Great Meal

Here's a dinner worth trying................

Filet Mignon, Grilled Hearts of Romaine, and Fried Goat Cheese


Filet: One inch thick Loin Cut Filet, Kosher salt, fresh gound pepper, and garlic salt. Charcoal grilled.

Fried Goat Cheese: Slice goat cheese into one inch thick rounds (I use dental floss to cut goat cheese. Works extremely well. Thanks Food Network). Coat goat cheese in flour, coat with egg wash, coat with bread crumbs. Fry in butter and olive oil, about 30 seconds per side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve warm.

Grilled Heart of Romaine: Slice heart of Romaine in half lengthwise, brush with olive oil, and grill until softened and grill marks show. Remove from grill and dress with balsamic dressing (below), Parmesan cheese and bacon bits.

Dressing: 1/3 cup high Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Great and fairly quick to fix summer meal.

Let's Hear It For The Under"Dawgs"

Fresno State wins the College World Series. Is this great or what ? The Under-or-Wonder Dawgs pulled off one of the greatest feats in competitive sports. The 89th rated team in the nation, fourth seeded Regional ranked, unseeded Super Regional ranked, and unseeded CWS ranked Bulldogs clawed their way to the National Championship. They did it with talent, of course, but also with grit and determination. They were not supposed to be here. They played at a disadvantage for most of the tournament, and yet still managed to pull off upset after upset. Congrats to all the players and fans of Fresno State. Sometimes the little guy does win.....

Thinking of Baseball

After writing my last post, I started thinking of baseball in general, and my background and feelings about the game, after all, for me, baseball defines life, metaphorically. In a word, it is perfect.

I attended my first baseball game around 1954 - 1955 with my father and grandfather. We attended a San Diego Padre (of the then Pacific Coast League) game at Lane Field. Lane Field was an old fashioned minor league park that was probably 30 years old at that time. Wooden bleachers, vendors hawking dogs and peanuts, and the look, smell and feel of baseball. I was in AWE ! From that time on, most of my heroes were baseball players.

In 1958, the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. I became a Dodger fan overnight. I knew every player by name and stats, listened to the games on the radio, and watched every game broadcast on the Saturday Game of the Week. However, I still followed the home town Padres. The Padres moved from Lane Field to Westgate Park, which rekindled my minor league interest, since the park was within bicycle distance from my house. Many a summer day was spent watching the Padres, after sneaking into the park through a hole in the fence. In those days, the ushers understood the absolute need for young boys to watch the games and, unless you caused trouble, allowed some of us "regulars" to stay.

One of the greatest memories of my life was watching Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves pitch in an exhibition game against the Padres. It was standing room only, and me and one of my fellow gate crashers watched the game standing , hanging in a window. It was also one of the first night games I attended. It was absolutely awesome ! This was Major League Baseball for real !

I played Little League baseball. Pitcher, catcher and short stop, but more often it was pickup games at the rec-center, or day long games of over-the-line when we couldn't get enough players for a game. Summer meant baseball, all day, every day. Simple times, simple pleasures.

In 1961, the Chargers moved from Los Angeles to San Diego. They played at Balboa Stadium, located just behind San Diego High School. We now had a Professional AFL football team. My loyalties were divided. I attended San Diego High and played football for two seasons, one JV and one Varsity, and we played in Balboa Stadium as well. It was our home field. We played in a "PRO" stadium every home game. It was like being part of their team, we were the junior Chargers. In 1963, my step-dad got stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois, so we moved.

I took a hiatus from sports, both from participating and watching. I guess you could say life got in the way. You know, girls, cars, partying and generally raising hell. Although, I did sometimes check out the Cubs, White Sox , Bears and Black Hawks.

After high school and a stint in the Air Force, I moved back to San Diego. That was in 1968. I once again became a Padre fan. That was the year the Padres joined Major League Baseball. They played their first season in 1969 at San Diego Stadium, which just a mile or so from the site of Westgate Park.. Then, between 1969 and 1975, the game changed. That was the time during which the infamous "reserve clause" and "free agency" battle was waged. I think that both sides won and lost that battle. Sure, the players got payed better and the clubs became more competitive, but the GAME suffered. Baseball became a business. The fun and play of the game was lost forever. Players hopped from team to team for money. Where was the team loyalty? How could the fans truly identify with a team the seemed to constantly be changing? Different players every year. I have the greatest respect for two modern era players, Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Both probably could have made much more money if they went into the free agent pool, but elected to stay with their respective teams. Hats off to them.

