nate-amazed

"He makes the rain to fall on both the just and unjust..."

to be sure i have no idea into which category any of the following musicians and composer fall, but i for one am glad for God's equal love and provision for all men. and today's inauguration put that thought squarely in my mind as i watched and listened to cellist Yo Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriella Montero play "Air and Simple Gifts", arranged by John Williams.

i am not familiar with the works of John Williams beyond the numerous soundtrack works he's done, so perhaps he's already got volumes of similar works to this one finished specifically for the events of the day. if so, i must dig deeper into his catalog. i know him as someone who has mastered the orchestra...well, the orchestra and that infamous "da dah...da dah" line from Jaws. it's quite another thing to master a work for four individual instruments. i am not surprised at his ability to do this...i've just not heard it before. and no string quartet. no piano, guitar, bass, drums. violin, cello, clarinet, and piano. i also don't recall that grouping in a four piece before. it was an amazing combination, with a stunning sound specifically from Anthony McGill and his clarinet.

i'm well aware of the talents of Itzhak Perlman. my mother and father listened to classical music often in our home as i was growing up, and Itzhak Perlman was always one of the featured artists. in my teens i was unaware of how he was the perfect combination of technique and feel. i just thought he was really good. now, with many more years of being a musician under my belt, i know how rare the combination of both in one artist actually is. he was perfect today...with no frets...in sub-freezing temps...on a hollow wood stringed instrument.

Yo Yo Ma is every bit his equal, and showed it today. same issues of temp and instrument, and yet he flawlessly matched the violin note for note. not just matched, but blended. there were moments that seemed list one mind was playing the two instruments...as well it should have. still, in a world where "feat: ____" is added after the title of many songs, and getting full recognition is so important, these men choose to be equal, and excel together and for each other. granted, they can't get much more recognition than they currently have, but lots of other stars have done their best to outshine those with whom they share a stage.

Anthony McGill...we hardly knew you. but that's gonna change. my brother played clarinet growing up. i heard Benny Goodman, Acker Bilk, Jimmy Dorsey, Peewee Russell, Pete Fountain, and Bud Freeman growing up. clarinet was for jazz. i mean, it was present in the orchestras, too, but i never heard clarinet as a prominent classical solo instrument. maybe the lone exception was Tchaikovsky's Peter and the Wolf. but back to Anthony. i never heard a clarinet sound like Anthony made that one sound today. rest assured i'll be looking for more work by him.

Gabriella Montero was more in a support role today, backing this beautiful piece. i'm sure she's quite gifted, as well. i'll look for her, too.

it was a moving day today. the power of the written and spoken word held us captivated for much of it. and while Aretha Franklin should have her own piece written for her work on My Country 'Tis of Thee, i was once again struck by the strength of notes on paper, played by fingers destined for greatness. it does, in fact, drive home a point about Barack Obama and leadership. his faith is dismantled and debated by tens of thousands who doubt a man can bring about good without the words they would hear from the preacher of their choice. but just like the rain, and musical talents, leadership falls on the just and unjust. and if he will lead "justly", then at worst he counters the "just" who lead badly.

(sorry for the brief exit from the artistic bent of this blog) :-)

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nate-dining out/in

so...on the demerits of a much better, but bum ankle, and the weariness of the past 4 months of work, conference prep, family matters, holidays, and the actual conference, i decided to stay in on New Year's Eve. there were multiple great parties to choose from, and friends in from out of town that i missed seeing, but after another long night of sleep last night, my body, mind, and soul are grateful for the rest and relaxation.

i had a kitchen full of macaroni and cheese, soup, and other tidbits, but i thought i might treat myself to a nice dinner ordered in. i went to delivery.com, which is where i usually go for chinese food when i do order out. while perusing who might actually be delivering on NYE, i found La Gondola restaurant. i ride the bus past this place all the time...it's pretty unassuming. i mean, it looks like a place i'd like, but i didn't expect a culinary delight to come out of it.

here's what i ordered.

Calamari Ripieni Alla Griglia

whole calamari stuffed with our own italian breading, olive oil, chopped garlic ,butter mixture and baked to perfection, served with sautéed broccoli.

this was one of the more delicious seafood dinners i've ever had. the calamari was tender, with no rubbery feeling when cutting or chewing. the breading was almost like a stuffing or dressing you might find with turkey, but light and fluffy. and there was so much calamari in the dinner it could easily have been dinner for two. i ate half for my dinner, and the rest for lunch the next day.

i did a little research on this restaurant and found it to be the best rated italian restaurant in the city...better than Italian Village, Rosebud, and the rest of the Little Italy authentic places. i have no experience with their pasta, but this meal was excellent...one of those meals where one pauses after the first bite, and then slowly savors each following bite.

the meal was $15 but it was easily as much calamari as 2-3 calamari appetizers in any other restaurant, so the value was quite good.
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i can't speak to the ambiance of the actual restaurant, although it looks nice from the outside. however, if the food is any indication, i'd have to recommend La Gondola as an wonderful option for a date night, or celebration dinner, or even a night out with friends.

