Girl Detective

I did it! I’m done. I used my stacation last month to push on to the end of Infinite Jest. By the middle of the book, I found the weekly page goals restrictive; I couldn’t wait to read on and see what happened.

A frequent question of readers during Infinite Summer has been, “What’s it about?” I’m not sure it’s possible, or desirable, to capture this complex 981-page book with its 98 pages of endnotes simply. That hasn’t stopped me and others from trying, though.

If I made a list, it would include: junior tennis, addiction, recovery, parent/child relationships, Hamlet, math, philosophy, interpersonal relationships, and home entertainment.

In a sentence, I’d say it’s about trying to find connection in a world geared toward solitary entertainment, loosely based on Hamlet, using drugs and junior tennis as metaphors with two young men, Hal Incandenza and Don Gately, struggling to make sense of it all.

Infinite Jest begins:

I am seated in an office, surrounded by heads and bodies. My posture is consciously congruent to the shape of my hard chair. This is a cold room in University Administration, wood-walled, Remington-hung, double-windowed again the November heat, insulated from Administrative sounds by the reception area outside, at which Uncle Charles, Mr. deLint and I were lately received.

I am in here.

Wallace begins his novel by answering the opening question of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “Who’s there?”

Hal Incandenza answers, “I am.”

This is a complex, challenging novel. By the end, I still had questions. I also had the urge to re-read it from the beginning, which is congruent with a critical element of the novel, an entertainment so seductive that, once seen, incites viewers only to want to watch it again and again. David Foster Wallace has replicated his own fictive creation. I am impressed and even awed by the skill required for such a thing.

Infinite Jest is also sad, funny and tremendously involving. I loved the time I spent with this novel and these characters. I was sorry when it ended, as evidenced by my urge to go back to the beginning and start all over again. The book is not easy, but it’s well worth the time, effort and weight lifting involved in reading it. I continue to ponder its questions about how we relate to one another, to entertainment, and to things we’re drawn to that hurt us.

I’m very grateful to the folks at Infinite Summer for coming up with this challenge, which gave me the incentive to finally tackle this behemoth, which sat on my shelf for a decade. If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so. If you’ve tried and stopped, I encourage you to try again, and persevere. This is a great book, in both senses of the phrase.

I’m not the only one cooking and baking. A couple weeks ago, I came home from yoga class to this:

My husband G. Grod and the boys made biscuits, which were very good.

My next baking attempt was Drake’s birthday cake, with the recipe from Smitten Kitchen:

The sour-cream chocolate frosting was too rich, so I may try a ganache next time. The boys really liked the “6″ constructed of Lego candy.

I’d long meant to try the oatmeal cookie recipe from Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious. It calls for zucchini puree, which produces a dark brown cookie with no telltale veggie taste. While tasty, these cookies wouldn’t hold together. I find her recipes hard to work because they call for ridiculous low-fat ingredients like egg whites and trans-fat free tub margarine. Puh-lease. This is cooking for kids. It’s OK to use whole eggs and butter. Perhaps that’s why my cookies didn’t turn out.

For a simple supper, I made a pasta caprese, with red and yellow tomatoes. It was lovely to look at and good to eat, plus used up the tomato, onion, and basil from my veg share.

Pasta Caprese, from Cooks Illustrated

This dish will be very warm, not hot. The success of this recipe depends on high-quality ingredients, including ripe, in-season tomatoes and a fruity olive oil (the test kitchen prefers Columela Extra-Virgin). Don’t skip the step of freezing the mozzarella, as freezing prevents it from turning chewy when it comes in contact with the hot pasta. If handmade buffalo- or cow’s-milk mozzarella is available (it’s commonly found in gourmet and cheese shops packed in water), we highly recommend using it, but skip the step of freezing and add it to the tomatoes while marinating. Additional lemon juice or up to 1 teaspoon sugar can be added at the end to taste, depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (see note above)
1 small garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 small shallot , minced fine (about 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes , cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note above)
1 pound penne pasta or other short tubular or curly pasta such as fusilli or campanelle
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon sugar (see note above)

Instructions

1. Whisk oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add tomatoes and gently toss to combine; set aside. Do not marinate tomatoes for longer than 45 minutes.

2. While tomatoes are marinating, place mozzarella on plate and freeze until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain well.

3. Add pasta and mozzarella to tomato mixture and gently toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice or sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.

Baking, again, I tried the Bon Appetit recipe for Top-Crust peach pie with cardamom. My peaches weren’t ripe enough (a hazard of living in MN) and it was very wet, but the crust and juice were very tasty.

Yesterday’s farm share box had the following veg in it: spinach, corn, broccoli, turnips, onions, melon and tomato. Last night I made a green salad topped it with chopped broccoli florets, peeled and sliced turnip and carrot and chopped tomato with a green goddess dressing that’s been our go-to recipe all summer. It was bright, simple, and good.

