War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan

Remembering those who died in combat, whether they be soldiers or civilians, is the work of the living on Memorial Day. In MacMillan's book on war, which is one of the New York Times top five works of non-fiction from 2020, the author questions the wisdom of doing that, and posits that we might be better at avoiding war if we didn't remember so much. On the other hand, she also professes that war is both ingrained in our DNA and inextricably linked to human progress. It is complicated. I have to say that while I commited to reading some highly rated non-fiction this year, I was not wildly enthusiastic about reading this, and thought this would be a good way to spend the holiday. I was surprised to find that this is an enjoyable and somewhat superficial trek through many aspects of war: its origins in the struggle for resources or for power or simply for what philosopher Thomas Hobbes called “trifles,” its portrayal in popular culture (especially cinema), and the tactics and technology now transforming the way wars are fought. The book is light on political theory but rich in factual detail; entirely devoid of polemic, yet full of sober analysis. War and Peace, The Iliad, and Henry the Fifth are quoted as often as historians and political theorists are. Humans are described as they are, not as they ought to be. There are difficult parts of this book to both read and think about. The history of raising and training warriors, the challenge and ultimate failure of warriors to keep civilians out of the fight, that those in the path of war are treated the worst, the economic and the psychological costs of war are all dealved into. The book covers a mammoth amount of ground in a short number of pages, and it stands as a great general reference, a rich starting point for lively discussion and further study, as well as an introduction to the subject of war for those, like I, who have never thought much about it.

The Light Ages by Seb Falk

The title of the book and the author take issue with the idea that medieval times were the dark ages, that there was no science whatsoever going on during the time between 1000 and 1400. In fact he articulates that the western world was awash in science and learning, some of which was probably the dissemination of knowledge from Asia and the Middle East to Wurope through Italy. The travelers and merchants along the Silk Road brought a vast array of information about astronomy, mathematics, how to measure the heavens, and how to interpret that to make accurate predictions. The book follows in the footsteps of John of Westwyck, a 14th-century English monk who was also a pathbreaking astronomer who left few tangible traces of himself. After studying at Oxford university, he returned to St Albans Abbey, where in 1379 he copied two manuscripts, both treatises on the use of astronomical instruments by Richard of Wallingford, a former abbot. Wallingford had, earlier in the century, invented “the world’s most advanced astronomical clock”, which sat on a raised platform above the abbey church. Wallingford was evidently a gifted thinker, in a powerhouse of an institution. THe big take home message for me, beyond the fact that a medieval monk understood aspects of science better than I do today is that while in modern times religion and science are at odds with one another, medieval thinkers did not see things the same way. The study of the way that the world that god created was a route to moral and spiritual wisdom. There was no contradiction in being a monk and a scientist--science was a holy pursuit. There are many fascinating things in this book, and it is well worth reading.

Spicy Stir Fried Asparagus

Tis the season! Pull out your favorite asparagus recipes and try some new ones! I haven't yet checked my asparagus bed at home (tomorrow), but the stores are brimming with great looking asparagus, and in the interest of being better at stir frying in 2021, I tried this one out. 1 ½ pounds asparagus, medium- or pencil-size 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 small dried red peppers Salt and pepper ½ teaspoon Chinese chile paste 1 teaspoon grated garlic 1 teaspoon grated ginger ½ teaspoon grated orange zest 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, finely chopped 2 teaspoons sesame oil ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro 3 green onions, slivered 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds Snap off and discard bottoms of asparagus, then cut into 2-inch pieces (halve thicker pieces lengthwise first). Set wok over high heat and add vegetable oil. Add dried peppers and let sizzle, then add asparagus, tossing well to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for a minute or so, then add chile paste, garlic, ginger, orange zest and jalapeño. Continue cooking over high heat for a minute, maybe less, until asparagus is cooked but still firm and bright green. (It will continue cooking off the heat.) Mound asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds over the top.

