by Carolyn on July 25, 2010
When harpoon-caught swordfish appears at the market, Umami Girl gets back in the game after a seven-year abstinence.
How the time went by is another story altogether, but it’s been seven years since I was the type of fresh-faced girl who thought having children was for old, boring people. They say that’s enough time for cell renewal to have made me a whole new person, inside and out. I think it shows, don’t you? Not coincidentally, it’s also been seven years since I started imagining that swordfish leaves a metallic taste on the tongue and a greenish glow in the eyes.
Before that, I really liked swordfish. Loved it, even. But that’s what happens when you’re neurotic to the core and start to think about becoming a parent. You don’t just heed the warnings about mercury. You live them. (Sure, you acted all blasé in college, but you never really learned to calibrate your fears, did you—only to suppress them. See how we’re talking about you here, by the way?)
Now that the baby is about to turn two, I’ve been yammering a fair amount about reclaiming my “personhood” in all its neurotic glory. As far as I can tell, this means taking on some additional freelance writing work if I ever get around to pitching anything, maybe buying a couple of cute new pairs of pants for the fall, and finally getting my hands on (and my head around) a couple of swordfish steaks again. Yeowww!
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This week, Lily faces the future. Having committed to work in sustainable food, her job search links the future of her career with the future of our food supply, our national security, and our very existence. No pressure, right? It’s a good thing she’s got grace to spare.
Thanks to the good people at the South Bronx Food Co-op for a great year
This is my last week at the South Bronx Food Co-op. As an Americorps VISTA for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, I served this country in the South Bronx, working to build capacity in a small, struggling, well-meaning non-for-profit organization whose mission is: “To provide affordable and nutritious food to all residents of the South Bronx (and NYC) while empowering the local community by encouraging good health, providing relevant job skills and fostering environmentally responsible activities through democratic cooperation.” Having taken the same oath which the president of the United States takes, I entered into a year of service at the perfect time: fresh out of college, a little experience, a rough job market and the willingness to live on $13,330 of salary for one year, minus taxes, plus food stamps, basic medical, transportation and the invaluable acquisition of experience and connections. The recession special.
I consider the past year now as I look to the future. There was a discouraging article in the New York Times last week, just in time to get pumped for what lies ahead. The end of July means the end of my service and the start of the search for the elusive job. Now there’s an endangered species. One of my friends’ semi-permanent status message is “funemployed.” Talk about optimism. As long as we have bad puns, everything is going to be A-O.K.
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by Carolyn on July 21, 2010
Eggplants growing off the hook? We’ve got you covered with an umami-packed recipe for eggplant caponata and seventeen million other tips and recipes (count ‘em!) on how to make the most of your haul. Tonight I’m serving the caponata and crumbled fresh goat cheese baked on a whole wheat pizza crust. Read the full post and get the recipes here on Serious Eats.
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