Today I wish I had a more private place to post my thoughts. I'm feeling so conflicted, and a little bit confused. But calm and steady anyhow.
I'm going to be included in a "blog tour" of an upcoming publication in April so look out for some new information soon!
I have finally developed my thesis for the capstone project I have to do in order to graduate with my B.A. in Women's Studies. It is as follows:
Two main gender presentations, "butch" and "femme," dominated the lesbian community before the women's liberation movement of the 1960's and 1970's. "Butch" women presented themselves in a masculine way, and "femme" women presented themselves in a feminine way. Feminist of the time viewed the butch and femme lifestyle as a replication of the traditional roles within heterosexual relationships.
The 1990's brought to lesbian culture a surge of novels, anthologies, and other writings about the experiences of butches and femmes. Many books focused on the gender transgression of butch women while others focused on the complex relationships that butches and femmes have to one another. I believe this disproportionate focus on female masculinity has attracted gender theorists because patriarchal culture favors masculinity and undervalues femininity. Writings about the experiences of femmes have only recently begun to appear in academia. My research will assess works dealing with butches and femmes, and the availability of scholarship about queer femininity. I hypothesize that a disproportionate body of work focuses on butchness while relatively few works explore queer femininity. An inventory of the available literature will illuminate the overshadowing of femininity within gender theory and lead to a better understanding of the politics of theoretic production.
This was with the help of Tegee, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to make it sound that smart and scholarly. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty smart, but she made it sound so much more important and big than it actually is! Craziness.
Had a nice day with Dana, did laundry, had tea, we knitted/cross stitched at the laundromat. I realized that not having a washer and drying gets me out of my uberwhiteness a little bit, and maybe I won't get a washer/dryer. Bought a clothes line today, so we can hand wash some small items, and save on laundry costs by drying them at home. It reminds me of Mexico. And that one time in turkey that we stayed in the top floor of a hotel with out own landing so we strung up our clothes there.
I need to talk to someone unrelated to my situation but who still understands what I'm struggling with. Dana wants me to be happy, but she doesn't believe the same way that I do about it, so our discussions are a little bit circular. I think I need a great big hug and a cry. Haven't had one of those in awhile. It's coming, I can feel it.
Showing posts with label gender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gender. Show all posts
26.2.09
4.10.08
Manly Meals for Males
Since I can't seem to do "Meals for Males" on a weekly basis, I'm changing the name to "Manly Meals for Males" so that I will not feel guilty for not posting. Without further adieu, Chapter One: Manna for the Meat and Potatoes Man
In an age where gourmet cookery has become popular, and dishes from the French cuisine classique are no longer reserved for the nobility and the wealthy, the male trencherman commonly referred to as the "meat and potatoes man" seems to have fallen into disrepute.
Not so. The meat and potatoes man has simply moved uptown... While copious amounts of protein and carbohydrates continue to make up the nucleus of his diet, a new dimension has been added. Zesty seasonings, tangy sauces, piquant flavorings and tantalizing food combinations formerly savored only occasionally when eating out are now becoming very much a part of eating in.
Something else has changed, too. There was a time when the ravenous male frequently had to make a choice between quantity and quality. Now, he wants both... At a typical businessMAN's dinner in almost any large American city, this would be an acceptable meal [steak, potatoes, and a salad].
The recipes that follow in this chapter have all been carefully chosen and tested on discriminating meat and potatoes men. They are basically simple in construction, substantial in volume, and stimulating to the taste. In short, these dishes positively will stanch those persistent nagging hunger pangs which characterize a voracious male appetite.
Since a well-fed man makes good company, it is earnestly hoped that the effort involved will yield handsome dividends.
Carrots Flambe
1.5 lbs baby carrots
pinch salt (for boiling)
1/3 c bourbon
1 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs sweet butter
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs parsley, finely chopped
Simmer carrots until tender. Place carrots in a skillet with butter, lemon juice and brown sugar and saute until the sugar is dissolved. pour in bourbon, allow it to warm, ignite and blaze, stirring until all alcohol has burned off. Sprinkle parsley over carrots and serve immediately. 4 Servings.
Carrots can be served with Braised Loin of Pork and Potatoes Grand Marnier
In an age where gourmet cookery has become popular, and dishes from the French cuisine classique are no longer reserved for the nobility and the wealthy, the male trencherman commonly referred to as the "meat and potatoes man" seems to have fallen into disrepute.
Not so. The meat and potatoes man has simply moved uptown... While copious amounts of protein and carbohydrates continue to make up the nucleus of his diet, a new dimension has been added. Zesty seasonings, tangy sauces, piquant flavorings and tantalizing food combinations formerly savored only occasionally when eating out are now becoming very much a part of eating in.
Something else has changed, too. There was a time when the ravenous male frequently had to make a choice between quantity and quality. Now, he wants both... At a typical businessMAN's dinner in almost any large American city, this would be an acceptable meal [steak, potatoes, and a salad].
The recipes that follow in this chapter have all been carefully chosen and tested on discriminating meat and potatoes men. They are basically simple in construction, substantial in volume, and stimulating to the taste. In short, these dishes positively will stanch those persistent nagging hunger pangs which characterize a voracious male appetite.
Since a well-fed man makes good company, it is earnestly hoped that the effort involved will yield handsome dividends.
Carrots Flambe
1.5 lbs baby carrots
pinch salt (for boiling)
1/3 c bourbon
1 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs sweet butter
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs parsley, finely chopped
Simmer carrots until tender. Place carrots in a skillet with butter, lemon juice and brown sugar and saute until the sugar is dissolved. pour in bourbon, allow it to warm, ignite and blaze, stirring until all alcohol has burned off. Sprinkle parsley over carrots and serve immediately. 4 Servings.
Carrots can be served with Braised Loin of Pork and Potatoes Grand Marnier
30.9.08
Get a gender!!
I realize that I've missed Monday, and thus "Monday" Meals for Males. I'm sorry. I'll try to do it tomorrow! Right now I would like to tell you about this young person that we saw skateboarding on Sunday. We went to Denny's for breakfast on Sunday afternoon (it's actually a very good restaurant, as far as breakfast goes, but only this particular location). As we were driving through the parking lot, we saw a group of what we assumed to be young men. Teenage boys. As is customary of white teenagers in this moment, they all had long hair, tight jeans, and black band t-shirts. We have been talking about gender, and how to be a "good enough" man or woman (or whatever) and I am totally supportive of whatever gender you choose. Dana mused, "is that a boy or a girl!" and I was like, "clearly, it's a boy" although I was not sure which one she was pointing to because they were all mildly ambiguous. After lunch we went around the back roads on the way to the bank and we encountered the same young person that Dana had pointed out. I instantly recognized why she was so confused about what gender the person was. He was wearing a rainbow headband and had shoulder-length, flat-ironed, crazy wild dyed-black hair. In jest, I couldn't help but exclaim "get a gender!" -- not to him, just in the car. The young person was probably male, and was probably performing his gender in was that are appropriate to his peers. I feel old.
24.9.08
Monday Meals for Males #1
I think I'm crazy! My favorite hobby is to nitpick old cookbooks for their sexist sentiments, and make fun of the weird food! I swear I am so weird.
Today I'll be debuting yet another out of print book that I'll be excerpting (it will be on Mondays, I'm late this week). It's called Meals for Males. I couldn't find a good link for it, sorry. I found it at a used bookstore we have around town for $8, which sounds like I got ripped off considering that I saw one copy for $.40 on Amazon. If you're a cookbook geek like Dana and like me, $5 will surely tickle your fetish. Not that I'm suggesting you buy a sexist text, but the original author isn't making any money off of it, so why the heck not?
About John J. Poister
John Poister began his writing career as a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes in Shanghai, China. Since that time he's tackled virtually every kind of writing. His 1965 documentary "Change for the Better" won the best documentary motion picture of the year award at the International Film and TV Festival of New York. Meals for Males is his second book. His first, The Pyromaniac's Cookbook" received wide critical praise as the first comprehensive book on flambé cuisine ever published in America.
Some credentials eh!
intro/duction
In the introduction he says, "This is as book for men with heart appetites - and women who love to satisfy them." He's trying to be inclusive rather than exclusive, can't you see? He continues: "This is a book for everyone who likes to cook and all who believe that good food and drink are an important part of the total enjoyment of life." Count me in!
