Overdoing It: Three Parties on the Weekend

It is Ayyam-i-Ha, the period of celebration and gift-giving in the Baha'i community. Houses are decorated, festive foods prepared, and families get together to celebrate.

We were invited to several Ayyam-i-Ha parties and also attended Jim and Kay's wedding reception, held in their home a week after their wedding.

Their home was just packed with art and people, with barely enough room to turn around. We were told to bring toppings, and they would make pizza for everyone!

Jim first described his pizza to me about a year ago, saying the trick to the crust involves using 15% rye flour to the high-gluten white. That makes for a crispy crust.

He enhances the crust's texture with a layer of coarsely-ground cornmeal pressed into the bottom of the dough; uses a baking stone; and prepares his dough the night before to maximize conditioning.

Jim has spent the last eight months remodeling his kitchen. It is a functional workspace, with little niches under the counter for storing food as it is being prepared. Marble counter-tops replaced tile, so that when he rolls out dough it doesn't pick up indentation marks from grouting.

On Sunday Jim brought his freshly baked pizza to a Persian family's Ayyam-i-Ha celebration. I brought a beet-red onion salad, with walnuts and Mandarin oranges.
Our host's Persian rice was served with meatballs in a sweet/sour pomegranate sauce.

Our weekend closed with festivities at the Olsen's Pink Elephant Party, always enjoyable and entertaining. They served baked ham with all the trimmings.
( Raul must know something about my nutritional inclinations, and isn't talking!)

Gifts were exchanged following dinner. This is always a hoot because they are generally a mixture of ghastly, goofy, or cheap!
George and I have a set of matching violinists!

Time For Coffee: Flaxmeal Cake

Muesli Mix, carrots, flaxmeal, currants, nuts, and granola topping.

Kiwi: Three for a Dollar

Hearty Winter Fare - to Keep Warm

I made a big pot of shrimp gumbo, with chorizo, yellow hominy, vegetables and macaroni, using my favorite rasam seasonings for flavor. Boy did it pack a punch, and had a flavor to die for! I've been enjoying this soup with huge puffy naan rolls that are baked with a sprinkling of cheddar.

This BBQ pulled pork on a bun simmered in the crockpot for hours giving the house a wonderful aroma. I made the Southern BBQ sauce from scratch because all of the store-bought types use high-fructose corn syrup, as does ketchup:

• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup - make your own
  
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

"Causative Models for What Really is Going On"

I'm saving these useful links, from my reading this week:
Sick people used to be healthy, so what changed?

Interesting research about Cancer on Ted Talks: Guiding the body back to health, as a treatment option - seeing cancer as what we do, rather than what we have.

Obesity-induced diseases: Inflammatory changes in adipose tissue occur at the molecular level, affecting every part of the body.

People with metabolic syndrome have an increased long-term risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Morning Coffee With Ruhiyyih

Ruhiyyih and Matt drove over for the weekend. We celebrated Matt's birthday and also a belated Christmas at Rue and Annie's so Ruhiyyih could give gifts.

Our furnace died about six weeks ago, so Ruhiyyih and I bundled up in the morning, bracing ourselves with hot coffee and heat from the propane fireplace. We could have repaired the furnace for $800, but it is an old second-hand furnace intended for a mobile home, and has never really heated our house well. So, I opted to rely on the propane fireplace and a few space heaters, if necessary. In time, after George finishes installing the insulation under the house, we'll purchase a new furnace. Until then, I stay warm, cooking in the kitchen and drinking lots of hot tea.

I've read recently that many elderly people in Kyrgyzstan suffer through the winter. Energy shortages contribute to the problem:
“The main problem in the winter is heating. I have no money to buy coal. I usually use animal dung and wood for heating. I spent my pension on flour, so I have no money for coal... When my children visit me, they bring some food with them, which is really helpful for me.”

Ruhiyyih shared survival stories, the measures she and Matt have taken to become independent, should they have to 'live off the grid'. She said not to worry about her if we do not have phone contact. She said she is mainly worried about her dad, who, if he is stranded in Kitsap County, will have to paddle the canoe home if his car doesn't work! Well, I've told him to stay put, carry a warm blanket and make do at his office. He did this once this winter, when snow conditions were so bad he couldn't drive home.

Just a Dress, A Simple Little Dress

We were invited to attend a wedding at a Victorian bed and breakfast. When I mentioned to my daughter about wearing my usual dressy attire - my one good dress - she told me to toss it, get something new. (It is nice to have a daughter clue me in, as I would have worn that dress for the next 20 years!)

