Christmas in the Caribbean

I'm going to enjoy Christmas in the Caribbean this year!

Unfamiliar Fishes

I've been a fan of Sarah Vowell for some years.  Her latest book, Unfamiliar Fishes, describes the history of American colonization and annexation of Hawai'i.  With her usual sense of humor and social commentary, Ms. Vowell continues her tradition of entertaining and educating in this book.

Aroma - Champaign, IL

Grown-Up Pesto Grilled Cheese served with Chips and Fruit Salsa

Provolone and American cheese slathered with fresh-made pesto on thick bread

Tucked into downtown Champaign, Aroma (118 North Neil Street) is a Latin-inspired cafe offering coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and more. Small tables line the walls while the background music mixes with the conversations of the patrons. Some people just go to sit and read or work on the internet.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

"So you're the little lady who started this big war."

-attributed to Abraham Lincoln on his first meeting with Mrs. Stowe

Although I've heard of Harriet Beecher Stowe's well-known opus since I was young, I only recently got around to reading it. Three themes are evident in the book: opposition to slavery, belief in God, the loss of children. Stowe coherently creates characters to preach, teach, argue, and promote her positions throughout the book. She doesn't only speak against the ills of slavery in the South, but uses the characters' dialog to point out the hypocrisy of her own Northern neighbors who oppose slavery but do not want to be friends with blacks. She also criticizes the nascent industrial age and capitalism. Speaking through St. Clare, she writes:

"He [a laborer] is as much at the will of his employer as if he were sold to him.

The slave-owner can whip his refractory slave to death, --the capitalist can

starve him to death. As to family security, it is hard to say which is the worst, ---to

have one's children sold, or see them starve to death at home."

How little things have changed! (A parallel argument is made in The Jungle.) The same can be said of the working class in America today. The North Critical Edition (pictured above) provides footnotes contributing to an understanding of the context and nearly 200 pages of historical and contemporary criticism. If you haven't read this book, give it a try. Along with Stowe's historical perspective of the mid-19th century, we can also see how present-day society is reflected in the past and examine the injustices of today. Although the story-telling is quite engaging, the conclusion is a bit contrived as plot lines are brought together with substantial coincidence.

Eyjafjallajökull

Jody Maroni's - San Francisco, CA

Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom - Home of the Haut Dog - is another stand in the food court of Westfield San Francisco Centre. (See previous post for another food court option.) Here is what they say about themselves:

When Jody Maroni started the sausage revolution, there was no such thing as gourmet sausage, no Chicken Apple sausage with Sherry, no Yucatan with Cilantro or Smoked Pomegranate Sausage. Sausage was basic and boring and truly unimaginative. Jody Maroni changed all of that.

Born at the carnival known as the Venice Beach Boardwalk, Jody Maroni, the Sausage King, has been hawking his handmade family recipe gourmet sausages since the Summer of ’79 when he first fired up his barbecue and delighted all who passed by with his constant banter and deliciously unusual concoctions. He called them “haut dogs” because they were finer and fancier than any other sausage on the planet, and he made them with chicken and duck and lamb and pork and added in all kinds of natural flavorings such as cilantro, oranges, tangerines, figs, corn and apples. Some of them even had beer or tequila for additional flavor and moisture. He gave them names of the places he had visited or dreamed about like Yucatan, Morocco, Bombay, Louisiana and Cuba.

Grant Avenue, San Francisco

Heart of Chinatown

San Francisco is home to the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia. It is a "city within a city" with hospitals, banks, shops, and restaurants. It is also a major tourist site for visitors to the Bay Area. The area is commemorated in the song "Grant Avenue" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical, Flower Drum Song.

Melt - San Francisco, CA

Savory - Uptown: turkey, pesto, jack cheese with a hint of lemon juice

(ordered without avocado or tomato) & salad

Sweet - Strawberry Royale: fresh strawberries, bananas, chocolate (or nutella), whipped cream

An upscale food court is located in the basement of the Westfield San Francisco Centre. (Not your usual mall food court since food is served on real plates and no plastic forks or paper cups are to be found here!) Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe is one of the several food stands. On a business trip to SF several months ago I had to make two trips to Melt - once for savory and once for sweet crepes. I never tried the gelato so I can't make a recommendation. I can say, however, that the sweet crepes were something I'd get again. It is also fun to watch the chef make the crepes while you wait.

