What to do, what to do…
26 Jul
We tend to think: big revelations mean big reactions. But if the story is too big and crashes too many illusions, the exact opposite occurs.
He says this about WikiLeaks and the documents they’ve started handing over to select media outlets. But I think it applies to life in general. I see this every day with people in crises of varying degrees. I’ve seen it in myself. Rosen continues:
Reaction will be unbearably lighter than we have a right to expect— not because the [matter] isn’t sensational or troubling enough, but because it’s too troubling, a mess we cannot fix and therefore prefer to forget.
In personal matters, often we know what we have to do to fix something, but we lack the courage to try. This is probably more unbearable* upsetting than not knowing where to begin.
* I was wrong to write “unbearable”. People bear it all the time, every day.
The one where I get all service-y
9 Jul
It’s been hot and I’ve been sick (with heat exhaustion, the wimpiest kind of sickness ever). Having no energy, I still wanted to make dinner for myself and [redacted]. So I warned that everything would be cold, because I wasn’t turning on the oven or stove. Everything I made went down so well that I thought I’d share the list.
Gazpacho: Blend 28 ounces of peeled tomatoes (seeds and juice included) with two cloves of garlic, two teaspoons olive oil, two teaspoons of red wine vinegar, and two tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice. Thin with water if necessary. Top with half an onion, half of a de-seeded red pepper, and a peeled, de-seeded cucumber – all finely chopped. Make at least three hours in advance, chilling in the fridge.
Watermelon and feta salad: Cut half a red onion into very thin half moon slices. Steep in the juice of three or four limes (or about four tablespoons of juice – limes vary wildly and maddeningly in juiciness). Cut a whole, small watermelon – or half of a large one – into medium-sized chunks. Combine onions, juice and melon with two tablespoons olive oil, then fold in a cup of pitted black olives and a quarter pound or so of feta, cubed, and a large bunch of fresh mint leaves, torn. Grind over black pepper to taste.
Cranberry coleslaw: Whisk half a cup of light canola mayonnaise with the juice of one lemon, two teaspoons sugar (I use Splenda), and one tablespoon water. Combine with a package of store bought coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot). Fold in a handful of dried cranberries. Make at least a few hours in advance.
Chicken and mango salad: Mix one whole roasted chicken (I cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken), shredded, with one cubed mango, two tablespoons groundnut oil, one teaspoon toasted sesame oil, one finely chopped red chilli pepper, a large bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped, and salt. Toss with mixed greens or lettuce of your choice.
Salmon salad: Mix one large can of wild caught salmon (drained) with three tablespoons light canola mayonnaise, finely chopped onion, finely chopped red pepper, and a handful of capers (drained).
Berry meringue mash-up: Crumble baked meringues into a wide, deep bowl. Fold in freshly whipped cream, then washed, cold blueberries. That’s it.
It took me two hours to make all of these, so none on its own is very time-consuming. All are very easy and require no special skills. Laziness is not a problem here. I think we’ll be eating these a lot over the summer.
Alpine memory
7 Jul
The moulin (nicknamed “The Whistle” for obvious reasons) on a hill in a tiny village in Provence. I need one week back there, eating figs off the trees, playing pétanque, and staring at the snow-capped mountains. But that was another, past life.
#firstworldcomplaints
5 Jul
We went to the banks of the Hudson last night to watch the 4th of July fireworks. It was hot, humid, and there were more than a dozen people there – but we had fun anyway.
That said…New York needs to step up its game. Those were some weak fireworks. Maybe I’m spoiled after having grown up in Ohio, where the “Red, White and Boom” show in Columbus is a full-on pyrotechnical masterpiece. Cincinnati also brings it hardcore with their annual Labor Day fireworks, which are reputed to be the nation’s best.
I’m just saying, it’s New York! Everything here is supposed to be amazing. Is that too much to ask?
Presented without comment
4 Jul
Photo by Craig, taken last night in Washington Square Park during a very trippy Saturday. This was followed by Joe’s Pizza (overrated – I could only manage a couple of bites) and Popbar, whose supposedly sugar-free sorbet is so sweet that I’m tempted to call the authorities to investigate. By that I mean it’s perfect.
West African Atlantic coast
2 Jul
If you don’t like photos of cloud formations, this is not the rarely updated blog for you.
Name + Face
