The Trick to Maintaining

I have recently entered the maintenance phase of my treatment for ovarian cancer, and I have been gradually getting used to what that means.  The most obvious thing is that I am through with the acute treatment for my cancer, but because what I have is so bad and so likely to come back that some additional treatment is indicated.  Just what that should consist of is not precisely known, but the general feeling is that as long as the chemo is tolerated and there are no lasting side effects that I should continue for a year after the acute treatment ends.  The less obvious part is a shift from aggressively treating the cancer and being more or less hopeful that once in remission one would stay in remission, now that is more of a waiting game.
I remember when we stopped chemotherapy for my youngest son's cancer.  He did not have maintenance treatment, so done was done, and in some ways it was absolutely torture.  I remember one of my friends, someone who does not have children, saying to me when she heard he was off treatment, "Oh, my God, you must be a basket case.  How can you stand the waiting?"  It was such a  contrast from everyone else, who kept treating it like a celebration.  I am tolerating the wait better this time around, more preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.  Also taking real stock in things and exploring my options going forward.  One foot in front of the other.

The Girl in the Kitchen by Stephanie Izard

Stephanie Izard is the chef at the Girl and the Goat in Chicago.  We had such a fabulous meal there that I wanted to check out her cookbook.  It is an interesting approach to teaching people how to cook, in that there are technique pages and there are ingredient sources that she discusses broadly, as well as in the context of a particular recipe.  I am somewhat hesitant about completely embracing the book because one of the things that makes the restaurant so great is the unusual pairings of food, and that can be harder to achieve at home.  It can also mean that a single recipe has more than six ingredients even when not counting spices, herbs, and oils, which can be great for a special meal, but not attainable on a daily basis.  I have tried her mandolin-thin kohlrabi preparation and while my kohlrabi was a bit dry, it was a good way to eat it raw.  The book is definitely worth exploring, but it will not keep you from craving a return trip to the restaurant.

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

My youngest son is taking a very interesting course on gender and film with the theme being rock and roll.  I usually try to watch all the films that he watches but I have been hampered by several things this semester, one being that he is taking two film classes and therefore has two films to watch every week (who could keep up with that pace), another that I have seen a number of the films for this class already, and finally that I have been both sick and tired more times than I care to admit, and so watching movies has been less of a pastime than usual for me (I have been more interested in BBC crime dramas, which I am less inclined to write about).  However, since he is writing a paper on this movie, so on our recent vacation we watched it with him and I also read him several academic papers on the subject.
All that being said, this is not a very good movie.  It does have a couple of good performances by Elvis as a musician (although I am pretty sure you could watch them on YouTube without having to sit through the rest) but Elvis as an actor leaves a lot to be desired.  Funnily, one of the movie reviews in the newspaper at the time noted how much he had improved as an actor and offered the opinion that he would get even better (which to my knowledge never happened).  He plays an exceedingly unlikable character whose only redeeming characteristic is that he treats his female business partner no worse, and in some ways with more respect, than he treats everyone else.  The alarming thing is that this is thought to be one of the best Elvis movies, so my recommendation would be to watch the best (which is King Creole) and if you like that, then this might be right up your alley.

Lemon Cheesecake

I made this for Easter and was pleased with how it turned out.  I put a lemon curd on the top and served it with fruit, but it would be delicious without either or both of those additions.  I made this with GF gingersnaps, and they held up well--I did smash them in a plastic bag with a mallet because they did not crumble well in my food processor.

• 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom and 2-in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla just until blended. Pour into the crust. Return pan to baking sheet.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Spoon lemon curd over the cheesecake before serving; serve with berries of various kinds on the side.

Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader by David Brackett

I have been reading books that my youngest has to read for college out loud to him.  We have just finished the reading for a study of rock and roll in American culture that has been really fascinating, even if the reading for it hasn't always been.  This book is very densely written, but it was by far the best at conveying the popular culture of the time.  The book consists of interviews and articles written about key performers and overarching trends in rock and roll over the years, starting with the 1930's and 1940's and then going all the way through hip hop and ending with what the future holds given things like file sharing, Spotify, and the rapid decline of the CD.  It does not cover the ironic rise in popularity of the LP, which went out of favor and then out of print during my youth.  I have always preferred the warmth of the sound of LPs but have to admit that over 90% of the music I listen to comes directly through Spotify, and is often not of the very best sound quality.  However, there may be a time when I return to LPs.  Probably not.  You really have to have a lot of time on your hands, and college is the perfect time for that.  In any case this book is fascinating in that is it first person accounts from the time that the music they are writing or speaking about was happening, and it gives a very different perspective on the music and the performers.

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Adolescence is a turbulent period in the life due to all the new and confusing situations you encounter. Most of the trouble is in dealing with others while trying to figure out just who you are. This is a tricky balancing act in even the best of circumstances.If all of that just brings up bad memories for you, avoid this film, because that is at the heart of it.  It is also not a film for younger children because of that,
The story itself is not so unusual.  Boy likes girl, but she of course likes another boy.  And her best friend likes the boy who likes her.  That is often the way it goes, even after adolescence.
In this version of the story, which is set in a Japanese city, the film greets us with a montage of urban life after the sun has faded and the lights have just flickered on providing the glow that can make night life possible. It’s that period when responsibilities have mostly ended with the promise of things possible wafting through the summer air. Ironically, the Olivia Newton-John version of the song “Country Roads” is used as a backdrop for the city scape and pervades the movie.
Eventually we follow a girl leaving a market and accompany her home to a small family apartment. Shizuku is enjoying her summer break by burying herself in books. But a mystery arises for the middle school student when a name on the checkout card of a book she’s reading seems vaguely familiar. Sure enough, the same name appears on all the books she’s checked out from the library: Seiji Amasawa.  She goes on to become enamored with a boy with the same last name (and the same family), who is a talented boy.  They have to make choices that will seem all too familiar, but are well executed.

