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Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Wyoming and Nevada Trip by Ruth Paget

Wyoming and Nevada Trip by Ruth Paget 

After my daughter Florence and her friend went on a spring camping trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and got snowed on, my husband Laurent and I set out on a trek to these two parks with a reservation for a park hotel. 

It takes two days to get to Yellowstone from Monterey (California). We stopped overnight at my request in Elko, Nevada. I learned that Elko hosts the West’s largest Cowboy Poetry Gathering when I worked as the Youth Services Librarian in Monterey County California. This event includes many Western singers, food, and merchandise and book sales events. It fills hotels up in town and in surrounding towns. The Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a big event. 

A Basque Festival was being advertised when we were there. Many people of Basque origin settled in the American Southwest as shepherds. The Basques come from the Northwest corner of Spain and the Southwest corner of France originally. They are famous as intrepid cod fisherman, but also graze sheep. There is probably a debate going on somewhere as to whether or not they are Latino or white people. 

Laurent and I went to Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant for dinner. I ate shredded chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce with rice and beans for dinner. I love Mexican comfort food. I also loved the restaurant’s air conditioning in the desert. Using solar panels to run air conditioning is okay in my book. 

Back at the hotel, we slept soundly in our cool room. We woke up while the desert was still cold. The hotel served biscuits and gravy, bacon, and scrambled eggs for breakfast. I love those items and ate heartily. The trip was already a success for me. 

Laurent listened to Western music as he drove, but then put on Sirius FM, so we could listen to Jay Z and Kanye West as we drove to Yellowstone. 

We arrived at Yellowstone and did our first foray in the park to find out where things were, notably the Old Faithful viewing building. The roads in Yellowstone are tricky. You can start out on a flat road and turn a corner and than find yourself on a rising cliff for several miles. We are used to driving Big Sur, but this road situation can be surprising for campers, so expect some slow traffic. 

We ate at a diner in the park. I had a cheeseburger with fries and a vanilla shake. 

“The pure air here is making me hungry,” I told Laurent. (Oink! Oink!) 

We checked in the hotel. Laurent went hiking. I opened the windows to smell the honey-scented wildflowers outside. I took a nap that lasted till the next day. 

Next day, we went to see the Old Faithful geyser erupt for about an hour in the morning. As a native of flatland Detroit, I do find geysers and sulfur springs extraordinary and smelly. 

From Old Faithful, we drove along Rockefeller Parkway to Grand Teton National Park. There is a huge lake in front of these snow-capped mountains that makes this area more tranquil than Yellowstone. I thought it was perfect for writing. 

We ate lunch at a bar outside the park. I had what I called a fajita burger. I ate sautéed peppers and onions on my hamburger instead of cheese and thought it was great. I liked the Idaho home fries I ate as well and drank a bitter, hoppy beer. 

We toured Yellowstone some more and got ready to go back to Elko and then Monterey. 

The trip was perfect the next day when we saw some buffalo as we exited the park. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France


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Monday, August 30, 2021

Nevada Meals by Ruth Paget

Nevada Meals by Ruth Paget 

Everyone in the Western United States knows that casinos often serve very good food at reasonable prices in quiet restaurants. 

My favorite state for casino cuisine is Nevada. My favorite casino town is Carson City, Nevada. Carson City is the capital of Nevada. Gold and silver were discovered there in 1859 and one of the town’s family tourist spots is a railroad museum. 

The place I like for casino cuisine is Bodines Casino. We took Florence with us and would get the following meal for the three of us: 

-garlic bread 

-prime rib 

-baked potato with sour cream, butter, and chopped parsley 

-salad 

-chocolate lava cake 

-glasses of Napa cabernet sauvignon for Laurent and me 

-soda for Florence 

-fizzy water for the three of us 

The cost for the three of us was $25 per person in the 1990s. That is a deal. 

When traveling in the Western United States, check out highway billboards for deals. They usually list price and a lead menu item. You can always ask hosts to look at menus for deals as well, too. 

There is a big shopping mall in Carson City that probably has restaurants, but I think Lake Tahoe residents go there for clothes and books in a state with lower taxes. 

Another place I like to go is the Palais de Jade (Jade Palace) in Reno, Nevada. 

Florence twisted her head upon entering this restaurant looking at all the items inside. 

 “See those dragons at the entrance. Those are called fu dogs and they protect people inside the restaurant,” I told Florence. 

“The water tinkling in the fountains and the mirrors that make the restaurant look very large are examples of Chinese feng-shui, wind-and-water design,” I said.  

We sat in a circular booth up two steps in a jade-blue colored, circular booth. It was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside and the air conditioning felt great. 

I had a true Nevada moment there. Despite being in the middle of the desert, I was able to have kung pao squid that tasted as if it had been freshly caught in addition to egg rolls and rice. Florence had her usual Mongolian beef, and Laurent had walnut shrimp.  

We all drank jasmine tea, which smelled like perfume. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, which also cost about $25 per person in the 1990s.  On the way back to Monterey, Laurent said, “Casino cuisine is a good deal.” 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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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. -
-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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Monday, August 23, 2021

German Culture Introduction by Ruth Paget

German Culture Introduction by Ruth Paget 

I lived in Stuttgart, Germany by the Black Forest for several years in the mid-2000s and began studying German culture with many wonderful books there. The books, films, and audio programs about German culture below might interest Americans with German ancestorS, especially if planning a trip to Germany.

German Art 

-Northern Renaissance Art: Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Arts from 1350 to 1575 by James Snyder 

-Durer (Art and Ideas) by Jeffrey Chipps Smith 

This book is particularly good at showing how to promote his artwork and how to work with commission agents.  

German Travel Guide  

-Germany for Travelers by The Total Guide 

German and Austrian Wine 

-The Wines of Germany by Anne Kreblehl 

-The Wines of Austria by Stephen Brook 

Austrian wines are not German ones, but they pair well with German food. They are becoming available overseas now. 

Beer Book 

The Complete Beer Course: Boot Camp for Beer Geeks: From Novice to Expert in Twelve Tasting Classes by Joshua M. Bernstein 

German Cookbooks 

-The New German Cookbook: More than 230 Contemporary and Traditional Recipes by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz

-The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking by Mimi Sheraton -

-Festive Baking: Holiday Classics in the Swiss, German, and Austrian Traditions by Sarah Kelly Lala and Bonni Leon

German Customs 

-Germany – Culture Smart: The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture by Barry Tomlin 

Films 

-Metropolis Directed by Fritz Lang

-Good-bye Lenin! Directed by Wolfgang Becker 

Comedy about the reunification of Germany 

German Genealogy 

 -Trace Your German Roots Online: A Complete Guide to German Genealogy Websites by James M. Belder 

Contemporary German Music  

-20th Century Masters: The Best of Scorpions Millemium Collection

-Pink Floyd

Literature 

-Goethe by Faust

-Grimm's Fairy Tales

Language  

-Rosetta Stone Learn German Bonus Pack Bundle by Rosetta Stone 

Germany Map

-Michelin Germany Map

By Ruth Paget, author of Marring France and Eating Soup with Chopsticks


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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: 

 -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

-The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma: 150 Recipes and the best of the region's food and wine by Michele Anna Jordan

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France


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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! 

 By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France






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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. 

Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France




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