The thankful issue

What I am thankful for this season:

My beautiful, magical, amazing kids.  Who are no longer kids.  Who I am in awe of.  Who are a gift, pure and simple.

My sweet, supportive, smart, goofy, lovable husband.  Who I am so lucky to still love and be loved by, 25 years later.

My family.  Fun, smart, supportive, hilarious.  I won the lottery twice.

Hubble.  I love my dog.  And he loves me more than any living creature on earth.  That's pretty awesome.

I am also thankful for
Music - transportive, restorative, gratifying, moving.  And we formed a band this year!

Wine & coffee:  my life would be infinitely bleaker without these two liquids.

CrossFit.  My posse.  They who motivate me to get out of bed at 5:08 every morning, guaranteeing a belly laugh and an insanely high heart rate by 6:30am.

The Dinner Table:  this season, more than any other, I value the simple, wonderful ritual of gathering around the table, everyone home and together.  I thank my parents for making family dinners a given.  I thank my family for enjoying the table we set and the food we put on it. I  love preparing meals for my family and friends because of that instant, satisfying reward.

My friends, many of whom are in the above pictures.  2016 was a bit of a beast.  I truly would not have gotten through it without their support, humor and well-timed cups of cheer.


And I am thankful for the gift in the manger.  It's such a bummer that Christians are often the ones who have sullied Jesus' reputation. He was such a radical, but a uniter, not a divider.  He called out hypocrites and promoted humility.  He defended the poor, the orphans, the widows, the dispossessed.  And women.  He preached mercy.  Compassion.  Forgiveness. Generosity. That no one was beyond hope or help.  That we are all equal.  He preached Love.

Peace and good will toward all.  Happiest of holidays to you and yours.

When you host three Nigerian journalists on a Monday night in December....

What do you serve when you host three Nigerian journalists for dinner? This was the question I was left to ponder this weekend as I planned this week's menus.

We are on the email list for an organization called World Chicago, which is "a nonprofit organization that hosts citizen diplomacy programs that connect the Chicago community with international professional and youth leaders participating in U.S. Department of State exchanges in Chicago."Doug, as you know, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa.  I, as you may also know, grew up in a family that hosted several foreign exchange students.  So when they sent out a solicitation to host visiting Nigerian journalists, we were IN.


Our three guests are all financial journalists in Nigeria and are here with the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, which brings future leaders from countries around the world to the US for two weeks of professional development.   The specific objectives for this project are interesting:


Explore methods of data-driven reporting, data sources, analytical skills & investigative techniques,Improve understanding of capital markets, company financials and budget information; andExamine models of cooperation to improving governance, accountability and economic performance.


Our guests were:

Mr Oyetunji Abioye, Chief Correspondent, Finance and Money Market, Punch Nigeria Limited

Ms Nse Anthony, Business Editor, Leadership Newspaper
Mr. Abiodun Dare, Senior Reporter, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria

They started in Pittsburgh, then came to Chicago, then were heading to NY. And they were lovely.  

First of all, their outfits were freaking amazing.  I felt like I was on a movie set. 

They of course spoke perfect English with that killer Nigerian accent,  were incredibly gracious guests, and had a ton of questions.  They were particularly interested in Doug's journalism stories, and those of his time in the Peace Corps.  (Central African Republic is little-known even to many Africans, and when they heard his village was a two-day truck ride from the capital, they were stunned.  "You are very brave!")    Nigeria follows the British university model in which you choose your specialty before you begin: they were fascinated to hear of the liberal arts model.  They could not believe that they changed time zones from Pittsburgh to Chicago.  When we explained there were four time zones in the US, they were stunned.  Stunned.   Nigeria  is a very prosperous nation with  170 million people, the most populous in Africa, but is in the midst of a recession. They are on their longest stretch of civilian rule in history, almost 17 years.   We talked a lot about the election, theories about why Trump won, how it was perceived in different parts of the world.  (Nse thought the media's reporting was biased and indicated the outcome the media wanted vs what was happening, Oyetunji thought the anger of the disaffected was powerful:  "a hungry man is an angry man.")  They all came to journalism through different routes and motivations, but all love what they do.  All three are parents, and Abiodun's wife had her second baby eight days before he left for the US!  It was a lovely, broadening evening. 

So, what did I serve?  I went with a pot-roast style pork shoulder, rice and a green salad.  They seemed to enjoy it very much  - all three of them said it was 'African-style cooking'.  I think meat cooked in a tasty sauce with a starch is the norm.  And I think they've been eating a lot of fast food so they were grateful for a home cooked meal that reminded them of home. 

Succulent Pot Roast-style pork shoulder

Cut a 2-lb boneless pork shoulder into 6 pieces (I doubled it.) Pat it dry, salt & pepper it and then sear it in a large heavy pot in 2 Tbsp hot olive oil.  Brown on all sides, about 10 min.

