A fellow blogger (he publishes Zack Shack) and friend has posted several recipes that have made my mouth water. Recently, Zack had a recipe for Brined Turkey Butternut Squash Soup that I simply had to try since I only recently learned how to cook winter squash.

To me, it seemed that the heart of Zack’s recipe was the use of lite creamed cheese instead of cream, which is what typical recipes call for. In checking around online, I noticed some additions that I had laying around that I wanted to use up: carrots and apples. I took that idea from this AllRecipes recipe: Butternut and Apple Harvest Soup. I combined those elements with elements of Zack’s.

I basically made a double recipe, based on Zack’s ingredients. So, I used the butter and olive oil he calls for, but double the amount. On the other hand, I only used 3 cups of veggie broth and 3 cups of water, plus two Knorr’s vegetable broth cubes, only half the fluids he calls for based on a double recipe. I used veggie broth instead of the turkey Zack calls for because I wanted to make it vegetarian this time.

I sauted the onions in the butter & oil, then added the diced apple and diced carrots. I cooked the butternut in the microwave, softening a well punctured squash for 6 minutes, halving it, and then fully cooking for 12+ minutes (it was a large one). I scooped out the meat and added it to the browning onions, apples, and carrots and finished browning them all.

At that point, as per the AllRecipes instructions, I added the fluids and boiled until all was soft. Then, I CAREFULLY ladled the mix into my (quaint 70s vintage) blender and pureed it all, a couple blenders-full at a time, returning it to the pan. I added the whole brick of creamed cheese, stirring and simmering until all the cream cheese was melted and well incorporated, blending it all again at the end.

For spices, I used “apple pie spice” (cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice) plus sea salt and white pepper to taste. This makes a soup that is an interesting mix of sweet and unami. As I eat it over the next couple weeks (I’ll freeze at least half), I’m going to experiment with adding other spices to increase the unami quality–maybe sage?

I’ve updated my blogroll page on Inkwatu because a number of my friends and acquaintances have established very nice blogs. Wanted to call your attention to them:

from inkwatu.com/blogroll

FAMILY

• Lavalili

SPECIAL FOLKS

• Allen Loyd’s Travels
• As I Draw Them
• Beeman Jewelry Design
• Central Coffee Shoppe
• Coping w/Chronic Illness
• Elizabeth Crown Collection
• Eye of Newt
• Going Global
• Lakewood UCC
• Marty Ink
• Re/Creating Tampa Bay
• The Quilting Violinist
• Zack Shack

CITIES

• Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen (Chinese, diverse,
  food writer/photographer for Tampa Tribune)
• Sami’s Bakery (Tampa Middle Eastern bakery)
• Saraplicious! Kitchen (Filipino cooking-Tampa blogger

Plus many others…

There are places you miss more than you realize until you visit them again. The Southwest is one of those places.

Recently I visited a friend of 43 years. He’s only recently moved to Gallup. I’d never been there before, but I hope to go again.

The title of this post pretty much says it all in regard to the Southwest. It is so peaceful.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Florida. I park on the roof of the Tampa International Airport so I can walk out into our huge sky with towering clouds at night, overlooking vast stretches of water. But, when at ground level in Florida, there’s a claustrophobic shortness to the horizon; things are too close.

In the Southwest, they stretch for miles as if one were standing on a tall building. That space brings peace.

And the vegetation! It’s interplanetary. It’s not lush as it is here, but it is exotic in the extreme.

My friend asked me what I wanted to do. I said, “Nothing!” And nothing is what we did. We simply sat and talked and relaxed on this porch below for several days. What a treat.

A friend emailed me a link to an April 26, 2011 article in the New York Times Dining & Wine section by John T. Edge, In Tampa, the Street Food That Crawled From the Sea, and asked if I’d ever eaten at the Brocato’s reviewed in the article and, if not, did I want to go try it.

Well, as it happens, I’ve eaten dozens and dozens of Brocato’s sandwiches at parties I’ve been to, but I’ve never been to the restaurant itself, nor have I ever had their crab cakes, so there was no hesitation in my saying yes. Although Joe Brocato is an acquaintance–I was once a consultant on the design and purchase of one of the many, generous philanthropic gifts he has made to the community–I don’t really know him well. However, I have a good friend who knows him extremely well, so she and my other friend and I made plans to go eat there. Even though it’s a 50 minute, one way, drive for me, it was worth it. Brocato’s crab cakes, pictured below, are gourmet crab cakes. They are so far beyond any other Tampa crab cakes I’ve had–and I’ve had many–they deserve some additional name to distinguish them from all other Tampa crab cakes.

