I LIKE GREEK

My plenty-third birthday fell on a workday this year, so we put off going out for dinner until the weekend. Myfanwe, Norbert and I spent a very pleasant Sunday afternoon/evening at The Parthenon in Chicago's Greektown. We ate family style, and what a meal it was! We had:

Bread
Saganaki
Taramasalada
Tzatziki
Gyros
Greek salad
Dolmades
Roasted Lamb
Pastichio
Mousaka
Baklava
Galaktoburiko

I tried to take a picture of the lamb roasting on a spit in the window, but the glass reflected the flash.

After dinner we stopped by the bakery to pick up a few chocolate walnut cookies for lunches this week. (Trust me, we were all too full to even contemplate having another bite tonight!)

A day like this can really take the edge off of growing older!

MAY HER MEMORY FOREVER BE A BLESSING

Today's Chicago Tribune contained an obituary for Marion Alshuler Despres, aged 96, a long time community leader, preservationist, and architecture cheerleader. Her father designed our synagogue.

Mrs. Despres and her husband, former Chicago alderman Leon Despres, were married for 75 years. I didn't know her very well -- I'd met her a couple of times over the years as I ushered at high holidays or at other social events in Hyde Park -- and I never suspected her really cool secret.

Now forgive me if I have any of the details wrong -- Myfanwe already recycled the Tribune.

Accompanying her obituary was a picture or Marion Despres standing in front of a portrait painted of her by Diego Rivera. It seems The Despres' had taken a suitcase of clothing to Mexico for Leon Trotsky, who had been exiled from Russia and was living with Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo. Rivera painted the portrait of Mrs. Despres while Leon Despres and Frida Kahlo took Trotsky to a movie!

Isn't that just about the coolest thing you've ever heard?

May her memory forever be a blessing. And let us say amen.

Happy New Year!

May the New Year be filled with joy, prosperity, and laughter for you and those you hold dear.

The Gang with the bones of a lovely meal.
From l to r: Babu, George, Bahb, Maxine, Norbert, Myfanwe, & Penelope.

Myfanwe, Norbert and I started off the New Year with dim sum with our friends Bahb and Babu, their daughter, George, and her partner, Maxine, and the lovely Dr. Penelope. Myfanwe was awed when she learned Dr. Penelope's daughter has been on several episodes of the various Law & Order shows. (Myfanwe is a bit of an L&O addict.) We had some lovely dim sum at Furama -- I am particularly fond of their fresh silken tofu with brown sugar sauce, curried baby octapus, and picled vegetables. I tried their coconut jelly for the first time and wish I'd had more -- there is very little one could do with a coconut that wouldn't please me!

Aren't they lovely? George is in her first year of law school in St. Louis, while Maxine is completing her residency. In a stroke of good fortune, Maxine got her fellowship match and she will be spending the next three or four years in an GYN-oncology fellowship in St. Louis! The have good reason to smile. (We have friends who are going to spend the next three years with one in Houston and one in North Carolina.)

Something's Buggin' Me

I've spent a week working through the worst stomach flu I've ever known. Terrible. I'm completely wiped. And, as if my wasn't feeling bad enough, it weakened my immune system enough so I could be trounced again by the rear guard -- this time a hacking cough that prevents me from sleeping any way but sitting up.

I'm now thinking that my first expedition into the outside world should not have been a Target After-Christmas sale. I started coughing about 20 feet inside the door, and after about 5 minutes Myfanwe thought I was going to pass out.

Then, while Norbert, Myfanwe, and I were standing in the check-out lane, we witnessed a woman about 10 lanes from us beating a little girl with a belt. The little girl was screaming and fell to the floor, where the woman commenced kicking her. People actually looked away, as if it witnessing this crime were embarrassing rather than mortifying.

No one sprang to the girl's defense.

I called 911, but the woman left the store before police got there.

And I can't help but think that if that woman had put an eighty-five cent candy bar into her pocket, Target would have called the police. Do you think they have a policy not to intervene when someone beats their child with a belt and kicks them in the abdomen?

