Mexican Rice and Brothy Beans

I remember reading a funny little quote that said something to the effect that the definition of family is a group of people, no two of whom like eggs cooked in the same way. The challenge of food preference is real! I try not to be a short order cook but it happens all too often that I make something for dinner and end up fixing something different for each of the kids because they won't eat it. 

Mexican rice and beans is one of the few that we will all eat, so that's frequently on the dinner menu. This is also an example of how much I use my Instant Pot- I have two IP inserts, and with this meal, they both get used one after the other- making the rice first, and the beans second, as the latter can have a long natural release. These are also dishes that you can make in some quantity for meal-prep purposes, and my daughter will eat cheesy rice and beans in her lunchbox. She takes one of those insulated food jars. 

The beans: I forgot to soak pinto beans overnight, but a 6-hour soak in boiling water did the trick. Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce do all the heavy lifting here as far as flavor is concerned. I followed this recipe loosely, adding a whole dried Pasilla chili too, since I happened to have some in the pantry. 

I used this recipe for the Mexican/Spanish rice, adding some mushrooms this time. And to go with the meal- a creamy cucumber and avocado salad. This is such an easy and satisfying dinner.

* * *

A group of friends were meeting up at the botanical garden- we have boys of similar ages who were in the same daycare center years ago- and I thought of baking a snack cake to take along. With a box of ripe bananas stashed away in the freezer, I made this marbled banana cake. 

Other than cutting down the amount of sugar, I followed the recipe closely. It is different from other marbled cakes that I have made before because instead of mixing cocoa powder into a portion of the batter to make the chocolate portion, you swirl ganache into the batter. I pulled the cake out of the oven, recklessly turned it out after just 10 minutes and took it straight to the play date in a cake carrier. The warm slices of fresh-baked cake were a treat.

No pic of the cake- it was devoured quickly- but here's a picture of the bundt pan (the preciousss)- one of my prized baking tools and one that I bought at the Nordicware factory in Minneapolis. 

* * *

Media round-up: My son asked me a surprising question: when and how did the universe begin? The question surprised me because his usual preoccupations are Pokemon and video games, and our conversations rarely involve topics of great mystery such as the birth of the universe. The other reason it surprised me was that I had been listening to a podcast episode on just this topic, so I could impress him by saying with great confidence that the universe is 13.8 billion years ago. ("I thought it would be trillions and trillions of years", he said.)

• The podcast episode I listened to was Episode 1: The First Fraction of a Second of Crash Course Pods: The Universe. It is fantastic- "We are made of big bang stuff". 
• We watched this <6 min National Geographic video on YouTube and it is such a great, succinct explanation of the Big Bang theory.
• I spotted this book on the "new books" shelf and checked it out immediately: Space Oddities by Harry Cliff. The book discusses a lot of oddities or anomalies, unexpected results that seems to contradict our accepted ideas of how the universe works and explains that they can be flukes or glitches, OR they can lift the veil on nature’s best kept secrets. I'm halfway through and not all of the chapters are equally interesting to me, but the first chapter, The Cosmic Story, is excellent! It is one of the best descriptions I have read that explain the standard model of particle physics and the standard cosmological model in simple terms. It definitely pushed along my feeble layperson understanding of these incredibly fascinating topics. 
• In non-big-bang related media, I've been trying to sink my teeth into a good fiction book but have encountered a series of duds lately. I picked up a much-recommended murder mystery, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, but it did not hold my attention and will be a DNF (did not finish.)
• We watched The Mask (1994) on Tubi- a zany and ridiculous movie but fun to watch for sure. My sister still quotes lines from this movie. 

* * *

A Moment of Fitness: Today, I'm talking about a basic question- How much exercise do we need? Guidelines from well-respected public health agencies like the CDC and the WHO agree on exercise recommendations for healthy adults. In a nutshell, it is health-promoting to get the following in one week-

• Aerobic activity: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity OR 75 minutes of vigorous-level activity. 
• Aerobic activities are what we know as "cardio" and include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, biking, dancing, tennis, and many others- their defining characteristic is that they get your heart rate up, and get you breathing a little harder. 
• How do you know whether your activity is moderate or vigorous? An easy way is the "talk test"- if you can talk but not sing while doing the activity, it is of moderate intensity. If you can't say more than a couple of words before getting out of breath, it is of vigorous intensity. (If you can sing while doing the activity, kindly pick up the pace :))
• 150 minutes of moderate cardio could be 30 minutes of brisk jogging/walk-run intervals/light jogging 5 days a week. Or 2 dance classes, and some walking. There are many ways to do this. 10 minutes of brisk walking after most meals will even do it! 
• If you are conditioned enough to undertake vigorous cardio like running, 75 minutes/week is very doable- a few short runs will get you there.
• Muscle-strengthening activity: at least 2 sessions a week. These can be bodyweight or weightlifting exercises. More on this in a future post. 

