missed one half the season. So who is getting the job done?
Well lets take a look.
The Angels :
Chone Figgins has a .310 Batting Average, 4th in league in Stolen Bases, Plays 6 positions and has not missed a game this year.
Juan Rivera has a .317 Batting Average , 16 Home Runs and 52 RBI's
Torri Hunter is Batting .305 , 17 Home Runs, 65 RBI's and is on his way to his Ninth Gold Glove
The Dodgers:
That leaves us Baseball. Every Summer Major League Baseball puts on their annual All Star Game. This brings together all the top players of the game to face off in a game that matches the stars from the American League vs. the National League's top players. Besides the actual game, both leagues put up their best Home Run hitters against each other in an entertaining Home Run Derby.
At least that's how its supposed to be.
When the All Star Rosters were released last week I noticed something striking. Both the Los Angeles Dodgers , and Los Angeles Angels did not have one player represented in the starting line ups for next weeks game.
This is a perfect example of the lack of respect West Coast teams receive.
At the half way point the Dodgers have the best record in the Major Leagues. They lead the league in Batting Average , Hits , and On Base Percentage. They are 3rd in Runs scored and have the best Runs Scored / Runs Against Ratio of + 93. This all accomplished without the services of Manny Ramirez for over half the season. Who is putting up these incredible numbers ?
The Los Angels Angels are also in first place again. After posting the best record in Baseball last year. They lead the American League in Batting Average, 3rd in hits, 3rd in RBI's and 5th in runs scored. Not as powerful as the Dodgers , but lets remember how their season started. They opened the season with 3 of thier starters on the Disabled List. Another starter, Nick Adenhart lost his life in a tragic car accident. Starters Vladimir Guererro and Howie Kendrick have missed one half the season. So who is getting the job done?
Well lets take a look.
The Angels :
Chone Figgins has a .310 Batting Average, 4th in league in Stolen Bases, Plays 6 positions and has not missed a game this year.
Juan Rivera has a .317 Batting Average , 16 Home Runs and 52 RBI's
Torri Hunter is Batting .305 , 17 Home Runs, 65 RBI's and is on his way to his Ninth Gold Glove
The Dodgers:
Andre Eithier has 16 Home run and and 54 RBI's and has played every game.
Juan Pierre has a .328 Batting Average and 24 Stolen Bases.
Matt Kemp is Batting .314 with 19 Stolen Bases , 10 home Runs and 45 RBI's
I won't even include Manny Ramirez , who in one month of service is batting .333 with 8 Home Runs and 25 RBI's. That equates to 48 Home Runs , 125 RBI's and a batting average over .330.
At a closer look we see that Josh Hamilton from the Texas Rangers made the Starting Line up for the American League. He has missed over half the season , is batting a whopping .254 with 6 Hoe Runs and 24 RBI's. Anyone mentioned above has better numbers.
David Wright has 5 home Runs and 43 RBI's and has struck out 85 times. Anyone mentioned from the Dodgers line up has better numbers.
I know this selection is by position but if Wright were eliminated, that would free up another position and anyone of these players could have been taken.
Instead the Dodgers have 1 position player on the All Star Team. The Angels have one as well.
To put that in perspective, Tampa Bay has 4, Boston has 3, Philadelphia has 3, HOUSTON even has 2!!
No respect.
On top of that we hear that Justin Morneau Mark Reynolds and Adam Dunn have chose not to take place in the Home Run Derby. Nice Commitment to fans .
No Respect.....
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
I can't get no relief
Baseball is one of my favorite sports. It's a talking sport. You can have conversations on 50 different subjects during an entire game, and still catch all the action. One can also have many debates about the game. Who's the best hitter? Who's the best pitcher? What era of baseball was more entertaining? And in the current age of Baseball, Who is over paid?
Having grown up in Southern California, I was lucky to have two Major League teams to root for. Of course the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels. I attended more Dodger games as a child (Some I actually paid for), but was a huge fan of both. In fact as I got into my late teens the Angels became my favorite team. This was primarily due to Free Agency. Players that were the backbone of my team for years, were now getting paid more money to play for the hated rivals. Even worse , players I couldn't stand, who I'd been rooting against my whole childhood, now were playing for my Dodgers!
