Salty

I have been thinking about salt today. It truly is lovely stuff. I haven't yet attained the level of Joe's connoiseurship (he feasts on such a variety that he needs a carousel to hold the choices), but we all need something to aspire to. During the summer I love to sprinkle fleur de sel on melon. Fresh sweet corn wouldn't be the same without a good dose of kosher salt. Some grains of the pyramidlike crystals of Maldon is particulary nice on hardboiled eggs.

Last week I discovered something else that is better with salt: steak. Sure, I know to season a steak, but this was a different experience altogether. Adam sent me an email with a link to "The Steamy Kitchen", a foodblog. The article is about how to turn cheaper Choice steaks into "Gucci" prime steaks. It is funny and informative and I thanked him for bringing it to my attention. It turns out that Adam had bigger plans. So we bought a couple steaks and prepared to grill.

We couldn't find a Choice steak so we picked up two Prime thick cut New York strip steaks. The trick to the Steamy Kitchen method is to coat the steak with salt and let it sit. So I salted and let them sit for about an hour (you rinse before grilling, pat dry, and add pepper). I prepared a bunch of vegetables for roasting (bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, garlic) and Adam prepared the grill. Thanks to Jim Isaacs (the grillmaster!) we now have a firestarting device that doesn't completely freak me out. He mentioned an electric starter during a conversation and we leapt on the idea. Now there are no hot coals to pour out of the chimney starter (as if I would have tried that anyway!). Instead, we use the chimney to hold the hot device after it has done its job. So while I still leave the fire to Adam I think that I could do it on my own now.

I grilled the steaks and we dug in. I had actually hit medium rare (thank you meat thermometer!) and the steaks were...awesome. They were very tender and the salt permeated the meat. If you are sensitive to salt this may not be the best preparation method, but if you like the taste (and, no, it does not taste like a salt lick...in fact I have had fast food fries that were more salty) then it may be perfect for you. I am so glad that we had a lot left over. I cut it into strips and used it for sandwiches. I usually make steak and eggs with leftover steak, but it seemed a shame to risk overcooking it. I think that I made the right decision. I sliced the meat thinly. With a little horseradish mayonnaise, the sandwiches were excellent (if I do say so myself). The steak was still tender and contrasted nicely with some thin sliced toasted bread.

Sadly, that steak is now just a memory. This weekend's salt has mostly come from a downscale source: a bit of junk food. Craving hit and the only thing for me was some root beer and Doritos. I wanted to try one of the collision bags so I got the Zesty Taco and Chipotle Ranch. I must say that the combination is very tasty. The spice gives it a good kick, but it is tongue-tingling, not tearing-up sweating hot (which is good for me--too much heat and I can't taste the food). Ultimately, they are just Doritos, but that is enough to send me down memory lane. When I was a kid, the best combination was Taco Flavor Doritos and Sunkist (I guess it played counterpoint to the grease of the almost burned Tombstone pizza that was de rigueur among the Northside Elementary slumber party set). I guess I should be glad that I didn't decide that Grape Bubble Yum was also necessary. I don't think that my stomach is still so iron-clad. Maybe I will play some Devo or something instead.



The final salt connection for this weekend was actually Friday night's performance of "Hairspray." Adam and I hit the Convocations line-up again and went to the show. It was a lot of fun. We knew the music from Adam's Tony Award winners CD collection and I liked hearing it live. The lead role was played by an understudy and she did a fine job for the most part. I was a bit worried by a few of the opening bars (her girl group uh Oh uh Ohs were a bit off) and she was a little tired in a couple of the last songs and dances. Aside from that it was silly and lively and fun.

The salty part? Well, the humor is a bit off color to be sure. I am not surprised given that "Hairspray" originates with John Waters. I didn't have a problem with it, but I thought that the parents must have had a fun time explaining a few things. I think that the woman sitting next to me had to whisper a couple definitions (or distractions) to the young girls with them. I think that one of the biggest laughs from the audience was in response to a circumcision joke (Adam and I were sort of nonplussed by the degree of hilarity, but to each his own).

