THE LITTLE GAMES I PLAY

Every once in a while I play these games. One is called “It’s the end of winter and we must rely on our dwindling food supply” and the other is “I have to move in a week”.

The first one originated with my mother, whose refrigerator contained many small containers of leftovers that she would throw together into a delicious soup.  I do this and call it “garbage soup”, but heard others call it “shipwreck”.  My game usually surfaces when the refrigerator needs to be cleaned out and incorporates not only leftovers but also veggies that are wilting, little rinds of cheese that I know will add a bit of flavor, half empty containers of broth, etc.  It also involves using things that have been sitting on the pantry shelf for ages and I know if I don’t do something with them, they will be there until my death. I hate to throw food away.  (And truly, warehouse club members should only be for those feeding more than 6 people!).

The second game “I have to move in a week”, I think I have mastered, but just needs an occasional tweak.  I am curious about this new book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” by Margareta Magnusson. Not the world’s most inviting title, but the premise is a good one.  I do very well on the non-clutter aspect, having moved twice in a month 5 years ago, but am not great on keeping all the financial stuff in such good shape that my daughter would know exactly where everything is…..I must work on this (but it is soooooooooooooo boring to me).

WEEPING AT THE DROP OF A HAT

I have become the most lachrymose creature. A little wisp of a girl who comes to church in her dragon outfit, a beautiful sky, a smiling stranger, music, my grandson yelling “Hi Clog” from his bike as I walk to yoga, a moving passage in a book,  all these things and more, reduce me to tears.  Now, I am not one who shows my emotions, so I find this phenomena quite interesting. Ah, I guess this is just another factor of old age and actually I quite like it.  Should have tried it years ago.

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING

Bleak House –This series is on Amazon and is very well done. I love seeing those wonderful English actors year after year in these productions.  We are looking forward to the next episode of “A Place to Call Home”, which airs on November 23.

We saw the last movie of Harry Dean Stanton “Lucky” at the museum yesterday.  It started out a bit slow, and I was wondering if Jim would hang in there, but it turned into a very moving movie about an old man coming to terms with his mortality.  Stanton made this movie when he was 90 and, unfortunately, died a month before it was released.  I shed a few tears with this one.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN READING

Rules of Civility – Amor Towles – I liked “A Gentleman in Moscow” so much I turned to this one by same author.  A good read.

Mid-Winter Break – Bernard MacLaverty – This book was very dear. An older couple take a mid winter vacation.  I cried on the last page.

Enduring Love – Ian McEwan – This is an interesting book as McEwan’s books always are.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven – Chris Cleave – A wonderful wartime love story.  This is the first book of Cleave’s that I have read.

Glass Houses – Louise Penny – The continuing Inspector Gamache series that are always enjoyable.  This is the only mystery series that I read.

What Comes Next and How to Like It  (A Memoir)– Abigail Thomas – How did I ever miss this author?  I loved this book.  Maybe because she is my age and the kind of gutsy, devil make care person that I am not (but would like to be).  I then went and read her other memoir A Three Dog Life.

Am I Alone Here – Peter Orner –I love these books about books.  I get so many good recommendations from them.  Another is Books for Living by Will Schwalbe, which I read several months ago.

WHAT WE ARE EATING

Caramelized Onion & Brussels Sprout Galette

Serve this vegetarian tart recipe as a main dish or in thinner slices for an appetizer or side dish. This dish was sooooooooooo delicious, I could have eaten the whole thing!  I am going to serve it to the vegetarians at my Thanksgiving table. I used Mark Bittman’s pie crust recipe that has never failed me (see below).

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, divided

• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 2 7- to 8-ounce prepared pie crusts, thawed if frozen
• 1½ cups shredded Gruyère or sharp Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Preparation

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if they start to burn. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan. Add Brussels sprouts and the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stack pie crusts on top of each other so you have a double-thick crust. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 13- to 14-inch circle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese in the center, leaving a 1½-inch border around the edge. Top the cheese with the onions, then the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese. Fold the edge of the dough over the filling, pleating as you go.
• Bake the galette until the crust is lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• To make ahead: Prepare through Step 2 and refrigerate onions and Brussels sprouts for up to 1 day. Assemble and bake galette (Steps 3-5) and refrigerate for up to 1 day; reheat at 350°F for about 40 minutes.
• Equipment: Parchment paper

MARK BITTMAN’S PIE CRUST

1 cup + 2T flour

½ tsp. salt

8 T, cold, unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into pieces

Add the above to food processor and combine until it resembles cornmeal then add

3 T ice water (more if necessary).  Combine until dough forms a ball.  Refrigerate until ready to roll out.  Makes 2 crusts.

On the Lighter Side

This is something my brother sent me years ago and I am sure it was in another Gray Zone, but it is good for a chuckle

A Box of Chocolates

For all of us who are married, were married, wish you were married, or wish
you weren't married, this is something to smile about the next time you open
a box of chocolates:

Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in Northern Arizona
when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road.As the
trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman
if she would like a ride. With a silent nod of thanks, the woman got into
the car.  Resuming the journey, Sally tried in vain to make a bit of small
talk with the Navajo woman. The old woman just sat silently, looking at
everything she saw, studying every little detail, until she noticed a white
bag on the seat next to Sally. "What in bag?" asked the old woman.
Sally looked down at the white bag and smiling and said, "It's a box of
chocolates. I got it for my husband".

The Navajo woman was silent for another moment or two. Then speaking with
the quiet wisdom of an elder, she said: "Good trade."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I made this little decoration the other day by adhering this colorful material to a vase with 2 sided tape and tying a bit of raffia around it.  It brightens up the living room.