Happy 'Ville

Not for the first time, C-ville was recently listed as one of the happiest places to live in America by a national publication. This time it was in Outside magazine's list of the "15 Happiest Places to Live in the U.S." The methodology considered factors such as overall well-being (using the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index), percentage of public land, affordability, how climate change is affecting towns, and the level of inclusivity demonstrated to people of color and LGBTQ+ residents.

 

As for C-ville, Outside noted the favorable work-life balance, with lots of UVA jobs and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country on one side of the ledger; on the fun side, the magazine specifically mentioned the 20-mile Rivanna Trail, kayaking trips led by the Rivanna River Company, hiking and camping in Shenandoah National Park, and the high density of great local cuisine, particularly in the "trendy" Belmont neighborhood. Alas, no mention of Bodo's, which won't score any points with Brad in terms of establishing credibility.

 

Other cities of note on the list based on some proximity to you all are Frederick, Maryland, and Tacoma, Washington.  

 

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Happiness hacks gone awry

When The Happiness Lab pisses you off, where is there to go? To begin, happiness "strategies" and "practices" are okay, but can we all agree to lose the ubiquitous "hacks" [1] for a while?

 

News is bad for you

At breakfast with my running buddies recently, they were mildly appalled when they had to explain to me various current events that were the subject of discussion. I admit there are some news items that might be worth keeping up with, like this one mentioned in a "Talk of the Town" piece in a July 2022 issue of the New Yorker: "Last spring, as the world watched, a huge container ship loaded with bicycles, dildos, and IKEA furniture blocked the Suez Canal for six days." But as attention getting as that is, I think I'll stick with my head-in-the-sand approach that has worked wonders for me for the past few years.

 

Coincidentally, not long after that breakfast, I ran across an article in the Guardian by the Swiss author Rolf Dobelli titled "News is bad for you – and giving up reading it will make you happier," which has clearly been my experience. Dobelli cites ten reasons why news is bad for you, including that it misleads, is irrelevant, is toxic to your body, wastes time, and inhibits thinking and creativity. Dobelli isn't totally against journalism; he thinks it's just better to get it from "long journal articles and in-depth books," rather than toxic news. At the time he wrote the article, Dobelli had gone without news for four years, which for him resulted in "less disruption, less anxiety, deeper thinking, more time, more insights." I've definitely seen some of the same benefits since my own news embargo.

 

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Greatest Hits, volume V: The Special One

I can't say the past year of UaKS was my finest achievement, but having just passed the blog's fifth anniversary, I will stick with tradition and point out some of my favorite episodes from the past season:

• Kudos to Uncle Bob, episode II (in which Harry Potter visits D.C.)
• An eventful week (in which I meet Dave Stoller from Breaking Away)
• Mr. Graham's moment of glory (in which Mr. Graham achieves pie immortality)
• Four-square (in which I give your smug yet beautiful Mom her due)
• Flipping fartgate (in which said Mom rudely intrudes on the first UaKS cooking demonstration video)
• Rosebush (in which I consider the aging process in free verse)
• The uses of fart spray (in which filthy porch pirates get their ultimate comeuppance)
• Music therapy (in which I discover the joyous power of Tiffany)

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Music therapy

I've definitely been going through the motions lately, especially after straining a calf muscle and not being able to pause this especially crazy world around me for a few weeks. It also doesn't help to have just passed a Covid birthday, with banana bread I made myself for dessert, and a reminder from Uncle Bob that I'm in the "upper 50's now."

Sometimes when I'm down in the dumps, I try to escape musically. Lately though, after being blown away by Benjamin Scheuer's incredible Trump-era protest song "Lafayette Square," I've taken a trip down memory lane with Bob Dylan's protest and other songs from the 60's and 70's. That is great stuff, but it's definitely not uplifing. "Like a Rolling Stone" is one of my all-time favorite songs, but damn, that is one angry song.

After plowing through two seasons of Cobra Kai on Netflix, we were in a show hole. Brad wasn't ready for anything deep yet, so last night we vegged on the by-the-book rom-com Love, Guaranteed, even though one of the stars is Damon Wayans, Jr., who ruined pretty much every scene he appeared in as Coach in New Girl. The movie was about what you'd expect and only mildly entertaining. But there was a good running gag involving Coach's love interest driving around in a beat-up old car in which the sound system only played a cassette that was stuck on Tiffany's 1987 remake of "I Think We're Alone Now."

