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zanzooni   
be the change you want to see in the world...ghandi ~


Real Name: Zana/Nonni/Non/Zucchini/Z/Zooners/Zanabanana
Lives In: Virginia, US
Birth Date: August 29
Member Since: Sep 03, 2003
Last Login: Jul 05, 2009   01:47 UTC
Member's Time: Jul 05, 2009   08:41 EDT
VT Rank: 1195
Deals Rank: Unranked
External Page:www.entreemetropolitan.com
Travel Interests: Food and Dining, Diving and Snorkeling, Motorcycle, Sailing and Boating, Hot Air Ballooning

 

Page Views: 30,128            

Yin and Yang...~

by zanzooni - last update: Mar 11, 2009

Another day in the life of the Idiot Savants~

Food, Cooking, Wine

As I am currently working in the food industry, and have extensive knowledge regarding food, wine, alcohol, cooking, and whatever, I have decided to start a bi-weekly "Culinary is only a word..." column. I shall provide recipes, wine, beer & alcohol knowledge, as well as pots and pans info, and even go into depth regarding table settings and decor. Feel free to ask me anything regarding the "Kitchen".

Kitchen Accoutrements
Must haves: *Measuring cups:for dry and liquid measuring
*Measuring spoons
*Knives:good ones. Henckels are what I use
*Cutting boards:Wood and plastic
*Chinois: a fine strainer used to make soups/chowders
*Utensils:Plastic & metal:Stainless steel
*Pots and Pans:I prefer copper bottom for even heating. Do Not Use Aluminum!
*Wine Key:Well, you know what for.
*Lots of fresh spices/fresh herbs
*Cooking oils:Olive/All Blend/Infused Oils
*Mixer/Grinder/Garlic Press/Chopper/Mixing Bowls:glass and or stainless/oven thermometer/meat therm./Baster-Injector/Immersion Blender/Skewers/Grill Utensils/Grills:Gas and charcoal/cheese slicer or rasp, multi-purpose grater: I use a 6 sided grater all with different grate sizes/mandoline/citrus peeler

Visit this site for your first lesson in "how not to cook": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-01FA7_V6QI&feature=related
The Little Creatures

Bugzilla and Gecko

Here are the loves of my life...Hailley Rayne, who will be 8 in November, and Jadyn Ryan, who is 3 months old today. Ahhh...Let me remember them always like this.~
I love the Aquarium!

'Buggs in Baltimore

The "Trickle Down Theory" need not only apply to the Corporate Universe. I've been into plants, aquariums, birds, dogs and cats and what ever creatures since I was born. I wasn't allowed to have those creatures while in my parents house, but I made damn sure that I had them in my house and my children had them and then some, and 'Buggs had them and some more. She's had her own fish tank prior to her birth some 6 years ago, and has a bigger one now. I keep adding Gurami's and Angel fish, as well as the "Suckasorasus" in order to keep the tank clean. So it's no surprise that when she finally landed at the place where there are REALLY BIG AQUARIUMS, she was beaming.
Wha'da a mean you can't hear me?

I just woke up the whole planet

Actually, I was pretending that I was a lion. This was taken on the 4th of July, in Spotsi. I was just lettin' off some energy while I was waiting for the fireworks. My parents really annoy me, what can I say?
Relaxing in the bookstore as I wait for Nonni

Some of Life's little pleasures

She was watching me. That is what she does of late. I turned around, snapping away, and here she was, wide eyed like a doe. Blinking naturally, leg moving up and down to her own rhythm. Breathing in and out, sighing. Oh, Non..can we please move along now?? OH?! What happened to my travel compadre? That little angel that loved to experience life's little pleasures? She's almost 7....7. When I started here she was 3, almost 4. Huge differences. The questions she asks are so grown. Why do...?? I want to post the questions, but I have to respect her privacy. She will always be my "MonkeyBugss" aka "Bugz". It's our special universe that only we share.~
Chelsea Alia

The Missing Link....

