Shouting Timber! And Then Preparing Pasta

Isn't that stump impressive? The criss-crossing is to allow the anti-Siberian-Elm gunk to thoroughly penetrate to the roots, preventing new growth. My neighbor had the tree lopped because the leaves were thoroughly ravaged by insects, which is a common problem with the elm. Apparently this species is considered an invasive alien in Minnesota and in the Arizona mountains.

But to continue the story. Got to talking with Chris, the tree man, and we agreed that he would take out a handful of dead oak snags and my own Siberian elm (above) as well as saw off a bunch of dead branches.

Here my one mature Ponderosa gets a trim.

And a topping off for an oak snag that's turned into a fine support for ivy.

Just a beginning of the load of slash that Chris took to the dump; actually it took two trips to get it all. But his story doesn't begin and end with trees, a skill he learned from his dad.

He's also a chef who owned his own Italian restaurant back in Jersey. When he landed in Prescott at the beginning of the year, Chris called the local TV station and proposed a Prescott cooking show. He has a segment on Tanya Mock's AM Arizona twice a month. Next appearance, this coming Tuesday at 10:38, KAZ-TV (Channel 7 on Cable-One.)

His specialty -- easy to prepare dishes; he has little sympathy with foodies who are into complex preparation and says so. What's pasta with ezot, you ask? Basically, pasta heated in garlic olive oil mixed with an oven roasted blend of tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

Chris credits his back-to-basics cooking approach to his old-country Italian and Jewish background. If you have a tree proposition or otherwise need to contact him, write to him at moonrest@yahoo.com or call 778-7434.