 Transfer to a plate and set aside.

 Add 2 finely chopped celery stalks, 1 finely chopped onion and 1 large diced carrot to the pot and cook, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes

                                                             Add tsp minced garlic.

                                    Stir in 2 Tbsp tomato paste and cook about 3 minutes.

                     Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp flour and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

 

              Whisk in 1 cup dry red wine and simmer until it's reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.

                                   Return the pork to the pot and stir in 1-1/2 cups beef broth.

                     Add 2 bay leaves and a bunch of flat leaf parsley stems, tied with kitchen twine

 If the liquid in the pot doesn't cover the pork, add enough water to just rise above the top of the pork.  Bring the liquid to a simmer, turn off the heat, cover and place the pot in the oven for about 3 hours, until pork shreds easily with a fork. 

You can serve the pork on a platter with the sauce on the side or the whole thing over rice.

 

Just your average Monday night at the Holts!

pasta, pumpkins & those amazing Cubbies

It's been a momentous couple weeks, and it's hard to resume normal life.  First, let's focus on the positive and talk about the CUBS!  They did it!  They did it! If you haven't yet, or in a while, watch this video.   

I miss those boys.  Especially given the week that followed.  Talk about ecstasy and agony.   All I will say is that America has withstood some dark times, times when it seemed our democracy could not bear the strain, and yet it has. We press on.

I find that cooking is an excellent distraction.  So let's talk about food.

First up:  Melissa D'Arabian's Crisper Drawer Pasta.  It's delish and you can seriously make it with anything in your fridge. 

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 small, finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the dried herbs (½ teaspoon dried herbs, such as basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, plus a squeeze of lemon juice, or herbes de Provence) and 2 cloves minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Then stir in the soft vegetables or leafy greens ** and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the greens are wilted, 30 seconds to 4 minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat and set aside.

**Soft Veg/Leafy Greens = 1 to 2 cups soft vegetables or leafy greens (sliced bell peppers, corn, chopped and salted eggplant, escarole sliced crosswise, sliced fennel, sliced mushrooms, peas, chopped spinach, chopped Swiss chard)

Meanwhile, Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook for 3 minutes. Add the hard vegetables *** and continue to cook according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and vegetables and return them to the pot.

***1 to 2 cups cut-up hard vegetables (chopped beets, carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans; broccoli or cauliflower florets)

 Stir 2 Tbsp sour cream and ½ teaspoon salt into the pasta,

add ½ cup of the Parmesan,

 1 tablespoon finely chopped aromatics or fresh herbs (basil, chives, crushed red pepper flakes, dill, fennel fronds, flat-leaf parsley, lemon zest, scallions, tarragon)  and ¼ cup of the pasta water.

Stir to combine, add the cooked soft vegetables or leafy greens, and add more pasta water if needed. Serve with more Parmesan on the side.

For dessert, I highly recommend this

pumpkin cake

mix 1 cup oil with three beaten eggs, 1 tsp vanilla & 1 can pumpkin mix

mix together

2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix into pumpkin mixture and blend until just combined. 

Pour in a greased bundt cake pan.  Cook for one hour at 350.

 Let cool then invert and cover with powdered sugar. 

YUM
When in doubt, or despair, it helps to eat some pumpkin cake.  Cheers. 

HOLY COW!

The Cubs are going to the world series.  Let me repeat that:

THE CHICAGO CUBS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!

Homigod.  It's stunning, really.    I am a transplant, but at this point I've lived in Chicago longer than I lived anywhere else - it's my home. And I love it.

I grew up a Mets fan, so growing up with a team that had some serious curse baggage is de rigueur, but the Cubs' baggage is of a different magnitude.  We haven't been to the World Series since 1945.  1945!

And the last time we won the World Series?  1908!  Let's put that in perspective:

20 Events that Have Occurred Since the Chicago Cubs Won Their Last World Series

1. Both radio and TV were invented
2. Fourteen teams were added to Major League Baseball
3. George Burns celebrated his 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th and 100th birthdays
4. Haley's comet passed Earth, twice
5. Harry Caray was born, and died
6. The NBA, NHL and NFL were formed, and Chicago teams won championships in each league
7. The US fought in World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Iraq War, Afghanistan War
8. Man landed on the moon
9. Sixteen US presidents were elected
10. Eleven amendments added to the Constitution
11. Prohibition was created and repealed
12. The Titanic was built, set sail, sank, and was re discovered
13. Wrigley Field was built and becomes the oldest park in the National League
14. Flag poles were erected on Wrigley Field roof to hold all of the team's future World Series pennants, which have since rusted and been taken down
15. A combination of 40 Summer and Winter Olympics have been held
16. Thirteen baseball players have won the Triple Crown
17. Swing music, bell-bottoms, and disco came in style, went out of style and came back in style
18. The Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins have all won the World Series; what next, the Nationals?!?
19. The Cubs played almost 15,000 regular-season games, losing the majority of them
20. Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Oklahoma and New Mexico were admitted to the Union

Sooooo, we're due.
No more talk of curses.
No more talk of Goats
No more talk of Steve Bartman (Doug and I were at that tragic game.)

