Last week, just as the Polar Vortex had powered up to “don’t even think of flying into Chicago’s O’Hare Airport,” I was scheduled to fly to London. In an attempt to assure I would fly the friendly skies, United Airlines had changed my Aspen-Chicago departure flight time twice. While it may have seemed wacky to arrive at Aspen’s airport at 8am for my now 1pm flight, that’s what I did.
This week’s recipe choice from the “Everyday Dorie” cookbook.
EVELIA PUPO CASTILLO
If the early bird catches the worm, I wanted to be that birdie. Although no one was checking in for flights yet, Agent Evelia Castillo was on duty. I approached the desk and asked if I had a shot at getting out today. She looked at my ticket and grimaced.
Without a word Agent Castillo began doing that computer clicking-and-clacking that airline agents do, before saying, “Let’s see if we can do better.”
In less than 45 minutes she had me on Aspen-Houston – London (direct) flights. I arrived in London ten hours earlier than originally scheduled. What Evelia doesn’t know is that having been in a plane crash involving snow, I don’t fly easily on sunny days. In bad weather, fearfully anxious, I drink. (Gracias, Ms. Evelia.)
Faded and worn: Welcome to London
SAFELY ACROSS the POND
My first week here, as the Brits say, has been “brilliant.”
Most international flights converge on Heathrow around 6-7am. Who planned that? The customs queue, an hour long, was diverse, orderly and subdued. (“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”) Not noisy America, for sure.
For me, this city means theatre. Only in London could I see Tina, the Tina Turner musical which premiered here in March 2018 at the Aldwych Theatre. Built in 1907 in the Edwardian Baroque-style, the Aldwych is three-tiered and holds 1,200 people. Sold out, always. “Tina” arrives in New York in Fall, 2019.
Because I’ve never seen 9-Tony awards-winning The Book of Mormon, today, I did. Playing in the Prince of Wales Theatre, seating 1,100 people, it was unexpectedly outrageous and hilarious. This theatre’s claim to fame is its ample supply of women’s bathrooms. No waiting in line, Ladies. Boom!
British painter Rex Whistler’s mural, “The Expedition In Pursuit of Rare Meats,” which surrounds the Tate Britain restaurant.
Tate Britain, often overshadowed by Tate Modern, is amazing. On Monday I re-visited my old English friends, landscape painter J.M.W. Turner and sculptor Henry Moore. According to my guide, Peter Scott, there are 37,000 Turner items entrusted to Tate Britain’s care. Since I’d never eaten in its famous Rex Whistler Restaurant, I righted that wrong. Monserrat, the manager and my waitress, treated me to the ultimate Whistler (that British Whistler without the Mother) experience.
Mock Turtle Soup, brown meat broth, beef and ham raviolini, root vegetables and mushrooms.
In searching for the quintessential English pub, I settled on The Salisbury, named after Queen Victoria’s favorite prime minister. With its original cut glass and hand-carved mahogany splendor, it’s a fine example of a late-Victorian pub.
Fish ‘n Chips at The Salisbury
What is a more iconic English scene than that of my pub mates at The Salisbury.
So happy that I had time to make Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs, this week’s CooktheBookFridays recipe choice before leaving Aspen. Dorie explains this recipe as ‘ a simple sauté-then-braise affair emboldened by a chili/soy mixture.’ The combination of Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard and Sriracha kick plain Jane chicken thighs up a few notches.
FRENCH FRIDAYS, EVERYDAY DORIE
It’s easy to make these sweet chili chicken thighs. Briefly, soften the finely chopped whole onion, ginger and garlic cloves in oil before adding white wine, allowing it to evaporate. Mix in the sauce ingredients, blend, cook and set aside. In another pan, brown the chicken thighs. After browning, add the thighs to the blended sauce, cover with lid and cook at low heat for 30 minutes before serving. (I served with rice.)
If you’re inspired, I’ll be happy to send the recipe. What I like best about Dorie’s newest cookbook is her introduction of intriguing ingredients/combinations that she’s picked up from her recent travels and food experiences. She’s almost a “new” Dorie but in the finest sense. And, Readers, no one writes a clearer recipe or explains the process better than Dorie. She’s a Pro.
Everyday I see a crew somewhere in the Underground scrubbing graffiti off the walls and floors.
Early Thursday morning, when every sane human in Anthem Country Club’s gated community was sleeping, I started my trip back to Aspen. I shared a farewell with this majestic Great Blue Heron , a year-round resident who always enjoys the dawn peace, solitude and fountain mist.