During this time I also noticed another strange thing happening. The way the game was being played was changing. In my youth , Major League Baseball teams carried 4 or 5 Starting Pitchers. They then carried 3 or 4 Relief Pitchers. The Relief Pitchers were guys who were just breaking in to the Major Leagues or were in the twilight of their career. They weren't good enough to crack the starting rotation where the big money was. They were used to mop up in lop sided games or come in if a pitcher was injured. They could pitch 20 innings in a week , or not be used for several. They were the last players on the roster.
Soon these no name pitchers started being used in special situations more and more often. They would be brought in to face a certain hitter earlier in the game. Left hand batters typically have a tougher time against Left handed pitchers. So, in certain situations a Starting pitcher would be removed for relief pitcher even though the Starter was ahead and seemed to be pitching fine.
Because of this, the number of relief pitchers grew on each team. They even started keeping brand new stats for relief pitchers. I guess this gave these pitchers a sense of purpose, and maybe a way to keep track of the worst of the worst.
Besides the typical stats of Wins , Losses, and ERA, they now were keeping official stats called Saves and Blown Saves. A Save is awarded when a Relief pitcher enters the game with his team leading. Let me repeat, his team is already Winning! They rest of the players on his team have already done the heavy lifting. To receive a Save a pitcher must complete the game , face at least one batter, and his team cannot be ahead by more than 3 runs. So lets get this straight, a pitcher can enter the game with 2 outs in the 9th inning leading 4-1. He only needs one out to get the save. He could give up 2 walks, a single , a double , and another walk and still get the final out and receive the save. Boy that seems pretty tough. So tough, that they began to give these wonder talents a special name throughout the League. This name.... "The Closer". Pretty catchy.
I can remember 4 distinct situations where a "Closer" was brought in in the Playoffs and World Series' ,where not only did the "Closer" not save the game, he lost it and ended his teams season. 3 of the times involved my favorite teams.
1985 - The St Louis Cardinal's Jack Clark Blasts a 3 run homer in the top of the ninth inning off Dodger's "Closer"Tom Niedenfuer erasing the Dodgers 2 run lead and ending the series in 6 games.
1986-Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Angels lead the Series 3 Games to 1, Needing one win to advance to the World Series. After a 2 run home run by Don Baylor of the Boston Red Sox, Donnie Moore the Angels "Closer" enters the game to Close out the Red Sox and advance the Angels to their first World Series ever. He promptly gives up another 2 run home run to Dave Henderson. Boston takes the lead and wins the game. The Angels do not win another game in the Series and Boston advances to another World Series.
1988 - The Dodgers who were down 4-3 to the Oakland A's in the Bottom of the Ninth, bring up a One legged Kirk Gibson ( Who had not played and would not play the rest of the series due to a serious leg injury).Facing the formidable "Closer"Dennis Eckersley , Gibson blasted a 2 run home run to win the game. The A's never recover and lose the series 4-1. ( This one didn't bother me too much)
1993- In game 6 of the 1993 World Series , The Phillies were leading the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning trying to force a Game 7. The Phillies bring in Closer Mitch Williams who promptly walks a batter , gives up a single and finally a series ending 3 run home run to Joe Carter.
At least they don't pay these guys that much money.
Mariano Rivera the "Closer for the NY Yankees makes $15,000,000 a year. What???? I don't get it.
I know its hard but lets try to stay focused. Last year in 2008 the 8 teams that made the playoffs had a total of 108 Blown saves. 108! That means that on average every team that made the playoffs last year had over 13 Blown saves! But who cares they made the playoffs, who cares about 13 more wins for your team. Unless its the last game of the season!
This year the top 10 paid "Closers" are each paid and average of $11.7 Million dollars a year. The bottom 10 paid just under $1 Million a year, Half of them making the League minimum of $400,000. The top 10 have 171 Saves and 26 Blown saves. That means that 1 out of every 6 times these guys blow the game for their team who worked the whole game to put them in a position to win. The Bottom 10 paid "Closers" have closed 168 games and only have 14 blown saves. That's only 1 out of 12 times do the lowest paid "Closers" have a blown save. So...... the lowest paid "Closers' are twice as effective. I don't get it!
