Galbi

I don't recommend indoor "grilling" on one of these cast iron pans unless you're really desperate for a barbecue. Well, what else did I have to do on a cold January night with snow in the forecast? But you can expect to spend more time cleaning up the grease-spattered stove than you will eating the tasty meat. In this case, marinated Korean short ribs.

I thought John would be surprised having an exotic treat I've never made before, but he just said, "oh, yea-- that's kalbi." Or was that "galbi?" He works in a culturally diverse group, and they sometimes have international foodie potlucks that sound pretty sumptuous.

These short ribs were good, even though they came in a package pre-marinated by Safeway. Galbi is traditionally served alongside lettuce and rice with a spicy dipping sauce called Ssamjang.
I violated the customs of Korean cuisine and we ate them with wide Chinese rice noodles. And a romaine lettuce salad with (canned) Mandarin oranges. Not bad for a indoor winter barbecue. I had plenty of time to contemplate this as I cleaned up the kitchen.

The Enchanted Garden

There's nothing "enchanted" about the January garden view outside our window...

The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo
Maria Stillman

Here's an old story from Boccaccio's Decameron, about a dissatisfied wife who wishes for a garden that's as beautiful in January as it is in May...

Messer Ansaldo chases after the married woman Dianora, and in moment of recklessness she says she will yield to him if he achieves the impossible and produces a garden in winter with the flowers and fruits of spring. As the painting shows, with the help of a magician Ansaldo creates a May garden despite the snow that is falling outside the wall in the 'real world'. Dianora is now faced with a difficult situation, but decides to confess all to her husband, Gilberto. Gilberto suggests she must comply with Ansaldo's desires. (Maybe he was tired of her?) However, moved by Dianora's honesty to her husband, Ansaldo releases her from their "contract."

I guess the moral is-- be careful what you wish for. The story is the subject of another famous painting by John Waterhouse.

The Enchanted Garden

John Waterhouse

Back to work

"Icons and Eye Candy Exhibit"

December was busy and I didn't even have time to work at the Museum of History and Industry. I missed the Seattle World's Fair projects and my friends down in the library. When I finally went back yesterday, I could see that things had been happening to get ready for the upcoming move. This ramp I've walked down dozens of times to the basement is closed off now, and the big artifacts like Lincoln's Toe Truck are being moved to the new location on Lake Union.

MOHAI has been in the same building since 1952, which gives an idea of the daunting job of relocating over 60 years worth of museum collecting. Having toured the warrens beneath the public areas, I know there isn't a spot, space or corner in the old building that doesn't have something stored in it. What you actually see on display in a museum is just the tip of the iceberg.

Scheduled opening, November 2012

Grand as the new Lake Union location is, unfortunately there isn't enough space in this building for the stored collection or the staff offices. So countless decisions are being made about what and who goes where and why. The collections will have to be stored off-site and the research library will relocate to a warehouse in South Seattle. Obviously this will also be a big change for the staff and researchers, who are all accustomed to working at the Museum.

I started volunteering at MOHAI two years ago this month, and I'm grateful to the head librarian for trusting me with challenging work right from the start. When I finally stopped to count, I realized I've written 15 new finding aids for the Seattle World's Fair collections. Best of all, the project is finished in time for the 50th anniversary of the fair in 2013. I was doing some Century 21 research the other day, and accidently Googled up one of my published finding aids. That gave me a nice little jolt of satisfaction. (Even humble archivists have egos.)

Well, speaking of lovely artifacts that have stood the test of time, today is Wilda's birthday. We hope it is happy with many, many returns!

One Mexican eggplant

The other day I bought a little eggplant that was too small for our favorite meal, eggplant Parmesan. So instead I tried this vegetarian side-dish with saffron rice. It's easy to make with what you have on hand, no recipe required.

Heat some olive oil in a pan, then add chopped onion, garlic and one finely diced eggplant. Cook everything together slowly until fork tender.
Then I chopped a fresh Roma tomato and some red fire-roasted peppers from the fridge. I had a couple cups of left-over cooked rice in the freezer.

Right before serving, stir in the rice, peppers and tomatoes with a squeeze of lemon juice...

Of course this would have been a healthy, light supper on its own, but it was even better with a breaded pork chop. Hey, it's January.

Wolf moon

The Old Farmer's Almanac calendar says today is a "full wolf moon." With an 80% chance of rain, we probably won't see the moon in Seattle tonight. There are a few harassed coyotes running around the city, but thankfully no wolves.

"Wolf moon" was the name given by Native Americans to a full moon that occurs in January. Maybe they heard hungry packs of wolves howling outside their villages. Full moon names date back to when tribes kept track of seasons by giving names to each recurring full moon. Wolf moon was a time to sit by the warm fire in silence and appreciate the safety of home and kinship. Now we sit in front of the television.

When the European settlers came along, they adopted some of the Native American moon names and added others of their own:

January- Wolf moon
February- Ice moon
March- Storm moon
April- Growing moon
May- Hare moon
June- Flower moon
July- Hay moon
August- Corn moon
September- Harvest moon
October- Hunter's moon
November- Snow moon
December- Winter moon

A time lapse image of the full moon in France, courtesy of SpaceWeather.com

Home-born happiness

A little jonquil from the grocery store, and a turkey pot pie on a cold Friday night. I hope your January weekend is full of simple comfort.

O Winter, ruler of the inverted year...
I crown thee king of intimate delights,
Fire side enjoyments, home-born happiness,
And all the comforts that the lowly roof
of undisturb'd retirement,
and the hours of long interrupted evening, know.

William Cowper
1731-1800