12
July
2013
Tags: Food
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My Virgin Take On A Prostitute’s Meal

The origin of Pasta Puttanesca seems as variable as the ways to properly make it. Some claim the dish and its (supposedly) quick prep and cooking time was the result of prostitutes trying to fit in a quick meal between clients. Others maintain that the prostitutes, at least the not-so-good ones, were down to the bare bones of their kitchen, and could only come up with the ingredients here. Personally, I’m happy with any dish that’s good enough for a hooker. Yes, I am a tramp.

For my virgin stab at the Puttanesca, I used the following recipe from the New York Times:

Pasta Puttanesca

Start the sauce while the pasta water is coming to a boil; finish it while the pasta is cooking. Add a salad and a loaf of bread and you’re out the door to your evening’s activity, whatever it might be.

Ingredients

  • Salt to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 or more cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
  • 3 or more anchovy fillets
  • 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup pitted black olives, preferably oil-cured
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1 pound linguine or other long pasta
  • Chopped fresh parsley, oregano, marjoram or basil leaves for garnish, optional

Method

  • 1. Bring pot of water to boil and salt it. Warm 2 tablespoons oil with garlic and anchovies in skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is lightly golden.
  • 2. Drain tomatoes and crush with fork or hands. Add to skillet, with some salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and mixture becomes saucy, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, capers and red pepper flakes, and continue to simmer.
  • 3. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but not mushy. Drain quickly and toss with sauce and remaining tablespoon of oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, garnish with herbs if you like, and serve.

I didn’t vary much for my maiden voyage into whoredom: I followed the recipe pretty faithfully (right down to the oil-cured black olives). The result was good, but a little on the dry side. I think that draining the tomatoes may have been an unnecessary move. (Crushing them with my hands, however, was the best, and most fun, part of the whole endeavor.) Having just heard someone refer to anchovies as the ‘bacon of the sea’, I added a few more than three, and as we didn’t have any fresh marjoram, that got omitted from the list of possible garnishes. The result, though, seemed to be a good representation of this venerable dish. It’s got a rustic flare to it, a bit of the burn (I used a generous ‘taste’ of crushed red pepper flakes), and a hearty flavor thanks to the potent, salty ingredients. Still, I think there’s room for improvement, so suggestions are always welcome.

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11
July
2013
Tags: Gratuitous Nudity, Male Nudity, Naked Male Celebrities, Shirtless Male Celebrities
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An Almost Naked Gay Male for the Middle of the Day

Okay, this isn’t exactly an official Hunk of the Day post, and this particular gentleman has already been granted that honor. Yet when Jake Shears deigns to get almost naked, who am I to not put it up? Yes, he’s been more naked here before, but these are a few new shots. And really, who’s going to complain? I’m not sure about the hair – I tend to like my drapes to match the carpet – but to each their own.

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11
July
2013
Tags: Flowers, Gardening
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The Butterfly Weed

It has the somewhat unfortunate common moniker of ‘weed’ attached to it, so I prefer the scientific name of Asclepias when referencing this favored stomping ground of butterflies and bees. A relative of the milkweed, these are the more refined border versions of that prolific native plant, whose colors have been honed into bright oranges and vibrant pinks. They make an excellent addition to the sunny perennial bed, as their colors are strong, and they produce at the height of summer.

Their milkweed association becomes more apparent when the flower-heads go to seed, producing the distinctive pods that we used to open and pry apart, releasing the feathery parachutes into the wind, a seed on the end of each. Like a dandelion, they were designed to spread far and wide by the lift of the wind. As such, these tend to re-seed throughout the garden if allowed to ripen (I usually dead-head the blooms so as not to weaken the plant for the following season, but the past few years it got away from me, so there are several more of these than intended. Not a bad thing for such a great plant.)

As mentioned, the butterflies love the Asclepias, and the caterpillar form especially may find its way along the stems, chewing on the developing seed pods. For the regally-striped monarchs-to-be, I allow them the snack.

