Pam's Corner

September 19, 2001—My Story about September 11th

The place I work at is around the corner and about a block and a half from "ground zero." For whatever reason, I never heard the first boom, but the second, and larger one scared the pants off me and everyone else in the office, as well as making the building shake. We all ran to the window in the conference room and there were, almost immediately, hordes of people running up Murray St. to Broadway, away from the World Trade Center.

At first, we didn't know what to do. None of the folks on the ground seemed to know where they were going and none of us wanted to be a part of that. We turned on the TV but the cable wasn't working properly and we could only hear, but that's how we found out what had actually happened.

Some co-workers who had stopped at a client first and were just coming in had walked through the WTC court and had actually seen some folks who had thrown themselves from the windows and these co-workers were walking wounded and needed our attention.

We figured at least we were safe (for the moment) where we were. There was some smoke, but it seemed like there was nothing for us to do. Then, out of nowhere the lights in the office flickered several times. We looked at each other and said, "We're outta here!" Everyone ran and got their stuff, turned off their computers and we all went out into the main hall.

As we got to the staircase, a voice came over the building PA system and hysterically yelled that everyone should leave the building immediately. No one had to tell us twice. When we got down to the lobby floor and opened the door, the smoke was billowing into the building itself and by the time we reached the doors, we could see nothing but a solid wall of smoke in front of us. You couldn't see three feet ahead of you, if that.

There were 2 cops standing right in front of the doors telling us to leave the building and go north up Broadway. I managed to keep sight of two of my co-workers and we started up Broadway. For the first 5-6 blocks, it was solid smoke, full of particulates that made us choke and gag and got into our eyes and covered us with white film. We later found out that this was debris from the WTC itself.

After we finally got out of the smoke, we turned around to see what was happening and that's when the first tower collapsed. I dearly hope never to see anything like that again in this or any other lifetime.

We continued up Broadway and a short time later the other tower went. People were panicking, but considering the incredible number of people in the streets, it was almost eerily quiet. No one knew what to do. Cell phones weren't working and people were desperate to get a hold of loved ones. No one knew how they'd get home unless they lived in Manhattan, like me.

No one knew if trains/buses were running or even if Penn Station or Grand Central Station were open. Nothing. Everyone was trading no information and speculation. I kept thinking that it was like one of those old campy Roger Corman sci-fi movies, like The Killer Tomatoes Devastate New York. It was that surreal. The white film that was covering everyone who had come from downtown like us just added to the unreality of it. I walked the 2 1/2 miles home and the folks I was with went to the Port Authority (1) and to her son-in-law's office (the other). I was never so glad to see my own house, I can tell you.

August 27, 2000—I Just Don't Get It

Every so often something comes along that, even after I think about it, still leaves me with a lasting feeling of, “I just don't get it.” While I can't speak for anyone else, I find this feeling not only annoying but disconcerting. It makes me want to figure out why I don't get it, and what bothers me about it.

I know there are some things that I'll never understand—cold fusion, abstract mathematics and why people like hot dogs on a stick, for instance. But it doesn't bother me at all that I don't understand these things—they're just stuff outside my sphere and I accept my own shortcomings.

Occasionally, though, I'm both at sea and bothered at the same time. This happened recently and it's been bothering me ever since, and now I think I'm finally getting a handle on it and I'd like to share, in case anyone else thinks about these things too.

A short time ago my sister-in-law Jane sent us an article she had clipped from a magazine, as she thought we'd find it entertaining. It was a very long article about a youngish man who has lived for years in the back hills of the south somewhere with few modern conveniences and very limited contact with anything most of us would call popular culture, even in its' broadest sense. He doesn't read magazines or own a TV. He certainly isn't computer-friendly. For a long time he lived in a tepee on his land, but he's moved up to living in a tool shed now, but presumably without heat or electricity. He kills or grows all his own food and makes his clothing from the hides of the animals he kills to eat. To cultivate his land he uses an old-fashioned animal-drawn plow.

