Aug 01

Keeping Cool

The Seattle area is under a heat warning for the next couple of days. Temperatures could reach 100° on Thursday and Friday. The heat wave even made The New York Times today. Most office buildings have air conditioning; however, homes are less likely to have central air. This includes our home, Casa Sammamish. We have a floor unit in the master bedroom, but the rest of the condo is A/C-free. Along with the usual precautions, this is how we attempt to beat the heat.

Go low. Our office/geek cave is on the lowest level. It’s at least 10° cooler than the rest of the condo.

Move the air. We catch the prevailing southwest breezes by opening the upper deck door and the living room windows. A fan moves the window air around. We also open the skylights on the top floor to give the hot air an outlet.

Cook outside. Our grill gets a workout during heat waves. It beats heating up the kitchen.

Eat salads. Tonight Julian made our standard shrimp-black bean-mango salad for dinner.

One thing we did this year was cover the skylight in the dining room with a curtain of sorts. Not only does it keep the glare off Julian’s eyes at lunch, but it does a decent job of keeping the main floor cool. We’ll also close the curtains in the living room to keep direct light out.

Fortunately, these heat waves don’t last long here. We shall survive.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/08/01/keeping-cool/

Jul 30

Courage Amidst Cowardice

By now much has been made of the three Republican Senators who voted no on the “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Some commentators have also mentioned Senator Mazie Hirono, who left treatment for stage IV kidney cancer in Honolulu to vote no. There are two groups of people who also deserve praise for their efforts to defeat this measure.

Members of the disability rights group ADAPT. These folks literally put their bodies on the line in the Capitol and Senators’ home offices to lobby (and, yes, shame) some of the lawmakers to vote against the ACA repeal bills. The sight of police lifting people out of their wheelchairs and arresting them changed many minds among the public. It’s a miracle nobody suffered serious injury, as the bones of folks with paraplegia are extremely fragile. Often the only thing allowing disabled people to pursue productive lives is Medicaid to pay for their medical care, wheelchairs, and home health.

The littlest lobbyists – children with disabilities and their parents. Again, Medicaid permits them to attend school with their peers and just be kids. It’s hard to believe that some Senators were not won over by these children and their families, but compassion is often in short supply when up against powerful political pressure.

There will be other attempts to weaken or repeal the ACA in the next few weeks. It’s critical to keep pressure on elected officials to do the right thing. It’s a matter of life or death for the disabled and others.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/30/courage-amidst-cowardice/

Jul 29

The Big Reveal

Julian and I watched the Tesla Model 3 roll-out. I put my name on the wait list and plunked down a deposit back in May. With luck, I might have one before the deadline to sell my not-so-clean diesel Jetta back to Volkswagen.

Before the show started, I asked, “Do you think the reveal will be more Steve Jobs or standard auto show fare?” Julian didn’t know. It turned out to be a cross between a Ronco informercial and the red carpet before the Oscars. You had the salivating multitudes (mostly male Tesla employees). You had chirpy banter by Tesla engineers. To Tesla’s credit, some of the banterers were women who weren’t dressed in typical auto show garb for females (a bikini or a low-cut, high-slit dress). Finally the car drove onto the stage and Elon Musk popped out. I half expected Joan Rivers to appear and ask: “So, Elon, who are you wearing?” Musk’s talk did not go into the geeky detail that an Apple unveiling does. It was actually pretty short for one of these things.

Since the reveal, Julian has been going through all of the online car porn on the Model 3. There are a few questions that remain unanswered in my brain before I drink the Kool-Aid and purchase one:

How much money are we really talking about? To get the base model, you can have any color as long as it’s black. Any other color costs $1000 more. Some other desirable features also cost more.

Will the Federal and state tax breaks still be in force when my car comes in?

Service? Granted, there are fewer moving parts on a Tesla, but what happens if the car dies in the middle of Spuzzum, British Columbia? (Yes, Virginia, there is a Spuzzum.) Tesla doesn’t have a typical dealership model, so finding a garage to handle any repairs outside major metropolitan areas could be dicey.

Does the trunk pass the wheelchair and bike tests? The trunk should be able to accommodate a standard wheelchair, which means I can fit most of what I’d be likely to haul therein. (The wheelchair test originated with my brother, and continued with Julian’s mom.) With the rear seats down, it should be able to hold my bike without the front wheel.

