Sanibel Island, Fla. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge.
KARRIN ALLYSON
From South Pacific by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III
Archive for the ‘Florida photography’ Category
Carefully taught…
Posted in Florida photography, Photographs Sanibel and Captiva Islands Florida, tagged Karrin Allyson on Blogfinger, Rodgers and Hammerstein on Blogfinger on November 9, 2024|
Use caution on our beaches.
Posted in Florida photography on July 5, 2024|
Boynton Beach, Florida’s east coast. Paul Goldfinger photo ©. 2015
KATE AND ANNA McGARRIGLE with MARTHA WAINWRIGHT
Did Italians invent the wheel? We met two gentlemen from Verona who seem to think so.
Posted in Blogfinger feature article, Blogfinger food department, Blogfinger Presents, Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, tagged Italian food on Blogfinger, Leone cheese own Blogfinger, Mario's Italian market in Ft. Myers Florida on May 2, 2024| 1 Comment »
Parmigiano cheese wheel at Mario’s Italian market in Fort Myers, Fla. 1/27/17. Blogfinger.net photo. ©
By Eileen Goldfinger and Paul Goldfinger, Editors @Blogfinger.net. Photography by Eileen Goldfinger.
If you think that you can’t get authentic Italian cuisine in Florida, you haven’t visited Mario’s Meat Market and Deli in Fort Myers (southwest Fla). This remarkable food store has customers taking numbers and lining up at the counter where you can get incredible breads, meats, sauces, homemade sausage, cheeses, wines, desserts, and custom sandwiches.
For example, one of their specialty heros is called “The Italian” and consists of salami, pepperoni, capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, hot peppers, oil and vinegar on a superb role with sesame seeds. Some people can’t wait to get home, so they chow down at tables arranged outside.
The people at the counter were remarkably helpful and cheerful. Some of them are professional cooks, so they will tell you how to prepare, for example , an authentic meat dish “braciole.”
We were there picking up supplies for an Italian dinner that Eileen was planning and we stumbled on a “rare” culinary event. Representatives from a large cheese manufacturer (“Leone”) from the mountainous Verona region of Italy were preparing to “open” one of their huge wheels. They were readying a parmigiano cheese called Monte Veronese, made from cow’s milk, specially prepared for Mario’s.
Getting ready to open the wheel. Mike Tuccillo (sales manager for Leone L.) Mario Pica (store owner,) and Gabriele Leone R.) © Blogfinger.net photo. Ft. Myers, Fla. 1/27/17
What was unique about this wheel was that it had been aged for five years, much longer than most cheeses from that northeast region where much of the Italian cheese-making occurs. The storage facility is kept at 80% humidity and 61 degrees F.
No one knows how long wheels have been the motif for storing cheese, but this variety has been made for nearly 900 years. To open the wheel requires great skill and experience if it is done in the traditional way—- manually with knives. Usually they use machines.
Gabriele Leone, the owner of the Leone company, brought out some special tools. He worked very carefully, but after watching this demonstration, I was amazed that he still has all his fingers. He was cheered on by the company’s bilingual American representative Mike Tuccillo and by Mario Pica, the owner of this remarkable store.
Eileen Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net 1/27/17 ©
When he finally opened the wheel, it was a very special event and the performance received a round of applause. Then Gabriele began to offer chunks of the parmigiano, which is a hard cheese that tends to crumble. It is usually sold as wedges or grated. It should be stored in the refrigerator where it can last for up to 6 months. If a little mold begins to appear, just cut it off. We tried some, and it was delicious: fragrant and tasty.
Photo by Eileen Goldfinger. Blogfinger.net/ 1/27/17 ©
Mike explained that the company is beginning to export their unique aged products to America. Thanks to Mike, Gabriele and Mario for giving Blogfinger access to this very special event.
DEAN MARTIN:
Sweet things at the Farmers Market
Posted in Faces at the Farmers' Market, Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography on November 28, 2023|
Lakes Park Farmers Market. Ft. Myers, Florida. By Paul Goldfinger © 3/8/17. Click for more details.
And speaking of sweet things, here are the Chiffons with “Sweet Talkin’ Guy”
Southwest Florida trailer park, aka manufactured home community
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photography from Florida, Photography Ft. Myers, tagged The Rainbow Connection on Blogfilnger on September 25, 2023|
Ft. Myers, Fla. Feb. 2015. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge this single- wide.
THE TWO OF US:
Midnight Cowbirds
Posted in Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, tagged Florida shore birds on July 28, 2023|
Joe Buckbird (left) and Ratso Rizzogull (R) appearing in the Gulf Shore Birds production of “Midnight Cowbirds.” Paul Goldfinger photo. © Sanibel Island, Florida.
HARRY NILSSON:
Fun and games on Captiva Island.
Posted in Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photographs Sanibel and Captiva Islands Florida, tagged Captiva Island Florida on May 13, 2023|
Captiva Island, Florida. Paul Goldfinger photo . February, 2015.© Click to enlarge. ©
LEE WILEY “Oh Look at Me Now” was written in 1941 and was first recorded by Frank Sinatra.