The song was originally released in 1967 by Tommy James and the Shondells and is a very early example of "bubblegum" music, which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about it. But man is it catchy! Plus, it immediately recalled Umbrella Academy, a show about a dysfunctional family of superheroes that we also binged right before Cassie headed back to school. My favorite scene from both seasons was in the very first episode, where five of the Hargreeves siblings all dance, together but apart, to "I Think We're Alone Now," and each in a way befitting of their own personality:

I don't know why, but the joy watching that gives me is off the charts. That made me think to take a page out of Cassie's book and try some music therapy on myself. So I took a few hours and put together a playlist of songs that have no artistic or other redeeming value but are fun as hell and make me want to sing and dance around the kitchen while I'm making dinner. My "Music Therapy" playlist is here on Spotify and here on Tidal. You can also hear 30-second snippets from each of the songs below:

It's a mix of old and new-ish songs and you can make fun of me for some or all of the choices, but I don't care, they bring me joy and I'm in such a much better mood now that I can handle your scorn. If you're feeling more constructive, let me know if you have suggestions for songs to add.

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An eventful week

Some of you, Dylan in particular, think Mom and I never do anything. We laid that canard to rest over the past week, which was one of the most eventful I've ever had, starting with last week's trip to Washington D.C. Among other things, on Thursday morning, the Virginia Supreme Court released its opinion in a case I've done all the briefing on from start to finish, and affirmed the decision of the trial court in our favor. Thursday and Friday evenings, Mom and I attended two screenings as part of the 32nd annual Virginia Film Festival.

The first was a showing of Western Stars, a complete run-through of Bruce Springsteen's new album of the same name. The concert was filmed live in a big old barn on Bruce's horse farm in New Jersey, complete with a 30-piece orchestra (lots of strings and some brass, but no bassoon, alas). There were also some clips of Bruce from bygone days, together with a voiceover and some ludicrous shots of Bruce, the consummate New Jersey boy, in Western gear filmed in Joshua Tree National Park in California. Despite being a huge fan, I have to say it was pretty self-indulgent, though, as always with Bruce, there were moments of beauty and plenty of truth.

Thursday evening paled in comparison to Friday, when Mom and I went to a fortieth anniversary screening of one of my all-time favorite movies, and probably the best "sports" film ever made, Breaking Away:



As you are all aware, since I "forced" all of you to watch it with me (Brad and Cassie most recently, just this past summer), I have loved Breaking Away since I first saw it with my high school buddies back in 1979. I will never forget how they busted my chops after the famous scene when the Italian bike rider from Team Cinzano jammed his pump into the spokes of the protagonist's front wheel, sending him over the handlebars and out of the race in which he was competing against them all too well for their liking. The finale was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation, as was Dennis Christopher, the actor who played Dave Stoller, who was visibly moved when he came out for the Q&A moderated by Elizabeth Flock after the screening. Christopher turned out to be a warm, joyous fellow with plenty of stories to tell about Breaking Away and Hollywood in general, including working with such famous directors as Quentin Tarantino, Federico Fellini, and Robert Altman. He was happy to speak with anyone who wanted to meet him face to face, so I said what the heck and approached him after the Q&A and let him know how much the film meant to me and that I had coerced all of my children into watching it with me, but that you all had liked it, too, so that it spoke to people across multiple generations. He was glad to hear it and graciously agreed to let Mom take a few photos of us together (my new Harry Potter scar isn't too visible in this shot, fortunately):

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic experience, and a moment I will treasure.

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The pros and cons of getting married

You all know how Mom advocates for using the "four-square" method to make a tough decision—write down all of the pros and cons for both your choices in four separate boxes, then weigh everything up. I don't really get how that differs from just having two columns with the pros and cons, but Mom swears her way is subtly better. Whatever.

