Cornish Game Hens

Cornish Game Hen, Rosemary, Lemon & Garlic. The Daily Fitchett.

The new big hit at our house is Cornish game hens, pictured below with rosemary garnish, potatoes au gratin, and mixed green salad with dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and sliced pear. See the pinkness in the juice in the photo above? That's what I couldn't see when it was still in the baking pan. This one had to go back in the oven. In order to avoid this problem, make sure to check the internal temperature of the meat with a meat thermometer, and to use a large enough baking pan so as not to crowd the hens. If they are too close together, it will take significantly longer to cook. Another mistake that you can see in this photo was the raw rosemary garnish. Mark tossed the rosemary garnish back in the oven at the last minute to toast it for tenderness, better texture and flavor.  Once that was done, it was a phenomenal meal. Thanks to MoonAndBack on AllRecpies.com for posting the original recipe.

Essential Equipment:

• Large Baking Pan
• Large Rack that can fit inside the baking pan, and accommodate 4 Cornish game hens with space in between each (hens should not touch, nor be too crowded)
• Meat Thermometer

Ingredients:
4 Cornish game hens
1 lemon
8 sprigs rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 dozen cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 Cup white cooking wine
1 Cup low-sodiu chicken broth

Cornish Game Hens with Rosemary & Potatoes au Gratin.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rub hens with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff a lemon wedge and sprig of rosemary into the cavity of each hen; Tie the legs together with string. Arrange on a rack placed inside a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around the hens. Roast for 25 minutes.
3. In a Pyrex cup, mix together wine, chicken broth, and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting, and baste with pan juices and additional chicken broth/olive oil mixture every 15 minutes. It can be difficult to tell if the juices "run clear", so continue roasting hens and use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the hens reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Each instance of basting reduces the temperature in the oven and adds on to the total cooking time, but it is oh-so worth it.
4. Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices, garlic cloves to a medium saucepan, add the rest of the chicken broth and olive oil, and boil on medium high until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise, spoon sauce and garlic over the hens, and garnish with rosemary. 

Here's another great link that I found regarding the proper way to cook these hens: How To Roast Cornish Game Hen on www.HowToCookMeat.com.

Cornish game hens are small, light, not too overpowering in flavor, and yet extremely tasty.  This dish goes well with red wine and French bread.  Serves 6-8.

--The Daily Fitchett, 3/9/11.

Cult of the Wrong Note: "Muscle Machine"

Last week we wrote about the new reissue scheduled for Mark's classic 90's rock/jazz/fusion album Cult of the Wrong Note. One of the songs off of that album is "Muscle Machine", a hard-driving funky uptempo tune with snarling guitar and a strong bass line. Muscle Machine is now available for preview on www.SoundCloud.com. The Cult of the Wrong Note are: Mark Fitchett: Guitar, Rick Hollander:Bass, Chuck Messana: Drums, Craig Roth: Keyboards.

Click here to listen.

Related Post:  Soon To Be Released: Mark Fitchett & The Cult of the Wrong Note

--The Daily Fitchett.

Herbie Hancock at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Walt Disney Concert Hall photographed at night by Lisa Kato Fitchett.

Los Angeles, CA - Herbie Hancock shared the stage with saxophone legend Wayne Shorter, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Vinnie Coliauta for an almost sold-out concert Saturday night at Walt Disney Hall.

The focus of the evening was the sonic explorations of four masters, beyond the bounds of a predictable groove, melodic motif, and chord progression. Which is not to say these guys didn't groove. They grooved, but far outside the expected bounds of bar lines and predictable time signatures.  And not to say there were no melodies and no chord progressions.  The arrangements were solidly tonal but pushed the boundaries of audience expectations with their extended scope and development.