I think that I will pop in my copy of the film before turning in for the evening. The musical has had me humming along, but I really think I need to see the classic: Ricki Lake, Divine, and Beatniks!

A couple of my favorite quotes from the film:

Tracy: I'm an integrationist. We shall overcome someday.
Beatnik Chick: Not with that hair, you won't.

Penny Pingleton's mom: "Penny Pingleton, you know you are punished. From now on you're wearing a giant P on your blouse every day to school so that the whole world knows that Penny Pingleton is permanently, positively, punished."

Alliteration humor is awfully awesome. Ah, good times.

Adventures in Shakespeare

Last week was pretty exciting because the Actors from the London Stage's production of Macbeth came to town. I have been looking forward to this since summer because Purdue Convocations connects classes with the actors. Luckily, my World Literature class was visited by one of the actors.

My week began with attending a reception welcoming the actors. Because I am worked up about punctuality I was early, so I took a spot at a table outside and entertained myself with a book. This gave me the opportunity to see people enter the coffee shop. My attention was caught by a trio who entered and then exited. As they prepared to jaywalk across the highway, I heard some distinct British accents and the word "Guinness." Ah, The Nine Irish Brothers pub was calling. I don't blame them a bit and had I been in their place I would have done the same. Shortly thereafter, two other members of the company came out and asked if I knew where they had gone. I pointed them toward the Guinness: my good deed for the day.

On Wednesday, Charlotte Allam came to my class. I was happy that most of the students showed up. The experience really was delightful. Ms. Allam led them through a few acting exercises to relax them and to get them thinking about language. She could engage them with the sounds and emotions in ways that I couldn't dream of. We worked with the Lady Macduff scene in Act Four. She had them select a word and then asked them to get in the middle of the circle and say the word while using a body movement that expresses its meaning. Then she had them say only the vowels and then the consonants. It was about accessing the emotional content of the word and to make them think about meaning and sound. I think that is easy to lose track of that when you are trying to just get through a reading assignment.

Eventually, she had them work on the scene itself. I really enjoyed watching the students work through the speeches. I could see their guards slowly go down. It worked out well that the speech she concentrated on was one that we didn't spend much time on in class. I went for a broader cultural/historical context and a concentration on the "big" speeches, characters, and themes. Getting the chance to dig into a scene so deeply is a luxury. I came out of the hour feeling really energized and inspired. While I know that I would not be comfortable enough to try to copy what she did, I think that I can at least apply some of the ideas to my class in a way that fits my teaching style and personality.

Adam and I attended Friday's performance. Overall, I liked it. I especially liked seeing Charlotte Allam perform; I suppose it was the minor connection I had to her.

The entire play was performed using only five actors. The costumes and set were minimal. The stage was mostly empty, except when chairs were needed. There were few props: a sword or two and a rope. I really liked how the witches used the rope. They would twist it in time with their speeches so we could see their spell and a visual representation of Macbeth's entanglement. Very nice. The scenes would break with an instrument like a drum, a pipe, or an eerie bell. I thought that worked very well.

It was difficult to tell the minor characters apart, but the major characters were easy to follow. The transformation of an actor from one character to another was fascinating. I think that one of my favorite scenes was the Porter scene. I am sure that part of it was the comedy, but it was also the first time we got to see the cast handle multiple characters played by one actor in a single scene. Basically it was done through costume. Another actor would hold part of the costume until the other actor needed to slip into that character again. During the Porter scene the actor had to have a conversation with himself and it really was hilarious. The Lady Macduff scene was quite powerful and I think that those students from my class who attended the play will feel a big payoff.

Ultimately, I think that the actors were splendid and the strategy for staging was novel, but I really do like a bit more pageantry. It was distracting that I could hear all the squeaking seats and coughs in the theater. The speeches were powerful, to be sure, but I think that if you haven't read the play recently and aren't really familiar with Shakespeare it would be hard to follow. Adam said he had some difficulty with it, but he managed. I imagine he didn't have the best time, but I think he found it to be interesting.

