Showing posts with label Florence Paget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florence Paget. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2025
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Coulis: The Succulent Tomato Society Game Created by Ruth Paget
Coulis: The Succulent Tomato Society Game Created by Ruth Paget
A silky, tomato coulis sauce enhances the flavor of slices of fish terrine, salmon and spinach terrine, and vegetable terrine. A coulis is just one of the many preparations for tasty and nutritious tomatoes. Tomatoes contain significant amounts of Vitamin C and beta carotene that the body converts to Vitamin A. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidant lycopene that helps remove free radicals that may cause cancer from the body.
Game Objectives: In this game about tomatoes, you will learn about tomato varieties, tomato characteristics, professional vocabulary associated with tomatoes, and how to hold tomato tastings for fresh and canned varieties.
Number of Players: 1 or teams of 2 to 4
Tools Needed to Play the Game:
-Access to Google to obtain images and a color printer to print out tomato variety images
-pens
-notebook paper
-index cards
-large notebook-paper sized envelope to store game materials
-fresh tomatoes for tastings
-canned tomatoes for tastings
-The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes by Michele Anna Jordan: A New World Discovery and its Old World Impact with more than 150 recipes
Game 1: Tomato Varieties
Download photos of the following tomato varieties. For each one, paste the image on notebook paper and note the name on top of the page with a pen.
Tomato Varieties to Look Up:
1-Ruby Pearl
2-Broad Ripple Yellow
3-Sweet 100
4-Sun Gold
5-Green Grape
6-Pink Teardrop
7-Camp Joy
8-Yellow Peas
9-Snow White
10-Tiger Tom
11-Roma
12-San Marzano
13-Orange Roma
14-Yellow Plum
15-Rocky
16-Enchantment
17-Banana Legs
18-Early Girl
19-Stupice
20-Dona
21-San Francisco Fog
22-Valencia
23-Peach
24-Taxi
25-Great White
26-White Wonder
27-Green Zebra
28-Red Rose
29-Evergreen
30-Caro Rich
31-Brandywine
32-Marvel Stripe
33-Black Krim
34-Yellow Ruffle
Once you have photos pasted on sheets of notebook paper and the names written above the tomato, begin memorizing the names with the images. Memorize 5 tomato varieties with names at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Cover up the names with a piece of paper and quiz yourself on the names that go with all the images.
Game 2: Tomato Characteristics
Refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes to write down the characteristics of each tomato variety on the back of the image that goes with the tomato variety. Memorize the characteristics for 5 tomato varieties at a time to break down memorization into memorable pieces. Quiz yourself until you have all the characteristics noted.
Once you have noted characteristics for each tomato variety, you are ready to move on to best uses for each tomato variety.
Game 3: Tomato Best Uses
Refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes to write down the best uses for each tomato type on the back of each tomato variety image. Memorize the best uses 5 at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Quiz yourself on tomato variety uses until you know all of them.
Game 4: Tomato Vocabulary
Knowing what you are buying can help you recognize bargains and get the best value for your money. To find definitions for the following words, refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes.
The terms to look up include:
-ground (or crushed) tomatoes
-tomato sauce
-double-concentrated tomato paste in a tube
-canned tomatoes
-dried tomatoes
-all’amatriciana
-andalouse
-arrabiata
-aurorea
-bolognese
-choron
-concassé
-coulis
-double concentrated
-tomato paste
-dried-tomato bits
-dried-tomato purée
-dried tomatoes
-fondue
-ketchup
-marinara
-nantua
-portugaise
-puttanesca
-ragù
-salsa
-stewed tomatoes
-sun-dried tomatoes
-tomato paste
-tomato purée
-tomato sauce
Write the terms on the front of an index card with the definition on the back. Memorize 5 terms at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Quiz yourself until you know all the terms.
Game 5: Tomato Tastings
Go through the 150+ recipes in Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes and pick out 1 or 2 to try making and serve after a tomato tasting.
Refer to Jordan's book for tips on summer and year-round tasting set up.
Happy Gaming!
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Old Fisherman's Grotto in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget
The Old Fisherman’s Grotto by Ruth Pennington Paget
When my daughter Florence sang in musicals at the Bruce Ariss Theatre on the Monterey Wharf, we would stop the for bowls of clam chowder at the Old Fisherman’s Grotto sometimes before her rehearsals and performances.
They sold clam chowder that you could eat outside the restaurant and other things like sandwiches, candy, bottled water, and soda for families who came to visit the Monterey Wharf and look at seals, take whaling boat trips, and buy souvenirs. Even well-heeled families from San Francisco got food at Grotto’s outside stand. Most families chose items to eat from this outside café, because the items were reasonably priced.
The restaurants in downtown Monterey are “fancy.” You have to probably show that your kids have earned a certificate in etiquette at the American School of Protocol to eat in them anymore. The director for the musicals Florence was in went to the Grotto before shows for an early dinner. She was a former Broadway director and voice teacher, who obviously was well-versed in opera, too.
Once you had auditioned and gotten into a play, she rehearsed leads and chorus with equal rigor. While she rehearsed the chorus with piano accompaniment, I would work on my articles for the Global Librarian column I did for the Bay Area Chapter of the Special Libraries Association in San Francisco when I was getting my master’s degree in Library and Information Science at San Jose State University in California’s Silicon Valley.
Fortunately, I like musicals, so I did not mind listening to the songs from Sound of Music, H.M.S. Pinafore, and Give my Regards to Broadway as I was writing. Even though I was listening to this, I was able to write about intercultural role playing groups for training people to work with library customers from different cultural backgrounds, tips for learning foreign languages, the history of the Spanish language, tailoring websites for different cultures, tips on how to work with Chinese-American library customers, tips on interpretation, tips on how to organize and produce foreign-language marketing materials, and tips on how to work with Arab-American library customers (many Arab-Americans are Orthodox Christians with new immigrants being Muslim).