This book contains no chapter on desserts because rich, heavy, calorie-packed dishes at the end of a substantial meal are less in demand by weight-conscious, on-the-move men and women. Accordingly, this space has been given over to other areas of rapidly growing interest and popularity, such as outdoor cooking. Hors d'oeuvres come at the end of this book, where they are utilized within the context of a social situation calling for light fare.
This social situation he's referring to is a date! Chapter 8 is: Of Succulence and Seduction: Carefully chosen food and drink for an evening for two designed to fortify love's alchemy whilst assiduously avoiding gluttony and inebriation; complete with many foolproof recipes and tested elixirs, some of which are reputed to possess aphrodisiacal powers."
It gets even better! He describes Chapter 7, "Drinks for Wine Lovers" this way:
The rather long sections on mixed drinks may seem disproportionate compared to those in traditional cookbooks. But since this is a book dealing with food and drink having a special appeal for men, and since men are usually responsible for drink preparation in the home, it is entirely appropriate that this branch of culinary arts be treated importantly. There is also a chapter on mixed drinks using wine as a basic ingredient. This reflects the increasingly widespread use of wines in the home.
Finally, John's goal is to make every man a gastronaut. That's right ladies, gentlemen, and gentlequeers.
gas-tro-naut; n: 1: a person who explores, investigates, or experiments with all aspects of good eating, esp new kinds of edibles or cooking methods.
No lie. This is one the very first page, before the copyright page.
If you missed Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining by Dixie Dean Trainer, you should go back and read them they're hilarious!
I leave you with the "Poisterizer" - YES it's named after the author:
1 oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz coconut milk
2.5 oz Barbados rum
Shake with ice, pour into a collins glass, fill with lemon lime soda and float half oz Demerara rum on top.
Today I'll be debuting yet another out of print book that I'll be excerpting (it will be on Mondays, I'm late this week). It's called Meals for Males. I couldn't find a good link for it, sorry. I found it at a used bookstore we have around town for $8, which sounds like I got ripped off considering that I saw one copy for $.40 on Amazon. If you're a cookbook geek like Dana and like me, $5 will surely tickle your fetish. Not that I'm suggesting you buy a sexist text, but the original author isn't making any money off of it, so why the heck not?
About John J. Poister
John Poister began his writing career as a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes in Shanghai, China. Since that time he's tackled virtually every kind of writing. His 1965 documentary "Change for the Better" won the best documentary motion picture of the year award at the International Film and TV Festival of New York. Meals for Males is his second book. His first, The Pyromaniac's Cookbook" received wide critical praise as the first comprehensive book on flambé cuisine ever published in America.
Some credentials eh!
intro/duction
In the introduction he says, "This is as book for men with heart appetites - and women who love to satisfy them." He's trying to be inclusive rather than exclusive, can't you see? He continues: "This is a book for everyone who likes to cook and all who believe that good food and drink are an important part of the total enjoyment of life." Count me in!
This book contains no chapter on desserts because rich, heavy, calorie-packed dishes at the end of a substantial meal are less in demand by weight-conscious, on-the-move men and women. Accordingly, this space has been given over to other areas of rapidly growing interest and popularity, such as outdoor cooking. Hors d'oeuvres come at the end of this book, where they are utilized within the context of a social situation calling for light fare.
This social situation he's referring to is a date! Chapter 8 is: Of Succulence and Seduction: Carefully chosen food and drink for an evening for two designed to fortify love's alchemy whilst assiduously avoiding gluttony and inebriation; complete with many foolproof recipes and tested elixirs, some of which are reputed to possess aphrodisiacal powers."
It gets even better! He describes Chapter 7, "Drinks for Wine Lovers" this way:
The rather long sections on mixed drinks may seem disproportionate compared to those in traditional cookbooks. But since this is a book dealing with food and drink having a special appeal for men, and since men are usually responsible for drink preparation in the home, it is entirely appropriate that this branch of culinary arts be treated importantly. There is also a chapter on mixed drinks using wine as a basic ingredient. This reflects the increasingly widespread use of wines in the home.
Finally, John's goal is to make every man a gastronaut. That's right ladies, gentlemen, and gentlequeers.
gas-tro-naut; n: 1: a person who explores, investigates, or experiments with all aspects of good eating, esp new kinds of edibles or cooking methods.
No lie. This is one the very first page, before the copyright page.
If you missed Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining by Dixie Dean Trainer, you should go back and read them they're hilarious!
I leave you with the "Poisterizer" - YES it's named after the author:
1 oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz coconut milk
2.5 oz Barbados rum
Shake with ice, pour into a collins glass, fill with lemon lime soda and float half oz Demerara rum on top.
9.9.08
busy bees
I have to say, and I hate to say, writing here has become somewhat of a chore. It does not flow easily as it used to. I forget the things that I meant to tell you about, and I groan to think of how many days it has been since my last post of substance. I don't even count hits anymore, I can hardly find time to read and respond to the legion butch/femme and sexuality writers out there. And let me tell you, they are legion. The number of people I read now, vs. whom I read a year ago has probably doubled if not tripled. I can't keep up with all your fantastic theory, self revelation and revelry, and even the reality checks that bring things into focus.
I'm not saying I'm going to stop writing altogether, because I'm sure once I get back in the groove of things, I'll be scribbling off notes to myself left and right. I've been very pleased to delve into Queer Theory: An Introduction and American Queer, Now and Then and Gendering Bodies.
If you're looking for great writing about gender troubles or the thin lines between butch and trans, definitely look for writings by the distinguished sociology and feminist professor Dr. Sara Crawley. Ze has several rather engaging publications in print right now, one of which I used for the paper I gave on Femme legitimacy in the queer community. Read "Prioritizing Audiences: Exploring the Differences Between Stone Butch and Transgender Selves". It'll rock your transmasculine world.
Since I have reported myself as somewhat of a sexblog, but more of a life/queerness/women's issues blog lately... I should tell you that the sex is um... infrequent but very, very good. You know it's good when it lasts you a few days. When it's really good, we've found each other saying, "last night was so nice!" I get little text messages saying, "I can't stop thinking about how good you made me feel!" Right now our love is not that voracious, raging, new love. It has simmered and sizzled into a satisfying, comfortable, snuggle-me-at-night love, we are not tragic, we are not heroic, we are not married, she is not my wife. But we coexist so peacefully, she and I.
So many months of begging the universe to bring me someone good for me and here she is. It's not all peaches and cream (oooh... peaches and cream!) -- close -- but it is steady and calm.
I found myself missing the sacred circle of the Body Electric School the other day. Sunday. I had not felt that void in some time, but it was there. A womyn-only-space shaped hole in my heart. Naked singing and dancing hole. A gap the shape of pushing boundaries. A comfortable velvet cloak, that void. I used to talk about the void in Mexico and Cuba...
hay un vacio en el corazon. todas tienen este vacio... y atemptamos llenarlo con cosas varias pero... pero solamente Dios puede llenarlo.
I used to say that only God could fill the void. Now, I think what fills that void is self love. Remember, I used to preach Jesus... but the word "Jesus" came out sound like "love thyself!"
Do it people. Love yourselves. Please do it. It is so very, so very important to me.
I am a lover-healer...
I am a lover-healer...
I'm not saying I'm going to stop writing altogether, because I'm sure once I get back in the groove of things, I'll be scribbling off notes to myself left and right. I've been very pleased to delve into Queer Theory: An Introduction and American Queer, Now and Then and Gendering Bodies.
If you're looking for great writing about gender troubles or the thin lines between butch and trans, definitely look for writings by the distinguished sociology and feminist professor Dr. Sara Crawley. Ze has several rather engaging publications in print right now, one of which I used for the paper I gave on Femme legitimacy in the queer community. Read "Prioritizing Audiences: Exploring the Differences Between Stone Butch and Transgender Selves". It'll rock your transmasculine world.
Since I have reported myself as somewhat of a sexblog, but more of a life/queerness/women's issues blog lately... I should tell you that the sex is um... infrequent but very, very good. You know it's good when it lasts you a few days. When it's really good, we've found each other saying, "last night was so nice!" I get little text messages saying, "I can't stop thinking about how good you made me feel!" Right now our love is not that voracious, raging, new love. It has simmered and sizzled into a satisfying, comfortable, snuggle-me-at-night love, we are not tragic, we are not heroic, we are not married, she is not my wife. But we coexist so peacefully, she and I.
