America the Beautiful - Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is one of the natural wonders of the world. It's primarily located in the U.S. state of Wyoming,  although it extends into Montana and Idaho.







It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872.











Yellowstone, widely held to be the first national park in the world, is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park.

It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion.

The Old Faithful Inn is like a storybook place. It's constructed by material found in the park, was built in 100 days by 50 workmen(or is it 50 days by 100 workmen?) It's like the biggest log cabin you've ever seen, with a giant stone fireplace in the middle that can fit a whole party inside!

If you want to stay there, you have to make a reservation at least a year in advance, even for dinner in their dining room.

Stelios and I were lucky and got there the first week when they just opened for the season and we got both a room and dinner!

These amazing balconies are filled with lounge chairs and sofas, so visitors can sit and enjoy the view. They also have coffee bars on each floor, which make it extra nice.

The lights have to be kept low and they cannot have air-condition, all to preserve the integrity of this very old structure.

 Herds of bizon and elk come to graze right outside on the grounds of the park hotels.

 The geysers are spectacular.

You have to walk a bit around the park to see them but they are worth every step.

 Yoga on the geyser walk!(it's not me)

The park is vast at 3,468.4 square miles (8,983km,) with forests, lakes, grasslands and even a canyon.

We saw lots of bison(lots!!), elk, a couple of bears, and a beautiful herd of pronghorn antelope.  On our way out of the park we saw a herd of bighorn sheep.

 This is a replica of the old buses used early in the park's life and now reintroduced.

Enjoy!

Maria

Storm King Art Center New York

Storm King Art Center is one of the world's leading sculpture parks located in upstate New York.

Its landscape of 500 acres of fields, meadows and woodlands is host to huge sculptures from renowned artists.

Zhang Huan was the sculptor on exhibit when I last visited. His work, as you can see starting from the top sculpture of the body hanging from the bell, is evocative.

 A view from the top of the grounds near the Museum Building.

 The art by its sheer immense scale is breathtaking

This is one of those special places in the world that I love to visit again and again. The permanent collection is beautiful and walking around the grounds is always a pleasure.
Enjoy!
Maria

America the Beautiful - Fort Bragg California

 Fort Bragg is a town on the Pacific Coast in Northern California.

 The cliff side path along the Pacific was filled with wildflowers

 The beautiful, wild sandy beach on the Pacific

 A town of artists with a lot of scenery

One of the best meals we had along our road trip was in Fort Bragg at a place called "The Restaurant." We had the most delicious food and the walls of the place were covered in oil paints by an artist named Palm. We were fortunate to meet the delightful owner/chef John and his lovely wife Susan. If you are ever in Fort Bragg don't miss this place.

Enjoy!
Maria

Cauliflower fritters

 

Fall is a great time for cauliflower. I like it drizzled with olive oil and roasted in the oven, But this dish of cauliflower fritters is my new favorite cauliflower recipe.

Cut up the cauliflower florets and arrange on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the florets are soft.

 Mash the cauliflower in a medium bowel.

Add minced onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, cinnamon(yes it really makes the recipe pop), turmeric, flour and eggs and some red pepper flakes.

Heat a skillet on high heat. Oil the pan lightly and drop large dollops of the batter onto the skillet. Cook for one and a half minutes per side.

Keep the cooked fritters on a plate in a warm oven while cooking the rest of the batter. It makes about 10 fritters.

Make a yogurt sauce with Greek yogurt, minced garlic and cucumber, dried mint and a drizzle of olive oil.

 A fresh salad rounds out the meal.

I served my fritters topped with a dollop of the yogurt sauce on top of each, and a side salad.

They were a hit with my hubby who said they were delicious and we(I) should make them again. Any leftovers can be reheated in a toaster oven the next day. Or they can be frozen for a later time.

Cauliflower Fritters: (adapted from Ottoleghi)

1 small cauliflower, about 3/4 pound, cut into little florets
5/8 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 extra large eggs, preferably organic
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
hot pepper flakes 

Cook the cauliflower by roasting it for 30 minutes at 400F with olive oil and salt and pepper. Mash it with a potato masher or a big fork and add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix together.

Heat a large skillet and wipe with vegetable oil.

Fry the fritters in batches. You can make them as big or as small as you like.

About a minute and 30 seconds on each side.

Blot on paper towels and serve topped with the yogurt sauce.

The leftovers freeze well to enjoy at a later time.

Enjoy!

Maria