This is my baby girl. She's 14 and I just met up with her for the first time in 12 years...Did you ever see Shakira belly dance to "Ojos Asi'? No?? Well, check her out on YouTube. "Chelsaba" blew me away with her rendition of Shakira, (she actually scared me...OMG!! That's my baby shakin' her hips and booty) and put her to shame. She LOVES pink. She LOVES chocolate, and I can see the residue of left over chocolate on the corners of her mouth in her pic here. She LOVES her Egyptian National soccer/football team, "The Pharaoh's" They have a commercial on TV in Egypt that features the team doing fancy footwork as well as moves that just makes her swoon. She LOVES shoes and jewelry. We bought her both. I bought her a beautifully designed ring with pink stones and diamonds. Wish I had taken a picture of it. She LOVES being a Muslim. Long heated discussions about the beliefs she is being taught, including it was the Jews that blew up the World Trade Center, and she has no clue who "Al-Qaeda" is, even though I've been told she lives in the area of Cairo where they meet. She is right, we are wrong. She LOVES Tom Cruise unconditionally. She loved telling me how she was going to marry him, and too bad for Katie.(inspite of my constant reminders that he was old enough to be her father) She doesn't really fit into the culture of Egypt, as she is half in, and half out. She wants to be American, but under the duress of her father's suppression and control, she's afraid to make a move. I LOVE her unconditionally and have hope for our future. ~
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time

What do I really like??

I love music. I started playing piano at the age of 5, and took up trumpet at the age of 9. I can appreciate all types of music, but I am not enamoured with all types. Here are some of my favorite artists: Quick Silver Messenger Service, the Marshall Tucker Band, Little Feat, 38 Special, Mountain, The Fabulous ThunderBirds, RamJam, Mountain, Dicky Betts, the Charlie Daniels Band, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Arturo Sandoval, Basia, the Dixie Chics, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, The Derek Trucks Band, BB King, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits, Robert Cray Band, Sarah McLachlan, Alecia Keys, Santana, Andrea Bocelli, Loreena McKennit, R. Kelley, Nelly, P. Diddy, Martha Wash, Boys2Men, Brooks and Dunn, Big and Rich, Mary J. Blige, SuperTramp, PinkFloyd, Jethro Tull, Wishbone Ash, Whitney Houston, Erica Badou, Patsy Cline, Gretchen Wilson, and...the list can and will go on indefinetly. I love Spanish and Arabic music. Salsa, Merengue, Belly Dance. I would have to say the only music that I prefer not to hear for any length of time is Hard Rock, BlueGrass, and anything Christian. Well, I do like Black gospel music...

The books that make me go hmmmm: Don Quixoite, The Memoirs of Cleopatra, The Grapes of Wrath, Zelda, the Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, the Martian Chronicles,the Gulag Archipelago, Magic Kingdom for Sale, the Mission Earth series, The Stories of Eva Luna, the Cairo Trilogy, The Mists of Avalon, The DaVinci Code, and how dare I forget, Alice in Wonderland.

I love the create of photography...it's a challenge at best. The colours, the movement, the subject. How to capture it all in one swift move, and communicate it to all what you were thinking at that moment in time.

I love to write. This is why I love VT..I can write, do photography, create. ~
On the edge...once again~

Life is what YOU create...

..Ojos asi

"If your not on the edge, then you're taking up too much room!" This has been my motto for at least a decade. I've always liked it, knowing that it communicates alot in so very few words. Balance..it's all about balance. Should I come or should I go? I may make you feel, but I can't make you think. Truly, I don't mind if you sit this one out..My words are nothing more than a whisper in this malaise, and the deafness here does SHOUT...and you shake your head and say "It's a shame"... Life is a Chess Game~

zanzooni's Albums
Title [Click to view]Travel YearPictures
To Be Young and Carefree- 7
The Future of VT- 6
For Alecia, May the Celtic winds blow you free...~- 8
Some family members- 5
Flying- 8
Grand Children are awesome!- 8
The Food Album- 3
The Washington Nationals Baseball Team in Action - 8

Comments for zanzooni
Tina-Perth Sun Jul 5, 2009 04:23 UTC
 Really? When are you coming to Perth? Hopefully we'll be in Australia when you get here. T x
Slapshot1 Fri Jul 3, 2009 19:18 UTC
 Happy fourth of July Zanita!!!! Have a great one and be careful with fireworks!!!
Donna_in_India Fri Jul 3, 2009 12:07 UTC
 Hi Z - It was so great to talk with you! Two NYers can sure yak alot!! Will catch up with you next week. Not looking forward to the long trip home tomorrow but hoping to get some sleep on Sunday! Have a great weekend!
pchamlis Sat Jun 27, 2009 15:30 UTC
 Zana dear, thank you so very much for your kind birthday greetings. I had a very nice day. (new family photo on my homepage) How are things in your world?
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