So many months of begging the universe to bring me someone good for me and here she is. It's not all peaches and cream (oooh... peaches and cream!) -- close -- but it is steady and calm.
I found myself missing the sacred circle of the Body Electric School the other day. Sunday. I had not felt that void in some time, but it was there. A womyn-only-space shaped hole in my heart. Naked singing and dancing hole. A gap the shape of pushing boundaries. A comfortable velvet cloak, that void. I used to talk about the void in Mexico and Cuba...
hay un vacio en el corazon. todas tienen este vacio... y atemptamos llenarlo con cosas varias pero... pero solamente Dios puede llenarlo.
I used to say that only God could fill the void. Now, I think what fills that void is self love. Remember, I used to preach Jesus... but the word "Jesus" came out sound like "love thyself!"
Do it people. Love yourselves. Please do it. It is so very, so very important to me.
I am a lover-healer...
I am a lover-healer...
6.9.08
as butch as a hunk of machinery!
I just finished watching "Before Stonewall" on netflix (you can watch it streaming online if you have a subscription at any level) and I do believe that I met myself in 50 years. "Lisa Ben" or Edith Eyde. My hero. She sings with a spanish guitar, and parodied this song
The Girl That I Marry
The girl that I marry will have to be
as soft and as pink as a nursery.
The girl that I call my own
will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne.
Her nails will be polished and in her hair
she'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there
'Stead of flittin' I'll be sittin' next to her
and she'll purr like a kitten.
A doll I can carry the girl that I marry must be.
But instead -- and I must tell you that I stopped the movie and went back so I could write it down -- she sang:
The Girl That I Marry
The girl that I marry will probably be
as butch as a hunk of machinery.
The girl I idolize ... will wear slacks with flat fronts*,
tailored shirts and bow ties
She'll walk with a swagger and wear short hair
And keep me entranced with her tomboy air
Instead of cruisin I'll be using
Her shoulder to lean on while snoozin
A faint hearted fairy, the girl I marry won't be!
clearly, an ode to butches. do you see how she's my hero? dana watched her singing so sweetly and said, "honey it's you!" we had a good laugh about it.
*flat fronts? I'm not sure about that, I had some trouble discernign that line.
Apparently I'm also channeling bell hooks because as I was introducing myself to my class (Literature by Women of Color in the Diaspora), my professor - the distinguished Dr. Gary Lemons, author of "Black. Male. Outsider" - said that as he was watching me speak, watching this white woman speak, he felt as though he was listening to bell hooks. She was actually his dissertation adviser as a Ph.D. student at (i think) NYU.
[edit] Originally I had written that it was ms Audre Lorde, but HussyRed is right in the comments, I had forgotten she passed away when I was just a wee lass. bell hooks will be visiting, though, and I'll be interested to see the comparison.
The Girl That I Marry
The girl that I marry will have to be
as soft and as pink as a nursery.
The girl that I call my own
will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne.
Her nails will be polished and in her hair
she'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there
'Stead of flittin' I'll be sittin' next to her
and she'll purr like a kitten.
A doll I can carry the girl that I marry must be.
But instead -- and I must tell you that I stopped the movie and went back so I could write it down -- she sang:
The Girl That I Marry
The girl that I marry will probably be
as butch as a hunk of machinery.
The girl I idolize ... will wear slacks with flat fronts*,
tailored shirts and bow ties
She'll walk with a swagger and wear short hair
And keep me entranced with her tomboy air
Instead of cruisin I'll be using
Her shoulder to lean on while snoozin
A faint hearted fairy, the girl I marry won't be!
clearly, an ode to butches. do you see how she's my hero? dana watched her singing so sweetly and said, "honey it's you!" we had a good laugh about it.
*flat fronts? I'm not sure about that, I had some trouble discernign that line.
Apparently I'm also channeling bell hooks because as I was introducing myself to my class (Literature by Women of Color in the Diaspora), my professor - the distinguished Dr. Gary Lemons, author of "Black. Male. Outsider" - said that as he was watching me speak, watching this white woman speak, he felt as though he was listening to bell hooks. She was actually his dissertation adviser as a Ph.D. student at (i think) NYU.
[edit] Originally I had written that it was ms Audre Lorde, but HussyRed is right in the comments, I had forgotten she passed away when I was just a wee lass. bell hooks will be visiting, though, and I'll be interested to see the comparison.
3.9.08
empleyo
I have a question for all of you, and this is a serious question which I hope that you will all spend some personal time thinking about, and that you'll come up with a serious answer.
What do you do with a BA in English?
No, seriously. Because there are a lot of things you can with that degree in general, but specifically, what exactly do you do? Pair that with an AS in Culinary Arts and you've got a high quality candidate right? Second question:
How did you get your job?
Because if you can get a job, no offense, but my Dana here should be able to get one too. Do you think it's because employers are reluctant to hire a masculine female? I don't like to think that was the case in some of these lost opportunities, but it does seem likely.
Some of it is this catch 22, where you can't get a job without experience, but you can't gain experience without a job. You know you have the skills but no employer's just going to take your word for it, they want proof, you know?
I got my first job in good faith, the guy hired me because I took photography, I knew cyan yellow and magenta, I could do basic math, and I had a good eye for color balance. I worked at that job for a year and a half until my personal life, and the store volume were not compatible anymore.
I got my current job with no phone experience, but now I'm pretty much a pro. Maybe that's why I don't want to work there anymore - I've mastered the menial task of "how are you today?" "how would you like to pay?" "Sure i'll set up a payment arrangement" "can i have your routing and account number?" Every call is exactly the same customer, every call is the same scenario. It's just hard because I'm a naturally compassionate person so when they say I have to sound concerned about the customer's situations, the only way for me to "sound" that way is to actually be concerned. I end up draining myself of all my love and care on people who will not, cannot reciprocate, and just want my sympathies so I'll give them what they want.
I digress. Any help out there? Anything? Ideas, comments, profanity?
What do you do with a BA in English?
No, seriously. Because there are a lot of things you can with that degree in general, but specifically, what exactly do you do? Pair that with an AS in Culinary Arts and you've got a high quality candidate right? Second question:
How did you get your job?
Because if you can get a job, no offense, but my Dana here should be able to get one too. Do you think it's because employers are reluctant to hire a masculine female? I don't like to think that was the case in some of these lost opportunities, but it does seem likely.
Some of it is this catch 22, where you can't get a job without experience, but you can't gain experience without a job. You know you have the skills but no employer's just going to take your word for it, they want proof, you know?
I got my first job in good faith, the guy hired me because I took photography, I knew cyan yellow and magenta, I could do basic math, and I had a good eye for color balance. I worked at that job for a year and a half until my personal life, and the store volume were not compatible anymore.
I got my current job with no phone experience, but now I'm pretty much a pro. Maybe that's why I don't want to work there anymore - I've mastered the menial task of "how are you today?" "how would you like to pay?" "Sure i'll set up a payment arrangement" "can i have your routing and account number?" Every call is exactly the same customer, every call is the same scenario. It's just hard because I'm a naturally compassionate person so when they say I have to sound concerned about the customer's situations, the only way for me to "sound" that way is to actually be concerned. I end up draining myself of all my love and care on people who will not, cannot reciprocate, and just want my sympathies so I'll give them what they want.
I digress. Any help out there? Anything? Ideas, comments, profanity?
21.8.08
suspension of heterosexual belief
In light of Sinclair's recent post about the suspension of heterosexual belief, let me tell you about kissing a boy last night.
For me, you see, boys are a great idea in theory but in practice it simply doesn't work. I'm not into their general boorishness, their clumsiness, and apathy toward women's situation, their overall grossness. But Robbie is different. First and foremost he is the husband of my darling Jenny - that alone should be enough for me to think highly of him. Secondly, he is committed to feminist causes, and very supportive and sympathetic to queer politics and theory. A man after my own heart, you see? Add to that, practised, gentle kink and a tastefully open relationship with Jenny. What could be better? I always say, you don't have to be gay to be queer. I'll add to that - you don't have to limit yourself to be gay.