La Gondola is at 2914 N Ashland, between Diversey and Belmont, on the west side of the street in the Jewel shopping center strip mall. give it a shot...see what you think.

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nate-resolve

how i Handel the holidays...

i live a pretty tradition-free life. there's the once a year Lanfest with my GeezerGamer boyz (woot!), there's leading Christmas carols one sunday in december at my church...that's about it, i guess. well, add one to the short list.

this is my 4th time in five years of attending the Do-It-Yourself Messiah at the Civic Opera House here in Chicago. i went with my sister, Georgia, this year. (you can read her take on it HERE).

it's fairly well known that despite my 6'3", 240 lb, manly frame, i'm a softie at heart. i can tear up at a commercial for coffee (i DO really love coffee...maybe that's why). add to THIS to the mix and you'll pretty much know how i feel about Messiah by Handel.

If you're not familiar with the story of Messiah, and how it came to be, i encourage you to read about it. the back story is very interesting. it took just 24 days to compose this complex and moving baroque masterpiece.

it's divided thematically into three parts. the first is christmas, or advent. the next would be the passion section, concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus. and the last part concerns itself with the return of Jesus, or 2nd coming, as it's often called. i have heard and read these stories in the Bible for as long as i can remember. i connect deeply to them, mostly during the seasons in which the first two are celebrated, and in remembering my father and others who have passed away trusting in the truth of each part. maybe it's due to being an artist, but much like the film, The Passion of the Christ, did in fleshing out the realities of those days in Jesus' life, Messiah often brings me to the place where i cannot even sing due to my emotional response.

it's more than one thing that causes this in me. as the post i wrote about music shows, i cannot listen to such music ambivalently. classical music is my favorite style, which gets me going upon simply seeing the orchestra. Messiah is often in minor keys, and is often in 3/4, 3/8, and 6/8 time...more things that draw me into it. and while the choral parts are 1/4 and 1/8 note nightmares to sightread, (see "And He Shall Purify"), and probably 30% of the people at this DIY Messiah have no ability to do so, when we DO know the song (e.g. Hallelujah chorus), or Handel gives our brain to vocal chord neural pathways a break (e.g. Since By Man Came Death or Worthy Is The Lamb) it's an amazing thing to hear an orchestra and three thousand people bring a little bit of what the angels probably sound like (i'm assuming they don't have pitch problems).

there's the especially beautiful moments of music, too. when the Overture ends and the orchestra starts into Comfort Ye My People...it's pretty nearly perfect...and then the tenor makes it completely so as he begins to sing. then there's the choral piece, For Unto Us A Child Is Born...and i have the same thoughts that Chopin's music often causes..."who thinks like this?" the movement and melody and counter-melody. to write something like that with the help of music software seems near impossible. paper and pen? it's almost like Handel had multiple personality disorder and each of them were singing a part in his head at the same time. the way "the kingdom of this world...is become..." starts so quietly after a rather enthusiatic entrance to the song (Hallelujah chorus) and crescendos into "THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST...AND OF HIS CHRIST!"...to move it so far in so short a time without it feeling awkward or herky-jerky (a highly technical composer term)...it's so sweet. the soprano's beautiful melody on "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth", the matching of music to lyrics in "The Trumpet Shall Sound" and the feeling like there's millions of voices just out of earshot singing along in "Worthy Is The Lamb"...each of these musical points is my favorite moment in the entire Messiah...whichever one is currently happening.

but it's not only that deep bond to the music. each year i participate in this, and live, and see the world, and long for His Kingdom, the lyrics...simply scripture...become more powerful, more reassuring, more comforting, more encouraging, and more strengthening. several times this year i couldn't sing simply because the thought of the truth being sung, whether by the DIY chorus, or the soloist, was simply too much to take it. these are the stories, thoughts, truths, that i've heard for many years, and believe with as much of my heart happens not to be commandeered by me at any given moment. the music, especially well composed to match the words being sung, connects me to that truth even more. Handel's Messiah literally draws me to worship, probably more than any other musical piece, chorus, or hymn. God's word is a story...one story...from front to back. it's the story of His love for us, our creating a unbridgeable gap, and His pursuit and intervention and sacrifice to close the gulf between Him and man. Messiah is like a 2 1/2 hour cliff notes version of this story that started before time.