For adults 65+, the recommendations are to add two sessions of balance exercises in a week. An activity like yoga will cover both muscle strengthening and balance. 

Why is it important to know this? 

• You can compare your current activity to the recommended levels and see where you stand, and you can slowly ramp up your exercise to recommended levels if they're not there already. Every little bit counts. 
• For people who have some anxiety that "I feel like what I'm doing is never enough", (one of my friends said this to me verbatim), this kind of guidance provides reassurance that no, you don't need to exercise all day, every day. It is more like exercising 4-6 days of the week, 45-60 minutes per day, which is reasonable to build into one's schedule for most people. (Consider how much time we spend on our phones and on social media, as a comparator. I don't know about you but I always grimace when my weekly screen time notification pops up on my phone).
• If you're only doing cardio or only lifting weights, the recommendations are a gentle reminder to do a bit of both for optimal fitness.

Have a great week, all! 

Pan-fried okra evokes memories of summers past

It is peak summer in Northeast Georgia. I haven't been making it to the Farmers' Market regularly this year, but have enjoyed some classic summer produce here and there. For one, we make watermelon juice almost daily, and serve it to ourselves in freezer-chilled glasses- a real treat. Last week, I bought a box of fresh figs- I'm the only one in the family who enjoys them. 

I came upon some beautifully fresh okra last week and bought it immediately. There was no question about what I would make with it- aji-style tal-lele bhendi- pan-fried okra in the style of my maternal grandmother. I've posted this recipe in my first few months of blogging, over 19 years ago! Here's a quick review of the recipe as I make it now- no quantities, as I just eyeball it.

• Wash a bunch of fresh okra, and dry it thoroughly (do not skip this step). 
• Chop the okra quite finely- I'll lop off the top and tail, make 2-3 cuts lengthwise and then chop crosswise. Place the chopped okra in a large bowl.
• To the chopped okra, add
• Besan (chickpea flour)
• Rice flour
• Salt
• Turmeric
• Red chili powder
• Cumin-coriander powder
• Toss the contents of the bowl well to dredge the okra in the flours and seasoning. 
• Add 1-2 tsp. oil and a tablespoon or two of water and toss again. This gets all the coating to stick on.
• Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tsp. oil in a pan. Tip the contents into the pan once hot.
• Pan-fry the okra, stirring occasionally on medium heat until the okra is cooked through and browned and crispy in places. Serve immediately.

Last week, I served this okra with a "rasam khichdi" that I made in a few minutes in the instant pot. What's rasam khichdi, you ask? Not anything authentic, I assure you. A made-up recipe designed to simultaneously annoy people from a few different states, ha ha, but a tasty and quick meal. 

My aji used to serve this okra (which she fried in a lot more oil than I currently do) with a very simple varan-bhat, steamed white rice with mashed cooked toor dal, cooked simply with salt and curry leaves. A wedge of lemon and a drizzle of ghee completed this ultimate comfort food.

I remember eating this meal off steel thalis while seated on the living room floor of aji's fourth-floor walk-up flat in South Bombay. It would be school summer break- the month of May- and four granddaughters would be visiting Bombay aji as she was referred to to distinguish her from our other grandmother. We spent the sweltering morning puttering around lazily, then lunched on meals like this while sitting cross-legged on the cool tiles of the living room floor, strategically arranged under the ceiling fan. 

Promptly at 1 PM, the local cable guy would put a movie on for all his customers. It was the ideal way to kill time during the heat of day, watching a movie in a darkened living room while practically napping. We would wait with bated breath to see what movie would be played each day. (Much of the delicious anticipation of TV is gone in these days of streaming services.) Mr. India, the 1987 movie, was my personal favorite and one that I will happily rewatch anytime even now. 

Then, in the evening, we would grab a collection of buckets and shovels and walk two blocks to Chowpatty beach for a few hours of happy sandcastle construction. On the way home, there would be an occasional stop at the kulfi place, or to peruse used books that a vendor spread out under the footbridge. Then, washing off the sand and changing into night-dresses, and dinner, again with some TV show for company. Finally, we would unroll folding mattresses onto the living room floor and sleep all in a row. Good times. 

* * *

Salads of different types have been on the menu this past week. My kids love pasta- I cook a box/bag of pasta practically twice a week and save it in a container in the fridge to use in different ways. I made a batch of pasta salad, which holds well in the fridge for school/work lunches and quick meals. It is very flexible and can accommodate many bits and bobs from the fridge and pantry. I made it simply by tossing together--

• Cooked pasta (tricolor farfalle this time)
• Marinated artichokes
• Fresh tomato, chopped
• Bell peppers, chopped
• Chopped fresh mozzarella
• Pesto 
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Drizzle of olive oil if needed
• Sprinkle of parmesan, optional

The pic below shows the pasta salad served on a bed of arugula, and topped with toaster-oven-baked quorn nuggets.

