Archive for January, 2009

When you’re in the south, you come into contact, at restaurants and homes, with many forms of biscuits and gravy.  The sense of this biscuit tradition becomes clear if you think about what life was like here in the 19th century — hot, humid, and often on the small and large farms far from markets and without refrigeration. Biscuits and gravy could be made entirely of ingredients which can be stored at room temperature in a cupboard, even if you included bacon along the side, which is the “old days” used to be salted and packed in barrels, not kept in the meat tray of the ‘fridge. 

The biscuits of each house are said to be different, and that’s true because the taste depends on the mixing, the thickness of the cut of the biscuits, and the type of fat you use. I think for purpose of taste white vegetable shortening is best. Other options are lard, butter, and margerine.

First put three tablespoons vinegar into a measuring cup and fill with milk until you have 3/4 of a cup. Let sit a few minutes (the time it takes to mix up the dry ingredients should be plenty) until the mixture curdles. This is your “buttermilk” (you can, of course, use real buttermilk but I’ve never thought it worth the trouble.) Turn the oven on to 450 degrees.

Put 1/2 cup of shortening in a bowl. Now put 2 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking power, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 3/4 teaspoons salt in a sifter and sift over the shortening. Get a pastry blender or a fork and begin to cut the flour into the shortening. You want to get the mixture very well mixed, so it’s all in crumbs.

Now pour the buttermilk over it and stir with a fork until it clumps into a ball. Don’t overmix. The texture of the biscuits will be best if you stir just until it stays together. If it’s a little damp and sticky, that’s okay.

Now put a layer of flour on the countertop. Dump the biscuit dough onto the counter and flatten out with your hands. Press it into about a 3/4 inch thickness and cut out the biscuits. There’s a great variation in biscuit crispness depending on how big and how fat you make them; the bigger and fatter, the softer. I cut them out with a small water glass. Put down some corn meal on a cookie tray and line the biscuits up neatly. After the first cutting of biscuits you’ll have to re-press out the dough a second time to use it up. The dough won’t be as soft and will be more dense so roll it a little thinner the second time.

Put the biscuits in the preheated oven. It will only take about 12 minutes for them to become golden. Do not ignore them, they can burn. Meanwhile make the gravy.

Here the gravy is just beginning to boil and will be removed from heat in about 1/2 minute more.

Melt 3 tablespoons of bacon grease (I’m assuming you just cooked the bacon, or else you keep bacon grease in the fridge) in a large skillet. You can also use butter, but the gravy won’t have as much flavor. Add 3 tablespoons of flour. This makes a “roux,” the base for all kinds of sauces from white bechamel to turkey gravy. Mix the roux with a whisk or if you don’t have one a fork. Mix continuously. Brown the roux a little bit and then add 2 cups of milk. It will sizzle and be watery at first, but keep cooking, soon it will begin to thicken around the edges, then as it begins to boil it will become gravy. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over the biscuits.

Makes about 14 biscuits with enough gravy to cover. Number of biscuits does depend on how big you make them of course.

Dallas Opera, January 23, 25, 28, 31

By Dean Cassella

When one thinks of Italian opera, the names Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini usually come to mind.  If we were to add a fourth, this would certainly be Gaetano Donizetti (1797 – 1848).  Temporally speaking, Donizetti falls between Rossini and Verdi, and in many ways his scores come off sounding like a mid-point between the two.  Much of his work was commissioned for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and the Neapolitans’ tastes at the time tended toward the tragic opera seria (as opposed to the comic opera buffa tradition that Rossini fans cherish so much).

Roberto Devereux is about the romantic relationship Queen Elizabeth I of England and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.  Shakespeare fans are familiar with the particular fascination Italy had in the imaginations of sixteenth-century Englishmen.  Most, however, may be pleasantly surprised to discover that the British Isles occupied a similar place in Italian literature.  One ancient church in Italy even claims to have the sword in the stone of Arthurian legend! 

