A Life, Lived

Stratford Festival - Napoli Milionaria

When the playbill for this year's Stratford season was released we noticed a comedy set in WWII Naples. Though unknown to most theatre-goers in North America, the author of Napoli, Eduardo De Filippo (1900-84), is regarded as the one of the great Italian playwrights of the 20th century.  He wrote plays and screen plays and acted in both media. Curious, we selected this as our birthday play from Mom. A friend had been to see it shortly after it opened and let me know it was more tragic than comedic. The reviews were quite good so I was even more curious to see the production yesterday.

In the end we saw a wonderful piece of theatre that reminded me of what theatre is supposed to do - entertain, tug at your emotions, and cause you to ponder the world a bit more deeply than before.

The play is divided into three acts with a long gap of time between Acts 1 and 2.  Act 1, set in 1942, has a generally comic tone, and introduces us to Gennaro Iovine, a former streetcar driver, and his family and friends.  There has been bombing overnight and everyone is sleepy and looking forward to a cup of coffee.  Gennaro’s wife Amalia (Brigit Wilson) is angry about the tactics used by her neighbour who, as she is, is involved in the black market sale of coffee.  Her main supplier is the truck driver Errico Settebellizze (Michael Blake), who tells people that Amalia is merely storing goods for him.  In fact, Amalia has an enormous range of goods all stored in and under her bed that range from coffee and beans to eggs and cheese.  Neighbours come to her and if she doesn’t have certain product, she says she can arrange to have it later.  Gennaro generally frowns upon this activity but knows that without it his family will starve. He is also supportive, in a backhanded way, of anything which goes against the directions of the Mussolini fascist regime.

Act 2 begins more than a year after the events of Act 1 and the tone is less comedic. The Allies, who first entered Naples on October 1, 1943, now occupy the town and southern Italy. Gennaro has gone missing and Amalia has had no word from him since his disappearance. The Iovines’ once dingy home of Act 1 is now filled with expensive furniture and a chandelier and Amalia is now well dressed and sports jewelry all due to her continued thriving black market trade. In fact, all the family members seem to have changed. No longer is the focus of their existence survival but rather getting wealthier and in some cases even. Whereas in Act 1 one had a sense that everyone was looking out for one another, in Act 2 the characters were more focused on living for the moment and themselves.

Act 3 is short but powerful. Gennaro who returned from the dead at the end of Act 2  is generally bewildered by what has happened to his wife and children. His house has changed, his room is gone, and the people around him are engaging in a party while the horrors of war continue to unfold. The final act has a few moments that tug at your soul. Gennaro's return brings with him a first-hand knowledge of war and war infects even those who are not fighting. He reflects upon the lack of humanity he finds. In particular, Amalia’s exploitation and lack of pity for the accountant Spasiano. Spasiano will later have to remind her that “Sooner or later everyone must knock on the door of another”.  

The theme for Stratford this year is free will and the choices we make. This play is a wonderful embodiment of free will  and the frailty of human character. The easy choice is often not the best choice - we see this in Act 2. In Act 3 the characters begin to recognize this critical lesson with the help of Gerrano and Spasiano. Gerrano has recognized this throughout the play whereas Spasiano has come to that realization as the result of a fall from grace and intense suffering. Together they help the other characters understand that life is often better when we make the difficult choice and don't chose the easy road to walk along.

McCamus is brilliantly droll as Gennaro, a veteran of the First World War and an out-of-work tram driver who has retreated from life with the onset of this new war and Mussolini’s fascist regime making day-to-day existence a struggle. I am still haunted by his portrayal of a broken Gennaro sitting quietly upon his return, hunched over, seemingly becoming smaller and smaller as the party around him erupts. This image of people being willfully blind to the pain and suffering happening around them is heartbreaking but also incredibly relevant in the world we live in.

At the other end of the spectrum is his tightly wound wife Amalia, played aggressively by Wilson. Wilson follows the play’s trajectory with her role, beginning with full gusto and crumbling internally throughout the rest of the production, wracked with guilt over her job, her family, and the pleasure that she gets from the luxury she lives with.

War can make us better, Gennaro says, in that it makes us not want to hurt anyone anymore. But in the same breath, he has no trouble blaming war for the unscrupulous actions of his wife and others. It’s all a matter of patiently waiting for the darkness to depart, De Felippo tells us.

Whether we believe that or not, Napoli Milionaria is a thought-provoking story and an engrossing history lesson that remains as relevant today as it was when it was written more than 70 years ago.

Does war in fact change people, or does it reveal character?

The play continues at Stratford until October 27th.

Grilled Salmon with Nectarines and Goat Cheese

Every now and then I make something for dinner that Paul declares as good as you'd find in a restaurant. I think he means it as a compliment.

This is a simple meal to make but there are lots of delicious flavours at play. The salmon is simply grilled — only with salt, pepper and olive oil. That’s okay, though, because the nectarines are tossed in maple syrup mixed with a pinch of red pepper flakes and grilled. Everything comes together on a bed of couscous with fresh basil and a dollop of goat cheese on top.

Perfection!

Grilled Salmon with Nectarines and Goat Cheese

2 salmon fillets, six ounces each
Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 medium nectarine, pit removed and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked  couscous or rice
2 ounces fresh goat cheese
Handful basil leaves, chopped

Prepare a grill for cooking over medium heat. (If using outdoor grill, it needs to have very clean grates). If grilling inside, heat a lightly oiled, well-seasoned grill pan over medium-high heat.

Wipe salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Brush on both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Grill the salmon, turning once and cooking for five to six minutes on each side, or until it can easily be flaked with a fork. (If you have one, take the salmon off the heat when an internal thermometer reads 135 degrees F).

