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Tonight, we have a mission.

Tonight, I must write a blog post…and thereby earn a bottle of Champagne.

The quote at the top comes from the excellent novel The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry, of which I have at this juncture read precisely 51%, according to the reading machine that Champagne-wielding husband of mine purchased me for the Christmas holiday.

I also highly recommend The Widow Clicquot, a biography of Veuve Clicquot, by Tilar J. Mazzeo.  A bit thin on evidence, but what she lacks in details of the woman herself, she makes up for in reams of delightful Champagne facts.  I read this one thanks to my local library.

Other recently enjoyed reads via reading machine:

The Year of the Flood, a novel by Margaret Atwood.  A companion to Oryx and Crake, a novel my copy of which I ironically lost in what I have dubbed the “Ben’s-truck-trunk-book-flooding-incident,” this is a fantastic post-apocalyptic tale by (in my opinion) one of the most astounding authors writing in English today.  I recommend not only these but the many others by her I have read–The Blind Assassin, The Edible Woman, The Robber Bride, The Handmaid’s Tale (don’t bother with the film), and her short story collection Good Bones are all excellent, and utterly engaging.

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver.  Orwellian in theme, but in ways both more subtle and more direct, she looks to the past to spin a novel of fiction from facts.  I must give props to KPLU 88.5, my local NPR affiliate, for alerting me to this novel.  (In fact, I owe that radio station for one book, one pre-ordered book, two cds and a single that I have purchased in the last month, all with great success and all, incidentally, via download.)

The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters.  This one, a sort of neo-Gothic horror story set in postwar Britain, had me scared to stop reading–on more than one occasion, I simply read until I fell asleep, because I could only achieve calm through complete brain shutdown.  At one point, reading in bed with husband and dog, a sort of normal and banal rattling sound came from the general vicinity of the garage.  Winston, predictably, woofed–and I, unexpectedly, shrieked.  Just a little, but still, Ben has made fun of me for a week.

And finally, I will admit that the reading machine in question, Amazon’s Kindle, was probably the best gift I’ve ever received that I didn’t want.  My reading rate has gone from the odd book, here and there, to nearly grade-school levels again (when reading was my primary activity, I stayed up late under the covers every night, and leaving a book in progress felt like breaking an enchantment or waking from a deep sleep).  So, Ben, you win.

But now I’ve written a blog post, so I win too!  “The Devil’s in the details…”

Winston presents THE GLAMORIZER

Very rarely, I utilize the government-provided retail facility that provides high-end goods at tax-free prices to which I am entitled by virtue of my job. Yesterday was one of those magical days, and magical it was. Dear reader, I will tell you why.

“In less than two minutes, we will be giving away an exciting advertising product at the black-and-red giveaway counter. Please make your way toward the flashing light, near the electronics and magazine sections, to take part in this exciting giveaway offer!”

We heard those words while perusing the kitchen gadgetry and knew that we must heed the call. Making our way with appropriate urgency to said booth, we stood around, warily eyeing the others who had also decided to listen to the disembodied female voice promising free swag. Soon enough, an animated young woman made her way purposefully to the booth, climbed up, and started rattling a large box of…something. Something free. Something we would soon have in our hot little hands.

Slowly, allowing the excitement to build, she pulled out…an oddly shaped black plastic knife. No, not an oddly shaped black plastic knife–a GLAMORIZER!

“Some people like to use these to scale fish, but what they are actually for is…GARNISHING!!!” she said enthusiastically, pulling out what looked like a normal melon but what was revealed to be a melon basket full of berries. Handing out glamorizers to all the adults in the audience, she then pulled out a few more tools–a spiral cutter, a paring knife, and a twenty-page book that teaches you to turn a humble cucumber into a fearsome shark that will float in a punch bowl. Setting those things aside, with a promise to tell use about how to get the full set later (because really, why a glamorizer if you don’t also have the spiral cutter, paring knife, and book that teaches you to turn a carrot, a green pepper, and a potato into a palm tree?), she turned to the reason we were all really there.

The MASTER CUT 2.

Not available on any store shelves, the Master Cut 2 is a knife. No–it’s more than just a knife. It’s a godsend. It’s not a hacksaw, but you can use it that way (it will, after all, cut the head of a hammer–I saw it). It cuts paper-thin slices of tomato, after you cut into the head of a hammer. You can drop it down a running food disposal and the company will send you a new one if it’s damaged. It has a spearing end so you can cut your turkey and serve it all with one hand, leaving the other free to write a sonnet or mop a floor. It’s been rated the best bread knife in the world. YOU WOULD BE CRAZY NOT TO HAVE THIS KNIFE!

“It costs $29.99 and we do not apologize for that price, because it comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee. But, I can do this…I can spend $29.99 with you and give you a second MASTER CUT 2!”

At this point, a few of the crowd left, but most of us stayed, in what I believed was hope for more no-strings-attached free stuff. The pitch continued.

“If you buy the MASTER CUT 2 today, and remember it’s not on any store shelves, not only will you get a second MASTER CUT 2, both with lifetime guarantees, I’ll also give you the full garnishing kit…”

And, it turned out, four steak knives, and a chef’s knife. It was a classic “But wait, there’s more!” pitch–it was, in fact, a live infomercial. I found out why the people in the studio audience are always nodding–the pitchperson nods at you, and it’s an instinctual reaction to nod along. I found out that you really can cut into a hammer head with a triple-tempered surgical steel blade. I found out that most of the people in the audience weren’t waiting for more free stuff–by the end of the program, I would say she achieved about 75% sales. Not bad when most of the people came based on the promise of receiving what turned out to be a plastic garnishing tool that retails for “up to $7-8.”

We were a part of the 25% who walked away with just our glamorizers to show and a tale to tell–as Ben said, “I prefer my cooking utensils classic and French.” But I unconditionally guarantee to remember that knife and the experience for a lifetime.

For Ben’s birthday, I decided to make him a special meal of the Indian food of his choice.  Armed with a few cookbooks from the library, he chose what he liked.  These were the undeniable hits of the evening.  I’ve adapted the recipes to reflect how I cooked them and any specific problems I had with the recipe have been addressed.

Pumpkin Dahl

1/3 c. torn basil leaves (1 package of fresh basil should be more than sufficient)
1 star anise
1 cup dried yellow dahl (split peas)
pinch turmeric
3 bay leaves
1 small chopped onion
water, as directed
1 peeled and chopped pumpkin (butternut squash)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons unchrushed salt
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter (I used the spreadable butter that has oil mixed in)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ginger
3 serrano chilis, cut into matchsticks (you can use other peppers as you like)

Shred the basil and set aside.  In a stockpot, combine split peas, 2 cups water, turmeric, bay leaves, onion, and star anise; bring to a boil and cook partially covered for twenty minutes.  Add the pumpkin pieces, 1 cup water, sugar and salt.  Return to boil; cook for another twenty minutes, or until the pumpkin is at your desired consistency (I left mine somewhere between mush and soft chunks; note that this did required the addition of more water during this second cooking time).  Remove from heat.  In a small frying pan over high heat, heat the oil and butter together.  When hot, add cumin seeds; when the cumin seeds are dark brown, add the ginger and hot pepper.  Reduce to low heat and continue cooking for half a minute; and the basil and cook for another thirty seconds.  This mixture is poured over the pumpkin dahl and gently spread into the mixture (you needn’t and shouldn’t mix thoroughly!).  This will make a lot; it fed Ben and I once and me two more times.  It’s good with both rice and flatbread.

Chapati

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt as desired
2/3 cup warm-to-hot water

Combine the flour, oil, and salt and rub together.  Add the water, mixing to form a mass.  Knead for 10 minutes, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.  Knead a few more times, then divide evenly into two portions.  Roll each portion into a cylinder and cut each cylinder into eight pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and then roll out flat on a floured surface (do not stack the rolled dough; it’s best if you have one person roll and have the tawa already hot and manned with a second person).  Heat the tawa (you could also use a frying pan) very hot, and turn on a second burner to high flame or, for an electric stove, place a cooling rack on top of a burner on high.  One at a time, cook the flat circles of bread, starting on the tawa (both sides, until brown spots begin to appear) and then moving it to the second burner/cooling rack (both sides), where the bread should temporarily puff up and darken a little more.  I used the cooling rack method to a degree of success I had not expected.  This is supposed to feed about four people, but Ben and I demolished the whole stack in one sitting, so plan to make a lot if you have company that likes to eat with their hands!

Talking to Ben when he was here a few weeks back, I realized that while I theoretically prefer one-off restaurants to chains for…let’s call them Bohemian reasons, I rarely eat in them since my return stateside.  Seeking to correct this, and remembering the magic of Gourmet Shish Kebab (a hole-in-the-wall with amazing Middle Eastern food in Laurel, MD), I have tried a new hole-in-the-wall two weekends in a row.

Last weekend, I finally braved Marimba.  It’s gaudy orange storefront had put me off as often as its promise of ‘Caribbean and South American Cuisine’ had tempted me.  Had there been parking in front of the library, I may not have gone in, but as it happened there wasn’t and by circling the block I ended up right in front of the restaurant.  I parked.  I walked in.

Charming, once you brave the citrus exterior.  The simple interior consisted of several small tables with various brightly-hued tablecloths, funky Southern Hemisphere music, and a friendly waiter who gave me my choice of tables (I was initially the only customer there).  They had several vegetarian appetizers, a vegetarian sandwich selection, and a vegetarian main, my beloved chile relleno, which I quickly ordered.  As I ate, I had a fantastic view of the street.  I was joined by one of my friends from work, which gave me a chance to order an appetizer (mashed and fried plantain chips, the name of which escapes me) and the flan, along with a cup of incredibly strong drip coffee.  It was completely delicious.  I can’t believe I waited literally months to try it.  In fact, the waiter asked me if it was my first time there and when I responded in the affirmative, said, “Thank you for coming in, senorita.”  So polite.

Tonight, craving Indian food, I considered returning to the Indian restaurant to the south that I have ordered from on multiple occasions, but didn’t feel like hopping on the interstate for the purpose, so I Googled ‘Indian restaurant, Everett, WA’ and discovered that just down the street from Marimba is a restaurant by the name of Curry Bistro.  While reviews were somewhat split, I decided to take the chance and hopped in the car, initially intending to grab something to go.  When I got there, I found a tiny restaurant with a total capacity of 26 people and decided to stay, ordering a pot of chai, vegetable samosas, a vegetarian Kashmiri dish, and some whole-wheat roti.  It was spendy, but no more so than other Indian restaurants in the area, and the leftovers will make one or maybe even two more meals.  Again, I had great service and delicious food.

The only bad part about giving these two places a try was realizing that I am clearly not the only one shunning independent eateries for the more predictable chains.  Never at any point was there more than one other table of clients in either restaurant.  Meanwhile, I’m sure that the chain restaurants were full, perhaps even had waits (I visited Marimba on a Saturday afternoon around 2:00 PM and Curry Bistro on a Saturday evening around 6:45 PM).  It makes me worry that fantastic places like these two and Gourmet Shish Kebab won’t be around for very long, unless the word is spread.  So I’m spreading the word.  And encouraging everyone–if you want an adventure, try an independent restaurant!  Sure, sometimes you may strike out…but isn’t it worth it for the chance to strike gold?

Gourmet Shish Kebab:   3495 Ft. Meade Road, Laurel, MD

Marimba!: 1405 Hewitt Avenue, Everett, WA

Curry Bistro: 1907 Hewitt Avenue, Everett, WA

Leaving work this morning and talking on my mobile phone, Ben and I fell into the popular discussion topic of the times: the increasingly probable demise of the real, live newspaper object.  I’ve been hearing advertisements for an NPR show concerning the fading stars of both of Seattle’s daily newspapers.  One is most likely leaving this world; the other is retreating to try its fortunes in the virtual one.

Later that morning, as I snuggled up with my Sunday New York Times (a luxury at $5 and procured, as usual, from the drive-through Starbucks), I got to thinking about the future of news.  The newspaper has been bound up with America since before there was one.  Benjamin Franklin was submitting pseudonymous stories to his brother’s newspaper before he hit puberty.  Benedict Anderson’s brilliant and off-cited Imagined Communities discusses the ways in which newspapers have helped create the concept of a nation as we know it.  He writes, “[W]e have seen that the very conception of the newspaper implies the refraction of even ‘world events’ into a specific imagined world of vernacular readers; and also how important to that imagined community is an idea of steady, solid simultaneity through time.”  Print-capitalism, and its North American engine, the newspaper, melded large populations into ‘New Yorkers,’ ‘Pennsylvanians,’ and ‘Americans.’

So what will happen when Seattle’s two newspapers no longer make their inky presence known each morning?  I predict that something like the Huffington Post–essentially a multi-authored blog set up in a newspaper format–will arise to take their place, but only if there is a need.  The real question is the question of need.  And it may turn Anderson’s formula on its head: if there is a community, there will be a need for a binding force, which may well take the form of pixels instead of print.  So is there a community?  Or is the demise of the newspaper the result, not so much of the Internet and a poor economy, but of the fate of the community in America?

To read the news today is to wobble between two competing emotions — undeniable hope and overwhelming fear. We feel certain that the promise of America remains, but unsure as to how we might contribute.

Such a time calls for us to embrace powerful ideas and turn them into realities that are an investment in the future of our country. One such idea is the U.S. Public Service Academy. The Public Service Academy would, like the military academies, focus on producing graduates dedicated to service.

Rather than preparing its students for a military career, however, the Public Service Academy would prepare students for work in health care, law enforcement, emergency management and other public service careers at all levels of government.

As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, I know firsthand the power such an institution has to bring together Americans of a variety of backgrounds and beliefs and give them the tools to lead with creativity and intelligence. As a Truman Scholar, I know firsthand the strength of conviction of my generation and its dedication to the ideal of public service. This is an idea whose time has come.

The academy is more than just an idea, however—bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress. Currently, there are 24 co-sponsors of the bill in the Senate and 123 in the House, drawn from both parties and excited enough to state publicly their support for a national institution dedicated to producing the next generation of civic leaders.

I urge all North Dakotans to write or call Sen. Dorgan, Sen. Conrad, and Rep. Pomeroy to encourage them to join together in support of the U.S. Public Service Academy. For more information, visit www.uspublicserviceacademy.org.