Someone with more insight than I insists the best tools for getting to Happy are 1) Sunlight; 2) Rest; 3) Exercise; 4) Diet; 5) Self-Confidence; and 6) Healthy Relationships.
None are budget-busters. The first is free. The rest we can control and manage ourselves. The effort we commit to each is by choice.
Midway through my trip to Aspen I stopped for the night. The next morning I wandered into the motel’s breakfast room and encountered this memory bonanza of doughnuts. After opting for a healthier breakfast of yogurt and banana, I just had to grab 2 mini-powdered morsels. Got the sugar all over my black sweater. The full-on experience.
Last week I drove to Aspen after spending the best 2-month holiday season ever with my Bishop family and friends in Henderson/Las Vegas where Michael and I last lived. This was a quiet time when I could re-evaluate the Life I lead. Realizing there are no more 10 or 5-years plans in my future, I’m pretty ruthless about my year-to-year scorecard.
Home again in Colorado. Brush Creek, Snowmass Country Club, Snowmass. Colorado.
Which brings me to #6 in the tool chest above, Fostering HealthyRelationships. By necessity as a Caregiver needing to stay healthy, I already had nailed #1-4. Number 5 is still sometimes wobbly. But I believe #6, is the best pathway to Happy.
No powdered sugar donuts to be found in Aspen, Colorado.
Relationships and friendships come in all sizes. Each needs nourishment. Of course, being all about Lists, I have one to share with you. Here’s hoping you’re okay with that. My work in progress….
FAMILY: When returning to Aspen in 2013 my only hesitancy was being 850 miles from my granddaughters. I wailed at the thought. Melissa’s family was the reason we moved to Las Vegas. We saw each other often. Missy kept saying, “We’ll figure it out, Mom. We will.” And, as always, she did. For the past four years Clara and Emma have each written me weekly e-mails. Mom’s rules were “3 paragraphs, 3 different subjects.” At first there were nudges, bribes and ‘not until you e-mail Grandma’ threats. No more. Besides long and lengthy e-mails, they also text, call and send videos. In turn, I write weekly e-mails to each girl. While I only see them 2 or 3 times each year, I am in the middle of their lives.
The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art displayed two Yayoi Kusama installations: Infinity Mirrored Room and Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity and Narcissus.
PERSONAL FRIENDS: Old or new, near or far, I value my friends. I’m too busy to be a constant buddy but I work hard to nurture friendships. If you’re my friend, you know it. What I’ve become less tolerable about in friends are complainers, whiners and victims. Life isn’t always fair but I know I am very fortunate. My personal social landscape beginning with loyal grade school besties up to recently-made friends tend to also be people who realize and are grateful for the good lives we’re privileged to lead.
My friend Ardyth Sohn invited me to The Literary Society’s monthly luncheon and meeting to hear Lisa Ko discuss her award-winning debut novel, “The Leavers.” She writes beautifully and is quite impressive.
The meeting was at the Four Season’s Hotel located in Mandalay Bay. For lunch we enjoyed Tuna Nicoise with Kalamata Olives, Fingerling Potatoes and Haricot Vert covered with a Mediterranean Vinaigrette.
Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Dome with Raspberry Coulis
CONSEQUENTIAL STRANGERS are those countless everyday people who touch our lives often and influence us personally. Where would my life be without my Gant family enabling me to “live the dream” as Wesy, our Concierge often says. “Mrs. Hirsch, you are living the dream.” And while I am so fond of that crew, respect and admire them, I recognize there is a Homeowner/ Employee relationship we must observe. Sometimes I forget.
Prepare to be impressed. Do you know anyone but Mary Hirsch who has earned a certificate for a Master Dumpling Class? I’m betting, No. The Wynn offers a variety of Master cooking classes taught by Chefs from its various upscale restaurants.
WEAK TIES are acquaintances or not, who can be surprisingly powerful in influencing us. All the food bloggers I’ve followed the past 8 years are Weak Ties. However, the French Fridays with Dorie group (Dorista’s) grew into personal friends through meet-ups, visits and weekly blog posts.