A friend is downsizing, and let me look through a pile of treasures that she is letting go. I acquired these fun baking tools-

• Adding to my collection of cookie cutters- these are some seasonal ones like pumpkin and apple shapes
• A cake layer cutter- wow, excited to use this- maybe a birthday cake for my daughter next month
• An 8 inch tube pan- I'm thinking... a pound cake
• A 12 inch tart pan with a removable bottom- I'm thinking... a savory tomato tart

I told her I'll use each one soon and bring her a share of the baked goods! 

* * *

Media round-up of the week:

• I finally watched Oppenheimer (2023) on Prime, over a year after it came out. It was long (watched it over 2-3 days as is my wont) but I enjoyed it, and learned a lot about the politics and the personal dynamics of the time. I've read books on the subject but this was a different perspective
• I had a chance to go to part of a local film festival- a segment on narrative shorts on the theme of "Women in Film"- it was cool to get my culture in, and I enjoyed some of the film shorts
• A podcast episode that I found interesting and terrifying in equal measure- Radiolab: Dinopocalypse- a story of what likely happened the day the dinosaurs died
• The internet has reading content in the weirdest places- I enjoyed a few posts from the "Best of Craigslist"- missed connection, mean cat, splitting a Costco pie, new holiday proposed, this heartbreaker.

* * *

A friend invited me to her lake house for a girls' night. I drove 75 minutes north and had a wonderful time splashing in the lake for hours, listening to a flash thunderstorm on the porch under a metal roof, reading on this deck at sunrise...it was a short 18 hour trip in total but a lovely change of scene. 

Salad Days and Flip Yogurts

Our whirlwind summer break of 2024 has come to an end, and a new school year has started- we have a third grader and a seventh grader this year. School starts very early here in the South- unlike in other parts of the US where schools start closer to Labor Day- and temperatures are still so high that kids sometimes have to have indoor recess to stay safe in the heat. 

Our son turned 8 last month, while he was visiting India with his dad, but when he got home we had a small celebration at home with an ice cream cake. I tried this recipe with good success- even busting out a piping bag and tip to make some decorative swirls with homemade whipped cream.

Ice cream cake for an 8th birthday

Other good eats this week-

This tahini dressing is called "liquid gold" on the original post and I am inclined to agree. It is plant based, is made by simply mixing a few ingredients in a bowl (no blender needed), and tastes fantastic on any kind of salad. I served it all week with a basic spring mix. A keeper dressing recipe!

Spring greens, cucumber, and
 tahini dressing

I'm making more of an effort to soak whole legumes regularly for sprouts. Here, I cooked whole moong bean sprouts lightly, and made a "bhel" of sorts by topping them with onion, tomato, chopped mixed greens, a bit of yogurt and cornflakes mixture- it made for a light, nutritious, and tasty summer dinner!

Sprouts bhel

There's a constant struggle of sorts in my home between the sugar-loving kids and my attempt to balance the "fun" foods with more wholesome meals and snacks that are not straight-up sugar-delivery devices.  My kids enjoy snacking on "flip yogurts"- the ones from Chobani and other brands sold in supermarkets- where you flip a small container of mix-ins into the yogurt and stir it together. They come, of course, in all sorts of enticing flavors.  

I've started making our own version at home by buying a tub of vanilla greek yogurt (I choose a lower sugar variety with a good amount of protein) and portioning it into small containers. And preparing tiny containers of mix-ins- a favorite is a combination of crushed Oreo cookies, crushed graham crackers, and chocolate chips. 

A batch of DIY flip yogurts

* * *

Media round up from this week:

• Listened to a podcast episode that was highly recommended somewhere- The Mel Robbins Podcast "Let Them Theory" episode. It calls for a subtle but powerful mindset shift to stop controlling the behavior and choices of others, and to "let them" do whatever they want to do and focus your energy on your own life. 
• Read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. First published in 1922, and translated from German, this is a classic short novel. It is a story written very simply, in easy language- a parable of a young man and his search for meaning through different seasons of life. The simple language belies the deeper philosophical message. This is a book definitely worth reading once in your life. 
• Reading What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles, the all-time bestselling guide for finding meaningful work and career success. My current project is ending soon and I'm trying to be more thoughtful and intentional about what sort of work I want to do next. Wish me luck! 
• Started watching The Good Place, a sitcom on Netflix. A self-absorbed young woman arrives in the "good place" after her death, but her placement is an error, and she tried to becomes a better person in an effort to earn her place there. I'm only 3 episodes in and it is pretty good so far.
• My son and I watched the comedy movie Matilda (1996) yesterday on Netflix- Danny DeVito's over the top adaptation of the Roald Dahl book. It is a classic. My son was slack-jawed at the tyrannical principal in the movie, and expressed relief that he goes to a better school than the one shown in this movie!

