For all my loyal readers still out there, I greet you with the warmest of hellos on this chilly November evening. You may think that I have drifted off into the abyss of canned soup and frozen dinners since I last wrote, but I assure you, I have been eating and drinking well – very well. Now that I think about it, October and November 2010 might even be recorded as the two months I’ve checked more Portland restaurants and bars off my wish list than any other since I moved here. What superb dining indeed. But for those of you who may be concerned with my cholesterol level due to my latest food escapades (foie gras and steak tartare, however palatable they may be, cannot possibly be good for the heart), I have also spent an equal amount of time at the gym as to debunk any truth to “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.” But anyway, it’s been a busy few weeks, and surely you’ve noticed that my postings in the last couple of months have dwindled to an almost unspeakable infrequency. I’ve noticed too, and I’m not happy about it.
On the eve of the most beloved food-centered holiday of the entire year, I find it rather poetic and maybe even a little ironic to announce that clatter is taking a sabbatical. If we stick strictly to its definition, a sabbatical only comes every seventh year, as a time for one – usually a college professor - to study or travel for a period of time. Considering that I am neither a professor nor have any official plans to travel or study and clatter has only been around since March of this year, I am using this term very loosely. Even so, I have decided to use this holiday season to bake up a storm, recapture my inspiration, cure writer's block, and pursue those visions of sugar plums dancing in my head - without feeling an ounce of guilt for abandoning clatter in the process.
Please don’t cry! Please don’t despair! I won’t be gone for long. Think of this departure as the Von Trapp children singing "So Long, Farewell". Leisel, Kurt, Brigetta, and the rest of the clan may be saying words like adieu and auf wiedersehen, but as you and I both know, that scene hardly marks the end of the movie. I might not have Nazis to dodge or the Alps to cross, but clatter’s story too is far from being over.
For now, I ask only one thing of you: to have a truly rich and blessed holiday season in the presence of your closest friends and family. Don’t hold back when it comes to gulping down eggnog in a reindeer glass, dishing yourself a second (or third) piece of pumpkin pie, fitting in one final run before the lifts close, or pretending you’re excited about receiving yet another pair of socks from your grandma. Just remember: as long as you’re doing it in the holiday spirit, you’re doing it right.
Well, this is my exit. I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly….. Check back with clatter in the new year, as I hope to feel rejuvenated and with my distractions quelled, enthusiastically ready to begin clatter’s next chapter. Until then my dearest readers, climb every mountain, and I’ll catch ya on the flip side.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Pie-partisanship
Could it be the answer to all the troubles in American politics? Happy Election Day from clatter!
I've never considered myself much of a political buff, but I've been excited today. While my newly found obsession with The West Wing is probably somewhat to blame for recently spurring my enthusiasm in the political process, I assure you that the brilliance of that show (or my crush on Rob Lowe?) is not the only reason. Not only does today mark the ever-so-important midterm elections and define 218 as the magic number, it finally puts an end to what could arguably be a season of the most annoying political commercials in television history. Tonight (and tomorrow and maybe nine months from now) there will be winners and losers, victorious empowerment and disappointing defeat, but right now, at this very moment as I write, so much of America's future remains utterly unpredictable. There is something, however, on Election Day that is an absolute guarantee: good ol' fashioned drama, evoking emotions of all sorts. I for one can always get excited about that.
I took a jaunt during my lunch break today to turn in my ballot at the Multnomah County Elections Headquarters, and I’ll admit that I felt a bit emotional myself. I experienced one of those cheesy, yet completely heartfelt "It's a privilege to be an American" moments. As I watched a KOIN 6 news guy get out of his studio van to cover the story and observed some of my fellow Portlanders line up at the polls, I was moved with a certain sense of patriotism. I may have even heard The West Wing theme music faintly playing in the background.
Like any holiday suggests, the presence of food is a necessity in order to properly celebrate. Election Day is not exactly a holiday known for its food, but why shouldn't it be? If you were to poll a handful of Americans right now, I'd bet that the majority would choose to eat while they watch the results trickle in. Even a higher percentage of those Americans would want comforting food that make them feel warm, safe, or nostalgic for a simpler time. So what kind of food should be eaten on Election Day? Foods that are red, white, and blue in color? Cleverly named foods like hot wings and freedom fries? What is the one food that defines democracy? I really have no idea, but what I had in mind to celebrate “Decision 2010” tonight is not only quintessentially American, but it's also very much in season. My fellow Americans, the clatter kitchen voted to make an apple pie.