Somewhere there is a little girl whose mother beats her and kicks her. I can't do anything for her. And this realization makes me crazy.

MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED

BUT THEN AGAIN, SO AM I...

My Grandmother, may she rest in peace, always said, "If you can'’t say anything nice, don'’t say anything at all."”

Alice Roosevelt Longworth said, "If you haven't got anything nice to say, come sit by me."

I try to live somewhere in the middle, leaning --– when I can --– to saying nice things.

When I received a pre-publication copy of Michael del Vecchio'’s Knitting With Balls: a hands-on guide to knitting for the Modern Man, I was prepared to love it. I'’m a guy, I'm (fairly) modern, and I live to knit. So I fixed a tea tray, changed into my comfy jammies, and plopped myself in an overstuffed chair to read.

After three months of looking for good things to say, I still haven'’t come up with one. So I'’m just going to have to go with the truth.

First, there i’s the title. I'm not a prude, but I think the title is course. Yes, it i’s clever -- hands-on balls and all -- but it is also vulgar.

Next, the cover illustration has to be addressed. The well-composed photo of a man'’s torso in a crew-neck sweater, needles and yarn clenched in each manly hand. The problem? The crew-necked sweater on the cover is not in the book! Really! Well, ok, it is, but for the cover photo the model is wearing it backwards. BACKWARDS! I couldn't make this up! The pattern in the book [With the manly name of Bootcut Sweater] has a plunging neckline that would make Elvira blush.

And once you open the cover, it's straight downhill.

I really don'’t have the patience to outline every ill-conceived or poorly-written pattern -- there are just too many of them -- so I'm just going to give you the highlights.

The first pattern in the book is for a Knit Wallet & Business Card Holder knit in bulky chenille yarn. I'’ve had backpacks that weren'’t this thick. I don't want to think how it would feel in my back pocket. I'’m pretty sure it would leave a divot in my ass.

The Chu'llu Hat and Scarf. An attractive green diamond brocade patterned scarf with coordinating hat (with an unfortunate long flap in the back), both with an absolutely awful key motif in white and black which has absolutely no relationship to the rest of the pattern and looks like an afterthought. The result is abysmal.

Medallion Mitts. Cabled fingerless gauntlets knit in variegated merino in shades of electric blue, lime green, and chartreuse. I a’m not a fan of variegated yarns, even when they are used well. And it seems like Mr. del Vecchio has never met a variegated yarn he didn'’t try to wrestle into submission. He is not, for the most part, successful.

The Casual Fridays Vest is actually attractive. I would have knit it in black instead of slate blue, but that is a matter of taste. The proportions are nice, the stitch pattern gives interest without being fussy. But there is absolutely nothing casual about this vest. It is the most formal piece in the book.

Now we come to one of the most problematic patterns in the book. The Hooded Alpaca Parka. Notice the light shining through the hood. Oh, and the thumb-ie things, which I am sure are very athletic and butch. Honestly -- I can'’t for the life of me, imagine who would wear a gold lacy hoody.


Oh, wait. I know:



Just when I thought things couldn'’t get any worse, I turned the page to see the Knee-Length Coat.


As advertised, it is a knee-length car-coat, the body of which is knit in four panels with an all-over cable pattern knit in Noro Ino. Had this been knit in a solid color, this would have been an entirely different sweater -- not necessarilly attractive, mind you, but different. As it is, it looks like the Noro rep gacked up a giant hairball.

I'm too tired to write about the Home Accessories chapter of the book. Suffice it to say I a’m not going to be knitting any beer bottle cozies. I also can't comment on the Utility Cloth... this is a family blog, for Dog's sake. You'’ll have to look through the book and see it for yourself.

I guess my deepest disappointment about this book is that it wastes the opportunity to discuss the differences between designing knitwear for men and to seriously set forth designs that were both tasteful and wearable. This is a pity. I hope that there is someone out there who can write such a book, because there are men and women would benefit from reading it.