At this point, life really did get in the way. First wife, two daughters, bought first home, generally got caught up in the rat race full time. Little time for much else. My oldest daughter, Stephanie, played softball one year, so I became a softball fan for awhile. She also played in a Powder Puff football game in high school, and kicked some serious butt. (My fault, I never really treated her like a prissy little girl)

Several years later, my oldest son, James, decided to play baseball. Actually, we decided that playing baseball would be good for him and might help him overcome some of his shyness. My youngest son, Chris, also played baseball, and one season of soccer. Watching the two of them brought it all back. In James I saw the competitive, total commitment to the sport of baseball. In Chris, I saw the game of baseball, the fun and play part. They both taught me that there is still some hope for sports and fans. During their pre middle and high school years, I coached them in Little League. I was extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to coach them both along with many other fine young men. Once they started playing school ball, I became a spectator.

I know I'm rambling, but I'm finally to the point I have been trying to make. Some of my greatest life experiences and growth have involved the game of baseball. I still believe that baseball is a game. I think that there are only two places left where that GAME is still played. College and Little League. That's why every year, I watch the College World Series and the Little League World Series. To see participants who are competing at the highest level of their sport and still having fun. Now that is priceless. Play Ball.........

Son James, Nephew Matt, and Grandson Jake...........
Second, and maybe third generation Padre fans ???

Addicted to the CWS ????

Am I addicted to the College World Series ? I think so... I start watching the CWS in earnest as soon as they start broadcasting the Super Regionals. (Note: Occasionally a local area Regional game will be broadcast in the "local" area on a small cable channel or Versus, i.e. UNC in Virginia, and I will tune in). But, I can definitely state that I have watched all or most of every CWS game since the Super Regionals started. That is until last night. The game was moved from ESPN 2 to ESPN C. Guess who doesn't get ESPN C ? Was I upset ? Oh Yea !!!! What was my recourse ? I tried to find an ESPN radio station broadcasting the game in this area. No Such Luck ! Oh, what to do ?

To make matters even worse, it was one of my team's last chance to make it to the Finals. Once the eight teams were set, I picked Stanford and Fresno State, one team from each bracket. Both teams shared one characteristic, neither was seeded. The remaining six teams were seeded. I guess I just have to root for the underdog. Stanford had lost to UGA, the #8 seed on Saturday and was eliminated (one pick gone, one remaining). Fresno State was undefeated and had to win only one more game to advance. Fresno lost 4 to 3 to UNC on Saturday, two run home run in the bottom of the eighth by Chad Flack (cool baseball name) for the UNC lead. Whoever won the Sunday game would advance. So, #8 Georgia eliminated #1 Miami, and unseeded Fresno could eliminate #2 UNC. A perfect giant killer scenario.

Add to that that James had picked UGA and UNC and you can see that there were bragging rights at stake until next year.

Finally, I logged on to the CWS website, opened one window with the audio from 580 radio in Fresno, CA., and opened a second window with Game Tracker. So there I was, listening to the play by play on the radio, and watching the little "Weeble" players act out the game. Is this a sign of addiction ? I had to have my CWS fix !

One Spectator's View

As I lay awake at 4:30 this morning I was thinking about many things. This sometimes happens. I wake at seemingly random hours of the night or early morning and my mind is going ninety miles per hour. I try putting on the brakes, but all that happens is that I seem to change lanes and follow different lines of thought. One such path was my view of the race in Richmond, and the other races I have attended, as a spectator. I think part of this was a response to a comment from Steph about the "here he comes, there he goes videos."

First, prior to each race start there is a briefing for the competitors. They are told about things like which color arrows to follow for the run versus the bike, location and number of aid stations, etc. Why not one for the spectators? We could be told about viewing areas, the meaning of cap colors and bib colors, numbers on the calves of the amateurs, and important stuff like "stay off the trail while the race is in progress." Some of us have tried to educate ourselves regarding these things, but I have overheard many a conversation where one spectator (seasoned pro, second race) is trying to explain these things to another spectator (neophyte, first race). At Richmond, as I am sure it is at most venues, most spectators gather near the transition areas. This offers the opportunity to see the competitors several times during the race. However, at Richmond, it is sometimes necessary to cross the trail to get to the portable restrooms or leave the event area. This year I saw spectators walking down the middle of the bike path during the race. They apparently had no idea of where they were, that is, until a competitor came whizzing by at about 30 mph. Of course, a pre-race briefing wouldn't necessarily prevent all such trespasses.