One of my friends is farther up the list for a Model 3. I’ll let him be my beta-tester.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/29/the-big-reveal/

Jul 27

Quote for Today

“For a powerful magnate, you sure don’t pick up things too quickly.”
-Rocky the Flying Squirrel, voice by June Foray. Ms. Foray died yesterday at the age of 99.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/27/quote-for-today/

Jul 26

A New Definition of Eternity

In older editions of Joy of Cooking (i.e., the ones that Irma and/or Marian authored), eternity is defined as a ham and two people. I want to amend that to a watermelon and two people. Even an icebox-sized melon is overwhelming to the two of us, especially since it’s not my favorite fruit. Nevertheless, I bought one at the fruit stand the other day because I had a hankering for watermelon-feta salad. This is a non-recipe: Chop up some watermelon and mix just before serving with feta cheese and fresh basil. I also had the tail end of a cucumber salad that I added to the mix. The rest of the watermelon is going to a potluck at work tomorrow – if Julian doesn’t devour it first.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/26/a-new-definition-of-eternity/

Jul 22

Oh, (R)Evolve

Julian and I walked up to the Main Street Block Party this evening. It was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the fire that destroyed two buildings on Main Street and would have decimated downtown if every fire department within a 15-mile radius hadn’t sent help. The biggest attraction was the beer garden put on by the Hop and Hound. We ran into our next door neighbors, then went in search of supper.

We ducked into a relatively new restaurant, Revolve, that bills itself as a “true food and wine bar.” The menu touts that its items are free of gluten, grains, GMO, legumes, soy, and refined sugars. The restaurant isn’t full Paleo, as dairy products are on the menu. The burgers and sandwiches are served on “paleo buns”, made from almond and coconut flours. Julian’s first comment was, “This is so Portlandia.” Luckily, the wait staff did not introduce us to the chickens that gave their lives for our meals. He ordered the jerk chicken, while I got the tikka masala chicken meatballs. His dish came with coleslaw and sweet potato fries; my meatballs were perched atop a cauliflower pilaf. Both of us had the draft ale, which was very good. Although it would be an ideal place for our gluten-free friends, I’m not sure the vibe is a good fit with Bothell.

This brings up another issue: The Paleo Diet. The premise of this way of eating is that humans were hunter-gatherers back in the day, and they should continue to eat in that fashion. Hello, have these folks ever heard of evolution? Hunting and gathering did not allow for many other activities other than finding one’s food. The rise of agrarian societies led to less food insecurity and development of civilizations such as in Egypt and Mesopotamia. There would be no Great Pyramids without a switch from hunter-gatherer to agriculture. Beer and wine were not available in Paleo societies, nor were deep-fried sweet potatoes. I think the diet was invented to justify eating large quantities of meat.  The adherents are, for the most part, hunting and gathering from Safeway instead of the wild.

My response to the Paleo Diet? Oh, evolve already.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/22/oh-revolve/

Jul 22

Sanity Maintenance

There are days when I swear things are going to Hell on rocket-powered roller-skates. Some pundits describe the daily disclosures from DC as “drip, drip, drip”; to me, they look more like deluges. It’s easy to get sucked into incessantly watching or reading the news for fear of what’s next. Sometimes you just have to unplug. These are my main sanity maintenance strategies.

“Watching the river run (an old Loggins and Messina song).” The parade of boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, and birds on the Sammamish behind our home calms me down.

The pool. In addition to lively locker-room conversations, the early-morning lap swims are essential to reducing stress. Unfortunately, my pool will be closed for major maintenance for nearly eight weeks starting in early August. This means my major sweaty sanity maintenance mechanism will be…

The bike. There have been times this summer when getting home on Flash (or Flash plus light rail) is faster than driving or taking the bus. I often mute the cell phone on my commutes and weekend rides to avoid interruptions. Last Thursday I had my first Himalayan blackberries of the season on the ride home. I also assisted three tourists who’d taken the light rail from the airport to the University of Washington find their way to the bus to the Fremont neighborhood. And then there’s always…

My own two feet. Sometimes when I take the bus to work I walk downtown and catch a bus home from there. We haven’t done any hiking so far this year, but the Burke-Gilman Trail is just a block away.  I can also find lots of blackberries along the trail. One in the bowl, two down the gullet…

Passive pursuits. Some nights the best I can do is watch reruns of Seinfeld or The Big Bang Theory. Since I didn’t watch the shows when they were first broadcast, they’re not reruns to me. Last night I watched a documentary on Israeli cuisine.

