Girl Detective

My husband G. Grod doubted the wisdom of it, but I wanted to take 6yo Drake and 3.5yo Guppy to the MN State Fair on opening day, or “Thrifty Thursday.” Normally, I go to the fair on a compulsive food bender, so I knew if I was going by myself with the boys I’d have to make a new plan. That plan was to play it by ear and keep expectations low, and it worked pretty well. It’s a great day to go–the crowds are historically thin, the weather was sunny and not hot, it’s cleaner and less smelly earlier on, and there are discounts to get in and on kid rides.

Earlier this year, I bartered away our double stroller. We still have a wagon, and strollers can be rented at the fair, but I decided we’d only stay as long as the boys could walk. Seemed like a reasonable boundary. I set a budget of $60, figuring (or rather, hoping) about a third each for entry, rides and food. My food plan is to always order the smallest size, and share it.

We parked at the U and took a shuttle bus to the Gate 20 entry, where the discounted fee was $9 for me and $6 for Drake. Inside, we started with a pork chop on a stick, $6.50. The boys were suspicious, but quickly helped me devour it. We followed it up with a small order of Famous French Fries, $4.75, which I find good, but the fries are way too short. The boys loved dipping them first in the malt vinegar and then in the ketchup. I’d brought our Sigg bottle full of water so we didn’t have to buy any, and we moved on to the River Ride, which cost a whopping $3.50 per person, even for Guppy. I got almost completely soaked, and spent the next few hours looking as if I’d wet myself. Nice.

I tried to steer the boys up Underwood to the Food building and then to the kids rides and little farm hands. Drake insisted he wanted to go on the Sky Ride, so we followed it along the ground, got on and rode it back to the Ag building next to the food building–$6 for me and Drake, Guppy rode free. The boys, unlike their mother, were completely unafraid of heights and the bumps and shakes of the car.

At this point I’d deflected at least half a dozen requests for cotton candy, and was able to distract them by asking if they’d like Fried Cheese Curds. That got their attention. We entered the Food Building, saw our neighbor L and her twin sons, then moved quickly through the line at the Mouth Trap. The boys were frustrated at having to wait till the $5 curds cooled, but seemed to think it was worth it. We followed them with a bag of Tom Thumb mini donuts, $4, and we all three managed to save 2 to take home to Dad. Yay, us.

Outside, we got a small 1919 root beer, one of my favorite and least expensive fair treats, $1. Fully sugar-bombed, the boys wanted to head to the rides. We stopped by the Rainbow jungle-gym play area on the way, and saw friend N and her son S. The boys went down the slides again and again. Best of all? Free.

The kids rides, however, were decidedly not free, and even discounted used up a chunk of our budget–$9 for Drake to ride the swings and Guppy and him to ride the balloon ride. Guppy was visibly drooping, so I started herding the boys toward the bus. On the way, though, they said they were hungry again. I suggested a Pronto Pup, the batter-dipped and fried hot dog of MN origin. Drake insisted he wanted a corn dog. I foolishly barreled up to the next stand I saw and ordered a “small”.

“That’ll be $7,” the man said, holding out a double dog, since the stand only sold double and triples. While I fumed about breaking the budget and too much hot dog, Drake and Guppy methodically devoured the whole thing.

As we approached the exit, I asked again if the boys wanted to go in the baby animal barn; Drake had said no to it earlier, but was excited to see a newborn calf, alongside pigs and sheep and miniature ponies. I was able to herd them out of the barn and out of the fair to the bus by 2:00, 3 and a half hours after we got there, and $8.75 over my $60 budget. Guppy fell asleep on the car ride home, then I had to have a little nap when we got there.

I didn’t eat nearly the number of foods I normally do, but I knew I’d be going back on Tuesday 9/1 for Minnesota Cooks Day, so I didn’t fret. We ate, we walked, we did some free stuff, we rode some rides. None of us had a meltdown. Not only did we survive, we had a good time. I think we may have started a new family tradition.

For more on food at the Fair, visit local foodie site Heavy Table, where I’ve gotten a lot of tips on what to eat on my next trip.

From Design Sponge: Last fall, Penguin Classics released a series of ten classics exclusive to Waterstone’s in the UK with covers designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith.

In November of this year in the US, Penguin Classics will release eight classics from that first set (not Madame Bovary or Crime and Punishment).

Great Expectations

Pride & Prejudice

Jane Eyre

Picture of Dorian Gray

Wuthering Heights

According to Design Sponge, volumes from the first set will be available at Anthropologie and urban Outfitters; I’ve linked above to the volumes at amazon.com (search for Coralie Bickford-Smith + Penguin Classics.)

In the UK, a second exclusive series for Waterstone’s will be available this October.

No word yet on when (if?) the second set’ll arrive stateside.

