In 2015, a white supremacist murdered nine worshippers at a historic African American church in South Carolina. Singer/songwriter Zoe Mulford was so moved by that terrible event that she wrote the song “The President Sang Amazing Grace,” which was then sung by Joan Baez and illustrated by filmmaker and painter Jeff Scher for this video.
To get the most out of this blog,click images & underlined words for more information, interviews, music, etc.
three things we love
Tina Carro, in her country kitchen holding her old school tools of the trade, passed down from her Genovese grandfather Mario Zanichelli.
Wrenwood Raspberry Jam, $10/jar : tcarro88@msn.com
My Italian friend Tina is the best home cook I know. She learned from the best: her Genovese grandfather Mario Zanichelli. She literally lives to cook--for her family, friends and anyone else who comes along and she seems to enjoy every minute of the process: from pounding her cutlets with a mallet to grating daikon radish for a perfect and authentic agedashi tofu. When I asked her family over a delicious lunch the other day which meal was their favorite, they didn't hesitate to say it was her chicken cutlets. Here is her recipe. One important tip: no skimping on the breadcrumbs--they have to be homemade for the full effect!
P.S. She and her husband, John Carro, harvest their enormous raspberry bushes into the best jam this side of the Mississippi. Email them for details and to order: tcarro88@msn.com
Tina's Famous Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
1 lb thin sliced chicken cutlets or thicker ones pounded)
1-2 eggs
dash of milk
homemade breadcrumbs (see recipe below)
1/2 cup approx. vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil or more as needed
Dry chicken between paper towels on a baking sheet. Move to side and add breadcrumbs to the other side. In a separate bowl, beat egg(s) and a dash of milk. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs on both sides.
Heat vegetable oil on medium for a few minutes and then add olive oil. Once hot (sizzling), add cutlets in batches. Cook for a few minutes on each side until done. Remove from pan, place on paper towels on top of brown paper bag and season immediately with kosher salt.
Breadcrumb Recipe
Using a good bread (baguette, sourdough, peasant), toast (either sliced or cubed) in 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Let completely cool. Grind coarsely in food processor and add a healthy pinch of kosher salt (1-2 tbsp), 1 tsp pepper, and approx. 1 tsp. freshly dried oregano leaves, 1 large sprig of rosemary stripped of stem and 2 sprigs of thyme, also stripped of stem).
Portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Joan Baez
Portrait of Malala by Joan Baez
Joan Baez’s Portrait of Bob Dylan. It is purported that her song Diamonds and Rust was written about him. Click on Bob Dylan’s portrait to hear the song.
Joan Baez, Self Portrait
We all know Joan Baez for her incredible voice, songwriting abilities and her political activism. Now over 80 and still going strong, Baez surprised all of us with an additional talent aside from wonderful music: she is quite an amazing painter, specializing in portraits of inspiring people she admires. She calls this series The Mischief Makers, including such figures as Colin Kaepernick, John Lewis, Malala Yousafzai, and Vaclav Havel, to name a few.
And speaking of heroes, the book Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers, which I mentioned once before in this blog, celebrates inspirational people too, complete with beautiful illustrations. I plan on giving this book as a graduation gift to all my young friends as they go out into the world...
Damian Aspinall and Kwibi
Christian the Lion with John Rendall and Ace Bourke
This book was one of our favorites: The Goodridge family of Rockport, Maine tell the story of how they took in an orphaned harbor seal, and trained and brought him up from puppyhood to adulthood.
I am a sap for animal stories and there is nothing I like more than to hear about the loving relationships between humans and other species. What follows are some stories about animals being reunited with their human friends, sometimes after years of not seeing each other. I hope these stories excite you as much as they do me.
Damian Aspinall, son of a zookeeper, raised and released a number of zoo-bred lowland gorillas in Gabon. Here is the moving story of his reunion with Kwibi, a gorilla he helped raise and subsequenlty released back into the wild in 2005..
Another incredible story is that of Christian, the Lion. Thankfully this would would not be allowed today but in 1969 John Rendall and his friend Ace Bourke bought a small lion cub from Harrods pet department and brought him home. Watch this long version of the video to see their story.
And finally, if you haven't heard of the most famous seal in Maine, meet Andre and the Goodridge family who took him in. This story inspired a number of books in addition to feature length movie . I love being read to and who says adults can't enjoy kid's books. Sit back and enjoy listening to Mrs. M. read one of the books about Andre the Famous Harbor Seal
painting of the week
Pam Smilow Green Gold, Turquoise Composition mixed media on canvas 50’ x 80”
This week's featured charity:
The Jane Goodall Institute
Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.
Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.