* * *

A moment of fitness: I've had a wonderful time testing our my "fitness chats" with a variety of people- and I want to thank everyone who gave me an hour of their time, and their valuable feedback. It is inspiring to hear of each person's unique relationship to fitness over their lifetime. In every post going forward, I'll try to talk about one aspect of fitness.

Today, I'm thinking of a very basic question: Why is there such a disconnect between the need for exercise, and the average person's ability/motivation to exercise? 80% of US adults do not meet exercise requirements. (What exactly are the exercise requirements for adults? More on that in my next post.) 

Is it really necessary to exercise? All available research overwhelmingly suggests that this is the case. There is no reasonable debate any more about whether exercise is important. It is quite simply the closest thing we have to a magic pill. 

But why do we need to exercise? It just seems so darn inconvenient and pointless! The whole problem is an evolutionary mismatch between how humans evolved, over 6 million years or so, and the modern environment that we now live in, which has only existed for a few hundred years (negligible in evolutionary terms), with time and labor saving appliances like washing machines and dishwashers really only being widely available for a few decades. For millions of years, humans had no choice but to be active for hunting and gathering and survival; our brains and bodies and behaviors evolved for regular and rigorous exercise. Our bodies also evolved to consume sugar and fat whenever it was available and to rest whenever we could to avoid spending extra calories when not required. 

But here we are in modern life where everything has been turned upside down. On one hand, our fridges and pantries are full of caloric food that our bodies can't get enough of. On the other hand, with transportation and appliances, there are few natural opportunities to exercise. And that is why we now have to resort to "artificial exertion" with gyms and weights and exercise regimens and fitness apps and organized sports. We are expected to do these while working long hours in mostly sedentary jobs, and, for many people, while raising kids and caring for elders without the benefits of a "village". It is a tough and somewhat perverse situation to be in, even though we recognize that modern life blesses us with many advantages. 

What does all of this mean for us? If you don't intrinsically love to exercise, that is understandable and normal and expected. The good news is that you are a human- intelligent and adaptable. You can use behavior change strategies to put an exercise habit into place. The world of exercise is so vast that you can find something that you enjoy that will fit into your life. And the best news of all- because humans have evolved to exercise, once you start doing it, you reap the benefits and grow to tolerate it/ like it/ love it! But it all starts with understanding and accepting that exercise is essential and that we have to hack our inner tendencies and find a way to include it in our life.

An interesting article on this subject: Humans Evolved to Exercise (Sci Am, 2019)

* * *

A doe has been leaving her newborn fawn in 
our backyard for several hours every day this week

I Ran the Peachtree Race, and Zucchini Pizza

They hand you a perfectly
ripe peach at the finish line!

Yesterday, I crossed off a big bucket list item- I joined over 40,000 people and ran in the famed Peachtree Road Race! It was a thrilling and unforgettable experience. This was the 55th running of the Peachtree- an iconic Fourth of July tradition in Atlanta, the biggest 10K race in the world, and a race that is infamous for three things- heat, humidity, and hills. 

The first two features were very apparent yesterday, with one of the warmest starts in recent history. (As for hills, my town where I train is so hilly that I somehow barely noticed the hills in the race.) It turned out to be the very first heat advisory day of this year. We stayed overnight at a hotel right at the start site. The wheelchair athletes took off at 6 AM, then the elite athletes at 7 AM, and then the rest of the runners in waves that set off every 5 minutes. My turn came around 8 AM and it was already sweltering- I felt like I was swimming in warm soup.

At the start line

The race is one big party, like you're in a parade going down main street. Streets are lined with cheering spectators hollering and holding signs. Sweet little kids hold up homemade posters saying "Touch the button to power up". I spotted inspirational quotes on perseverance, funny signs saying "You look hot" (accurate) and "That's a lot of hard work for a banana" (more like a lot of hard work for a peach and a T-shirt). 

Some spectators hand out treats, everything from pieces of banana to power drinks to mimosas and beer! Musicians and DJs hype up runners are at different points on the route. There were runners in themed costumes- I spotted Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty, King George V (top half of the costume worn with shorts lol), a bride in a veil. The whole spectacle is wonderfully distracting. The hardest part was weaving through throngs of people, many of whom are walking or jog-walking. 

Watching the early waves through
an 11th floor hotel window

Heat watch at the
Peachtree yesterday

For me, it is simply a dream come true to participate in a big sporting event for the first time in my life. My goal was to finish without puking or passing out. In fact, I felt fine throughout as I ran very conservatively with a "safety first" attitude, stopping at every single hydration station (thanks, volunteers), running through every fire hydrant sprinkler to cool off, and taking a few walking breaks. My secondary goal was to finish in under 75 minutes (1:15:00), and I finished in 1:13:16 with an average pace of 11:48 min/mile. This is entirely unimpressive in an objective sense, but for me personally to do <12 min miles over this distance in these crowded conditions with the heat index being what it was...I couldn't be happier or more surprised or grateful. 