As I was researching this, I found a striking set of Penguin Classics with covers by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo:

Pride and Prejudice

The Scarlet Letter

Wuthering Heights

For the even more striking front AND back covers see Stylehive.

Penguin also has its series of “graphic classics” with covers by comic-book artists. Their focus on design continues to provide a variety of books-as-covetable-objects.

(I spent loads of time researching them and putting this together because I had a hunch you’d appreciate the images and links; was I correct?)

My elder son, Drake, turned six last week. And no, I can’t say the time feels like its flown. Six years is a chunk of time, and he and I have both come a long way since his challenging birth and babyhood.

During his first year, Drake learned to crawl at six months, and to walk at ten months. He was eager to move on his own. Like most babies, he enjoyed his bouncy seat and being read to, with particular emphasis on the Boynton oeuvre. We lived in a one-bedroom condominium in downtown Minneapolis.

Just after Drake’s first birthday, we moved to a more family-friendly neighborhood in Minneapolis. He and I often went to the coffee shop and the park. We took him to the Convention Grill with our friends the Blogenheimers for his first burger, fries and banana sundae. He’s been a fan of all three ever since. He slept through the night as soon as he got his own room, and in a few months began napping for hours. Slow to talk, Drake called cats “beows” but eventually had a language explosion and learned all the makes of cars in addition to his letters and numbers. By the end of this year, he was making up songs like “Hyundai, Hyundai, Hyundai, the H is falling down!” and “Honda, Honda, Honda, the H is falling up!”

By Drake’s 2nd birthday, we’d found friends and other kids in the neighborhood and through Moms Club and Minnesota’s excellent Early Childhood Family Ed program. He loved trains, cars and his stuffed animal friends. Much to my dismay, Drake stopped napping. At 2 and a half, he became a big brother when Guppy was born. He took this mostly in stride, and discovered that adults were pleased when he patted Guppy’s head gently.

Just after Drake turned three, he started preschool at a nearby park. He loved playing with the remote control for our stereo at home, and listening to different music. Some of his favorite CDs were DJ Shadow and Fat Boy Slim. When Guppy learned to crawl, Drake suddenly realized things were going to change and became very territorial. This was a year of much screaming; they were like grenades that set each other off. Drake still liked to pat Guppy though, and there’s a very cute picture of Guppy with sugar on his head after Drake had mini donuts at the State Fair that year. Our family started to go to Punch pizza and Big Brain Comics every Wednesday, a ritual that Drake loved.

After Drake turned four, he started a different preschool, which he liked a great deal. He learned about planets and dinosaurs, and to write his name. Midway through the year, after I’d suspected it for a while, I knew he’d learned to read. We were at Barnes and Noble Har Mar when he suddenly said, “Cash for Books, Mom!” I looked around, then up at the ceiling. Sure enough, there was the sign he’d just read. Drake’s favorite things were calculators and watches with timers. He rarely left the house without one of these. His favorite toys were marble paths. He loved watching videos on Youtube, particularly of something called “parcour” or free running. He became very good and very fast at riding his tricycle.

When Drake turned five, he discovered the rides at the State Fair, and loved the ones that were fast and high. He tried his first cotton candy, and had his annual Pronto Pup. He started circus school and soccer classes and had fun at both of them. We opted for another year of preschool instead of kindergarten, and were glad we did. A group from the Minneapolis Public Schools evaluated him at preschool and found he was on the autism spectrum. I told him this meant that his brain worked differently from other people’s–for example, he was good with numbers and reading, but not always so good with words. He worked with several different teachers over the months and made a lot of new friends and learned a lot of new things. Drake’s favorite day was Friday, when he could make a mix CD. He’s getting much better at some of the basics, but still tends to like long songs and multiple songs by one band, like Rush. Drake started riding his green bike, but wasn’t ready to take the training wheels off. He loved building series of Hot Wheels stunts and setting the cars in motion. In the spring, our family traveled to Florida, where Drake got dunked a few times in his excitement to be in a pool. During the summer he took swim lessons. Even though he had trouble putting his head under water, he made a lot of progress, and tried very hard for his teachers. He also did summer camp at a local park, and had a great time. After years of picky eating, Drake finally began trying new foods, like salad and tacos and spaghetti. He’s still finicky, but has made a lot of progress and discovered that he loves edamame.

Now at six we’re preparing for this year’s trip to the State Fair, and Drake starts full-day kindergarten next week. He’ll continue with circus, soccer, and making mix CDs. He loves the shows Animalia and Fetch with Ruff Ruffman on PBS, and reading comics to himself. He doesn’t like to walk places, and complains when I make him, but loves to ride the bus. What will the rest of this year bring, I wonder? I look forward to finding out.

