Greetings! Click the square rainbow button to see a portrait of me painted by David Cavello, a well-known artist from New Hope, PA, which is widely known as an artists' colony. At home, the portrait hangs over my fireplace. It's slightly creepy being stared at by oneself all the time, but on the other hand I never have to drink alone.
This page is devoted to my tasteful interests, which include 
horticulture, 
haute cuisine, and 
music.
Next for 2001 came a new pair of garage doors. The old wooden doors were "builder specials," and they'd begun to rot very badly. We found a really marvelous young Italian contractor, who installed a pair of insulated steel garage doors with a premium baked-enamel finish. When it came to selecting the optional windows, at first we thought of doing what everyone else in this part of the state does -- installing one of those stretched-ellipse "Palladian" window sets. But after thinking about it, and envisioning it in terms of the architecture of the front of the house where the garage doors show, I selected rows of square windows with narrowly rectangular divided-lights, sort of an "Arts and Crafts" look -- and the effect with the similar windows in our Victorian reproduction is perfect. Even the contractor (who had his doubts) was wildly impressed, and asked if he could take photographs to show to prospective clients. The new doors are quiet, weatherproof, allow daylight into the two-car garage, and keep the space at a more reasonable ambient temperature than that outdoors. And they really do look lovely!
The continued growth of the trees and shrubs finally made our longtime vegetable garden too shady to be productive. So in 2001, we grew our vegetables in containers! We bought several large, decorative fiberglass urn-type containers. The basil, peppers, radishes, and "Jack Be LIttle" pumpkins grew beautifully. Unfortunately, my partner miscalculated the amount of Epsom salts to add to the soil for our tomato plants. He added too much, so the plants suffered somewhat from salt poisoning, and both the tomatoes and the yields were small. Next year a curved, "wraparound" vegetable garden will be created curving around the southeastern corner of the house, so we will have a new "inground" vegetable garden, and we can use the containers for flowers instead.
After one last annoying run-in with our next door neighbor, we finally installed a vinyl-coated chain link fence on the full length of the side of our property which abuts her property. The lady has a bit of a drinking problem, and for some reason gets the urge to prune when she's a little plastered. During the summer, I caught her hacking down huge sections of our shrub border right to the ground -- not pruning but destroying the shrubs! That was IT! Within two weeks, we had a contractor install a six-foot-tall chain link fence seperating our two properties. Now there will be no more of that sort of depradation!
The roof, which had begun to leak, was completely replaced in September 2001. The new roof is several shades darker than the old roof, and seems to lend a more formal and grounded appearance to our home. The roofing contractor was wonderful, and took great care not to damage plantings and shrubbery beneath his work area. We also chose to have full ridge-vents installed, both to extend the life of the new roof, and to help cool the attic during the hottest days of summer. The difference is appreciable, with one small drawback -- and very windy days/nights, the wind blasting through the ridge vents produces a spooky howling sound which resonates throughout the upper floor, and reminds one of "The Hound of the Baskervilles!" A small price to pay, however, for the added comfort and savings.
The front lawn -- where we live, front lawns are de rigeur as much as I dislike them -- has finally been nursed back to hearty health after the terrible heat and drought of Summer 1999. And we added a new tree, to replace a white birch tree which (unsurprisingly) finally died of bronze birch borer infestation. The new tree is a willow-oak sapling, a "volunteer" which came up in our small woodland garden area a few years ago. We decided to make use of this "free tree" since the ease with which it volunteered showed it is adapted to our soil and climate. The willow oak is a slow grower, but it will eventually reach about 80 feet in height. We are great believers in large, shade-type "street trees," and the willow oak will make a wonderful addition to our two other street trees, a wild swamp cherry with beautiful bark, and a dragons'-claw willow with fascinating twisted branch structure.
Gardening:
In the seventeen years I've lived in my current home, I've done some pretty extensive landscaping. When I moved in, I had a new house on a completely barren clay lot -- the developer even stripped the topsoil. No grass, no trees, no plants of any kind! The first thing I did was to plant a tree; I think that's a hopeful thing to do, and a good omen for a new home.