The oldest race participant was a 99 year old woman named Betty! Watch this 3 minute video about her- what an inspiration.

In fact, the race was ended early ("black flag") because of weather conditions. Luckily, >95% of people had finished by then.

Southern hospitality is very apparent as you finish the race in Piedmont Park- we were greeted with cold water, perfectly ripe peaches, and troughs of soda. And the coveted finisher T-shirt. 

I don't think I will do this race again. Racing in the heat requires training in the heat and that's just not fun. But am I glad I did it once! 

This year's lovely T-shirt design

* * *

I've been trying some new recipes lately- here are two that had pleasing results. It is zucchini season and I tried something unusual- a zucchini pizza, recipe from Smitten Kitchen. First off, the pizza dough is wonderful for a pan pizza of any sort. And the topping of zucchini and cheese is lovely and seasonal. This reheats beautifully in a toaster oven or on a cast iron pan. Neither of my kids were fans but the grown ups all loved this take on pizza.

I found a bag of beautiful baby potatoes on sale and used them to make something I've wanted to try for years- hassleback hasselback potatoes. I took them to a friend's house; she admired them and asked if they're called "hassleback" because they're a hassle to make! In fact, they are much less of a hassle to make than I anticipated. Putting a pair of chopsticks under each potato makes it very easy to get the tops cut without going all the way through the potato. I simply roasted them with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and stuffed them with pesto. A lovely little treat.

* * *

Reading: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, a 2005 novel by Marina Leywcka. This work of fiction is in the domestic fiction genre and was a very quick and engrossing read. The reviews keep describing it as hilarious and comical but I don't know...at best it is tragicomic. The book is written in first person by the younger of two Anglo-Ukrainian sisters; she is the peacetime baby and her older sister is the wartime baby. The family has endured harsh struggles and are survivors of tough political times before she came along. The sisters are at feud over- what else but- inheritance, but they put their feud aside when their 80-something widower father wants to marry a 30-something Ukrainian woman who they label as a golddigger. The book depicts the struggle of family relationships- an elderly dad asking his middle-aged daughters to mind their own business about his new relationship, even as he asks them for money to buy his girlfriend the fancy cars and stoves and vacuum cleaners that she demands. 

Watching: Schitt's Creek on Prime (Freevee). It is a great little sitcom about a filthy rich family that finds themselves penniless overnight, and living in a motel in a forgotten town that they bought as a joke years ago. I watched some episodes as in-flight entertainment some time ago and am happy to watch the whole series now. 

Tell me what you're up to, during this first week of July. 

Summer Solstice and Pool Days

Rainbow noodle salad

The summer solstice has come and gone; the days are long and hot and water play is on the menu. This year we have been enjoying pool afternoons for the first time in recent memory. Until last year, our son needed close supervision in the pool- it was more stressful than fun- and we preferred to go to splash pads as a safer alternative and run through water features and giant sprinklers. Now, after sustained swim lessons and a great swim coach, he is confident and competent in the water, and pool days are IN. We are able to lounge around, swim laps, and read while the kids play independently for hours, making trips to the concession stand for ice cream bars and packets of chips (according to my kids, chips purchased at the concession stand taste WAY better than the same brand of chips brought from home.) A dear friend and I spent nearly 4 hours yesterday alternating between wading in the pool and lounging on the deck, chatting happily while the kids had a blast and entertained each other- truly a joy of summer. My skin is burned to a crisp but I am so happy with the way the week ended.

The best thing I ate all week was a noodle salad with whole wheat spaghetti, full of shredded raw veggies, edamame, and a savory peanut sauce. With a mandoline, blender, and some patient knife work, it comes together quickly. This hearty salad keeps well in the fridge and is great to come home to, on those aforementioned pool days. 

I try not to use the oven too much during these months, but the hash brown casserole does get on the menu now and then. This one has broccoli in it and on the side. And also a veggie sausage patty on the side.

Eggplant is another great summer veggie, and I used a big globe eggplant to make eggplant kaap to serve with usal and yogurt rice with a chili pickle. A heavenly and homely meal. 

The wonderful thing about summer is the early sunrise. Tea and toast on the porch at sunrise is one of life's luxuries, while listening to the twitter of the birdies. The only kind of twitter worth engaging with, IMHO. This time the toast was topped with a tart cherry spread- a new product I found at Trader Joe's.

