Text 586, 115 rader
Skriven 2013-05-14 09:01:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: boston 541
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 NB> As we know, not all old news is still easily found.

Google is trying. The digitization and indexing of old
newspapers is reaching down to the regional level.

 ML> The BSO guys are a special case - they were the prodigies and
 ML> bad boys of music but gave all that up for job security and a
 ML> certain amount of prestige, so they (especially in the freedom-
 ML> obsessed '60s and '70s) chafed at the boundaries imposed by a
 NB> I'd wonder why Boston more so than other localities... but maybe it's
 NB> something in the gene pool...

At higher standards of achievement, there are often higher
levels of aberration as well. The arts are notorious for that.

 NB> Is the contraband done as much though...?

Not sure, as the newer home-grown drugs are far more powerful
than the classics of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Anyhow,
I was never interested in the last two and only marginally in
the first; further, the financial issue was never an incentive
for me. Plus I can't expect to be on top of the newest youth
trends, being over 30 as I am.

 NB> Buffalo might not have been too bad... :)

Nasty music hall. I probably could have done all right there,
but by the time they called me back it didn't fit into my life.

 NB> But chamber music has it's own proper niche in the musical world

Yes, but not one that pays enough. Orchestra playing was until
recently a good bread-and-butter job, and most of the quartets
ended up in orchestras or worse. I was talking to I believe the
Chester Quartet, who was preparing to go off on tour with a
Motown group, same kind of stuff I was doing at the time. And
those guys were pretty darn good.

 NB> the musical scene here, I don't know how much happens here, but it
 NB> seems that there are plenty of opportunities at most levels... 

Opportunities to play, sure; to make a living - somewhat more
difficult.

 ML> Don't think so. I waved my fancy credentials at the outer
 ML> guard and was waved through, bypassing a line of only 20
 ML> people or less - there was but one TSA ID checker who took
 ML> alternately from the demigod line and the peon line, but
 ML> of course only 10% of us have had our brush with immortality,
 ML> so I was through in a jif, being waved through with a "Thank
 ML> you, sir." Ticket machine to club was 5 minutes.
 NB> That part not so bad...

Today there was a big old line at the PreCheck entrance, but it
cleared in 5 minutes, with the check itself taking a minute more.
Five more to the American Airlines gate, but though Lilli could
get into the Galleries lounge, as I was not flying OneWorld, I
could not join her; but the Lufthansa lounge didn't open until
after her departure, and the United clubs are in a different
terminal altogether. We found a quiet disused gate, pretty much
the same as we would before we were fancy people.

 ML> But when I went to the gate at boarding time

Today, things are going somewhat smoother, and it's said that
sequestration's effects should not be visible. We did note on
yesterday's trip to Great Falls Park that they have cleverly(?)
saved on garbage pickup by taking away all the bins and
designating the entire place a garbage-free zone. Doesn't work.
There are McDonald's and Starbuck's detritus piling up in the
restrooms, and I suspect they'll be escaping out into nature soon.

SCALLOPS AMERICAINE
cat: french, celebrity, shellfish, main
serves: 4

2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb finely chopped shallots
1 Tb finely chopped onion
1/2 ts finely minced garlic
1/2 c dry white wine
4 Tb coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
- or 1 ts dried tarragon
1/2 c bottled clam juice
2 c crushed or blended canned tomatoes
1/8 ts cayenne pepper
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tb butter
1 1/2 lb sea scallops
2 Tb cognac

Heat 1 Tb oil in a saucepan and add the shallots, onion
and garlic. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the wine
and 2 Tb fresh tarragon (1 ts dried) and heat to a boil.
Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add clam juice,
tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper. Heat to a boil and
let simmer 5 min.

Line a saucepan with a sieve and pour the sauce into it.
Stir to extract as much liquid as possible from the pulp
and herbs. Discard the solids. There should be about
2 c of sauce.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tb oil and 1 Tb butter and add the
scallops. Cook, stirring, about 1 min and add the cognac.
Cook about 30 sec and add the tomato sauce. Stir to blend
and bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining tarragon and
1 Tb of butter. Serve.

Pierre Franey

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