If you want to see it done the old-fashioned way (with just two columns), check out this famous example by Charles Darwin, in which he debated with himself the pros and cons of getting married—not to anyone in particular (yet), just the idea of getting married. Taking a cue from Shakespeare, he titled his list "This is the question," which should give you a clue as to what Darwin thought he might be getting himself into, given that Hamlet was deciding whether or not to kill himself when he pondered, "To be or not to be." Here are Darwin's thoughts on marriage:

Marry

Children — (if it Please God) — Constant companion, (& friend in old age) who will feel interested in one, — object to be beloved & played with. —  —better than a dog anyhow. — Home, & someone to take care of house — Charms of music & female chit-chat. — These things good for one's health. — Forced to visit & receive relations but terrible loss of time. —

My God, it is intolerable to think of spending ones whole life, like a neuter bee, working, working, & nothing after all. — No, no won't do. — Imagine living all one's day solitarily in smoky dirty London House. — Only picture to yourself a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music perhaps — Compare this vision with the dingy reality of Grt. Marlbro' St.

Not Marry

No children, (no second life), no one to care for one in old age.— What is the use of working 'in' without sympathy from near & dear friends—who are near & dear friends to the old, except relatives

Freedom to go where one liked — choice of Society & little of it.  — Conversation of clever men at clubs — Not forced to visit relatives, & to bend in every trifle. — to have the expense & anxiety of children — perhaps quarelling — Loss of time. — cannot read in the Evenings — fatness & idleness — Anxiety & responsibility — less money for books &c — if many children forced to gain one's bread. — (But then it is very bad for ones health to work too much)

Perhaps my wife won't like London; then the sentence is banishment & degradation into indolent, idle fool —

Totting up both sides of the ledger, Darwin came to the emphatic conclusion that it was time to "Marry — Marry — Marry  Q.E.D." But not without a little more doubt creeping in as he next considered:

It being proved necessary to Marry

When? Soon or Late

The Governor says soon for otherwise bad if one has children — one's character is more flexible —one's feelings more lively & if one does not marry soon, one misses so much good pure happiness. —

But then if I married tomorrow: there would be an infinity of trouble & expense in getting & furnishing a house, —fighting about no Society —morning calls — awkwardness —loss of time every day. (without one's wife was an angel, & made one keep industrious). — Then how should I manage all my business if I were obliged to go every day walking with one's my wife. — Eheu!! I never should know French, — or see the Continent — or go to America, or go up in a Balloon, or take solitary trip in Wales — poor slave. — you will be worse than a negro — And then horrid poverty, (without one's wife was better than an angel & had money) — Never mind my boy — Cheer up — One cannot live this solitary life, with groggy old age, friendless & cold, & childless staring one in ones face, already beginning to wrinkle. — Never mind, trust to chance —keep a sharp look out — There is many a happy slave —

Having finally talked himself into a lifetime of conjugal slavery, Darwin kept his resolve and within six months married his cousin Emma Wedgewood, with whom he propagated his genes in a big way by having ten children (talk about having "less money for books &c"). And since a wife is "better than a dog anyhow," who can say he made the wrong choice in the end?

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Produce in the news

There were reports last week of a man who was arrested in a Giant Food Store in Manassas, Virginia and charged with indecent exposure and destruction of property. An employee spotted the guy (allegedly) rubbing produce against his bare buttocks and then putting the "tainted" items back on the shelf. According to the police report, the store had to destroy several pallets of produce to be safe, thus resulting in the destruction-of-property charge. My favorite part of the story is the note that authorities "haven’t determined a possible motive" for the perp to rub fruit against his bare ass, as if that would crack the case wide open (get it?).😄

Other than getting a good chuckle out of the story, there are two lessons to be had, in keeping with the theme of UaKS. First, next time you reach for that apple at the grocery store, make sure it doesn't have any obvious skid marks on it. Second, wash all your produce before you use it, even if it has a rind that you're cutting off to get to the fruit inside. I read all the time about people getting sick from eating contaminated melons, because the knife drags the nasty bacteria to the fruit inside once you slice through the rind.

No skid marks on this beautiful apple from the City Market

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200th episode extravaganza: some fatherly wisdom from another dad, and a contest!