Each show Florence was in required four months of rehearsal (4 to 5 hours per night) and three months performance. We usually ate early dinner at home, and then I would drive Florence down to the Wharf. She got in costume, put on full make-up, and sold tickets to the shows all over downtown. They always had a full house. Florence sang lead songs for kids and took pictures with tourists.
She got some clam chowder paid for by me for doing all this. She also did make-up for the leads for dress rehearsals and performances. She memorized the entire play and assisted the stage manager on the other side of the stage in case actors forgot lines. Florence was a professional child actor with tons of acting and sales experience before she was eighteen years old.
One of the reasons she was accepted into the playwrighting program at Juilliard was her knowledge of all aspects of theatre, which included three semesters of college-level acting courses at Monterey Peninsula College.
This Christmas season, my little family went down to the Monterey Wharf for several dinners at the Old Fisherman’s Grotto – inside this time. There were harbor seals playing around and a large school of sardines swimming around.
We arrived early to get the locals menu. Florence reserved us window seats overlooking Pacific Grove on the upper level of the restaurant. The restaurant is always a little chilly, so Florence kept her Juilliard jacket on. I smiled at her and ordered a Bloody Mary cocktail to go with my chicken piccata, a standard pantry dish of chicken breast sautéed in olive oil with lemon juice and capers.
I could buy the clam chowder in cans as a souvenir.
The food is good, but I just liked listening to all the Frank Sinatra music in this Manhattan by Monterey Bay Restaurant crooning, “I did it my way.”
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
A Progressive's View of French Civilization by Ruth Paget
A Progressive’s Version of French Civilization by Ruth Paget
When Florence was a student at the Waldorf School in Monterey, I often took her to the outdoor labyrinth at the Community Church of Monterey in Carmel Valley to keep up her French heritage. This labyrinth is a miniature version of the labyrinth laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France during the 12th century.
Florence had rolled across this labyrinth in a baby stroller when we lived in France, but had not been back to walk it there. Children in France walk church labyrinths. They slow down their lives to not miss a turn. They are too busy concentrating to smile. Sometimes they scold one another for jumping a lane.
Chartres is not the only cathedral with a labyrinth. Amiens in northern France has a black and white labyrinth still in use. The cathedral in Poitiers, France has a wall labyrinth that people point out to children and trace out the path with their fingers after mass. There used to be many more labyrinths in France, but church authorities have removed them over the centuries.
In Chartres, the labyrinth persists, I believe, because its links to pagan Greek myth were eradicated. The original center of the labyrinth had a leather cover that depicted Theseus, the dead minotaur, and Ariadne’s thread.
The first time we went to the labyrinth I planned to show Florence why Chartres Cathedral was important to understanding the history of France. Florence was looking forward to a mom adventure. “This circle is like a game. You enter here facing the mountains. Then, you follow the path to the center. When you are in the center, you rest a bit and think, and then come back here,” I said.
Florence looked at the labyrinth and said, “This looks a little hard.”
“Just concentrate on what you are doing. When you get to the center, I’ll tell you a story,” I said. Florence went off walking. When she reached the center. She stood facing me.
I began my story. “In Chartres, the center of the labyrinth had a leather cover showing the Greek hero Theseus, the minotaur he killed, and Ariadne’s thread that allowed him to get out of the labyrinth. I’ll tell you another story when you get back.”
Florence laughed and wound the labyrinth and came out to stand by me, facing the mountains.
“What’s the second story,” Florence asked.
“Well, there are two things to remember here. First, killing a minotaur is like solving a big problem. Solving a problem makes you smarter, but it also disrupts a previous pattern. Being smarter helps you solve the consequences of solving the problem, too. The result is that when you exited this labyrinth, the Greeks would have said you are transformed or changed by becoming smarter,” I said.
“And…,” Florence said, waiting for my story thread. “Second, Ariadne’s thread saved Theseus from the consequences of killing the minotaur. The church put Ariadne’s thread there to say that belief in Christ serves the same purpose. The early church used an older religion to explain the new one. ” I said.
I took out a book I had on the stained glass windows of Chartres and showed Florence the eastern rose window with Christ at the last judgment.
“This window is what you see when you leave the labyrinth at Chartres. The people who do more good than bad go up to heaven with singing angels at the right. The people who do more bad than good go down to the left with monsters who dance in fire. This image usually appears in stone over the doors of churches in France from the Middle Ages,” I said.
“How big is this window?” Florence asked.
“I’ll give you an idea,” I said and stood opposite of her with the mountains to my back. I put my right arm up and my left arm down. “The rose window with Christ at the Last Judgment looks the size of those mountains behind when you look up from the labyrinth at Chartres,” I said.
“Do you have to be perfect to go to heaven?” Florence asked.
“The last perfect human was Christ, and he was crucified. You have to do more good than bad. According to Catholicism, we are born with original sin. No one is perfect, but we can strive to do right. The Catholic Church also has a tradition of warrior saints, who protect the faith and country. This is especially true in France where Joan of Arc is said to have saved France,” I said.
“Who was Joan of Arc?” Florence asked.
“She was a shepherdess, who became a general. She felt that her civilization was in danger of disappearing and fought to protect it. Many people think all the French do is sit in cafés, drink wine, and talk philosophy all day long. This does not reflect French civilization for almost all of its history. France has been at war most of the time,” I said.
“Is that bad?” Florence asked.