One of the first things you’ll notice about a Brocato’s crab cake is its size. A typical Tampa crab cake, is only about the size of a hardball but squished to have pointy ends so it resembles a 19th Century submarine. But, a Brocato’s crab cake is the size of a large softball and only slightly flattened. They’re huge!

Secondly, when you cut into a Brocato’s crab cake to douse it with Crystal hot sauce, you’ll notice what really sets them apart the most: there is almost no breading. What breading there is, is only about an eighth of an inch thick, whereas run-of-the-mill Tampa crab cakes typically have at least a half-inch, or more, of breading with just a little crab mixture in the center. The Brocato crab cake is 95% crab filling with just a skin of breading.

Thirdly, the crab mix itself is uniquely delicious. I can’t tell all of what’s in it, but I detected what I believe were small, soft bits of red and green sweet peppers scattered throughout. I suspect they were what lends the slightly sweet taste to the mix. Nevertheless, the main ingredient is clearly high quality, real crab meat.

If you are a visitor to Tampa, say for instance someone attending the Republican party’s nominating convention here next year, get yourself to Brocato’s Sandwich Shop, 5021 E. Columbus Dr., Tampa, FL 33619, 813-248-9977, fax 813-242-4191. It’s not far, at all, from the convention center by car or cab and you’ll not be disappointed. You’ll be eating the finest example of an archetypal Tampa food. If you’re a local, then you know to go there already!

Their hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm, Saturday, 7:30am to 3:00pm, closed Sunday. You can fax your order if you want. Unfortunately, there’s not an online menu to which you can refer, so pick up a fax order form and a take-home menu when you go.

While you’re there, try one of their papas rellenas (stuffed deep fried potato balls), another uniquely Tampa food. If you’re not a crab cake fan, try one of their sandwiches; I can personally attest to their quality. I recommend getting two of the crab cakes and taking one home. They refrigerate well and they microwave very successfully.

Brocato’s is very popular so it will be crowded, just accept that; but the line moves quickly, and there is plenty of seating inside and out. One taste, and you’ll know why it so popular. Brocato’s get the maximum number of stars on almost every travel site with user reviews.

Sometimes, you just have to reward yourself. Last night was one of those times. That large hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge over hand-packed chocolate chip mint ice cream (hold the whipped cream, cherry, and nuts) at Dairy Inn on MLK last night after a friend’s concert was exactly what I needed.

If that sounds good to you, too, see this Inkwatu review for more info on the Dairy Inn.

My theory, looking forward, is that if I substitute one of those for supper once a week, I won’t gain any weight. Think that’ll work?

SADLY, ISLAND SEAFOOD MARKET & BISTRO IS NO MORE–IT WAS A CASUALTY OF THE DIFFICULT ECONOMY. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL IDEA AND CONCEPT THOUGH. IT WILL BE MISSED

Island Seafood Market & Bistro (Inkwatu review; Island Seafood website; 2057 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33713, 727-821-8181) has new hours: Tues – Thursday 7AM – 3PM Friday 7AM – 10PM Saturday 7AM -3PM; Open for Dinner Saturday by Reservation Only.

This is more than just an adjustment in hours. This is the opening of an opportunity for St. Pete that I don’t believe has ever existed before, the institution of a breakfast place that specializes in seafood.

Of course, Munch’s (Inkwatu review; Munch’s website; 3920 6th St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-896-5972) and the Central Coffee Shoppe (Inkwatu review; 530 Central Ave., St Petersburg, FL 33701, 727-821-1125)–both favorites of mine–have that good southern dish, catfish and eggs.

This new direction at Island Seafood, however–since it is not only a bistro but also a full market with fresh fish, crustaceans, and other seafood coming in daily–holds the promise of something I haven’t seen since the times I used to eat at Mother’s in New Orleans. I live in hope that Liz (co-owner/operator of Island Seafood) will devise her own Crawfish Étouffée Omelet!

But, already she has some good looking breakfast dishes available, such as Shrimp & Grits w/gravy, Lobster & Eggs Benedict, Maryland Crab Cake Eggs Benedict, Salmon Benedict, Fish & Grits w/gravy, and Bagels & Lox. Of course, as you can see from the new hours listed above, they are still serving their great lunches. A tip: try the fish tacos or the Amberjack Philly Cheese Sandwich!

Another tip: they have an Island Seafood Facebook page. If you’re on Facebook, I highly recommend “Liking” the page, because they often post their specials for the day for both the bistro and the market.

PS: this morning I stopped by and had their Maryland Crabcakes Egg Benedict. Excellent, no exaggeration–the spiciness of the crabcake ad the smoothness of the Hollandaise sauce complement each other. And they know how to poach an egg. If you’re a poached egg lover, you know how uncommon that can be. Try the Maryland Eggs Benedict.