Anatomy aside, Robbie is very keenly the type of boy that I would want if I were into boys. Maybe I am. Or maybe I am only into boys like him. You see, I like masculinity. I love the sort of female masculinity that butch women present and live out. But I can appreciate gentle, sweet boyish boys too. So - is it just the masculinity part? This respectful masculinity that cherishes and protects my femininity whether it comes from a boy or a girl? it's just so very rare to find that in a boy. I dunno what I'm trying to say.
Kissing Robbie in the pool was real-life suspension of heterosexual belief - he's a boy, sure. Masculine, defnitely! But not at all offensive, not at all scary or weird or awkward. I very much liked it.
gasp! i've tarnished my gold star! whatever shall i do?
more of the same, of course.
For me, you see, boys are a great idea in theory but in practice it simply doesn't work. I'm not into their general boorishness, their clumsiness, and apathy toward women's situation, their overall grossness. But Robbie is different. First and foremost he is the husband of my darling Jenny - that alone should be enough for me to think highly of him. Secondly, he is committed to feminist causes, and very supportive and sympathetic to queer politics and theory. A man after my own heart, you see? Add to that, practised, gentle kink and a tastefully open relationship with Jenny. What could be better? I always say, you don't have to be gay to be queer. I'll add to that - you don't have to limit yourself to be gay.
Anatomy aside, Robbie is very keenly the type of boy that I would want if I were into boys. Maybe I am. Or maybe I am only into boys like him. You see, I like masculinity. I love the sort of female masculinity that butch women present and live out. But I can appreciate gentle, sweet boyish boys too. So - is it just the masculinity part? This respectful masculinity that cherishes and protects my femininity whether it comes from a boy or a girl? it's just so very rare to find that in a boy. I dunno what I'm trying to say.
Kissing Robbie in the pool was real-life suspension of heterosexual belief - he's a boy, sure. Masculine, defnitely! But not at all offensive, not at all scary or weird or awkward. I very much liked it.
gasp! i've tarnished my gold star! whatever shall i do?
more of the same, of course.
29.7.08
to touch or not to touch. gross hairy men.
After simmering in my irritability for the first half of the month in reference to my choice of a career, my future plans, my desire to get the hell outta dodge, I've settled into the fact that I'm goign to be here for awhile longer. I no longer having that "flight" reaction to my current employment situation.
Surely my mood has to do with all of the things I've been doing to feed my desire for change. I bought a massage therapy textbook and I've been working through it. I gave Kay a massage as a practice run and she said that I was already as good, if not better than some students would have been with a month or two worth of class time. So. Sounds promising right? Well. The only problem with being an MT is that it is largely a female profession with a significant male clientele. So. I'm signing up to touch boys all day. Ew. Sweaty, hairy boys.
So! I've decided to start practice on all my favorite gay boys to start off with. As long as I can be comfortable with them, I'm sure I can make the leap to hairy gross old men, right? Uh. We'll see. We'll see. Kip is a truly adorable boy, though. His boyfriend Joel was in my Politics of Women's Health class. Actually, Joel is one degree between me and Dana - craazy! He works in the same plaza where Dana works as a sandwich craftsperson. Once I met her, Dana started talking to Joel about me and he realized who I was before he and I had ever really made acquaintances in class. Weird.
But Kip is Joel's boyfriend and they are ever so cute - very cuddly and clean, and he has a friend who is also a massage therapist. Apparently he himself has also been the guinea pig for many a massage student. We're having a date tomorrow afternoon for my first try at touching boy leg hairs. and arm hairs and back. Maybe he won't have a hairy back, do you think? I was sure to remind him that I have not even taken intro to "do you wanta degree in?" massage yet and so I don't really have any basic strokes. He seems willing to oblige my curiosities anyway.
I'm totally nervous because I have given so few massage with so little instruction. But like I've said before, I am a healer with healing hands and it is the intent of my heart. How could I go wrong?
Surely my mood has to do with all of the things I've been doing to feed my desire for change. I bought a massage therapy textbook and I've been working through it. I gave Kay a massage as a practice run and she said that I was already as good, if not better than some students would have been with a month or two worth of class time. So. Sounds promising right? Well. The only problem with being an MT is that it is largely a female profession with a significant male clientele. So. I'm signing up to touch boys all day. Ew. Sweaty, hairy boys.
So! I've decided to start practice on all my favorite gay boys to start off with. As long as I can be comfortable with them, I'm sure I can make the leap to hairy gross old men, right? Uh. We'll see. We'll see. Kip is a truly adorable boy, though. His boyfriend Joel was in my Politics of Women's Health class. Actually, Joel is one degree between me and Dana - craazy! He works in the same plaza where Dana works as a sandwich craftsperson. Once I met her, Dana started talking to Joel about me and he realized who I was before he and I had ever really made acquaintances in class. Weird.
But Kip is Joel's boyfriend and they are ever so cute - very cuddly and clean, and he has a friend who is also a massage therapist. Apparently he himself has also been the guinea pig for many a massage student. We're having a date tomorrow afternoon for my first try at touching boy leg hairs. and arm hairs and back. Maybe he won't have a hairy back, do you think? I was sure to remind him that I have not even taken intro to "do you wanta degree in?" massage yet and so I don't really have any basic strokes. He seems willing to oblige my curiosities anyway.
I'm totally nervous because I have given so few massage with so little instruction. But like I've said before, I am a healer with healing hands and it is the intent of my heart. How could I go wrong?
28.7.08
after tapas
I told her in the car on the way home from the tapas restaurant what I wanted. "When we get home, I want you to put on your cock and put your pants back on." She was easy to persuade. "I'm going to leave my dress on, if that's okay." Of course it was.
She started me off sitting on the edge of the bed. Kissed me, tenderly she became reconnected with my body. Soon I found myself lying back, with my panties being yanked down, greedily, over and off my ankles. She sank into my cunt with her lips, rocking me steadily upwards. With her pants unzipped, unbuckled, I was keenly aware of her swelling desire.
One at a time, she brought her fingers into my pussy - one to unlock the door and two to swing it wide open. Warm, warm fingers. I lifted my legs up over her shoulders to adjust the angle and begged - "Oh sweetie, you fuck me so good, oh yes, oh please!" Then, once she pulled her fingers out, her cock was ready to jump into action. Still, with my legs on her shoulders, or over her elbows, she guided her cock into me slowly - slowly - ahhh. She knows the angle, she knows the rhythm immediately. There, at the edge of the bed she fucked me for a long while, bringing me back to the edges of myself.
We paused and repositioned onto the bed, for the safety of my back. Oh how she loves the vision of her cock inside me. It's warm and soft and I love the full, feeling it gives me. I love it all. Her pants were still on at this point, but not my dress, it came off as we switched to the flat of the bed. Ahh. With her cock inside me, I brought my hands down to my pussy and she and I together sent me up like a shooting star. Crying out to her, that long sigh - "oooh baby!" That cry is full of crave and desire. She cooed and caressed me back into myself, unbuckled my shoes and took them off. As we lay in the bed afterward, letting me come back to reality, I said, "So, what can I do for you?" She knew I was tired and didn't want to put me out, but she deserved something in return after all that!
I rolled over on top of her and did what I could to return such a gracious favor.
She started me off sitting on the edge of the bed. Kissed me, tenderly she became reconnected with my body. Soon I found myself lying back, with my panties being yanked down, greedily, over and off my ankles. She sank into my cunt with her lips, rocking me steadily upwards. With her pants unzipped, unbuckled, I was keenly aware of her swelling desire.
One at a time, she brought her fingers into my pussy - one to unlock the door and two to swing it wide open. Warm, warm fingers. I lifted my legs up over her shoulders to adjust the angle and begged - "Oh sweetie, you fuck me so good, oh yes, oh please!" Then, once she pulled her fingers out, her cock was ready to jump into action. Still, with my legs on her shoulders, or over her elbows, she guided her cock into me slowly - slowly - ahhh. She knows the angle, she knows the rhythm immediately. There, at the edge of the bed she fucked me for a long while, bringing me back to the edges of myself.
We paused and repositioned onto the bed, for the safety of my back. Oh how she loves the vision of her cock inside me. It's warm and soft and I love the full, feeling it gives me. I love it all. Her pants were still on at this point, but not my dress, it came off as we switched to the flat of the bed. Ahh. With her cock inside me, I brought my hands down to my pussy and she and I together sent me up like a shooting star. Crying out to her, that long sigh - "oooh baby!" That cry is full of crave and desire. She cooed and caressed me back into myself, unbuckled my shoes and took them off. As we lay in the bed afterward, letting me come back to reality, I said, "So, what can I do for you?" She knew I was tired and didn't want to put me out, but she deserved something in return after all that!