“It’s not a question and good and bad really. It’s historic fact. France is beautiful and many people want what the French have worked very hard to create. They have maintained their culture for centuries by fighting to protect it,” I said.
“That’s a lot of war,” Florence said.
“It is. Let me walk through the labyrinth with you. Another thing you should know about France is that the kings and aristocrats had the nicest stuff. The farmers, called peasants in France, prayed that soldiers would not march through the fields and take all the crops. The peasants absolutely rejoiced when they could bring in food at harvest,” I said, finishing my French history lesson in Carmel Valley.
By Ruth Paget Author of Marrying France and Eating Soup with Chopsticks
Isigny Ste Mère: The Global Butter Brands Game Created by Ruth Paget
Isigny Ste Mère: The Global Butter Brands Game Created by Ruth Paget
Number of Players: 1 or Teams of 2 or 4
Objective:
Improve knowledge of world butter culture and production methods to make better purchasing decisions about elite butter brands.
Game Tools:
-Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova – available in hardback, paperback, or kindle
-notebook paper
-index cards
-pens
-access to Google pronunciation tool with speaker function
Game 1:
Read about butter production techniques in Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova. Try to visualize each step taken in the production process.
Write the name of each production method on top of a piece of notebook paper.
List the steps needed to take in each production method with numbers. Cover up the steps for each production method and try to write them down to memorize them. Do this until you have memorized the steps in each production method.
Knowing this information will allow you to make better-informed buying decisions about butter and get the best value for your money.
The different butter production methods to research in Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova follow:
-batch-churned and artisan sweet butters
-continuous-churned sweet butter
-European-style (higher butterfat) sweet butters
-traditional vat-cultured butters
-whey cream butters
-goat butters
-sheep butters
-raw milk (unpasteurized) butter
-canned butters
-ghee, smen
Game 2:
Once you know butter production methods backwards and forwards, you can go to the next level in butter knowledge by learning the top brands for each production method and the countries they come from.
Khosrova lists top butter brands by production method in an appendix.
Step 1: Type the brand name into Google Pronunciation with the country language and learn to correctly pronounce the brand name.
Step 2: Quiz yourself on brand names and production methods by flipping through the index cards.
Step 3: Quiz yourself on brand names and country of origin by flipping through the index cards.
Learning all the information in this game will help with buying butter and might interest potential employers in catering, restaurants, upscale grocery stores, and companies with in-house dining.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Dijon: The Mustard Society Game by Ruth Paget
Dijon: The Mustard Society Game by Ruth Paget
Number of Players:
Unlimited as long as the mustard lasts
Materials Needed: All the materials you need for this game can be ordered from the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin (mustardmuseum.com).
-3 different kinds of mustard
-pretzel sticks Game
Preparation:
-On a sheet of paper, note the name of the three different mustards with a line after it where players will note a number of a matching mystery mustard. Make copies of this game sheet for the number of guests coming to your game
-Put out a dish with many pretzels so people dip once to avoid double dipping and germ spreading -cover the jars with paper so you cannot see the labels. Number them 1 – 3.
Game Play:
-Each guest will use one pretzel stick per mustard jar to scoop out a taste. -Guests will discuss mustards and note on their game sheet what mustard they think the mystery mustards are.
-Take the white paper of each jar to reveal the mystery mustard.
Everyone is a winner if you set all the mustards out to go with brats, hot dogs, or kielbasa and potato salad, coleslaw, and chips.
People who got everything right can take a jar of mustard home, if there is any left.
Mustards you can order from the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin include:
-Colman’s Original English
-Bornier Original Dijon
-De Echte Zaanse Mustard
-Löwensenf Bavarian
-Lakeshore Wholegrain with Irish Whiskey
-Bacik Spicy Horseradish and Honey
-Amora
-Clovis Herbes de Provence
-Edmond Fallon Honey
-Delicious Gourmet Big Easy Cajun
-Pommery Moutarde de Meaux
-Inglehoffer Sriracha
-Kocsiusko Spicy Brown Mustard
-Australian Outback Mustard
-Baumgarten Horseradish Mustard
-Löwensenf Extra Hot
-Sierra Nevada Stout and Stone Ground
The Mustard Museum has an online catalog that you can request to make unique parties with society games.
Happy Gaming!
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
French Wine Place Name Game - Reds by Ruth Paget
French Wine Place Name Game – Reds by Ruth Paget
French wines are known by their place names, which give no information about the varietals (grapes) used to make it. A distinguished wine drinker in France in supposed to know from the place name what larger region the wine comes from and the varietals used to make the grapes.
In this game for French red wines, you will make index cards with the following information for each wine below and quiz yourself to do the following:
-Learn to pronounce the wine in French.
-Learn to spell the wine name
-Learn the larger region where the wine is produced
-Learn the varietals used to make the wine
Use The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson to look up information.
--Bordeaux
-Graves
-Saint-Julien
-Saint-Estèphe
-Pauillac
-Moulis
-Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux
-Saint-Emilion
-Pomerol
-Fronsac
--Burgundy-La Côte de Nuits
-Gevery-Chambertin
-Morey-Saint Denis
-Chambolle-Musigny
-Vougeot
-Flagey-Echézeaux
-Vosne-Romanée
-Nuits-Saint Georges
--Burgundy – Côte de Beaune
-Aloxe-Corton
-Beaune
-Pommard
-Volnay
-Givry
-Mercurey
--Burgundy – Beaujolais
-Saint-Amour
-Juliénas
-Fleurie
-Chiroubles
-Morgan
-Moulin-à-Vent
-Côte de Brouilly
--Côtes du Rhône
-Châteauneuf-du-pape
-L’Hermitage
-Côtes-Rôties
--Jura
-Arbois
--Southwest
-Bergerac
Making your own index cards and doing your own research will make the information in this game stick.