Bornean orangutan (male) “Rango” Age 36. The only great ape from Asia, orangutans are among the most endangered animals on earth.

What a privilege: a private tour by the person I’m convinced is the world’s best docent of the zoo rated #1 in the United States by Parent’s Magazine. That zoo and that docent (Jane Rubin) are right here in Tampa Bay, at the Lowry Park Zoo (www.lowryparkzoo.com), 1101 W. Sligh Ave., Tampa, FL 33604, 813-935-8552.

As was mentioned in The Jackson, Mississippi, Zoo, where my cousin, Donna, is the veterinary technician, zoos have come a long, long, long way from the dismal, depressing dungeons of my youth.

Today’s zoo keepers are animal activists and preservationists whose purpose extends way beyond just keeping animals in captivity for the entertainment of human animals.

For instance, take a look at the Commitment to Conservation page of the Lowry Park Zoo’s website. This is where the zoo’s efforts to continually look “for ways to enhance the animals’ lives through behavioral enrichment, operant conditioning and exhibit improvements” are discussed. Also described are their significant contributions to animal conservation.

On that page are links to four important subpages:

• Conservation In The Zoo
• Conservation Regionally
• Conservation Around The World
• Conservation Recycling Program

On the first of those pages, Conservation in the Zoo, we learn of the zoo’s three goals of education, conservation and research. Their mission is to “Connect People with the Living Earth.”

They are a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which conserves wildlife through education, research, captive breeding for reintroduction, and fund-raising to support field conservation.

There are 40 animals at the Lowry Park Zoo that are part of the AZA Species Survival Plan® (SSP) program–they are listed on the Lowry Park Zoo’s Conservation In The Zoo page.

There’s so much to recommend this Tampa attraction. Anyone coming to a convention in Tampa should take an afternoon or morning and go. Any parent or grandparent living in the area should buy passes and spend time with their children and grandchildren there. I saw many photographers there and I learned that often they buy year passes and spend many hours there photographing the animals. For the kids, there’s a few rides, of course, but the main attraction are the animals.

All the pictures in this post were taken at the Lowry Park Zoo and Jane helped me identify the animals after I’d edited the pictures so I’d be sure to get everything properly labeled. (Any errors are mine!)

“Rango,” pictured at the beginning of the post is perhaps my favorite animal there; I relate to his sense of style. I learned from Jane that every year at holiday time, the volunteers bring the animals presents which the animals love to open. I’ll have to think of a suitable gift for Rango.

Support wildlife preservation and have a good time doing it: go to the Lowry Park Zoo.

Bornean orangutan (female) “Josie” age 25 & daughter, “Hadiah” age 5	Chimpanzee (female) “Rukiyah”
Colobus monkey – Angola	Siamang : female “Haddie” & male “Cyrus” & baby “Malu.”

Ringtailed lemur – Madagascar	Golden lion tamarin (Brazil)
Bolivian grey titi monkeys female “Leap” & male “Cleve”	Yellow-footed rock wallaby
emu	petting zoo goat
African penguin feeding session	Waterbuck (safari ride)

meerkat sentinel

Grevy’s zebra & white rhino	African elephant & Hartman mountain zebra
Reticulated giraffe male “Billy Bob” & Rothschild’s giraffe male “Randle”	Shoebill stork male “Mr. Zero”
Cheetah brothers “Chaka” & “Gaheeji”	Pygmy hippo Mother “ZzaZza” & daughter “Anakiya”
Maribou stork – sunning	Okapi female “Betty.” Okapis live only in the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are so elusive that they only became known to the European world in 1901. It is the giraffes’ only relative.
Saddlebilled stork	Shoebill stork female “Binti” Hatched at Lowry Park Zoo 12/26/09. Binti is the ONLY shoebill hatched and reared by parents (without incubation or feeding intervention) anywhere in captivity in any accredited zoo.

Male giraffes (safari ride) “TangaTanga,” “Timmy” & “Benwa”

Another downtown restaurant, that I wrote about in Tangelo’s Grille, has relocated: this one to Gulfport (see their website). My favorite thing there is their hamburger. I miss the atmosphere and feel of the downtown restaurant, though. Plus, when it comes to Gulfport, I’m more inclined to eat next door at Stella’s Deli & Gelato or O’Maddy’s. But, when I get the hankering for a hand-formed, thick hamburger, I go to Tangelo’s new location.

There’s a new restaurant at the end of that block, just across from the Gulfport Casino, the Neptune Bar and Grille. The Gufport Patch has this excellent review of it. It’s fast becoming one of my favorite haunts. I enjoy sitting at the bar to eat so I can look out at the bay. That’s the way the old, old Hurricane Lounge down in Pass-a-grille Beach used to be in one of its earliest incarnations; you could sit at the bar and look out at the gulf. PS: the Neptune has EXCELLENT Greek food.