The first two pieces, more recently written by Wayne Shorter, took over an hour to perform, setting the mood for an evening of improvisatory wizadry with their stretched out openings, long development sections, and expanded recapitulations. The third piece, "Maiden Voyage" finally took us back to familiar territory.  But even there, the Maiden Voyage melody was deconstructed and transmogrified, put in unexpected places, rhythmically phased, playfully transposed into different keys and then transposed back again.  Wayne Shorter's "Visitor from Nowhere" was another broad sonic territory for the four virtuosi to traverse, ideas and inspiration unfurling and multiplying under their direction.

The encore was Herbie Hancock's classic "Cantaloupe Island",   which began as mysterious ruminations by Dave Holland on bass, eventually coalescing into fragments of that world-famous "Cantaloupe Island" bass line, but holding back on being completely recognizable until Wayne Shorter stepped in boldly with the first two notes of main melody.  Saturday evening's concert was a window for the audience to see what can happen when masters step in with invited friends to deconstruct their own and each other's pieces.  Herbie Hancock - transformed, transmogrified, and transcendent.

Related Posts: LA Times Blog "Culture Monster" - Jazz Review: Herbie Hancock at Walt Disney Concert Hall

--The Daily Fitchett, 3/7/2011.

Jam Session: Knypstra, Cser & Fitchett

Knypstra, Cser & Fitchett

Palos Verdes Estates, CA - A wonderful set of standards was performed at this impromptu jam session with bassist Ravi Knypstra, pianist Laszlo J. Cser, and Mark Fitchett. Professor Cser, formerly an instructor of jazz composition and big band arranging at Los Angeles City College, is very much an impeccable pianist with a sharp sense of musical humor.

--The Daily Fitchett.

Lion Dance

Related Post: Chinese New Year

I'm following up on my Chinese New Year post earlier this week with a little more about the Lion Dance. Thanks go to our friends Jenny Ru and Jeff Kind in Palos Verdes Estates for including us in this fabulous event, and kudos to the lion performers who danced through the crowd, negotiating stairs, party guests, doorways, and furniture while operating the lion's head, eyes, jaw, and limbs from inside the full two-man costume.

History of the lion dance: The story goes that once upon a time a monk had a dream in which there were many sorrows and evils plaguing the land. The monk prayed and asked the gods how he could prevent these evils from occurring. The gods told him that a lion would protect them and fight back the evils. The Chinese people had never see a lion before, but had heard stories that the lion was the king of all the other animals, so the monk combined all the lucky or magical animals he could think of and so made a lion.

If you look closely at any lion, you can see a red sash tied on its horn. It is told that the lion was disrespectful to the Jade Emperor. This of course caused the Jade Emperor to get very angry, so as a punishment he chopped off his horn (The source of his life) and the lion died. The Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) felt bad for him so she tied his horn back on with a red sash with golden leaves and chanted to he lion and he came back to life. And there - with a nod to Wikipedia for helping us out with the historical details - you have it.

Related Post: Chinese New Year

--The Daily Fitchett, 2/26/11.

Peggy Zask Gallery



Peggy Zask Gallery in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA



Candid photo of three South Bay area guitarists at Saturday night's wine tasting and art auction at Peggy Zask Gallery, 2/26/11, in the Golden Cove Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. Pictured below, from left to right: South Bay School of Music guitarist Tim Wingate, guitarist Mark Fitchett, and Alva's Music owner Matt Lincir.

Tim Wingate, Mark Fitchett, Matt Lincir

--The Daily Fitchett, 3/4/11.

"Long Haul Man" Preview From Mark's New Album

The third track off of Mark's upcoming Working Man album is here!

Click to listen: Long Haul Man, by Mark Fitchett

--The Daily Fitchett, 3/3/11.

Mark Fitchett & The Cult of the Wrong Note

Mark Fitchett's classic 90's Cult of the Wrong Note rock/jazz/fusion album is slated to be re-issued and released with new artwork by Gabe Kreiswirth. The album shows The Cult of the Wrong Note's trademark tight rhythm section, virtuosic soloing, strong songwriting and orchestration. The entire album (all tracks) are available for preview on SoundCloud.  Featuring Mark Fitchett: Guitar, Rick Hollander:Bass, Chuck Messana: Drums, Craig Roth: Keyboards. Check The Daily Fitchett for announcements about when and where this classic re-issue will become available.