The revolving door of impressive speakers/programs at the Aspen Institute, Music Festival and the like are Weak Ties who profoundly influence me on a daily basis. During the late Eighties while attending a small seminar I listened as Justice Harry Blackmun explained how Roe v. Wade happened. Since that initial magic moment I’ve experienced fleeting but impressionable encounters with the famous and accomplished like YoYo Ma, Renee Fleming, RBG, Congressman John Lewis, former SOS Madeline Albright and the Unknown, like those 300 Opportunity Youth Forum leaders who gathered at the Institute last fall.
There were 17 students in the class with four chefs and four helpers to assist us in making Dim Sum dishes for lunch. Working in the Wing Lei kitchen, we accomplished the task and had fun doing it. Chef Sandy Shi, above, is the Master Dim Sum Chef, and manages her own kitchen and staff. She turns out 30,000 to 50,000 dumplings per month.
Serious business. We are attempting to make Shumai, a type of traditional Chinese dumpling. While I will never make another dumpling, I had a great time in the class.
FACELESS WONDERS are thousands of taken-for-granted people we don’t even know who make our daily lives tick-tock and function. Think 800,000 federal workers victimized by the recent Shutdown. Or, for me personally, a 30-second encounter with 300 firefighters while handing off dinner to them at the Salvation Army Food Truck in El Jebel last summer.
Chef Wei Chan
The upshot? This is the first time I’ve categorized my friendships. I’m realizing, like it or not, we’re plugged into something larger than our own tiny worlds and that’s a good thing.
EVERYDAY DORIE, The Way I Cook, by Dorie Greenspan
Potato Chowder Lots of Ways
With apologies to Dorie Greenspan, I re-titled this week’s CooktheBookFridays recipe choice. It’s called Potato Chowder Lots of Ways. I’ve chosen to re-name it A Chowder for All Seasons. This soup is worthy of the name.
Here’s Why? A chowder is a rich, chunky soup traditionally made with onions, potatoes, and cream. We’re probably most familiar with seafood, corn or clam chowder. Although there are countless variations, tomato-based Manhattan Clam Chowder, color red, is the odd guy. In this recipe, Dorie takes basic potato chowder and shows us how to make imaginative changes to compliment each season. One recipe. Four versions.
Stuff on Brioche – a classy use of leftovers from Dorie Greenspan’s Potato Chowder.
Palate pleasing comfort food. It’s simply put together with chicken or vegetable broth, leeks, onion, shallots, garlic and yellow potatoes. Frozen peas were a tasty add-on and added color. Perfect for cold temps at this time of year. We are not able to share this chowder recipe. If you do want to make it, contact me and I’ll gladly share the recipe.
EATALYLASVEGAS PICTURE BOOK
Ciao Las Vegas
There are 37Eatalysscattered throughout the world. Las Vegas just became numero sei in the United States. The newly-opened EatalyLasVegasclaims to be the largest ‘Italian marketplace with restaurants in the world.’ It’s 40,000 square feet footprint just opened in the Strips’ newest shiny object, Park MGM mega-resort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
Dolce & Gabbana Designer Juicer
This week I visitedEataly with friends Ardyth and Harold Sohn. I’ve got pictures.
OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER: We walked into Eataly and spotted the popular dancing mosaic bull copied from the Turin coat of arms. The original mosaic is located in the famed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. The oldest shopping mall in the world, it was constructed when America was fighting its Civil War. It’s believed that “Lucky Bull” brings you good fortune by standing on it and circling three times. Deciding to ‘Swing Big or Go Home,’ I powered up and swung strong.
IT’S ABOUT THE FOOD: We sprinted through our initial walking tour overview because who doesn’t become ravenously hungry by 11:30am? We divided to conquer and later found a table for our chosen meals. Ardyth chose a cold pizza served on ciabatta bread from La Pizza & La Pasta. Street Food appealed to me, arancini and fritto misto de pesche. Harold chose to stop at La Pescheria and hand-picked his Branzino, a European Bass, to be grilled. All quite delicious.
BEFORE – Branzino
AFTER – Branzino
Happy with her choice…
Street Food
FOOD, PART II: After lunch the Sohn’s shopped while I continued to explore the eating opportunities. I stopped by IlGelato (aka the Nutella Bar) for a don’t-miss-it pistachio cannoli. This popular bar offers crepes, cookies and croissants, some smothered with the hazelnut-chocolate spread. (Do you realize you can now buy a whopping seven-pound bucket of Nutella at Costco for about $22.) I finished up my all-things-Italian spree at CaffeLavazza with Bicerin, a specialty coffee drink from Turin of liquid chocolate, espresso and whipped cream.