Bumps and Valleys

I am now almost six months out from abdominal surgery and it is almost three months after my last intraperitonial chemotherapy.  I had my last drain pulled a couple of weeks ago and while I still have a wound infection and a few pockets of fluid between my skin and my abdominal wall.  Yes, that is weird.  It looks odd and it is more uncomfortable than I would have imagined it would be.   None the less, I am getting back to the pre-surgery me.  With the exception on a very impressive stem to stern scar the length of my abdomen.  Anytime they have to wend their way around the belly button, you know you are going to take a while to recover.  I have had mild to moderate abdominal pain throughout that time period, and was relieved to be off of cis-platin and able to take NSAIDs (motrin and the like) again.  One thing that I have gained a real understanding of is the process of living with pain that is both unpredictable and significant.  Yet another thing that I could have gone far longer in life without knowing, but one that does give me some insight into how challenging it can be to manage and live with.  It is early days for me, and I still hold out hope that once my abdomen is truly intact again that I will be able to strength my abdominal wall muscles enough to help ameliorate my everyday pain to the point where I am more like the 0-2 faces than the 3-6 faces on the pain scale.  If not, I will cope, but it does take time and psychic energy to do so.  Time will tell, but I hope that I will be more understanding of others in the future as a result of all this.

Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll

I have spent the last six months reading this book out loud to my youngest son as he takes a class in Rock and Roll in American Culture.  It has been overall fun to read about rock and roll as a phenomenon and to learn that there are trends in music that are directly tied to social and economic trends.  This book, however, is less academic and more fan based.  There are multiple authors for different artists and eras in music, which leads to a highly variable book in terms of quality.  One thing that is consistent across the book was excellent photographs of artists and bands.  The performance side of the business was well represented and the changes that have become so prevalent in music were not going on in 1992 when the book was published.  I think this would appeal to the fan, but not someone who wanted to learn more about rock and roll overall.  It is a collection of chapters rather than a book tied together with an overarching story.

Tales of the Night (2012)

Yet another animated film in our quest to watch a full range of this genre.  This once comes from  Michel Ocelot and tells six fairy tales, none too long, all told with a pleasing energy and pace. The tales are created by a man in a studio who is helping two young actors explore roles they might want to play, and in the process, they create stories and costumes for their chosen roles.
The stories are all fantastical yet straightforward. The first, "The Werewolf," involves that staple of fantasy, the werewolf, and tells the story of a prince who marries the older of two sisters, under the mistaken impression that she was the one who saved his life. This treacherous person tricks him and then, traps him, hides the magic chain he needs to become human again. But the younger sister … ah, but you will see.
"Ti Jean and Belle-Sans-Connaitre" is a Caribbean tale (set there on a whim by the old man), which tells of a boy who ventures into a cave and unknowingly tumbles down into the land of the dead (who walk on their hands). "Tam-Tam Boy," from Africa, is about a young drummer whose talent is not respected until he saves his village.
"The Boy Who Never Lied," set in Tibet, is about two kings who have a competition to see which one can persuade a boy to lie. "The Doe-Girl and the Architect's Son," set in Europe, is a reversal of "The Werewolf," in which a girl becomes a doe and a young man who loves her helps her become human again. "The Chosen One of the Golden City," set in an Aztec kingdom in ancient Mexico, involves a girl chosen for human sacrifice, and a boy who tries to save her.  Recommended, especially for a family movie night.

Crema de Chile Soup

We just ate at one of my absolute favorite regional Mexican restaurants that is in a small town.  It is a gem.  Such restaurants are common in France (admittedly they are likely to be serving French food, but prepared by a talented chef).  My youngest, a hard to please eater, loved the soup, and so my spouse made a version of it now that we are back home.  It is really delicious, and can be made with a range of green chiles (poblanos are the norm but we made it with Hatch green chiles because we have ever so many of them).

• 4 poblano chiles
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium white onion, thickly sliced
• 1/4 head garlic, cloves separated and skins removed
• salt and black pepper
• 2 sprigs epazote
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 ounce requesón or ricotta
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh crema
• 2 corn tortillas
• canola oil

1. Place the poblanos over an open flame, turning often, until blackened on all sides. Transfer to a plastic bag and let steam for 15 minutes. Then peel the skin off, remove the stems and seeds, and cut into thin strips.
   
2. Add the butter to a large pot set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are transparent. Then add the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Toss in the sliced poblanos and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.
   
3. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, the epazote, and the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, and then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
   
4. Puree the mixture in a blender. Return to the pot and pour in the milk. Heat gently. Then remove a 1/2 cup and mix it with the requesón in a small bowl. Add this back to the soup. Taste for salt.
   
5. Slice the tortillas into 1/2 inch thick strips. Pour a little canola oil into a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add a few of the tortilla strips and cook for a few seconds on each side until crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining strips.
   
6. Serve the soup with few few corn strips, some fresh corn kernals and some crema drizzled on top, or nothing if you so desire.