Storytelling Recipes

or use any left-over vegetables. Add as much as you like as long as it all fits in the pan.

In a 5 quart soup pot, cover chicken breast, 2 pieces each of carrot and celery with water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 5 minutes. Turn heat off and allow chicken to sit (poach) in the covered pot while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Divide ground turkey into tiny, marble size meatballs, place meatballs with remaining two pieces each of carrot and celery in a small cooking pot to which the chicken bouillon cube has been added, cover meatballs with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. When meatballs are done, remove from heat and discard vegetables and liquid - Cook ditalini macaroni according to directions, rinse in cold water - set aside. Remove poached chicken from pot - discard vegetables and reserve chicken broth - cut chicken into strips. Place meatballs, sliced chicken, parsley, pepper and canned broth into original soup pot with reserved cooked chicken broth Bring to a boil and simmer for about 4-10 minutes. Add cooked macaroni and heat for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with grated parmesan cheese and dried red pepper flakes to taste. Delicious served with crunchy garlic or corn bread Mangia

Pilfered Orange Cranberry Scones© Medford Transcript 02/01

How many times have you lolled about in waiting rooms, rummaging through magazines and have come upon a recipe that you just had to have? "I'll just go straight up and ask the receptionist to make a copy for me," is my first inkling. I tried that a couple of times and it would be impossible to describe the look of dismay and absolute amazement that was forthcoming. "You want me to stop what I'm doing in this big and important job and copy a recipe for you... you just gotta be kidding," the receptionist's expression said. Once, a very busy front desk person whose elbow was leaning on the copy machine said, "no, we don't copy things for people. You'll have to buy the magazine somewhere." As I slinked away I thought, "why do they have these magazines all over the place if we can't utilize what's in 'em?" " I'll just sneak into the bathroom and rip the page out" was my next thought. Immediately I realized that if I walked out of the room towards the bathroom with the book in my hand, everyone would know what I was up to, so I sat and pondered my next step. Then, I muttered silently to myself, "Perhaps if I hide it behind another magazine, I can quietly tear one teeney weenie section at a time." I attempted that once, and to my ears, the sound was like a giant ocean wave, ripping, roaring, crashing and rebounding all around the small waiting room. Every head spun around, every eye looked at me accusingly. "We know what you're doing... tearing recipes out of waiting room magazines.." The look was in every eye and on every face. Lips curled up in derision, judgement and knowing smiles prevailed. Even little children sitting on their Mommy's laps said with their round little eyes, "We know what you're doing too! Naughty, naughty!"

3/4 cup dried orange flavored cranberries ( available at Trader Joe's)( or plain dried cranberries)

With fresh, garden tomatoes available from warmer climates during almost any season, I am reminded of a story and a phone call that I shared with former ABC television's Good Morning America's weather forecaster, Spencer Christian. This lovable "punster" is quick to say he is not a meteorologist and that he got his big break by accident. After working as a news reporter for a year and a half at a Richmond, Virginia TV station, the general manager asked him to fill in just for the two weeks, since the regular forecaster was unavailable. The audience liked him so well that the station's ratings rose significantly during those weeks. When the regular person didn't come back, he was offered the position full time. He was reluctant to accept because he felt that his calling was as a swanky journalist, not a weatherperson. But a nifty increase in pay convinced him to give it a shot. And there you are... all things happen for a good reasons. He could be wasting away behind a desk writing unfathomable mysteries or running after stories in the rain, snow and bitter cold, and we would never get to appreciate his outstanding humor and gentle manner. This multi-talented man hosts a weekly program, "Spencer Christian's Wine Cellar," for Home & Garden Television Network. As a connoisseur of wines he has amassed a collection of over 1,000 bottles since 1977. The oldest bottles in his cellar date back to the turn of the century. He has written several entertaining books about weather, Geography and most recently a series of wonderful children's books under the general heading: "Spencer Christian's World of Wonders." Two books are titled, "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Can it Really Rain Frogs?" In addition, he can cook! which brings us back to why I called him in the first place. A year or so ago, on the Good Morning America show, Spencer demonstrated his cooking talents by preparing Lentil Pasta Sauce, made with fresh tomatoes and basil, and I have been preparing this quick and nourishing dish ever since. I wanted to adjust the recipe using canned tomatoes and dried herbs. Looking forward to presenting it on my "Food For Thought" local Cable TV show, I decided to call Spencer's office in New York to see if anyone could help. After two days, and many phone calls from my home, leaving messages on voice mail or being transferred, and given several different phone numbers in New York. I finally reached Spencer's Assistant, Amanda Denny, while I was at work, using the company phone, during business hours. Explaining my plight of canned versus fresh tomatoes to Amanda in whispered tones, and mentally counting up the quarters for repayment of the long distant call, I was amazed when she said, pleasantly, "Would you like to talk to Spencer, personally? He's right here! " "Ummm, ahhh, " I gurgled. I was struck almost silent, I forgot what I was calling about. I wasn't prepared to talk to himself! I just needed to ask a few questions about tomatoes, for heaven's sake. I didn't want to bother the man. She must have thought my garbled response to mean, "sure, OK, of course." Next, I heard the familiar voice of Spencer Christian, saying, "Hi Peggy, I've been trying to reach you." It turns out that Spencer was leaving messages on my home answering machine while I was dialing all those numbers from work. Talk about strangers passing in the night..... Once I stopped the nervous babble, we had a delightful conversation about some of his worst "puns." I mentioned that I saved some of his most "groan" inspiring jokes for friends I wanted not to impress. He laughed heartily and said it was the first time he had every heard of someone actually repeating his stories. He sounded comfortable and not rushed in any way. I could almost see his feet resting up on a desk. After many pleasantries, I forgot I was in work, and felt at ease. I even made suggestions and additions to his recipe. We finally got around to the reason for my call and Spencer was trying to explain "chopped" canned tomatoes and I wasn't sure if he meant kitchen ready or stewed (stewed contain bits of vegetables.) As we pondered these differences, every phone in my office rang at once and my boss appeared in the doorway, waving an important document. Calm, collected Spencer simply said, "Do you need to get the phone?" Jolted out of my conversational reverie, and flung into immediate panic, I said, "hold on please," and watched, my brain in slow motion, as my hand took on a life of it's own, and hung up the phone in Spencer Christian's ear. Not one finger went near a hold button. I had zipped into the twilight zone, and all I could do was put my head on the desk and mutter, "I can't believe I hung up on Spencer Christian." Needless to say, the tomato adjustment issue never got resolved, it got way too busy at work and I was too embarrassed to call him back during that day anyway. So, I called Amanda in the dead of night, when I knew everyone would be gone home, and left an apologetic message on her voice mail. Below, you see Chef Nostalgia's version of "Spencer Christian's Lentil Pasta Sauce." Spencer Christian may have a conniption fit over this total disregard for his original recipe, but perhaps the fact that it still contains lentils may be my saving grace.