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Thanks to everyone who has read this blog over the past year. This has been a fun way to chronicle our transition from Austin to Boston. Now that we’re settled, it’s time to end this blog and try something new.
So, if you’re so inclined, please follow me at my new site: huevolution.com.
Ingrid made pork the other night and tonight I chopped that pork up and turned it into tacos de carnitas. Of course, carnitas are usually made with pork shoulder, but these were still yummy with salsa and corn tortillas.
I made the salsa out of green chilies, tomoatoes, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, cilantro and lime. The recycled pork tacos were delicious. We had great sweet corn on the cob earlier in the week too. We had to cobs left, but one of them had already dried up so we had to share our split our last one. Still, I’d say it was a successful meal.
papas con chouriço
I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately. Usually, when this happens I wind up cooking since so much of my childhood memories are filled with the home-cooked goodness of my mom’s kitchen.
So, last week I went to our nearby grocery store to find chorizo to make one of my favorite dishes, papas con chorizo (potatoes with chorizo). One of the things I love about our neighborhood is that so many immigrants have made their homes in the Boston area so it’s usually very easy to find foods from all over the world. In particular, folks from Portuguese speaking countries (Portugal, Brazil and Cape Verde) have immigrated and remained here in large numbers. In fact, the second most commonly spoken language in the entire state of Massachusetts is Portuguese and not Spanish like every other place I’ve lived.
Naturally, I found chorizo, but it wasn’t the Spanish or Mexican variety that I’m used to. Instead, it was the Portuguese version of this delectable pork sausage–chouriço. I thought I’d give it a go and try to make papas con chorizo chouriço. I knew this simple (but delicious) breakfast food wouldn’t be like mom’s, but I had to try it.
The results were surprising. First, the consistency of chouriço is much tougher than the mexican version. Also, Portuguese chouriço is far less oily than it’s fatty Mexican cousin. The Portuguese chouriço has a much stronger smokey flavor, while the Mexican chorizo has a bit more of a chile kick to it. I like the flavor of the Portuguese chouriço with potatoes, but it’s not the same as the mushy, fatty stuff of my childhood. Still, this newfangled culinary mixed breed has done the trick and satiated my taste for home, for now.
Here’s a photo of the version I’m used to along with a link to a site that has a good recipe for papas con chorizo tacos.
papas con chorizo recipe courtesy of taste of home.com
My last post stole from a Curtis Mayfield song so this one will too. Given the Sunday coverage of the Henry Louis Gates story, it seems that the media is ready to move on from GatesGate. According to most reports, all it took to soothe racial tensions was a phone call from the president and the promise of beer. While I suspect there are many unresolved issues for both Crowley and Gates, it’s good to hear both men are now willing to speak to one another on more civil terms.
As the media spotlight dies down there are still important discussions about race that need to take place. Yesterday afternoon my wife and I walked by Gate’s Cambridge residence. The news vans were mostly gone but we noticed that the area in front of the house was peppered with a couple signs that illustrated clearly that this incident has struck a nerve. Here are the two we could read:
“Playing the RACE CARD when there’s no RACISM just breeds contempt and division.”
signs in cambridge 1
“Groundless RACIAL accusations promote RACIAL division!”
signs in cambridge 2
There were a few more signs resting by a tree, but we didn’t bother reading those. We had read enough to get the point. While the anonymous author of these signs was nowhere to be found, the message was loud and clear. There is still much work to be done with regards to race. This piece in the New York Times by Glenn Loury gets to some of the issues underlying this case.
…and finally, a short clip (including a conga solo at 3:27) from the late, great Curtis Mayfield.
pear, gorgonzola, walnut pizza
We ate every well tonight. Ingrid and I made this pizza with bosc pears, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and caramelized onions. Ingrid has become a master at making the dough and I can crumble cheese. We make a good team.
We had several notable meals in Seattle too. They weren’t all deep fried, but it sure felt like that. Here are a few of the highlights.
deep fried goodness at ivar's
dim sum at jade garden in the international district
fried donughts at tom douglas's dahlia bakery
Here is a photo of my brother Eric and me in the 80s. I can’t remember exactly where we took this but I remember that Thriller shirt.