Listen to Mark Fitchett and The Cult of the Wrong Note on SoundCloud: Click Here

--The Daily Fitchett, 3/2/11.

Restricted: No One Under 30 Allowed

Adult Garage Band 101, adult rock camp, Peninsula School of Music.

Adult Garage Band 101 - students ages 30 and up from Peninsula School of Music, South Bay, and Long Beach School of Music in rehearsal for their gig at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. The band decided to call themselves "Midlife Crisis". 

Related Post: Midlife Crisis at Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific 

See full color band poster and upcoming performance details here.

--The Daily Fitchett, 3/1/11.

Kung Pao Chicken

Prep cooking for Szechuan Ma Po Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken

Emboldened by last week's success with Chinese cooking, I decided to try cooking two dishes at once - Szechuan Ma Po Tofu (with some tweaks) and Kung Pao Chicken. I needed Mark's help to stir fry the Kung Pao veggies while everything else was going on in order to not burn anything! Okay, so I'm not exactly a chef yet...

Here is my version of this original Kung Pao Chicken recipe which was submitted by Arlena on AllRecipes.com.

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks

1 whole yellow onion, coarsely chopped.
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 Cup slivered carrots
4 tablespoons white wine

Kung Pao Chicken, Szechuan Ma Po Tofu and Basmati

8 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
4 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
2 ounces hot chili paste
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
4 teaspoons brown sugar
6 green onions, chopped
3 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
8 ounces chopped peanuts

Directions:
To Make Marinade: Combine 2 Tablespoons wine, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons oil and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 2 Tablespoons wine, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons oil, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.

Heat chicken on high in a large skillet until meat is white, then reduce heat. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil and soy sauce in a wok on high. Stir in bell pepper, onion, and carrots and stir fry until slightly limp. Add green onions and bean sprouts and continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add in the chicken with marinade and sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Goes well with Riesling or beer.

吃个饱 !

...uhhh, hopefully that says "Bon appetit!" in Mandarin. If not, let me know.

--The Daily Fitchett, 2/28/11.

Chinese New Year

Related Post: Lion Dance

Disappointed that I didn't bring my video camera for this, but at least I had the camera. Here are my snapshots of the exciting lion dance at a Chinese New Year's Party, in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

The lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance in which two performers (the lion's "head" and "body") mimic a lion's movements in a vigorous, martial arts stylized dance.

There were lights in the eyes of these lions, the eyelids could be controlled in order to "blink", and jaws could be manipulated by the front dancer inside the lion.

The lion performers wowed everyone in the crowd, and the kids especially loved it.

Related Posts: Lion Dance

--The Daily Fitchett, 2/26/11.

The Story Behind "If It Ain't Broke"

Inspired by octogenarian couples who'd been together for over five decades, Canadian songwriter Mark Fitchett wrote If It Ain't Broke. Mark deeply admired his grandparents Joe and Dorothy, uncle Don and aunt Doreen, paternal grandparents Norton and Ann, great uncle Joe and aunt Tracy, and next door neighbors Howard and Francis. Here's the story behind the song:

"I just happened to be thinking about our neighbors Howard and Francis, who we used to see every day.  There were these little disagreements like she wanted the sawdust chips in the garden, and he didn't, but these were the little things that didn't matter.  Howard accepted his wife's wishes.  Everyone develops their own territory where they get to be "right", and the other person doesn't argue with that.  There are hundreds of unspoken agreements that develop between people over time.  The song is really about unconditional love and acceptance.