In order to support this lifestyle (which he has chosen freely, as opposed to being forced there out of poverty or other need) this fellow gives lectures to various school groups on the value of his way of life. He runs camps at his property at regular intervals to show people how they can live this way. He has even come up with a fully-developed plan to encourage families all over the country to adapt to his way of life, step-by-step (the first step is giving up the TV and then other electrical appliances and progresses from there).

After reading this article and absorbing the fact that the author, although she admits that this sort of life is not for her, clearly finds this man's lifestyle most admirable, my question was (and remains), why?

Granted, from biblical times onward there have always been people (mostly men) who have chosen to live apart from the society of their day. St. Jerome and Thoreau come imemdiately to mind (although Thoreau didn't do it forever and still kept active friendships with many of the intellectuals of his day.) But is this separateness admirable in itself? Is it admirable for a person to turn his (or her) back on whatever strides society has made for its' betterment and actively encourage others to do so as well? I just can't think it is. If it were up to people like the fellow in this article we'd all be back to living without medicine, heat, easy communication and the convenience of store-bought food and clothing. To what end? So that our days could be spent killing and raising our own food and making those clothes rather than (perhaps) trying to make the world a better place?

To me, this fellow seemed so supremely egocentric and self-satisfied that the more I thought about him the more annoyed I became that he might possibly turn a child who potentially could invent the cure for cancer into a Davy Crockett clone of himself.

Don't get me wrong. I think that many of us, myself included, have perhaps gotten too far away from the natural order of things. If we live in a large city we probably get no closer to actively participating in the growing of things than a planter on our terrace or a few herbs on the windowsill. I grew up, in the suburbs of New York City, honestly believing that meat naturally came in cellophane wrapped containers, never really putting it together with the animal that gave it's life for it. A lot of people had small vegetable gardens, but they certainly didn't depend on them for their main sustenance. It's a great thing that there are now, in NYC for instance, co-operative gardens that allow people the opportunity to raise vegetables or flowers in Manhattan even if they have no house garden of their own. That seems a healthy way to incorporate a respect for nature into a modern existence. Or, if one lives in the suburbs, one would of course have a garden of some sort on their property.

Certainly most city-dwelling (and probably suburban) women today don't make their own clothes—and why should they? It certainly doesn't save time or money. And unless you're incredibly talented, they certainly don't look better. Why would we want to give up our well-fitting store-bought clothes for ill-fitting (and probably smelly) ones we made from animals we had to kill in the first place to get the hides? Or from sheep that we had to tend, shear and spin the wool from just to get the fabric? What would this prove? That we could go back several hundred years to a time when most people were desperately looking for a way to make that time-consuming and unpleasant task easier?

I finally do understand now what it is about this fellow in the article that annoyed and disconcerted me. He wants to go backwards and he wants us all to join him. Not only do I find this idea unpleasant, I find it dangerous. Dangerous to women because it would again tie them to home and kitchen. Dangerous to society because progress would cease and ignorance would grow. Far from encouraging this man to talk to children and encouraging them to his way of life, I would stop him from having contact with young minds. If you want your kids to get a sense of what life was like a few hundred years ago take them to Williamsburg or one of the other well done historical restorations, so that he can appreciate how far society has come since then and how lucky he is to live in a time when he is free to make strides of his own—but always forwards, not backwards.

July 15, 2000

Maybe Richard's "rocks" have started to rub off on me. Maybe I'm just getting crabby on my own. Or maybe it's just that there are fewer things that annoy me, but when they do, they do.

In any case, I was half-watching the TV Food Network the other day and Martha Stewart came on. I guess I should say that as a rule of thumb, Martha really gets on my nerves. Not only does she preach living a lifestyle that would probably make very few people happy, but she does it in a tone of voice that makes it plain that if you're not doing it her way you're just not trying.