Sarah Hogan

I heard this song performed by Growling Old Men - a Montana-based acoustic bluegrass duo - on Prairie Home Companion. A youtube search offered the song performed by Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. As someone commented on youtube: "A mournful song that doesn't sound like one. Poor Sarah..."

Brasa - Minneapolis, MN

Who knew dining in a converted gas station could taste good? Brasa: Premium Rotisserie (600 E. Hennepin Ave.) serves "comfort food inspired by the Creole cooking traditions of the Americas & Caribbean." Although prices may be a little more than you would expect given the relaxed atmosphere, the food I've ordered there is exceptional. If you have the inkling to eat pulled pork or chicken, braised beef, cornbread, collards, grits, beans, or plantains, this is the place to be!

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Yams & Andouille

Peoria, IL

The Peoria area is the third largest metropolitan area in the state of Illinois (nearly 400,000 residents). The city of Peoria itself (pop. 114,000) is Illinois' sixth largest city. Peoria is home to the Caterpillar corporation world headquarters, Bradley University, and minor league teams for baseball and hockey.

Downtown Peoria is located along the Illinois River. A mix of residential, business, retail, and education buildings rise from the city streets. It feels like a downtown from the history books that continues to struggle to find its niche in the 21st century.

The 14-story Pere Marquette Hotel was built in 1926.

Lobby of the Pere Marquette

The Speakeasy - Janesville, WI

The Speakeasy (19 North High Street) rewards diners with good food and an interesting atmosphere. Taking cues from the name, the interior has throwbacks to the days of prohibition. There is a large bar in the center of the old warehouse-style building with booths and tables for diners on the periphery. Private dining rooms are also available. Worn hard wood floors, exposed ductwork, and brick walls contribute to the atmosphere. The dinner menu consists of an eclectic mix of pasta, steaks, burgers, and other meat and seafood entrées.

Chicken & Sweet Potato Chowder

Pretzel Crusted Salmon with Dijon Cream Sauce

and (more!) Sweet Potatoes

Billy Elliot

I found the soundtrack to Billy Elliot: The Musical in the summer of 2006. The show had opened about a year previous in London. I purchased the CD and found the music of Elton John fit well with Lee Hall's adaptation of his 2000 movie. The show opened on Broadway in the fall of 2008. A second American show opened in Chicago this week. I attended a performance during the first week it played in Chicago. I thought it lived up to the expectations - in fact, it is a show I'd like to see again.

The musical revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes. The story of his personal struggle and fulfillment are balanced against a counter-story of family and community strife caused by the UK miners' strike (1984–1985) in County Durham. Hall's screenplay was inspired in part by A. J. Cronin's novel, The Stars Look Down, and the musical's opening song is an homage.

Bait & Switch

Having read Barbara Ehrenreich's earlier book on trying to get by in America by working service jobs, I was eager to see what else she had to offer. Bait & Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream turned out to be a disappointment. In this book, Ehrenreich goes "undercover" and attempts to get a job in "corporate" America. The story she tells of employment coaching, job fairs, networking socials, and resume webposting is somewhat engaging. But she never seems to really be serious about getting a job for which she is not entirely qualified to do. As a result, the portrayal of her failed job search seems somewhat expected. She highlights the dejection of rejection, the deception of efforts put into dead-end seminars and coaching experiences. She conclude the book with what seems like typical talking points of how corporations neglect the humanity of employees.

Wishbone - Chicago, IL

Wishbone (locations in West Loop - 1001 W. Washington Blvd.; Northside - 3300 N. Lincoln Ave.; Berwyn - 6611 W. Roosevelt Rd.) specializes in "Southern Reconstruction Cooking" (according to their website). I call it "tasty comfort food." Breakfasts are hardy; Po' boys and salads are served for lunch. Dinners contain the usual southern selections such as blackened chicken and fish, catfish, crab cakes, crawfish, black-eyed peas, collard greens, sweet potato, and fried chicken. The West Loop location is just down the street from Oprah's Harpo studio. The Northside location is nestled in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The newest location, in Berwyn, is along a non-descript somewhat gritty section of Roosevelt.

Turkey dinner with sides of green beans and sweet potatoes with nuts.

Colorful interior of Northside location.