Osprey report—this fish eating bird of prey is doing well thanks to nesting help from conservationists
Posted in Florida photography, tagged Ding Darling Refuge, Osprey nest on May 11, 2023| 1 Comment »
Osprey pair nesting at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Fla. Paul Goldfinger photo Jan 2018. © Click to enlarge.
JOHN WILLIAMS AND ITZHAK PERLMAN “Theme from Il Postino.”
Secret Life of Daydreams…
Posted in Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography on January 14, 2023|
Ft. Myers, Florida (southwest) Paul Goldfinger c. 2015. © Click to enlarge.
JEAN YVES THIBAUDET
From the movie score of Pride and Prejudice: “Secret Life of Daydreams.”
Roadside salad….
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Florida photography, tagged MUSIC: "Plant a Radish." on January 12, 2023| 2 Comments »
The African-American man who owns this roadside stand always has fresh goods. Paul Goldfinger photo. December 2019. Harlem Heights, Ft.Myers, Fla.
Three days ago it was raining, so when I pulled into this location, no one was around. I got out and selected 3 lovely tomatoes. There was a tin can on the side with money in it. So I paid what I thought it was worth and then proceeded to take some photos.
The next day I stopped there again, and he was in attendance. I needed some lemons, and he had them. His prices are very reasonable.
There are so many sources of fresh produce and fresh seafood in Southwest Fla, that I wondered how he makes a living. But year after year, he is back, and he has his own business.
CAST OF FANTASTICKS: “Plant a Radish”
Southwest Florida: Captiva Island.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, Photographs Sanibel and Captiva Islands Florida on January 10, 2023|
Tween Waters Inn, Captiva Island, Florida. Paul Goldfinger photograph. February, 2006. © Click to see more.
Captiva was torn up badly with Hurricane Ian in 2022.
RAMIRO y COMPADRES “Y Volvere.”
Putting on the Ritz at the Donald’s house. Re-post 2019. Guest journalist.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography on November 16, 2022| 1 Comment »
Internet photo of Mar-a-Lago. Getty image. Palm Beach, Floridaty
Ocean Boulevard, a few blocks from Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Fla, Paul Goldfinger photo. Feb, 2019. ©
By Ross Anzaldi, Esq. Special to Blogfinger.net.
It was a sunny Florida day, when I received a call from an old friend inviting us to join them for dinner on the following evening. I should have been prepared for the unexpected when he told me that I needed to wear a jacket, something not usually required in Florida.
We were to dine at Mar-a-Lago., the “Winter White House” of President Donald Trump.
1100 South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, is situated between the Lake Worth Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Beach. It was the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post (the Post cereal heiress) and it is now a country club, a National Historic Landmark, and the “Winter White House.”
With anticipation, we drove across the bay into Palm Beach and rode along the Ocean admiring the many grand estates facing the Atlantic. We suddenly slowed and made a sharp right turn under a stone archway into a narrow driveway.
In front of us was Mar-a-Lago, a grand estate of a Spanish/Moorish architecture. It was over three stories high with a bell tower and numerous chimneys rising into the sky. A croquet court was to our left and a large American flag was in the center of the lawn.
Our car stopped under a stone portico, and valets opened all four doors at once. As we exited the vehicle we faced a wrought iron doorway bracketed by a stone archway and columns. We entered a small reception area and were reminded by the receptionist to turn off our phones and that no pictures were permitted.
We were then escorted into a high ceilinged dining room. About 20 tables were set for diner. Fresh flowers were on each table. The windows were surrounded by heavy drapes and were lace covered. The Spanish and Moorish decor was maintained throughout the dining room.
We then continued into an intimate club bar area. We sat by the fireplace and enjoyed our cocktails and then returned to our table.
Dinner was buffet style. This evening it featured seafood. The serving area was outside under another portico, protected from the elements. The view was onto the Intracoastal Waterway and bay. The buffet was arrayed over 30 feet of various serving stations. Whole lobsters were cracked— the meat removed and plated. Shrimp, crab legs, oysters, clams, Dover Sole, in addition to filet mignon.
The salads included hearts of palm, anchovies, and various type of dressings. A wide assortment of cheeses and breads rounded off the fare. So many choices, so little time. After making my salad choices, we returned to enjoy the lobster.
The dining room began to fill up; about 50 guests were present, yet we were able to enjoy and hear our conversations. The service was solicitous, and the dining room opulent.
Desserts were displayed along two walls of the dining area. So many choices, and restraint was difficult.
An elegant location, an excellent meal, and a once in a lifetime memory.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (Live at Carnegie Hall) “Putting on the Ritz” (Written by Irving Berlin 1927) From the concert soundtrack Rufus Does Judy.
Amapola
Posted in Florida connection on Blogfinger, Florida photography, tagged Amapola, Bunche Beach Florida on September 30, 2022| 1 Comment »
Bunche Beach. Fort Myers, Fla. Paul Goldfinger photo © April, 2016. Click to enlarge.
STUART MATHEWMAN “Amapola.”