Culinary Passion

One of my 'new' writing pass times for the past year is Food Poetry. I an featured on Crop To Cuisine radio program out of Boulder Colorado. Last poem they featured along with a show about Fair Trade and Organic Coffee was my poem 'Barrista'. One day I will do a chapbook of my food poems.

Often it is from passion inspiration, an instantaneous moment of taste bud delight that I write something of this nature. If I ponder too much, the words just take too long to come and I am fickle. My father said it, and he was right.

Well taking a day off from being a tourista, I set my sights on room service, and writing. Of course when I let the urge to order something not planned, but with, and always a quest to find something out- I asked room service if the kitchen could share a secret...here is what happened!

PS- I will post the photo I took in a few days...to see if I conquered poetically...turns out I will be on the road the next few days, so I am adding the photo now...

Bravas!

One by one
five finger slaves take hold

prehistoric- Iberian statuesque mound
Within the eyesight of Toledo hillside

subtle orange-red sky line
blankets history marries cocina-archy

Holy grails, piquant lava spill
stain, sting the soul as it goes down

Archeological finds have been greater
Culinary discovery in due course worth more

than geological religion
10,000 years of cultivated existence co-exist

In common russet shaped craft
traveling shore to shore today

Ceasar Pollo at my side
Porcelain fortresses had no chance

- Chef E

Funny Travel Stories

I have so many funny stories to tell about my son and our travels to Spain, but I have no idea where to start. Over all we have had a great time. My son had to leave before us to go back to work, and school. I missed him the minute he kissed me goodbye.

He had a great time. His Spanish was perfect, and he learned even more. You could tell by the expressions, and the way he spoke about things- he has the travel bug, just as I did at his age. I was in France, Germany, Denmark, Amsterdam for three months when I was 24. Just before I got pregnant with his sister. Going to another country changes your whole perspective on life, along with all the other aspects that roll your way.

You can also tell the others out there who have traveled, or lived in other countries, and are great to talk with. I know not everyone can travel, and that I have been fortunate in my work and relationship to have this luxury, so I am grateful to experience it. I want this for my son, as he has said he and his new sweetie want to live in Korea for a year, and then south America.

What a great way to see the world as teachers, and I am happy for them both!

Here he is playing on the jungle gym outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain. Instantly he was drawn, as if the child I think of when I miss him reverted back. Like when I head for the swing in a playground. I wanted to just let him continue, but we had dinner reservations. At times our kids even as adults can drive us crazy, but its the times when they make us laugh, or laugh with us that are what help keep me going.

Aaron, the curtain rod fell off the wall of the hotel after you left. I heard the whole room shake when the neighbor shut their balcony door. I imagine this hotel may just fall into the wine caves if they do not figure things out...or is floor Tre just simply cursed now...

Madrid & Meeting a Blog eMi

What a beautiful person eMi is. I hope we can meet again and speak longer. We spoke of our friend Dash Daringer, about life in her beautiful city and ate at Estrada Pura, she recommended, and was a great experience.











We also met Julio Aguirre, a musician playing outside the Museum Prada; it was hard to pull away from his wonderful playing!

I am getting lots of walking in, so I hope to be up to speed with losing weight, and am eating moderately to light on this trip. Will update more later...

Revision I

After thinking on it a few days, and some suggestions from Jessie Carty's poet suitor, I made a few changes. Hopefully not chopping off too much of this soon to be duet between me and Pasquale Varallo, whose wife died ten days before my daughter did. We discussed this one day at the beach. How we both felt the day watching September 11th take place. I will share his, which will be Twin II. in my book to be published soon- 365DaysXTen.

Twin I.

September 11th, 2001 I sat and watched
as one by one twin towers

were hit by planes
people jumping from windows

still numb from my own explosion
a world no longer spinning- I wanted to jump

Looking at the screen, staring, and thinking
how sad life had gotten; how a tiny heart

held me hostage for so long
the terror of not knowing- certainty unbound

Fourteen years earlier I sat in a similar chair
and watched a space shuttle blow up

holding my new baby- hoping their loved ones
would be okay as I celebrated new life

Love and pain can occupy the same time
space, but are never the same each time around

On to poetry!

On a last summer's eve, just before fall, the new September- I thought I heard Mother Earth's bones cracking. As I sat still, tuning in to the moment, what I thought was a tea kettles whistle, did it come to light. Squirrels scurrying about, making ready for winter, they dropped an acorn or two on my head. After three months lying about in the sun did she need to speak? I was ready to listen.