It is possible to write both "cool" books about knitting that are both tasteful and attract the younger generation. Debbie Stoller and Stephanie Pearl McPhee have managed more than one each.

YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND

MC asked for my recipe for Chocolate Pixies, a chocolate cookie dough rolled in powdered sugar which, when baked, creates a beautiful crackled black and white relief. I made a batch and took them to the Chicago observance of World Wide Knit in Public Day, and people remembered them!

This isn't technically MY recipe. It was given to me about 10 years ago by my friend Kate, a.k.a. Monkeyballs. I tinkered with it a little, but not much. She knows a good cookie when she sees one.

Chocolate Pixies

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 300°.
   
2. In a bowl set over simmering water, combine chocolate and butter. Stir often until melted and smooth. Remove from over the hot water and allow to cool slightly. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the walnuts and stir just until combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Shape into balls using a small scoop or tablespoon. Roll each ball in confectioners’ sugar and place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake for 18 to 21 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before removing carefully to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Wee Gifties.

Ready to pack up and send to my nephew and his fiance. I decided on cables for them because they are making plans to intertwine their lives and families. (His fiance, the Viking Lily, is a wonderful addition to the family and everyone loves her to bits!)

Also finished are a lovely green scarf for my brother from Irish tweed my brother brought me from Ireland and a felted bucket hat for my Sister-in-Law. I will post pics once the scarf is washed. (It's a little scratchy -- I'm hoping a soak with a little fabric softener will help.)

I still need to finish a felted handbag for one niece, a long silk decorative scarf for my niece in Thailand, and a cabled hat (from the remaining tweed) for my other nephew. Oh, and Norbert wants a cabled hat as well.



Oops -- I almost forgot to show off the wee giftie I bought myself! It is the perfect knitting bag...very sturdy fabric, washable, and the draw-string closure at the top keeps your yarn from jumping ship, but doesn't catch or cut the yarn the way zippers can! The bag is part of an environmentally and politically "a-wear" line from InSolidariTee Inc. I bought it at a Hanukah fair at my synagogue. I don't see this particular bag on the website, but I bet you can e-mail and ask. ( I would also love a black bag with a simple Om on it...wouldn't that be cool?) Anyway, check out the site. If you don't like pinko-commie-tree-huggin'-hippie-buddah-lovin'-liberal-crap, then don't bother. But then again, if you didn't like pinko-commie-tree-huggin'-hippie-buddah-lovin'-liberal-crap, you probably wouldn't be reading this blog. So Peace Out, my Brothers and Sisters.

No Excuse, Really.

I have absolutely no excuse for having failed to post in a month. Well, except for trying to juggle a greatly increased workload and very stressful deadlines at work and a very busy family life. But aside from that I have no excuse.


After services at synagogue this morning we came home, took a wee nappie, then hied ourselves to Target to battle the holiday hoards. You see, Daddy needed a new digital camera. One that actually took pictures.


After Target we drove to Chinatown, where we had a pleasant meal at The Noodle. The bones of said meal can be seen below, utilizing the camera's sepia setting.


The bakery found us back in color, ordering three different kinds of coconut bun. I think the woman who waited on us was thinking "Damn! Who would have thought while people liked coconut so much!" We do. And, given their beauty, who wouldn't?

MAC FOR A MOB

Several people have asked for my Mac & Cheese recipe, so here it is. I have to warn you, it feeds 50 hungry people. But if you need comfort food for a frat house, this is your recipe!

Mac for a Mob

5 pounds macaroni, uncooked. (I use a mix of rotini, farfalle, and radiatori, but elbow macaroni
will work just fine.

1 3/4 pound (7 sticks) butter
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 ½ gallon whole milk, heated almost to the boil
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 ½ pounds grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large bag potato chips (or more -- you can always eat the rest, right?)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two full-size aluminum hotel pans and set aside.

Cook macaroni in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water to al dente as directed on the pasta packaging. Drain, rinse, and drain again thoroughly. Divide between 2 prepared pans.

In a large pot, melt 1 ½ pound (six sticks) butter. Add the flour and salt and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the curry, mustard, cayenne, and pepper and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and let the sauce cook at a slow boil for 3 minutes to fully cook out the starchy taste of the flour. Taste for seasonings.

Add 3 pounds of shredded cheddar. Stir until cheese is melted and incorporated. Pour half over each pan of pasta, stirring to make sure pasta is throughly coated. Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin. It will thicken.

Melt remaining stick of butter. Sprinkle each pan with 1/4 pound shredded cheddar. Crush the potato chips and sprinkle generously over the top. Drizzle each tray with half of the butter. Sprinkle with paprika to garnish. Bake at for 45 minutes until heated through.

Bon Appetite!

Note: I often make this up all the way up to sprinkling on the extra cheese on top, then refrigerate or freeze. When I am ready to bake it off I top the (defrosted) mac and cheese with the potatoe chips and butter and bake in the oven. From a refrigerated state it will take at least an hour, maybe even 1 1/2 hours to heat.

I've Been to A Marvelous Party...

With Nunu and Nada and Nell...


(I hope Dolores liked the Coward reference!) Anyway -- MARVELOUS party! A party which will be talked about for some time to come!

The occasion? Franklin's Knit In to benefit the Dulaan project! And everybody who is anybody was there! (Except for Kwiky, who had to work selling yarn, poor dear.)

Anyway, in addition to my beloved Dolores, there were scads of people...approaching 1oo..knitting and laughing and eating and talking and eating and knitting and laughing and eating!


Jonathon & Meg brought a pumpkin cake with yummy icing. J&M: Norbert asked me to ask for your recipe...he'd very much like me to make it for him. (High praise.)

Majors Domo for the day were Buzz KnitNot and Sean. (Sean, who manages a lovely yarnshop in Boston, came out for the weekend! Now that is a great friend!) My lovely Myfanwe worked keeping the kitchen and dining room running smoothly and looking good. (Patting myself on the back, my huge tray of mac and cheese was all gone after only an hour!!) Norbert accompanied us, making him the youngest knitter there!

Norbert won Franklin's "Sheep on a Plane" drawing in the door prizes...we are shopping later today for a frame so we can hang it in his room! I won alovely handmade shawl pin, which means I probably have to start work on another lace shawl to go with it!

Bonne Marie of ChicKnits was there -- we got to sit and talk about her patterns and her website. I like her site because I can download a pattern for like a very reasonable (small) price, I don't have to pay tax, shipping, handling, and I don't have to wait a week for it to be delivered. (And, since I loose things very easilly, I always -- first thing -- e-mail the pattern to my personal computer where the pattern resides in archive but from which I can pull it up and whenever I want.

When I wasn't eating or knitting, I was talking...having an absolutely great time! Such nice friends Franklin has!

Karen, a very thorough blog reader, was there -- despite having to negotiate a neck brace! And she donated 10 balls of CashMerino to the door prizes! Now THAT's generosity!?



I want to do a special shout out to Amandacellist! Hey! Amanda (wink, wink) lives in Printers Row with her husband. She has a great sense of humor, and except for her trapsing off into tech geek speak with a few others for a few minutes, there is little she said that didn't have me laughing! (I think her first conversation with Jonathon will go down in knit-in history as the equivalent of "Who's on First". And Meg stepped in to end it with the polite equivalent of "Please don't mind him...he's special." My sides still hurt from laughing.

I was working (and ripping...and working..and ripping) my second Baby Surprise Sweater for the Dulaan project. The pattern is Elizabeth Zimmerman's, which I am knitting in a claret colored Lamb's Pride worsted weight. It is knit in one piece and, for the majority of the process just looks like a placenta strung on needles. I could not, for the life of me, understand how the pattern worked and how it could ever actually become a sweater. I had a love/hate relationship with the pattern for the first three quarters of the way through...it was both an adventure and an exercize in self doubt...but when I finally just let go and just knit, without needing to control it and without allowing myself to doubt it, I had an epiphanal moment and viola! There it was -- a baby sweater! Pictures later when the finishing is complete.