The tree I planted was a three-foot-tall dragon's-claw willow (Salix matsudana tortuosa), which is a very beautiful tree. You often see its' twisted branches used in florists' arrangements, but few people realize those branches come from a sizeable tree! My willow is now nearly thirty feet tall and twenty feet broad in the crown. Eight years ago, I rooted a branch
from the tree and planted it on my front lawn. With the help of some special tree-fertilizer spikes and improved soil, that willow is now taller than the original!
Over the years I've added a shrub border, numerous perennial beds, and plantings of bulbs to my gardens. I sometimes wonder why I spent so much time putting in a lawn, because I've gradually ripped nearly all of the rear and side lawns out to put more garden beds in. Among my favorite plants in my gardens are: a "Dr. Merril" star-magnolia tree (Magnolia loebneri) about twenty feet tall, which is planted in front of two large white pines (Pinus parviflora). It makes a beautiful
display in the spring, when its white flowers are displayed against the backdrop of the deep-green pines. Unfortunately, this year (1997), the magnolia was in full bloom on the day a freak nor'easter snowstorm dropped 14 inches of heavy, wet snow in my area. The blossoms are delicate, and bruise easily like gardenias -- so the next day, when the snow melted, the tree appeared to be covered in soggy bits of brown paper. I was very disappointed, but luckily a few buds had not yet opened, so I got a small display after all. But I now caution gardeners north of Washington, D.C., to think carefully about planting a star magnolia, since late-spring winds or snow can ruin the display. I love my shrub border of pussy willow (Salix discolor), old-fashioned mock orange (Philadelphus virginalis), pyrimidal firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea'Teton'), and Hick's yew (Taxus media hicksii). Pardon me if I sound a bit self-satisfied, but my shrub border is a far more interesting, beautiful, and effective choice as a barrier between properties than my neighbors'
choices of fencing (chain link with those god-awful colored plastic strips woven through it!) or boring privet hedges.
Right now I have more than four hundred different varieties of ornamental trees, shrubs and plants on my property. I tried, and mostly succeeded, in creating a landscape requiring little maintenance. Aside from mowing the lawn, my only high-maintenance area is the rose garden. I purposely kept the rose garden small, formal, and concentrated, so I could take care of these demanding plants more easily. They are watered by a buried "soaker" hose, to avoid wetting the foliage, which can encourage disease.
The rose garden is the only area where I use toxic sprays; I'm not terribly happy about using these chemicals, and I try to choose those that are least harmful to the environment. Modern tea roses, however, are so highly overbred that they absolutely require spraying or they will quickly succumb to thrips, aphids, fire blight, blackspot, or any of the other dozens of pests and diseases that attack roses. Among my favorite roses in the garden are "Chrysler Imperial," a very deep blood-red with a heavy perfume; "John F. Kennedy," a pure
white grandiflora; "Brandy," an unusual bronze-gold tea rose with a spicy scent; and "Peace," a very famous tea rose of pink flushed with pale gold and deep lavender. The most unusual rose I have is "Souvenir de Malmaison," a Bourbon perpetual with a very pronounced scent; it's a variety of rose that Napoleon's Empress Josephine grew in her own rose gardens, dating from the early 17th century.
Haute Cuisine
Every summer, I have an alfresco dinner party in the gardens in the
back of my property (usually 10 guests), which is kind of an odd outdoor party because I use lace tablecloths, my good china and silver and crystal. It looks a little odd to have a long formal lace-draped table outdoors under a tree! Last year, I served a boneless beef
sirloin roast which I cooked on the rotisserie on my gas grill, accompanied by Bordelaise sauce, duchesse potatoes, and haricots verts Provencale. We started with gazpacho I made fresh from vegetables I grow in my gardens, with a pinot grigio from the Veneto to drink.
