Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev (1862)

I started this book before I went to Russia and finished it after I got back (it is a short and manageable book, it was just not the only thing I was reading).  I think that if you fear Russian literature, this is a very good choice, because while everyone has more than one name (in classic Russian style), it is very accessible and also illuminating about Russian culture.  It was written in the mid-19th century, after Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto and before the Russian Revolution.  One description of a character struck me: He was a progressive and a despot, as happens so often with Russians.  That certainly resonates today.


The story is about relationships (there are sisters and brothers and mothers and couples as well as fathers and sons).  Arkady and his friend Bazarov represent the modern Russia and their fathers are the Russia of old.  The thing that is timeless about the book is the role that love plays in their lives and the jealousies that it engenders.  The two friends are unable to talk about their attractions and they are so set against the traditional relationships of their parents that they miss the opportunity at happiness--or almost do, in Arkady's case.  A short and enjoyable book steeped in Russia's past.

Prohibition Pig, Waterbury, Vermont

  I recently had a wonderful trip to Vermont, where I came for a business trip but stayed for pleasure.  It was a trip that included a number of excellent restaurants, one of which was this one.  The main cuisine served is barbeque and you do not have to guess that.  From down the block you can smell the heavenly aroma of smoking meat.  If you are not fond of BBQ this is probably not a good place for you.  It also has a bit of a gastro pub feel, but not enough for a vegetarian.

The menu has a number of BBQ sandwiches, and the meat is excellent.  The buns on our visit suffered in comparison--I am not a fan of a bun that cannot stand up to the sandwich from beginning to end and that is the situation here--but if you go for a plate of BBQ meat you avoid this problem.  They have house made pickles that are delicious and the salads are well worth trying.  We had one with farrow and roasted squash that was delicious.

The Right Kind of Wrong (2012)

This is a 'B' grade romantic comedy streaming on Netflix.  Leo Palomeno is a sort of antihero, a man who is s semi-failed writer being supported by his wife.  She sells real estate, which she realizes that she hates to do.  One day she up and quite it all.  Her husband and her marriage both have to go.  She writes a blog about all the things that she realizes about her husband through the process of separating herself from him and it becomes all too popular.  She gets TV spots and a book contract, and even a movie deal, all of it at Leo's expense.

Two things come about as a result.  Leo comes to see himself as the flawed and self-centered man that his his ex-wife portrayed, while the ex-wife comes to see that maybe, when all is said and done, that she was a little harsh on him.  So they meet somewhere in the middle, letting go of some of their mutual resentment.  She uses her fame for good (she gives his failed book a breath of life and his ability to see himself through his ex-wife's eyes and woos his next love as a result of his new found insight.

Flatiron Steak Sandwich with Cucumber Ginger Salad

For our Father's Day celebration, we had these delicious sandwiches from Chef Tom Colicchio.

FOR THE BLACK CHILE MAYONNAISE:

2 chipotle chiles 

1 ancho chile 

1 cup grapeseed oil

1 large egg yolk, preferably
** 
 from a pasture-raised egg**

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Juice from 1 lime

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt


FOR THE STEAK:

1 1lb. flatiron or sirloin steak 

Kosher salt and freshly ground
** 
 black pepper
**
1 tsp. vegetable oil


FOR THE CUCUMBER AND GINGER SALAD:

2 cups peeled, cored, and julienned
** 
 English cucumber
**
2 tbsp. peeled and julienned fresh ginger

1 cup cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

1. For the black chile mayonnaise: Place an oven or cooling rack on top of a gas burner. Make sure you're cooking in a well-ventilated area to avoid breathing in the fumes that will generate when charring the chiles. Place the chiles on the rack and char over an open flame. (You can also char the chiles in a cast-iron skillet over high heat.) Using tongs, turn the chiles as they char. The chiles will puff up and turn completely black. Remove from the heat and cool.
2. Discard the stems from all the chiles as well as the seeds from the ancho. Transfer chiles to a blender or food processor and grind until fine. Place in a bowl and combine with the oil.
3. In a food processor, combine egg yolk, garlic, lime juice, sugar, salt, and 2 tbsp. water, and quickly blend. With the food processor at medium to low speed, slowly add the chile oil in a thin and steady stream until fully incorporated. If some of the chile mix sticks to the side of the bowl, stop the blender and use a spatula to fully incorporate and blend together until smooth. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
4. For the steak: Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the steak and sear for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the meat against the grain.
5. For the cucumber and ginger salad: In a small bowl mix cucumber, ginger, and cilantro. Set aside.
6. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and scoop out as much bread as possible. Spread the mayonnaise on the top halves of the rolls. Layer the sliced meat on the bottom halves and top with a generous amount of the cucumber and ginger salad. Drizzle the lime juice on top and season with salt. Close the sandwiches, cut into halves, and serve.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

This is a modern tragedy, a big book about ordinary people who cannot overcome the obstacles of their past.  It is powerful and plain at the same time.  The story follows four friends who have been together as a foursome since college, and follows them forward in life.  Malcolm is from old money and he goes forward in life with that charmed beginning, He is a talented architect but part of his success is clearly related to his connections.  Jean Batiste (known as JB) is from an impoverished background and overall he has a lot of baggage.  He becomes a successful artist, but the subjects of his paintings are his friends from college, which leads a layer of complexity to his relationships with them.  Willem is the most loyal of the bunch, a handsome man who becomes an internationally known actor.  The primary object of his support is Jude, a man who was abandoned as a child, the victim of long term physical and sexual abuse throughout his childhood, leaving him so ashamed that he is unable function psychologically and socially.