This is just the game to play before a visit to the Total Wine store in Seaside, California.
Happy Gaming!
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
French Wine Place Name Game - Whites and Rosés by Ruth Paget
French Wine Place Name Game – Whites and Rosés by Ruth Paget
With the exception of Alsace, French wines are known by their place names, which give no information about the varietals (grapes) used to make it. A distinguished wine drinker in France in supposed to know from the place name what larger region the wine comes from and the varietals used to make the grapes.
In this game for French white wines, you will make index cards with the following information for each wine below and quiz yourself to do the following:
-Learn to pronounce the wine in French.
-Learn to spell the wine name
-Learn the larger region where the wine is produced
-Learn the varietals used to make the wine
-Learn if the wine is a white or a rosé
Use The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson to look up information. For Alsatian wine, Alsace can be both the place name and larger region.
--Alsace
-Sylvaner
-Riesling
-Muscat
-Traminer
-Gewurztraminer
-Pinot Gris
-Tokay
--Bordeaux
-Sauternes
-Barsac
-Cérons
-Graves
-Sainte-Croix-de-Mont
-Loupiac
-Premières Côtes de Bordeaux
-Entre-Deux-Mers
--Burgundy
-Chablis
-Meursault
-Puligny-Montrachet
-Chassagne-Montrachet
-Rully
-Mantagny
-Pouilly-Fuissé
--Côtes du Rhône
-Château-Grillet
-Condrieu
-Saint-Péray
-Tavel
-Lirac
--Jura
-Château-Chalon
-L’Etoile
-Arbois
-Poligny
--Languedoc-Roussillon
-Banyuls
-Côte d’Agly
-Maury
-Rivesaltes
-Frontignon
--Southwest
-Montbazillac
-Montravel
-Bergerac
-Jurançon
-Gaillac
-Banquette de Limoux
--Loire
-Saumur
-Coteaux du Layon
-Coteaux de l’Aubance
-Bourgeuil
-Chinon
-Vouvray
-Montlouis
-Muscadet
-Sancerre
-Pouilly-Fumé
-Cabernet
The vast majority of these wines are white, but researching them for information to make your index cards for quizzing helps make the information stick.
This is just the game to play before a visit to the Total Wine store is Seaside, California.
Happy Gaming!
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Monday, September 20, 2021
Hawaii Trips by Ruth Paget
Hawaii Trips by Ruth Paget
The first trip I made to Hawaii was in 1979 after spending a month in the Peoples Republic of China as part of a youth tour from inner-city Detroit, Michigan.
Tropical Honolulu reminded me of Guangzhou and Hong Kong after flights from wintry Tokyo and Beijing. Peking had recently changed its name when the PRC resumed formal diplomatic relations with the U.S. We had to fly from Tokyo to Honolulu, because there were no direct flights from Beijing to the U.S. at the time.
The youth tour members were staying in Honolulu with host families before our long trek home to Detroit. The house I stayed in was surrounded by trees with two-feet leaves, which looked like swaying teeth.
My host family was native Hawaiian. I liked taking a long shower and letting my hair dry in the warm, tropical Hawaiian breezes. As they made dinner, they teased me about tourist eating all the Hawaiian food. I ate roasted pork, pineapple, mangoes, and macadamia nuts. I had recently learned to like Chinese food and was learning to like Polynesian food, too.
The entire youth tour was treated to a beach luau prepared by our host families. Afterwards, we made our first presentation about what we had learned from our travels in China to the Honolulu chapter of the U.S. – China Peoples’ Friendship Association.
Before we left Hawaii, one of the Japanese members of the U.S. – China Peoples’ Friendship Association gave us a presentation about immigration to Hawaii. The Japanese and Portuguese were the largest groups, who made up the farmworkers on the pineapple plantations.
My next trip to Hawaii came decades later with my husband Laurent and daughter Florence. We went to Honolulu and rented a car. Florence drove all week around O’ahu.
The first place we visited was Pearl Harbor. I noted that ports tend to be in working class neighborhoods. We drove from Pearl Harbor and went to a golf club for cheeseburgers.
Florence had a Moon touring guide and made a checklist of places to stop at and photograph and film with the video function on her phone.
We spent the week eating poke – a kind of seasoned sushi with sesame seeds, visiting the Dole Plantation and eating sweet-and-sour pork made with pineapple and shave ice there, and eating grilled red fish with tropical fruit sauces at the hotel.
We began our days at Wailana Café, which served coconut milk as creamer, unctuous Portuguese sausage, and sweet Portuguese bread.
I have had grand times in Hawaii and discovered that I really like coconut milk in my Kona coffee.
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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| Ruth Paget Photo |
Friday, August 27, 2021
Culture of the American West Game Created by Ruth Paget
Culture of the American West Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget – by Ruth Pennington Paget
This game was inspired by a book about Western scarves I found at Sundance Resort outside Park City, Utah.
Objective:
To encourage research on history of the American West while having fun.
There are 7 levels in this game.
Level 1 – Singing Cowboy and Western Songs
-Start by handing out song sheets for 5 – 10 Western songs from the book Cowboy Songs: 62 Classic Saddle Songs by Hal Leonard
-Sing one song a capella
-Sing the song straight through and then sing it in rounds
-The objective of singing in rounds is to teach children to focus despite noise around them.
The French sing in rounds as in the song Frère Jacques or Brother John as it is called in English.
Instructions for Singing in Rounds
-Choose at least 3 groups
-Hand out song sheets
-The first group begins by singing the first two verses of the song and continues singing
-The second group begins to sing when the first group gets through the first two verses of the song. The second group continues singing the song.