To go with the roast, I served a choice of Chateau Larose Trintaudon 1992 Bordeaux rouge, or Rutherford Hill 1987 Merlot. (The Bordeaux was too young and the Merlot was too old, but they were both delicious and nobody who comes is a master connoisseur anyway). After dinner,
we had coffee and cordials, and I served two fresh pies I'd baked earlier in the day, one blueberry and one nectarine. A fattening time was had by all. This year I am planning a menu including chilled peach soup laced with sauterne, a frisee' salad with toasted pecans and balsamic viniagrette, crown roast of pork coated with fresh rosemary, crushed garlic and extra-virgin olive oil, homemade Parmaggiana linguini (if I can find the damn pasta machine!) with pesto and oil-cured olives, and I'll probably make pies again -- a blueberry of course (my favorite!!!) and maybe a cherry too. I'll have to think about the wines -- if you have suggestions (under $20 per 750-ml bottle, please!), feel free to email me: Cub4U2@msn.com. Well, as things turned out, I had my dinner party last weekend (June 28 1997). I made a few changes to the menu -- we had blueberry-champagne soup to start instead of peach soup, and I made a peach pie and a frozen-chocolate-mousse mold in a teddy-bear mold for dessert. Everything was delicious -- I stuffed the crown roast with a mix of ground pork, exotic mushrooms (porcini, morel, oyster and chanterelle) and rosemary. But stupid li'l Buckcub had too much to drink. Martinis and champagne before dinner, sauvignon blanc with the soup, merlot with the roast, cognac with dessert, Chambord after dessert -- ack! I went into the bathroom to pee, slipped on a rug (disgracefully drunk!) and sprained my foot. Luckily it was late already and so no one minded (I hope!) that I had to go to bed. Went to the hospital the next day and was diagnosed with a bad sprain -- I got crutches, pain pills, and a stern admonition from the emergency-room doc to get drunk sitting down from now on! (grin) Next year -- something really adventurous. Wild boar, I think! I'll hafta order it months ahead of time, but the Italian Market in Philly can deliver even on bizarre requests like that!
Some of the songs Grandpa taught me:
I also enjoy other kinds of music. I like "classical" music, especially Wagner, Mozart, and Ives. I also enjoy "country & western" music, and like "two-steppin'" to that type of music. K.D. Lang's recording of "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" is one of the finest C&W recordings I've ever heard, in my opinion. I also like the old Patsy Cline recordings. And I am amazed by the smart stuff offered by some of the old masters of the theater: "P.S., I Love You" is an astounding piece of music, both for the lyrics AND for the tune!
This page is continuously under construction, but somehow the black-and-yellow "construction line" didn't seem to fit with my "tasteful" image. Please stop back to see updates!
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(fair warning, I only have jockey shorts on!)
Luckily, I'm pretty good at cooking. Among my culinary accomplishments:
3rd place, 1995 National Oyster Cookoff, Leonardtown, MD
Live Television appearance, August 1995, WHYY-TV12, Philadelphia, PA prepared grilled mako shark steak Provencale and blueberry-champagne soup
"Chef du Jour" at David Duthie's Yellow Brick Toad restaurant in Lambertville, NJ, May 14 1995 prepared original dinner recipe, "Medaillion du Porc, Couli Cerises Sauvage" for the restaurant's forty-five guests.
Better Homes and Gardens magazine recipe contest winner, January 1992 issue One-Dish Main Dishes, "Rick's White Chili"
Bucks County Courier-Times "comfort foods" recipe contest winner, April 1997 "Terrine Chasseur" (Hunter's Meatloaf)
I also have a large Christmas party (40 - 60 guests) every year for which I prepare all the food from my original recipes, which usually includes my pate' maison, a couple different quiches (asparagus and smoked salmon last year)
something out-of-the-ordinary in the way of hors d'oeuvres (goat-cheese savory "cheesecake"!), cocktail sandwiches of smoked turkey and sliced buffalo mozzerella with my hot pepper chutney, etc. etc.