I just finished reading The Destiny Thief, a new book of essays on "writing, writers, and life" by Richard Russo, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist and former college professor. Russo endeared himself to me forever in the final essay in the collection, "The Boss in Bulgaria." The title of the essay is somewhat of a mystery until the very end. After a week-long writer's retreat in Bulgaria, Russo is interviewed on Bulgarian TV. Knowing that Russo is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, the interview concludes by having a band play "Land of Hope and Dreams" live for him. Russo, who is moved to tears by the gesture, wonders if the Bulgarian singer even understood "that he was singing a great American anthem, maybe the greatest written in my lifetime, by the greatest storytelling songwriter of his generation? Did he understand it was Springsteen's voice that had helped a weary nation through the bitter end of the Vietnam War, the AIDS epidemic, the attack on the World Trade Center?" That is my kind of guy right there.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. [H]ave children. After what you've put your parents through, you deserve children of your own.
4. 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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PR food

Brad usually asks for pasta the evening before a race, but last Friday we had fried rice instead. Brad liked this fried rice so much he ate at least half of it. Then he busted out a 45-second PR at Great Meadow. So I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of pre-race meals consisting of fried rice for the next month. Mom says she "could eat this every night," too, so I guess that's okay.

Veggie Fried Rice

Adapted from J. Kenji López-Alt via Serious Eats

I like Trader Joe’s Jasmine Rice for fried rice. You can either  (1) cook the rice fresh, then spread it out on a baking sheet, and let it cool for about 5 minutes, or (2) cook the rice and store it in the fridge for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Either way, before you cook the rice, rinse it off for a minute with cold tap water, while shaking the rice in a fine-mesh strainer. If you’re using a rice cooker, 2 rice cooker cups (~1½ cups) of raw rice will make a little more than the 4 cups cooked rice you need for this recipe.

4 cups (~24 ounces/700 grams) cooked white rice (see note)
4 tablespoons sunflower, vegetable, or canola oil, divided
1 large (~8 ounces/225 grams) onion, finely chopped
3 scallions or a handful of fresh chives, sliced thin on the bias
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (~4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
freshly ground white pepper
2 large eggs
kosher salt
½ bag (8 ounces) frozen vegetables (I used Trader Joe’s Soycutash)

    1. If you’re using leftover rice, use your hands to break it up as much as you can into a bowl.
    2. Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a large wok over medium-high heat until very hot. (I have made this a number of times in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, but it really is a struggle to fit everything in and get it all cooked properly, and you shouldn't have a nonstick skillet over really high heat anyway. If you think you’re going to make a lot of fried rice or other Chinese food, get yourself a decent wok.) Add 1 cup of the rice and cook, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is pale brown, toasted, and slightly chewy, about 3 minutes. Transfer the rice to a large bowl. Repeat the process, 1 cup of rice at a time, until all of the rice is fried.
    3. Return all of the rice to the wok, and press it up the sides, leaving a cooking space at the bottom. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the space, and add the onion and scallions or chives. Cook, stirring, until lightly softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds only. Stir the rice into the onion, scallions, and garlic. Stir the tamari and sesame oil into the mixture. Season with a few grinds of white pepper.
    4. Press the rice up the sides of the wok, again leaving a cooking space at the bottom. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the space. Crack the eggs into the oil, and season with a pinch of salt. Scramble the eggs, breaking them up into small bits. Combine the eggs with the rice mixture.
    5. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are thawed and warmed. Serve promptly. Serves 3–4.

Basic lessons

Brad and Cass have decided the time is here to get some hands-on cooking lessons from the old man while they still can. Basic rice pilaf is a great staple to have in your repertoire, and Cassie wanted to learn how to make it, so she helped me throw this together for part of our dinner last night. There's a few crucial skills here, including how to dice an onion, which you'll use forevermore, and the fundamental mise-en-place (getting everything ready before you start cooking), which is easy to do with this dish because there are so few ingredients. You can try the variation with mushrooms for something different, which Dylan especially should like.

Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms

Rice Pilaf

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997) by Deborah Madison

Time: 45 minutes (for white rice; add 20 minutes for brown rice)

2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, extra-virgin olive oil, or a combination
1 small onion or 1 large shallot (~3 ounces/85 grams), finely diced
1¼ cups (8 ounces/225 grams) long-grain white or brown rice (I like jasmine rice, white or brown)
2 cups (472 grams) boiling water for white rice, 2½ cups (590 grams) for brown
1 small bay leaf
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
    2. Place the butter and/or oil in a 2- or 3-quart saucepan and warm over medium heat. Stir in the onion or shallot and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
    3. Add the rice, stir to coat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
    4. Add the water, bay leaf, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is done, about 20 minutes for white rice, 40 for brown. (You can also bake the rice in a 375 degree oven, about 30 minutes for white rice, 45 minutes for brown.)
    5. When the rice is done, place a clean dish towel under the lid, turn off the heat, and steam for another 5  minutes.
    6. Discard the bay leaf, fluff the rice up with a wooden spoon, and serve promptly. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms
In step 2, once the onion is translucent, stir in 1 cup (85 grams) chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes before adding the rice.

Curried Rice Pilaf with Basil
Use 3 tablespoons butter, canola oil, or a combination. In step 2, sauté 2 teaspoons curry powder and ⅓ cup (60 grams) golden raisins along with the onion. In step 6, stir in ¼ cup chopped mixed parsley and cilantro, 2 tablespoons basil chiffonade, and ¼ cup pine nuts or sliced or slivered almonds before serving.

Sautéed Mushrooms

Time: 12 minutes

If you buy a 10-ounce box of mushrooms, the Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms only uses 3 ounces, so I usually saute the rest of the mushrooms while the rice is cooking, and then stir them into the cooked rice pilaf once it is done steaming.

10 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, rinsed
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Trim the stems of the mushrooms, then slice them ¼-inch thick.
    2. Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, stir in the mushrooms. Turn the heat up one notch or two above medium. Season the mushrooms with a good three-finger pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give up their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms are golden brown and delicious, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve promptly. Serves 2.

Not coleslaw

At this time of year, I start seeing beautiful little heads of cabbage at the City Market. I'm always tempted to get one or two, but how much coleslaw can you eat (even Brother Juniper's)? So here is something that is definitely not coleslaw: a stir-fried cabbage with Indian spices. Mom and I love it and have it often as a simple vegetarian meal served over brown jasmine rice or Thai Coconut Rice.

Stir-Fried "Crack" Cabbage

Adapted from Quick & Easy Indian Cooking (2007) by Madhur Jaffrey via Food52

Time: 35 minutes

1 medium-large onion (~200 grams)
1½ pounds green cabbage (~1 small head or half a large head)
¼ cup (53 grams) olive, sunflower, or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon (15 grams) freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon garam masala (store bought or homemade)

    1. Trim the top off the onion, leaving the root attached. Cut in half through the root (pole to pole). Peel the onion, then cut each half pole to pole into fine half rings.
    2. Remove the coarse outer leaves of the cabbage until you're left with the tightly packed leaves. Stand the cabbage up on its stem and cut it in half. Remove the stem using diagonal cuts around the core. Place the cabbage on your cutting board cut side down, then slice lengthwise into very fine, long shreds.
    3. Put the oil in a large nonstick pan, and set the pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sesame, fennel, and cumin seeds. When the sesame seeds begin to pop, add the onion. Stir fry until the onion has browned a bit around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
    4. Add the cabbage shreds, fitting as much as you can comfortably in the pan. It will shrink as it cooks so you can wait to add more as you go if necessary. Stir fry until the cabbage has softened and shrunk down some, about 6 minutes.

    5. Stir in the salt and cayenne. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and caramelized, about 7 or 8 minutes more.

    6. Stir in the lemon juice and garam masala. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve promptly over rice (Thai Coconut Rice is especially good). Serves 4.

Vegetable broth options

Unless you want to make your own stock from scratch, making a dish that calls for chicken or vegetable broth is a real problem if you don’t want to use a commercial chicken broth and/or you’re cooking for vegetarians. The easiest substitution for chicken broth is prepackaged vegetable broth, but all the ones I’ve tried taste like butt-in-a-can. (Heidi Swanson says to use water rather than a bad-tasting broth that comes in a can or carton.) I like Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base (available at Whole Foods), which is easy to use (dissolve 1 teaspoon in 1 cup boiling water) and keeps for a long time in the fridge. But even the reduced-sodium version is very salty, so if you use that you may want to dilute it more than the instructions say and watch the salt in the rest of the recipe as well. Another option is low-sodium bouillon cubes, which are also easy to use (dissolve 1 cube in 2 cups boiling water) and keep well in the pantry. I like Edward & Sons Low Sodium Not-Chick’n Bouillon Cubes (available at Whole Foods) best, but Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon No Salt Added (available at Integral Yoga) is okay, too. Their flavor is pretty mild so it won’t overpower whatever dish you're making like a bad canned broth, and you can keep control over the sodium level in the recipe. Finally, if you're really ambitious, you can make your own vegetable broth base.