-The third group begins to sing after the second group sings their two verses of the song and continues singing
-When the third group is done singing, the round is over.
Level 2 – English Word Pronunciation Based on the Songs
-Take the song sheet and ask each player to practice pronouncing 20 different words you have selected
-Ask the group if anyone knows what those words mean. If there are some tricky words, ask the players to look them up on Google dictionary
-Ask the players if there are any other words that they would like to know the means of. If there are, have them look these words up on Google dictionary
-Teach players how to use Google dictionary, if they do not know how
Level 3 – Cowboy Drawing and Coloring
-Use the book Cowboy Doodles by Anita Wood to do the following activities without writing in the book so you can use it several times
-First, use tracing paper to copy the images then do the drawing exercises in turn
-Color in the outlined drawing with colored pencils
-Have players read the story that goes with image and correct pronunciation if necessary or make up a story
-Ask the players questions about the story they made up
Secrets of Western Scarves Games
You will need Dianne Zamost’s book Western Scarves for background to play this game. The author also lists outlets where you can purchase these scarves. Each state in the United States has a scarf.
First, read the book to learn about some of the practical uses of scarves out on the range and on the ranch.
Level 3 – Western Scarf Compass Directions Game
-There is a Western scarf for every state in the United States
-The state capital is always featured along with an image of the capital
-Taking a Michigan Western Scarf as an example, ask players to write out the state capital of Michigan – Lansing – on a piece of paper.
-Then, write the compass directions of North, South, East, and West out on the paper around Lansing.
-Ask game players to study the compass directions and look at the cities around Michigan’s capital of Lansing.
-Then, fold the scarf and turn over the compass directions
-After doing this, as a player a question such as “Is Kalamazoo east or west of Lansing?”
-Whatever the player’s response is use the compass you drew and ask the player, “Use the compass directions and Western scarf to verify your response.”
-You can play the Western Scarf geography game to learn the geography of individual states quickly
Level 4 – Western Scarf Crops and Other Foods Games
-On most Western scarves, there are cities with images of foods produced there
-Using Kalamazoo (Michigan) as an example, ask the player, “What crops are grown in Kalamazoo?”
-Most teens cannot recognize corn as a plant, so help them out when you are first playing this game
-Tell them, “That’s corn. Your corn flakes cereal comes from that plant.
-You might want to mention some of Kalamazoo’s other crops such as celery, dry peas, dry beans, and oil seeds.
-Ask the child, if other food products are pictured on the Western scarf
Level 5 – Western Scarves Transportation Networks Game
-To extend the food products game, you could research the following transportation networks that exist and where they go:
-railroads
-highways
-superhighways
-county roads
-airports
Level 6 – Western Scarves Quiz Game
-Players can make the quiz lists themselves, which helps players retain information
-The player will quiz the parent on what he or she knows for an hour and then the parent will take turns answering a question
-Make your own list in the following manner:
-alphabetical order by state
-alphabetical order by city
-for each city, list the crops in alphabetical order
-for each city, list the animal foods in alphabetical
-for each city list the transportation networks in alphabetical order
All of these Western Scarves Games Give Players Knowledge of the Following:
-state capitals
-locations of cities around state capitals to learn geography
-knowledge of what food crops are grown in that area
-knowledge of transportation networks, which include rivers (as in Virginia’s Hampton Roads), railroads, highways, airports, and county roads. (What are the endpoints of these transportation networks?)
-How many state capitals are located at or near the center of their state?
For the next Culture of the Western U.S. Game, ask yourself the following questions:
Level 7 – Read books about the American West
Suggested Books:
-Laura Ingalls Wilder series.
You can watch the television series and ask the same questions.
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-John Bunyan folktales
-John Henry folktale
-Laurence Yep such as Dragonwings (Golden Mountain Chronicles, 1867) and Dragonwings (Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1903), and The Cook’s Family
-Todos al Rodeo: A Vaquero Alphabet Book by Dr. Ma Alma Gonzalez Perez and Teresa Estrada
By Ruth Pennington Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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| Ruth Paget Photo |
Friday, July 16, 2021
Carnitas: The Mexican Cuisine Society Game Created by Ruth Paget
Carnitas: The Mexican Cuisine Society Game Created by Ruth Paget
I used The Best Mexican Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen to develop this game, but you can use other Mexican cookbooks as well such as 1,000 Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore.
You will need index cards to create your own playing cards. Writing out the cards is a trick to help memorize information.
Playing this game will expand your knowledge of Mexican food either as a customer, server, home or restaurant cook, or grocery store buyer.
Tip for memorizing: Use the alphabet to help recall ingredients.
Game 1: Dish Name – Dry Ingredients
Write the dish name on the front of an index card. Write the dry ingredients on the back excluding spices and herbs. (The game for spices and herbs follows.)
Flip the index cards to play solitaire, with a partner, or as teams.
Game 2: Dish Name – Wet Ingredients
On the front of an index card, write the dish name. On the back of the index card, write the wet ingredients.
Flip the index card to play solitaire, with a partner, or as teams.
Game 3: Dish Name – Spices and Herbs
On the front of an index card, write the dish name. On the back of the index card, write the names of the spices and herbs used to make the dish.
Flip the cards to play solitaire, with a partner, or as teams.
Game 4: Dish Name – Cooking and/or Assembly Techniques
On the front of an index card, write the dish name. On the back of the index card, write the techniques used to cook and assemble the dish.
Flip the cards to play solitaire, with a partner, or as teams.