I rolled over on top of her and did what I could to return such a gracious favor.
15.7.08
part psychological. part physiological. part passion.
Last night she felt it. The energy of her cock seeped through its firm shaft and down, down inside her pelvis and she said the strength of her desire was reflected back from her core and out through her cock. Her cock.
We're definitely on the upswing. And we've made a gentle agreement to start exploring kink. It's the first day of school and we're just here to have fun. I'm sitting here in a rope harness into which I tied myself. She's reading a book and cooking matzo ball soup (with chicken?).
Naked in our space together,
enjoying life as usual and
tossing our change into a
big glass pickle jar.
When it jingles, it makes the sound of change.
This is the sound of change.
We're definitely on the upswing. And we've made a gentle agreement to start exploring kink. It's the first day of school and we're just here to have fun. I'm sitting here in a rope harness into which I tied myself. She's reading a book and cooking matzo ball soup (with chicken?).
Naked in our space together,
enjoying life as usual and
tossing our change into a
big glass pickle jar.
When it jingles, it makes the sound of change.
This is the sound of change.
11.7.08
reconnecting
I would tell you how she eased her cock so gently into my cunt. If I wanted to, I would describe the weight of her hips rocking closer to me. I could give an account of the sweet way she worked her cock for exactly the third time ever.
But what I really want to tell you about is what happened afterward. Reclining on her back, she was resting from all her hard work, I flung my hair out of the way (it has grown quite long) and brought my hand down to where the leather straps were so tightly fastened around her waist, glutes, legs. I brushed my fingers over her labia, feeling how wet the show of my orgasm had made her, and finally pressed my fingers into her cunt. From there, my lips quickly found her cock, and I graced the two - cunt and cock - at the same time. Immediately, the obvious moan of her pleasure rose from her body. I love the way she takes to my fingers, or my mouth, or whatever the instrument of choice, allowing her body to be soothed by my affections.
We have a question for all of you - blog readers and writers. Some butches and transmen say that they can "feel" their cock when they ar wearing it. That the touch gives a certain sensation even though it's not physically attached. Is this cultivated? Does it have to do with the degree to which one identifies with a masculine persona? Is there a spectrum of how trans or not trans a butch can be, and if you lean to the trans side of things then it gives you pleasure to have girls touching your cock and if you're on the genuine butch woman side, then not so much? How does this all work? Having an answer to that question would be so very helpful. Sin? Dylan? anyone? What's this all about?
But what I really want to tell you about is what happened afterward. Reclining on her back, she was resting from all her hard work, I flung my hair out of the way (it has grown quite long) and brought my hand down to where the leather straps were so tightly fastened around her waist, glutes, legs. I brushed my fingers over her labia, feeling how wet the show of my orgasm had made her, and finally pressed my fingers into her cunt. From there, my lips quickly found her cock, and I graced the two - cunt and cock - at the same time. Immediately, the obvious moan of her pleasure rose from her body. I love the way she takes to my fingers, or my mouth, or whatever the instrument of choice, allowing her body to be soothed by my affections.
We have a question for all of you - blog readers and writers. Some butches and transmen say that they can "feel" their cock when they ar wearing it. That the touch gives a certain sensation even though it's not physically attached. Is this cultivated? Does it have to do with the degree to which one identifies with a masculine persona? Is there a spectrum of how trans or not trans a butch can be, and if you lean to the trans side of things then it gives you pleasure to have girls touching your cock and if you're on the genuine butch woman side, then not so much? How does this all work? Having an answer to that question would be so very helpful. Sin? Dylan? anyone? What's this all about?
26.5.08
queer culture films available on netflix
I couldn't find my previous post about the documentary "The Aggressives" but I wanted to let everybody know that I signed up for Netflix the other day (in leu of getting cable television) and I saw that they have many very important films on queer history and culture. The films may be rather difficult to obtain, or view and this is a chance to watch them without money or scarcity standing in the way.
The Aggressives: Director Daniel Peddle spent five years recording the lives of six "aggressives" -- lesbians who strive to be as masculine as possible in lifestyle and appearance. The result is a portrait both enlightening and endearing as we watch each woman come up with her own inventive ways of expressing her identity. From prison to the underground ball scene, where lesbians compete for lead "AG" status, this film reveals a largely hidden subculture.
The Celluloid Closet: Narrated by Lily Tomlin, this acclaimed documentary takes its name from Vito Russo's groundbreaking book. The filmmakers examine the subtext of more than 100 Hollywood movies -- including Spartacus, Rope and Thelma and Louise -- and chart the cinematic journey of lesbian and gay characters. Film clips are paired with director, producer and actor interviews featuring, among others, Gore Vidal, Tom Hanks and Whoopi Goldberg.
Before Stonewall: Life was very different before the 1969 Stonewall riots put the issue of gay rights front and center in America. Using archival films and interviews with gays and lesbians who were forced to hide their sexuality for fear of reprisals, this documentary by Robert Rosenberg, Greta Schiller and John Scagliotti sheds light on American gay life from the 1920s to the 1960s and the sociopolitical climate that finally led to profound change.
After Stonewall: Melissa Etheridge narrates this documentary that explores the progress and challenges of the post-Stonewall lesbian/gay rights movement through archival footage and interviews with leaders such as Barbara Gittings, Armistead Maupin, Jewelle Gomez and Dorothy Allison. The film chronicles key events from 1970 to the end of the 20th century, including sexual liberation, conflicts with the feminist movement, AIDS and political organization.
If you have a credit card, you can get a two week free trial wherein you can watch all of these videos online without having to deal with sending dvd's back in the mail.
The Aggressives: Director Daniel Peddle spent five years recording the lives of six "aggressives" -- lesbians who strive to be as masculine as possible in lifestyle and appearance. The result is a portrait both enlightening and endearing as we watch each woman come up with her own inventive ways of expressing her identity. From prison to the underground ball scene, where lesbians compete for lead "AG" status, this film reveals a largely hidden subculture.
The Celluloid Closet: Narrated by Lily Tomlin, this acclaimed documentary takes its name from Vito Russo's groundbreaking book. The filmmakers examine the subtext of more than 100 Hollywood movies -- including Spartacus, Rope and Thelma and Louise -- and chart the cinematic journey of lesbian and gay characters. Film clips are paired with director, producer and actor interviews featuring, among others, Gore Vidal, Tom Hanks and Whoopi Goldberg.
Before Stonewall: Life was very different before the 1969 Stonewall riots put the issue of gay rights front and center in America. Using archival films and interviews with gays and lesbians who were forced to hide their sexuality for fear of reprisals, this documentary by Robert Rosenberg, Greta Schiller and John Scagliotti sheds light on American gay life from the 1920s to the 1960s and the sociopolitical climate that finally led to profound change.
After Stonewall: Melissa Etheridge narrates this documentary that explores the progress and challenges of the post-Stonewall lesbian/gay rights movement through archival footage and interviews with leaders such as Barbara Gittings, Armistead Maupin, Jewelle Gomez and Dorothy Allison. The film chronicles key events from 1970 to the end of the 20th century, including sexual liberation, conflicts with the feminist movement, AIDS and political organization.
If you have a credit card, you can get a two week free trial wherein you can watch all of these videos online without having to deal with sending dvd's back in the mail.
11.5.08
Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining 9
Now you are ready to tackle the menu itself which is half the battle of successful entertaining.
First of all, let's assume that you're going to have three courses - a soup or appetizer, a main dish and vegetables and dessert. The basic rule in planning that everything must contrast in terms of texture, color and flavor. For instance, if you're serving a creamed soup to begin with,, don't follow it with creamed chicken and ice cream. Similarly, serve foods of different colors and tastes at each course. A meal that is a symphony in shades of green will probably make your guests feel somewhat the same way by the end.