I don't really know if there are any quirks that my grandparents had, so I'm taking some artistic license in this song. The inspiration was more their attitude and togetherness after so many years. The message is: Get over these little things that bug you about the other person. Learn to live with it, don't get pissed off, and don't try to change the other person.

The song is not male or female oriented. The message is the same for either gender. Love the person for what they are, not for what you want them to be."

Related Article: "If It Ain't Broke" by Mark Fitchett

--The Daily Fitchett, 2/27/11.

"If It Ain't Broke" Preview From Mark's New Album

The second track off of Mark's upcoming Working Man album is here!

Click to listen: If It Ain't Broke, by Mark Fitchett

Mark Fitchett at the Palos Verdes Music Festival

If It Ain't Broke by Mark Fitchett

He leaves his socks
On the living room floor

Leaves the seat down
Every night he snores

She talks way too much
Or so he says

Makes them late
Every time they go someplace

Sometimes they will argue
Sometimes they will fight

But they always seem to
Somehow end up making things right

They’ve learned how to laugh
And love through it all

Admit when you’re wrong
And if you’re not
Apologize anyhow

And they say
If it ain’t broke
Why try to fix it now?

She might get on him
A little too much

Probably he don’t listen enough

But when push comes to shove
Before they say good night

They let it all go
Before they turn out the light

Sometimes she’s no angel
And he ain’t no saint

Sometimes love is perfect
And sometimes it ain’t

They’ve learned how to laugh
And love through it all

Admit when you’re wrong
And if you’re not, apologize anyhow

And they say
If it ain’t broke
Why try to fix it now?

They’ve both been together for so long now

You know things ain’t about to change

And when you ask them how they’ve managed to

Stay together for so long they’ll say

Learn how to laugh
And love through it all

Admit when you’re wrong
And if you’re not, apologize anyhow

If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it now?

If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it now?

If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it now?

If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it now?

Related Article:  Read The Story Behind "If It Ain't Broke" here.

--The Daily Fitchett, 2/26/11.

It Feels Like Pitch Black

Video excerpts of the 2010 dance performance It Feels Like Pitch Black, and documentary Sweet Spot: A Meeting of Two Worlds, with original modern dance music composed by Mark Fitchett, featuring The Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and the Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble. Both It Feels Like Pitch Black and the accompanying documentary Sweet Spot: A Meeting of Two Worlds were executive produced by Eric Linthorst and Jennie Linthorst, with support from the Chapman Foundation. Watch Video...

Photo: Regina Klenjoski Dance Company Rehearsal

--The Daily Fitchett.

Igloo

Hikers Discover Igloo in Lower Yosemite. The Daily Fitchett.

While hiking in Lower Yosemite, we happened upon this igloo that someone had built.  While we were goofing around in the igloo, another hiker who had witnessed its construction came up and told us a family of three - mom, dad, and son - had built it in less than two hours. This particular igloo was tall enough at the center that a short person like me can fully stand up, and it is relatively warm in there (i.e. 32 degrees Fahrenheit inside as opposed to 12 degrees - and dropping fast - outside).

Related Posts: Half Dome Roadside Snapshot




--The Daily Fitchett, November 23, 2010.

7th Annual Temecula Wine & Music Festival

Temecula Wine & Music Festival.

This year the 7th Annual Temecula Wine and Music Festival will welcome Grammy Award winning artists David Pack, Patrice Rushen, and Freddie Ravel; Jazz pianist Gregg Karukas, singer Kevyn Lettau, singer Lynne Fiddmont, drummer Harvey Mason, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., trumpeter Greg Adams, saxophonist Everette Harp, southern California's hot old school R&B/smooth latin jazz band DW3, Japanese saxophonist Kanzaki, and saxophonist Michael Paulo.

--The Daily Fitchett

"When" Preview from Mark's New Album

Click to Listen: When (Bury Me Lonely In My Grave)

"When (Bury Me Lonely)" off of Mark Fitchett's new "Working Man" album

When (Bury Me Lonely In My Grave) by Mark Fitchett

When does the heartache end,

And all the pieces fit back together again

When does it change, will it ever go away

Or will they bury me lonely in my grave?

