Bret's Page

Bret!

Long time, no see! I will be in Portland mid July! We need to hook up again.

Best,

Mike 

Atop a hill in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland

Hey Bret! How's the autumn weather treating you? A friend of mine just got back from climbing Mt Rainier! Just looking at the photo here makes me want to pick up and go...He said it was harder to climb than he ever imagined. But, he did it.

Have you discovered more good things in your new digs? All the best, Mike

Hi Bret, I left a reply to your discussion on Environmental Zoo. Thanks so much for your input and the fact that your DOING something.

Hi Again Bret, Thank you for joining Environmental and looking forward to your input. Also, thank you for becoming my friend on here. I'm still enjoying your pictures. I've put up a few in my environmental discussion.

Hi Bret, I love your pictures. I'd like to invite you to join Environmental Zoo where you could share with us your ideas or practices concerning sustainable lifestyles and anything else you'd like to discuss or share with us. I also would like to invite you to be my friend on here. See you there? I've visited the Portland area and remember it as being a lovely place to live.Your recipe sounds delicious!

This is a recipe from Bret, who is an incredible cook:

Bruschetta and Penne Pasta with smoked chicken and fresh mozzarella

Get a round of French bread (not Baguette) and slice off two slices nice and thick (at least 1"). Cut them in half so you have four pieces. It's best to let it set out for a day of two. Then marinate the tomatoes. Romas work well but you don't have to use them specifically. Dice them up and soak them in basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil for two days while the bread dries out. Then take a thin slice of mozzarella and place it on the bead. Melt the cheese by toasting the bread. A toaster oven works best so you don't have to heat the entire oven. Once melted, remove from the oven and spoon on the tomatoes. Make sure to drain the tomatoes with a slotted spoon before placing them on the bread. No soggy bruschetta here. :)

For the Penne, Smoked chix really tastes best. You should be able to try it at you local store.
Cook the Penne pasta as directed. I really like it al dente. While the pasta is cooking toss a little chopped garlic in a pan with a smidgen of olive oil and heat it up to release the flavor. Then add the chicken about 2-3 minutes before the pasta is finished. Heat the chicken and add your favorite marinara sauce. Once the sauce is added to the chicken and garlic, don't stir it too much because the chicken will break up. Toss in the Penne pasta after draining. Add the fresh mozzarella and fold it all together.

Funny, what is Bret focusing on?

Bret, focusing: