the beauty of an ordinary life
My ex-brother-in-law was an NCAA cross-country rock star. Full ride to UMass. Number one on the team. The running dude. Then, as happens to many a talented athlete, a torn hamstring put him on a different path. One weekend, years ago now, we were at dinner in Omaha - my sister, her then-husband, and I … Continue reading First, we sat down. (weekly menu, 1.5.14)
If it weren't for the Reformation, it's possible that the world communion of Christians (all Catholics, if it weren't for the Reformation) would be about to launch festivities associated with the Feast of Fools, the evolution of Saturnalia, that wild Roman holiday tradition marked by role reversals, gag gifts and general mischief. Yes, Virginia, the … Continue reading Good will toward many. (food, week of 12.16.13)
Poor Jane Brody. First there was her personal high cholesterol problem that just got worse, publicly, the more fervently she clung to her own low-fat diet advice. Then, after a few quiet years, came her article debunking food myths which landed her in the Huffington Post hot seat, skewered by Kristin Wartman for gross misstatements … Continue reading In Defense of Jane Brody. (food, week of 11.11.13)
Tuesday I made dinner for my people while they were out shuttling to and from football practice and grocery errands. I seared the steak, wrapped it in foil and put it in a warm oven to finish cooking. I roasted some potatoes and left them, covered, to cool to room temp. I made a salad … Continue reading My food comes from a dirt farmer. (food, week of 9.23.13)
15 years ago, Fast Company dubbed Memphis the capital of the real world. At the time the article was published, Memphis was on no one's list of cool places, and I thought it was uplifting that my favorite magazine gave my hometown a brief and positive nod. The idea of Memphis as the source of … Continue reading Eat something great in Memphis. (food, week of 9.16.13)
We're an odd little commune of sorts, our block in ye olde neighborhood. We share like family the major holidays, pick-up street games, pet sitting, garden harvesting (figs!) and, perhaps most of all, cooking. It is not unusual to receive a 5:30 text from a neighbor asking for cumin or to send one asking for … Continue reading I’ll have what she’s having. (food, week of 9.2.13)
The farm at my children's school, brain child of the inimitable Tony Geraci, is truly a wonder. It is a working farm located on campus at a public elementary school in the middle of Memphis, and it might be my favorite thing in the farm-to-table movement. Two years ago my son tasted his first fresh … Continue reading At the farm. (food, week of 8.19.13)
I have been longing to return to the routine of the school year, back from the chaotic pace of a particularly unpredictable summer break. I have been waiting to return to regular carpool, homework, dinner at 6:30, bedtime at 8:30, making lunches and having a sense of command and control. I have been looking forward … Continue reading The green, green grass.
jenny's lark 