This pink version grows slightly taller than its orange counterpart, falling closer in line to its milkweed kin. Its bloom time is also slightly earlier, but a bit shorter, making it the lesser of the two in my opinion. Still, I wouldn’t throw it out of bed or border.

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10
July
2013
Tags: Family
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4th of July Family Pool Party

We had the family over for the 4th of July, and the sun and high temps conspired to put everyone in the pool – and the twins couldn’t have been happier about that. They still need their swimmies, but they’ve started to jump, and Noah even does a little flip (if you follow me on Instagram you’d have seen the video of that…) so swimming with them is always fun now. It also tires them out, which I’ve come to realize is the number one goal in raising children.

Between pool stints, Andy managed to grill some chicken and steaks (with the aid of a little helper), because in addition to tiring some folks out, swimming also inspired heartier appetites than usual (though that may have been mostly from the side of the adults). Not pictured was the simple potato salad I made. I’m not a fan of the mayo-heavy salads that constitute so many 4th of July spreads, so I did a simple version using red potatoes (skins intact), sour cream, and scallions, with a sprinkling of fresh chives. It may not sound like much, but when refrigerated overnight, the scallions give the dish just enough flavor to be interesting, and the sour cream alone is enough to maintain a creamy and moist richness. Coupled with the grilled steaks and Andy’s balsamic-based pasta salad, it made a perfect meal.

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10
July
2013
Tags: Cocktails
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Bloody Sunday

For the most part, I like cocktail garnishes to be elegant. Thinly-cut lemon or lime peels, a single sprig of mint or lavender, a trio of olives aligned on a cocktail pick. There’s nothing worse than an obnoxious half-wedge of citrus on the rim of a cocktail glass, one that threatens to throw the whole affair off-balance. (I’m the first to admit that I haven’t always erred on the side of restraint in such matters, but I was younger then, and far more foolish.)

Yet some drinks demand an over-the-top garnish, one that is as much a part of the drink as the alcohol itself, and such is the case with the Bloody Mary. My all-time favorite variation of this meal-unto-itself was created in Cape Cod by my friend Lee. She presented a pint glass of tomato juice, vodka, and horseradish, with a cocktail stick rife with olives, lemon wedges, and even a cocktail shrimp for a brunch treat that took my breath away. From that day forward, I never thought of the Bloody Mary in the same way again.

Another Cape friend, Wally, recommended I give gin a whirl in the place of vodka, and that was a revelation of its own. I actually prefer that twist nowadays, as I find gin preferable to vodka. This past weekend I was inspired by the vesper, and tried the Bloody with equal parts vodka and gin, along with a garnish of fresh dill and dill blossom from the garden.

The blossom part was a bit dicey – in such heat it wilted almost instantly, but the flavor and tart and tangy bite of the dill lent a delicious new slant to the proceedings, and would tie it in nicely to a fresh herb omelette. Here are some of the possibilities for making a Bloody Mary into an event.

Items for Garnishing the Bloody Mary:
 
  • – Celery (leaves intact)
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  •  
  • – Olives (green, with pimientos)
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  •  
  • – Cherry tomatoes
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  •  
  • – Pickles
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  •  
  • – Cocktail shrimp
  •  
  •  
  • – Lemon or lime wedges
  •  
  •  
  • – Cocktail onions
  •  
  •  
  • – Radishes
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  •  
  • – Pickled beets
  •  
  •  
  • – Hot peppers
  •  
  •  
  • – Fresh sprigs of dill or chives

The beauty of this cocktail is in the way you want it to go. Pepper infused vodkas, hot sauce, and a habanero garnish can provide as much heat as you can stand, while a simple stalk of celery and a couple of cherry tomatoes can tone it all down. The garnish can be as light or as heavy as you want it to be – on some menus I’ve seen it served as a salad – and as cocktails go, this is one of the healthier ones. Fruits and vegetables in one savory swoop. Every brunch should be so Bloody.