Like just about every kid my age, I thought Michael Jackson was the coolest man on the planet. I did anything I could to be like him. Thriller was amongst the first records I owned and in addition to the sleeveless fashion gem seen above, I also had a red “Beat It” jacket and, of course, a white sequenced glove. Eventually, I stopped trying to dress like the King of Pop, but, like most people, I remained a loyal (if silent) subject of his royal smoothness.
It was sad to hear about Jackson’s death yesterday. Now, the inevitable tributes and retrospective biopics have begun. Every element, the good and the bad, of Jackson’s life will be brought to light yet again. While there are certainly more important things happening in the world, it’s hard not to think about the this creative blur of a man who danced, sang, and made millions of us happy doing those things so well.
It’s hard to believe that graduation was just a week ago today. It’s harder still to believe that the program is over. The year flew by quickly thanks to great teachers, interesting classes and, more than anything else, a star-studded group of classmates. I’m thankful to have been a part of such a talented lot and I hope to keep in touch with many of these good people for years to come. I’m glad the future of higher education is left to these able hands, agile minds and compassionate hearts.
In addition to celebrating with friends, I was fortunate to have 6 family members in town for the festivities.
eddie, nick and eric
My two brothers flew in from Austin and traded in their comfortable beds for our hard floor to see their older brother graduate. This, I think, is significant, since they both love their sleep. It also isn’t insignificant to say that they are still the two “things” I miss most about Austin. Smart, easy-going, and funny, Eric and Nick always make me happy when they’re around. I thank them both for being great brothers and good friends in spite of whatever childhood torture they may have endured by me.
eddie and maggie
My 80+ year old Great Aunt Maggie made her first trip to Boston to see her nephew graduate. She and her late husband, Uncle Bob, were always there for my brothers and me. Aunt Maggie remains the most positive, cheerful, and vital person I know. At 83, Aunt Maggie gave most of us youngsters a run for our money by easily traversing the uneven streets of Cambridge in heels! I’m glad that she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and, I’m delighted to have her in my life.
carlos and eddie
My cousin Carlos and his two sisters have always been some of our closest (and coolest) cousins. That Carlos took time out from his busy schedule designing space treadmills in Houston is a big deal. As kids, we would read our grandpa Carlos’s National Geographics. He’d look at photos from space and I’d look at images of people in far away places. In some ways, we’re still doing a version of that. As Carlos looked up to space, I looked up to him. And, I still look up to him now.
eddie sr, eddie jr and sylvia
Mom and Dad have always provided Eric, Nick and me with their complete love and support. Dad has always instilled his unparalleled sense of justice and healthy skepticism in authority, while mom has always been the paragon of compassion and commitment to caring for others. If my brothers and I have taken just a tiny bit of these virtues from our parents, we’ll be in good shape. Beyond this, mom and dad are funny–they’ve taught us to laugh, and it was good to laugh with them all again this past week. I’m lucky to have them as parents, and I was happy to have them here last week.
ingrid and eddie
And finally, my wife Ingrid played hostess to this motley crew of Texans. She was gracious and composed, thoughtful and cheerful as always. She made the week go by without a hitch. Even in the face of 5 boys (and I include myself in this lot) living in her apartment, she kept her sincere smile. All of our guests, male and female, made a point of reminding me to thank my wife for her hospitality. And so, Thank you Ingrid for you hospitality, love and everything else.
black and white
The last post was about color. It was brief and impressionistic. I had more to say, especially about some of the great artists I mentioned, but I got distracted with thoughts about the past.
Over the past two days, I’ve been looking at old photographs and thinking about time spent at home and in far away places with strangers, friends and family. When done well, the best of these pictures capture unique moments in time–a shot of my lovely wife on my 30th birthday on a warm Austin afternoon, a summer vacation with my pensive brothers in Vienna, an aimless afternoon in Boston, and a forgotten alley in New Mexico. All of these are loaded with meaning or simple beauty.
Today, these images continue to stimulate a torrent of memories from my past. I’m glad these instants are captured forever in photos. And, as Henri Cartier-Bresson said so elegantly, photographs should satisfy the heart, the mind and the eye. I look forward to more satisfying shots, more memories, and more inspiration from moments and masters like Cartier-Bresson.