You can use this game to learn about all the cuisines of the world that have cookbooks. Some of the cookbooks I have used to learn about different cuisines of the world follow:
-Making Pasta: The Art and Practice of Homemade Pasta, Gnocchi, and Risotto by Marc Vetri
-The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish
-Delicioso: The Regional Cooking of Spain by Penelope Casas
-1,000 Spanish Recipes by Penelope Casas
-The Good Food of Italy by Claudia Roden
-Mediterranean Cookery by Claudia Roden
-Essential Pepin: More than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food by Jacques Pepin
-Complete Book of Indian Cooking by Suneeta Vaswani
-Complete Chinese Cookbook by Ken Hom
-Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji
-From the Source – Thailand by Lonely Planet Food
-Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan
-Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking by Maangchi
-The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Heidi Wurz
-Classic Russian Cooking by Elena Molokhovets
-The Cooking of Eastern Europe by Lesley Chamberlain
-1,000 Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore
-Joy of Cooking by Rombauer Family (4,000 recipes in 75th anniversary edition. Very good on baking)
-California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan - 400 recipes from a chef and caterer
-Arzak Secrets by Juan Mari Arzak - Basque cuisine
-The Basque Kitchen by Gerald Hirigoyen
-Pintxos by Gerald Hirigoyen
-Catalan Cuisine by Colman Andrews - food of Barcelona and its region
-The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma: 150 Recipes and the best of the region's food and wine by Michele Anna Jordan
-For baking: Mother Grains: Recipes for the Grain Revolution by Roxana Jullapat
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Click for Laurent Paget's Books
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Monday, July 5, 2021
Camembert: Cheese Games Created by Ruth Paget
Camembert: Cheese Games created by Ruth Paget
I used The Book of Cheese by Liz Thorpe, a cheese consultant who began her career by devising a sales strategy to group 300+ cheeses at her sales counter into 10 main flavor-profile groupings to help customers make informed buying choices.
Thorpe’s main cheese categories or gateways to 300+ kinds of cheese follow:
1-Mozzarella
2-Brie
3-Havarti
4-Taleggio
5-Manchego
6-Cheddar
7-Swiss
8-Parmesan
9-Blue
10-Misfits
Thorpe’s book may surprise readers with beverage pairings besides wine for some cheese such as brown ale, hard cider, and coffee. The pairings for the main type or gateway cheese apply to all cheeses in that category.
Game 1: Cheese Type and Beverage Pairing
On the front of an index card, write the name of the main cheese type. For the misfits, write the subcategories. Then, write the beverage pairing on the back.
Flip the index cards to quiz yourself to memorize the pairings. Then, play with a partner or as teams.
Game 2: Cheese Type and Food Pairings
Grapes and apples immediately come to mind when considering cheese pairings, but Thorpe proposes assorted nuts, vegetables, spreadable salami, and candied fruits.
This game will help buyers put together subtle cheese trays in no time.
Write the main cheese type on the front of an index card along with the number of food pairings. On the back of the index card, write out the food pairings.
Flip the index cards to memorize all the food pairings that go with the main cheese type. Then, play this game with a partner or with teams.
For the next three games, you will need to make cards for the 250+ individual cheeses in The Book of Cheese.
Game 3: Cheese Name – Main Cheese Type Category
This game is useful for buyers who would like to try new cheeses similar to ones they already like.
On the front of an index card, write the cheese name. On the back of the index card, write the main cheese type.
Flip the index cards to memorize the information. Then, play with a partner or as teams.
Game 4: Cheese Name – Milk(s) Used
On the front of an index card write the cheese name. On the back of an index card, write the milk or milks used to make it. Cow, sheep, goat, or a blend of milks are the choices.
Flip the cards to memorize them. Then, play with a partner or as a team.
Game 5: Cheese Name – Country (Countries) of Origin
Write the cheese name on the front of an index card. Write the country or countries where it is produced on the back.
Flip the index cards to memorize the information. Then, play with a partner or as teams.
To gain even more advanced knowledge, read Liz Thorpe’s The Book of Cheese 20 times to learn about manufacturing and putting together all the tastings she suggests.
For the avid cheese lover who would like to sell cheese, there is the Certified Cheese Professional Exam (ACS CCP™ Exam) run by the www.cheesesociety.org .
Enjoy the cheese skills society games you can play during a tasting!
Extra reading: Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins
Extra Reading; The Complete Book of Cheese by Anna Laure Pham and Mathieu Plantive
Once you have mastered cheese, enjoy reading Cheese Primer by Steve Jenkins for travel ideas.
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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| Ruth Paget Photo |
Saturday, July 3, 2021
Vienna: Coffee Games Created by Ruth Paget
Vienna: Coffee Games Created by Ruth Paget
I used Coffee: A Connoisseur’s Guide by Claudia Roden and Coffee for Dummies by Major Cohen to create the following games that you can play as solitaire quizzing, with a partner, or as teams.
Game 1: Roast Names
Use Claudia Roden’s Coffee: A Connoisseur’s Guide to make index cards to flip for this game. Put one term per card from the following list:
Cinnamon
Half City
Full City
American
Regular
High
Viennese
French
Continental
Italian
Espresso
On the back of each card mark the correct roast using Roden’s book as a guide:
Light or Pale Roast
Medium Roast
Dark or Full Roast
Darkest Roast
Game 2: Coffee Order Game
Use Coffee for Dummies by Major Cohen to find the definitions for each of the coffee order terms below. Write the term on the front of an index card and the definition on the back. Flip the cards as solitaire games, with a partner, or as teams.
Espresso solo
Espresso doppio
Ristretto
Lungo
Macchiato
Cappuccino
Caffé Latte
Caffé Breve
Mocha
Flat White
Americano
Cortado
Game 3: Coffee Geography
Elevation, soil type, rainfall, and proximity to the equator determine how good your coffee will be in addition to production methods and brewing.