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09
July
2013
Tags: Flowers, Gardening
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Strictly Prickly

The title of this post takes its name from a saying that my friend Chris and I first heard from a server in San Juan. We asked her if she was into women (hey, it’s the conversation you have in Puerto Rico when you rack up a $300 bar tab between two people) and she replied very matter-of-factly that she was “strictly dickly”. Well, me too. That brief nonsensical aside over, this is the prickly pear cactus – one of the rare cacti that is hardy in the Zone 5 winters of upstate New York.

This small patch is located on a Southern-slanted hill that I rarely visit, so it’s always a surprise when I hear word from Andy that it’s in bloom. It’s largely left to fend for itself on a rather barren piece of sandy soil, its only shelter the thinning limbs of a struggling pine tree. Yet each spring it rises miraculously from a pool of withered, desiccated paddles, and each year it has steadily expanded, happy in its dry environs.

The ‘prickly’ aspect of its segmented ‘leaves’ keeps me from getting too close for weeding, but I’ll risk the proximity to capture some of the blooms, as they are exceptional. The texture of the petals is almost like velvet, and of the clearest yellow, set off by a throat of flaming orange. Like a rose, these pretty things come armed, and that’s something I can appreciate. Prickly and pretty. I can only hope to aspire.

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09
July
2013
Tags: General
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The Town That Bears My Name

Growing up in Amsterdam, New York, I never got to meet many people with the name ‘Ilagan’. In fact, aside from my parents and my brother, no one else in the entire state seemed to share our surname. The closest Ilagans we knew were family in New Jersey. When you grow up in a way where you are instantly and always so different from those around you, it sometimes makes you wonder whether you truly exist, and until you have some concrete proof, there is always a bit of doubt.

Proof for me came in the unlikely Christmas gift of the globe seen here. Spinning it around on its offset axis, I ran my hands over the surface, feeling the raised roughness of mountains and the smooth expanses of seas. And then I found my father’s homeland – the Philippines – and examined it closely. There, near the north, was a town whose name I recognized with a thrill: Ilagan. I’d never heard of it, I didn’t know such a place existed. And for perhaps the first time, I felt as if I suddenly existed. My initial unlikely thought was that there was a place where the name ‘Ilagan’ appeared in long lists in the phone book. That was my reference, because the only phone book I had ever seen, the small one that included Amsterdam, merely had our single listing in it ~ the lonely, solitary ‘Ilagan’ that comprised our family, in a town where we were the only ones. Now, seeing that name on the globe, where even Amsterdam or Albany didn’t merit a mark, I felt suddenly part of the world. We were here, or at least we were there.

Being bi-racial never much bothered or even affected me (certainly not as much as being gay would become such a struggle). When some kid in religion class insisted, not maliciously, that I was the Asian character in ‘The Goonies’, I didn’t get upset, I simply thought some people were really, really stupid. (I never did manage to convince him that I was not, in fact, a member of the cast. And to think I worked with Sean Astin before ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and didn’t even know it.)

The power of that moment has stayed with me. The simple act of seeing my own name in print somewhere, even if it was halfway around the world, made me feel less isolated. When you are finally confronted by people who are like you, the world seems a much less-frightening place, and no matter how alone you might be, you feel a lot less lonely.

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08
July
2013
Tags: Shirtless Male Celebrities
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Andy Cohen, Shirtless and On Top (Of a Bunch of Shirtless Guys)

The title of this post says it all, but it bears repeating that Andy Cohen is more than just the pretty face of Bravo Television. In fact, in addition to overseeing all that happens on that network, as well as his own ‘Watch What Happens Live’ show, his book is a pretty fantastic read too, perfect for the summer. I had to post the photo below because I love it when celebrities let their [chest] hair down and have some summer fun like the rest of us.

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08
July
2013
Tags: General
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All American Re-cap

In a holiday week where we celebrated this country’s Independence, we went from rain to hot-hot-hot in about a day. There is no room for a happy medium here, so hang on, it’s going to be another bumpy summer! Like a tree, I can bend, and you better learn too, or your ass is gonna get broken. Here we go…

We begin with some simple sustenance, and one of the first meals I ever made for Andy. Give me a dish that has some vodka in it, and I’m good to go. It’s the only way to cook. Follow it up with some super scallops, and I’m in gastro-heaven. A beet salad provided some extra color, while this salad had some serious nuts.