I don't think a Hollywood style production is in order, but I guess I wanted some more visual information or something. Then again, the last Shakespeare performances I saw were at American Player's Theater in Spring Green, WI and they don't exactly have elaborate sets. Maybe the outdoor theater can mask the audience sounds more effectively.

Or maybe it is the play itself. Macbeth is a great play, quick moving and devastating, but in some ways I just don't think it resonates as deeply with me as some of the other histories and tragedies. There are a couple strong soliloquies, but I guess they aren't my favorites either.

It was a great experience and I am really happy that I participated. I will definitely be looking for other opportunites like this. It is good for me and for my class.

Heads Up!

Sometimes the most unlikely themes develop during the course of a weekend. In my case, heads seemed to be a prominent motif. You heard me: heads.

I suppose it began with my invitation to Nicki Ludwig's baby shower. Whenever babies and gifts are involved you can bet that I will be heading to Gymboree. The store didn't let me down. Almost immediately I spied the makings of a very cute little outfit. It was pink and brown and featured a mushroom theme. From their website I know that David and Nicki like to garden so I thought it was fitting. And...it was too cute to pass up.

So here is another one of my confessions. Every once in a while, despite the fact that I don't have children of my own, I buy something for myself from Gymboree. Until that day I had only caved once before when I bought a tiny bib that had a lion and the word "Roar!" on it. I have a habit of roaring, so it just seemed right at the time. This time I could not resist a little hat with a chipmunk on it. I love the lawnsharks (so-called because when they are in the grass their fierce little tails seem to cut above the blades like a dorsal fin...to me, anyway). And I just couldn't part with it. So it is in my drawer of no-longer-so-secret shame. Could you have resisted?



Maybe you could have, but I tell you I was powerless. Surely no one would begrudge me the happiness to be found in a tiny chipmunk hat. Luckily the hat itself didn't have ears. I would still be in some sort of cute induced coma if that were the case.

It was hard enough to get through the shower--the cuteness was thick, I tell you. I almost swooned from it. So many little outfits (including some redonkulous pink baby high tops), so much joy. The fun was worth being subjected to the "identify the baby food" game. That stuff is rank!

While Mari and I were at the shower, Adam was watching some football. That seemed to be the activity of choice for many of the men that day. Given that it was the big Louisville vs. UK game day, I am not surprised. It turns out that our Boilermakers won, Notre Dame and U of Michigan were competing in some sort of slapstick exercise of ineptitude, and that the "big game" was exciting...lots of reversals of fortune. And head banging action. And another look at the player with my current favorite name in college sports: Peanut Whitehead! Awesome.

The Hammers indulged me in my choice of restaurant for dinner. I have been curious about Kimi's Asian Bistro for awhile now and Saturday was the night to try it out. The indulgence continued when Adam agreed to get the Love Boat for 2 with me. Mari tried to thaw out with some hot tea and hot and sour soup. Joe checked out the egg rolls (he says they were bland). The Love Boat started with Miso soup. It was different, but tasty. In addition to the usual tofu and seaweed, this had some extra vegetables and a bit of what I think was pork. The salads were dressed with a lemon ginger vinaigrette which was nice and went well with the apple slices and mandarin oranges. I do admit that I like the more "traditional" dressing a bit better, but that is just my preference. When it came time for the entrees, Joe got his bowl of udon and Mari her scallops.

And Adam and I got plate after plate of food. We started with sashimi, then moved to nigiri and then to rolls (which I think is the traditional way). There were some old favorites: tuna, salmon, snapper, a cucumber heavy California roll (yummy), and crab roll. There were some I have had before, but don't love: squid and octupus. And there were some new experiences. I tried superwhite tuna sashimi which was interesting, but not my favorite. I tried yellowtail which was yummy. Adam tried some kind of clam.

But the real test came with our introduction to sweet shrimp. I have never had raw shrimp before. It wasn't bad, really. The texture is a bit strange, but it tasted better to me than the usual cooked shrimp nigiri (which I usually skip because it just isn't "special" to me). Apparently, when you get the sweet shrimp, you also get another shrimp preparation. And, in my case, you get the....cap to the theme.