Tues. September 1 is the seventh annual Minnesota Cooks Day at the MN State Fair. Tickets are only $9 for adults that day.

The program consists of a series of shows featuring outstanding chefs from throughout Minnesota demonstrating their talents and interacting with various emcees who interview the Minnesota farmers who produced the food, as well as local celebrity tasters.

From Slow Food Minnesota:

Time for Lunch at Shepherd’s Way Farms
A Slow Food USA potluck in support of Healthy food in schools
Labor Day, September 7, noon — 3 p.m.
8626 160th Street, Nerstrand, MN 55053

Join us at Shepherd’s Way Farms for a community potluck. The “Eat In” is part of Slow Food’s National Day of Action, during which thousands of people will be gathering across the country to show their commitment to better school lunches. One goal of the Eat Ins is to remind Congress that we need a Child Nutrition Act that supports real food for kids.

Everyone is invited to attend this free event – registration required. Please bring a homemade dish to share and your own plates and utensils. Drinks will be provided. Register by e-mail: farmfriends(at)earthlink(dot)net, or phone: 507 663-9040. Please include your name, address, contact information and number of people attending.

I’ve written about Shepherd’s Way many times, and Guppy and I received adopted sheep gifts. They are a great farm, and need the support!

September 13 DILEMMA!

Two great local food events to choose between. Going to both is technically possible, though.

A Fowl Affair
A festive day on a poultry farm
Sunday, September 13, 2 — 7 p.m.
Callister Farm, West Concord, MN

There will be tours of the farm and processing plant, root beer floats, horse-drawn wagon rides, games for kids and of course a delicious farmer’s meal of fried chicken (Callisters’ Poulet Rouge), potatoes, vegetables, salads, bread, pickles, and fresh raspberry pie. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included. Everything is made from scratch, from local ingredients, in the Callister’s processing kitchen. Members, $20. Non-members, $30. Children 12 and under, free. Proceeds will benefit Slow Food Minnesota’s Terra Madre fund. No pets, please.

Simple Good and Tasty September Dinner: Potluck and Pig Roast

For September’s Simple, Good, and Tasty local food dinner, we’re trying something a little bit different - the biggest, best, funnest local food potluck and pig roast that the Twin Cities has ever seen. SGT will provide the pig - you bring your family, friends, and a dish to share. This is a great, inexpensive opportunity to meet local food enthusiasts, cook up your CSA/farmshare bounty, and eat great food.

The meal will be held at Minneapolis’ Boom Island Park. Boom Island is conveniently located near downtown (724 Sibley St. NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413), and features a playground and great views of downtown Minneapolis.

Tickets for the event cost only $10 (to cover the cost of the pig and the park shelter), and kids are free. Sunday September 13, 5pm.

My weeklong vacation ends today. My husband G. Grod took our sons, now-6yo Drake and 3.5yo Guppy, to PA to visit friends and stay with family. By all accounts, they had a wonderful time while I got to enjoy a week-long stacation. Several people asked me what I’d do with the time. Unlike vacations past, I made no hard and fast plans, and knew going in that whatever project to-do list I set would be theoretical. My priorities were rest, rejuvenation, reading and writing. I did all those things and more:

Bought chocolate and cupcakes from Local D’lish and Surdyk’s on the way home from dropping the boys at the airport.

Bought the John Hughes High School Flashback DVD set at Barnes and Noble, with Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science. (see recent entry on John Hughes.) Bough new Mercy Watson book, Something Wonky This Way Comes, and Shaun the Sheep DVDs, all ostensibly for Drake’s birthday. (But perhaps akin to a bowling ball inscribed with “Homer”.)

Had two girls-only tea parties using my china tea set.

Played Lexulous with my sister Sydney this week. (More accurately: got beat soundly by Syd on Lexulous this week.)

Went to five yoga classes in seven days, adding to my normal classes at Neti Neti by returning to lovely TaraNa and visiting the serene One Yoga.

Attended the Mad Men premiere party at Jax with my friend K8.

Saw the original Day the Earth Stood Still at the Heights.

Got my knives and scissors sharpened and bought a sharpening steel and new cutting board at Eversharp.

Cleaned out my linen closet but didn’t find the missing bathroom floor tiles to be replaced.

Swam laps at the Jim Lupient water park.

Got my brows waxed at Extrados.

Got my hair trimmed at Wave.

Got my nostril (re-) pierced at St. Sabrina’s.

Finally watched Kurosawa’s take on MacBeth, Throne of Blood.

Read 200+ pages in Infinite Jest; I’m close to the end!

Attended the Simple, Good and Tasty dinner at The Strip Club with my friend K8

then stayed up till 1am to watch the finale for Top Chef Masters and the premiere of Top Chef Las Vegas.