Her couturiers, the birds spoke in turn, I however became distracted by life in the far distance, and all went on. Children played. Traffic horned, as wheels grind the pavement on the highway to everyday-ville.

Soon the breeze brought with it peace- canceling out disturbance with harmony. While sisters of fate, cousin to misery encouraged mosquito's to remind me- my own home calls. I left peace of mind to sing out what once was. What can be?

I stood up in all her glory, and bowed. Then with a skip, I added my own rhythm to this joyous reunion. Along the way, crushing acorn caps, I sent out  my own message, "Be cool, and love with no resistance".

Week End Update

Yes, Doggybloggy is right, I am sure it was not that hard to google the info provided and find 'Happy Ending' Lounge in NYC.

We went, we conquered, we had groupies! LOL, Robert said the people who came up to me when we were done, were like groupies. To have people who obviously had college degrees in writing and MFA's come up and say they thought my work was fantastic, great performance, unexpected,  made me feel good. I did do the writing, but if it was not for Flora, Red Dashboard would not be the same.

I am working on the video, just uploaded LoiLoScope, because my camera has the fancy smancy HD mode, so my two other options for software are not suitable, which makes it too long for youtube. Argh! I have to learn new software, but will practice while on our trip to Spain. Any advise out there? On software.

Since there has been no time to post poetry, I am going to post a short piece for my friend Lisa. She is slipping fast- Pancreatic cancer has taken over. Her husband told me Friday we could come and perform for her today, but then text me last night- "she is not sleeping" he said, and I suspect the pain is taking over. The cancer has almost defeated her. Chemo, did no good. He told me he was calling friends and family, and plans were being made. DAMN to this. It is not fair. I can be angry, I have every right to be. Adrienne is right, we should remember her beauty as we last saw her. She knows we love her. Enough Said.

'Lisa'

I just hung up the phone. We made plans to see you. Maybe, for the last time. I already fell for you. As tears began to swell- Heaven opened up the gates; it began to rain.

I decided to quote what I had written on Friday, and to tell the audience to think of how short life can be...

NYC Here I come!

I am excited to share some new developments in my performing arts career.

Being in the food industry since I was fourteen because it came naturally, there was still this deep passion to write and perform. A way to say things that shy auburn freckle faced girl wanted to say, but...it took years of maturing to get it all out. I still work in the industry, and have some prospects for getting back into being a Personal Chef, but that only pays the bills...so,

People, I am letting it all hang out!

As a published Vox Poetica Poet, I was invited to perform some of my work as 'Red Dashboard' Saturday night in NYC, reads as follows-

Capers Literary Journal and Vox Poetica invite you to participate in, A Literary Evening...


"Editors Lisa Marie Basile and Annmarie Lockhart invite you to have some fancy martinis, listen to wonderful selected readers and participate in a short post-reading open-mic session".

7-9:30 PM (not exactly sure how it is going to roll, but Red Dashboard will be last)


After meeting with Pandora Scooter, yes that is her name. She (in photo above) is a well known Performance Arts Teacher, coach, Activist for the GLBT movement, and performs locally, has for ten years locally and in NYC. She came to my performance at WAMPP, and wanted to take me on as a student. Something I have always wanted to do, get a little theater one on one.

We are working on my range of performance, to get me from sounding monotone, which I hear it in my videos. She and I met this week, I had rehearsal Wednesday night, and Red Dashboard just performed last night at a lounge down south. Was really cool, because before we were RD, they heard Flora and I do a rendition of 'Silk Stockings' before Pandora challenged me to re-vamp it, beef it up, and add some depth to the execution. They got a choice of two different presentations, and picked the second...to come...

She also challenged me to think- not in words, but by how I feel she is experienced, and my thoughts on "What is she going to say to me as a coach thing"- and, "Who am I when I perform, E Stelling, or Chef E"? I thought maybe it is too confusing for people when they hear my friends and work associates call me this, but most have said over the past few days, as well as Pandora- Chef E is unique, so it is...it shall be...

One day until NYC, and I am very nervous, but I find once I am behind the mic, and the lights go low, things loosen up!

Oh, and if you want to come see me...email me and I will give you the location. I do not want any surprise visits from hecklers who will make me even more nervous. It takes time to perfect your work, and everyone has to start somewhere...