I’m extremely happy to report that the Central Coffee Shoppe is doing well. It’s still the same great family-owned-and-operated grille serving up some of the best breakfasts in town. For a while, I was very worried about some of my favorite places, because several did succumb to the recession and go under. But, the Central Coffee Shoppe has, thankfully, survived, and is as good as ever.

Skyway Jack’s opened up a branch up near 4th St. N. and the Gandy, but I haven’t tried it yet. I can’t imagine they managed to duplicate the wonder of the decor at the South 34th Street location, but I’m sure the menu’s the same.

Just this week, I went to the new 2462 Central Avenue location of Nitally’s Thai-Mexican Fusion Cuisine. I went with a friend who’d never been there. He was an instant convert. The food is simply spectacular and I love the fusion concept. My friend had Panang Mole. What a thrilling idea to combine a mole sauce with a panang curry. Thankfully, my friend let me sample some of his dish. I had the more traditional Thai basil stir fry; equally scrumptious!

Work o’ the Weavers at St. Pete Palladium Side Door

 
A few nights ago, a friend called and said, “We’re going to the [Work o' the] Weaver’s concert Thursday night at the Palladium. I know you like that kind of music. Do you want to come, too.” I said yes immediately.

Although I’m not quite old enough to remember The Weavers themselves (that’s more my sister’s generation who lived through all that in California, San Francisco, North Beach, the hungry i, etc.), but I am old enough to remember all the groups the Weaver’s spawned (The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and others of the American Folk Music Revival).

And…I am old enough to remember seeing Joseph McCarthy on someone’s television (we didn’t have one then). I mention that because the Weavers and other folk singers of that time, as well the classical composer and American legend, Aaron Copland, were all hauled before McCarthy’s committee and interrogated. And, yes, they were definitely left-leaning sympathizers and supporters of Henry Wallace for president.

Thursday night’s concert by the contemporary tribute group, Work o’ the Weavers (see workotheweavers.com), was one of the most enjoyable musical evenings I’ve had in a long time. If you ever get a chance to hear the group, go. Their appeal is not limited to folks my age; I saw a number of teens and young adults there who were bobbing and swaying and singing “Good Night Irene” along with us of the blue-rinse set.

My guess is the only demographic group not represented–or if they were there, they kept on the down low–were Tea Party members, because the tradition of the Weavers, which the Work o’ the Weavers is all about, is definitely tied to the Progressive movement during the Great Depression and World War II. So many of the songs that were sung then, and last night, are unfortunately still appropriate now during the Great Recession, especially the pro-labor and pro-peace songs.

The concert was in two parts. In the first part, every song was woven into a detailed narrative of the history of the (original) Weavers. It really was a complete history of the group, the music, its composers and lyricists, and the times. It was not just a series of songs by the Weavers. It was educational in a very real sense.

The second part of the concert followed the dictum of Pete Seeger, who is close to the members of the group and endorses it, to not just look backward, but to sing also what the Weavers would sing now if they still existed today. What a wonderful idea. Three songs from that second half were my personal favorites for the night: Red Goes the Vine/In Dead Earnest, We’re Still Here, and My Peace. They’re all on a CD called We’re Still Here. That’s a link to the MP3 “album” which just costs a hair over 1/2 what the actual CD sold at the concert cost. I recommend it, highly.

The Work o’ the Weavers website has plenty of information and videos. Here’s one, Work o’ the Weavers – Distilled, that gives you a good feel for the group.

The lyrics of the aforementioned song, “My Peace,” was written by Woodie Guthrie just after he was hospitalized with Huntington’s Disease and set to music by his son, Arlo Guthrie. Here it is being sung by the Guthrie Family – My Peace:

If you’d like to see some video of the original Weavers, here’s The Weavers – Around The World:

Here’s a Youtube presentation of them singing the first song the Weavers ever recorded, The banks of Marble – The Weavers (that’s Pete Seeger singing solo on first verse):

The words of that song are so appropriate today, maybe more than ever before. Here’s a more recent recording just by Pete Seeger and with a more meaningful video — Banks of Marble:

And…thrown in for good measure and having almost nothing to do with The Weavers or Pete Seeger or The Work o’ the Weavers other than it’s authentic, old-timey American folk music is this video I stumbled upon while looking up the other videos — the Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video Ever Made. Unfortunately, that has to be watched on Youtube, itself and can’t be embedded. So, please click on the link. That’s old style clogging. I promise you will not be able to hold your body still. I just LOVE that music!!!!!
 
 
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