Great Saxe

My low-grade interest in the Marechal de Saxe, who lived from 1696-1750, has suddenly flared up into a fever of web-searching. I found the following brief tidbits at an infoplease entry for Saxe:

Saxe, Maurice, comte de, marshal of France, one of the greatest generals of his age. He was the illegitimate son of August II of Poland and Saxony. When very young he entered the Saxon army, and in 1720 he went into French service. In 1726 he obtained leave to make good his claim to the duchy of Courland, but in 1727 the attempt failed. He fought under the duke of Berwick in the War of the Polish Succession. In the War of the Austrian Succession, he led the successful attack on Prague (1741) and later, after becoming (1744) marshal, made his reputation by victories at Fontenoy (1745) and Raucoux (1746) and by the capture of Maastricht (1748). In recognition of his services Louis XV gave him life tenure of the castle of Chambord and (1747) the title of marshal general. His Mes RĂªveries (1757) is a remarkable work on the art of war. Maurice de Saxe was notorious for his amorous exploits and for his tragic liaison with Adrienne Lecouvreur. Among his descendants was George Sand. L. H. Thornton has translated (1944) Mes RĂªveries.

Other searches reveal titillating mentions of Saxe in the memoirs of Casanova, check out these 2 e-book pages: casanova 1, casanova 2.

Apparently his mistress, the actress Lecouvreur, was poisoned by a rival named Bouillon. Later, an opera was written about her. And how cool is the George Sand connection?

Makin' Candy setlist, 11/23/04

Here's what played last week--just 2 hours of sticky sweet goods.


  • Lifted by Love: kd lang
  • Moves Like You: Cath Carroll
  • At Seventeen: Janis Ian
  • My Jeanette: Squirtgun
  • Snik Snak Skaduliak: Go Nuts
  • Cryin' Cryin' Cryin': Bomb Bassets
  • How to Survive a Broken Heart: Ben Lee
  • Lover's Lane: Squirrel Nut Zippers
  • Pacifics: Digable Planets
  • Plena for My Grundle: Garage a Trois
  • Desaparecido: Manu Chao
  • Which of Us is the Fool: Robert Palmer
  • Consumption: Bill Horowitz
  • Midnight Blues: Leftover Salmon feat. Del & Ronnie McCoury
  • It Must Be Love: Madness
  • Der Komissar (German version): Falco
  • Sentimental Love: Elevator Drops
  • Big Country: Big Country
  • Hey: Disappear Fear
  • Cosmic Slop: Axiom Funk
  • Let Forever Be: Chemical Brothers
  • Clever Gretel: told by Danny Kaye
  • Shaker Hill: The Jazz Mandolin Project
  • Green Peach Blues: Lew London
  • Caught: Anna Domino
  • Eggs & Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson): Tom Waits
  • Fadista Louco: Antonio Mourao
  • There's Always One You Can't Forget (music of Charlie Chaplin: Thomas Beckman (cello) & Johannes Cernota (piano)

Gilfeather turnip soup with sea-legs

I invented this based on a bitchin' soup I tasted a couple years ago at the 4 Columns Inn in Newfane, VT. My ad hoc recipe, featuring the legendary Gilfeather Turnip (check this link for word on a movie about this heirloom vegetable, that's how much we love it in Vermont:
http://www.ibrattleboro.com/article.php?story=2004062809212420
). I bought the turnip at the local Farmer's Market on Saturday and it really was as big as my head. Turns out I could only fit about half of it in my largest soup pot.

Take:
1 chopped onion
1 T olive oil or butter
1 box chicken broth
4 cups cubed Gilfeather turnip
2 cups cubed potato (I used a waxy one to add more texture to the soup)
1 cup cubed yellow carrot (found this at Walker Farm, the light color means the soup has carrot sweetness but not carrot color)
1 bay leaf
1 6 oz. can of lump crab meat (or fresh if you can get it)
salt to taste

Saute the onion in the butter or oil until it starts to look glassy. Then add the broth, root vegetables and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour or until turnip pieces are soft (the potato and carrot may not be so soft, that's OK). The soup pot I used was larger than my (electric) stove element, so I used a heat disperser to keep everything cookin' and avoid burning food to the bottom of the pan. (This technique also works really well for brown rice.)

Allow the soup to cool (perhaps overnight in the fridge). To finish soup, mash up the root chunks with a masher or slotted spoon. Bring back to a simmer and add water for desired consistency. Add the crab meat and stir in so it starts to break up and flavor the whole soup. Marry flavors by simmering everything for another 10 minutes or so, then salt & serve! For someone who isn't a huge fan of vegetable tastes, I thought this soup was pretty delicious!

Makin' Candy Setlist, 11/16/04

Here's the radio info for this week. Mixin' candy like toffee loves lace.