 Jude is the center of the novel, and he is both a sympathetic and an incredibly frustrating character.  He has issues with trust.  He is unable to engage with people sexually but he is vulnerable to continued abuse.  He is the paradigm for understanding why rape victims get raped again in the future.  They feel like they they are unworthy and when people treat them poorly they are inclined to feel like they deserve it.  Jude is extremely resistant to therapy, cuts himself as a release of his anxiety, and is physically disabled as a result of the abuse he had as a young man.  The book is emotionally on target and surprisingly lightly written despite the seriousness of some of the material.

Laggies (2014)

This is a movie about the phenomenon of floating, drifting, being directionless in life.  It is an incredibly gentle spin on the topic of not knowing what you want to do and where you want to go in life. 


Keira Knightley is the lead in this romantic comedy, and she pull sit off beautifully.  She meets Chloe Grace Moritz' character outside a convenience store, and agrees to buy them alcohol even though they are clearly underage.  They are  understandably grateful, so when Knightley shows up on Moritz' doorstep asking for a place to stay for a week, she doesn't so much think it is weird that a 20+ year old would want to stay with a teenager, but rather how she is going to pull it off. Moritz' father is more suspicious, but Knightley is so disarming and genuine that he comes to believe her, and then to be grateful to her.  The experience of living for a brief period of time outside her usual routine opens Knightley eyes to her situation and what she needs to do to change it.  This is a light and charming movie.

Reflections of the Founding Fathers

The founding fathers might not be surprised by the state of affairs in their beloved country today.  In fact, they specifically warned us about the threat from a two party system.  What we need to do is take heed, change our representatives to ones who are more focused on the people than themselves, and try to get a functional system back in place.

John Adams:

There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.

George Washington agreed in his farewell presidential speech:

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.
There is an opinion, that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the Government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of Liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in Governments of a Monarchical cast, Patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in Governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And, there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

Sangria Verde

This sangria goes great with a Portuguese meal, or on a hot summer day.  It is very refreshing and good vino verde is very affordable.

1/4 cup organic blonde cane sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cubed green melon

1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1/2 cup halved green table grapes
1 lime, thinly sliced

juice of 1 lime
2 sprigs mint, plus some pretty leaves for garnish
2 sprigs basil, plus some pretty leaves for garnish
1 (750mL) bottle Vinho Verde, chilled
1/2 cup white rum

ice
sparkling water

In a small, heat-proof jar or bowl, stir together the sugar and boiling water to dissolve the sugar.

In a large vessel, such as a 2-quart mason jar, pitcher, or punch bowl, combine the cucumber, melon, grapes, lime slices, lime juice, mint, and basil. Pour in the Vinho Verde, rum, and simple syrup. Stir gently to combine, then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.

To serve, fill tall glasses with ice. Pour in sangrìa and spoon in some of the fruity bits. Top off each glass with a spritz of fizzy water and some pretty mint and basil leaves to garnish, and serve.

The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami

This is a great book, and one that I would not have read if it hadn’t appeared on the New York Times Best Books of 2014.  The author and the main character are both Moroccan, but the story takes place in the New World at the dawn of the 16^th century.

Mustafa gives up his freedom for the sake of his family after his father’s death, and sells himself into slavery.  The first quarter of the book is about the experience of slavery.  Then Mustafa’s master sells him to a man who is going on an exploratory voyage to the New World to seek their fortune.  The trip begins with several hundred sailors but after one thing and another, the crew is gradually winnowed down to a few remaining members, of which Mustafa is one and his current owner is another.  At that point he is not exactly a free man, but his skills have earned him a certain amount of status.  He is good with language, he liaisons well with the Native Americans, and he is clearly a survivor.  It is a book that offers a glimpse of the invasion and occupation of the New World from the view of an outsider just trying to make a life for himself.  Well written and thought provoking.

Mr. Turner (2014)

This is a biopic movie about one of the greatest landscape painters in British history.  The story of his life is not one of sweetness and light.  One reviewer noted that the word most associated with the movie is "austere", which translates to grim and very hard to love.  I think that captures the down side of the movie.  It is over two hours in length and however much you love Turner as a painter, you will not exit the film loving him as a person.


Turner the painter is best known for making otherwise unremarkable landscape paintings, many of the seaside, captivating by his use of light.  When he is not talking about light and the paint that he uses to achieve light in his paintings he is insufferably autistic.  His behavior is socially inept, insensitive and inappropriate. He seems not to be in control of his impulses. The combination of his awe-inspiring talent and the acclaim it brought him does not make him socially popular.  His sexual appetite is normal but his means of accomplishing relationships is odd. He mounts his housekeeper without a word and from behind, then moves about his other business.   Her interactions with him indicates that this is not an uncommon occurrence, and is in fact one aspect of their complicated relationship.


We also see Turner interacting with his colleagues, many of them landscape painters nearly as famous, at a gallery show, where he walks around inspecting the layout of the gallery, telling a painter friend that a woman's leg in a panorama could use a bit of highlight, and then startling everyone by painting a single daub of red in the middle of an intricately finished landscape painting—an act that another painter interprets as a declaration of war on whatever clichés the show embodies.  Turner is undervalued by his colleagues at the time, and it worries him not at all.  he does make one human connection with a woman who nurses him to his death, but the film brings up as many questions as it answers.  Perhaps that is the point.