High Altitude 3-Bean Chili and Lentil with Flowering Kale Soup

So it turns out that feeding 17 people can be quite a challenge and for an additional test of skill, do it at altitude (10,000 ft) in a rental house kitchen with dull knives. Well we pulled it off. With my two friends, Megan and Jenn (Jenn doubles as my sister), we cooked up quite the feast. On a few scraped knuckles later, we had a triumphant meal for 17 with Grilled cheese with Fontina, White Cheddar and spinach, 3-Bean Citrus Chili and Green Lentils with Flowering Kale Soup.

It became quite hard to predict the amount of ingredients needed to pull of this feet. But sticking to the basics of creating a good foundation with the Onions, Celery, Peppers (the trinity) for the chili and a mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion) for the lentils, we pulled it off. I added jalapeño to both as well as garlic and diced tomatoes.

The hightlights were definitely the flowering purple kale in the lentils, the zest and juice of 2 oranges in the chili, and the perfect grilled cheese with spinach. And of course my two cooking companions, Jenn and Megan.

Megan and Jenn

Another highlight was mushing this team of dogs!

Recent Reading

Saturday night I watched as 2 am became 3am, in the blink of an eye. Well in my case it was a quick recheck of my cell phone clock as I made my way home on the hour EST became EDT. Nevermind what I was doing at that hour (hanging out with a friend if you must know and not even at the bars). Anyway, I've decided recently to read more at night in order to get to sleep faster and to also enjoy the silence and inner reflection before I go to sleep. Saturday night at about 3:15 am, after the removal of contacts and brushing of teeth, I picked up a small book my Mom gave me called The Last Lecture. I began to read and before I knew it, it was 4:15. So I finally put the book down and drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning and finished reading the book before ever getting out of bed. Don't get me wrong the book is short and quite quick to read. It was pretty moving for me. I think there are some good lessons about living your life and finding your own way. I was deeply saddened at some points, especially when Dr. Randy Pausch spoke of his children's future. I guess I thought of my friend who had lost her mother too early. I thought of another friend who's mother is battling similar cancer to the Pausch. I thought of all those people who left their children too early. I thought a lot. I hope for my friend who has to continue to grieve the loss of her mother. I hope for my friend who has to support her mother's battle. I hope for a humanity that cherishes both their parents and their children. I hope for my mother. Because she is doing well now, I hope that endures. I hope.

So I hope to read more. To experience other people's words through their words. To experience other worlds through the creativity of others. To experience the joys of life and the crushing lows as well.

Now I'm reading a much lighter book about golf stories. I picked it up for 50 cents at a work fundraiser. It has kept me up a lot longer the last 2 nights than I wanted or anticipated. That is the joy of reading though. You never know what you'll pick up next and what experience your mind will be thrust into.

Comedy is best with Friends

So after the Superbowl last night, The Office came on. For those of you who stumbled away from their couch before this 1 hour of pure entertainment, you missed out.  The show started off with Dwight conducting a very realistic fire drill. It was awesomely funny.  Two hightlights, the cat and Kevin looting.



My friend Jessica was laughing so hard she cried. I was keeled over with laughter, thinking all the amazing food we had prepared might not last long in my stomach. It was amazing. Did I say that already?

The best part of comedy is sharing the laughter with someone. I've decided that I need to see comedies with others. I think I feed off others laughter and vice versa. It's going to be a new policy. Plus I love movies and will go to almost anything as I enjoy the entertainment of the big screen. I think the reason I didn't think Step Brothers with Will Ferrell was as funny as it could be was that I was alone when I watched it. Never Again!

Wedding Part I

Just a little taste from the wedding weekend.

Taxes and Civilization

"No one said it better than Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: 'I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization.' " 

Thomas Friedman was really spot on with his column today.  Paying taxes is patriotic.  Do I agree with where every nickel goes? Of course not.  Do I think most of it goes to good things? Yes.  Naive as that may be, it is my belief. Our leader needs to prioritize our system.

Obviously my future brother-in-law and I are very much on the same page and have been reading the same stuff.  His eloquence is better.  Read it.

And John McCain, you are not my friend. No matter how many times you may say it, you're not.  I dont' know you and you certainly don't know me.  This tactic, "my friends," may work on the stump, but not for me.

A weekend of Celebration

Twas a weekend of fun and festivities,  celebration and friendship, and of course, champagne.  The Philadelphia Phillies are in the National League Championship Series (with the LA Dodgers).  After a stumble on Saturday night, they pulled through Sunday afternoon, courtsey of the Home Run. All 6 runs were results of home runs.   