No doubt the Dallas Opera management, when choosing to produce such works, is aware that Americans are more likely to have some interest in and knowledge of Tudor England.  And it is certainly a treat to see monumental figures such as Sir Walter Raleigh and E.R. herself prancing about the stage.  But this is, after all, Italian opera and one shouldn’t be too surprised to discover that these Englishmen behave in ways that are redolent of romantic Italians: practically every figure the Tudor court appears to be primarily concerned with the status of their romantic relationships— ruling and conquering are mere diversions to while away the time until you can see your paramour once again!

The fabulous sets for this production, done in-house for the Dallas Opera by Benoit Dugardyn, will no doubt have a happy life in other productions around North America.  The set for the royal palace at Westminster subtly evokes the boxes of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre—with the touch that we the audience are watching the very characters that would have sat in those boxes in real life. 

From the moment I could hear “God Save the Queen” worked into the Overture, I knew that I was in for a treat.  Maestro Graeme Jenkins is using a very full orchestra for this production and the singers have proven up to the task of projecting over the exquisitely bright and up-tempo conducting.  Soprano Hasmik Papian made a commendable performance as Elizabeth I, especially in the 2^nd and 3^rd acts.  According to the program, Papian’s repertoire includes Senta in Wagner’s Die Fliegende Holländer, and I can really see her excelling in that capacity.  The real show stealer, however, was Stephen Costello in the title role.  His voice is full without being overbearing, and he certainly has the tenor’s touch in his stage demeanor. 

Someone to watch out for in the future is Texas’ own Scott Quinn, who hails from Marshall and is the current Dallas Opera Young Artist in Residence.  Quinn sings the role of Lord Cecil, one of Devereux’s numerous detractors.  From his first note he sounded to me like Pavarotti, a true lyric tenor with a sweet, soulful voice.  I was disappointed that his role was comparatively small, and certainly hope that we get to hear more of him in future Dallas and Fort Worth productions. 

Donizetti’s music is very accessible, and this production is a definitely of the “take the kids along” sort.   My wife, whose taste in opera definitely runs in the ‘light’ category, really loved the music and seemed to find the plot very entertaining.  “Why can’t the opera companies do more works like this one?” was her sentiment upon walking to the car after the performance. 

Next up for the Dallas Opera in February: Puccini’s La Boheme (always a treat!)

Editor’s Note: Dallas Opera has provided two clips from the production via YouTube:

Substitute teaching allows a lot of good opportunities. You get to meet many people and see what they think, the ones you don’t immediately click with are forgotten, because in the long run it doesn’t matter. The school is, by and large, grateful if you’re competent enough to maintain discipline and finish the lesson plan for the day, and you can work when you want and take a day off when you have to. The hardest thing about being a substitute is the students you have to leave behind.

I think, as I go on in this work, that I am the ultimate soft-hearted person. I find it hard, once I’ve met a group of kids, to move on to the next class. I get worried about the individual students, for example a boy in third grade, who I notice is a good writer but completely dyslexic, so if he doesn’t get learning disabilities testing, it’s possible no one will even realize he has a gift.

Next I get worried about a girl who quiety admitted to me the other day that she kicked a boy, hard, when he wasn’t looking, so that he cried, but said she was sorry and asked please to give her another chance. If I was a permanent teacher I’d find out what was going on that made her so angry; as a sub, I just tell her not to do it anymore, and go on.

Then there’s a boy in third grade who broke into tears because he was going home – he said his mother yelled at him a lot because of his homework.  And  a very thin girl who’s very able in math, I think she should be referred to the gifted program – but will her regular teacher notice? She’s exceedingly unassuming. Another student loves to play soccer … I kick the ball with the kids a bit, I would like to see if his sports skills develop over the year.

In another class, I have them reading aloud to the group, a boy raises his hand anxiously, wants to give this reading to his peers a try, but he bogs down badly in the second sentence and collapses in tears. Oh my gosh … he needs emotional support and help with reading as well! I finish the passage for him, pat him on the shoulder, say it’s okay, not to worry, but I know it’s not okay yet. Someone needs to sit down and find out what’s going ono.

I’ve turned this question over in my head for weeks: do I stay on the substitute track or try to get a teaching credential? As time moves forward, and the deadline to apply to an alternative credialing program nears, it seems to boil down to a question of how I relate to students.  I have an impulse to follow up. Turning this over in my mind, I know what I have to do, apply to get into a credentialing program so I can have a chance at my own class in the fall. 

Urban Issues and Metro:

Fortworthology features a video, “Restoring Civitas,” produced by David M. Schwart Architects about Fort Worth’s Urban Development history. The story of how the Gruen plan was adopted by “a blue ribbon panel” that nevertheless failed to take in any broad based opinions by the people is sobering.  But then, more hopefully, the story continues about how today’s downtown has been improved.

In the ongoing battle about gas drilling West and Clear reports that  there’s an agenda item of the Parks and Community Services Advisory Board to provide for bulding a gas well at Fort Worth’s birthplace, the Heritage Plaza site between downtown and the river. The meeting is for today at 4:45.  Follow the link for details.  

Personal Blogs: 

Kevin at 5Kandcabernets talks about the pitfalls of being a dad sharing custody.

DJane at Blogging Mama wants to introduce you to her online store, Momma Made, where you can shop products produced by local WAHM’s (that’s work at home moms.)  Stop by and help a sister out.  

At Cowtown Chronicles Pete is experimenting with the Podcast art form and Fort Worth Home Video. He apparently created a video-appology for slamming the child tax credit, but I couldn’t watch it due to streaming problems. That was disappointing but perhaps you’ll have better luck; my internet connection has be tres’ slow today. 

Reviewed in Blogs:

A new review of Mary Lucier’s Plains of Sweet Regret at the Amon Carter is offered by THE magazine in Dallas. 

Fort Worth Hole in the Wall dons his imaginary tuxeduo and makes a trip to Zambrano’s Wine Bar down by the Omni Hotel,  to learn how the sophisticated class lives.

Professional Bloggers: 

Dave K. at Dallas Photoworks visits a junkyard to find some photographic treasures.

And Richie Escovedo just presented a talk on how academia can use social media. A blog post outlining his talk, and including the slides he used, is available at his Next Communications Blog. 

It was just over three months ago that this site was set up. Our overall business plan was to

1. Be a local lifestyle website which Fort Worthians could refer to on matters arts and culture;

2. To cover the local education scene in such a way as to serve parents and kids;

3. To look a little bit at real estate, both for those who live her and who are thinking about it;

4. And … this was a big commitment … update every day.

During that time, I’ve become more than a little bit involved in what’s called “Social Media.” Social media involves going on the computer and communicating with others, in your area and around the world, who share various interests.

My social media involvment has driven traffic to the site, mostly through a networking webpage called Twitter. If you’ve been reading this site, you’ve seen the profiles here of some of my Twitter friends over the last couple of months. These have been some of our most popular stories.

The “twitterverse” is full of new ideas. And some of those ideas I have eaten up, like how to modify your WordPress blog theme and how to make blog posts more attractive to readers. Best practices for blogging I tend to pay attention to, though sometimes I can only go so far with that, as recently when I read in a post by @ccseed that we should consider trying to post three times a day.

“Enough is enough!” I exclaimed. Fort Worth Renaissance cannot possibly be updated any more often unless I have some more writers, or the two very part timers I have get seriously serious.  But to each his own, I suppose. I acknolwedge, of course, that more posts per day would objectively be better if possible.

Websites have also  sprung up about how to use Twitter better. One I’ve enjoyed is Zen Habits written by Twitter sweatheart @DaivRawks. Another is Twitter Truth on which you can learn about rules of retweeting, which I have to admit is a good post)

The idea of rules, however, has always made me uncomfortable. And I’ve started hearing from certain sources,  such as Twitter Influence Calculator, that talking about what I’m doing  (I’m writing a blog post ranting about twitter) is some kind of “weak social media networking” and is considered “noise.” There’s an idea that everything we tweet should have a link or a reference of some type. And  one thing I do on twitter is talk a bit about  the weather, dog walking, and fighting children.