There are two main coffee types: Robusta and Arabica with Arabica being the elite coffee type. Volcanic soil and high elevation are indicators of high quality coffee.
In this game, you will note the coffee growing country on the front of an index card along with the number of coffee regions in the country and the capital city of the country. On the back of the card, you will note the country name, the names of the coffee growing regions, and the capital city’s name.
Use Coffee for Dummies by Major Cohen to note major coffee growing regions in the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and the Eastern Hemisphere and Asian Pacific.
Have fun with the coffee games that will increase your knowledge of the world’s second most traded commodity after petroleum.
Extra Reading: I Love Coffee: Over 100 Easy and Delicious Coffee Drinks by Susan Zimmer - the first half of this book is like a mini barista training guide.
Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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| Ruth Paget Photo |
Thursday, June 3, 2021
Beer Hops Games Created by Ruth Paget
Beer Hops Games Created by Ruth Paget
In The Complete Beer Course: Boot Camp for Geeks by Joshua Bernstein, the author lists 45 hop varieties that give beer aroma, flavor, and/or bittering.
The objectives of these games are to correctly pronounce the hop name and know what the hop contributes to a beer. Knowing this information for 45 hop types is daunting, but becomes easy as you quiz yourself, with a partner, or with teams. (Pronunciation practice is necessary as there are several German beer hops on the list.)
Tip: Quiz yourself on 5 hop types at once to memorize them before moving on to the next 5.
Game 1: Hop Pronunciation
Step 1: On the front of index cards, write the following hop names. (One name per card)
-Ahtanum
-Amarillo
-Apollo
-Bravo
-Brewer’s Gold
-Calypso
-Cascade
-Centenniel
-Challenger
-Chinook
-Citra
-Cluster
-Columbus
-Tomahawk
-Crystal
-Delta
-El Dorado
-Falconer’s Flight
-Fuggles
-Galaxy
-Galena
-Glacier
-Goldings
-Halletauer
-Hersbrucker
-Horizon
-Liberty
-Magnum
-Mosaic
-Motheka
-Mt. Hood
-Mt. Rainier
-Nelson Sauvin
-Northern Brewer
-Nugget
-Pacific Gem
-Palisade -Perle
-Pride of Ringwood
-Riwaka
-Saaz
-Santiam
-Simcoe
-Sorachi Ace
-Spalt
-Sterling
-Styrian Goldings
-Summit
-Target
-Teamaker
-Tettnanger
-Topaz
-Warrior
-Willamette
Step 2: Type each hop name into the Google search bar followed by the word “pronunciation.”
A speaker icon will appear. Press the icon to hear the pronunciation, especially the accent of the hop name. Repeat the word till you feel comfortable saying it.
Quiz yourself by saying the hop name and listening to the pronunciation of Google.
Games 2, 3, and 4 Preparation:
Use Joshua M. Bernstein’s The Complete Beer Course to note which hops bring flavor, aroma, and bittering to a beer.
On the back of the index cards that have the hop name, write down if that hops brings flavor, aroma, or bittering after consulting with the list in Bernstein’s book.
Test yourself on 5 hop names at a time to master information.
Game 2: Flavor For each hop name ask: “Does this hop bring flavor?” Yes or No
Game 3: Aroma For each hop name ask: “Does this hop bring aroma?” Yes or No
Game 4: Bittering For each hop name ask: “Does this hop bring bittering?” Yes or No
Game 5: Hops Quiz - Write the names of the beer hops on a lined sheet of paper.
After each beer hops name list if it is used for flavor, aroma, or bittering. Check your answers against Bernstein's book.
This background can help make tasting beer more than just drinking.
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Click for Laurent Paget's Book
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Sunday, December 27, 2020
Dining at Pebble Beach Golf Club by Ruth Paget
Dining at Pebble Beach (California) Golf Club by Ruth Paget Dining at Pebble Beach (Monterey County – California) Golf Club with Juilliard Graduate Florence Paget by Ruth Paget
When I first moved to the Monterey Peninsula more than twenty years ago, my mother’s cousin David Sawle from San Francisco emailed me and wanted to visit the area along with his sister from St. Helena outside Napa.
My mother told me that he had made a film and drove a Jaguar. So, stage mother Ruth Paget wrote back and said to meet me in the Embassy Suites parking lot in Monterey. I would find his car and take everyone including little Florence out to Pebble Beach.
My boss at work checked to make sure I could go to the golf club. We arranged for a lot of catering there, and I was going during the week. Catering gave the go-ahead, especially as I described David as my mom’s rich cousin who published a weekly newspaper in San Francisco.
On the appointed day, I picked up David and his sister with Florence in tow. We drove out to Pebble Beach. I had valet parking take care of the car.
Inside the club the host led us to a table with a floor-to-ceiling window on the eighteenth hole of the golf course.
I gave David the best seat for viewing players finishing up play.
Tiger Woods says he does not like playing the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, because of all the wind from the ocean. Everyone here just wants him to be a celebrity. The kids love him and love shouting, “Tiger!” whenever they see him on the course. Golf is as avidly watched as football in Monterey County California.
While we were deciding on our dishes to order, I pointed out the flag in the eighteenth hole to Florence.
“If you can get a golf ball in that hole with the lowest number of hits, you can win a million dollars at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament,” I told Florence.
Florence slid off her chair and looked outside.
“You can buy a lot of lollipops with a million dollars,” I said to her.
“You can make a million dollars with a film, too,” Florence remarked.