The Los Angels Angels had great closer last year. Francisco Rodriquez had 62 saves last year. You might think that the Angels rewarded him with a contract like Mariano Rivera. No , they let him go for nothing. He became a Free Agent and he went on to the New York Mets and signed a multi-year contract for 9.7 Million Dollars. Could it be that my favorite team had finally figured it out? Oh wait, the Angels went out and signed a new "Closer" , Brian Fuentes, to a $8.5 Million a year contract. He went on to Blow 3 of his first 6 Save opportunities this year. I don't get it!
I mentioned that when I was a child I went to many Major League Baseball games. It was $9 for a Field Level ticket. These were the good seats , right up close to the action. You could hear the players talk , and see the looks in their eyes.
I have a 5 year old son, and would love to take him to a Major League Baseball game so he could experience the joy and excitement I did when I was his age. The problem is , these tickets now cost a minimum of $45 , and some teams even charge $100 for these seats.
I have a plan that might work out for all parties and help the youth of today be able to take part of this great game.
PAY THESE RELIEF PITCHERS (or "Closers" as they like to be called) WHAT THEY ARE WORTH- $400,000 A YEAR.... THE BARE MINIMUM.
This would give Major League teams an extra $11.3 Million to play with . With this excess cash Major League teams could lower their Field Level prices to below $15 a seat and not lose a dime.
But wait there is more! With all the kids and families that could now afford to come to a Baseball game and enjoy the experience from the real good seats, think of all the snacks they could sell. I mean every kid needs to experience a $10 hot dog, $5 Coke , and a $4 bag of peanuts.
With all the extra revenue from these family friendly priced snacks, they could even lower their great seat prices to $9 a seat and still make more money. Hey that's what it was when I was a kid.
I don't understand why they would not want to do this. I just don't get it.........
Having grown up in Southern California, I was lucky to have two Major League teams to root for. Of course the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels. I attended more Dodger games as a child (Some I actually paid for), but was a huge fan of both. In fact as I got into my late teens the Angels became my favorite team. This was primarily due to Free Agency. Players that were the backbone of my team for years, were now getting paid more money to play for the hated rivals. Even worse , players I couldn't stand, who I'd been rooting against my whole childhood, now were playing for my Dodgers!
During this time I also noticed another strange thing happening. The way the game was being played was changing. In my youth , Major League Baseball teams carried 4 or 5 Starting Pitchers. They then carried 3 or 4 Relief Pitchers. The Relief Pitchers were guys who were just breaking in to the Major Leagues or were in the twilight of their career. They weren't good enough to crack the starting rotation where the big money was. They were used to mop up in lop sided games or come in if a pitcher was injured. They could pitch 20 innings in a week , or not be used for several. They were the last players on the roster.
Soon these no name pitchers started being used in special situations more and more often. They would be brought in to face a certain hitter earlier in the game. Left hand batters typically have a tougher time against Left handed pitchers. So, in certain situations a Starting pitcher would be removed for relief pitcher even though the Starter was ahead and seemed to be pitching fine.
Because of this, the number of relief pitchers grew on each team. They even started keeping brand new stats for relief pitchers. I guess this gave these pitchers a sense of purpose, and maybe a way to keep track of the worst of the worst.
Besides the typical stats of Wins , Losses, and ERA, they now were keeping official stats called Saves and Blown Saves. A Save is awarded when a Relief pitcher enters the game with his team leading. Let me repeat, his team is already Winning! They rest of the players on his team have already done the heavy lifting. To receive a Save a pitcher must complete the game , face at least one batter, and his team cannot be ahead by more than 3 runs. So lets get this straight, a pitcher can enter the game with 2 outs in the 9th inning leading 4-1. He only needs one out to get the save. He could give up 2 walks, a single , a double , and another walk and still get the final out and receive the save. Boy that seems pretty tough. So tough, that they began to give these wonder talents a special name throughout the League. This name.... "The Closer". Pretty catchy.
I can remember 4 distinct situations where a "Closer" was brought in in the Playoffs and World Series' ,where not only did the "Closer" not save the game, he lost it and ended his teams season. 3 of the times involved my favorite teams.