When I started to think about what it was about her that set me off, I realized it was several things:

She is almost anal about exact measurements and quantities for things, whether it be a recipe or a crafting project. For instance, when she needs a teaspoon of salt in a recipe, she always measures it. Most of the other chefs who have their own shows, as well as most reasonably proficient home cooks, can measure out a teaspoon of a dry ingredient into their hand and pour it into whatever is cooking. But not Martha. Everything is just so and exactly the same every time. This is not fun cooking. This is work. I've always thought that the reason a lot of people don't like cooking is because they imagine it's too exact (and exacting!). If the only person they watch is Martha, they're right. She makes cooking seem daunting instead of fun and creative. And she makes it seem as though perfect is the only result that is acceptable.
In the same vein, her kitchen, her crafting area, her other TV rooms look as though nothing in the way of real life ever happens in them. Nothing is "homey." Everything is perfect and foursquare. If I ever were to spill something or drop something in a room like hers I'd probably just run and hide.
She doesn't look as though she's enjoying herself! If you ever watch any of the other popular chefs—Bobby Flay, Ming Tsai, Mario Batali or (especially) Emeril—you notice right away that they are loving what they're doing and they want to share their love of food with you. They're full of ideas to help you substitute or alter their recipes. They want to make it easy for you to try something new. They mostly preach minimalism in terms of cookware and kitchenware. Not Martha. On the show I watched, she was toasting sesame seeds for a recipe. Most of us would do that either in the oven or in a hot, dry frying pan. Martha recommended a Japanese sesame seed toaster such as the one she "picked up" in Tokyo, but that poor you "might be able to find" in a Japanese market. Who in their right mind would even waste their time looking for such a thing? How often would you use it?
She's a rotten dresser. She must be making a fortune in her various enterprises. Why can't she wear anything other than ill-fitting button-front blouses and black slacks? If she's propounding a well-lived lifestyle, can't she manage to look the part? We're not talking couture kitchen clothing, but surely she might find a few moderately appealing outfits. What kind of frumpy role model is she? Even Julia Child dressed better than she does!

I believe in cooking for other people and I do think one should make food look attractive, as well as taste good. But people like Martha make the average person feel insecure about their own abilities. If you like the stuff she does, by all means emulate it. Some of it is terrific. But don't worry about trying to duplicate her efforts exactly so that you can feel rotten if you fall short. Remember, you're doing it on your own. She has a whole staff to help her!

November 28, 1999

Hi again! I'm finally getting around to a second installment of recipes. All three of the recipes are quick (less than an hour from start to serve) and good. All are among Richard's favorites (and you know how picky he can be!). I don't know that they should all be served together to form one meal, as I think the tastes would not complement one another, but that's up to you. I served the soup with rolls and a simple green salad for a quick dinner. The Ben Benson salad was served with a roast chicken and potatoes. I've served the Lemon Dessert with lots of different things and it's always delicious. All three recipes are ones I've adapted from other sources, to suit myself. I hope you like them as much as Richard does!

HEARTY CORN & CLAM CHOWDER
4 Servings

3        slices            bacon (I used turkey bacon), chopped
1        cup                onion, chopped
1                               carrot, chopped
2        tsp                 dried thyme leaves
1        large              bay leaf
1        lb                    red-skinned potatoes, peeled & cut in 1/2" dice
8        oz                   bottled clam juice
1        cup                evaporated skim milk
15      oz                   creamed corn (canned)
2        cans              chopped clams (6.5 oz. each), undrained

Saute bacon in heavy medium pot over medium heat until fat begins to render, about 3 minutes. Add onion and carrot and saute until vegetables begin to soften, 5-8 minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf; stir, 30 seconds. Add potatoes, clam juice and evaporated skim milk. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Add corn and the clams with their juice; simmer about 2 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

BEN BENSON'S SPECIAL SALAD
(Adapted from a recipe used at Ben Benson's Steakhouse in NYC)
6 Servings

3        medium        cucumbers, peeled/halved/seeded/coarsely chopped
1        small             onion, thinly sliced
1/4     cup                 white wine vinegar
1/4     cup                canola oil
3        Tbs                sugar
2        Tbs                fresh dill, chopped
1/2     lb                    green beans, trimmed & cut into 1/2" pieces
1        lb                    asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1/2" pieces
8        oz                    hearts of palm (canned), cut into 1/2" pieces
2        med.             ripe tomatoes, cut in 1/2" dice
1        cup                lettuce (I used Boston) thinly sliced
2                               anchovies, patted dry and finely chopped

Place chopped cucumbers in a large bowl. Add sliced onion to cucumbers. Toss cucumber mixture with vinegar, oil, sugar, dill and salt and pepper to taste.