The same principle applies to the dishes in each course. For an appetizer, serve creamed shrimp on crisp lettuce for contrast in all three departments. For a main course, try slices of pink baked ham, flanked by deep green spinach and orange yams. Or accent the dark brown of a grilled steak with tomato slices, yellow corn, and a baked potato (piled high with sour cream topped with green chives for contrast on contrast[!!!]). By way of comparison, visualize one of the worst meals I ever had in my life: broiled white haddock, white cauliflower and white boiled potatos - served on a white plate.
Generally speaking, you won't go wrong if you keep in mind the following points:
1. Serve only one sauced or creamed anything to a menu.
2. Avoid repeats. If you're going to have carrot sticks to start, don't have cooked carrots with the main course.
3. Proceed from a simple dish to a complicated one to a simple one (or vice versa). For instance, simple cheese appetizers to complicated beef Bourguignon to simple raspberry sorbet. Or, complicated sauced shrimp to simple grilled lamb chops to complicated stuffed dessert brioches.
For a "busy" dish like a casserole, which has lots of bits and pieces, serve simple solid things in large pieces. Cantelope quarters would be dandy after a casserole, a "busy" fruit compote would be de trop.
First of all, let's assume that you're going to have three courses - a soup or appetizer, a main dish and vegetables and dessert. The basic rule in planning that everything must contrast in terms of texture, color and flavor. For instance, if you're serving a creamed soup to begin with,, don't follow it with creamed chicken and ice cream. Similarly, serve foods of different colors and tastes at each course. A meal that is a symphony in shades of green will probably make your guests feel somewhat the same way by the end.
The same principle applies to the dishes in each course. For an appetizer, serve creamed shrimp on crisp lettuce for contrast in all three departments. For a main course, try slices of pink baked ham, flanked by deep green spinach and orange yams. Or accent the dark brown of a grilled steak with tomato slices, yellow corn, and a baked potato (piled high with sour cream topped with green chives for contrast on contrast[!!!]). By way of comparison, visualize one of the worst meals I ever had in my life: broiled white haddock, white cauliflower and white boiled potatos - served on a white plate.
Generally speaking, you won't go wrong if you keep in mind the following points:
1. Serve only one sauced or creamed anything to a menu.
2. Avoid repeats. If you're going to have carrot sticks to start, don't have cooked carrots with the main course.
3. Proceed from a simple dish to a complicated one to a simple one (or vice versa). For instance, simple cheese appetizers to complicated beef Bourguignon to simple raspberry sorbet. Or, complicated sauced shrimp to simple grilled lamb chops to complicated stuffed dessert brioches.
For a "busy" dish like a casserole, which has lots of bits and pieces, serve simple solid things in large pieces. Cantelope quarters would be dandy after a casserole, a "busy" fruit compote would be de trop.
Female to Femme!
Altcinema presents
QUEER(Y)ING FEMME
Film screening - FtF: Female to Femme, with short film The Insomniacs
Lecture - "A Brief History of Femme" by FtF co-director, Kami Chisholm, Ph.D.
A benefit for Altcinema Productions
Saturday May 24, 2008
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 advance, $15 -$100 at the door
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Come out and support queer cinema!
Purchase tickets online at http://www.altcinema.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=51.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact info@altcinema.com or 415.863.2183.
About FtF: Female to Femme (directed by Kami Chisholm and Elizabeth Stark, Frameline Distribution, 48 min., 2006):
Imagine a world in which the journey toward femme was understood to be as radical as journeys to claim and inhabit other queer bodies. Envisioning more than it documents, FtF: FEMALE TO FEMME celebrates dyke femme identities, combining farce and seduction with analysis and personal history. For years, femmes have forged community and created space for themselves out of edgy performance and authentic parody. FtF recognizes these strategies and builds them into an unforgettable sexy, funny and moving film. FtF features a host of fabulous femmes, including actress/writer Guinivere Turner, novelist/activist Jewelle Gomez, poet Meliza Bañales, rock stars Leslie Mah (Tribe8) and Bitch (Bitch & Animal), professors, activists, artists and dancers. The filmmakers ask these thinkers and performers to use the language of gender transition to talk about femme identity, opening up new possibilities for understanding femininity while reinforcing connections among gender warriors around the
world. A wildly original extravaganza, FtF: FEMALE TO FEMME presents a saucy, indelible portrait of a people and a politics central to the gender revolution.
Plus, the new butch-femme romantic comedy, THE INSOMNIACS (directed by Kami Chisholm, 11 min., 2008):
Bell has insomnia. So one restless night, she decides to go to the local Insomniac's Anonymous 3 a.m. meeting, and there she meets Helena, the girl of her waking dreams.
About Dr. Kami Chisholm:
Kami Chisholm, founder of Altcinema, holds a Ph.D. in History of Consciousness from UC Santa Cruz and is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University's Film Production department. FtF: FEMALE TO FEMME, Chisholm's first (co-directed) feature documentary, premiered in June 2006 at Frameline30: The San Francisco International LGBT Festival. In 2007, Chisholm produced and co-edited the festival hit GODSPEED, a short about a trans bike messenger directed by Lynn Breedlove and Jen Gilomen. Chisholm is also the director of over 10 short films, including the recently completed romantic comedy, THE INSOMNIACS. Currently, Chisholm teaches feminist/queer/race theory, sexuality studies, and visual culture at California College of the Arts.
Purchase tickets online for QUEER(Y)ING FEMME at
http://www.altcinema.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=51
QUEER(Y)ING FEMME
Film screening - FtF: Female to Femme, with short film The Insomniacs
Lecture - "A Brief History of Femme" by FtF co-director, Kami Chisholm, Ph.D.
A benefit for Altcinema Productions
Saturday May 24, 2008
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 advance, $15 -$100 at the door
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Come out and support queer cinema!
Purchase tickets online at http://www.altcinema.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=51.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact info@altcinema.com or 415.863.2183.
About FtF: Female to Femme (directed by Kami Chisholm and Elizabeth Stark, Frameline Distribution, 48 min., 2006):
Imagine a world in which the journey toward femme was understood to be as radical as journeys to claim and inhabit other queer bodies. Envisioning more than it documents, FtF: FEMALE TO FEMME celebrates dyke femme identities, combining farce and seduction with analysis and personal history. For years, femmes have forged community and created space for themselves out of edgy performance and authentic parody. FtF recognizes these strategies and builds them into an unforgettable sexy, funny and moving film. FtF features a host of fabulous femmes, including actress/writer Guinivere Turner, novelist/activist Jewelle Gomez, poet Meliza Bañales, rock stars Leslie Mah (Tribe8) and Bitch (Bitch & Animal), professors, activists, artists and dancers. The filmmakers ask these thinkers and performers to use the language of gender transition to talk about femme identity, opening up new possibilities for understanding femininity while reinforcing connections among gender warriors around the
world. A wildly original extravaganza, FtF: FEMALE TO FEMME presents a saucy, indelible portrait of a people and a politics central to the gender revolution.
Plus, the new butch-femme romantic comedy, THE INSOMNIACS (directed by Kami Chisholm, 11 min., 2008):
Bell has insomnia. So one restless night, she decides to go to the local Insomniac's Anonymous 3 a.m. meeting, and there she meets Helena, the girl of her waking dreams.
About Dr. Kami Chisholm:
Kami Chisholm, founder of Altcinema, holds a Ph.D. in History of Consciousness from UC Santa Cruz and is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University's Film Production department. FtF: FEMALE TO FEMME, Chisholm's first (co-directed) feature documentary, premiered in June 2006 at Frameline30: The San Francisco International LGBT Festival. In 2007, Chisholm produced and co-edited the festival hit GODSPEED, a short about a trans bike messenger directed by Lynn Breedlove and Jen Gilomen. Chisholm is also the director of over 10 short films, including the recently completed romantic comedy, THE INSOMNIACS. Currently, Chisholm teaches feminist/queer/race theory, sexuality studies, and visual culture at California College of the Arts.
Purchase tickets online for QUEER(Y)ING FEMME at
http://www.altcinema.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=51
6.5.08
Um. Tuesday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining 8
INTRODUCTION (to the book)
Comes the day when you have your own apartment and your own life, and there you are standing in the kitchen wondering what on earth to eat besides tuna-noodle casserole. Half-remembered recipes swirl through your head, alternating with images of that sensational meal you had on your last dinner date. Should you try to improvise, thus duplicating your dreams? Don't - unless you've got a flawless palate and a lot of culinary experience.
