Ireland 2022 Popes and Prime Ministers

 

In June of 2022 my family and I spent an amazing vacation in Ireland. The first few days made me realize how truly blessed we are. My grandfather Michael Condon left for the United States in 1900 and never looked back. Both of my maternal grandparents died in Brooklyn separately, tragically and very young. I never knew them. My mother was the youngest of seven and never remembered her father.  Except for the five sisters, my aunts, we had very little contact with my mother’s side of the family. I have always felt that in order for me to truly know myself I needed to understand where I came from. Through Ancestry DNA I was united with cousins that I never knew I had. We exchanged emails and made plans to meet.

We landed in Dublin and on day two took a train to Waterford. My cousin Jennifer “collected” us at the rail station. It had been 120 years since both sides of my family had been together. I cried like a small child. Jennifer, and her mom Mary 80 took us on a morning tour of several cathedrals and museums. Mary was like a Nascar Driver on the rural Irish roads.  We visited the final port that the Titanic left from in Ireland before sinking. In the afternoon we met my cousin Patrick. Pat was the former mayor of Waterford and a councilman for many years. He also worked for the Farm Bureau for many years. Pat was intimately familiar with the farms and graveyards of the family.

Patrick said to me “Are you sure you are Michael Condon’s grandson?”

“Yes sir, I am sure.” I replied.

 Pat took us on a whirlwind trip to several cemeteries where my folks were buried. Certain areas were marked with flags where Pat had someone tag the correct graves. We went to multiple properties and farms that were in my family for hundreds of years.

At my great grandmother’s birthplace, we saw a butter churn. Pat said “Your great grandmother might have used this churn as a child! “. We visited the 80-acre farm where my grandfather was born. Michael was one of fourteen. On this property was a stone pillar with an iron gate. That separated grazing fields from other fields. Cousin Jennifer says “Your grandfather as a child opened and closed this gate dozens of times while working and playing on this farm.

There is a Woleftones song called “The Streets of New York” The ballad tells the tale of a young Irish Emigrant who leaves the farm behind at eighteen and adventures off to New York City. The uncle he planned to meet was a New York City Policeman and was fatally shot on duty a few days before he arrived. He stays on and “learns about lifting the load”. When the man’s father passes, he goes home to the “green grass and the rivers”. He sells the farmyard and “into his bag stuck a handful of earth”. He used the soil as a reminder of where he came from. This song is my father-in-law’s personal theme song. He was NYPD for 25 years.

My wife Victoria had an empty chip bag and she filled it with loose earth from John Condon’s farm She has since made dozens of small bell jars of Irish soil labeled “A handful of earth”.  Victoria distributed a jar to our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She created a commemoration of the Irish soil that once supported our families.

  

We visit a church graveyard in Knockmeal where my great grandfather is buried. We meet a man named Pat Melody. The story goes that my great uncle Edmund (Ned) Condon, whose wife had recently passed away came to stay with the Melodys for a few days back in the 70s. 14 years later Great Uncle Ned dies in the room upstairs. Pat Melody had some family papers in a manila envelope. Birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates. He then takes out a picture of my American cousin Monsignor John Condon with Pope John Paul. I had not seen that picture in 40 years. Father John as we called him, married both of my sisters and presided over my mother’s funeral. Almost 3500 miles from home, with relatives I did not know I had, we meet a man who we never met before, at the site of my great grandfather’s grave. This man hands me a piece of intimate family history I thought was forever lost. Very emotional to say the least. Tuesday evening, we went to the pub in Dungarvan where I met dozens of cousins. Cousin Pat says “What are your plans for tomorrow? We are going on a bus trip to the Capital for a tour of the Dail (kind of like Irish Congress). Would you like to go?”  Heck yeah! We needed to get back to Dublin, and this seemed like true kismet.

 The following morning, we board a bus and head off to Dublin. We meet Senators, lobbyists, and the Irish Minister of Defense. We observe a few legislative sessions. We are treated to a wonderful lunch and meet some remarkable gracious people. We are preparing to leave ready to go back to the airport to pick up our rental when Cousin Pat says” No Cuz you have to wait, the big boss is here!” We then meet Leo Varadkar, the newly elected Taoiseach. Irish for Chieftain of all Clans. The Prime Minister of Ireland. It’s only day three!