Have ready a bowl of ice water. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook beans until crisp-tender, about 5-6 minutes and transfer with a small sieve or slotted spoon to the ice water, to stop cooking. Add beans to cucumber mixture. Return water in pan to boil and cook asparagus until crisp-tender, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus in a colander and pat dry. Add to cucumber mixture.

Rinse and drain hearts of palm. Add with tomatoes and lettuce to cucumber mixture and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Add anchovies to the bowl and toss again. Serve.

LEMON DESSERT
8-12 servings

1        cup            flour, unsifted
1/2     cup            margarine, softened
1/3     cup            nuts, chopped fine in the food processor
8        oz               low-fat cream cheese (not the whipped kind)
1        cup            Confectioner's sugar
2        cups          Cool-whip lite
2        pkgs         Instant lemon pudding mix (approx. 3.75 oz. ea.)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix flour, margarine and nuts in medium bowl. Press into a 7x11" or 9x13" glass baking dish. Bake 12-15 minutes in preheated oven, or until light golden brown. Cool.

While crust is cooling, mix cream cheese, sugar and 1 cup Cool Whip with a hand mixer or spoon to thoroughly combine. Spread over cooled crust. Mix lemon pudding as directed on package. Pour over cheese layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill until ready to serve.

October 3, 1999

Hi!This will be my first attempt at Pam�s Corner. I have many favorite recipes, both my own and ones I�ve adapted from other sources. I hope you�ll like them and try them, and that you�ll let me know how they turned out. I also would love it if you let me know how you change or adapt any of my recipes to fit your own needs and tastes - I can always use the input and the insight, and I might like your way better!

This Spinach Lasagna recipe is adapted from the Wellness Lowfat Cookbook. I found it to be good-tasting as well as healthy.

SPINACH LASAGNA

3/4      lb.                 mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced
3         cloves          garlic, minced
1         cup               onion, chopped
2         cans             tomato puree (16 oz. each)
1         tsp.              dried basil
2         tsp.              dried oregano
2         T                  fresh parsley, chopped
                                salt and pepper to taste
1/2     tsp.               red pepper flakes
12      oz.                lasagna noodles (regular or spinach)
2         pkgs.           frozen chopped spinach, thawed (10 oz. each)
1         T                  olive oil
1         pinch          nutmeg
2         cups           low-fat cottage cheese (1% fat)
2         oz.               part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
2         T                  Parmesan cheese, grated

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13� glass baking dish with nonstick spray.

Meanwhile, combine the mushrooms, garlic and all but 2T of the onion in a large nonstick skillet; cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Add the tomato puree to the skillet. Stir in the basil, oregano, parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Squeeze the excess water from the spinach. Cook the reserved 2T onion in the 1T olive oil in a nonstick skillet until softened. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates. Add salt and pepper to taste and the nutmeg and remove skillet from heat.

Place the cottage cheese and milk in a blender and process until smooth; set aside.

Spread a little tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Form a layer using 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the tomato sauce, half of the cottage cheese mixture and half of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat with 1/3 of the noodles and tomato sauce, and the remaining cottage cheese, mozzarella and spinach mixture. Top with remaining noodles and tomato sauce and the Parmesan cheese.

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly; remove foil during the last 10 minutes. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.

Total time: About 1 hour 45 minutes.

Note: You can add ground turkey or ground chicken to the tomato sauce, as well as chopped Italian cooking peppers. Whole wheat lasagna noodles work fine too. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve a larger group.

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