I probably would have more clothes, if I enjoyed shopping. My usual attire are REI pants, all the same color and style, and I've been known to be so uncommitted to my appearance that a week will go by and I will have worn the same outfit all week - just so I don't have to think about what to wear.

I'm most comfortable wearing hiking or gardening gear - casual tough stuff, like over-sized jackets and muck-boots - clothing I can share with George, if he needs another layer on an outing.

Not only do I have zero interest in clothing, but I loathe shopping - the wearying nature of it, never finding a fabric I like, or a style, or seeing shoddy craftsmanship. I think, "I have better sense, than to settle for something so poorly crafted for such a high price!" I get abysmally self-righteous and disgusted.

Before long, two personalities inside my head are poised for battle, each with their own agenda. So, I set a deadline - 2 hours to find a dress, then I'll go home, with or without a dress. That makes me feel slightly better. But the two voices get more aggressive, one saying to "get a dress no matter what!", and the other saying "stick with what you've got, if it was good enough then, it's good enough now!"

I shopped for an hour, at Sears, Penny's, and then Macy's, trying to find a suitable, understated dress for all occasions, not just for a glitzy wedding. Everything I saw was bovine, huge dresses tailored for many American women; cheap fabric, poor sewing, ugly patterns. Everything was horrendous - I didn't see one thing I could wear.

In the ten years since I last bought a dress, even the mannequins looked bigger! Layers of fabric were superimposed on each other, jewelry was chunky. The materialism, the excess, was simply overwhelming. I glanced quickly while moving through the aisles, feeling fabric, looking at colors.

I saw one unusual color - eggplant - and stopped. I pulled the dress out of the clearance rack. It was originally priced at $130.00, had been on sale, and now Macy's just wanted to get rid of it for $30.00. I decided to try it on. The sewing, the lining and seams, were done to perfection - and this dress could keep me warm, with long sleeves and a heavy inner lining. As I bought the dress, I felt a small moment of sadness knowing that the Asian designer who created this dress didn't get sufficient payment for her work.

After I bought the dress I purchased $1.99 worth of maroon-gold bangels. That was my spending spree for the wedding. I went to Starbucks and got coffee, sat down and watched the shoppers go by. What a relief to get this over!

I tried to find a pair of shoes to go with this dress, but nothing fit - my bunions create a problem, and my heels are too narrow. I have to go with laces or straps. I have a pair of all-purpose dress sandals, so I just wore them.

A friend suggested the option of dress boots in winter, but I don't have any. For fun, I put on my dress with my huge Cabela's muck boots and looked in the mirror. I ran and got a silk scarf I use for food styling, wrapped it around my neck and laughed, imagining my grand entrance!

Double Doses of Chocolate

After a wonderful Persian meal, our Baha'i hosts offered two types of chocolate cake for dessert!

The occasion was our Baha'i Study Class, "Reflections on the Life of the Spirit", held at Farhad and Bricelda's home.

We enjoyed the meal, followed by the class, followed by chocolate! Our hosts are seated at the far end here.

This is a special cup of hot chocolate prepared for one of the guests who frequently brings a thermos of cocoa to enjoy during the class.

What the Heart Remembers

On Sunday at the Olsen's Devotional we recalled those things for which we felt most grateful.

I mentioned feeling grateful for utterance, words, remembering individuals who have contributed to the integrity of my life with their insightful and kind words. Sometimes, powerful concepts are found in the exquisite prose of a letter, prayer or book, other times in the kind commentary of a friend.

As we went around the room, Jim, pictured above, told his story, about being invited into the home of one of the caretakers of the Uganda Baha'i Temple while visiting in Uganda. Over a lunch of sponge bread and vegetables, the Baha'i talked about prayer, and answered Jim's questions. After a four hour conversation Jim enrolled in the Baha'i Faith. The African's sincere, insightful conversation caused Jim to reach new heights of understanding, and facilitated a transformation that began nineteen years ago, when Jim first heard about the Faith.

Jim was assisting the Pygmies with workshops in the arts, bringing home copies of their artwork. His home is filled with artifacts and artwork from throughout the world.
The Olson's son Issac was one of Jim's students when he was in High School.

The brilliant sunshine of the morning was replaced with a gentle cloud-cover in the afternoon. We drove to Glen Cove, put the canoe in the water, and paddled out into the Sound. There were noisy gulls and buffle-heads that scuttled across the water as we approached them. This is one of my favorite paddles, as it eventually leads to a little lagoon so shallow that we can get out of the canoe and walk in the water. There are abundant shellfish.