Green Goddess Dressing, from Cook’s Country

Makes 1 1/4 cups–enough for 6 wedges of lettuce

To appreciate the full flavor of this rich dressing, drizzle it over chilled wedges of mild iceberg lettuce or leaves of romaine lettuce. A blender yields a brighter, slightly more flavorful dressing, but a food processor will work, too.

2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 medium clove garlic , chopped
1 anchovy fillet , rinsed and dried
1/4 cup chopped chives

1. Combine tarragon, lemon juice, and water in small bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.

2. Blend tarragon mixture, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, garlic, and anchovy in blender until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Transfer to medium bowl, stir in chives, and season with salt and pepper. Chill until flavors meld, about 1 hour. (Dressing can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Our friend Queenie and her now-husband Blogenheimer introduced us in 1999 to the wonder that is the MN State Fair. I have been every year since; this is my tenth anniversary and my 11th fair. Drake arrived about a week before the fair in 2003. My husband G. Grod didn’t think it was a good idea to take a newborn to the fair, no matter how I wheedled, so Queenie and I went for a quick trip between feedings. Drake’s first fair was 2004; Guppy’s was 2006. This year, G. and I attended the State Fair on our own, without kids, just like in the old days.

To begin, we checked out the demonstration for the MN Cooks panel that hour, sampled some lamb, then had roast corn for breakfast, quickly followed by a root beer and one of my favorite fair treats, a chocolate-covered mocha on a stick from J & S Coffee (available year round at The Bean Factory in St. Paul!)

We had to ask directions to the new Spam stand, but the breakfast sandwich was worth it. I am not generally a fan of Spam, but something about the soft white bun, oozy orange cheese, a slab of salty Spam and a fried egg created a perfect storm–an utterly crave-able breakfast item. We devoured it.

Next were fried green tomatoes dipped in ranch sauce with a bit of Tabasco mixed in, suggested at Heavy Table. Unfortunately, the Tabasco bottle was set on full-throttle, so our sauce was more spicy than we liked, but tomatoes and sauce were still good. I got the combo plate with corn fritters. I enjoyed them and their accompanying honey butter; G. Grod was less impressed.

G. got his annual fried cheese curd fix while I tried one of the new items recommended at Heavy Table. The cheese curds were as good as always. The $3 Lefse Delight was not. The idea of it–soft thin potato bread wrapped around tart lingonberries and topped with whipped cream and crunchy almonds–was good. In reality, though, the lingonberries were sour, the whipped cream was wet and overly sweet, and the almonds weren’t crunchy. Instead, I’d opt for a more traditional lefse offering, like butter and brown sugar.

Outside the Eco experience, we stopped for a local Minne-soda. I wanted to try both flavors, but at $4 each, I picked the maple over the chokecherry. It was flavorful but way too sweet for our tastes. Next year, the other flavor. On the way back we looked around the Fine Arts and Creative Activities displays, something not possible with the kids.

In a lame attempt at more substantive food, I got one of my favorite items from last year, Axel’s tater tots on a stick–fried potatoes, cheese, bacon, and a sour cream/chili powder dipping sauce. I liked them well enough, but G. didn’t care for them.

A cider freezie hit the spot while I tracked down the Salty Tart outpost, which I eventually found in the Produce Exchange across from the International Bazaar. $5 seemed steep for 3 macaroons, but their compact sweet insides and dense outer crusts made me understand why these are named “Crack-aroons.”

G took the opportunity to check out the butter sculptures of the fair royalty candidates,

and got a chocolate malt in the Dairy Building, then we made our way back to the food demonstrations to see Judi Barsness of Chez Jude (where we celebrated out 10th anniversary on a weekend getaway to the North Shore last fall) and J.D. Fratzke of St. Paul’s Strip Club (where my friend K8 and I recently attended the wonderful Simple Good and Tasty August supper).

Local farmers attended from Pastures Aplenty, whose bratwurst and sausage are regular items in our family, and Hidden Stream Farm, whose cheddar bratwurst we enjoyed last summer. We were able to sample Fratzke’s dish, which he called a PPLT: pork, pancetta, lettuce and tomato, on focaccia with seasoned mayo. It was an upscale sandwich to die for.

For “dessert,” I got a cone of Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies and glass of milk, then we wondered if we should stay or go. We let a street-blocking parade help us decide, and had a lemonade on the way to the exit, where we passed K8 and her family coming out of the Miracle of Birth barn, having just seen a calf born.

G. and I didn’t stay much longer than I had with the kids and didn’t spend much more either. It was a good day, with beautiful weather and not too crowded. Like my trip with the kids, it would be nice to make this an annual tradition.

6yo Drake, off to the bus for his first day of kindergarten. He seemed excited; I felt both excited and fearful–a typical parental emotional combo.

After I saw Julie & Julia, I vaguely recalled seeing the spine of Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking on my mom’s shelf. I called to ask if she still had it. Bien sur, she had it in the basement, and sent it to me. It seems to be from the 1961 printing, and is in great condition. The only recipe that shows evidence of being cooked is the Caneton Roti, or Roast Duckling; this does not look like a well-used cookbook. G. Grod and I have already confirmed the correct way to hold a chef’s knife (I’d done it incorrectly). I hope to give some of these recipes a try. Not, however, those involving aspic.

