Seattle has had more construction cranes than any major city for several years. Today’s crane collapse was in an intersection that I go through every day when I commute on the bus. An Audi was nearly cut in half by a piece of the crane. Miraculously, the individuals in that car escaped with their lives. Two other people on the ground and the two occupants of the crane were killed. One speculation is that a wind microburst caught the crane. Despite the loss of life, it could have been much worse. That intersection is one of the busiest in the city, as it feeds north and south Interstate 5. Locals not-so-affectionately refer to it as the Mercer Mess. Sadly, it lived up to its name today.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/27/crane-crash/
Apr 25
Eating Softly
Julian had the first of a series of oral surgeries yesterday. He’s doing amazingly well after a seven-hour procedure. For the next two weeks he’ll be on a liquid diet, followed by a soft diet. The latter means he can only have items that can be cut with a fork. Our blender and food processor will be getting workouts. There’ll be a lot of soups and smoothies in his future. Tonight’s dinner will be vichyssoise (cold leek and potato soup), tomorrow’s gazpacho. I may do some root vegetable purées for him when I have roasted veggies.
One advantage to the liquid diet is that anything that’s liquid at room temperature qualifies. That means ice cream.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/25/eating-softly/
Apr 21
Holiday Weekend
The last couple of years, Passover and Easter have coincided. Last night was our traditional Mixed-Marriage Passover Seder. Twenty celebrants ate matzoh and read the Haggadah. Our contributions to the festivities were pavlova with strawberries and a roasted carrot salad. The latter was my invention. I roasted about 3 pounds of carrots sprinkled with salt and pepper, and tossed them with lemon juice, a little olive oil, and Penzey’s Italian herb seasoning. I used that mixture because it doesn’t contain any garlic, onion, or chile/red pepper. Both were well received. The Haggadah reading was more resonant with me this year than in previous years, particularly the parts that mentioned “we were once strangers in Egypt”. The hosts’ cousin brought a special Seder feature, Plague Puppets. I am not making these up.
After I got home from church, we drove out to Monroe to a cat show. Unfortunately, Julian read the date wrong: The cat show is this coming weekend. Easter dinner included the usual lamb and mint sauce with potato latkes (frozen, not from scratch), leftover carrot salad, and roasted padron peppers. Julian made a fruit salad for dessert.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/21/holiday-weekend/
Apr 20
It Was the Best of Times…
Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities has come to my mind this week. As billionaires and the French government pledge money to rebuild Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, the Yellow Vest protests continue. While I do not condone vandalism and violence, the underlying circumstances that spurred the protests nearly six months ago have yet to be addressed by the government. In addition, this New York Times article indicates that Notre Dame is emblematic of the aging churches, cathedrals, and historic sites that have fallen into disarray in France.
Lest you think that this is only an issue for nations with many Medieval monuments to maintain, let’s turn the camera lens closer to home. The National Park Service, the guardian of our national heritage, will suffer a nearly $500 million cut if the current proposed budget is approved. (See this article for details.) Anyone who’s visited a National Park of late knows that the staff is overworked and the facilities and roads are falling into disrepair.
Madame Defarge, have you started knitting yet?
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/20/it-was-the-best-of-times/
Apr 15
Rebuilding and Resurrection
This is the season of renewal. Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or the Vernal Equinox, spring engenders hope. The fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during the Christian Holy Week was a horrific sight. Paris has lost an icon. However, the city has many examples of places that represent renewal.
A couple of miles away from Notre Dame is the church of St. Gervais. A German rocket came through the roof of this church during World War I – on Good Friday. Eighty congregants were killed in the bombing. The church was rebuilt. The windows at the top of the sanctuary were replaced with more modern glass art. The church has memorials to those who were lost, but the church is still a living sanctuary.
Notre Dame will be rebuilt. It will not be a clone of the original structure; however, it will return to its role as the sacred center of the city.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/15/rebuilding-and-resurrection/
Apr 15
Clam-o-Rama
One of the perks of living in the Pacific Northwest is the plethora of fresh fish and seafood that’s available. Our regular grocery stores have tanks and iced displays of locally-grown clams, oysters, mussels, and Dungeness crabs. Mussels and manila clams are reasonably priced and make quick and tasty meals.