Next, the "WAVE" action. Most of us have seen the sports wave progress around a stadium, but think about a tri-race. Spectators line the course looking for their competitor. This is so boring......So, we learn the names and IDs of some of the pros, some of our competitors friends or foes, or just generally cheer for each competitor as they go by. This has the effect of generating a wave of cheering or verbal support ("Git R Done" seemed popular in Richmond) as each athlete travels along the course. Thus a traveling wave is generated along the course. I know, I have too much time on my hands at these races. I look for subtle nuances in the most normal activities.

Still, triathlons are not the most spectator friendly events. The Pros and top amateurs completed the Richmond course in just over two hours. Of that two hours, they were visible to the spectators at the transition area for about two minutes. The remaining one hour and fifty eight minutes spectators are left to their own devices. No wonder the mind tends to wander.....

One more thing. Most spectators are there to support amateur competitors, and yet, the announcers report only on the Pros. And, at that, only the first male and female, and sometimes the #2 in each of those groups. It might be nice to at least give some report on how the amateurs are doing.

Thai Red Curry Chicken & Asian Slaw

Here is a recipe to try, Chicken in Thai red curry sauce with Asian slaw salad. This uses a red Thai curry spice that is citrus based, and is mild compared to some other curry seasonings.


Some of the key ingredients........


Thai Red Curry Chicken

Four boneless chicken breasts
One 14 oz. can of Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp. Red Thai Curry Seasoning
2 Tbsp. Fish Sauce
2 tsp. Lime juice
2 tsp. Lime zest
1 Tbsp. Garlic Chili Sauce
2 small Plum tomatoes, diced
3 small Scallions, white - julienned, green - chopped
2 Tbsp. Lobster Mushrooms, diced
2 Tbsp. Yellow Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
Fresh Cilantro to garnish

Combine 1 Tbsp. Red Thai Curry Seasoning (Nam Prik Krung Kaeng Ped), available from www.thespicehouse.com, with 1 Tbsp. of Fish sauce to form a paste. Cover and set aside for three hours to let the spices work. I usually do this the night before and let stand overnight. (There is a commercial brand of Red Curry Paste made by Roland that is very good, but it incorporates Shrimp Paste which I do not particularly like.)

Combine Coconut Milk, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, red curry paste, garlic chili sauce, lime juice and lime zest in a glass bowl and mix well. Let stand for at least one hour at room temperature. Reserve about 2/3rds in a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. Leave the remaining 1/3rd in the original bowl to marinate the chicken.

Prepare the chicken breasts by trimming off all fat and skin. Fillet each breast into two approx. 4 oz. pieces. They should be about 1/4th inch thick so they will grill quickly. Place the chicken in the bowl of marinade, turning each piece to ensure good coverage. Pour the chicken and marinade into a 1 quart freezer bag, press out as much air as possible, seal and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.

Chicken in Red Curry Marinade......
When ready to cook:

Remove chicken from the refrigerator and let return to room temperature while preparing the sauce.

Prepare a pan of boiling water. Cut an "X" into the end of each tomato, blanch in boiling water about one minute, or until the skin starts to peel. Remove from boiling water and immerse in ice water to stop the cooking process. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, trim the ends off each piece, remove seeds and dice. Set aside.

Clean three small scallions. Cut the white portions into approx. one inch pieces and julienne. Finely chop the green portions. Set aside.

Chop enough lobster mushrooms to yield approx. 2 Tbsp. (If you cannot find fresh, dried mushrooms can be reconstituted. If you cannot find lobster mushrooms, shitake mushrooms can be substituted.) Set aside.

Clean a section of yellow bell pepper that will yield approx. 2 Tbsp. Cut into 1 inch by 1 1/2 inch pieces and julienne. Set aside.

Tomatoes, mushrooms, scallions and bell pepper, chopped and at the ready.....

Place reserved sauce/marinade in a saucepan and gently warm until it begins to slightly thicken. Pour 1 Tbsp. of Sesame Oil into a saute pan and place on heat. When oil is hot, add bell pepper and mushrooms. Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until the peppers begin to soften. Turn off heat and add scallions and tomatoes, lightly toss together. When the tomatoes and scallions have just warmed, add this mixture to the saucepan with the sauce/marinade. Reduce heat to lowest setting just to keep warm.