You know that experience when you read something, and it’s like the author peeked into your head? I had that today.

From “Neurodiversity and Fandom” by Jason Henninger at Tor.com. (Link via The Morning News.)

School is starting up soon. My son used to attend a preschool/kindergarten for special-needs kids and their siblings, and now he’s going on to a public school, though still in the special education program. He’s cool with it, but I am a little freaked. It has brought up a whole childhood can of worms regarding my less-than-lovely educational experience, and makes me reflect on issues of social acceptance for neurologically atypical people overall.

Apart from the bit about a preschool for special-needs kids, I could have written this paragraph, because I’ve certainly been thinking and feeling it. My son, 6yo Drake, was given an education label last year of autism spectrum disorder. He’d been having some trouble at preschool, like not participating in music, which prompted us to get an evaluation. The public-school team was quick to note this didn’t mean he “had” autism–that would be a medical diagnosis, and is a different evaluation path–just that he had some behaviors that would be helped by autism-related therapies or classes. Drake attended a communication class once a week, and had an occupational therapist and special ed teacher visit him in preschool. And over the next several months, his behavior and communication bloomed.

This year, he’s going to kindergarten. Only one school in our neighborhood is part of the citywide autism program, and it’s where we’ve been encouraged by his educational team to send him. Given our positive experience already, I’ve taken their advice. I’ll meet with that team tomorrow, when Drake and I go to visit the autism classroom, his kindergarten classroom, and meet his teachers. And on Thursday, he’ll get on the bus (the big one, not a short one like last year) and go to school.

My own public school experience was not good. I was a bored and frustrated student, and I struggled socially. (I suspect there are aspects of ADD and ASD in my own neurological makeup.) So I’m nervous about sending my kid to school, that he’ll feel as bad about it as I did. I feel guilty, too, at the relief I feel because he’s going to be at school all day, which will make my day less challenging.

But Henninger’s essay offers me a little hope. There’s a greater awareness of difference, and a greater understanding and acceptance of it. It’s not to say that the prejudice toward kids who are “a little different” won’t exist; it will. But it helps to be reminded that a lot of these kids are getting kinds of help that didn’t exist thirty-five years ago when I started kindergarten. Plus, Drake is not me. Similar, yes, but not the same.

I can only do what I have done already: make the best guess I can as to what’s best for Drake, give it a try, and make a new plan if it doesn’t work. Now, we wait and see. Involve ourselves as we can in his education. And hope.

My husband G. Grod doubted the wisdom of it, but I wanted to take 6yo Drake and 3.5yo Guppy to the MN State Fair on opening day, or “Thrifty Thursday.” Normally, I go to the fair on a compulsive food bender, so I knew if I was going by myself with the boys I’d have to make a new plan. That plan was to play it by ear and keep expectations low, and it worked pretty well. It’s a great day to go–the crowds are historically thin, the weather was sunny and not hot, it’s cleaner and less smelly earlier on, and there are discounts to get in and on kid rides.

Earlier this year, I bartered away our double stroller. We still have a wagon, and strollers can be rented at the fair, but I decided we’d only stay as long as the boys could walk. Seemed like a reasonable boundary. I set a budget of $60, figuring (or rather, hoping) about a third each for entry, rides and food. My food plan is to always order the smallest size, and share it.

We parked at the U and took a shuttle bus to the Gate 20 entry, where the discounted fee was $9 for me and $6 for Drake. Inside, we started with a pork chop on a stick, $6.50. The boys were suspicious, but quickly helped me devour it. We followed it up with a small order of Famous French Fries, $4.75, which I find good, but the fries are way too short. The boys loved dipping them first in the malt vinegar and then in the ketchup. I’d brought our Sigg bottle full of water so we didn’t have to buy any, and we moved on to the River Ride, which cost a whopping $3.50 per person, even for Guppy. I got almost completely soaked, and spent the next few hours looking as if I’d wet myself. Nice.

I tried to steer the boys up Underwood to the Food building and then to the kids rides and little farm hands. Drake insisted he wanted to go on the Sky Ride, so we followed it along the ground, got on and rode it back to the Ag building next to the food building–$6 for me and Drake, Guppy rode free. The boys, unlike their mother, were completely unafraid of heights and the bumps and shakes of the car.

At this point I’d deflected at least half a dozen requests for cotton candy, and was able to distract them by asking if they’d like Fried Cheese Curds. That got their attention. We entered the Food Building, saw our neighbor L and her twin sons, then moved quickly through the line at the Mouth Trap. The boys were frustrated at having to wait till the $5 curds cooled, but seemed to think it was worth it. We followed them with a bag of Tom Thumb mini donuts, $4, and we all three managed to save 2 to take home to Dad. Yay, us.

Outside, we got a small 1919 root beer, one of my favorite and least expensive fair treats, $1. Fully sugar-bombed, the boys wanted to head to the rides. We stopped by the Rainbow jungle-gym play area on the way, and saw friend N and her son S. The boys went down the slides again and again. Best of all? Free.

The kids rides, however, were decidedly not free, and even discounted used up a chunk of our budget–$9 for Drake to ride the swings and Guppy and him to ride the balloon ride. Guppy was visibly drooping, so I started herding the boys toward the bus. On the way, though, they said they were hungry again. I suggested a Pronto Pup, the batter-dipped and fried hot dog of MN origin. Drake insisted he wanted a corn dog. I foolishly barreled up to the next stand I saw and ordered a “small”.

“That’ll be $7,” the man said, holding out a double dog, since the stand only sold double and triples. While I fumed about breaking the budget and too much hot dog, Drake and Guppy methodically devoured the whole thing.

As we approached the exit, I asked again if the boys wanted to go in the baby animal barn; Drake had said no to it earlier, but was excited to see a newborn calf, alongside pigs and sheep and miniature ponies. I was able to herd them out of the barn and out of the fair to the bus by 2:00, 3 and a half hours after we got there, and $8.75 over my $60 budget. Guppy fell asleep on the car ride home, then I had to have a little nap when we got there.

I didn’t eat nearly the number of foods I normally do, but I knew I’d be going back on Tuesday 9/1 for Minnesota Cooks Day, so I didn’t fret. We ate, we walked, we did some free stuff, we rode some rides. None of us had a meltdown. Not only did we survive, we had a good time. I think we may have started a new family tradition.

For more on food at the Fair, visit local foodie site Heavy Table, where I’ve gotten a lot of tips on what to eat on my next trip.

From Design Sponge: Last fall, Penguin Classics released a series of ten classics exclusive to Waterstone’s in the UK with covers designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith.

In November of this year in the US, Penguin Classics will release eight classics from that first set (not Madame Bovary or Crime and Punishment).

Great Expectations

Pride & Prejudice

Jane Eyre

Picture of Dorian Gray

Wuthering Heights

According to Design Sponge, volumes from the first set will be available at Anthropologie and urban Outfitters; I’ve linked above to the volumes at amazon.com (search for Coralie Bickford-Smith + Penguin Classics.)

In the UK, a second exclusive series for Waterstone’s will be available this October.

No word yet on when (if?) the second set’ll arrive stateside.

As I was researching this, I found a striking set of Penguin Classics with covers by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo:

Pride and Prejudice

The Scarlet Letter

Wuthering Heights

For the even more striking front AND back covers see Stylehive.

Penguin also has its series of “graphic classics” with covers by comic-book artists. Their focus on design continues to provide a variety of books-as-covetable-objects.

(I spent loads of time researching them and putting this together because I had a hunch you’d appreciate the images and links; was I correct?)

My elder son, Drake, turned six last week. And no, I can’t say the time feels like its flown. Six years is a chunk of time, and he and I have both come a long way since his challenging birth and babyhood.

During his first year, Drake learned to crawl at six months, and to walk at ten months. He was eager to move on his own. Like most babies, he enjoyed his bouncy seat and being read to, with particular emphasis on the Boynton oeuvre. We lived in a one-bedroom condominium in downtown Minneapolis.

Just after Drake’s first birthday, we moved to a more family-friendly neighborhood in Minneapolis. He and I often went to the coffee shop and the park. We took him to the Convention Grill with our friends the Blogenheimers for his first burger, fries and banana sundae. He’s been a fan of all three ever since. He slept through the night as soon as he got his own room, and in a few months began napping for hours. Slow to talk, Drake called cats “beows” but eventually had a language explosion and learned all the makes of cars in addition to his letters and numbers. By the end of this year, he was making up songs like “Hyundai, Hyundai, Hyundai, the H is falling down!” and “Honda, Honda, Honda, the H is falling up!”

By Drake’s 2nd birthday, we’d found friends and other kids in the neighborhood and through Moms Club and Minnesota’s excellent Early Childhood Family Ed program. He loved trains, cars and his stuffed animal friends. Much to my dismay, Drake stopped napping. At 2 and a half, he became a big brother when Guppy was born. He took this mostly in stride, and discovered that adults were pleased when he patted Guppy’s head gently.

Just after Drake turned three, he started preschool at a nearby park. He loved playing with the remote control for our stereo at home, and listening to different music. Some of his favorite CDs were DJ Shadow and Fat Boy Slim. When Guppy learned to crawl, Drake suddenly realized things were going to change and became very territorial. This was a year of much screaming; they were like grenades that set each other off. Drake still liked to pat Guppy though, and there’s a very cute picture of Guppy with sugar on his head after Drake had mini donuts at the State Fair that year. Our family started to go to Punch pizza and Big Brain Comics every Wednesday, a ritual that Drake loved.