  • My Radio (AM Mix): Stars
  • Mouthpiece: Shellac
  • Speak Our Minds: Innocence Mission
  • Je Veux Plus te Voir (I Don't Want You Anymore): Linda Thompson
  • In Limbo: Radiohead
  • Pachysandra: Gordon Stone
  • No Aloha: The Breeders
  • Harbor coat: REM
  • Who's My Baby: Natacha Atlas with Niara Scarlett
  • Down Boys: The Cars
  • No Melody: Kleenex Girl Wonder
  • 12 Halfs: E*vax & Supersprite
  • War Party: Eddie Grant
  • Civilization: David Byrne
  • Through with June: The Vestrymen
  • Hombre Secreto: The Plugz (Repo Man s/t)
  • Bring My Car I Feel to Smash It: The Sea & Cake
  • Wedding Coat: Appalachian Death Ride
  • The Bomb: Herbie Hancock
  • Perfect Angel: Jimmy Ryan
  • You're My Meat: Joe Jackson
  • Eat That Chicken: Charles Mingus
  • Freedom: House Martins
  • Angry Anymore: Ani diFranco
  • I Scare Myself: Thomas Dolby
  • 12-24-2011: Anubian Lights
  • Valley in the Clouds: David Arkenstone
  • Bushman's Samba: Lullatone

Makin' Candy setlist, 11/9/04

Check out the strings of rants and useful information at www.ibrattleboro.com... it has been making me feel if not better, at least in like company regarding this election fiasco. I have also been enjoying www.sorryeverybody.com, though I contest that the "red" states have gotten ripped off even more than the blue states (either through fraud or, worse, being brain-washed by vituperative talk radio, etc.) so I hate to see those "blues" pulling back and pointing fingers. That's just what THEY want us to do. We gots to work together, man. Anyway, here's the list:


  • Faith: George Michael
  • The Phone Call: Memphis
  • Equal Rights: Peter Tosh
  • Dreamin': The Photon Band
  • Watchin' the Detectives: Elvis Costello
  • Don't change Your Plans: Ben Folds Five
  • Mom's Sound System: Buckminster Fuzeboard
  • Feeling Sad & Lonely: Bush (a 60's garage-rock band)
  • I Like em Big and Stupid: Julie Brown
  • Limbo: Throwing Muses
  • I Wish You Would: Bowie
  • Waltz #2: Elliot Smith
  • Bullroarer: Midnight Oil
  • The Cowboy Mambo (Hey Lookit Me Now): David Byrne
  • Time to Build: Beastie Boys
  • Nobody told Me: John Lennon
  • Terror: The Stockholm Monsters
  • Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity: Isao Tomita (and Holst)
  • See the Girl: Psychopaths
  • The Man's Too Strong: Dire Straits
  • Band of Gold: Afghan Whigs
  • Radio Free: Smiley Bob Project
  • Now You're Gone: Counts
  • Hearts and Bones: Paul Simon
  • Take Your Clothes off when You Dance: Frank Zappa
  • Early Ev'ry Midnite: Roberta Flack
  • You're Gonna Love Yourself in the Morning: Sammy Davis Jr.

Makin' Candy setlist, 11/2/04

This show was a dee-luxe Beastie Boys special edition... as DJ Pockets pointed out, good music for election night, especially if you're angry. I must add that the new "To the Five Boroughs" CD is really starting to rock my world. Thanks y'all.


  • Sabrosa
  • Body Movin'
  • Right Right Now Now
  • Brass Monkey
  • Lighten Up
  • I Don't Know
  • Shake Your Rump
  • Sure Shot
  • Groove Holmes
  • Time to Build
  • Rhymin' and Stealin'
  • Negotiation Limerick File (The 41 Small Star Mix)
  • Shadrach
  • Alright Hear This
  • Now Get Busy
  • Fight for your Right
  • Root Down (Free Zone Mix)
  • Alive
  • Sounds of Science
  • Drinkin' Wine
  • Crawlspace
  • Brand New
  • Hey Ladies
  • Paul Revere
  • 20 Questions
  • Sabotage
  • Intergalactic
  • Egg Man
  • An Open Letter to NYC
  • Gratitude
  • Transitions
  • Benny & the Jets
  • Boddhisatva Vow
  • We Got The

The least of it

Of the many, many loud and ANGRY and apologetic (to the rest of the world) things I have to say about what happened in this country in the past 24 hours, here's just one: Bush was not RE-elected. This is not a RE-election win. This is the FIRST time he's been elected. And THAT is even worse. WHO elected this person after everything that's gone down in the past 4 years? What are we going to do for the NEXT 4 years? I feel like Lewis Black today in that I can't help SHOUTING.

Makin' Candy Setlist, 10/26/04

Radio show details finally available after a weekend spent moving house. Tribute to John Peel and tiny Hallowe'en set included in this show...


  • Fool's Gold: Stone Roses
  • My Guru: Kalanji & Ananji
  • How Long Can This Go On: Kitty Craft
  • Eve of Destruction: Buzzo
  • Eardrum Buzz: Wire
  • Frontier: Dead Can Dance
    This next chunk dedicated to John Peel, BBC DJ 1967-2004
  • Is She Weird: Pixies, recorded on the John Peel show, 6/11/90
  • Transmission: Joy Division
  • There is a Light that Never Goes Out: The Smiths
  • (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais: The Clash
  • Badhead: Blur
  • clip of Mr. Peel opining on Grand Rapids... here endeth the John Peel tribute
  • Goodbye: The Universe
  • David's Last Summer: Pulp
  • Spin: Death of a Salesman
  • Out of Myself: Arco
  • Brackish Boy: Frank Black
  • (She's a) Universal Emptiness: Swans
    Halloween trio:
  • I'm a Vampire: Future Bible Heroes
  • Scary Monsters: David Bowie
  • Great Pumpkin Waltz: Vince Guaraldi
  • Action at a Distance: Matmos
  • Bushman's Samba: Lullatone
  • Acknowledgment from A Love Supreme: John Coltrane
  • Playford Tunes: Maddy Prior
  • Time on My Hands: Ben Webster