Foods for Superheroes

 Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep 

Welcome to the 7^th day on our virtual book tour. Today we talk with young Zachary, the wonderful main character in Kathy Stemke’s new book:  “Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep,” available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Guardian Angel Publishing. Zachary goes on an odyssey performing extraordinary heroic actions in his pursuit to keep his new baby sister from awakening from her nap, while protecting her from all sorts of calamities.

Few superheroes exhibit gastronomic prowess.  I suppose they are too busy to read the New York Times on Wednesdays to see what’s up in the food world.  But I would certainly hope that Superheroes could satisfy a super hunger sometime between battling strong forces of evil and saving innocent people without devouring junk food.

Let’s ask superhero Zachary what he eats.

 Hi Zach, thanks for coming by GritsandGroceries: Anthony Stemke.

Glad to be here sir. It smells great here, are you brewing green tea?

Yes, I am Zach. Do you superheroes eat super foods?

Sure, my mom believes in a nourishing diet, not too much salt and sugar, plenty of fruit and vegetables.

So, do you eat a lot of ‘hero’ sandwiches?

Yes, once in awhile I enjoy a special hero sandwich, a roast beef po boy. But I also need a lot of power so I eat a special diet.

So, what kind of special diet?

 I eat consonant blends.

Huh?

I eat BRoccoli, BLueberries, BLackberries, BLooming onions, BLack beans, BRown rice, BRownies…

Ok Zach. I got it- consonant blends.  Like what you learn about when you read “Sh Sh Sh  Let the Baby Sleep”?

Well Zach, since you’re here in my kitchen, would you care for something to eat?

Sure.

How about a roast beef, hero sandwich -New Orleans style--  aka Roast Beef Poor Boy?

Yummy!

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise

A 12-inch length of French bread

¾ cup shredded lettuce

½ lb roast beef, thinly sliced

½ cup thick- bodied beef gravy

1 tomato, sliced thinly

Method:

Split the French bread lengthwise and toast lightly under the broiler.

Spread the bottom piece of the bread with mayonnaise.

Now layer the lettuce, beef, gravy and tomato slices atop the mayonnaise.

Put the top on and slice the sandwich in half.

Makes two servings.

I’ll tell you what; people who say a hero “ain’t nothing but a sandwich” have never met Zachary. Thanks for stopping by, Zachary.

Thanks for the hero!

To my readers: What is your favorite “super” food and why?

Author Bio: Kathy Stemke has a passion for writing, the arts and all things creative. She has Bachelor degrees from Southern Connecticut State University and Covenant Life Seminary, as well as graduate coursework from New York Institute of Technology and Columbia University. Hanging her hat in the North Georgia Mountains, she has been a teacher, tutor, and writer for many years.

As a freelance writer and ghostwriter, Kathy has published hundreds of articles in directories, websites and magazines. She is a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center http://writingforchildrencenter.com/ and a reviewer for Sylvan Dell Publishing. As a retired teacher, Kathy has several activities published with Gryphon House Publishing. Kathy is also part of the team at DKV Writing 4 U. http://www.dkvwriting4u.com

Kathy’s first children’s picture book, Moving Through All Seven Days, was published on Lulu. Her next picture book, Sh, Sh, Sh Let the Baby Sleep, was released in May of 2011. Her third picture book, Trouble on Earth Day is scheduled for release in June of 2011.

Mrs.Stemke offers great teaching tips and children’s book reviews as well as a monthly newsletter titled, MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM, on her blog. http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

SUPERHERO TRIVIA QUESTION: DAY 7

In which comic book (and film) would you find Lara Croft?

Come to www.sprittibee.com June 21 for the answer.

SUPERHERO TRIVIA ANSWER: DAY 6

Who would you expect to find in the Bat Cave?

ANSWER: Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne as "Batman" first appeared in Detective Comics number 27, and only (only!) got his own comic book in 1940.

Remember; Every answer or comment you make during this book tour puts your name in the hat for a fantastic prize, which includes amazon gift certificates, books, superhero figurines, and much more.

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep can be found:

Guardian Angel Publishing: http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/shshsh.htm 

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616331569/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=educationtips20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1616331569&adid=1XFMR3ZA5VFXSN58EAXH&

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sh-sh-sh-let-the-baby-sleep?store=book

VEAL ALLA MILANESE

Recently I assembled a classic Italian meal that included a very old, uncomplicated dish that dates back 800 years.

 I’m talking about Cotoletta di vitello nello stile di Milano, aka Veal alla Milanese.

Milan is 200 miles from Vienna, Austria, and both regions have a similar veal dish.  During the middle- ages in northern Italy and Vienna, veal was the customarily consumed meat; baby beef that had been fed only mothers milk and whose flesh was white.  Rather than grazing and feeding the animal, they used it as soon as it was weaned. Properly cooked veal has a magnificent delicate taste impossible to duplicate with any other meat.

The Austrian counterpart to Cotoletta Milanese is the far better known Wiener Schnitzel.  Wiener means Vienna and Schnitzel is derived from an old German word meaning “to slice”, so basically it refers to sliced veal Vienna Style.  Tenderizing tough meat was an old technique from the dawn of history and pounding the veal also makes it look more attractive. Veal alla Milanese was first prepared back in the 12^th century and Wiener Schnitzel centuries later. Dredging the meat in flour and spices dates back to medieval times. In the 19th century, Milan was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A Milanese cook went from Milan to Vienna to work at the court of the Emperor. While in Vienna he introduced the breaded veal cutlet to Viennese society, who embraced it with a passion.

This breaded Veal Milanese is also made in France where it is called Escalope de Veau Viennoise and served with hard-boiled eggs and anchovies.

Here is the way I made the classic Cotoletta alla Milanese.      Serves 4

Ingredients:

·       4 veal chops

·       ½ cup of milk

·       1 egg, beaten

·       1 teaspoon of olive oil

·       1 teaspoon water

·       About ½ cup flour

·       About ½ cup of breadcrumbs, commercial or made in your blender

·       Salt and pepper

·       3 tablespoons butter

·       3 tablespoons olive oil

·       1 lemon, quartered

·        1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

·        Slice the meat into ½ inch thick cutlets

·        With the flat side of a meat mallet, thin the veal by pounding it gently; pound down and out from the centre towards the edges. Careful attention is necessary at this point. You want to thin down the meat, but not crush it.  You can put plastic wrap under and on top of each cutlet if you want to, or wet the mallet with cold water, which helps it slide on the veal without tearing it.  The pounded slices should be ¼ inch thick, no thinner.

·        Put the milk in a shallow pan and turn the veal in it.

·        Cover the pan and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

·        Remove the veal, drain it and pat it dry.

·        Dip each slice into the flour, shaking off excess.

·        Add the teaspoon of oil, a dash of salt and pepper and the water to the beaten egg. Dip both sides of the meat into this mixture. Squeeze out the excess.

·        Spread out the breadcrumbs; dip in both sides of the veal, being careful to coat each evenly. Shake off excess.

·        Pat the breaded veal with the flat side of a large knife or a metal spatula.

·        I prefer to lightly cut a crisscross lattice pattern on top of each cutlet, not deeply.

·        Refrigerate the cutlets until ready to cook.

·        Heat the oil in a big skillet. Add the butter. Heat should be medium.

·        Add the veal, starting with the marked side down; don’t let them touch each other, cook for 4 minutes without moving them so they crust up handsomely.

·        After 4 minutes, lift the edge and see if it looks like a nice golden crust has formed. If so, turn and cook the other side.

Plate the cutlets, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.

This goes very well with Risotto Milanesa a creamy rice preparation containing saffron.

The Veal alla Milanese technique is easy to learn, and makes a wonderful meal. I hope you will try it, but I warn you, Veal loin chops are a premium priced item. You can however use this technique on chicken, pork and many other types of meat.

Be sure to stop in at  http://educationtipster.blogspot.com for the schedule of my spouses Virtual Book Tour, which is happening right now.  Get in on the fun, leave a comment and your name goes in the hat for a prize.

the Milanese and the ienne

Book Trailer and Virtual Book Tour!

Get ready for my wife's

virtual book tour: June 13th -July 1st

She'll have the history of superheroes, what heroes eat, all about sibling rivalry, famous brothers and sisters, superhero trivia, your favorite consonant blends, and brother and sister poetry.

There'll be lots of prizes!! (gift certificates, books, superhero figurines and bookmarks.....) Every time you answer a question or leave a comment your name goes in the hat for a prize.

This is not your mother's virtual book tour!!!

Stay Tuned for a Visit from a Superhero!

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep

Superhero Zachary can fly higher than Superman!

How is this possible? What does he eat? This superhero is prepared to reveal his secret diet with us at the end of June. 

Zachary is the main character in my wife, Kathy Stemke's new book, Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep.  He will be stopping by this blog on his Virtual Book Tour. 

Check out some reviews here:

In Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep, Kathy Stemke tells a story that children, especially those who have younger siblings, can relate to. Zachary's life takes a drastic change when a baby sister enters it. He puts on his special glasses and uses his creative imagination to become a superhero and quiet all the wild and noisy commotions that disturb her sleep. Each page of this delightful book is filled with bold, colorful illustrations by Jack Foster and has cute rhymes, which add to the fun. As an added bonus, there are games, word puzzles, a song, and rhymes at the end of the book. It's a great book for home and the classroom.

Review by

Connie Arnold

Having a new baby in the house can be a stressful situation for the parents, but don't forget the affect it has on the baby's older siblings. This is the premise of Kathy Stemke's delightful children's picture book, Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep.

Before Layla joined the family, Zachary's time was his own, whether playing, feeding the bird, or going to school. Now, his time revolves around the needs of his baby sister. His mother needs this for the baby and she needs that for the baby. And, shhhh, Zachary needs to be sure Layla doesn't wake up. And, he's just about fed-up.

Escaping the annoying and boring tasks that his mother asks of him for the baby, Zachary dons a pair of black-rimmed glasses and turns into what every little boy would love to be . . . a superhero. And, in superhero-mode he saves his baby sister from a ferocious bear, a tooting train, and a number of other calamities that either scare or awaken little Layla. One action adventure after another.

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep is a story that children will absolutely love and will easily be able to relate to. How many children get annoyed that they're no longer the center of attention, or that they have to help take care of the baby, or that the family revolves around the baby's needs. Stemke addresses this issue in a fun-filled manner that shows children who feel this way, they are not alone and all is not lost.

With amazing and vivid full page illustrations and witty rhymes that lend themselves to teaching children consonant blends, this story will be a wonderful addition to every child's library, as well as the classroom.

At the end of the book, Stemke includes a "Teacher Supplement" that includes:

* The link to a template of thick black-framed glasses that Zachary wore
* Comprehension questions
* A consonant blend song
* A consonant blend musical chairs game
* A consonant blend worksheet
* Dolch Sight Words Recognition exercise
* Instructions for Beanbag Hoop Toss

Review by

Karen Cioffi