After Drake turned four, he started a different preschool, which he liked a great deal. He learned about planets and dinosaurs, and to write his name. Midway through the year, after I’d suspected it for a while, I knew he’d learned to read. We were at Barnes and Noble Har Mar when he suddenly said, “Cash for Books, Mom!” I looked around, then up at the ceiling. Sure enough, there was the sign he’d just read. Drake’s favorite things were calculators and watches with timers. He rarely left the house without one of these. His favorite toys were marble paths. He loved watching videos on Youtube, particularly of something called “parcour” or free running. He became very good and very fast at riding his tricycle.

When Drake turned five, he discovered the rides at the State Fair, and loved the ones that were fast and high. He tried his first cotton candy, and had his annual Pronto Pup. He started circus school and soccer classes and had fun at both of them. We opted for another year of preschool instead of kindergarten, and were glad we did. A group from the Minneapolis Public Schools evaluated him at preschool and found he was on the autism spectrum. I told him this meant that his brain worked differently from other people’s–for example, he was good with numbers and reading, but not always so good with words. He worked with several different teachers over the months and made a lot of new friends and learned a lot of new things. Drake’s favorite day was Friday, when he could make a mix CD. He’s getting much better at some of the basics, but still tends to like long songs and multiple songs by one band, like Rush. Drake started riding his green bike, but wasn’t ready to take the training wheels off. He loved building series of Hot Wheels stunts and setting the cars in motion. In the spring, our family traveled to Florida, where Drake got dunked a few times in his excitement to be in a pool. During the summer he took swim lessons. Even though he had trouble putting his head under water, he made a lot of progress, and tried very hard for his teachers. He also did summer camp at a local park, and had a great time. After years of picky eating, Drake finally began trying new foods, like salad and tacos and spaghetti. He’s still finicky, but has made a lot of progress and discovered that he loves edamame.

Now at six we’re preparing for this year’s trip to the State Fair, and Drake starts full-day kindergarten next week. He’ll continue with circus, soccer, and making mix CDs. He loves the shows Animalia and Fetch with Ruff Ruffman on PBS, and reading comics to himself. He doesn’t like to walk places, and complains when I make him, but loves to ride the bus. What will the rest of this year bring, I wonder? I look forward to finding out.

Tues. September 1 is the seventh annual Minnesota Cooks Day at the MN State Fair. Tickets are only $9 for adults that day.

The program consists of a series of shows featuring outstanding chefs from throughout Minnesota demonstrating their talents and interacting with various emcees who interview the Minnesota farmers who produced the food, as well as local celebrity tasters.

From Slow Food Minnesota:

Time for Lunch at Shepherd’s Way Farms
A Slow Food USA potluck in support of Healthy food in schools
Labor Day, September 7, noon — 3 p.m.
8626 160th Street, Nerstrand, MN 55053

Join us at Shepherd’s Way Farms for a community potluck. The “Eat In” is part of Slow Food’s National Day of Action, during which thousands of people will be gathering across the country to show their commitment to better school lunches. One goal of the Eat Ins is to remind Congress that we need a Child Nutrition Act that supports real food for kids.

Everyone is invited to attend this free event – registration required. Please bring a homemade dish to share and your own plates and utensils. Drinks will be provided. Register by e-mail: farmfriends(at)earthlink(dot)net, or phone: 507 663-9040. Please include your name, address, contact information and number of people attending.

I’ve written about Shepherd’s Way many times, and Guppy and I received adopted sheep gifts. They are a great farm, and need the support!

September 13 DILEMMA!

Two great local food events to choose between. Going to both is technically possible, though.

A Fowl Affair
A festive day on a poultry farm
Sunday, September 13, 2 — 7 p.m.
Callister Farm, West Concord, MN

There will be tours of the farm and processing plant, root beer floats, horse-drawn wagon rides, games for kids and of course a delicious farmer’s meal of fried chicken (Callisters’ Poulet Rouge), potatoes, vegetables, salads, bread, pickles, and fresh raspberry pie. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included. Everything is made from scratch, from local ingredients, in the Callister’s processing kitchen. Members, $20. Non-members, $30. Children 12 and under, free. Proceeds will benefit Slow Food Minnesota’s Terra Madre fund. No pets, please.

Simple Good and Tasty September Dinner: Potluck and Pig Roast

For September’s Simple, Good, and Tasty local food dinner, we’re trying something a little bit different - the biggest, best, funnest local food potluck and pig roast that the Twin Cities has ever seen. SGT will provide the pig - you bring your family, friends, and a dish to share. This is a great, inexpensive opportunity to meet local food enthusiasts, cook up your CSA/farmshare bounty, and eat great food.

The meal will be held at Minneapolis’ Boom Island Park. Boom Island is conveniently located near downtown (724 Sibley St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413), and features a playground and great views of downtown Minneapolis.

Tickets for the event cost only $10 (to cover the cost of the pig and the park shelter), and kids are free. Sunday September 13, 5pm.

My weeklong vacation ends today. My husband G. Grod took our sons, now-6yo Drake and 3.5yo Guppy, to PA to visit friends and stay with family. By all accounts, they had a wonderful time while I got to enjoy a week-long stacation. Several people asked me what I’d do with the time. Unlike vacations past, I made no hard and fast plans, and knew going in that whatever project to-do list I set would be theoretical. My priorities were rest, rejuvenation, reading and writing. I did all those things and more:

Bought chocolate and cupcakes from Local D’lish and Surdyk’s on the way home from dropping the boys at the airport.

Bought the John Hughes High School Flashback DVD set at Barnes and Noble, with Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science. (see recent entry on John Hughes.) Bough new Mercy Watson book, Something Wonky This Way Comes, and Shaun the Sheep DVDs, all ostensibly for Drake’s birthday. (But perhaps akin to a bowling ball inscribed with “Homer”.)

Had two girls-only tea parties using my china tea set.

Played Lexulous with my sister Sydney this week. (More accurately: got beat soundly by Syd on Lexulous this week.)

Went to five yoga classes in seven days, adding to my normal classes at Neti Neti by returning to lovely TaraNa and visiting the serene One Yoga.

Attended the Mad Men premiere party at Jax with my friend K8.

Saw the original Day the Earth Stood Still at the Heights.

Got my knives and scissors sharpened and bought a sharpening steel and new cutting board at Eversharp.

Cleaned out my linen closet but didn’t find the missing bathroom floor tiles to be replaced.

Swam laps at the Jim Lupient water park.

Got my brows waxed at Extrados.

Got my hair trimmed at Wave.

Got my nostril (re-) pierced at St. Sabrina’s.

Finally watched Kurosawa’s take on MacBeth, Throne of Blood.

Read 200+ pages in Infinite Jest; I’m close to the end!

Attended the Simple, Good and Tasty dinner at The Strip Club with my friend K8

then stayed up till 1am to watch the finale for Top Chef Masters and the premiere of Top Chef Las Vegas.

Attended a Project Runway party for the All Star special and the Season 6 premiere at my friend KM’s. (Go, MN designers!)

Finally went to Town Talk Diner with my friend Queenie.

Stayed up late, slept soundly, and made my own double cappuccinos every morning (my husband G. Grod usually makes them for me; I finally learned how to do them myself.)

And this morning, my last, I went to “gentle” yoga with Jeffrey at TaraNa, then to Crema Cafe for a local organic scramble and a Sonny’s latte (that’s a regular latte with a scoop of their espresso-infused Crema ice cream!),

then stopped at Mitrebox to pick up Strawberry Shortcake and Chocolate Bomb cupcakes, then to Local D’lish to pick up Kettle Corn, Honey Walnut Fig and Peanut Butter Cup cupcakes, all to welcome the boys back. (Again, ostensibly. See above comment about bowling ball w/Homer.)

What I didn’t do: work in the yard, organize and clean. Fret.

I’ve had a terrific week, and I can’t wait to see G and the boys. I believe (and hope) I’ll be a better mom in the coming weeks because of this break. Maybe I’ll even have more energy to tackle some of those tasks I put off.

I’m in the home stretch of Infinite Jest, with fewer than 100 pages to go in the novel, and only short end notes remain. I was reading along with Infinite Summer, which had an end goal of September 21, but I had the week to myself, so decided to read ahead. I’ve continued to love this long, weird, wild book.

Note that I saw the original Day the Earth Stood Still (not the recent remake), shown by Take-Up Productions at the Heights Theater. After a space ship lands on the White House lawn, a man claiming to be from space emerges and says he needs to speak to the world leaders.

Klaatu: I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.

When Klaatu is told his request is impossible–how can all the nations agree on anything?–and imprisoned, he escapes to find a way to get his message of peace to the Earth. He stays in a boarding house where he meets a single mother and her son. When Klaatu is threatened, his protector robot, Gort, in turn threatens the Earth. The mother and her son must find a way to prevent this.

This is a great movie, a classic, and one I’m sorry I hadn’t seen till now. The look is impressive, and the tension and threat of the story are palpable. Bernard Hermann, better known for his work with Hitchcock, used theremins to foster uneasiness in the viewer. Additionally, this is a referent for so many science-fiction works that came after it. Gort looks very much like a prototypical Cylon from Battlestar Galactica, and I now understand the reference in Evil Dead to “Klaatu Barada Nikto”.

I think this will be a good movie to watch with my 3 and 6yo kids when they’re a little older, as a discussion starter for things like national violence and racism.

This summer is the first I’ve done a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share from a local farm, Foxtail Farm. Two thirds of the way through summer and I’m feeling burnt out on veg. Some of this is circumstantial: my 3 and 5yo boys will eat little of what arrives in our weekly box except carrots. Some of it is seasonal: summer is high growing season, so there’s a use-it-or-lose-it aspect for the increasing volume of fresh produce. Finally, though, it hits me in my week spots of anxiety and compulsion–I feel anxious about having to use up the veg, and compelled to use them in creative ways, which generally involved a lot of cooking or prep.