Attended a Project Runway party for the All Star special and the Season 6 premiere at my friend KM’s. (Go, MN designers!)

Finally went to Town Talk Diner with my friend Queenie.

Stayed up late, slept soundly, and made my own double cappuccinos every morning (my husband G. Grod usually makes them for me; I finally learned how to do them myself.)

And this morning, my last, I went to “gentle” yoga with Jeffrey at TaraNa, then to Crema Cafe for a local organic scramble and a Sonny’s latte (that’s a regular latte with a scoop of their espresso-infused Crema ice cream!),

then stopped at Mitrebox to pick up Strawberry Shortcake and Chocolate Bomb cupcakes, then to Local D’lish to pick up Kettle Corn, Honey Walnut Fig and Peanut Butter Cup cupcakes, all to welcome the boys back. (Again, ostensibly. See above comment about bowling ball w/Homer.)

What I didn’t do: work in the yard, organize and clean. Fret.

I’ve had a terrific week, and I can’t wait to see G and the boys. I believe (and hope) I’ll be a better mom in the coming weeks because of this break. Maybe I’ll even have more energy to tackle some of those tasks I put off.

I’m in the home stretch of Infinite Jest, with fewer than 100 pages to go in the novel, and only short end notes remain. I was reading along with Infinite Summer, which had an end goal of September 21, but I had the week to myself, so decided to read ahead. I’ve continued to love this long, weird, wild book.

Note that I saw the original Day the Earth Stood Still (not the recent remake), shown by Take-Up Productions at the Heights Theater. After a space ship lands on the White House lawn, a man claiming to be from space emerges and says he needs to speak to the world leaders.

Klaatu: I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.

When Klaatu is told his request is impossible–how can all the nations agree on anything?–and imprisoned, he escapes to find a way to get his message of peace to the Earth. He stays in a boarding house where he meets a single mother and her son. When Klaatu is threatened, his protector robot, Gort, in turn threatens the Earth. The mother and her son must find a way to prevent this.

This is a great movie, a classic, and one I’m sorry I hadn’t seen till now. The look is impressive, and the tension and threat of the story are palpable. Bernard Hermann, better known for his work with Hitchcock, used theremins to foster uneasiness in the viewer. Additionally, this is a referent for so many science-fiction works that came after it. Gort looks very much like a prototypical Cylon from Battlestar Galactica, and I now understand the reference in Evil Dead to “Klaatu Barada Nikto”.

I think this will be a good movie to watch with my 3 and 6yo kids when they’re a little older, as a discussion starter for things like national violence and racism.

This summer is the first I’ve done a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share from a local farm, Foxtail Farm. Two thirds of the way through summer and I’m feeling burnt out on veg. Some of this is circumstantial: my 3 and 5yo boys will eat little of what arrives in our weekly box except carrots. Some of it is seasonal: summer is high growing season, so there’s a use-it-or-lose-it aspect for the increasing volume of fresh produce. Finally, though, it hits me in my week spots of anxiety and compulsion–I feel anxious about having to use up the veg, and compelled to use them in creative ways, which generally involved a lot of cooking or prep.

I’m not sure what the solution is. No CSA next year? Go down to a quarter share from a half weekly, or alternate weekly half shares with another family? Stop trying to be creative and just steam things in great batches? I love cooking in season with fresh local produce, supporting local farmers, and to a point I love the challenge of cooking what shows up, but I need to find a way that’s less exhausting to me. Fortunately, though, the prep pays off; most of what we make is quite tasty.

A trio of salads from last week, looking pale and rather yucky, hence the small photo. Trust me, they were delicious, and beautiful to look at when fresh:

The red salad top left is from Mark Bittman’s 101 Salads for the Season, salad #1 tomato and watermelon with feta in a

Basil Vinaigrette from Cook’s Country:

3/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh basil
1 shallot , peeled
1 clove garlic clove , peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1. Heat 1/4 cup oil with 1 cup basil in medium saucepan over medium heat until basil turns bright green and small bubbles appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and steep 5 minutes.

2. Process shallot, garlic, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and mustard in blender until garlic and shallot are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, slowly add remaining oil and steeped basil oil and continue to process until dressing is smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. Pack remaining basil into blender and process until dressing is smooth, about 15 seconds. (Dressing can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

At bottom is salad #39, corn, Yucatan-style sauteed in a skillet, then tossed with lime juice, feta, quartered cherry tomatoes, and cayenne.

On the right is corn again, this time with quinoa (the recipe calls for farro, I’ve also used pearled barley to good effect) with goat cheese and green beans. This recipe, from Epicurious, is delicious. My friend LH made it for our book group, and I’ve made it twice since.