I once tried duplicating chicken Tetrazzini from memory on the theory that it is impossible to louse up anything made with chicken, mushrooms, and spaghetti held together by a wine based cream sauce. I loused it up by inventively substituting red wine for white. The entire dish immediately turned a ghastly shade of maroon, and that ended that dinner. For my relatives, no less.
This book is written for the single girl with limited time, limited money, and limited experience in the kitchen. The recipes that follow are all simple to prepare, tasty, and non-junky, by which I mean those terrible combinations of stale bread, milk and grated cheese that provide nourishment for pennies. They do, but they're inedible.
Nor do these recipes take hours of cooking, or demand the skill in sauce-making, or require outre equipment deemed necessary by gourmet cookbooks.
They will, however, give you some fundamental notions of techniques, tastes, and combinations of foods for a base from which to tackle some of the more advanced complications of cuisine.
Gazpacho: An absolutely delicious fresh summer soup. You must have a blender for this one, though.
3c cored, coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
1.5c peeled, coarsely chopped cucumber
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2c water
5 TB olive or corn oil
1/4c wine vinegar
2 slices untrimmed fresh bread, cubed
salt to taste
Put everything into the container of an electric blender and blend at high speed until thoroughly pureed. Pour mixture through a strainer into a mixing bowl, pressing with the flat of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids in the sieve. taste the soup for seasoning and add more salt and vinegar if it seems a little flat. Chill thoroughly for a few hours before serving. Serves four.
Comes the day when you have your own apartment and your own life, and there you are standing in the kitchen wondering what on earth to eat besides tuna-noodle casserole. Half-remembered recipes swirl through your head, alternating with images of that sensational meal you had on your last dinner date. Should you try to improvise, thus duplicating your dreams? Don't - unless you've got a flawless palate and a lot of culinary experience.
I once tried duplicating chicken Tetrazzini from memory on the theory that it is impossible to louse up anything made with chicken, mushrooms, and spaghetti held together by a wine based cream sauce. I loused it up by inventively substituting red wine for white. The entire dish immediately turned a ghastly shade of maroon, and that ended that dinner. For my relatives, no less.
This book is written for the single girl with limited time, limited money, and limited experience in the kitchen. The recipes that follow are all simple to prepare, tasty, and non-junky, by which I mean those terrible combinations of stale bread, milk and grated cheese that provide nourishment for pennies. They do, but they're inedible.
Nor do these recipes take hours of cooking, or demand the skill in sauce-making, or require outre equipment deemed necessary by gourmet cookbooks.
They will, however, give you some fundamental notions of techniques, tastes, and combinations of foods for a base from which to tackle some of the more advanced complications of cuisine.
Gazpacho: An absolutely delicious fresh summer soup. You must have a blender for this one, though.
3c cored, coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
1.5c peeled, coarsely chopped cucumber
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2c water
5 TB olive or corn oil
1/4c wine vinegar
2 slices untrimmed fresh bread, cubed
salt to taste
Put everything into the container of an electric blender and blend at high speed until thoroughly pureed. Pour mixture through a strainer into a mixing bowl, pressing with the flat of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids in the sieve. taste the soup for seasoning and add more salt and vinegar if it seems a little flat. Chill thoroughly for a few hours before serving. Serves four.
27.4.08
Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining 7
A WORD ABOUT ENTERTAINING
Entertaining is a lot of fun. that's why people do i, and that's why other people are always glad to be entertained. Your guests will arrive happily expectant, for they anticipate an evening of food, drink, and good conversation, as opposed, say, to an evening of Uncle Bert's and Aunt Min's home movies of their trip to Toledo. By the time they arrive, your major chores will have been completed so that you will be free to relax and enjoy both your friends and the fruits of your labor.
this is known as being a serene hostess. However, achieving a state of serenity is not altogether easy, since you must do a sizeable (sic) amount of planning and work in advance. I have found that the secret is not just abstract planning, but making a list, a written list that includes every last item from flowers to wine to extra soup bowls, if necessary. You must write everything down - do not rely on your memory - or you will forget at least one absolutely necessary item.
First on your list belong the standard items for a dinner party: candles for the table and a bunch or two of freshly cut flowers to brighten the place up. These two items immediately set a festive and even elegant tone to the proceedings.
In addition, you should think of a bottle of wine. Not only think about it, but buy it (that is always my rule of thumb! don't just think ponder it, do it!) , unless you can count on your guests or your beau to bring a bottle. Most people, understanding the tight finances of single girls, will show up with a bottle of wine, but it's just as well to have the proper one on hand. Your guests may bring the wrong wine or - worse yet - none at all. If you've already bought a bottle, save it. It won't go bad.
The general rule for wines is that you serve a red wine with red meats, such as beef, lamb, or pork; and a white wine with white meats, such as chicken, veal, and fish. Roses go well with both red and white meats, and are always a good choice, if you're in doubt. Champagne, if you can afford it, goes with everything.
White wines and roses should be served thoroughly chilled, while reds profit from a half hour sojourn in the refrigerator to bring them down to the proper European room temperature, which is usually lower than that in the normal American apartment. Try to remember to open the wines (except sparkling wines) half an hour before serving to let the wine "breathe." Fill the glasses no more than two-thirds full so that the lovely wine aroma (or bouquet) is trapped in the upper part of the glass.
If you're on a tight budget, California wines are very good and quite acceptable. They are often a better bet than the cheap imported French wines, which, sad to say, are frequently sour Algerian products masquerading behind a phony French label. Ask the man in the liquor store for help - tell him that you want a dry red or white wine for dinner and he'll be happy to give you some suggestions. Don't get a sweet wine to go with a meal; you'll ruin both.
Entertaining is a lot of fun. that's why people do i, and that's why other people are always glad to be entertained. Your guests will arrive happily expectant, for they anticipate an evening of food, drink, and good conversation, as opposed, say, to an evening of Uncle Bert's and Aunt Min's home movies of their trip to Toledo. By the time they arrive, your major chores will have been completed so that you will be free to relax and enjoy both your friends and the fruits of your labor.
this is known as being a serene hostess. However, achieving a state of serenity is not altogether easy, since you must do a sizeable (sic) amount of planning and work in advance. I have found that the secret is not just abstract planning, but making a list, a written list that includes every last item from flowers to wine to extra soup bowls, if necessary. You must write everything down - do not rely on your memory - or you will forget at least one absolutely necessary item.
First on your list belong the standard items for a dinner party: candles for the table and a bunch or two of freshly cut flowers to brighten the place up. These two items immediately set a festive and even elegant tone to the proceedings.
In addition, you should think of a bottle of wine. Not only think about it, but buy it (that is always my rule of thumb! don't just think ponder it, do it!) , unless you can count on your guests or your beau to bring a bottle. Most people, understanding the tight finances of single girls, will show up with a bottle of wine, but it's just as well to have the proper one on hand. Your guests may bring the wrong wine or - worse yet - none at all. If you've already bought a bottle, save it. It won't go bad.
The general rule for wines is that you serve a red wine with red meats, such as beef, lamb, or pork; and a white wine with white meats, such as chicken, veal, and fish. Roses go well with both red and white meats, and are always a good choice, if you're in doubt. Champagne, if you can afford it, goes with everything.
White wines and roses should be served thoroughly chilled, while reds profit from a half hour sojourn in the refrigerator to bring them down to the proper European room temperature, which is usually lower than that in the normal American apartment. Try to remember to open the wines (except sparkling wines) half an hour before serving to let the wine "breathe." Fill the glasses no more than two-thirds full so that the lovely wine aroma (or bouquet) is trapped in the upper part of the glass.
If you're on a tight budget, California wines are very good and quite acceptable. They are often a better bet than the cheap imported French wines, which, sad to say, are frequently sour Algerian products masquerading behind a phony French label. Ask the man in the liquor store for help - tell him that you want a dry red or white wine for dinner and he'll be happy to give you some suggestions. Don't get a sweet wine to go with a meal; you'll ruin both.
20.4.08
Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining 6
Suppose you have six or eight guests approaching and only a couple of dollars in your pocket. Or dreary Sunday night is approaching and you'd like to have some people up for dinner to help you chasse the blues, but you're stuck with a thin wallet. What's a girl to do?