the rest of this post is over on my other blog as it pertains less to the artistic part of this and more how my life relates to it.

as for the "resolve" part of this...i resolve to actually learn my part. not sure which. maybe both tenor and bass. but i simply don't sing by sightreading enough anymore to step in and do that. in high school? no problem. i was in every choir they'd let me be a part of. now? this is the only day of the year i have to do it. and this score is like painting the sistine chapel by paint by number. not where you want to start, even with it mapped out. i'm gonna know this thing next year. and the year after that. probably three years out from now i'll start forgetting...but for the next two years? look out!

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nate-recipe

it's chilly season...so it's chili season.

here's one i can't even eat anymore. Coconut Chipotle Chili. this is a repost from my old myspace blog. it fits better here...and it's on my mind because i'm trying to decide how to make this in pescetarian form. i'm thinking scallops and shrimp, but maybe a nice white fish would do well, too.

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so...i've always made pretty dang good chili, if i do say so myself. but chili is sort of hard to screw up, too. but tonight i found that all the other cooking i've been learning is paying off. i'm starting to pass the recipe phase and am getting into experimentation.

so, normally my chili is pretty much ground chuck, red kidney beans, a couple of cans of stewed tomatoes, about 6 fresh tomatoes (roma), 2-4 jalepenos, fresh garlic, black olives...and some salt and pepper. but yesterday when shopping at the little hispanic market down the street, i decided to try a few different things. so...below is the recipe, which is just as much for me to remember as it is for maybe a person or two to try it.

and i made a LOT of chili...there were four of us for dinner, plus i wanted to eat some for the next few days or so...which could be a week based on how much there is!

ingredients: (you should probalby cut this in half)

2 lbs ground chuck
2 30 oz cans of red kidney beans
2 30 oz. cans of black beans
4 15 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of black olives
1 small can of whole chipotle peppers
8 Roma tomatoes
3 whole fresh jalepeno peppers
8 cloves of fresh garlic
2 tsps of salt
1 tsps of pepper
1 whole fresh coconut
1 8 oz can of coconut milk

ok...first, i chopped 8 cloves of garlic. wouldn't exactly call it minced, but pretty finely chopped. then i browned 2 lbs of ground chuck. after it was browned, i threw in the garlic, and about 2 tsps of salt and one of black pepper. i mixed this up for a bit, drained off a little grease, and then let it simmer while i prepared the rest of the ingredients.

in a very large stockpot i put 2 large cans of red kidney beans (with the water also), 2 large cans of black beans (also with the water), 4 regular cans of stewed tomatoes, and started this over a low heat. i then diced 8 roma tomatoes, sliced 3 fresh jalepeno peppers and one can of black olives. i mixed this in and continued to let it cook over low heat. now comes the fun part. i drained the milk from a fresh coconut and stirred it in. i then grated about 1/2 of the coconut and mixed it in as well. and finally added one small can of whole chipotle peppers. it took approixmately 15 minutes for all this, during which time the beef had been simmering.

i drained the grease and added the beef, along with two packets of chili seasoning (it was a big pot) to the bean/tomato/coconut blend, and mixed it gently. the nice thing here is that the red kidney beans stayed firm and whole, while the black beans broke down a bit in cooking and thickened up the liquid. i then let the whole pot sit covered over a medium heat for about 45 minutes.

i wish i could explain the taste to you. the combination of chipotle and coconut milk sweetened the chili slightly, but it still had the edge of the chipotles, jalepenos, and chili seasoning. it is the best chili i've ever made, and i think it might be the best i've ever had. so...somebody should try to make it and see what they think. i'd love to hear about it. and if you have any questions about it, just send me a message...i'll answer what i can.

bon appetit! i love cooking!!!

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btw, this recipe has been tested and approved by a few friends. feel free to mess with it a little...and be sure to comment with alterations.

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nate-recipe

the fungus among us...