1985 - The St Louis Cardinal's Jack Clark Blasts a 3 run homer in the top of the ninth inning off Dodger's "Closer"Tom Niedenfuer erasing the Dodgers 2 run lead and ending the series in 6 games.
1986-Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. The Angels lead the Series 3 Games to 1, Needing one win to advance to the World Series. After a 2 run home run by Don Baylor of the Boston Red Sox, Donnie Moore the Angels "Closer" enters the game to Close out the Red Sox and advance the Angels to their first World Series ever. He promptly gives up another 2 run home run to Dave Henderson. Boston takes the lead and wins the game. The Angels do not win another game in the Series and Boston advances to another World Series.
1988 - The Dodgers who were down 4-3 to the Oakland A's in the Bottom of the Ninth, bring up a One legged Kirk Gibson ( Who had not played and would not play the rest of the series due to a serious leg injury).Facing the formidable "Closer"Dennis Eckersley , Gibson blasted a 2 run home run to win the game. The A's never recover and lose the series 4-1. ( This one didn't bother me too much)
1993- In game 6 of the 1993 World Series , The Phillies were leading the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning trying to force a Game 7. The Phillies bring in Closer Mitch Williams who promptly walks a batter , gives up a single and finally a series ending 3 run home run to Joe Carter.
At least they don't pay these guys that much money.
Mariano Rivera the "Closer for the NY Yankees makes $15,000,000 a year. What???? I don't get it.
I know its hard but lets try to stay focused. Last year in 2008 the 8 teams that made the playoffs had a total of 108 Blown saves. 108! That means that on average every team that made the playoffs last year had over 13 Blown saves! But who cares they made the playoffs, who cares about 13 more wins for your team. Unless its the last game of the season!
This year the top 10 paid "Closers" are each paid and average of $11.7 Million dollars a year. The bottom 10 paid just under $1 Million a year, Half of them making the League minimum of $400,000. The top 10 have 171 Saves and 26 Blown saves. That means that 1 out of every 6 times these guys blow the game for their team who worked the whole game to put them in a position to win. The Bottom 10 paid "Closers" have closed 168 games and only have 14 blown saves. That's only 1 out of 12 times do the lowest paid "Closers" have a blown save. So...... the lowest paid "Closers' are twice as effective. I don't get it!
The Los Angels Angels had great closer last year. Francisco Rodriquez had 62 saves last year. You might think that the Angels rewarded him with a contract like Mariano Rivera. No , they let him go for nothing. He became a Free Agent and he went on to the New York Mets and signed a multi-year contract for 9.7 Million Dollars. Could it be that my favorite team had finally figured it out? Oh wait, the Angels went out and signed a new "Closer" , Brian Fuentes, to a $8.5 Million a year contract. He went on to Blow 3 of his first 6 Save opportunities this year. I don't get it!
I mentioned that when I was a child I went to many Major League Baseball games. It was $9 for a Field Level ticket. These were the good seats , right up close to the action. You could hear the players talk , and see the looks in their eyes.
I have a 5 year old son, and would love to take him to a Major League Baseball game so he could experience the joy and excitement I did when I was his age. The problem is , these tickets now cost a minimum of $45 , and some teams even charge $100 for these seats.
I have a plan that might work out for all parties and help the youth of today be able to take part of this great game.
PAY THESE RELIEF PITCHERS (or "Closers" as they like to be called) WHAT THEY ARE WORTH- $400,000 A YEAR.... THE BARE MINIMUM.
This would give Major League teams an extra $11.3 Million to play with . With this excess cash Major League teams could lower their Field Level prices to below $15 a seat and not lose a dime.
But wait there is more! With all the kids and families that could now afford to come to a Baseball game and enjoy the experience from the real good seats, think of all the snacks they could sell. I mean every kid needs to experience a $10 hot dog, $5 Coke , and a $4 bag of peanuts.
With all the extra revenue from these family friendly priced snacks, they could even lower their great seat prices to $9 a seat and still make more money. Hey that's what it was when I was a kid.
I don't understand why they would not want to do this. I just don't get it.........
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