We paddled until 4:00, then George suggested going to Gateway of India for a meal. I felt a little apprehensive at first. The last time we ate Indian food in a restaurant I felt many compromises had been made to fit the American palette, the food was not flavorful and spicy. Perhaps shortcuts were made to fit the American budget as well, to bring the price down.

I mentioned that we still had a curried vegetable soup and spicy porkbelly and noodles at home. I could prepare a good salad, warm up left-overs. But, our hunger got the best of us, and we decided to try Gateway to India.

We started with a red lentil/white bean soup that was wonderful, followed by a full appetizer platter, roti and naan, and Shrimp Masala Jinga and Vegetable Karahi served with rice. On a scale of 1 to 5, we ordered a #4 heat, and that was perfect - the food's flavor was not overwhelmed by the heat.

The shrimp and vegetables appeared to be grilled in ghee then topped with the sauce, not drowned by it. I really liked this approach - the veggies remain firmer, and the shrimp are plumped to perfection. Although none of my cookbooks feature cooking these dishes this way, I will most certainly adopt this approach - it offers better color, too. (Indian food is difficult to photograph.)
Best part of the meal - I didn't have to cook on Sunday, as I usually do, preparing food for George's lunches.

It surely has been a memorable week with the changes in Egypt. While viewing CNN, I finished reading "Beyond the Crash - overcoming the first crisis of globalization" by Gordon Brown; "A Mountain of Crumbs - a memoir" by Elena Gorokhova; and watched "The Greeks - Crucible of Civilization" - where Greek democracy was first envisioned nearly 1000 BC. Imagine, that the Egyptians were still fighting for this right to speak out, address their concerns, and have a role to play addressing the outcomes of their lives.

So much, for my homework. It was such a banquet of information and images that my mind is a blur of hopeful outcomes.
But, I will remember, in Elena Gorokhova's memoir, her mother hunting for mushrooms in the woods; the hunger of the children; the radishes, carrots, beets and potatoes that grew in their gardens. (flickr photo by keema.)

An Afternoon Getaway: Port Gamble

This is the Hammersmith House in Port Gamble, built in 1918.

On Saturday we drove up the Kitsap Peninsula to explore Port Gamble, a 120-acre National Historic Landmark, founded in 1853. It was the longest continuously operating mill town in North America.

We walked around town, enjoyed an espresso in the General Store, and toured the marine exhibit upstairs.

In the afternoon we drove to Foulweather Bluff, a 100 acre coastal sanctuary owned by the Nature Conservancy, and hiked the trails down to the water: Old growth cedar, huge red alder, western hemlock, and a marsh rimmed with rushes and cattail.

We ambled along the beach - George went in one direction to capture photographs, and I went another, poking my stick into the sand, flipping over shellfish - clams, oysters, mussels and snails.

I was amazed at the abundance, and wished I could take some home - especially the clams - and make chowder. With that in mind, we drove to the Central Market in Poulsbo and hit the deli, where we dished up fish chowders, salads and sourdough rolls. We ended the afternoon with cappuccino and chocolate biscotti, and a peaceful drive home.

On Sunday I made a salad and curried lentils, pulled down some home-made olive-feta bread from the freezer, sliced my paneer, and finished the left-overs. What a treat!

Persian Rice With Potato Tah-Dig

One of my projects for last week was Persian rice with potato tah-dig. After having it explained by my son-in-law, Mehran, I googled several U-tube videos showing the various processes involved. Of the three that I watched, all were slightly different, but with similar outcomes. I enjoyed Reyna Simnegar's approach the best - simple and happy.
I also used her blog, Kosher Persian Food, as a reference.

To prepare Persian rice, I layered al dente rice and al dente lentils with garlic, cinnamon and fresh dill. Meat was simmered with garlic and onions, and placed along the edges. I cooked thin-sliced orange peelings in brown sugar, dried them in the oven, and placed them on top of the rice, shown in the photo below.
Holes were poked into the rice with a wooden spoon and used as steam vents. A tiny glass of saffron was placed in the middle.

When cooking is complete, the rice is inverted onto a plate, with the tah-dig on top. A small amount of rice is mixed with the saffron liquid, and this colored rice is placed on top with the tah-dig.

I served Spinach Khoresh with the rice at dinnertime. We had a Study Class that evening, and one of our guests said, "You cooked Persian rice - I can smell it!"