Tangerine-Champagne Sorbet, mixed together with only three ingredients, is not only refreshingly delicious but also a tasty treat for the champagne left in the bottom of the bottle.
It’s a new year, a fresh beginning and it’s going to be noisy. With 7.5 billion people hanging out on Planet Earth, why are we surprised? Here’s a thought. Let’s bring joy and wonder into each day, making it sparkle. Let’s laugh louder and more often. Let’s try on Happiness until it fits. What we know for sure is Life’s overwhelming, difficult and sometimes sad. Let’s face it, our tank’s gotta be full to be grownups!
The mixture will be slushy when you transfer it into a container to pop in the freezer where it will harden. Depending on your ice cream maker it takes about 20 minutes to mix into a sorbet.
Every January I rethink this blog. Another year: Go or No. This began as a vehicle for me to re-build a life. Whether single by choice, divorce or death, I realized many others were making that same journey. Call it brazen or desperate, I decided it might be helpful to them and for me to tell my story, wins, fails and draws. The stars were aligned when I stumbled onto the French Fridays with Dorie group and began blogging. That was February, 2011.
Christmas Day with Stephen, Melissa and the Girls, Clara (L) and Emma (R)
Although I’ve put together a Lifestyle that is mine, it’s quite another to live it successfully. That’s true for all of us, male/female, single /married. What I know for sure is every aspect of Life is knowing ‘when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, walk away or run.’* Writing this blog with all it entails has become part of who I am. Thanks to all of you for making that so. Let’s muddle through another year together. OK?
Hiking in the Sierra-Nevadas with Melissa
YEAR 2019 – MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU
One way to win the resolutions game every year is to not make any ….. which I don’t. My only 2018 goals were to Read More (#ilovetoread), to Learn Something Everyday (#learningisfun) and to finish up my Presidential Library visits. (Done.)
Melissa and I are going to London next month. Over the holidays and in anticipation of our Mother-Daughter trip Emma joined us to put together this jigsaw puzzle to “get our bearings.”
During the past 7 single years, despite detours, ups and downs, I found the right stuff to set life right for me. No ideas were original but I needed to find, glean and pull together what worked. The constant I carry with me is to manage and worry about what I can control. Why let your happiness be controlled by something you can’t? I thrive, and always have, on goals, plans and projects. Lists and calendars are my buddies. “She was Organized” will be carved on my tombstone.
While we were working on the jigsaw puzzle, Clara put together Lego’s Architecture London Skyline set (she drew the short straw). It included the National Gallery, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Nelson’s Column and the London Eye and had 468 pieces.
It’s never too late to reclaim your time and set up boundaries. At any age your mental health, physical fitness and diet requires attention. Everything you invest into your bank (your body) will reap rewards now and later. Get enough sleep. Trust me on that. Friends and family are golden. Stick with those who support, encourage and lift you up. Here’s a tip. Meet and make friends who are younger than you. While it’s fashionable to bash the Millennials and Gen Z’s, I live with them, work with them and listen to them. I’m the better for it.
We’re gonna do this … for another year.
Photographer Nathan Myhrvold’s extraordinary work is featured at Modernist Cuisine Gallery, the first gallery in the world dedicated to food photography by a single artist. He and his work were featured on CBS Sunday Morning last month. I visited his gallery here in Las Vegas and did an interview which I’ll post later but thought this photograph was perfect now.
COOK-THE-BOOK-FRIDAYS
TANGERINE-CHAMPAGNE SORBET by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups fresh tangerine juice from about 4 pounds of tangerines (I used tangerine juice available at Trader Joe’s and other markets.)
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 cup Champagne, or other sparkling wine
In a large saucepan over low heat, warm ½ cup of the tangerine juice with the sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 ½ cups of tangerine juice. Add the Champagne or sparkling wine. Transfer to another container and chill thoroughly.
Freeze in your ice cream maker about 20 minutes according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Put in another container and place in freezer.
Note: This sorbet will not freeze as hard as other sorbets because of the alcohol in the Champagne. However, it will make it more scoop-able once fully frozen.
*The title of this blogpost includes a Homophone, a type of homonym with words that sounds alike but have different meanings and different spellings.
Many of us have a Christmas story to tell. This is mine.
I decorated this Christmas tree in 2012. Michael had died earlier that year. After 8 years of living in Henderson, Nevada, our house was already sold and I was busily packing to move back to Aspen. The reality was if I ever was to have a tree again, it was now. As I remember, my Energy said, “No.” My Mind insisted, “Do it.”