Speaking of inspiration, it’s time to lie back and reflect on a few of the many brilliant photos from the master himself.
Henri Cartier-Bresson. Hyde Park in the grey drizzle. 1937.
Ingrid's tulip
School is over so Ingrid and I have been able to enjoy some of the benefits of a New England spring. Although we miss the wildflower season back home, the flower show in Cambridge has been nothing short of stunning. Ingrid has snapped some beautiful shots of the flowers in our neighborhood and beyond. She has put many of her photos on her site, here.
I’ve also started a new project that I’ll post more about soon. For now, here’s a fuzzy teaser graphic.
After visiting the Slacker Museum, Ingrid and I had a stroll down Quincy Street past the Carpenter Center for Visual Arts. This is the only building by Le Corbusier in North America, and it’s a real gem on campus. I’ve been meaning to take some photos of it, but the skies have always been a bit too grey.
This afternoon the sunlight danced down on the Carpenter Center particularly well. I think as the spring turns to summer and the sunlight begins to make a stronger appearance, this building will truly shine. Speaking of shine, snapping photos of this great building reminded me of my friend Rino’s work. I wish Rino could have been with us today–he can truly bring drama to his photos, and he’s a joy to be with at any time.
Spring has started and although it’s still a bit cold, Ingrid and i were able to take a lovely walk down Cambridge Street this weekend. Along the way from the Lechmere Station T Stop to our apartment, we usually pass an italian restaurant with this mural of Frank Sinatra.
I’ve seen this place before and I always smile as I walk by. Seeing (or hearing) Sinatra always reminds me of my Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob was one of those people who had a knack to make people feel happy and loved. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since he left us.
Uncle Bob’s wife, Aunt Maggie, continues to live her life to the fullest. I’m lucky to have a good chat with her every week and, although I miss seeing her smile, i’m always happy to hear her voice. Hopefully, we’ll get to see her in May for graduation.
I’ve been thinking about a new banner for this site for a few days. I tried a quick “spring” like banner a week ago. It’s here:
This one didn’t last very long. A few nights ago I was flipping through a few of my old photos and found some great photos Ingrid took at one of our boot shopping expeditions in El Paso. El Paso is the western boot capital of the world. And, whenever I’m in town I like to poke around in a few of the factory outlets next to my house. This year, my brothers Eric and Nick joined in the fun and bought their first pairs.
Anyway, I plan to make the next few postings about boots. Until I do, here’s the newest banner.
The semester is almost over and all of the good students are busily writing papers and prepping for happier times. Me? I’m trying to come down from my end-of-the-year Ed School Holiday Bash high by stuffing my face with homemade bagels and peppermint bark.
The party last night was a blast. The food was good, the people were better. Photos are posted here.
This week we had a flood in our apartment. I’d write about it, but I should focus my writing efforts on these stupid papers that can’t seem to write themselves. Besides, video speaks louder than words.
the first snow
It snowed today, although, it didn’t accumulate at all. For me, the mark of a good snow is a day off from school or work. Today was Sunday so there was a fat chance of that happening. Oh well, at the very least, it was pretty while it lasted.
I’ve updated the banner to accommodate the imminent winter chaos in New England. Hopefully the benevolent snowman dingbats will help ease the transition into our killer snow season.
Ingrid and I wen to the Harvard Yale game last weekend. It was the 125th meeting of the these two teams. In honor of this landmark anniversary, the mighty forces at Harvard and Yale were able to order 125 degrees below zero weather. Harvard won, and we’ve finally thawed off. It’s a good thing too, because it’s time to get down to some serious turkey eating business.
Last weekend Ingrid and I stopped by Harvard Stadium in preparation for next week’s Harvard Yale game. Around here, they call it “THE GAME.” Since Ingrid and I will be at THE GAME on Saturday, I thought I’d post this calm-before-the-storm photo. It’s a bit shameful, since I never attended a single game at UT, but this feels more like a novelty, or historical reenactment.
