Another piece in the collection is a reprint of Russo's commencement address at his daughter's graduation from Colby College on May 23, 2004. In the speech, he formulates "Russo's Rules for a Good Life," four "simple, deeply flawed rules to live by." The rules are:
- Search out the kind of work that you would gladly do for free and then get somebody to pay you for it. ... It should be the kind of work that constantly humbles you, that never allows you to become smug—in short, work that sustains you instead of just paying your bills. While you search for this work, you'll need a job.
- Find a loving mate to share what life has in store, because the world can be a lonely place, and people who aren't lonely don't want to hear about it if you are.
- [H]ave children. After what you've put your parents through, you deserve children of your own.
- If you have one, nurture your sense of humor. You're going to need it[.]
Russo sums it all up at the end: "Go to it. Be bold. Be true. Be kind. Rotate your tires. Don't drink so much." All good advice to be sure, even if it does read like a Tolstoy novel compared to my own index card of fatherly wisdom.
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And now for the contest in celebration of the 200th episode of UaKS. The first one to answer correctly in the comments section below wins a prize (for real!). In true Jeopardy style, I am providing the answer, and you have to supply the question. And the answer is: Raven's Roost.
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At Cassie's request, I am introducing a new feature in the recipes I post: the time from start to finish to execute the recipe. This is not necessarily hands-on cooking time, but rather the time it takes from the moment I walk into the kitchen to when I am ready to place the dish on the table. (Your mileage may vary.) I will retrofit past recipes with this feature as I find the time.
Happily, this development necessitated that I buy a new toy: the Oxo Good Grips Triple Timer, which is Cook's Illustrated's top-rated kitchen timer (Cook's Country video review here). There are not many things more satisfying than a well-designed kitchen tool. Now when I start cooking, I start the top timer and let it count up through the whole process, so I know exactly how long it takes from start to finish, while I can still use the other two timers to measure the steps in the recipe. No more reaching for my iPad or asking one of you to time something on your smartphone, as was the case when my former timer was otherwise occupied.
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Finally, here is a new dish, which is well worth all of you adding to your repertoires, but especially the vegetarians, as it is chock full of protein from the rice, beans, and tofu. And it tastes great, too! Mom and I both loved this, and it's really easy to make, with not a whole lot of hands-on cooking time.
Adapted from Power Plates (2018) by Gena Hamshaw via The Full Helping
Time: 48 minutes (for white rice; add 20 minutes for brown rice)
If you don’t have any smoked paprika, you can substitute regular paprika, though the dish won’t be the same. You can find Spanish smoked paprika for a good price at Trader Joe’s.
1 (15- or 16-ounce) block of extra-firm tofu, preferably pressed (see step 1 of the recipe)
2 tablespoons (27 grams) olive oil
1 medium white, red, or yellow onion (~150 grams), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small bell pepper (~150 grams), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a pinch
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (such as McCormick Chili Powder)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, with their liquid
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (Muir Glen organic fire-roasted tomatoes are the best), with their liquid
1 cup (180 grams) white or brown rice (I like jasmine rice)
2¼ cups (530 grams) water
1 small bunch collard or other greens, stemmed and cut into thin strips; or up to 5 ounces (one bag) of pre-washed baby kale or other greens or mixed greens
For serving: lime wedges, minced fresh cilantro, red chile flakes or hot sauce (mostly optional)
1. If you have time and the inclination, press the tofu: Place the block of tofu on a large rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top of the tofu, and put something heavy, like a mortar or a cast iron skillet or a few cans of tomatoes, onto the second plate. Leave like that for at least 20 minutes and up to a few hours. Drain the excess liquid, then use the pressed tofu in your recipe or store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
2. When you’re ready to cook, cut the tofu into evenly sized cubes about ¾-inch square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the tofu into three equal slabs, without separating them. Then cut the slabs into quarters both lengthwise and crosswise to yield 16 equal cubes in each of the three slabs, or 48 cubes total. If that doesn't make any sense, just do the best you can to make your cubes relatively even.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or saucier that comes with a lid. Stir in the onion and bell pepper pieces and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 7–8 minutes.
4. While the veggies are cooking, combine the salt, cumin, chili powder, and paprika in a small ramekin or prep bowl. When the onion is ready, add the spice mixture and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the beans and tomatoes with their liquid, rice, and water. Gently stir in the tofu. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook, lowering the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer and stirring gently once or twice, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown rice.