 

Big Bad Boris - A Supposed Grumpy Guy

 

I lost a buddy today. Nobody really liked him, but I did. Boris was an African Euro-Mastics. A Spiny Tailed Lizard. Boris came to us in Summer of 2022. He was a classroom rescue. Everyone was leaving for summer vacation 2022 A science teacher had been let go. He had a few lizards remaining in the Bio Lab. The school security was going to take them to a shelter where they most likely would be euthanized. “Hey Mrs. Smith do you want these lizards? “ the Security guard asked of my wife  “ My wife replied, sure how many do you have ? There were three. We became reptile foster parents right quick.  Boris was an African Euro-Mastics. He was a fatboy. There was a gecko that was impacted and was not expected to make it, and didn’t. There was Butters, a bright yellow leopard Gecko with an enormous tail. Fatter than it was long. Butters is currently living the best life.

Boris the spiny tailed lizard did not like being handled. The protection for these guys is their tail. The tail is almost prehistoric. It is boney and covered with spikes, and when  they swing it  can break the skin, or injure a predator. No one wanted to get whacked myself included, so handling of Boris was limited to cleaning. His coloring was extraordinary. He had hints of orange and sometimes turquoise. But he was a grumpy guy.  

But then I took him to the vet. The Doctor picked him up and flipped him around like a hackey sack. He got a clean bill of health and we went home. From then on Mr grumpy hammer tail loved being handled. He was my therapy lizard. We believe Boris was 20 years old. He had been particularly  quiet that morning, chilling in his hide. I lifted the rock and there he was not looking much different when he was alive. We said a few words and Chris gave him a nice shady spot in the yard under a big oak. The moral of the story is: Don’t give up on  a grumpy guy you may be missing out on a boney buddy. R.I.P. Boris.

Please dont forget to follow and share the blog with all your  people. 

 

Eppy Rolls - A tribute to a delicious hand-held treat

" The EL" Cresent Street Station on the J line.

There were several great pizza parlors in the old neighborhood. The old neighborhood was Cypress Hills in Brooklyn also known as East New York. Ernesto Pizza on Hemlock Street and Ridgewood Ave. There were a few great stores on Fulton Street. Jacks was on Fulton off Pine Street and a hungry sixth grader could get his fill for a buck.Jacks was under the El. Jacks was a typical joint, counter in the front with the double decker Bakers Pride Pizza Ovens. Jacks had about 12 tables in the back. Blessed Sacrament was around the corner. That meant that Jacks was a five-minute walk from the school. Two slices of cheese and a small soda was 80 cents. That left 20 cents change from the dollar I got for lunch money. A small chocolate Italian ice was an awesome treat for those last 20 pennies. The short walk to Jacks and the fact that pizza could be served and devoured quickly left more time for pre-adolescent mischief. Some of those Catholic schoolboy escapades may be discussed in a future post. Picture courtesy of the East New York Project.

Further east on Fulton Street between Hemlock and Autum was another awesome pizza place. The name escapes me at the moment. Maybe Joes, maybe Mikes, I am not 100 % sure. What set this pizzeria apart from the rest was their Sicilian, a crusty, doughy, square which I deemed the best in the neighborhood. The pie man was a big gruff dude with a 1970’s porn star mustache. He would berate me when I ordered a “corner piece of pizza”. “It’s a slice!” He would demand. I enjoyed pissing him off, so I continued that annoyance into my teenage years. But this story is not about Sicilian pizza, it’s not even about pizza at all. This posting is about a tasty treat not very well known and made at some establishments but not all. It is about the Eppy (Eppie) Roll.

The Eppy Roll was some yeasty pizza dough wrapped around Italian Sausage with peppers, onions and of course mozzarella cheese. The ends were usually open, and the well-done crusty sausage stuck out of both sides. There are several rumors about how Eppy Roll got its name. Some say it was short for pepperoni. You know those folks, the illiterate ones. I read that some old school Italian Restaurants in Buffalo take credit for its innovation. Others remark that it was the economical nature of the handheld that attracted the flower generation of the 1970s. Specifically the Hippies, yes, some places even called it a Hippie Roll. For about a buck you could get sweet or hot. This place. JoeMikes’s did not sauce the roll itself but served the marinara on the side. That was my preference. I also remember spinach and even chicken fillings but my “go to” was always the sausage. Longing for some nostalgia I decided to try my hand at the re-creation of these savory little pouches of my youth. I set out to our local butcher A-Z Meats on Route 1 in Stafford. A few pounds of Zacks zesty awesome house-made sausage and I was on my way!