Your eyes are not deceiving you. With the sweet shrimp you get the deep fried heads, beady little eyeballs and all. Now I do like softshell crab. And spider rolls featuring said crab are delicious. But this was a challenge. Our host was kind enough to tell us we could eat the whole thing. His direction was very helpful because I had no idea how to approach it. I followed Adam's lead and approached it from the back, sort of like we were sneaking up on it. I took a good-sized bite. It was crispy and sort of...shrimpy. It was definitely fried. It didn't taste bad, but after the initial crispiness there was still some distinct chewiness of the shrimp shell. I felt like it was getting stuck in my teeth and throat. So I nibbled on the little legs, but didn't go in for much more. Yes, I totally wimped out and couldn't get myself to eat the real head part. I am sure that connoisseurs will tell me that by succumbing to my culinary wimpiness I missed the best bit.

I can live with that.

Hello, Kitty! or It’s not Caturday, is it?

I got to thinking today that "The Sacred Cheese" has been lacking a certain something. I finally came to the conclusion that my website would not be complete without some sort of cat themed post. For all I know it may be some sort of law on the internets that every third site must feature felines. So I'm going to do my part. It is my hope that the occasional indulgence of this kind will stave off what may be my inevitable transformation into some sort of cat lady. I guess the day that I wear a cat themed sweater will be the day that it is officially "game over" for me.

My first admission? I love Hello Kitty. I remember the first time I saw her was during a family trip that took us through a shopping district in Savannah, GA. I was a bit worried that there didn't seem to be a story surrounding her, but I soon got over it and fell under the spell. I think that there may be a cartoon featuring Hello Kitty and friends, but I will skip it. The closest I have come to watching it was a video that used the cartoon as a visual for the theme from "Mortal Kombat". Disturbing.



I took this picture last year when we were at Universal Studios in California. The window drew me and I was powerless to resist the pull of so much pink and so much Hello Kitty. What is the appeal? It is hard to explain, really. I think it may be one of those things that you either get or you don't. I get it. Hello Kitty just makes me smile. She is just...so cute. And sometimes when the grind starts to get to me, cute is just what I need.

In other cat news...The Inspector has been "unmasked"! Adam talked to our neighbor and it turns out that "he" is a "she". I suppose I should now call her Libby, but she will always be the Inspector to me. (It isn't the first time that I have renamed another person's pet. And I suspect it won't be the last). Apparently, she is quite the hunter and is on a pretty serious anti-rodent campaign. I'm hoping that she will stick to detecting when she comes to our house.

While we remain petless, I will continue to search for my kitty fixes elsewhere. One of the most reliable sources is CuteOverload.com which is a premiere source for cute. I sometimes fear that I will pull something from all the "squees" and "awws", but I will persevere.

Since Adam has set up the Apple TV we do a lot more casual fishing for videos on YouTube. If you are familiar with it, it should be no surprise that there is plenty of cat material out there. And the absurd is also there in abundance. The following is a wonderful meld of the two and as ridiculous as it is, this video has never failed to make me laugh. Yes, I am wrong. I bring you, the classic Kitty Cat Dance. Play it if you dare.



I am not sure if Mari and Joe's cat, Lucy, would like it that I see some resemblance. Judge for yourself.



Of course, her figure is much nicer. And I am sure that if she tried she would be a better dancer. Much like me. That ballet teacher who suggested that dance wasn't for me, was totally...okay, she was right. But when I am getting the big points during the easy version of Dance Dance Revolution I can forget that for a time.

So I'll dance, dance, dance....

*Wink.

It’s Been a Long Time

My parents came to visit for the first time in a few years. The house had not yet had time to backslide into messiness and I was looking forward to playing hostess. We were set and I would like to believe that all in all it was a successful visit.

Mom and Dad made good time on Thursday and arrived just in time to partake in the Chicken and Dumplings I had made for dinner. I have been trying to usher in autumn weather by sheer force of will and I decided to shake off summer by making some comfort food.