Meanwhile, toss nectarine wedges with a teaspoon of olive oil, the maple syrup and crushed red pepper flakes. Place onto the grill and cook until warmed through and grill marks appear, about 2 minutes on each side.

Serve salmon on a bed of rice or couscous topped with grilled nectarines, a few crumbles of goat cheese and fresh basil.

 

Travel Tuesdays - Ferara

When I was telling my friend about Bologna I told her about the beautify town of Ferara which is about 45 minutes west of Bologna. It makes a wonderful day trip.

Visiting the Apple Farm

Today was the first full day of fall.

It was a beautiful fall day here - sunny, bright blue sky, cool temperatures. My favourite type of weather.

It was a perfect day for our annual trek to the apple farm!

We got there just before opening to beat the hordes of families which would be descending later.

The trees were loaded so picking was quick. We picked half a bushel of Cortland and half a bushel of Macintosh. Needless to say there are lots of yummy apple treats in our future.

After we finished picking we visited the farm animals for a spell and then were on our way.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.

 

75-Year-Old Volunteer Visits Animal Shelter Every Day And Naps With Cats

“[He sleeps for] about an hour, then he’ll wake up and switch cats,” said the founder of Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary.

How on earth do I get a job like this?

Instant Pot Hamburger Mac and Cheese

One of our traditions is that the first dinner when we are away camping is a box of Hamburger Helper. Judge away. It is a flash back to when I was a kid - money was often tight an this kept a family of four full. I would try and make it a bit healthy (lean ground turkey, etc) but there was nothing you could do about that toxic mix of chemicals in the pot. On our recent trip we decided to make a healthier version - this Instant Pot recipe.

Now you likely are wondering who takes an Instant Pot camping. It turns out quite a few people do - so long as you have access to electricity this is a quick way to whip up a meal. I see some reports online of people somehow hooking it up to their car and powering the pot that way but given my technical prowess that is not happening.

This was one of two dinners we made in the pot. Both were delicious. The Instant Pot made the cooking and clean up VERY easier.

This easy Instant Pot hamburger mac and cheese is total comfort food that’s ready in only 30 minutes. We did adjust the recipe a bit by reducing the amount of cheese to 3 cups (yes, you read that correctly, I reduced cheese consumption) and adding 3 tablespoons of tomato paste to the sauce.

As much as it was great for a camping trip it would be even better on a weeknight at home!

Instant Pot Hamburger Mac and Cheese

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon< Worcestershire sauce
1 pound uncooked macaroni elbows
4 cups water
4 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 cups grated Gouda (or Havarti or Provolone or other melty white cheese)
Salt, pepper to taste

Sauté the beef along with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, ground cumin, and Worcestershire sauce in your Instant Pot for 5-7 minutes. Stir and break the beef up with your spoon as you go along. Most of the liquid should be evaporated before you move onto the next step.

Add the macaroni and water to the Instant Pot. Give it a good stir. Close the lid and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes (it'll take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure).

Meanwhile, grate your cheeses.

Once the countdown has finished, carefully do a manual pressure release.

Stir in the cheeses (a large wooden spoon works well for this). I like to stir in about a third of the cheese at a time until it's nice and creamy, and then repeat until all the cheese has been used. 

Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

Travel Tuesdays - Bologna

A friend of mine is planning a trek to Bologna. We got to talking about the city and I got to thinking about my visits there . . .

Fusilli with Crisp Prosciutto, Zucchini and Corn

Fusilli are a variety of pasta that are formed into corkscrew or helical shapes. The word fusilli presumably comes from fuso, as traditionally it is "spun" by pressing and rolling a small rod over the thin strips of pasta to wind them around it in a corkscrew shape. If you do not have fusilli you could use another similar shaped pasta like penne or garganelli.

This is one of those late summer pasta dishes that calls out for the freshest ingredients at the height of their flavour profile. It is a wonderful mix of flavours and textures. Sautéing the prosciutto in a skillet crisps and intensifies its texture and flavor so it becomes like a refined version of bacon. Instead of overpowering the dish, the prosciutto complements the sweetness of the corn, brightness of the mint, and delicate flavor of the zucchini.

We've used a similar cooking method a fair bit this summer - cook the pasta less than al dente - drain it (reserving some pasta water if needed for the sauce and then cooking it in the sauce. This final stage finishes the pasta off and imparts amazing flavour to the dish.

Fusilli with Crisp Prosciutto, Zucchini and Corn

Kosher salt
5 Tbs. olive oil
8 thin slices prosciutto (about 4 oz.), cut into strips
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 small zucchini (about 3/4 lb.), trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 ears corn, shucked and kernels sliced off (about 1 cup), or 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1 lb. penne
2 tsp. sherry vinegar or cider vinega
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put 2 Tbs. oil and the prosciutto in a large (12-inch) skillet, place over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the prosciutto browns in places and becomes crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to a large plate lined with paper towels.

Add 1 Tbs. oil and the onion to the skillet, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens completely and turns light brown, about 6 minutes; add 1 or 2 Tbs. water to the skillet if the onion starts to stick or burn. Add the zucchini and corn, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the zucchini becomes tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in half the Pecorino-Romano and all the mint.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta, the remaining 2 Tbs. oil, the vinegar, and 1 tsp. black pepper to the skillet with the zucchini and corn mixture. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute so the pasta mixes with the vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and stir. Serve sprinkled with the crisp prosciutto and the remaining Pecorino-Romano.

 

Travel Tuesdays - Kincardine

While we were away camping we took a day trip to Kincardine where we met our friend Carolyn. She showed us the town and took us out for dinner. It was a great way to catch up with a friend and discover a new spot in Ontario.

Political Jokes

This certainly resonates here in Ontario these days . . .