SAL DeTRAGLIA's VIRTUAL TAPAS BAR
Above average home cook, published humorist, endurance athlete, former ex-pat, recovering attorney, doting husband, dedicated dad, non-Italian speaking Italian-American, and endearingly lousy ukulele player. It’s all true. It’s all Sal. This website (www.saldetraglia.com) is my outlet to inform and entertain, on both the personal and professional fronts.
BEFORE
AFTER
Still needs plants, but that can wait for another day…preferably, one in which my muscles have recovered.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know that none of you really care about the landscaping of my front yard. This post is mostly intended for my parents.
Impressed, very impressed.
And please, do post pictures once the plants are in 🙂 seriously.
All that is missing is the Salivator puffing clouds of smoke (and a longhorn skull & wagon wheel).
Nice work. I take it that Sal does not have the greenest of thumbs. I’ll post some shots of my weeds for you to admire or you can see them yourself on the 26th.
CM/HB/FFJ/JRP
Oooh, very nice! Your next career awaits you.
I think it looks very nice now, without the plants! Do post pics once the plants are in.
Lady Di and Franje: Plants are still a bit of a question mark. I know what I want to use (some combinations of thyme, sage, lavender and/or rosemary…plus, potted flowers), but I’m not quite sure how to “clump” them artistically.
Christina: No…my next career involves a Dixieland band, a pair of leotards and a Burmese Python. But thanks for the suggestion, nonetheless.
Headless Colin: Funny you should mention The Salivator. She was, in fact, puffing away yesteday while all that landscaping was going on. Three butts, with a mustard slather and a whole lots of Magic Dust. I was pulling it apart last night at midnight–believe me, all I wanted to do was go to bed at that point. I’m freezing it for my birthday party next month. If you’re in the ‘hood…
Great job, Sal! Did you do the curved pathway to accomodate the walking pattern after a few green fairies 😉
No. Really, I think it looks fab even without the extra plants.
It looks like a great place for you to pace!!! Nice work!
Nina
I’m sitting here getting caught up on all the escapades of Sal, munching on Conguitos, and trying to decide if I dare publish a picture of the packages on my Flickr site. I’m pretty much thinking no on that…
The chocolate are my favorite!
Looks like you have plenty of room here to plant thai basil and many other herbs you can eventually kill. 😉
~ B
C-Swiss: My idea was to drop TBF and Andy at the end of the path after one of their stubbornly undiluted trists with the Green Fairy, and see if they can find their way to my front door.
Nina: If that were my intent, then I’d have made the path much, much longer. But still, I’ll pace on it. I don’t discriminate. Speaking of which…
BeeP: If you were to post those photos, than your past responses to the Rachel Ray rant would seem pleasant in comparison. No…methinks you should just much away in cognito…just as I do with chocolate Conguitos about three times per week. Sooooooo good! However…I highly encourage you to wear that plastic “free gift” on your necklace. You’ll be the center of attention wherever you go. Anyway…glad you liked your winner’s booty. It’s just another example that good taste and tastes good can be mutually exclusive.
Sal
I think it looks good. TBF left me in charge of the rooftop garden this week so I have been doing a bit of parallel landscaping. Mine only consisted of watering and bringing the bay tree and olive tree outdoors to enjoy the weather. I can’t wait for TBF to get back and plant my zucchini. We’re doubling the crop production this year to enjoy those yummy zucchini blossoms. Not sure how I’m going to get rid of all the zucchini!
Hey Mrs. The Big Finn:
Leave it to an Italian-American to understand the true value of the zucchini plant. It’s not the watery, flavorless vegetable that matters; it’s the blossom.
For those of you who are puzzled at this moment, listen up: flour, egg, flour, hot olive oil, salt.
Got it? Good!
But assuming that a fully-formed zucchini should defy the odds and see the light of day, I have a suggestion. It makes an elegant brooch.
Hope all is well with my favorite royal family.
Sal
My dearest son,
Not only are you talented in lawyering, writing, and cooking, but now you’ve shown a gift for landscaping. Great. I have a job for you the next time you’re in Chicago.
Seriously, it looks fantastic. Congratulations.
Big Mamma
Will you plant some lemon trees? Lemons are hugely important.
Yes while you’re in Chicago, stop on by and work a bit on my yard, I won’t mind.
Tiiiiiiiiiina: I’m afraid to ask what your plan are for those lemons.
Mom: What can I say? I honed my chops during 20 years in your backyard.
Michael: No sweat, but my fees are 3 beers per hours, plus a Maxwell St. Polish.
Wow! Can you come to my house next?
Glenna:
Well, that depends. What are you making for lunch?
Sal:
I’m diggin’ the do-rag!
Color me very impressed but I am NOT showing my wife this or she’ll have ideas:)
Chris
My Blog
Dear Sal,
I’m a spanish teacher from the states and I was looking for activities to teach the subjunctive today when I happened upon your fabulous blog! With all my grading, I don’t have too much time to read blogs but when I was living in Sevilla for a year in grad school, I did! And I miss that lifestyle that you write about. Anyhow, I saw one post (from a year ago! haha) where you were inquiring about “Those little yellow balls that are floating in jars of pickles.” and I am sure someone has answered correctly by now but in case they haven’t, I think what you may have seen in the tapas bars were “altramuces” or, lupins in English. They are all over the place in the “frutos secos” stores in the south of Spain where I lived and I was always curious about them so I inquired and that’s what my amigos espanoles told me! Well, just a random note…hope you have a great day! Saludos desde EEUU!
That is quite beautiful! And you’re rocking that do-rag.
I have been in Indy following the end of the legislative session for the past week (oh, my exciting life) but I did manage to plant a lilac bush last weekend. It’s from a start from my dad’s lilacs, which he got from his dad. (Collective “aww”…) If it doesn’t die (which is a big IF) I’ll finally have something to blog about! 😉
The comment from your big mamma is soo sweet..i just had to comment on that..great landscaping too!
She’s right..you really do everything…oh and btw…since you kind of know pickles..check out his new achievement… http://www.skaneatelesootm.blogspot.com
if you want, that is:)