Chicken, Green Bean, Corn, and Farro Salad with Goat Cheese Bon Appétit | August 2009

Farro is a nutty-flavored grain that’s popular in Tuscany. It’s not as heavy as some other whole grains, but it’s still packed with protein, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Here, it’s the base for a satisfying summer salad. Yield: Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup semi-pearled farro* or spelt berries

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast halves
12 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (cut from 2 to 3 ears of corn)
3 green onions, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)
preparation

Cook farro in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet; cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, then cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes. Cook green beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water to cool; drain. Transfer beans to kitchen towel; pat dry.

Mix farro, chicken, and green beans in large bowl; add corn and green onions.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, marjoram, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in small bowl. Press with back of spoon to release flavor. Whisk in vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Pour over salad in bowl; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Divide chilled or room-temperature salad among plates. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

* Available at specialty foods stores, natural foods stores, and Italian markets.

Something else the boys wouldn’t eat was zucchini bread, recipe from Cook’s Country:

Zucchini Bread

Cut large zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon before shredding.

Makes one 9-inch loaf or 4 mini loaves
1 pound zucchini
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Shred zucchini on large holes of box grater, then place in clean dish towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you’re able. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in large bowl. Whisk sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and butter in bowl until combined.

3. Gently fold yogurt mixture and zucchini into flour mixture using spatula until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

4. Bake until golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool at least 1 hour. (Bread can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 3 days.)

To sweeten the deal for the boys (and me) I made

Zesty Apricot Cream Cheese Spread

8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
1/3 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

With rubber spatula, combine cream cheese, apricot jam, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon zest in bowl until smooth.

The spatula left things unattractively lumpy, though it still tasted great. I’d use a food processor next time. And still, the boys refused this.

I used the rest of the basil vinaigrette with potatoes and a pickling cucumber, the latter was a great addition to the salad:

And then this is about a quarter share (I gave half of my half to a friend) from last Thursday, which felt much more manageable:

Corn, dill, zuke, onion, chard, carrots, green beans, cukes (hiding) and potatoes.

With it I made the corn and green bean salad from above, a chard frittata with dill, cucumbers in a dill yogurt sauce (that I served alongside poached Alaskan salmon), and one of my all time favorite potato recipes:

Roasted Potato Slices with Lime and Chili

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Yield: Serves 2
ingredients
two 1/2-pound russet (baking) potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise. Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and on a baking sheet toss with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake potatoes in one layer in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until golden.

In a bowl stir together mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder. Add warm potatoes and combine well.

I recommend dividing the potatoes up before eating. Serious struggles have occurred when my husband G. Grod and I have tried to share the bowl. And we’re always disappointed at the end, in spite of having just devoured a whole pound of potatoes between us.

The first time I watched Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, I feel asleep about 50 minutes in. I’d just read and seen a stage production of Shakespeare’s MacBeth at the time, which is the source material. This week I tried again, starting at the beginning. I fell asleep at the same place. To be fair, though, I started watching much too late, so I wasn’t in optimal viewing mode.

I did finally finish it in two more sittings. Toshiro Mifune is the MacBeth character, Washizu. After a great victory in battle, he and his friend Miki discover a spirit in the forest who predicts that Washizu will be king, as will Miki’s sons.

The story proceeds mostly according to the play, but what makes this movie powerful and unique are the stunning visuals and the transposition of the story to feudal Japan. Also fascinating is the Japanese version of Macbeth and his lady. Lady Washizu speaks softly with goading words. She is all the more frightening for her passivity, and the power she wields with it.

Admirable, my Lord. You, who would soon rule the world, allow a ghost to frighten you.

The ending splits from the text. While the trees of the forest do rise, it is not a MacDuff character who undoes Washizu, but his own men, an unthinkable act of rebellion enacted in a flurry of arrows (most of them real!). Well worth it for fans of Shakespeare, film and Kurosawa, but be sure you’ll alert before you begin, so you can fully appreciate the visual treats to come.

On Saturday, I stopped at Local D’lish, and picked up the Sweets cupcakes of the day: grapefruit sparkler, chocolate-i and coconut ginger. All lovely, and all tasty. I also couldn’t resist Bliss granola, Bramblewood shortbread, and Obsession truffles.

Because I have no restraint, I stopped at Surdyk’s cheese shop next, since I was passing right BY it, and got two bars of Rogue chocolate and a bag of Rustica bakery’s double chocolate cookies.

It was all local! It’s good to be a foodie in Minnesota.

(OK readers, this should have bigger, more detailed photos. They’re from facebook, though, so they won’t get past a work firewall; sorry!)

Sometimes, I wonder why I try. G Grod mentioned he’d like to make pizza. I found a recipe in Cook’s Country, used it as an excuse to finally buy myself a set of 9″ pie pans, and we made this:

Drake loved it and ate three pieces. Guppy wouldn’t eat it at all. I may try again without pepperoni, but making yeast pizza dough from scratch is an undertaking.