5. Add the greens to the pan, cover, and simmer until the greens are wilted, about 5–10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Gently stir in the greens before serving. I'd say a squeeze of lime juice is essential for serving, but the other stuff is optional. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Happily, this development necessitated that I buy a new toy: the Oxo Good Grips Triple Timer, which is Cook's Illustrated's top-rated kitchen timer (Cook's Country video review here). There are not many things more satisfying than a well-designed kitchen tool. Now when I start cooking, I start the top timer and let it count up through the whole process, so I know exactly how long it takes from start to finish, while I can still use the other two timers to measure the steps in the recipe. No more reaching for my iPad or asking one of you to time something on your smartphone, as was the case when my former timer was otherwise occupied.
 |
| Top timer counting up to the total time, middle timer counting down till the rice is ready |
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Finally, here is a new dish, which is well worth all of you adding to your repertoires, but especially the vegetarians, as it is chock full of protein from the rice, beans, and tofu. And it tastes great, too! Mom and I both loved this, and it's really easy to make, with not a whole lot of hands-on cooking time.
Rice, Beans, Tofu, and Greens
Adapted from Power Plates (2018) by Gena Hamshaw via The Full Helping
Time: 48 minutes (for white rice; add 20 minutes for brown rice)
If you don’t have any smoked paprika, you can substitute regular paprika, though the dish won’t be the same. You can find Spanish smoked paprika for a good price at Trader Joe’s.
1 (15- or 16-ounce) block of extra-firm tofu, preferably pressed (see step 1 of the recipe)
2 tablespoons (27 grams) olive oil
1 medium white, red, or yellow onion (~150 grams), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 small bell pepper (~150 grams), cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a pinch
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (such as McCormick Chili Powder)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, with their liquid
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (Muir Glen organic fire-roasted tomatoes are the best), with their liquid
1 cup (180 grams) white or brown rice (I like jasmine rice)
2¼ cups (530 grams) water
1 small bunch collard or other greens, stemmed and cut into thin strips; or up to 5 ounces (one bag) of pre-washed baby kale or other greens or mixed greens
For serving: lime wedges, minced fresh cilantro, red chile flakes or hot sauce (mostly optional)
1. If you have time and the inclination, press the tofu: Place the block of tofu on a large rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top of the tofu, and put something heavy, like a mortar or a cast iron skillet or a few cans of tomatoes, onto the second plate. Leave like that for at least 20 minutes and up to a few hours. Drain the excess liquid, then use the pressed tofu in your recipe or store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
2. When you’re ready to cook, cut the tofu into evenly sized cubes about ¾-inch square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the tofu into three equal slabs, without separating them. Then cut the slabs into quarters both lengthwise and crosswise to yield 16 equal cubes in each of the three slabs, or 48 cubes total. If that doesn't make any sense, just do the best you can to make your cubes relatively even.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or saucier that comes with a lid. Stir in the onion and bell pepper pieces and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 7–8 minutes.
4. While the veggies are cooking, combine the salt, cumin, chili powder, and paprika in a small ramekin or prep bowl. When the onion is ready, add the spice mixture and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the beans and tomatoes with their liquid, rice, and water. Gently stir in the tofu. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook, lowering the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer and stirring gently once or twice, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown rice.
5. Add the greens to the pan, cover, and simmer until the greens are wilted, about 5–10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Gently stir in the greens before serving. I'd say a squeeze of lime juice is essential for serving, but the other stuff is optional. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Where did you propose to Mom?
ReplyDeleteWow! Cassie immediately comes up with the right answer, and even phrases it in the form of a question, just like on Jeopardy. Raven's Roost is indeed the spot off the Blue Ridge Parkway where I popped the question to Mom, thus starting all of you on your path to existence. For anyone interested the next time they're home, there is a photo of Raven's Roost on the wall in our bedroom. Well done, Cassie! Your prize is on the way.
ReplyDeleteI know who the favorite child is now!!
DeleteDylan complained that my contest unfairly favored east coasters who wake up earlier than he does. He also swears he knew the answer to my "softball" question (which I'm impressed that my two loyal readers actually both knew the answer to), so I'm sending a duplicate prize Dylan's way.
ReplyDelete