The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020)

This movie is the very last one of the Oscar nominated movies that I watched this year--it is now streaming on Hulu, so it is easy to catch, but it wasn't when I was trying to watch it. The films that are nominated in the International Film category that make even the short list tend to be ones that you might struggle through and think about rather than sit back and enjoy (this is no Love and Monsters), and this one is no exception. The movie opens with Sam Ali madly in love with the upper-class, crystal blue-eyed Abeer, and she with he. Sam immediately goes about getting into huge trouble politically when he says something off the cuff about the ruling party, in the context of his love of his intended, while on a crowded train, and while it is clearly ill-advised, it is not a hanging offense, except that in Syria it is and he is jailed for it. Welcome to Bahair's version of governance. Sam then flees to Lebanon and while he is there he meets the world-famous artist Jeffrey Godefroi by chance at a party that he’s crashed. Unable to accept that the obedient Abeer has been married to a well-off man under family pressure, he impulsively accepts Godefroi’s condescending offer and gets inked with the print of a massive Schengen visa on his back, traveling from gallery to gallery with Godefroi and the sharp-tongued dealer Soraya Waldy in the aftermath. It is modern day indentured servitude, and even the artist comes to see that the concept and the reality are further apart than he has intended. But wait, there is a way out. Lots to think about here.

The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams

This book is about language, and is centered on the fictional Swansby’s New Encyclopaedic Dictionary, a 19th century reference volume that was intended to be the most comprehensive British dictionary ever created. But the project was disrupted by WWI and is now known as a folly. Mallory is hired as an intern to assist the modern Swansby in his quest to update and digitize the dictionary. Tucked away in a dilapidated office in the now-historic Swansby House, Mallory is tasked with updating definitions, checking spelling and punctuation, and being harrassed by an anonymous caller. Back in 1899, Peter Winceworth also suffered through his days at the Swansby House. Winceworth was an introverted lexicographer who believed his job was pointless and felt disconnected from his colleagues and his life. Extremely socially awkward, and even though his grasp of language was magisterial, he struggled to engage in basic conversation. Though separated by more than a century, Winceworth and Mallory’s experiences in Swansby House are surprisingly parallel, and not just because they work in the same building on the same project. Mallory, a lesbian who is not out at work, experiences the same sense of alienation that haunts Winceworth. They both battle harassment on the job. They both find language to be lacking in its ability to capture their experiences. And when Winceworth tries to remedy this, it causes chaos for Mallory even 100 years later. The more things change the more they stay the same. The connections between Winceworth and Mallory echo neatly back and forth one to another, effortlessly collapsing the decades between them. But these characters and their concerns are frequently overshadowed by the dynamic role that language itself plays in the book. This is quirky and detailed book that needs to be read with attention to these details.

Bok Choy with Mushrooms

In the spring our CSA has a lot of bok choy and asian greens, and this is a simple means of preparing them that highlights the flavors of the ingredients. 11 ounces baby bok choy 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms ¼ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon potato flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water Salt 31/2 tablespoons cooking oil 3 garlic cloves, sliced An equivalent amount of ginger, peeled and sliced Wash the bok choy, then cut each head lengthways into quarters. Slice off and discard the mushroom stalks and halve the caps. Combine the sugar with the potato flour mixture. Bring some water to a boil in a saucepan (1 quart/1 liter will do), add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon oil, then blanch the bok choy and mushrooms briefly, just until the bok choy leaves have wilted. Drain and shake dry. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to a seasoned wok over a high flame, swirl it around, then add the garlic and ginger and stir a few times until you can smell their fragrances. Add the blanched mushrooms and bok choy and stir a few times. Finally, add the potato flour, mixture with salt to taste, give everything a good stir and serve.

The Life Ahead (2020)

This is by no means Sophia Loran's best role, but she jons a host of elderly actors still making it up on the silver screen. She got her first movie role in 1950 and she was 15 years old, and here she is 70 years later still making it work. The short listed documentary, What Would Sophia Loren Do? is a companion to this movie, made contemporanious to it, and should really be watched first because it chronicles some of her most powerful performances, and explains what she means to some older woman around the world in terms of portraying women with fortitude. This film, nominated for an Oscar for best song, documents an elderly woman named Madame Rosa, maybe a former prostitute, definitely a Holocaust survivor, who has taken in those who have no where to go and provided a home to them. Her most recent adoptee is Momo, short for Mohammed, a boy from Senegal who is wrapped up with selling drugs and skipping school. He gets help from a host of people around him, but comes to love Rosa best, and when he sees her deteriorating he protects her to the end. The movie is a quiet one, lacking some of the grit the subject matter has in real life, but not unpleasant to watch, and she is a legend.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