I also decided to get over my recent cupcake issues by baking some from scratch. Mom really likes Boston Cream Pie and Cook's Country came through by having a recipe for Boston Cream Cupcakes. Whoo-hoo! Here is a picture of the cupcakes before filling and frosting:



I think the cakes turned out well. I need to work on the filling process a bit more. You are supposed to cut out a little cone from the center and then slice off the lower part so you have a disc to cover the hole in the cupcake. My cutting technique needs a bit of work because I could only fit in about half the amount of pastry cream called for. I did, however, manage to dump the melted chocolate frosting over the top. Everyone thought they were tasty, but agreed that a long stay in the refrigerator helped them achieve their maximum level of yumminess. So, as usual, homemade is best.

On Friday, while Adam was at work we went to brunch at Route 66, the other branch of the Triple XXX diner empire. I opted for steak and eggs, Dad for eggs, toast, and potatoes, and Mom went for the Lemon Meringue Pie. Now there is a woman who knows how to rock a brunch! In her nutritional defense I feel compelled to mention that she had risen earlier and had eaten a bowl of cereal. We went on a quest for more comfortable pillows and a newspaper to round out the afternoon. Adam returned home in time for us to meet the Trinkles at the Lafayette Brewing Company. Samuel was in good spirits (the service moved along at a satisfactory pace, and the cheesy potato munchers were plentiful). The ale-battered chicken sandwich lived up to Mom's memory. And Kathy and I had time to rehash the latest episode of "Top Chef". Good-bye, Howie!

Saturday required some planning. Dad has been collecting real estate listings (dreaming of retirement). We spent the day tracking down houses for sale and scouting some of the towns in three nearby counties. I hadn't spent much time in any of them so it was definitely an interesting experience. Dad is definitely more open to the unique fixer-upper opportunity than I would be. My poor performance in Industrial Arts is not an inherited trait. My lack of skills is all me...I guess I should own it. The evening wound down at home with a bad horror movie ("Dead Silence"=Dead Lame) and a computer program problem. Dad has been working on our family tree, but his program of choice doesn't play well with Macs. You can see Adam and Dad at work on the problem.



It is now up to Joe, his PC, and his mad genealogy wrangling skills to save the day. Or it will be put on Adam's "To Do" list when we next visit Louisville.

Sunday's highlight was a trip to Sullivan's Steakhouse for dinner. On Sunday they have a special menu: salad, entree, side, and dessert for about thirty dollars per person. I had the iceberg wedge salad. Iceberg may not be the most nutritionally dense, but when it is crisp and fresh it really is a lovely lettuce. It is also a great foil for a good blue cheese dressing. Adam tried the Caesar, Dad the tomato and fresh mozzarella, and Mom the Spinach Salad. Each was counted a success. Three of us opted for the prime rib and Adam tried the Delmonico steak. Again, each one was a triumph. The prime rib was flavorful and tender.

The sides are the best. They come family style so we each had a chance to taste the mushroom caps (delicious!), the creamed corn (fresh tasting and very creamy), and the excellent horseradish mashed potatoes (creamy with just the right amount of bite from the horseradish). Mom decided to have the baked potato and declared it the best one she has ever had while dining out. I think she also appreciated the tableside presentation of potato "fixins": sour cream, butter, and bacon bits. She told the server not to hold back on the butter: "I'm from Wisconsin and I'm not afraid of butter!". He stepped up to the challenge and put a healthy dollop or two on the potato. Mom was in potato heaven, I believe. After dealing with my fair share of soggy, foil wrapped, steamed, and generally unimpressive restaurant spuds, I can certainly appreciate the excitement that a real baked potato can inspire.

Dessert was also delicious. Adam dug into their Bananas Foster Bread Pudding and I chose the cheesecake with fresh strawberries and blueberries. Okay, Mom's vanilla ice cream was icy, but Dad shared his raspberry sorbet with her. We left the restaurant stuffed and with a generous amount of leftovers. Score!

Though it was a day early, I hope that the feast was a good start on the celebration of my parents' 40th wedding anniversary.

They left this morning and pushed through the rain to reach home safely. I can only hope that they had a good visit and that it won't be too long before they come down again.