I’m not sure what the solution is. No CSA next year? Go down to a quarter share from a half weekly, or alternate weekly half shares with another family? Stop trying to be creative and just steam things in great batches? I love cooking in season with fresh local produce, supporting local farmers, and to a point I love the challenge of cooking what shows up, but I need to find a way that’s less exhausting to me. Fortunately, though, the prep pays off; most of what we make is quite tasty.

A trio of salads from last week, looking pale and rather yucky, hence the small photo. Trust me, they were delicious, and beautiful to look at when fresh:

The red salad top left is from Mark Bittman’s 101 Salads for the Season, salad #1 tomato and watermelon with feta in a

Basil Vinaigrette from Cook’s Country:

3/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 shallot , peeled
1 clove garlic clove , peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1. Heat 1/4 cup oil with 1 cup basil in medium saucepan over medium heat until basil turns bright green and small bubbles appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and steep 5 minutes.

2. Process shallot, garlic, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and mustard in blender until garlic and shallot are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, slowly add remaining oil and steeped basil oil and continue to process until dressing is smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. Pack remaining basil into blender and process until dressing is smooth, about 15 seconds. (Dressing can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

At bottom is salad #39, corn, Yucatan-style sauteed in a skillet, then tossed with lime juice, feta, quartered cherry tomatoes, and cayenne.

On the right is corn again, this time with quinoa (the recipe calls for farro, I’ve also used pearled barley to good effect) with goat cheese and green beans. This recipe, from Epicurious, is delicious. My friend LH made it for our book group, and I’ve made it twice since.

Chicken, Green Bean, Corn, and Farro Salad with Goat Cheese Bon Appétit | August 2009

Farro is a nutty-flavored grain that’s popular in Tuscany. It’s not as heavy as some other whole grains, but it’s still packed with protein, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Here, it’s the base for a satisfying summer salad. Yield: Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup semi-pearled farro* or spelt berries

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast halves
12 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (cut from 2 to 3 ears of corn)
3 green onions, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
preparation

Cook farro in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet; cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, then cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes. Cook green beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool; drain. Transfer beans to kitchen towel; pat dry.

Mix farro, chicken, and green beans in large bowl; add corn and green onions.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, marjoram, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in small bowl. Press with back of spoon to release flavor. Whisk in vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Pour over salad in bowl; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Divide chilled or room-temperature salad among plates. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

* Available at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Italian markets.

Something else the boys wouldn’t eat was zucchini bread, recipe from Cook’s Country:

Zucchini Bread

Cut large zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon before shredding.

Makes one 9-inch loaf or 4 mini loaves
1 pound zucchini
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Shred zucchini on large holes of box grater, then place in clean dish towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you’re able. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in large bowl. Whisk sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and butter in bowl until combined.

3. Gently fold yogurt mixture and zucchini into flour mixture using spatula until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

4. Bake until golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool at least 1 hour. (Bread can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 3 days.)

To sweeten the deal for the boys (and me) I made

Zesty Apricot Cream Cheese Spread

8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
1/3 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

With rubber spatula, combine cream cheese, apricot jam, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon zest in bowl until smooth.

The spatula left things unattractively lumpy, though it still tasted great. I’d use a food processor next time. And still, the boys refused this.

I used the rest of the basil vinaigrette with potatoes and a pickling cucumber, the latter was a great addition to the salad:

And then this is about a quarter share (I gave half of my half to a friend) from last Thursday, which felt much more manageable:

Corn, dill, zuke, onion, chard, carrots, green beans, cukes (hiding) and potatoes.

With it I made the corn and green bean salad from above, a chard frittata with dill, cucumbers in a dill yogurt sauce (that I served alongside poached Alaskan salmon), and one of my all time favorite potato recipes:

Roasted Potato Slices with Lime and Chili

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Yield: Serves 2
ingredients
two 1/2-pound russet (baking) potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise. Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and on a baking sheet toss with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake potatoes in one layer in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until golden.

In a bowl stir together mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder. Add warm potatoes and combine well.

I recommend dividing the potatoes up before eating. Serious struggles have occurred when my husband G. Grod and I have tried to share the bowl. And we’re always disappointed at the end, in spite of having just devoured a whole pound of potatoes between us.

The first time I watched Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, I feel asleep about 50 minutes in. I’d just read and seen a stage production of Shakespeare’s MacBeth at the time, which is the source material. This week I tried again, starting at the beginning. I fell asleep at the same place. To be fair, though, I started watching much too late, so I wasn’t in optimal viewing mode.

I did finally finish it in two more sittings. Toshiro Mifune is the MacBeth character, Washizu. After a great victory in battle, he and his friend Miki discover a spirit in the forest who predicts that Washizu will be king, as will Miki’s sons.

The story proceeds mostly according to the play, but what makes this movie powerful and unique are the stunning visuals and the transposition of the story to feudal Japan. Also fascinating is the Japanese version of Macbeth and his lady. Lady Washizu speaks softly with goading words. She is all the more frightening for her passivity, and the power she wields with it.