Pepperoni Pan Pizza from Cook’s Country
Makes two 9-inch pizzas serving 4 to 6

Dough
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Topping
1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups tomato sauce (see related recipe, “Basic Pizza Sauce”)
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.

2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.

5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.

Our box from our Community Supported Agriculture share had yellow squash and beets. It’s was nearing the end of the week, so I steamed the former, roasted the latter, then pureed

to make the Yellow Cake with Raspberry Swirl from Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious.

I added cream cheese frosting and fresh berries.

The kids were not fooled. The raspberry puree, while lovely, did not disguise the flavor of the beets enough. It got more pronounced after baking. So the boys wouldn’t eat this. Note to self: beets are not disguise-able. If I’d just made the yellow cake with squash I think that would’ve worked.

Then I found myself with leftover lemon cream cheese frosting. What to do; what to do?

And since the boys didn’t eat the cake, I didn’t bother to offer them these.

Mine. All mine.

Fargo is regarded by many as the Coen Brothers’ best film, and my husband G. Grod and I hadn’t seen it since it came out, which was before we moved to Minnesota. We re-watched it the other night and liked it more than I remembered.

William H. Macy (who had to lobby HARD for the part) is a dorky guy who tries to fake his wife’s kidnapping so he can get the ransom. He hires Steven Buscemi and a scary-looking guy and of course things go very wrong. Frances McDormand (or Mrs. Joel Coen) is the local police in Brainerd. Seven months pregnant, eating at an Old Country Buffet with her high-school sweetheart husband, Marge is an average person who is a good detective, but baffled at the crimes that develop.

I’m not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.

It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s eminently quotable.

I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper.

It’s a good satire of Minnesotan accents and culture. But it’s also too dark and violent for me, at least some of the time. Good, and one of their best, but even so not one of my favorites (which are Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, and The Big Lebowski.) G. Grod’s favorite is Miller’s Crossing, which he showed me when we were dating.

The credits claim a cameo that didn’t occur. The story both was and wasn’t based on real events. And kudos to local actor Sally Wingert who has a small part in the film; I KNEW she looked familiar!

Wendy and Lucy was on many critics’ best-of-2008 lists. Michelle Williams is traveling to Alaska with her dog Lucy when her car breaks down. Several upsetting things happen. Wendy hums a lot, and calls for Lucy a lot. Several very sad things happen. This film is like a poem–a brief, lovely, impressionistic take on loneliness and poverty in America. Very good if you’re up for that sort of thing, but slow or depressing if you’re not.

This dish is so good, and so easy, and THE KIDS EVEN EAT IT! that I thought it deserved its own post. No photo, but take my word on it.

Last week’s CSA farm share box included a bunch of potatoes and a bunch of sage. I bought some chicken tenders, threw in some green beans and voila: dinner.

Skillet Chicken and Potatoes (from Cook’s Country)

If you prefer, substitute fresh thyme or oregano for the sage.

Serves 4
1 pound small red potatoes , halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (6 to 7 ounces each), trimmed
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Toss potatoes and 1 tablespoon oil together in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through cooking.

2. Place flour in shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and shake to remove excess. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, cook chicken until browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate, leaving fat in skillet, and cover chicken with foil.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add potatoes, cut side down, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to platter. Add broth, sage, and lemon juice and, using wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from skillet. Return chicken and accumulated juices to pan and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter with potatoes. Whisk remaining tablespoon butter into sauce, season with salt and pepper, and pour sauce over chicken and potatoes. Serve.

Heads up: Mad Men season 3 debuts this Sunday on AMC at 10p/9 Central. Don returned to Betty, hat in hand (literally) at the end of last season. There will be a jump ahead in time, so we’ll see when that lands us with the Drapers and the crew at Sterling Cooper.

For an incisive analysis of Season 2’s camera work, Film Freak Central has a great retrospective and comparison to Hitchcock. I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me before that Betty is so like Hitchcock’s icy tormented blondes.

And for fun, design a Mad Men icon of yourself here if you haven’t already. Here’s mine, though I’m annoyed that they don’t have a hair shade that’s outright red, like Joan’s:

I’m rereading the graphic novel collections of Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series, and just finished the very enjoyable Volume 2. I read it when it came out serially in comic book form, and remember enjoying it less. There were long waits between issues, and they were quite heavy with backmatter that I didn’t enjoy. In the graphic novel collection, I am able to read the entire comic story at once, and the backmatter is collected in the back. That’s where it should stay, IMO. Forty-six pages of single spaced text as Alan Moore does a mock travelogue of every fictional or mythical locale IN THE WORLD. I knew the references to some. I might have enjoyed it more had I known more of them, but I doubt it. Instead, my friend Blogenheimer suggested I visit Jess Nevins’ site, where he breaks down all the references.

