100 Postings

This is my 100th blog posting. Google counts the postings and I believe them.

I want to thank all you readers, fictitious or not, for taking this journey with me. I may be moving my blog to a new site soon: the crassly commercial gerryzeckphotos.com web site.

I am now selling my off beat photo art prints, photo art wall clocks and photo art note cards. Many of my photo art themes may be classified in the world of censorship as adult material. OK, I can live with that.

Warning: if you don’t like to look at photo renditions featuring the human body, don’t visit my web site at www.gerryzeckphotos.com. You will be offended. Go off somewhere else and have a good day.

If you do visit my new web site, you can register in the Guest Book to win a free photo art wall clock (see below) and receive an occasional photography newsletter in which I will update you on my latest photo thoughts and images. The newsletter is likely to become a photo history tour of sorts. But not all old work.

EyeEyeEye, a photo art wall clock

Web site visitors: Be sure to register in the Guest Book for the drawing. EyeEyeEye, an original Gerry Zeck photo art wall clock, will be presented to a random choice winner of the drawing to be held on September 14, 2009. The winner will be announced in the blog on site.

Moon Rise

Some scenes are worth returning to capture.

For Michael and Rachel, Pepper Fans

The Pepper Roasting Recipe

See July 26 posting

Thanks Michael and Rachel. You win the coveted Pepper Roasting recipe

learned from the Gourmand (in the French tradition) Joe Kady.

1. Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan (or two) with extra virgin olive oil.

2. Set the oven to bake at 350 to 400 degrees. [Hotter means checking more often.]

3. Slice three or four red peppers, yellow and/or orange peppers into 1/4 inch slices. I use only sweet red peppers if no others are available.

4. Cut the 1/4 inch pepper slices into 1-3 inch lengths. Throw peppers into the oiled pan and move them around the pan to spread the olive oil.

5. Slice a sweet yellow onion into 1/4 inch or smaller slices. Scatter amongst the peppers.

6. Sprinkle peppers and onion with olive oil again and salt lightly with sea salt.

7. Dice 3 or 4 good sized garlic cloves and sprinkle amongst peppers in pan.

8. Slice and dice a nice fat shallot and spread amongst peppers in pan.

9. One variation of the weekly pepper roast includes adding two or three sliced tomatoes.

10. Sprinkle the entire pan with coarse black pepper.

At this point you want to use a pancake turner and turn the onions, peppers and garlic until they are thoroughly coated with olive oil. I usually use two pans and spread the veggies evenly.

Set the timer for 45 minutes if roasting at 350 degrees and at 30 minutes if roasting at 400 degrees. When timer rings, take pans out of oven and turn peppers over a few times.

When you place the pans back into the oven, place the original top pan on the bottom shelf and the bottom pan on the top shelf. Set timer for another 30 minutes. You may want to do a visual check again in 15 minutes.

When the smell becomes irresistible, check your pans. As the onion carmalizes, you know you are nearing roasting climax. Slightly blackened peppers mean take them out.

Thereafter, I place the peppers into storage containers, put them in the refrigerator, and dig into them when I want to sweeten up chicken dishes while cooking it, almost any tomato pasta dish [chicken or burger], and as a topping on home made pizza.

Warning: You must guard against nibblers drawn to the kitchen by the smells.

Photographic Failures and Peppers

Not all attempts at making photographic art are successful. Let me illustrate with some recent pix that may show the difference between intent and result.

Here's an attempt that fell between the cracks.

This is a picture of a hoot owl whooo got away.

These scenes are from my Saturday afternoon pepper roasting orgy.

It's just a cheap little Kodak camera, but it's ever ready to get to work.

I ask myself: Is it possible you have a pepper fetish?

I don't know, but I love roasting peppers.

And I'd love to see your peppers, too!

Two More Eggs

These two eggs, from last night's meal, are about to be scrambled for inclusion into a fish, rice, carrots, green onions and peas dish. Nummy!

I enjoy the aesthetics of food preparation as much as the taste, it seems. These eggs were delicious too scattered amongst the whites and oranges and greens. Click on the image and tell me if you can see a nebula or an eggula, or something like that. Maybe a lunar egg?

Yesterday's Favorite Kodak Moments

Yes, we love every sweet red pepper that crosses our chopping block. Even this one with the green hump backed stem. Tasty morsels after roasting. Leave a comment (below) and I will divulge my roasting recipe.

My second favorite shot from yesterday, made with my trusty inexpensive Kodak digital camera, is a record of the sunset at Kim Ross' 50th birthday party on Longboat Key.

The Z Girls of Kansas

On Monday and Tuesday of this week I was blessed by a visit from my grand nieces, Jaycee, Jaira, and Jenna: The Z Girls of Kansas. It was an aqueous vacation that brought them to me in Florida; they visited Sea World, my swimming pool, and took a dip in the Gulf of Mexico. These few pix are mostly pool shots I particularly like.

Noodle less and noodler. Left to Right: Jaycee, Jenna, Jaira Zeck

Doing the Deep End Leap are (L to R) Jaira, Jaycee, and Jenna Zeck

Jenna and Jaira making Uncle Gerry smile until the top of his ears hurt.

Jaycee and Jenna Zeck

Your lips, your lips, your lips are juicy!

My sweet niece Jen Callahan Zeck agreed to contrast her beautiful, smooth face with my grizzle for the benefit of photographic posterity. Yes, like Katherine Hepburn, I too am vain enough to cover my neck with a camera strap when the camera gets this close.

Thanks Jen and Brian and Jaycee and Jaira and Jenna for making my Day for months to come.