Admirable, my Lord. You, who would soon rule the world, allow a ghost to frighten you.

The ending splits from the text. While the trees of the forest do rise, it is not a MacDuff character who undoes Washizu, but his own men, an unthinkable act of rebellion enacted in a flurry of arrows (most of them real!). Well worth it for fans of Shakespeare, film and Kurosawa, but be sure you’ll alert before you begin, so you can fully appreciate the visual treats to come.

On Saturday, I stopped at Local D’lish, and picked up the Sweets cupcakes of the day: grapefruit sparkler, chocolate-i and coconut ginger. All lovely, and all tasty. I also couldn’t resist Bliss granola, Bramblewood shortbread, and Obsession truffles.

Because I have no restraint, I stopped at Surdyk’s cheese shop next, since I was passing right BY it, and got two bars of Rogue chocolate and a bag of Rustica bakery’s double chocolate cookies.

It was all local! It’s good to be a foodie in Minnesota.

(OK readers, this should have bigger, more detailed photos. They’re from facebook, though, so they won’t get past a work firewall; sorry!)

Sometimes, I wonder why I try. G Grod mentioned he’d like to make pizza. I found a recipe in Cook’s Country, used it as an excuse to finally buy myself a set of 9″ pie pans, and we made this:

Drake loved it and ate three pieces. Guppy wouldn’t eat it at all. I may try again without pepperoni, but making yeast pizza dough from scratch is an undertaking.

Pepperoni Pan Pizza from Cook’s Country
Makes two 9-inch pizzas serving 4 to 6

Dough
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Topping
1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups tomato sauce (see related recipe, “Basic Pizza Sauce”)
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.

2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.

5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.

Our box from our Community Supported Agriculture share had yellow squash and beets. It’s was nearing the end of the week, so I steamed the former, roasted the latter, then pureed

to make the Yellow Cake with Raspberry Swirl from Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious.

I added cream cheese frosting and fresh berries.

The kids were not fooled. The raspberry puree, while lovely, did not disguise the flavor of the beets enough. It got more pronounced after baking. So the boys wouldn’t eat this. Note to self: beets are not disguise-able. If I’d just made the yellow cake with squash I think that would’ve worked.

Then I found myself with leftover lemon cream cheese frosting. What to do; what to do?

And since the boys didn’t eat the cake, I didn’t bother to offer them these.

Mine. All mine.

Fargo is regarded by many as the Coen Brothers’ best film, and my husband G. Grod and I hadn’t seen it since it came out, which was before we moved to Minnesota. We re-watched it the other night and liked it more than I remembered.

William H. Macy (who had to lobby HARD for the part) is a dorky guy who tries to fake his wife’s kidnapping so he can get the ransom. He hires Steven Buscemi and a scary-looking guy and of course things go very wrong. Frances McDormand (or Mrs. Joel Coen) is the local police in Brainerd. Seven months pregnant, eating at an Old Country Buffet with her high-school sweetheart husband, Marge is an average person who is a good detective, but baffled at the crimes that develop.

I’m not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.

It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s eminently quotable.

I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper.

It’s a good satire of Minnesotan accents and culture. But it’s also too dark and violent for me, at least some of the time. Good, and one of their best, but even so not one of my favorites (which are Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, and The Big Lebowski.) G. Grod’s favorite is Miller’s Crossing, which he showed me when we were dating.

The credits claim a cameo that didn’t occur. The story both was and wasn’t based on real events. And kudos to local actor Sally Wingert who has a small part in the film; I KNEW she looked familiar!

Wendy and Lucy was on many critics’ best-of-2008 lists. Michelle Williams is traveling to Alaska with her dog Lucy when her car breaks down. Several upsetting things happen. Wendy hums a lot, and calls for Lucy a lot. Several very sad things happen. This film is like a poem–a brief, lovely, impressionistic take on loneliness and poverty in America. Very good if you’re up for that sort of thing, but slow or depressing if you’re not.

This dish is so good, and so easy, and THE KIDS EVEN EAT IT! that I thought it deserved its own post. No photo, but take my word on it.

Last week’s CSA farm share box included a bunch of potatoes and a bunch of sage. I bought some chicken tenders, threw in some green beans and voila: dinner.

Skillet Chicken and Potatoes (from Cook’s Country)

If you prefer, substitute fresh thyme or oregano for the sage.

Serves 4
1 pound small red potatoes , halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (6 to 7 ounces each), trimmed
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Toss potatoes and 1 tablespoon oil together in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through cooking.

2. Place flour in shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and shake to remove excess. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, cook chicken until browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate, leaving fat in skillet, and cover chicken with foil.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add potatoes, cut side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to platter. Add broth, sage, and lemon juice and, using wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from skillet. Return chicken and accumulated juices to pan and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter with potatoes. Whisk remaining tablespoon butter into sauce, season with salt and pepper, and pour sauce over chicken and potatoes. Serve.