Back to the Volume 2 story, though. The team of irregulars–Mina Murray, the Invisible Man, Edward Hyde, Captain Nemo and Allan Quatermain–are under new leadership, after the events in volume 1 and are dispatched to the site of what appears to be a meteor crater. The monsters from Mars soon reveal themselves, and begin traipsing about in distinctive-looking vehicles. It’s up to the team of misfits to save the day, and they’re aided by a reclusive and mysterious doctor.

In addition to the Sherlock Holmes and Quatermain stories, Dracula, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, volume 2 references other Victorian literature, including Gulliver’s Travels, Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars, War of the Worlds, and The Island of Dr. Moreau.

This is an adventure–sometimes tragic, sometime comic, but always engaging. I found it great fun, once I stopped reading the backmatter.

Years ago, I read Julie Powell’s blog The Julie/Julia Project, about cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was good and funny, yet I think I dropped out around the time she worked on aspics. Their meaty quiver, the late hours to cook and consume them, plus the cost of ingredients all combined to make my head hurt. When Julie published her book, I thought it was great. And when the book was slated to become Julie & Julia, the movie with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, even better.

I had a great time at this movie. I laughed a lot, and went ooh over some of the shots of food. I thought that the aural analogy between kissing and eating was heavy handed, but certainly appropriate to the subject matter. Adams was engaging as always, though perhaps not quite believable as an every-girl. Streep and Stanley Tucci all but steal the movie, with their stunning performances of a true power couple in love.

A lot of the reviews gripe that the Julia Child part is so much better than the Julie Powell part that they wish it had been all Streep as Child. They argue that Powell is self-involved and just not that interesting. That’s an opinion, but I’d like to remind them:

THIS MOVIE WOULD NOT EXIST IF NOT FOR JULIE POWELL.

Nor would the Julia Child renaissance that the movie, and Streep’s performance particularly, have spurred. Because it was Julie Powell who had an idea for the project to cook her way through a dusty old cookbook. Like Child before her, she brought classic French cooking to a modern American audience. So I think it’s unkind to dismiss Powell’s part in the film. Child inspired Powell, and Powell in turn inspired others to rediscover Child. Child’s teaching and inspiration are key to her legacy, so Powell’s role as disciple in real life and the film are necessary to show that. I was glad to have the two stories, and enjoyed Adams as a young woman struggling to find meaning in spite of a cubicle job and a stalled writing hobby. So go see the movie. It’s good. And if you enjoy it, be grateful to Julie Powell (still blogging, here), even if you like Julia Child more. Julie’s the reason you’re getting to know Julia, whose kitchen wisdom I’ll be thinking of for a long time:

Never apologize! (for food you’ve cooked) No excuses! No explanations!

One summer, two seasons of The Wire so I could follow along with Sepinwall, and it’s well worth watching, as almost everyone but us knew.

Season Two goes beyond the drug culture of Season One, though it’s more than tangentially related to it. A serious crime at the docks becomes the new focus and brings viewers into the dying culture of the stevedores. The Sobotka famiy–Frank, his son Ziggy and nephew Nick–are the main characters this season. Most of the Police are struggling in their new lives, at least until Prez tries to get the band back together. McNulty becomes a bit player as others take the stage, with both Kima and Daniels getting more air time. As in Season One, nothing is simple and everything connects and loops back on itself. Like the Greek tragedy it pays homage to, The Wire’s stories and characters are riveting and moving–Stringer Bell is cold, McNulty’s a mess, Amy Ryan’s Bedie is beyond sympathetic, and trickster figure Omar continues to shock and amaze.

G. and I are taking a break for vacation, and will have to see whether we’ll try for Season Three before the fall TV season begins. At this point I’d like to continue through to the end. I’ve had one major development spoiled for me, and would like to keep it at one.

I’m fifteen. I see National Lampoon’s Vacation. Chevy Chase IS my dad, insisting on driving the family truckster when flying is so much easier, taking along loud-snoring elderly relatives, encouraging me to get my head out of my book and pay attention to sights like the biggest ball of twine.

I’m sixteen. I see Sixteen Candles. Not only is it hilarious, I identify with the main character. Short red hair, funny looking, not noticed by guys? Yeah. Then she ends up with Jake Ryan? It’s the most romantic movie ever, and gives me hope.