Experiments in cuisine. When I’m working on a new recipe, I try to keep distractions to a minimum. The TV may be on in the background, but I’m only half-listening.

Finally, sleep. I can ignore the lunacy for seven hours. I get into my nightshirt, read a few pages of an apolitical book, and turn out the light.

 

 

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/22/sanity-maintenance/

Jul 22

Might Be Pesto Time

Basilicious

The warm, sunny summer has resulted in a bumper crop of basil on my upper deck. I also have two Thai basil plants going crazy. And my padron pepper plants are being fruitful. Not bad for a small patch of sun.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/22/might-be-pesto-time/

Jul 16

Spiedie 101

This weekend we hosted the annual Spiediefest extravaganza. This event may be more popular than our Super Bowl party, especially for our friends who hate football. The weather cooperated, so some of the revelers kayaked or paddle boarded on the river prior to eating.

Water sports prior to Spiediefest.

For those of you who didn’t grow up or go to college in upstate New York, I wrote a spiedie explainer two years ago. The recipe is quite simple: Marinate lamb, chicken, pork, or beef chunks in a vinaigrette made from olive oil, garlic, vinegar and/or lemon juice, and lots of dried herbs. Parsley, basil, and oregano are classic additions. Mint can be added to lamb marinade. Thread the meat onto skewers and grill. Serve the meat on a hot dog bun, using the bun to steady the meat while pulling it off the skewer.

Chicken spiedie meat awaiting the skewers.

A few tips and tricks for spiedie splendor:

  • The rate-limiting step is cutting up the meat. If you buy a boneless leg of lamb, expect to extricate lots of fat and connective tissue off the meat. Don’t cut off every bit of fat, however. The melting fat will keep the meat moist on the grill.
  • If you make chicken spiedies, use thighs. Chicken breasts have too little fat and too little flavor. We’ve never tried making spiedies with turkey; I’d still use thighs in that case. Again, just cut off the largest globules of fat from the meat to reduce flareups on the grill.
  • Beef and lamb can easily be marinated overnight with no loss of quality. Poultry should only be marinated 4 hours at most, regardless of what some recipes say. The only thing worse than a dry spiedie is one with a pasty texture to the meat.
  • Don’t crowd too many chunks of meat onto a single skewer. Four or five pieces will work on the average hot dog bun.
  • Some people set aside a portion of the marinade (pre-exposure to meat) to brush on the spiedies while they’re on the grill. Julian did this for the lamb skewers, but I skipped it for the chicken.
  • You can make vegetarian spiedies using extra firm tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables. Don’t bother marinating, but brush the skewers with unadulterated marinade while on the grill.
  • In New York, spiedies are usually served naked and unashamed. However, you can put onions or pickled hot peppers on the spiedies if you wish. You can also dab a little of the non-raw-meat-exposed marinade on the finished product.

What to serve with spiedies? This is a summertime dish in upstate New York. (Especially in my hometown, where you have to shovel through several feet of snow to find the grill in January.) Our friends brought assorted salads. Another made a stir-fry from sweet corn, green beans, mushrooms, and fennel. If you want to go full-tilt Upstate, you can make salt potatoes. These are new potatoes that are boiled in a briny solution, then drained and served with enough butter to send your cardiologist’s kid to Cornell for a semester. Beer is the standard beverage to accompany spiedies, but you can also drink wine, water, or iced tea. Fire up the grill and enjoy!

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/16/spiedie-101/

Jul 08

A Butterfly and its Bush

Butterfly bushes are considered noxious weeds hereabouts. We have one that’s blocking the Sun in our front yard. When I returned from a bike ride this morning, I saw a butterfly sipping nectar from its namesake plant. I saw a different species of butterfly on the plant when I went out to get the mail, but didn’t have my phone with me. I don’t know what variety of butterfly this is. My nephew, the amateur lepidopterist, needs to weigh in.

Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/08/a-butterfly-and-its-bush/

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