The dough recipe I will share another time. I used Caputo’s double zero flour and yeast. I made some extra to stash away in the freezer for pizza night. I like to brown the sausages on the outside, but I leave them a little rarer in the middle to allow the wonderful porky fat and spices to leech onto the bread as it bakes. Not everyone will condone my next step. I allow the sausages to cool off and I slice them long ways. I spread out the rectangles of well risen dough. I add the sliced sausage, top it off with an array of colorful sauteed pepper and onions and add some cheese. (Polly-O of course) I am of the opinion that slicing the sausages adds a little something to the mouth feel without totally compromising the “snap” of the natural casing.

I baked the rolls at 405 for about 22 minutes, on the middle rack. I finished them with a quick egg wash, some shredded Locatelli Romano and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. I made these dudes a bit more substantial then the OG Hot Pockets from the 70s. I also failed at the open ends on a few of these rolls. But they were delicious and each bite brough my back home to the Borough of Kings.

I had to put one away for my boy Kenny because he was away in some exotic place. Awesome memories and awesome tastes. Its what life is all about. TTFN from TFN.

Tito Mel's Filipino Food - Luther Gelen VA.

We had the opportunity to visit Tito Mel’s Filipino Food in Luther Glen. We traveled south on route 1 and found this awesome place less than a mile from the Spotsylvania line. We barely got through the door before front man Justin welcomed us with a smile and a hearty hello. The place was bright and impeccably clean. We watched as a young man picked up his order at the counter. Justin says “ I feel like I have seen you a lot this week” Dude says” I have eaten here everyday this week!. I love this place” That states volumes for a food business. We were looking to take out some entrees and sides for Friday night dinner. We rattled off a pretty good order, trying to taste as many different dishes as possible. Lumpia Shanghai Chicken and Lumpia Gülay (veggie). Both appetizers were crispy with generous portions and seasoned perfectly. We ordered noodles, Pancit Bihon was delicious with a julienne of vegetable on top. Palabok, I believe, was the rice noodles with pork and shrimp, garnished with a hardboiled egg. Both dishes were outstanding! The Pork Dingtaw with bell peppers and oyster sauce had that awesome Unami mouth feel. The big winners here were the BBQ Skewers, and the Empanadas. As a matter of fact, I don’t think the empanadas were even on the printed menu. But they were there, calling us from the steam table. I believe the dough was corn (masa?) based and had an almost sweet crunch. The empanadas were closer to calzone size than your average empanada. We ordered a couple of other chicken dishes including coconut curry chicken. All outstanding! This was obviously a family business which can often be a challenge. Tito Mel’s, however, had everyone on the same page. Carla (Justins wife) was fun and bubbly and going at about 100 MPH. As customers would come in, if they did not have exactly what the customer wanted ready or what was ready was past its prime, they made fresh. I believe there were a couple of other folks in the kitchen. This family had a shared passion and respect for their food. When I used to teach high schoolers (prospective culinary students) I would ask “When a customer purchases food from you aside from money, what else does that person give you?” Hands would raise, answers would fly and some of the responses were pretty good. A compliment! A High Five! A really good tip! I would explain that yes all of those things are true. And the customer is also putting their trust in you. Trusting you to treat them and their food with respect. Tito Mel’s has it all! The passion. the respect, the fun! And we hope it continues for many years.

Tito Mels! Doing it right in so many ways! Be Smart-Be Fast- Be Funny! Be Well ! Dave

Anthony's on the Hill - Church Hill Richmond Va. Lost in the archives

I dug this out of a file. I never published it. Enjoy!