My mom’s cousin laughed and told Florence, “I produced and directed a film. I am getting distribution, so I can make a million dollars without golfing.”
“What’s your film about?” I asked in a room full of people who finance Clint Eastwood films.
The logline for the rich cousin’s film follows: It’s a film about parking rage in San Francisco.
People around us, who were pretending not to eavesdrop, started giggling.
Being a true stage mom, I asked, “Do you have any parts for a young and talented actress like Florence?”
“Just let kiddo be a kid before applying to Juilliard,” he said.
Note: The parking rage in San Francisco film played at the Sundance Film Festival and David Sawle has produced and directed a second film. Check him out on IMDB – Internet Movie Data Base.
Florence now goes with her friends to attend the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament and dine at the Bench and Roy’s deck.
By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Teen in China
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| Ruth Paget Photo |
Friday, March 27, 2020
Alesia: Roman Conquest of Gaul Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students
Alesia: Roman Conquest
of Gaul Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students
Objectives:
1-Learn
to break down books to learn more quickly
2-Obtain
a glimpse into ancient Roman culture
3-Obtain
a glimpse into ancient Gallic culture
4-Learn
about menu planning to manage food supplies
5-Learn
about storytelling
6-Write
a media release for radio about the battle at Alesia
7-Play
knucklebones the ancient Greek game that was also played in ancient Rome
8-Sample
ancient Roman food
Historical Background:
In
52 BC, the ancient Roman victory at Alesia outside modern-day Dijon, France was
hard won by Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC) and confirmed his ascendancy as the
virtual ruler of Rome.
The
Romans used siege warfare against the Gallic fortress at Alesia, which was
under the command of Vercingetorix (80 BC – 46 BC).
Both
the Gauls and the Romans had supply problems.
Vercingetorix relied on his relief troops to win the battle. However, Julius Caesar had his troops
surround the Gallic fort to beat off reinforcements.
Battle
Outcome:
60,000
Roman soldiers defeated 80,000 Gallic warriors under siege and 130,000 to
200,000 Gallic relief soldiers.
Final
tally: 60,000 Romans defeated between 210,00 to 280,000 Gallic soldiers.
Managing Group Reading
To
divide reading up, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters and 8 team members.
If
you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading time and learn
the material quickly. The method for
doing this follows:
33
chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters for each team member to read plus 1
remaining chapter to be assigned as decided by the group. (Maybe a team member with a short assigned
chapter among their readings could the remaining chapter.)
For
each assigned chapter, team members will note 5 to 10 main points to be typed
up and sent to the team secretary for grouping into a single document.
Team Set-Up
Break
a group into two teams.
Both
teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 as a team.
For
task 5, the two teams will come together to write a media release for radio
about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC, play the ancient game of knucklebones (also
played in ancient Rome), and sample ancient Roman food.
Number of Tasks to
Complete: 5
Task 1: Learn About the
Battle at Alesia 52 BC
Read
about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC in encyclopedias and books and on
websites. Compare the information to
look for any differences. Note sources.
Read
about Julius Caesar in encyclopedias and books and on websites. Compare the information to look for any
differences. Note sources.
Read
about Vercingetorix in encyclopedias and books and on websites. Compare the information to look for any
differences. Note sources.
If
you find differences, set up guidelines about how to establish the facts to
use.
Task 2: Learn About
Food Supply Management
Food
supply management was a problem for the ancient Roman troops and the
Gauls. In the modern day, well-run
institutions and homes have some sort of food inventory system and menu
management system.
Read
the following book as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned
chapter:
Management by Menu by Lendal H. Kotschevar
Task 3: Obtain a
Glimpse into Ancient Roman Culture
As
a team, read the following books about ancient Roman culture noting 5 to 10
main points for each assigned chapter:
The Aeneid by Virgil
This
national poem by Virgil recounts the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas who sets
out to find a new homeland after the sack of Troy.
His
quest leads him to Carthage, which he forsakes along with love to found Rome.
Other
books to read give background on the religious and civic life of Rome. Read the following books as a team, noting 5
to 10 main points for each chapter:
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
The Roman Way by Edith Hamilton
Read
the following book for ideas on how to write stories that remain in the memory like
myths as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Charles Kahlenberg,
Chip Heath, and Dan Heath
Task 4: Obtain a
Glimpse into Gallic Culture
Very
little written information remains about ancient Gaul. Even the hilltop where the Battle at Alesia
52 BC took place (Mount Auxois) had a wooden fortress, which has perished.
Julius
Caesar wrote about Gaul, and it is his history which describes the Gauls for us
today.
Read
the following book as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned
chapter:
The Gallic War by Julius Caesar
Preparing for Task 5:
Before
the combined teams meeting, team members will type up their main points from
their assigned chapters and send them to the team secretary via email to be
compiled into one document.
Team
secretaries will email the single document to their team members and the other
team’s secretary for distribution.
Team
members should read both documents before the task 5 combined teams meeting.
Task 5: Media Release
Writing and Party
The
combined teams will write a 2-minute media release for radio about the Battle
at Alesia 52 BC.
The
release should answer the following questions in order:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
Once
the release is written, read it to see if it is 2 minutes long.
If
it is too long, edit the text down to 2 minutes.
If
it is too short, add in details to make the release 2 minutes.
(This
activity should take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.)
Once
the meeting is over, play the ancient Greek game of knucklebones. Knucklebones was also played in ancient Rome.
Knucklebones
games are sold for $27.99 on Amazon as of 3/13/2020.
Sample
some ancient Roman food at your party from one of the oldest known cookbooks
written by the Roman writer Apicius. His
cookbook follows:
Cooking and Dining in
Imperial Rome by
Apicius
Alesia
Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
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