Dinner Night has resumed at my house, and it came back in one of its most celebrated forms...Soup Night. i have long been a fan of soup. it's good food, or so i've been told. my twin sisters, georgia and angela, used to bring some mighty fantastic soups to thanksgiving and christmas dinners...stuff like pumpkin bisque and cream of asparagus (i think i will try this next).

i don't recall what i made for the first soup night, but last year i made a pumpkin and black bean soup. it was excellent (if i do say so myself) which was fortunate for me as i made enough for the party and to eat for the next two weeks.

this year i made two soups. i didn't decide on them until i was at the store with my friend, Jamie, (who is a chef and makes me nervous). i made the same soup three times beginning with thanksgiving...a curry pumpkin lentil soup...and while it was very well received, i wanted to spread my soup wings a little.

i decided to mess with a recipe i saw online for a tomato-pumpkin bisque. it got great reviews on the website, and people at the party liked it. i did not. i was skeptical about that combination, but decided that many 5 star reviews can't be wrong. it will not be made again.

soup number two was something i'd wanted to try for a long time...cream of mushroom. my earliest memories of soup involved this particular style, and i still have cans of the campbell's version in my cupboard. i explained what i wanted to do, and Jamie gave me a pointer or two. i had planned on only using milk as the base, but she told me i should consider a vegetable broth, and than add heavy cream. i took this sage advice, but grabbed a gallon of whole milk, too, which after 20 years of 2% tastes like heavy cream to me.

ok. so, here's the recipe. this makes about a gallon of soup, so keep that in mind.

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Ingredients:

4 large portabello mushrooms
1 lb of white mushrooms
2 cloves of fresh garlic
4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of ground bay leaves
1 1/2 cups of red wine
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 gallon of whole milk
1 pint of heavy cream
24 ounces of vegetable stock
2 oz of asiago cheese (or any hard cheese you like)

Slice the white mushrooms into pieces approximately 1/8 inch thick and dice the portabello mushrooms into 1/4 inch cubes.

Grate the garlic into a heated frying pan and let it brown briefly before adding the olive oil and bay leaf. leave over med-high heat and allow the mixture to blend.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms, 1/2 cup of red wine, Worchestershire sauce, and salt. Stir until all the pieces are covered. After the mushrooms are fairly soft, lower the heat to simmer.

In a large stock pot, heat the vegetable stock to a near boil. When it is ready, put the entire contents of the mushroom frying pan, liquids and all, into the stock. Set the heat to medium, cover it, and leave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 cup of red wine and heavy cream, stir, and re-cover. Let this cook for about 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 gallon of whole milk, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve into bowls and garnish with grated cheese.

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this was so good that i might just make it all winter long. i'll probably mess around with it a bit...maybe try adding some cheese to the soup during cooking, like a goat cheese or something.

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nate-nuts

just what i need...

another place where i should keep up my writing. this content doesn't fit too well on my other blog, and they're very different to me, anyway. the content on The Tin Spoon is usually deeply contemplative (please tell me you accent "tem" when you pronounce that word), emotional difficult or draining, and often leaves me reminded of the phrase "where are we going and why am i in this handbasket?"

the content from this blog is almost completely the opposite. i am reminded that, in spite of the unending brokenness of me, mankind, and this world, that God has still been very gracious in giving gifts of extraordinary beauty. while we could have just as easily been made to eat mud, sing like Gilbert Gottfriend, or see only dim reflections, we have been created in His image, men and women in His image, and He apparently has the same sort of love for music, food, writing, and visual beauty that i do.

that we do.

so...this will be recipes of things i either try, revamp, or create in the kitchen. i find that the same things i love in music seem to hold true in cooking. i create my own music, and the more i practiced it as i grew up, the better i got. but i also love to hear something new and different in other people's music. arranging is a great love of mine. and it holds true in the kitchen. i really enjoy creating my own recipes, and the more i do it, the better i get. but i also enjoy taking a recipe and seeing the potential in it to be something new. not necessarily better (as a few of my dishes would prove out) but new.


this will be thoughts on songs, books, and film, as well. i wrote a piece on The Tin Spoon about me and music. i'll probably copy it over here. it's much more suited for this blog. anyway, what it says about me and music, is fairly true about me and books, and me and film.

one caveat comes to mind. although i believe it would be very easy (for me) to let this blog become the dominant one of the two i have, it won't happen. while i can get deeply involved in the wonder of a great cabernet or the near perfection of Casablanca, these are gifts for me as a respite. to lose myself in them...even the fact that i have access to them (although much more limited as a NFP worker), while 1/2 of the world lives earning less than 2 dollars a day...to pay homage to them rather than to Him who created them, and who directs me toward those who have not tasted, heard, read, or seen...well, i cannot let these surpass them.

so...off we go. post one is done. post two is a recipe. who knows after that.

(i have stolen the post naming convention from my sister georgia, whose blog can be found in the links. this way, if another person ends up writing, we'll know who wrote it. my more traditional post name will be the first line)

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