Love comes so easily

Wraps you in a blanket of

Everything's perfect even when it's not

And when your seeing eye dog is blind

And the red light doesn't change

You never see that broken heart speed towards you

As you step in its way

When does the heartache end,

And all the pieces fit back together again

When does it change, will it ever go away

Or will they bury me lonely in my grave?

There's a someone, out there for everyone

At least that's the story I've heard

So many times don't want to hear it again

And when your train runs out of track

And you're not even half way home

That's when you realize you’ve got to make it on your own

When does the heartache end,

And all the pieces fit back together again

When does it change, will it ever go away

Or will they bury me lonely in my grave?

--The Daily Fitchett, 2/21/11

Szechuan Ma Po Tofu

Continuing on with my (almost) daily cooking, I discovered this great tasting, easy-to-make dish based on a recipe originally posted by Linjo on AllRecipes.com.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey
2 T cooking sherry
1 tsp cornstarch or Wondra

1/8 C black beans, mashed
1/2 T chili paste with garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 T soy sauce
3 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 package tofu (14 oz), drained and cubed
Dash sesame oil
1 C frozen green peas
1/2 C chicken broth
1 T cornstarch or Wondra
1 sprig green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix ground turkey, sherry and Wondra. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine mashed black beans, chili paste, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
3. In a Pyrex cup, combine chicken broth and Wondra.
4. In a large skillet on medium high heat, brown the ground turkey mixture.  Meanwhile, in another large skillet on medium heat, simmer the tofu in 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil.  
5. When the tofu has absorbed most of the soy sauce, pour the tofu in with the turkey, and add in the black bean mixture, peas, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. 

--The Daily Fitchett

"Mom's" Lasagna

Usually Mark and I clash in the kitchen (he claims I'm "too slow"), but this time we teamed up.  The result is: Lasagna!

This dish is easy to make, and tastes great - full of flavor, well balanced, good texture, and substantial - not too meaty, not too cheesy, not too watery, and not too dry. The key ingredients indicated by a (!) give our version of this dish its taste and texture, and the real secret is don't be stingy with the organic parsley. * Time saver option: Replace the starred items with a jar of spaghetti sauce that contains basically the same thing.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey (!)
2 tsp. crushed garlic (!)
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz) *
1 can tomato paste (6 oz) *
1 tsp. dried oregano *
fresh ground pepper to taste
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
organic parsley (!)

(!) Key ingredients

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, cook turkey over medium high heat until meat is no longer pink.  Stir in spaghetti sauce, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix ricotta cheese, crushed garlic, and minced organic parsley.
3. Ladle one third of the meat sauce mixture into a large Corning ware baking dish.  Then layer as follows:  Noodles,  ricotta cheese mixture, shredded mozzarella, meat sauce, grated parmesan. Repeat layers twice. Towards the top layers, substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta cheese mixture.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approximately 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Serves 6-8. The wine pictured here is a 2008 Trader Joe's "Grand Reserve" Meritage from Napa Valley.

Buon appetito!

--The Daily Fitchett

Fennel Salmon

Mark Fitchett's fennel salmon with parmesan asparagus

I came home and Mark had fried up his own version of a lightly breaded fennel salmon with roasted Parmesan asparagus and new potatoes. Yum!

Ingredients:
1/4 C. Cornstarch or Wondra
3 T. Olive Oil
1 lb. Salmon filets
1 bunch asparagus
8 new potatoes
1/4 C. chopped onion
1/4 bunch spinach leaves
1/2 C. grated parmesan

Serves 2. The wine pictured here is 2009 California Red Wine Menage a Trois (a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) - not necessarily a "correct" pairing for a salmon dish, but we like it anyway.

--The Daily Fitchett