THis is a deceptive novel, on the one hand it is simply put and straight-forward, but that is just on the surface. Underneath there is a pot boiling. Gifty is a young a Ghanaian-American neuroscientist at Stanford. She is wholly obsessed with her job, she maintains no social life, almost no life at all outside the lab. Her research involves studying the brains of mice. She has devised a behavior testing chamber with a lever that sometimes delivers a tasty treat and sometimes delivers a painful electrical shock. Her motivation is not just a passion for scinece but also a wish to undo the past. Her beloved brother Nana, a young man with an athletic gift, come undone. Gifty cannot change his blackness, but she is aiming to change his demise, his descent into addiction when his ankle injury sidelines him, in sports, but also in life. How Nana became an addict is again, simply put. The underlying answer to how to he might have been saved is much more complex, and rather than dwell in sadness Gifty is reaching for hope.

Spring Panzanella Salad

We have an active asparagus bed right now, and have been enjoying many different variations of this salad. I subbed a fresh sheep milk cheese for feta, and bet a chevre would be good as well. Red Wine Vinaigrette 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar 12 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper Torn Croutons 1 pound day old sourdough bread 1/3 cup olive oil Salad Salt 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1.5 pounds asparagus (about 2 bunches), woody ends removed 4 cups torn croutons 24 large mint leaves 3 ounces feta cheese INSTRUCTIONS Red Wine Vinaigrette In a small bowl or jar, let the shallot sit in the vinegar for 15 minutes to macerate, then add olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and a small pinch of pepper. Stir or shake to combine, then taste and adjust salt and acid as needed. Dressing can be made 3 days ahead of time and kept in a sealed jar in the fridge. Torn Croutons Preheat the oven to 400 F. For more tooth-friendly croutons, remove the crusts from the bread. Cut the loaf into inch-thick slices then cut each slice into inch-wide strips. Working over a large bowl tear each strip into inch-size pieces. Toss the croutons with the olive oil to coat them evenly, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a second sheet as needed to prevent crowding, which will entrap steam and keep the croutons from browning. Toast croutons for about 18-22 minutes, checking them after 8 minutes Rotate the pan, switch their oven positions and use a metal spatula to turn and rotate the croutons so that they brown evenly. Once they being to brown, check them every few minutes, continuing to turn and rotate. Some croutons might be done when others still need a few more minutes of baking, so remove them from the tray and let the rest finish cooking. Bake croutons until they’re golden brown and crunchy on the outside with just a tiny bit of chew on the inside. Taste a crouton (yum) and adjust the seasoning with a light sprinkling of salt if needed. When done, let the croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 F. Freeze leftover croutons for up to 2 months. Salad Set a large pot of water on to boil over high heat. Season it with salt until it tastes like the summer sea. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Toss sliced onion in a small bowl with the vinegar and let it sit for 20 minutes to macerate. Set aside. If the asparagus is thicker than a pencil, stripey peel it, pressing lightly with a vegetable peeler to remove only the outermost skin from about 1 inch below the blossom to the base. Slice the asparagus into 1 1/2-inch-long pieces on a bias. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water until it’s just tender, about 3.5 minutes (less for thinner stalks). Taste a piece to determine doneness – it should still have the faintest crunch in the center. Drain and allow to cool in a single layer on the prepared sheets. Place half the croutons in a large bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add the remaining croutons, asparagus and macerated onions (but not their vinegar, yet). Tear in the mint leaves in small pieces. Crumble in the feta in large pieces. Dress with another 1/3 cup vinaigrette and season with salt, the taste. Adjust seasoning with salt, vinaigrette and the macerating vinegar as needed. Toss, taste again and serve at room temperature.

Pinnochio (2019)

The wooden puppet that is Pinnochio will never stop becoming a real boy. Nearly 150 years after its initial publication and exactly 70 after the first Disney adaptation, the story continues inspiring new interpretations, some of them yet to come. This version has set a high bar for modern takes. It is the only movie actually made in Italy, the tale’s country of origin, Garrone’s enthralling version taps into the creepy, kinky nature of the material, resulting in a gothic fantasy that embodies the original’s appeal. The way the town's people accept that the fairly elderly Geppetto, who is without wife or family, would suddenly have a child, one that looks quite stiff and wooden, and be widely accepted as both true and realistic is the part you have to belive. That Pinnocchio has the mobility of his young boy body, but the intellect of a newborn baby is the part that makes sense, and despite what the puppet brings down on himself, we are still hoping against hope that he makes it, which givers the creepy tale it's charm.