More importantly, I threw a party for Jenn and Martyn.  A wedding shower, jack and jill style, for the couple celebrating their nuptials in 33 days.  We had the local DC guests (and some non-locals) in for a gathering.  I created the obligatory shower game of word scramble and trivia, which turned out better than I suspected.  Here's an example:

Unscramble this famous couple (answer will be at the bottom of the post):

lfrl hi daka & or give eirda

Then we showed the slide show of pictures of "Jenn and Martyn: Past and Present."  I worked diligently on this project for way too many hours, but it all paid off in the end.  It was about 200 slides of Jenn and Martyn from baby to present, set to music.  It was great and I personally loved the reaction of everybody.  It turns out my hard work paid off. I think we'll show it again at the rehearsal dinner.

Jenn at 12 Weeks

Martyn: a few months old

Jenn and Me

Jenn and Martyn Now

I stopped at Total Wine for some tasty beverages and thanks to a suggestion from my friend Jessica, I found some tasty mediterranean treats at the Mediterranean Bakery in Virginia.  The Hommous, Tabouli, Baba, and Tzaziki were great.  I bought a ton of super fresh pita as well.  It was such a great addition.  I can't recommend this place enough.   I also had vegetables and cheeses and chips and salsa (jenn's favorite food).  

The party was fun and we stayed late.  There were some minor problems (a few broken wine glasses and slight scrapes).  The Theme: Jenn and Martyn '08, it could have been worse.  In reality it was fun but I am glad that pressure is off.  

Stats for you.

13 Days until Jenn's B-Day

29 Days until the election (hopefully of Obama)

33 Days until the wedding

105 Days left of W. 

2028 Days since the beginning of the Invasion of Iraq

Answer to scramble: Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera

Reaction to Billion Dollar Bailout

So this an email chain with my coworker and I this afternoon with the subject "Should I send this out?"

On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:04 AM,

These are trying times for our country. The collapse and/or forced sale of many of our nation's largest and most trusted banks and instability in various markets has caused significant doubt about the future of our economy. As a result, I am hereby suspending all work in cubicle and surrounding areas (hallway), in order to work on this crisis. In order to keep America strong, I am also postponing my long-scheduled meeting with the Dr. So andSo to discuss my work ethic and the broad range of computer games I play during work hours, as this is no time for talk about games. What we need right now is not talk, which is terrorism, but action. Therefore, I will immediately rush to my home to work the phones promoting a $40 bailout plan for my dinner, which I had planned to eat at the Thai place around the corner but which is now in a state of considerable uncertainty. I assume that all other patriots in this building will help me in this effort. God bless me, and God bless America.

Anonymous

And my response...

 

On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:14 AM

Dear Staff,

As this crisis seems to escalate, I, unlike Senator Obama, will join my mate and also suspend activities in my cublicle as well, in order to counsel my colleague and the nation in it's quest to relinquish itself from the greed of a few and restore order. I will do so by reinvesting in the local economy through investment in the choicest hops and finest edibles. I will make direct contact with the economic machine of this country's capital. I will find the answer through the lens of an empty pint glass and fully contemplate the percentage of bailout I will attach to the required cost of said consumption, in the form of gratuity.

There is no price to large, no time of contemplation too short, no time to waste. God Bless all.

Communication & Politics

So this past week I've been wondering how do I communicate to my peers, my acquaintances and those I don't know the importance of November 4th when we elect a new president?
How do I let everyone know that our decision on one day is so important for 1461 days that follow?
How do I transcend the passion and emotion of my feelings towards politics and the elections and really inform?
How do you argue constructively and correctly with an non-accepting audience that can only counter with emotion and anecdotal evidence?
How do I assure everyone that their choices matter?

There are a number of people in my life that run the spectrum of politic views. From the non-voter, to the lefty liberal, to the righty conservative. It is is hard to convince those who are unaccepting of your views to understand your position and appreciate your point-of-view.

For now I will send them interesting articles like Maureen Dowd's columns from the New York Times.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Celebrating Bachelorhood

This weekend marked marked 8 weeks until Jenn and Martyn tie the knot.  The boys and girls had their respective bachelor parties this weekend.  All I know is the boys had fun.  Despite a rained out baseball game and sweltering temperatures, we had a good deal of fun.  

9 out 10 of us.

We had dinner at Central in DC. It was a great meal and we all certainly stuffed ourselves.  The charcuterie plate was really amazing and the faux gras (chicken liver instead of duck) was really extraodinary.  For my meal I also had the filet mignon tartare (seen below).  It had a nice kick of Tabasco.  For dinner I had braised beef cheeks, which were really good.  they came with a carrot puree and fettuccini.  I think the boys enjoyed the meal in the private room in the kitchen.

Martyn made it until 4:20 am on Saturday (well sunday i guess).