Speaking of history lessons, this marks the 40 year anniversary of the so-called “Greatest GAME of All Time.” There is a Salon.com article, and movie about that game–a tie!–and here is a quote from Andrew O’Hehir:
“I’m sure that football fans in the southern and western seven-eighths of the country would dispute the point vigorously, but for a certain Northeastern upper-crust sector of American society, no single event in college gridiron history comes close to the legendary status of the Harvard-Yale game that occurred almost exactly 40 years ago.” For more, here’s a link to the article.
Needless to say, I can’t imagine a tie should be given such a lofty title. The best game in my football watching lifetime was the 2006 Rose Bowl victory by Texas over USC.
On the Friday before the election, Bill Moyers had this to say, “Democracy, this is still the most radical idea ever let loose in the world -that masses of people, so feared and loathed by monarchs of old, so distrusted by monied and political elites, should be charged with self-government, and get on with it, imperfectly, crudely, but with the idea of creating a prosperous society that leaves no one out. That’s not mystical, either. It’s been at the heart of the American experience, the hope that sustains one generation to the next. Every election is an effort to retrieve that radical idea and breathe new life into it.”
On Tuesday, the most diverse electorate this country has ever seen made their choice and have injected new life into this radical idea of democracy. Regardless of what happens over the next 4 (or even 8!) years, this is a moment that America can be proud of. And, while the media is prone to hyperbolic headlines to generate readers, I can’t help but think they’re right on with their above-the-fold pronouncements of this HISTORIC VICTORY.
Photo by: Matt Rourke
In a grass roots move fitting this post-modern, rainbow coalition, electronic presidential candidate, president elect, these two folks are creating on online and physical collage of all the headlines from today, November 5, 2008. I look forward to seeing their results and will go collect some papers now to contribute to their project. Here is there site: Headlines Eleven/Five
My mom sent us some chile de arbol from El Paso, and my brother sent us our blender so i was finally able to be productive this week. Sadly, productivity in the kitchen doesn’t fit into my grad school curriculum, but the enchiladas (of death, because it’s halloween and dia de los muertos) were tasty, and so picoso they almost made my wife cry. i know should have shredded some more cheese one top to neutralize the spice, but we ran out, so all the cheesy goodness is on the inside.
nuestra voz by rafael lopez
“I paint it for my young son Santiago as Obama represents the hope I have for his future. For my wife who teaches at San Diego City College, an urban
community college and for her students because Obama knows that education is the open door that changes lives and he will make it a priority. Both my
parents were born in Mexico and were architects and teachers who taught me to be a world citizen. I believe this nation is part of a global community and Obama can change the negative perceptions that cloud the future as he is a man of ideas who values and understands the social, economic and cultural issues of our time.”
–Rafael Lopez
I found this poster and quote from Rafael Lopez on designforobama.org. It’s a site I’ve been enjoying for the past few days. There are some good, and even some great, designs there. Sometimes though, the designers get too snarky and obsessive about the technical aspects of design. Discussions on kerning, centering and gradients are all common there. It was wonderfully refreshing to see this heartfelt piece amidst the “you had me at gotham” typeface geekfest (btw, i too love gotham). I think design is best when our shared sense of humanity is illuminated in the work. Regardless of what one thinks about the candidate (and I certainly support him), one cannot deny the artistic integrity and humanity of this piece. Gracias Rafael por su voz.
Breakfast Tacos are a staple in Austin. They didn’t really exist in El Paso. There we ate burritos, which were also tasty, but not nearly the culinary and social phenomenon that they are in the Capital City.
Needless to say, breakfast tacos are a non-entity here in Cambridge. This is a donut town. And, while I don’t mind living in a place that so freely worships sugary fried dough, I occasionally miss those little rolled missiles of Tex-Mexy goodness. I made some breakfast tacos this weekend and have posted them here in all their glory.
I also made some cappuccino.
This week also marked the official mid-term of the fall semester–and what a busy mid-term week it was! Many of us in the Higher Ed program had papers due in more than one class. Hopefully, my professors and teaching assistants are kind in their grading, but if not, I’ll go into business selling breakfast tacos to the Harvard kids.
…and cold is still cold.
We got to see Oscar Winner, Nobel Laureate, and (oh yeah) former Vice President Al Gore this afternoon; although, it was hard to think seriously about global warming in the chilly October afternoon.