 

* * *

This weekend, our big project was to paint our daughter's room from an child-friendly aqua blue to a grown-up, sedate "marshmallow" white. The room had not been painted for a dozen years, so the makeover was overdue. Even painting a modest bedroom is quite labor intensive (especially going from a darker to a lighter color) and needed a couple of emergency trips to the home improvement store- but we all pitched in, including little bro wielding a roller, and got it done, all except the baseboards, anyway. It was quite the upper body workout. Funny enough, the Wordle on the morning we started painting predicted how the day would go. I use my morning Wordle the way other people use tarot cards.

Watching: I saw that the movie Annie (1982), based on the famous musical, was leaving Netflix on June 30, so I scrambled and watched it with my son. To my delight, he was very engaged and enjoyed it, and not only because it delayed his bedtime considerably! It is nice to see him willingly watching a non-animated film, and that too, an "old-timey" one- the movie is set in the 1930s. It is a fun and wholesome movie with familiar and catchy songs.

Every now and then, I watch an episode of the detective comedy-drama Remington Steele on Prime. It is full of mad capers and implausible situations, but the main draw for me is the trio that make up the main cast- Pierce Brosnan as Remington Steele has great chemistry with Stephanie Zimbalist as Laura Holt- her character is adorable, with sparkling intelligence making it one of those beauty and brains combinations. And their secretary is Mildred Krebs- played by Doris Roberts, who became more famous as the mom/grandmom in Raymond. This nostalgic show is a blast and an excellent mindless distraction if you're looking for one.

Reading: My reading life was exciting this week as I read a book called Beneath Divided Skies, a debut novel by Natasha Sharma. I bought this book a few weeks ago and I'm glad it finally got to my bedside table to be read and savored. I cannot write an objective review of this book as Natasha happens to be my close college friend! We met up in person after decades when I was in Pune last summer. I stayed in her home and was spoiled by her family's hospitality. 

Natasha has her own boutique software company but is truly a writer at heart. The story in this slim novel starts during the throes of India-Pakistan partition in the 1940s and catches up with the characters in the 1980s. Partition brought cruel horrors and upended millions of lives, and this book focuses on events endured by women- forced abductions, conversions, and marriages, and the efforts- first informal and then formally legalized- to repatriate the women, and the ethical conundrums of those efforts. It is a beautiful story, simply told, and while heart-rending, it is also life-affirming and heartwarming in the end. Bravo, Natasha, for highlighting a little known aspect of the history of partition! Find Natasha on Instagram and Facebook to learn more about the book and the wonderful things she is doing to promote writers and books in India. 

Other reading this week-  Dhruv Khullar's article in the New Yorker on longevity and what is sometimes called "healthspan"- years of healthy life. A good bit of the article is focused on the longevity guru Peter Attia who charges wealthy clients hefty fees to undertake expensive and extreme interventions...stuff that I have little patience for. But one sentence caught my eye, "...individual choices matter not because they are all-powerful but because they are the power that we have." Health is such a complex thing, and many health determinants- genetics, luck, environment, social factors, to name a few- are way outside an individual's control, but it is empowering to focus on the things that are within our control, the most important of which are thought to be these 4- stay as active as possible, eat as healthily as possible, get enough sleep, and nurture relationships.

I came across a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye that I loved- it made me chuckle, and it made me thoughtful. Read it if you like-  The Art of Disappearing. 

Pitcher plants at our
botanical garden

Tell me how your week is going!

Mid-June and Watermelon Season

Mid-June is here and the temperatures are climbing up in Georgia. But nothing compared by the brutal heat faced by so much of the world- my schoolfriend who now lives in Delhi texted me a pic of the thermometer on her balcony- it registered 50 Celsius at 10 AM- that is 122 Fahrenheit! Unimaginable, and yet a reality for millions.

I haven't had the bandwidth to try new recipes or the urge to make anything elaborate, but we are eating homemade meals with plenty of vegetables. Here's a sampler of what I ate this week:

Egg salad coleslaw- a mash-up of two summer favorite hearty salads. I started making a big box of cabbage mix (mandoline-sliced cabbage, red pepper, cucumber in this one) and eating it over the next 3 days. When it was time for lunch, I would take a bowlful of the veg mix, and add 2 sliced hard-boiled eggs (the egg slicer is one of my favorite kitchen unitaskers) and a "dressing"- teaspoon-sized gobs of mayo, mustard, plain homemade yogurt, a drizzle of pickle juice and some sweet and spicy jalapeños, salt and pepper. Mix it up and eat. 

Assembling the egg salad coleslaw

Cabbage salad mix

All mixed up

Misal-adjacent curry- Cook up a pot of lentils, and make it a meal with toppings of boiled potato, onion, cilantro, roasted peanuts, and other such assortments.

Dumpling salad- Much like the one I've posted before, only on a bed of roasted veg- broccoli, zucchini, green pepper, cabbage. 