  

I am a pizza guy. I love pizza. I have had a deep rooted love affair with pizza since I was a small (but round) child. Cypress Hills was the Brooklyn neighborhood where I grew up and there were 6 pizza parlors. At Jack's Pizza on Fulton Street off Pine Street, you could get 2 slices and a small coke for 80 cents. That left 20 cents for an Italian ice or some zeppole. This made for an awesome lunch for a Catholic school kid in the 1970’s. Pizza is a comfort food for me. At Ernesto’s on Hemlock Street and Ridgewood Ave the Sicilian slice was doughy and moist. If you wanted a crispy crust you ordered a corner slice. If you wanted that thick doughy goodness you asked for a middle slice. I believe Ernesto's son was Masimo. 

That is where it all began, my love affair with pizza. At one point in eighth grade my mother Rita gave me $4.00 for a haircut. I took the money and did my own “taste test” of three of six Pizzerias. It was the search for the perfect Sicilian slice. I took my buddy Gaspar and we had a Sicilian and a small coke at three places and Ernesto’s won. Gaspar and I went back to his folks place and he cut my hair with sewing shears in an attempt to conceal the conspiracy. When I arrived back home at dark-thirty Rita did her usual inspection of my choppy haircut. Ragged and uneven it did not pass muster. I told mom that Leo the Barber was having a bad day. I said "Ma I think he was drinking." That did not fly, and Rita was not happy.

Fast forward to current day and thousands of pies and slices later I consider myself a good judge of good pizza. One weekday night (in 2016] we took a ride to Richmond to check out Anthony’s on the Hill. Anthony’s on the Hill is a fantastic neighborhood place in the Church Hill section of Richmond. Chris and Kathleen have become fast friends of Richmond since Chris has been attending VCU. Kathleen’s friend works at Anthony’s on the Hill for lunch. The family had been there before without me and I wanted to experience the place myself. There was a horrible accident of I-95 and we were stuck in traffic for an hour. Anthony’s was closing but they stayed open late for us. And I am glad they did.

I could talk about the ambiance, the charm, or the cool location on a neighborhood block in Church Hill surrounded by great historic multi-family homes. But this is about the pizza.

We ordered three large pies and HSBCP ordered a large Greek Salad, which was huge, appealing and enough for everyone to have a taste.

• “Three Meat” – Sausage, Pepperoni & razor thin slices of Prosciutto. The Prosciutto curled up from the extreme heat of the oven and became crisp and awesomely delicious. The oils from the sausage and pepperoni added that meaty goodness to the cheese and dough as it cooked.

• “The Greek” – Kalamata Olives- Feta-Pepperoncini - Red Onion and Mozzarella. Awesome combination! I love Feta and this pie had plenty of it. The olives added a salty earthy flavor while the red onion in contrast provided some sweetness. The pepperoncini offered a great finish flavor with a little spice.

• “Anthonys’ Special” – Fresh Tomato-Black Olives-Capers and Fresh Basil. Truly a Special Pie! A classic Margherita with a twist. The addition of black olives and capers offered a mouth feel that was savory and salty in relation to the sweet sauce. A chiffonade of fresh Basil closed the deal.

The sauce is house made and you can tell the love and experience that goes into making it. Sweet and flavorful, the component of the marinara brought this pizza to the next level.

The super star of this place however is the dough. Freshly prepared daily, the dough is obviously a labor of love for Michael the owner. I watched as he hand tossed the dough and created these memorable pies and checked their doneness throughout the cooking process. He rotated and checked the bottom of each pie and moved them around in the oven to verify the crust was just right. As I observed I realized Michael was a true “Pie Whisperer”. His intense scrutiny made me believe that Michael made each pie a personal statement whether it was the first pie of the day, or in our case the last pie of the night. Our pizza came to the table baked to perfection with random caramelized bubbles of dough and cheese formed from the hot spots in the oven. The yeasty flavor and crispness reminded me of New Haven Style pizza but with a heartier slightly thicker crust. Michael and I spoke briefly and he mentioned his family was from New York. I thought to myself “aren’t all great pie men from New York?”

It was a great night! And I got to watch a true passionate professional at work.

When in Richmond take some time and make your way the Anthony’s on the Hill. You will be happy you did!

Unfortunatley this place has closed. He has whipered off into a well deserved retirement.