We have two go-to recipes for clams. The first is the traditional Italian linguine with white clam sauce. The second is Chinese clams in black bean sauce. We first had this dish at a restaurant in Seattle’s International District, the late lamented Hing Loon. We tried for years to replicate Hing Loon’s recipe before finding a close facsimile in Stewart Chang Berman’s book, The Potsticker Chronicles.
A few bits of friendly advice about cooking clams:
- Clams sold out of tanks are more likely to be alive than those sitting on ice. A further advantage to buying clams from salt-water tanks: They’re relatively clean and don’t need the sand-purging treatment some recipes call for.
- Discard any yawners, those that don’t clam up (close) when you tap them. They’re dead on arrival.
- Clams, especially our local Manila variety, cook quickly. Get all of your ingredients chopped and at the ready before you inspect and rinse the clams. It’s also a good idea to set the table before cooking. Put a large bowl on the table to collect empty shells. Provide plenty of napkins or paper towels.
- Often you’ll get clams of widely differing sizes. It will take the bigger clams more time to cook. Be patient. If a Manila clam doesn’t open after about 8 minutes, it’s dead and shouldn’t be eaten. For the larger littlenecks, allow about 10 minutes for larger ones to open.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/15/clam-o-rama/
Apr 09
Bracing Myself
After many years of procrastination, I finally got “invisible” braces. The system consists of a series of rigid plastic templates that move your teeth around over time. Every couple of weeks you change to the next set. Unlike the wires, the braces are taken out to eat and drink anything other than cool water. This liberalizes one’s diet a bit; however, the braces have to be cleaned when they come out and the teeth have to be brushed and flossed before they’re put back in.
The concept, in theory, could be a great weight loss tool for people who snack. Since the braces have to be worn 20 to 22 hours per day, one has to ask, “Is this snack worth yanking the braces and brushing/flossing afterward?” We’ll see.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/09/bracing-myself/
Apr 05
My Las Vegas Soundtrack
Music is everywhere in Las Vegas, from the shows to piped-in music in casinos and restaurants. Most of the songs are up-tempo pop music. I would like to propose a more realistic playlist, based on my impressions of the town.
I’m a Loser – The Beatles
Take a Chance – Abba
Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones
The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
Viva Las Vegas – Elvis Presley
Luck Be a Lady Tonight – from Guys and Dolls
I Got the Horse Right Here (Can Do) – from Guys and Dolls
Anything Goes – Cole Porter
Lucky Man – Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
Maybe This Time – from Cabaret
Grand Illusion – Styx
The title song from Rent
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/05/my-las-vegas-soundtrack/
Apr 05
Day of the Condor
The highlight of our hike on the South Kaibab trail in the Grand Canyon was seeing a California condor soaring above us. These are the largest birds in North America, with a wingspan of over nine feet and a face only a mother could love.
California condors were extremely close to extinction, due to pesticide use and loss of habitat. In the 1980’s, only 27 birds were alive. Scientists undertook a captive breeding program and reintroduced them to their natural habitats. Now there are over 350 California condors. Each bird is tagged to track their whereabouts and fate.
The return of California condors to the wild is even more of a miracle than that of the bald eagle. Both species play key roles in their respective ecosystems. We need to remain vigilant to be sure that these birds can continue to thrive.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/04/05/day-of-the-condor/
Mar 29
More Thai Food in Vegas
Tonight’s dinner was at Lotus of Siam, away from the Strip. Julian made reservations before we left Washington. The restaurant was less noisy than those on the Strip. Service was excellent.
We had hot and sour catfish soup as the appetizer. This soup elevates the lowly bottom-feeder fish to legendary status. I’ve made several versions of this soup before.
Hot and sour catfish soup.
We got spicy jackfruit curry with pork and crispy duck khao soi with noodles for the main dishes. Both were very tasty. Even though we’re unlikely to return to Las Vegas, this restaurant was worth the trip.
Duck khao soi and garnish (top) and jackfruit curry with pork (left).
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2019/03/29/more-thai-food-in-vegas/
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