 My weekend at Monument Beach, Cape Cod, was remembered fondly, as was this very special meeting.

Libations that begin with the letter ‘L’ provided a light and breezy (if still remarkably potent) accent to the summer scene, with a Lychee Cocktail and a Lavender Cocktail, each refreshing but packing a punch, and both ideal for the season.

The Hunks of the Day were in short supply, represented only by male model Matthew Kirk and reality star Mike Shouhed, but there were a number of random naked men too.

Tori Amos had to go all the way to China to pick up the slack for the missing Madonna timeline.

I got naked not once, but twice. Granted, there was ten years between them, but still…

And last but not least, All American Boy Steve Grand was simply… grand.

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07
July
2013
Tags: Cocktails
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Lavender Dreams

A couple of years ago Andy and I threw ‘The Last Word Lavender Party’ in the midst of a lovely July. While the official cocktail of that evening was the Last Word, the unofficial cocktail for a few select friends (because my lavender was of such short supply) was this lavender cocktail. It’s basically a gin martini with a lavender twist (blasphemy to FUSSYlittleBLOG, I know), but this is actually quite elegant and refined, and anything that’s got bitters can’t be all bad in my book.

The great thing about lavender used in food and libations is that while it is indeed floral, it’s not necessarily sweet. (We all know how much I abhor a sweet cocktail.) In this instance, the gin and the bitters ameliorate any cloying action of the lavender syrup. (I also tend to go easy on any sort of syrup in my drinks, so keep that in mind when referencing the recipe. This isn’t fucking high school.)

A West Coast friend was visiting Sequim, WA and was good enough to send me a batch of the culinary lavender seen here. Culled from the Purple Haze Lavender Farm, it’s a little can of lusciously-scented purple-hued wonder ~ floral gold for the eyes and nose. As luck would have it, one of my lavender plants in the backyard was in bud – the optimal time to harvest – so I used that and amended it with the buds from the can to make up the necessary amount for the recipe. (It also afforded the garnish.)

Lavender Cocktail

Ingredients:

– 2 oz. Bombay Sapphire gin

– 1/2 oz. dry vermouth

– 1/2 oz. lavender simple syrup (See below)

– 2 dashes orange bitters (I used The Bitter Truth)

– Sprig of lavender

 

Pour liquids into cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a well-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of lavender. (Since I don’t like things too sweet, I went heavy on the bitters and light on the lavender syrup. And for those who really like lavender, please note that a little in a drink goes a long way – you’ll get the effect, trust me.)

The most important ingredient is, of course, the lavender, and the syrup is, literally, a simple one:

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

– 1/4 cup lavender buds (stripped from stem)

– 1 cup sugar

– 1 cup water

 

Add ingredients to small stove-top pot. Stir until sugar dissolves while bringing to a quick boil. After a minute or two, turn off the heat, cover pot, and let sit for two hours. Strain into a container and refrigerate until cold. Unopened flower buds should be used as they have the most flavor and fragrance, but opened flowers and dried lavender will also work.

This is not one of those cocktails you drink all the time, like a martini or a Bloody Mary – this is for special occasions. A summer evening when the lavender is in bloom, or a sunny day when guests are brunching on the patio and bees are buzzing in the garden. I can also see it used on a cold fall or winter day, when the fragrance of lavender is needed to warm the cockles of the heart. It’s an ephemeral drink, when one needs a moment to indulge, to pause and reflect, and then to move on.