Harvard has taken an active role in pushing the green initiative and Gore graduated from here nearly 40 years ago so it was a fitting moment. Let’s hope we can all do our part to reduce our dependence on oil and other dirty fuels.
Whenever I have a paper due, everything else seems more important. Next week there are two papers due. Rather than write, I felt the need to chop the fresh jalapeños my mom sent me from home. Hopefully, now that I’m sufficiently spiced, I can get to work.
Ingrid and I had a fun Saturday Afternoon. We tried to find the Alewife Brook Reservation and while we couldn’t find the entry way to the foot path, we did find a few lovely photogenic spots along the way. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon and it made for more nice fall photos.
Although we missed the Car Talk guys, we were able to catch the end of the March Fourth Marching Band at this year’s OktoberFest in Harvard Square. After the fest we went to grab food with some school friends at a place called wagamama. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday evening.
There are some great photos from our weekend on tickledorange.com too. Actually, most of the good photos on this site are my wife’s too.
I’ll try and update these banners every one or two months, or as I get bored. This is my tribute to the fall and Dia de los Muertos. The Onion recently had a great video on the impending doom of the, “insanely brisk autumn,” and this reminds me a bit of their spoof. Here’s the video:
Extreme Weather Alert: Meteorologists Predict Intensely Brisk Autumn
Aside from the regular threat of falling leaves, the week has been relatively uneventful. School continues to move along quickly, but, luckily we haven’t had an onslaught of writing assignments yet.
There really haven’t been any surprises. The leaves are starting to change, the weather is getting cooler, and (since this is an election year) the campaign ads are getting more vicious. The third week of classes zipped by quickly and I barely noticed that we’ve been in Cambridge for a full month.
Margret Spellings, the US Secretary of Education, came to speak at the JFK school on Wednesday. She gave a fairly short talk on the state of education in the United States. Sadly, in the context of the presidential election and the current economic crisis, her major announcement didn’t seem so major. She unveiled a new, simplified FAFSA that should help reduce one of the hurdles many students face in applying for federal aid. Let’s just hope there will still be lenders and money available once the new forms get printed. There’s a short article about her talk in the Harvard Crimson.
HGSE has posted a short Q & A with professor Bridget Terry Long. Dr. Long is an expert in financial aid and has been doing some very interesting work on financial aid simplification. We all get to take a course with her next semester, but for now, here’s her response.
There is also an article on the speech in Inside Higher Ed.
Here’s a shot of Spellings (and her futuristic outfit) from the Crimson.
Madam Secretary (photo by KANE HSIEH)
Originally uploaded by p25eddie
We had a wonderful discussion today in our Higher Education Pro-Seminar on the myriad of issues loaded into a typical college president’s inbox.
Needless to say, the class discussions made me feel like I needed a coffee break.
As I was drinking my espresso, Drew Faust, the president of Harvard, sent the university community this email. It was a great real world example to help supplement our in-class discussions. The coffee was good too.
The first week of classes has come to a quick end and here’s the recap.
take a byte!
We’ve made it to Bristol, VA with clear blue skies and broad sweeping views of the Smokey Mountains.
eyes on the road
We’ve safely made it through most of Tennessee but not without more weather, some accidents, and a trip through a presidential museum. Sadly, we didn’t see Elvis, but Gustav was with us for a good part of the afternoon. Tomorrow, we’re off for Virginia.
the remnants of gustav
here we go
Eric took this photo before we left his Austin apartment this morning. I think it tells the story of the morning quite well. He’s taken quite a few good shots and posted them on his Mac Mobile Me Gallery. After 500 miles, 8 hours, two states, a few tornado warnings, and a Mexican Food dinner in Hope, we’re sitting safely (if soggy) on the outskirts of Little Rock, AK. Tomorrow, we continue our Magical Mystery Tour through Tennessee. Hopefully, we won’t have anymore weather maps that look like this.
Gustav hits Little Rock
Originally uploaded by p25eddie
Here’s a snapshot from one of our last nights in Austin. Like so many other nights here, this one was made special by good friends, good food, love and laughter. I’m not sure who took this photo, but I like it very much.
Thanks folks! Ingrid and I will miss you all. You’re all welcome to stay with us should you ever find yourselves in Boston.
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