Risotto is an excellent test of your vegetable broth options. If you use nasty broth from a can or carton, you'll end up with a nasty risotto. I made this risotto using broth made with Edward & Sons bouillon cubes and everyone liked it. The broth tasted pretty good, almost chicken-y, on its own, which is a good sign. It's definitely less seasoned though, so you have to taste the risotto and adjust the salt accordingly (just like anything else you cook).

Risotto with Parmesan

To make this using low-sodium bouillon cubes, dissolve 2 cubes in 5 cups (1,180 grams) simmering water in step 1 of the recipe; if you're using Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base, Reduced Sodium, dissolve 1 tablespoon in 5 cups water.

5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (see note)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup minced shallot (~1 large shallot)
kosher salt
2 cups (360 grams) Arborio or Carnaroli rice 
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup (28 grams) freshly grated Parmesan or Grano Padano cheese
freshly ground black pepper

    1. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat (see note). Reduce the heat to low.
    2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil in a large saucier or saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the shallots are softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated with the fat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring now and then, until it is mostly absorbed, about 1 or 2 minutes.
    3. Add about 2 cups of the broth and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring as needed, until the broth is mostly absorbed. Don't let the rice dry out completely. Add another cup of the broth and cook, stirring as needed, until it is mostly absorbed. Repeat with half cups of the broth, continuing to stir as needed and tasting occasionally for doneness. You need to add just enough broth so that once it is absorbed, the rice is al dente—tender but still with a little bite at the center of each grain. When the rice is done, turn off the heat, then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the Parmesan. Taste and adjust for salt. Serve promptly, passing the pepper mill at the table. Serves 4.

Making amends

After all the grief I've given Cassie recently for telling me I have a bald spot (allegedly), I had my own lapse this week when I ran over her foot with my car. My bad for sure, but if you're old enough to have a bald spot (allegedly), you're old enough not to realize when someone is still getting their bassoon out of your car. Fortunately, Cassie wasn't hurt at all, and now I know to put my car in park when I'm dropping Brad and Cass off at school in the morning.

So I may not be making much broccoli pasta any more, but Cassie did get one of her favorite meals as a goodwill gesture.

Salmon with Hoisin Barbecue Glaze

Adapted from The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (2011)

Time: ~30 minutes

Glaze
35 grams (2 tablespoons) ketchup
30 grams (2 tablespoons) hoisin sauce
30 grams (2 tablespoons) rice vinegar
25 grams (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar
17 grams (1 tablespoon) tamari or soy sauce
13 grams (1 tablespoon) toasted sesame oil
10 grams (2 teaspoons) chili-garlic sauce such as Huy Fong (substitute sriracha or sambal oelek)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Salmon
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
1½ to 2 pounds salmon, cut into 4 fillets of about the same size
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oil

    1. For the glaze: Weigh or measure the ingredients into a small saucepan (which you hopefully own a cover for). Whisk everything together, then place the pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside until step 4.
    2. For the salmon: Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the brown sugar, kosher salt, and cornstarch in a ramekin or small bowl. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and remove any pin bones. Place the salmon flesh side up. Grind some pepper over the top, then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the top. You may not use it all. Rub the mixture gently into the flesh.
    3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon in the skillet flesh side down, and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip the salmon over, then cook it on the skin side for another minute.
    4. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon or pour the glaze evenly over the salmon. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the salmon is just set and still translucent in the very center, about 7 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. You can take a peek using a paring knife. The flesh should be firm, not flimsy, but it should not flake apart—that's overdone and the fish will be rubbery. You can also check doneness with an instant-read thermometer if you have one. The middle of the thickest part of a fillet should register 125 degrees when the salmon is done. Serve immediately with white or brown rice, which is tasty with some of the glaze spooned over it. Serves 4.