This year (Christmas 2001) I had my holiday party on December 15. There were the usual three trees (one teddy-bear themed; one in hundreds of different shades of blue to match the dining room; and one big old messy "boomer" tree, a live Fraser fir), and a bountiful buffet including my pate' de maison; hot artichoke/crabmeat dip; very spicy Swedish meatballs; a selection of nine cheeses including a hard-to-find ripe Stilton; smoked salmon canapes with fresh dill, capers, and vodka-laced Neufchatel cheese; an onion dip with veal demiglace and minced fresh sage leaves; and a plethora of other goodies including dozens of homebaked cookies. Naturally there was also decent Champagne by the case, and an assortment of deluxe candies for those who wanted a sweet nibble from time to time. The party was highly successful, but I'm afraid it was my last! Not that I didn't have a good time -- but a party of that size, where I do all the work and make all the food -- well, it's just too much work given my health status. I was absolutely exhausted for two days afterward, feeling as if I'd been hit by a truck! So passes a long tradition at Chez BuckcuB -- we've had seventeen holiday parties, but I simply can't handle all the work involved anymore.
If you are looking for a good recipe for something, click here to return to my homepage, and send me email requesting a recipe -- I have zillions of recipes, many of which are original.
Martha Stewart Steals From ME!
MUSIC
I love music! I am a member of (and do publicity for) the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus. The NJGMC was previously named the "Delaware Valley Men's Chorus," but the name was changed in July 1996 to more accurately reflect the chorus' composition and goals. Fortunately, I don't sing, because (as the old saying goes) I can't carry a tune in a bucket! But I enjoy acting as publicist for the NJGMC and helping them out at concerts. Early in 1996, the NJGMC performed the World Premiere of a new work by our conductor, Dr. J. A. Kawarsky, "Prayers For Bobby." The performance at Trenton (NJ) Trinity Cathedral was narrated by Marlo Thomas. The work is truly moving, and a beautiful musical commentary on gay youth. The chorus performed the work again in July 1996 at GALA V, the fifth world gathering of gay choruses, in Tampa, Florida, before an audience of more than 15,000.
Although I can't sing, I do play the piano (rather badly). I can't read at tempo, so I must memorize all the music I play. My grandfather taught me to play the piano; he was a piano-player in a "speakeasy" in Manhattan during Prohibition. He taught me the wonders of the "rolling bass" and other Twenties jazz piano tricks. In December '96, my faithful old Prescott piano died, succumbing to a fatal drying-out of the pinblock, alas. I hated the idea of trashing it, because it has a beautiful rosewood case. Over dinner one night, my friend Dan K. made a brilliant suggestion: why not turn the old Prescott into a bar? Sort of a physical pun -- a "piano bar," (get it? Hehehehe!) So I removed the front cover, the key lid, and the action, and installed plate-glass shelving over the keys back to the strings, and another glass shelf about halfway up the back resting on the rods that used to support the action. Then in went a flourescent light underneath, and voila! a piano bar! Not only useful, but kind of funny, too. Then, because I think I must be one of the luckiest cubs who ever lived, in only two weeks I found the PERFECT replacement piano. My living room's too small for a grand, and modern spinets/consoles look all wrong -- my decor is kind of "early Grandma's house:" mostly Victorian stuff with quite a bit from the '20s and 30's. In the very first piano store I walked into, there IT was -- sitting all dusty and faded between the glittering Yamahas and Becksteins was an 1891 Steinway upright Model "M"! Beautiful -- ebony scrollwork on the front panel, although the black silk behind the scrollwork was rotting and torn. The owner agreed to let my tuner/technician check out the piano. My tuner called the next day and said the piano was in excellent shape; apparently in those days Steinways were all hand-built, like Rolls-Royces. He also told me I was robbing the place if I got it at the price they were asking -- apparently the owner was selling it as a favor to a friend, and he was in a big hurry to get the aging grande dame off his showroom floor. In two days, it was delivered. I soon replaced the rotted black silk with some gold silk charmeuse (jeez, am I gay or what?!), and upholstered the top of the double bench with some foam padding and burgundy leatherette -- not original, but that damn bench was hard! Then the tuner came, lubricated the action, tuned 'er up. We inaugurated the piano at my annual Christmas party, with my buddy Ron (a classical pianist and highly-accomplished organist) playing carols until the wee hours.
"Charleston"
"Ain't She Sweet"
"Black Bottom"
"Fascination"
"Nola" (I really suck on this one, though, it's terribly difficult!)
"Ain't We Got Fun?"
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