Via Carlota Green Salad

I read this salad dressing recipe in detail, and while I did not follow it to a T, which the article in the New York Times states is critical to success, I did make one of the best salad dressings that I have made in a long time, and I did follow some principles.  I used locally grown flavorful lettuce because it is way better than anything that I can buy, but this is well worth reading through from beginning to end.

• 2 heads butter lettuce, such as Boston or bibb
• 1 romaine heart
• 1 large Belgian endive
• 1 bunch watercress
• ½ small head frisée

For the dressing:

• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon aged sherry vinegar, plus additional, as needed
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey (optional)
• 2 sprigs thyme, washed and stripped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash the greens: Fill a sink or large basin with tepid water. Remove any wilted or damaged leaves from the butter lettuce, romaine and endive. Trim each head at the root to release whole leaves. Leave butter-lettuce leaves whole, but halve large leaves of romaine and endive on the bias, then drop into water. Trim and discard any roots and long stems off watercress, and drop remaining leaves and tender stems into water. Trim and discard dark green outer leaves and tops from frisée until only light green and white parts remain. Trim at the root to release leaves, and drop into water. Swirl greens in water, then drain. Wash twice more in cool, then cold, water, then transfer to a salad spinner to dry. Gently wrap in clean dish towels, and set aside.
2. Place the shallot in a fine-mesh strainer, and quickly rinse with cold water. Allow to drain, then place in a medium bowl, and add vinegar and warm water. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then whisk in oil, mustards, honey (if using), thyme, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed.
3. To serve, gently pile a generous handful of greens into a serving bowl, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and a generous drizzle of dressing. Continue with another handful of salad and more seasoning and dressing, repeating until you have a glorious, gravity-defying mound of salad. Top with a final drizzle of dressing, and serve immediately.

Alabama Get Away

The Handmaid's Tale imagery is a very appropriate reaction to the Alabama abortion restrictions passed last week.  I have let it sit for a while, and my anger has not dissipated.
As the Grateful Dead song says,
Alabama get away
Only way to please me
Turn around and leave
And walk away.
Which is what I would do if I ever had reason to consider living there.  All too often I wonder about succession--is it still an option for the American South?
The criminalization  of abortion is not about personhood starting at conception.  That is a religious rather than a biological determination.  It is about men controlling women, thinly veiled in imposing religious beliefs of a minority of Americans onto everyone.  The Founding Fathers might well support the patriarchy, but not based on religion, and let's face it, those guys have been dead for a hundred years.  So start letting your representatives know exactly how you feel about that.

Celebrate Often

I have a monumental birthday today (or bird day, as some of my favorite people to celebrate any occasion would say), and the best piece of wisdom I have to pass along from the many years that I have lived is that restricting the celebration to a single day.  It is no laughing matter to grow old, and this is one way to combat it.
When I was a child, there was a favored cake and some would have a favored dinner, but a one and done approach was pretty ubiquitous in my family and friends.  As an adult I have found that to be quite restrictive.  Those who cannot make it are left out.  The celebration needs to be one kind of fun.  Now that I am facing yet another new decade, I have come to see that a month of celebrating is a much more thorough approach to a satisfying celebration.  Many places, many people, many special meals, and then, when all is said and done, the pain of the passage of years is eased.

Short Term 12 (2013)

At the start of this movie, my son said, "Is this an indie movie?"  The answer of course was yes, but the question came about not only because of the subject matter (foster kids in a group home setting with therapy and at risk kids), but because of the filming shots and overall style.  It is informal in a way that makes you feel like you are eavesdropping on a conversation happening over a coffee break.
The material within is much grittier than that.  Grace is in a relationship with a fellow coworker, but he notes that he doesn't totally know what is going on, that she is with holding part
of her self from his.  As the film unrolls, amidst the tales of betrayal, abuse and neglect that the kids reveal, we see that she is more like them than she is different.  She gives a lot of herself in her job, but may not have the sufficient barriers build up to prevent her own problems from spilling over into her work.  The catalyst for her unraveling is that her father is soon going to be released from prison, coupled with a young girl she suspects is being abused by her father is released to his custody.  Very true to life, and more funny than I am making it sound.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This is good start to a literary career.  The connection between poverty and an intimacy with nature has long been part of class divisions in rural communities, a source of idyllic benefit for the economically depressed places, and the American South is no exception.  I myself fall into this stereotype all too often.

This book is both a murder mystery and a coming-of-age story set in coastal North Carolina in the 1950s-’60s. The narrative draws on the author’s naturalist background to  vividly and critically depict a Southern society that’s still within living memory.  The plot revolves around a child named Kya, who is abandoned by her family to live by herself in the marshes and swamps along the North Carolina coast.. Nature and the environs of the marsh supply her with independence as well as an ad hoc family, and ultimately her intimate relationship with her home gives her both renown and an income. Unfortunately, the romanticizing of poverty and its possibilities is most likely well off the mark for similarly situated people.

Asparagus, Peas, and Fava Beans

This comes from the Six Seasons cookbook, which I will reiterate, is well worth exploring.  Some friends made it in celebration of my upcoming birthday and it was spectacular.

·       3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1-2 tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

·       Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

·       2 cups fresh fava beans (from about 2 pounds pods) or frozen fava beans, thawed

·       2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, stalks peeled if thick

·       1 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1 pound pods) or frozen peas, thawed

·       1/2 cup vegetable oil

·       1 shallot, thinly sliced

RECIPE PREPARATION

·       Whisk olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl to blend. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Set dressing aside.