Grill chicken on a very hot grill. This should take about 3 minutes per side depending on the thickness. (Make sure the chicken is cooked through, but not to the point of being dry.)

Chicken on the grill.....
Remove chicken from the grill and cut into strips.

Serve over rice with some sauce over the top and garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro.

Served over rice, ready to eat.....

Asian Slaw (sorry no pics)

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
1 cup shredded Red/purple cabbage
1 cup shredded bok choy
1 cup Mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup julienned zucchini
3 scallions, julienned

Combine above ingredients in a large, chilled, glass bowl. Toss with dressing (see recipe below).

Thai Dressing

1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Combine water, vinegar, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the dressing thickens. Remove from heat, add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Add cilantro, garlic and crushed red pepper. Let cool. Chill until needed.

Father's Day

Father's Day 2008 was very special. Not only were both sons here to celebrate, but I received great and somewhat touching cards from both my daughters and my youngest grandson.

The family post dinner at Kelly's Pub, a must stop for James when he is in VB.

Courtney, Chris, James, and Gail & Me, still in our Team Walsh shirts from Richmond.

Celebration Pictures:

Grandma with our special guest, Greyson Scott,


Uncle James and Aunt Beth with Greyson, (is that PBR in the bottle?),

Proud Daddy (first PaPa's Day) and Mom, working while dad plays,

and, All the boys........

All and all, it was a great day, the race in Richmond, an easy, traffic free drive back home, and a good dinner with the family.

The Richmond Experience

Things have been pretty hectic the last few days, what with the trip to Richmond for the 21K Xduro (Sat) and the Xterra East Championships and Father's Day (Sun).

First the races. Beth ran in the 21K Xduro on Saturday. Needless to say, she kicked butt. First in her Age Group, and no matter what the results say, from my perspective and counting of females with white bibs, she was the second overall female to cross the line. But what the heck, in spite of that and all the "Lap Traffic" she had a great race. James competed in the Xterra East Championship on Sunday. Needless to say, he had an excellent race. 1st overall male amateur, 1st in Age Group. In addition, his "Homeboys" (Cody, Trevor, Brian and Tom) all had good races as well. The time in Richmond seemed to just fly by.

Beth smokin it..
Bringing it home......

On the podium, how sweet it is....
James pre-swim, stretching on the piling..

Running out from the swim.....

Heading out on the bike.....

The Podium.....

Second. Beth. Finally got to meet James' "Better Half". In my modest opinion, they seem to be made for each other. Perfect compliments. AND, she seems to put up with him very well, and he puts up with her. (Ha Ha)

Virginia is for lovers....

The Champs..

We had an unexpected event Sunday morning. At 4:30 AM, we awoke to; "BEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEP, BEEEEEEP, An emergency has been reported, please proceed to the lobby, do not attempt to use the elevators" (Repeat ad nauseum). We threw on some clothes, grabbed wallet, purse and room key and hiked down four floors to the lobby. It was total confusion, and there were no hotel employees directing anything. Turned out to be a false alarm. We had two more. One at 5:34 AM and another at 5:48 AM. Some much for going back to sleep.

A picture is worth how many words....

More to come later, including some Father's Day shots.

Do I Lack Direction?

Day four and still waffling about the direction I should take. Chris, Courtney, and Baby Greyson came over for dinner (Grilled Loin Cut Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Fries and Salad). Chris said I should write about what particular subject happens to piss me off that day. Sort of a "Daily Rant" section. Possible !! There is surely enough subject matter these days. Everyone else seemed to agree that I could use another outlet. You know how it is when you get old and the "Grump" sets in.

We will be leaving for Richmond today for the Xterra East Championship and to finally meet Beth. Beth will be running in the 21K Xduro on Saturday, and James will be competing in the championship race. Pics, race report (spectators viewpoint) and "meet the parents" report to follow.

Now it is time to get everything ready for the trip. You know the drill. I just pack, carry the luggage and do as I'm told. "The Boss" takes care of the rest. Later..............

Day Three

Got the slide shows going. Somewhat of a pain. Still trying to figure out what direction to take.

Day Two and Just Getting the Hang of It

On the second day of my blogging adventure, I am still getting the hang of listing some of my favorite FOOD sites. I know that this is one thing that will be incorporated into this blog. I love to cook....

Hey ! Everybody Else Has A Blog !!!!

Since I seem to spend a lot of time reading other people's blogs, thought I would try my own. I don't exactly know what direction this will take, but the journey will be half the fun.