I always spend the holidays in Henderson/Las Vegas where we used to live. It’s fun to visit The Strip to see the elaborate Christmas decorations. The Majestic Holiday Magic exhibit at the Bellagio’s conservatory is worth a visit.
The many Artic polar bears on display are made of thousands of white carnations.
I love everything about this Season. Being married to a Jewish guy meant we robustly celebrated all his holidays as well as mine. My girls are the better for it. To say I always over-decorated is not an understatement. So I decided, if this was a GO, I would GO all out.
Just checking to see if the pink flamingos are still in residence at the Flamingo casino. And, they are. To my surprise, so are Donnie and Marie.
It’s never too early to drop by the Petrossian Caviar & Champagne Bar to sip, savor and listen to classical music. (It was 10:00 am.)
My neighbors, Ray and Dom, were good guys, happily lending their brains or brawn to our every need. I asked them to help me choose an artificial eight feet tall Christmas tree. We visited Big Box stores and found the perfect one which they hauled home, unboxed and put together. They also carried down boxes of decorations from my attic storage area. Yeah, they weren’t feeling the love by then!
Although many of you may be aware of this new ATM offering, this was a first for me.
Select the cupcake of your choice.
Wait for it.
Voila.
Within a week even Martha Stewart would have been impressed by my decor, especially the tree. Every ornament/bauble carried a memory and I relived each one as I hung it. After four months of profound sadness and anxiety about the future, this tree represented my Life’s Joys. There was nothing sad about it.
Honestly, these two police volunteers didn’t make me feel safer but they were having a great time.
The city is crazy about their Vegas Golden Knights, the new professional ice hockey team that began play in the 2017–18 NHL season. They earned a place in the Championship game and almost brought home the trophy. Everyone is a Knight.
I shared that beautiful Christmas tree with anyone I could drag off the street, entertain or ply with food and drink. Every night I ate dinner on a table next to it. It remained up until the end of January when I packed up the decorations. The guys dismantled the tree, moving it to their home.
I ate lunch at my favorite restaurant, Estiatorio Milos, in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. My first course was Mediterranean octopus, char-grilled, served on a bed of santorini pureed fava beans. My first experience with octopus. I liked.
I really thought my main course, Dorade Royale, grilled Mediterranean Sea Bream, was delicious but I never bonded with the fish head.
Since Milos is a Greek restaurant I felt obliged to sample the Baklava.
Now, five years later, my holidays are totally different. Not worse. Not better. Just different. Every year I leave Snow Country and return to spend the holiday seasons here in the Las Vegas area where we once lived. I spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my Bishop family. Surrounded by friends and family, what could be better?
Whenever bread was delivered to the tables at Milos, someone would come with an oregano plant and snip off 5 or 6 leaves to drop in the small bowl of olive oil.
At this time of year, especially, the weight of those less fortunate/alone/sick/family separations weighs a little heavier on me. I assuage the guilt of my good fortune, if that’s the correct term, by remembering there are always Pay It Forward opportunities in Thought, Word and Deed to do. Kindness comes in all forms.
Last week an elderly woman (probably my age) was struggling to maneuver her walker through Von’s electric door. The door kept trying to close. To my dismay, other shoppers just walked in through the adjacent door. The woman was frightened and embarrassed. Feeling disgusted but determined, I held that pesky door open while maneuvering the woman/walker through it. I left her at the banana bin after countless thank you’s. Sometimes Kindness takes less than 5 minutes. The End of my Story.
If breakfast is supposed to last for three hours, last Sunday we made that happen. These women all lived near us in the Anthem Country Club complex and we had lots to share. Kathy (L) is a German language professor at UNLV; her mother, Trudy, grew up in Germany during Hitler’s regime; and our hostess, Ardyth, was the first Director of the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies, UNLV.
This week the beloved Ina Garten, known to many as the Barefoot Contessa, and her husband, Jeffrey, are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. She has been posting photos of their life together on Instagram every day. I pulled out her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, published in 1999 and decided to bake her Maple-Oatmeal Scones in their honor. I taste-tested them at breakfast with my friends. Why did I wait 20 years to bake these little darlings. They were delicious. Here’s the Link.
Maple-Oatmeal Scones by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
SENDING LOVE, HUGS AND HAPPY THOUGHTS to YOU ALL, Mary