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07
July
2013
Tags: Flowers, Gardening
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Coneheads

The stalwart Echinacea, whose scientific name is known to most as a natural immune booster, makes a great summer plant in the Northeast. Commonly called the coneflower, it has a long blooming period that just began this past week, manages to stand up to the wicked heat we’ve had of late, and keeps its dark green foliage fresh until the fall. Hybridizers have gone overboard in developing fragrant varieties, in a veritable rainbow of hues. I haven’t had much luck with the newer ones – they are a bit too delicate and precious for the harshness of the locations for which I’ve desired them. (The one I did put in ended up turning black and croaking within a few weeks – never a good sign.)

The traditional pink variety, seen here in radial bud, is a much better option, even if it does tend to reseed a little too prolifically. These can rise high in a happy home, all the way to three feet tall, and slowly spread to form impactful clumps. They’re also a favorite of bees and butterflies, who aid in the pollination a bit too freely. Oh well, who am I to deny anyone their intoxication?

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07
July
2013
Tags: Music
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C’mon N’ Ride It

This is high on the list of the silliest songs I’ve ever heard, but it goes back to my days at Structure. Lately, I’ve done a bit of reminiscing over what may have been the most fun job I’ve ever had, so it’s the perfect time to put it up and remember when summer was nothing but carefree college-break fun and lack of responsibility. At that time, I was working the summer at the Faneuil Hall Structure store (where an obnoxious Abercrombie & Fitch complex now smells stands).

I was turning 21 that year, but to be honest, that was less exciting than might be assumed. I wasn’t an early drinker, so I couldn’t care less about being legal. It was more fun to go into work and banter with my managers and co-workers, interact with people who were on vacation and passing through Boston, than to get rip-roaring drunk at the local dive bar. (God I was young and stupid.)

On the speakers in the store was this song, which we all learned inside and out because 35 hours a week of the same tape playing over and over, well, you learn every word, every beat, and every sequence – so much so that to this day when I hear one of these songs I immediately listen for the follow-up that never arrives. (This was still not as annoying as the holiday tape – that mofo could threaten the most level-headed person’s sanity.)

And so I’d try to cajole my friends into doing the choo-choo train whenever the beats kicked in, teasing one of the lone straight guys named Spencer into following my fist pumps (which he never did), and otherwise making the time fly faster than I wish it had. If I’d only known to slow things down, to relish the moment, to savor the minutes… I would have had so much more fun. But then again, how much more fun would have been possible? It was a damn good time, and we rode that party train to the very end of the rail.

Incidentally, how can you help but love a song that has ‘The Train’ as its subtitle? C’mon…

I think I can, I think I can…

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06
July
2013
Tags: Gratuitous Nudity, Male Nudity
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Naked Now, Naked Then

These photos were taken ten years apart. When I posted the latest one, I thought it looked oddly familiar – and not just because I’ve seen my nakedness all over the place, but more for the pose and the background, and I realized I just put the older one up a few days ago. So yes, this is me ten years ago, and me today. Maybe the hairline is now set back a bit, maybe there are a few more wrinkles, and maybe I had the precognizance to realize that out of all my body parts (hello tummy) my ass would best withstand the test of time – but I think I’ve weathered things rather well. Ten years is a long time. Will I be taking this shot again when I’m 47? You bet my ass. Gay guys need to learn to grow older without fear.

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06
July
2013
Tags: Gratuitous Nudity
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Naked Pool Romp

When the temperatures are what they are, the question becomes, ‘What is the point of a bathing suit?’ At least, that’s the question when company is not around, and for today there will be no company. Nobody’s invited, nobody’s welcome, and nobody will see my naked ass in person. For those who have come here expecting it, looking for some gratuitous male nudity to beat the… ahem, heat- here you go. I can be very obliging when overcome by heatstroke. Stay cool.

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06
July
2013
Tags: Food
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Get a Load of These Nuts

For a style-over-substance guy like myself, the most important part of any meal or libation is the garnish. And in a dish that can get dull and played-out, like this salad, the garnish can reinvigorate everything, giving new life to the tried and true. Here, a simple pile of spring greens and sliced fennel is sprinkled with shaved parmesan, pine nuts, and some freshly-ground pepper. That such simple things can make for such a wondrous difference is one of the ways that food will always be infinitely interesting to me.

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