The best thing I ate all week was something I actually drank- watermelon juice, made simply by blending fresh watermelon cubes in the blender for a few seconds, and topping it with a squeeze of lemon/lime juice and a sprinkle of salt. Serve in a chilled glass for maximum luxury.

* * *

What I'm watching: This week, I watched three episodes of Black Mirror- Demon 79 (brilliant acting by Anjana Vasan), Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too, and Playtest. Black Mirror is so, so brilliant. Even the less than stellar episodes stay on my mind for a few days, and this is not a series I can ever binge-watch. I can only handle a few episodes at a time. 

My son and I were home by ourselves this week (dad was on a work trip and big sis was at her first sleepaway camp) and so we had ourselves a couple of movie nights. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed/tolerated Pokémon Detective Pikachu on Netflix. I also took him to the theater (my first time in a movie theater since 2019, I think) to see Inside Out 2. We both enjoyed it, but with the theme of emotions in puberty, really it is big sis who is the target audience for this movie. 

Speaking of emotions and puberty, what I'm reading: Untangled: Guiding teenage girls through the seven transitions into adulthood by Lisa Damour. Damour is a clinical psychologist who specialized in adolescent girls, and says that the way people typically talk about teenage girls isn’t fair to girls or helpful to their parents (this part is very relatable.) But these years do not have to feel tangled and out of control because in fact there is a predictable pattern to teenage development. Damour describes seven developmental strands and how girls move along each of them at different rates and grow on several fronts at once. This is an extremely helpful book and while I did not agree with everything she said, I wrote down pages and pages of notes as reference. If you have a tween/teen girl in your life, I highly recommend reading this one. 

Occasionally, I stumble on one of my own posts from the endless blog archive and it is fun to read it again. This week, I re-read this book summary I wrote in the pandemic summer: The End of Overeating and chuckled to myself about how much I love writing book summaries and summarizing information in general. Note-taking is literally my biggest hobby, some would say a most useless trait in this age of Chat-GPT! 

* * *

In my last post, I mentioned my newly acquired personal trainer certification. In the last dozen years, I've gone from being completely sedentary to a regular exerciser, and coupled with all the real-world experiences of these years, plus the textbook knowledge from the certification and a lot (lot!) of extra reading and experimentation (you'll see a few fitness-related posts sprinkled throughout the blog), I have plenty to share from what I've learned. 

I've put together a slide deck with the idea of conducting virtual and in-person fitness chats, or personalized consultations about understanding the world of fitness and how it relates to an individual's own exercise habits. This is designed to answer questions like- Working out is boring; how can I make it interesting?, or Where do I even begin?, or, I've heard of strength training but don't really understand what it means. You get the idea. 

I'm looking for a few testers, so if you have an active interest in fitness plus one or more fitness-related questions you'd like to brainstorm with me, and if you're willing to give up an hour of your time for a zoom call, email me at onehotstove AT gmail DOT com, and we'll try to schedule something. This is intended to be a win-win situation where you as the "test client" will get an hour of personalized advice and motivation and a boat-load of interesting information (with access to slides after) and in return, I would appreciate your honest feedback on whether this kind of thing is useful and how well you like the content.   I found all the testers I need for now- thank you! 

In the meantime, if you have fitness-related questions or if you want tips/resources on any specific topic, feel free to ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer you. There are NO secrets in fitness, and yet it can feel very daunting and overwhelming. 

What was the highlight of your week?

Resurfacing After a Break

It has been several weeks since I sat down to write a blog post. I have no idea where the last few weeks sped by- it was a whirlwind. School is out for summer and the end of the school year is always a packed schedule of moving-on ceremonies, dances, and recitals. I am grateful that both kids have had a good school year- with ups and downs, to be sure- but with a nice group of friends and loving teachers to help them along. 

My companions for the
last 4 months

Apart from the usual things, I've been busy with another project. Some time ago, I had the somewhat crazy idea of taking my newfound interest in fitness to the next level and getting a certification in the field. At the start of the year, I enrolled in the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) personal trainer certification program, and have been attending lectures, studying every inch of this textbook, making copious notes, and essentially reliving my student days in my "free time". 

This weekend, I went to a standardized testing center in Atlanta to take my exam, thankfully passed it (it was harder than the 8 practice exams I took!!) and as of yesterday, I am officially an NASM CPT (certified personal trainer). I undertook this certification not to change careers or anything, but in order to be my own trainer, and help any of my family/friends who are interested. My head is buzzing with ideas to share my new-found knowledge and excitement. 

Dinner at La Semilla

While in Atlanta for the exam, we had a rare splurgy dinner at a wonderful vegan restaurant, La Semilla in Reynoldstown. So fancy and absolutely delicious. It is a treat to be able to order anything from the menu. And now I want flower petals sprinkled on everything I eat! 