Happy Mothers Day 2024

Quite appropriate for the first new post in more than 10 years is published on and about Mother’s Day. I have written several good notes about MD over the years. This past year we found out that our good friend and former neighbor Marilyn had passed in California. When we moved to Virginia, we met Marilyn and Jim Whalen. We became fast friends and kind of adopted each other. Jim sponsored me in the Lions Club, and Marilyn we she was awesome! Jim passed; Marilyn moved away. She went to live near her daughter in California. Specifically, Pasadena. Yup at that point Marilyn became a little old lady from Pasadena- We did visit once, and she was living in a sweet little cottage across from her family. She had a chubby orange cat and dozens of plants and flowers. –Marilyn Happy Mother’s Day!

Today I was thinking a lot about my Mom. It happens every year of course. It has been 36 years now since she moved on. I commented to my kids today that she would have loved them so much. Rita Elizabeth Smith (mommy)- 5 children and seven grandkids. We lost mommy too early. So much life was still available after her time had passed. Rita did not have an easy life. Strewn with tragedy and loss, I know that she finally found her peace. I know she did. Mommy – Happy Mother’s Day! We miss you! We love you!

My Mother-in Law Vicky. I call her mom. Strong, self-sufficient, and smart. In her younger days mom drove a bus. She also worked at Southbury Training School for many years. Tough job! But a good job! Handling and working with developmentally and sometime physically challenged adults. Boy, does she have some stories. Victoria – 4 children 11 Grands Happy Mother’s Day Mom! My baby sister Dorothy. (SIL) Fun, Funky Cool as Heck! A nurse and caretaker for the majority of the elderly and infirm in Southbury CT. We were fortunate to have Dot join us on many of our trips. Not a great deal of people know this but Dorothy has an awesome travel survival plan. When she goes away she is always brings enough Feta Cheese for everyone. You can never have too much cheese! Dot and Donny packed off their youngest, David to the USMC a couple of years ago. My Godson, the youngest looks after the farm.(Dylan) I don’t think Dot gets all of the thanks and praise she deserves. Today I say to you.I Love you my baby sister. You are doing a great job! Thank you for all you do! Dorothy – 2 Children Happy Mother’s Day Dorothy!

My daughter-in-law Mellisa. The person responsible for 2 of my favorite people in the world! Clare Dakota and Liam Walter. Hard working, tough, smart and a great mom! I see Melissa so often in Clare, when she does or says some things. A mannerism, a roll of the eyes, walking away shaking her finger in the air like she is scolding the world. And I say “OMG you get that from your Mom! I am so very proud of Mellissa. She will do well in all she sets her mind to. She is an outstanding mom, and my favorite DIL! Melissa- if you read this …. Listen carefully and hear the whisper. That is Virginia calling to you! We love you! Melissa – 2 Children Happy Mother’s Day

My wife, Victoria (BCP). The reason I am still on this earth. Funny, caring, truly a faithful person in all senses of the word. My wife is deeply passionate about her kids and grandkids. She loves family and family stuff. But Victoria has also dedicated her non-family life to kids. OPK- Other Peoples Kids. In Special Education and now Special Education Administration. That must be the mother in her. She is my hero and my heart and soul. I am truly blessed for you to be mother to my children. Vicky – 3 Children 2 Grandkids A Very Happy Mother’s Day *Note- The CCOTC (The Children of the Corn) Went shopping after church and picked up some large chunks of bovine and small crustaceans and created a delicious Surf and Turf for their Momma. see above

Happy Mothers Day to all of the awesome loving Moms out there.

                 

Hello! And Peace!

 My sincerest apologies for the ridiculous sabbatical. I would love to communicate a valid reason to have lost track of what is important due to some other stuff that may be considered more important. You know - something romantic like Federal Prison. Perhaps receiving a government grant to study the husbandry of an endangered Tibetan Yak Species. I could be like - “Hey! Sorry I haven’t written; I have been living in a yurt with a dude named Namgyal”. Nothing like that. Just working, loving my family, cooking for the people, traveling, eating well and trying to be grateful for everything we have. There is much to tell. 

To the followers- Thanks and please share my blog with those whom you think may enjoy it. There is never a better time to share then the present. If I strike a chord and you wanna say something, please add a comment. Today was an awesome day and I felt the need to post this PSA before the sun came up. Oh and eat a little crow.

Cause the larger ones are pretty tough. So please stay tuned.  

0402 Dave