In the name of freedom and all things delectable, I elected to skip spinning class tonight in order to fully celebrate. There are few things in life I enjoy more than 1) baking and 2) watching drama unfold. And tonight was the perfect night to engage in both at the same time. Burning calories might be beneficial, but I figured I'd be sweating enough as it is between the heat of the oven and the tight governor race between Chris Dudley and John Kitzhaber that I could easily justify my gym absence.
For the pie itself, I considered using my mother’s crust recipe, but then decided I would consult Martha Stewart’s Cooking School and try her pâte brisée instead. This recipe involves butter - lots of butter - so I knew it had to be a winner. I used a variety of apples and got to work, strategically creating a workspace in the kitchen that faced the television in the other room. Turns out there’s something strangely relaxing about peeling and coring apples as the Democratic House comes apart at the seams…uh, not that you should interpret that statement as an official clatter political stance.
Now that I’m sitting on my couch, clicking away on the keyboard while simultaneously captivated by the Congress scoreboard on the television screen and shoving fresh, home-baked apple pie à la mode in my mouth, I'm feeling extremely blessed - not only to be a person who can make a decent pie, but more importantly, to be an American. Too often I think we take that for granted. So with that said, clatter thanks you for voting. Here's to the voice of the people...to the very last bite.
I've never considered myself much of a political buff, but I've been excited today. While my newly found obsession with The West Wing is probably somewhat to blame for recently spurring my enthusiasm in the political process, I assure you that the brilliance of that show (or my crush on Rob Lowe?) is not the only reason. Not only does today mark the ever-so-important midterm elections and define 218 as the magic number, it finally puts an end to what could arguably be a season of the most annoying political commercials in television history. Tonight (and tomorrow and maybe nine months from now) there will be winners and losers, victorious empowerment and disappointing defeat, but right now, at this very moment as I write, so much of America's future remains utterly unpredictable. There is something, however, on Election Day that is an absolute guarantee: good ol' fashioned drama, evoking emotions of all sorts. I for one can always get excited about that.
I took a jaunt during my lunch break today to turn in my ballot at the Multnomah County Elections Headquarters, and I’ll admit that I felt a bit emotional myself. I experienced one of those cheesy, yet completely heartfelt "It's a privilege to be an American" moments. As I watched a KOIN 6 news guy get out of his studio van to cover the story and observed some of my fellow Portlanders line up at the polls, I was moved with a certain sense of patriotism. I may have even heard The West Wing theme music faintly playing in the background.
Like any holiday suggests, the presence of food is a necessity in order to properly celebrate. Election Day is not exactly a holiday known for its food, but why shouldn't it be? If you were to poll a handful of Americans right now, I'd bet that the majority would choose to eat while they watch the results trickle in. Even a higher percentage of those Americans would want comforting food that make them feel warm, safe, or nostalgic for a simpler time. So what kind of food should be eaten on Election Day? Foods that are red, white, and blue in color? Cleverly named foods like hot wings and freedom fries? What is the one food that defines democracy? I really have no idea, but what I had in mind to celebrate “Decision 2010” tonight is not only quintessentially American, but it's also very much in season. My fellow Americans, the clatter kitchen voted to make an apple pie.
In the name of freedom and all things delectable, I elected to skip spinning class tonight in order to fully celebrate. There are few things in life I enjoy more than 1) baking and 2) watching drama unfold. And tonight was the perfect night to engage in both at the same time. Burning calories might be beneficial, but I figured I'd be sweating enough as it is between the heat of the oven and the tight governor race between Chris Dudley and John Kitzhaber that I could easily justify my gym absence.
For the pie itself, I considered using my mother’s crust recipe, but then decided I would consult Martha Stewart’s Cooking School and try her pâte brisée instead. This recipe involves butter - lots of butter - so I knew it had to be a winner. I used a variety of apples and got to work, strategically creating a workspace in the kitchen that faced the television in the other room. Turns out there’s something strangely relaxing about peeling and coring apples as the Democratic House comes apart at the seams…uh, not that you should interpret that statement as an official clatter political stance.
Now that I’m sitting on my couch, clicking away on the keyboard while simultaneously captivated by the Congress scoreboard on the television screen and shoving fresh, home-baked apple pie à la mode in my mouth, I'm feeling extremely blessed - not only to be a person who can make a decent pie, but more importantly, to be an American. Too often I think we take that for granted. So with that said, clatter thanks you for voting. Here's to the voice of the people...to the very last bite.
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