Pictured clockwise from top left: batter-fried lion's mane mushrooms, Enmoladas Con Verduras, strawberry tres leches cake, Chochoyotes (dumplings)- this was easily one of the best dishes I've ever tasted. We also had the Croquetas de Jamón and the queso blanco- both amazing. And interesting cocktails and agua fresca. If you're ever in ATL, I highly recommend this place. Also, go walk on the charming beltline (trails) near the restaurant. 

While I loved the lion's mane mushrooms dish pictured above, my personal favorite fried mushrooms are found closer to home in a bar here in town- it is what I chose for my birthday lunch a few weeks ago.

Fried oyster mushrooms with lemon aioli
and a whippet- a cocktail of gin and grapefruit juice

I don't have a recipe to share today, but have a new staple in my pantry that I've been using a lot lately- soy curls. These are a dried product made with 100% soybeans as the only ingredient. I bought a bulk box that will last us for months. It is nice to mix up my usual protein sources- beans, lentils, tofu- as you can cook soy curls in a hundred different ways. These are two soy curl dishes we loved recently. 

Soy curls makhani
(a take on butter chicken)

Soy curls- broccoli stir fry
with steamed rice and mixed greens

Other assorted pics from recent days---

My daughter and her friends made
this Chinese street snack- tanghulu- fresh fruit with a
shiny and crunchy sugar coating

Gardenias and magnolias
are blooming!

Light filtering through the leaves
on an urban trail walk yesterday

How was the month of May for you? Share your highlights! 

Pasta Primavera

I've been meaning to post this recipe for weeks- and I managed to get to it before spring turns to summer. When I bought a bunch of asparagus a few weeks ago, I thought of using it in a classic Spring dish- pasta primavera. It sounds like an olde time Italian dish (primavera= spring), but was actually invented and popularized by an Italian chef in the 70s in the famed NYC restaurant Le Cirque. Whatever the origins, this is a pasta dish that absolutely celebrates springtime produce, featuring a colorful assortment of vegetables cooked until just tender and tossed with pasta in a light cream sauce.

I used this recipe as a starting point. The first time I made it, I chopped all the veggies and put them in a box in the fridge before work. The pasta came together very quickly in the evening, making it a nice weeknight dinner. Today, I made pasta primavera again for a brunch gathering, and my guests adored the flavorful sauce. This recipe is a keeper. I like a high ratio of veggies:pasta but that can be adjusted as desired. 

Pasta Primavera

1. Cook 1/2 box of pasta until just tender (or even slightly undercooked). I used spaghetti the first time and farfalle (bowties) the second- any shape will do. Set cooked pasta aside. 
2. Chop a bunch of veggies into bite sized pieces; can be mixed together-
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1-2  cups broccoli florets
• 1-2 cups green beans
• 1 red/yellow/orange bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 1 zucchini
3. You also need 1/2 cup frozen green peas and 1 chopped tomato (or a handful of cherry tomatoes).
4. Heat some olive oil/butter (or a mixture) in a large saute pan.
5. Saute 2-3 cloves minced garlic, and the chopped veggies for a few minutes. 
6. Stir in 1 cup vegetable stock and cook until the veggies are barely tender.
7. Now add the frozen peas, tomato, and 1/2 cup cream. Bring to a simmer.
8. Mix 1.5 tbsp cornstarch with 1-2 tbsp. water to make a slurry, and stir into the sauce to thicken it.
9. Finally, stir in 1 tsbp. pesto, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, and the cooked pasta. Serve! 

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Some random pics from the last month-- we took a short spring break trip up to Vogel State Park in the North Georgia mountains. Our second trip there, and it was beautiful weather. The highlight for the kids was riding the Georgia mountain roller coaster, and the highlight for me was the short but steep hike up to Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. It has a 360 degree observation tower and a gorgeous view all around. If you consider how high the highest points are in all 50 states plus DC, Georgia is smack dab in the middle at number 25. Our neighbors to the North, TN and NC, have taller peaks. Our neighbor to the South, FL, is number 51! 

We made a campfire and s'mores on the trip, of course, and then used leftover ingredients to make s'mores in the toaster oven at home using the broil function. 

Lake Trahlyta

Trahlyta Falls

Hiking up to Brasstown Bald, the
highest point in Georgia
 

S'mores in the toaster oven!

The herd of deer that live in
our backyard- I caught a family pic
one morning

Tulips in all their glory
in the nearby botanical garden

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What I'm reading- a textbook, for a certification program I'm doing. But I also read a Maisie Dobbs mystery,  An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear, and it was a good one. 

The book pictured here, Conversations on Consciousness by Susan Blackmore, has been on my bedside table for a month and it is fascinating to read a few pages every night. Blackmore interviews 20+ scientists/philosophers, and this book has introduced me to some intriguing concepts and theories.  

My comfort TV these days: Brooklyn 99 on Netflix. A warmhearted and lovable sitcom. Enjoy the rest of the month!