The answer is to make something good, filling, and cheap. So that your guests won't be expecting a triumph of French gourmet cooking, loaded with truffles and caviar, it's a good ploy to tell them in advance what they can expect -- e.g. "I just felt like making a big pot of chile con carne. Wouldn't you like to come and join me?" is good. And ask them to bring a couple of cans of beer to go along with it. Or, you could say, "Would you like to come by for a simple Sunday night supper?" Then bring out huge bowls of thick, fresh soup, lots of garlic bread, a green salad and one of those bottles of red wine you've saved. (Or ask a male to bring a bottle of wine.)
The recipes in this section are old reliables that begin from scratch; if you've got half a cold chicken in the refridgerator or some left over pot roast, check the leftover section for other ideas. You'd be surprised how many people you can feed on the remnants of a cut-up chicken.
Do sit down and make a list of everything you'll need, for you may discover that you've got on hand nearly all the makings of a full dinner. You'll never have all of them, but at least you won't have to shell out much hard cash.
Chile con Carne
2 TB olive oil
2 TB cold water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1.5 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (or some Tabasco)
5 tsp chile powder (or more, to taste)
1 lb. chopped meat
1 cup onions, sliced thin
2 large cans kidney beans
1 can tomatoes, drained
Heat the olive oil, brown the chopped meat and onions until the meat is brown and the onions golden. Drain the kidney beans and rinse under cold water. Put the meat, onions, and beans in a large pot, and add everything else. Cook slowly for one hour. Add more chile powder if you like it really hot. Serve with saltine crackers and cold beer. Serves 8.
The answer is to make something good, filling, and cheap. So that your guests won't be expecting a triumph of French gourmet cooking, loaded with truffles and caviar, it's a good ploy to tell them in advance what they can expect -- e.g. "I just felt like making a big pot of chile con carne. Wouldn't you like to come and join me?" is good. And ask them to bring a couple of cans of beer to go along with it. Or, you could say, "Would you like to come by for a simple Sunday night supper?" Then bring out huge bowls of thick, fresh soup, lots of garlic bread, a green salad and one of those bottles of red wine you've saved. (Or ask a male to bring a bottle of wine.)
The recipes in this section are old reliables that begin from scratch; if you've got half a cold chicken in the refridgerator or some left over pot roast, check the leftover section for other ideas. You'd be surprised how many people you can feed on the remnants of a cut-up chicken.
Do sit down and make a list of everything you'll need, for you may discover that you've got on hand nearly all the makings of a full dinner. You'll never have all of them, but at least you won't have to shell out much hard cash.
Chile con Carne
2 TB olive oil
2 TB cold water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1.5 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (or some Tabasco)
5 tsp chile powder (or more, to taste)
1 lb. chopped meat
1 cup onions, sliced thin
2 large cans kidney beans
1 can tomatoes, drained
Heat the olive oil, brown the chopped meat and onions until the meat is brown and the onions golden. Drain the kidney beans and rinse under cold water. Put the meat, onions, and beans in a large pot, and add everything else. Cook slowly for one hour. Add more chile powder if you like it really hot. Serve with saltine crackers and cold beer. Serves 8.
13.4.08
Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining 5
Roast Meats
Roasts should begin with repertoire. They are easy, impressive and sure to please any man. Any roast (with the exception of ham and pork) profits from the addition of arlic, salt and pepper, plus a bit of additional seasoning proper to the type of meat. You should allow one pound of meat per person.
Roast Veal
4-5 lb boneless veal roast
2 coves garlic
salt, pepper, thyme
bacon
melted butter
dry vermouth
Sprinkle the roast with salt, pepper and thyme. Lay the bacon strips neatly over the top of the roast so that all the meat is covered. Cut the cloves of garlic in half and toss them in the pan. roast at 325 degrees for about 2 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Baste frequently with melted butter and vermouth
Roasts should begin with repertoire. They are easy, impressive and sure to please any man. Any roast (with the exception of ham and pork) profits from the addition of arlic, salt and pepper, plus a bit of additional seasoning proper to the type of meat. You should allow one pound of meat per person.
Roast Veal
4-5 lb boneless veal roast
2 coves garlic
salt, pepper, thyme
bacon
melted butter
dry vermouth
Sprinkle the roast with salt, pepper and thyme. Lay the bacon strips neatly over the top of the roast so that all the meat is covered. Cut the cloves of garlic in half and toss them in the pan. roast at 325 degrees for about 2 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Baste frequently with melted butter and vermouth
6.4.08
Sunday Single Girl's Guide to Entertaining 4
RUSH HOUR MENUS
One of the hazards a single girl faces in the kitchen at night is the necessity of working during the day. Unlike the home-bound housewife, who can start cooking at noon for a dinner party that evening at seven, the working girl has got to do it all in a matter of minutes (probably with guests in tow) or else the day before.
Yet, it can be done - one way or the other.
For real spur of the moment elegance, keep on hand the ingredients for one or two favorite dishes that can be prepared in a jiffy. Most of them come in cans, s you don't have to worry about spoilage. Then if you decide to invite friends from the office, say, at the last minute, you'll be prepared.
Another alternative is to pick up everything on the way home at the local delicatessen. Expensive, yes, but fast and better than dragging through the lines at the supermarket. Or you can do all the shopping and preparation the day before and simply put everything together quickly at the last minute.
Last, but not least you can prepare some dishes the night before that only need reheating when your guests arrive. To save you the trouble of leafing through all the previous pages trying to envision menus, ingredients and preparation time, specific menu suggestions and make-ahead directions like ahead.
CAN OPENER COOKING
These recipes assume that your cupboard and refridgerator are no entirely bare. any perishables that you might not have on hand (and therefore would have to buy) are in italics.
BEEF AND ARTICHOKES SUPREME
1/2 lb. chipped beef (2 small jars)
2 tb butter
1 pt. sour cream
1 jar or can artichoke hearts
cayenne pepper or paprika
1/2 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
1 large tb grated parmesan cheese
Pull the chipped beef into shreds, cover with water and parboil for a minute or two, the drain. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low flame. When it is melted, add teh sour cream and stir untill all the lumps disappear. Slice the artichoke hearts thin, and stir into the sour cream with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika. Add the wine, the Parmesan cheese and then beef. Stir constantly and heat slowly but thoroughly. Don't let it boil or it will curdle. If the sauce is too thin, ad a little bit of flour. If it's too thick, add a little water. Serve over hot buttered toast and sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on the top. This is a very rich dish. Serves 6.
One of the hazards a single girl faces in the kitchen at night is the necessity of working during the day. Unlike the home-bound housewife, who can start cooking at noon for a dinner party that evening at seven, the working girl has got to do it all in a matter of minutes (probably with guests in tow) or else the day before.
Yet, it can be done - one way or the other.
For real spur of the moment elegance, keep on hand the ingredients for one or two favorite dishes that can be prepared in a jiffy. Most of them come in cans, s you don't have to worry about spoilage. Then if you decide to invite friends from the office, say, at the last minute, you'll be prepared.
Another alternative is to pick up everything on the way home at the local delicatessen. Expensive, yes, but fast and better than dragging through the lines at the supermarket. Or you can do all the shopping and preparation the day before and simply put everything together quickly at the last minute.
Last, but not least you can prepare some dishes the night before that only need reheating when your guests arrive. To save you the trouble of leafing through all the previous pages trying to envision menus, ingredients and preparation time, specific menu suggestions and make-ahead directions like ahead.
CAN OPENER COOKING
These recipes assume that your cupboard and refridgerator are no entirely bare. any perishables that you might not have on hand (and therefore would have to buy) are in italics.
BEEF AND ARTICHOKES SUPREME
1/2 lb. chipped beef (2 small jars)
2 tb butter
1 pt. sour cream
1 jar or can artichoke hearts
cayenne pepper or paprika
1/2 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
1 large tb grated parmesan cheese
Pull the chipped beef into shreds, cover with water and parboil for a minute or two, the drain. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low flame. When it is melted, add teh sour cream and stir untill all the lumps disappear. Slice the artichoke hearts thin, and stir into the sour cream with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika. Add the wine, the Parmesan cheese and then beef. Stir constantly and heat slowly but thoroughly. Don't let it boil or it will curdle. If the sauce is too thin, ad a little bit of flour. If it's too thick, add a little water. Serve over hot buttered toast and sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese on the top. This is a very rich dish. Serves 6.
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