I’m almost seventeen, and grounded for something. Staying out past curfew? Wrecking the car? Getting caught drinking? So many possible infractions. My younger sister A. and her friend LT want to go see The Breakfast Club. My parents decide to go too and ask me (probably graciously, in spite of how obnoxious I was at the time, i.e. a 16yo) if I’d like to go. I’m torn. We live in a small, small town. I want to see the movie. I’m furious at being grounded. I risk humiliation if I’m seen at theater with parents and kid sister. I go. I’m enthralled. The movie seems to be speaking just to me. I see my classmates up on screen (CD is Judd Nelson. ML is Anthony Michael Hall. CS is Emilio Estevez. TR is Molly Ringwald. KS is a burnout like Ally Sheedy and will be dead in a few years of a heroin overdose.) I see myself as a mix of the Molly Ringwald character (I cut school to go tanning, not shopping, though) and the Anthony Michael Hall character (I was a “brain,” you see.) On the ride home, I’m silent. I can’t believe how awesome that movie was.

I’m eighteen when I see Pretty in Pink. I wince when Andie is taunted by James Spader. I know a guy like that. I have no prom date. I like the ending; I WANT her to end up with Blaine. The dress was prettier before she messed with it, though. The lights go up. Two rows in front of me is the guy I have a crush on. He says hi. Two weeks later he asks my best friend to prom. She says no. A really nice guy JG and his friend SK ask me and her. We say no, we have plans to go with a group. I will always regret this.

I’m eighteen, and with my friend who’s a boy, C in his car at a drive-in double feature of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty in Pink (again). We drink wine coolers the color of Andie’s prom dress and smoke Marlboro Lights. Before the movie we listen to cassette tapes of OMD and Psychedelic Furs. We say we can’t wait for college and to get out of our small town. We think we’ll always be friends. This turns out not to be true.

John Hughes wrote and directed some of my favorite movies. Because of how it got imprinted on me, Breakfast Club will always be a touchstone. His work spoke to me at a time when I could hardly listen to anything. It helped me get through my teens (which wasn’t a sure thing; see paragraph 3). I’m grateful I had those movies, and I’m sad he’s gone.

In Michael Pollan’s recent NYT magazine cover story, “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch” he writes about the TV/food continuum that started with Julia Child and now includes at least one network devoted to Food and a slew of other food and cooking shows.

Pollan makes the distinction that Julia Child was about taking the fear out of cooking and teaching people HOW to cook, where today’s shows like Top Chef are less about day-to-day cooking skills and more about a high level of technical skill. Today’s TV chefs are fun to watch, but Pollan claims they may actually discourage people from cooking, as what they’re doing is impractical or impossible for a home cook (molecular gastronomy, anyone?)

Pollan acknowledges that the shows do seem to give audiences a familiarity with ingredients formerly reserved for chefs and specialty stores. He claims this makes people better restaurant patrons. I feel instead it makes me a more educated cook. I also think he overstates the case about how disparate the shows are from reality, too.

But you do have to wonder how easily so specialized a set of skills might translate to the home kitchen – or anywhere else for that matter. For when in real life are even professional chefs required to conceive and execute dishes in 20 minutes from ingredients selected by a third party exhibiting obvious sadistic tendencies? (String cheese?) Never, is when. The skills celebrated on the Food Network in prime time are precisely the skills necessary to succeed on the Food Network in prime time. They will come in handy nowhere else on God’s green earth.

Really, Mr. Pollan? How long has it been since you’ve cooked for children, especially small ones? Almost every day, I start to prepare the family supper, my kids wander in, telling me how hungry they are in plaintive voices. I offer several suggestions; most are rejected. My preparation is usually interrupted for a negotiation while I try to figure out what will placate them, not spoil their dinner and is reasonably healthful. Even if I get initial buy in, what I produce is often rejected. So yes, I am quite familiar with having to prepare small plates, sometimes involving string cheese, for sadistic consumers while trying to do other cooking activities in a short amount of time.

In fact, here’s a Top Chef Quickfire challenge idea, Bravo: have the chefs prepare a family dinner while also feeding a hungry, whiny 3yo, while also keeping the kid safe in the kitchen.

Back to Pollan’s article, though. He finds that cooking and weight are inversely related. The more one cooks, the less one weighs and vice versa. He acknowledges that different households have different families–single parent and double working parent homes are going to have less time, energy and inclination to cook. He doesn’t, though, offer good solutions for this.

There’s where Mark Bittman is a busy person’s friend. Bittman offers great ideas for seasonal food cooked simply on his blog, Bitten, as well as in his book, Food Matters. His recent article of “101 Salads for the Season” contains very little actual cooking, but still uses whole ingredients in the manner Pollan recommends.

Pollan’s ideas are good, but they’re more ideal than practical. For that, visit Bittman and check out his books. And watch food TV if you want, as inspiration or entertainment. I’ve found good recipes for the family, gotten good ideas like mixing rice into green salads, and learned the lesson that Pollan states, too:

the key to victory on any of these shows comes down to one factor: bacon. Whichever contestant puts bacon in the dish invariably seems to win.