Let's talk about Javi.  And Rizzo.  And Grandpa Ross.  And those glorious pitchers.  And Joe Maddon. And Theo Epstein.  These guys are easy to root for - young and exuberant and unencumbered and READY.

 Hoist a glass, people.  It's on.

For tomorrow night's game, I'm going to whip up a batch of a classic Chicago Italian Beef

Portillo’s Family Recipe - Italian Beef

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaves
• 1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
• 5 lbs inside round roast (cap on)
• 
  

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, salt, ground black pepper, oregano,
 basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf and salad dressing mix.

2. Stir well and bring just to a boil.

3. Place roast in a slow cooker and pour mixture over the roast.

4. Cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours OR high setting for 4 to 5 hours.

5. Remove bay leaf and shred meat with a fork.

6. Serve on Italian Rolls with spicy giardiniera



                             LET'S GO CUBBIES!!

Veggie Tales

Remember Veggie Tales? If you have a child between the ages of 15-22, chances are you have a soft spot for "Dave and the Giant Pickle," "Rack, Shack & Benny," Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber and his alter-ego, Larry Boy.  Hilarious, sweet stories told by animated vegetables, based on bible stories, with very catchy tunes.

What's not to love? Guilt-free e-parenting that got me through those toddler years.

Was that why my kids were good veggie eaters?  I don't know.  Couldn't have hurt.  Julie taught me that me trick that, before dinner, when your kids are starving, if you put out a big plate of cut veggies, maybe with a little side of ranch dressing, they'll gobble it up.  And they did.  Veggies were never the enemy.  When Noah was in preschool his teacher told me at pickup one day that she had made a pepper rainbow - had cut strips of red, orange, yellow, green and even purple peppers arranged on a plate like a rainbow, and Noah was the only one who ate them!  Yay!

But my veggie prowess is being tested, suddenly, because Corey is now a vegetarian.  She's been talking about it for a while and finally made the jump this summer, following my niece Jackie, who recently went vegan.  Vegan to me makes cooking and eating way too much work, but veggie I get.  I looked for a cute picture of corey and jackie and I have, well, millions.

 

 

 

So cute!  So many years have passed!  Sigh.  (Girls: notice how I left out the awkward years?  You're welcome.)

ANYWAY, it's a good time to be a vegetarian or vegan in the world - there are so many more options for dining out or in now.  But cooking vegetarian?  That's not really my jam.  So I'm having to learn.

The other night I made the family a weeknight stir-fry.  No recipe, just marinated some diced chicken breasts in soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, crushed red pepper & garlic.  Then I stared at that block of tofu I had bought, utterly mystified.  I knew that Corey (and Jackie) had done some tofu 'pressing' at the lake this summer - so I called her down to deal with it.

Apparently, if you want your tofu to stay firm you need to drain the excess water.  You wrap it in a towel or paper towels, put between some heavy items and leave for 15-30 minutes.  Which I did. It wasn't a raging success - still a little mushier than I think is ideal, but hey, I'm a newbie.  It's a whole new veggie world out there.

Stir fry for one and all

Cut all the veggies you have on hand into strips/florets.  I prepped a red pepper, green pepper, a few carrots, a bunch of green beans (just trimmed edges) and a head of broccoli.

I took two chicken breasts and cut them into strips then marinaded them in

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp sesame oil

3-5 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup veggie oil 

several cloves garlic, minced

lots of crushed red pepper flakes

 The trusty beast lays in the same spot all the time, right in my way, hoping I'll drop something.

 Heat up some veggie oil in the wok.  Get it really hot.

 Add the marinated chicken with about half the marinade.  

Cook it on high heat for about 5 minutes, until cooked through.  

Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon.

 Meanwhile, cut your pressed tofu into pieces and let it marinate in the other half of the marinade while the chicken is cooking.

 Throw the whole situation in the wok and cook on med high heat until it's firm and edges are crispy. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon.

 

 Dump all your veggies in the wok, stir up and cover. 

 Stir occasionally and cook only till veggies start getting tender, about 5 minutes.

 Take some of this yumminess out and mix it with the tofu. 

Then dump the chicken and some peanuts into the wok and mix well.

Serve over rice. 

Meanwhile, I had a lovely afternoon in the city with one of my favorite carnivores, and he wisely chose a classic Chicago hot dog.  

Variety is the spice of life, yo.