Someone I cared for

Someone I cared for
put it to me: Who
do you think you are?

I went down the list
of all the many
possibilities

carefully — did it
twice — but couldn't find
a plausible one.

That was when I knew
for the first time who
in fact I wasn't.

by Cid Corman from And The Word

Wheat Berry Salad With Dried Cherries and Pancetta

Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as a side

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup wheat berries
kosher salt and freshly round pepper
½ cup pecans halves
3.5 ounces of pancetta
2 shallots thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup dried tart cherries
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan, combine 4 quarts of water, wheat berries, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cook covered letting wheat berries simmer for 1 hour. The wheat berries should be tender yet chewy. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350° and spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 6 to 8 minutes. Then chop the nuts.
3. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off the rendered fat, reserving 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Crumble the bacon after it cools.
4. Add the shallots to the reserved fat in the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and translucent - about 6 to 8 minutes. Now add the lemon juice and dried cherries to the skillet and continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine the shallot mixture, pecans, pancetta, and wheat berries. Stir in the fresh thyme leaves, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

***Wheat berries are the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull). They are made up of the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheat berries have a tan to reddish brown color and are often used in pilafs and salads. They are a great source of protein and fiber and can be found in most health food stores. Whole Foods usually carries a Bob’s Red Mill brand or they sell it in bulk.

Recipe by Cristina Paul

Blah-Blah-Blahg: Food For Nought

So I guess Washington is just Hollywood for the ugly crowd. John Mc Cain has done it again. He eighty sixed his first wife for a twenty something beer heiress and now he's chosen Sarah Palin, the former beauty queen, as his right hand woman. Sure, she's the youngest person and first female to be elected governor of Alaska but do we really want a woman who does not believe humans are causing global warming in office? Plus, she always looks like her cat vomited in front of very special company. McCain's old and maleable; she's younger and hotter and pro choice. Do we really need more people producing puppies? This is what America could look like - or this is what we already look like...

Can we really trust a female candidate who would willingly live in a place where the odds are good but the goods are odd? Folks from Alaska frighten me. McCain makes me feel wobbly inside. I have to figure out my absentee ballot immediately.




Check out other portraits of not-so-modern decay