·       If using fresh fava beans, cook in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander set in a bowl of ice water (do not cook frozen beans). Drain and peel; place in a large bowl.

·       Return water in saucepan to a boil; add asparagus and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to colander in ice water.

·       If using fresh peas, return water in saucepan to a boil; add peas and cook until tender, about 3 minutes (do not cook frozen peas). Drain; transfer to colander in ice water. Drain vegetables. Add to bowl with fava beans.

·       Combine vegetable oil and shallot in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is golden brown and crisp, 10-12 minutes. Transfer shallot to a paper towel-lined plate.

·       Add dressing to bowl with vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer salad to a serving platter and top with shallot.

One Missing Sibling

This is a picture of my sibling and I from the summer of 2001 on the Root Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.  This is just one of many adventures that we have shared as siblings over the years, with and without our parents at hand.  He is the sibling that saved me from becoming an only child, and there are so many things that he and our relationship have taught me over the years.
There is one sibling missing though.  When I was two years old, my parents brought home a baby who would not live to see adulthood.  He caught polio when he was just 5 months old and while he survived, and thrived, it was most likely the after effects of polio that contributed to his death eight years later.  So two things about this.  I am of course an adamant proponent of vaccination.  It is almost too emotional for me even now to talk about it because it is very very personal to me.  I went on to have a child on chemotherapy and then to undergo chemotherapy myself, and the odd unvaccinated person could have caused a great deal of harm to us.  But the most important thing I learned from my brother, who would have been 58 years old today, is the satisfaction of taking care of people.  He led me into medicine and I will be forever grateful for that.

The Hollars (2016)

This is the sort of move that I really like but is not all that popular these days.  It is a family comedy/drama about the Hollars.  John Hollar ably played by the director and actor John Krasinski) is a struggling graphic novelist who lives in New York City. He returns to his rural hometown (the movie was shot in various Mississippi counties) after learning that his mother Sally (Margo Martindale) has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and re-enters his old world with regret and resistance. 
The family is dysfunctional to start with and worse now.  You can immediately see why he ran far away and never came back.  His brother, who just got fired by his father from the family business and is also living with them, complains that he never calls, but why would he?  These people will suck you in and drown you in their misery. 
Meanwhile his pregnant girlfriend Rebecca (Anna Kendrick, who definitely doesn’t get a role that she is capable of here) waits for John back in the big city initially, but after some disturbing phone calls, gets herself there in order that things not go too far off the rails.  The movie plays out with just the narrowest of casts, demonstrating why it is both easy to leave home but hard to shed your past.

Lemon Mascarpone Cake

This is my birthday cake this year and it was really quite delicious!  Especially the frosting.  The cake can be a bit hard to cut because the icing is so soft and the cake pretty dense.  Beware, but it is all delicious.

LEMON CURD

• 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup (69g) sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp (42g) salted butter

LEMON CAKE LAYERS

• 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (310g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 6 egg whites
• 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• 2 tbsp (30ml) water
• 6 tbsp (90ml) fresh lemon juice

WHIPPED MASCARPONE FROSTING

• 2 1/2 cups (720ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 1/2 cups (173g) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 oz (452g) mascarpone cheese, chilled*

Instructions

TO MAKE THE LEMON CURD:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a double boiler (or in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water). Heat while whisking constantly until mixture thickens and reaches 160 degrees, or coats the back of a spoon.
2. Pour the lemon curd into a heat proof bowl, cover with clear wrap pressed onto the the top of the curd to avoid a film developing, and refrigerate until cold.

TO MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS:

3. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix until combined.
6. Add the egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure all is incorporated and smooth.
7. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk, water and lemon juice.
8. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the milk mixture and mix until well combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the three 8 inch pans and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
10. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:

11. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
12. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. Set whipped frosting in the refrigerator.
13. To assemble the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
14. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. I use Ateco tip 808 for the dam so that it’s tall.
15. Spread half of the lemon curd evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam. It should fill the dam about half way full.
16. Add some mascarpone frosting to the top of the lemon filling and spread into an even layer to fill in the remaining dam space.
17. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the filling layer with the remaining lemon curd and additional mascarpone frosting.
18. Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake.
19. Frost the outside of the cake, then use an offset spatula to create a striped pattern on the sides of the cake, if desired. Pipe swirls of frosting onto the top of the cake and finish it off with some lemon slice candies and white pearl sprinkles.
20. Refrigerate well covered until ready to serve. I find that the cake is best when served a little chilled, but not cold. Cake should stay fresh when well covered for 2-4 days.
*I prefer to use the mascarpone cheese when still chilled, but soft, so that it’ll in corporate well, without chunks. The warmer mascarpone cheese is, the more likely it is to soften to the point that it won’t firm up well again and can make too soft of a frosting.

Echoes by Joshua Hale Fialkov

This is a horror graphic novel with a mental health twist. 
Echoes is the story of Brian Cohn, a loving husband and expectant father who is living with schizophrenia.  On his deathbed, Brian’s father confesses to a life as a serial killer, and a horrifying secret hidden at an abandoned suburban home.   Things go from bad to worse, as Brian starts to question if he and his father share the same madness, and Brian’s carefully-maintained sense of normalcy gives way to an ongoing nightmare.  But is that really what happened?

The author generates the tension in this story by bringing everything close to home.  The killers here aren’t monsters from hockey masks, they’re our neighbors.  Which carries its own brand of horror.
The thing that I like about this is that while Brian's struggles are very real and different from the thinking most of us experience, but we are rooting for him to come out on top. A swiftly read but not easily forgotten graphic novel.