Am I strange because yes, I actually want social media to be about meeting people and learning what they’re like, and I assume others are interested in what I’m doing?

There is a time when talk about “best social media practices” gets the better of you and you have to cut through the Gordian knot and say part of what I love about the web is I get to make my own rules for blogging and social media. I”m sending out a notice: if you’re one of those “noise” twitterers, especially if you happen to be in DFW, please add me. I’m at @FWRenaissance. And if you refuse to follow me because I talk too much about the dog sitting under my desk, well, I’m gonna have to do without you. I have to be me.

That’s why I’m so glad that recently Twitter superstar @ChrisBrogan broached the subject of imposing blogging and social media standards when in reality there are no standards. Thank you Chris. It more than makes up for your decision to shave off your beard.

And thanks also to @TheDailyBlond who wrote this post delineating her twitter pet peeves (a guest blog on @David_N_Wilson’s Tweeple blog.) I don’t do any of them. Thank God, perhaps I’m okay after all.

The phone rang in the middle of the night, it seemed, and I heard the message – “the University of North Texas will be closed for inclement weather today … “ and turned over in my sleep. This was directed at my husband, who teaches there, but it probably meant that our school district would be closed as well, that the roads would be impassible, that everyone could just draw a breath and lay their burdens down.

Somehow, my internal clock, which usually pulls me out of bed by around 5, turned itself off and I didn’t wake up until about 6:30.  The feather bed, infinitely soft and warm, seemed to offer a comfort that repayed more for so many early risings, so many worries and long days. The idea of a divine act of God releasing me from my responsibilities for the day was like rain on parched earth. 

I’ve been struggling to keep up with my four-day-a-week work schedule, what with the cold virus that has been passing around in the family and the cars and appliances that keep breaking down and needing to be repaired. Janaury and February are dark months in many calendars — sometimes, looking out from Christmas, I muse that it’s only the strong that will survive until spring — and I missed two days of work last week due to illness.

Even last night, I woke up coughing, more than once. But I had planned, if possible, to make today a full work day. I don’t get paid unless I report.  So I got up at 6:30 and went to check radio WABP to find out if I needed to suit up and show up. The list of closures did not include my schools or the kids’. I drew a deep breath, consigned myself to my fate. I’d better hurry and start making lunches.

At 7:35 I was backing out of the driveway, waving at my mother, who’d come to do her part and drive the kids to school. I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t not want to go either. It was as if the extra hour and a half sleep in the feathers had revitalized me to come back and struggle against this weather, this cough, all the equipment that broke, because it’s this kind of stubborn resolve that makes the entire human project viable. We  struggle and as a people, that is in itself something to celebrate. It’s how we survive.

For school closing info visit WBAP radio  and look under closings. Usually they will update for the new school day sometime between 2 and 6 a.m.

By Pia

I had just about had it. The long lines, the crowd, the mess, the lack of variety, the stark surroundings – I have been shopping every week for our family at Walmart for years, but this week, I said “basta!” “I am going to the local market,  I can’t stand going to Walmart any more. We can go to Costco to buy dairy products to make up for any products on which the local grocer being more expensive.

So, off I went to City Market, on Trail Lake, two miles from our house. I had been in before many times, but just to pick up odds and ends when needed – powdered sugar to make cupcakes one day, frozen berries for pancakes another. With my list in hand, I was ready.

The parking lot had more cars than usual, as it was Saturday afternoon. As I walked in, I was greeted by an employee. After picking from one of the three sizes of carts, I went off to the vegetables. Roma tomatoes, grapefruits, and more were on sale. The produce was more diverse than at Walmart, and I didn’t have to maneuver between a dozen other carts. After loading up the top rack of my cart with salad items and enough fruit to get through a week of lunches (about five pounds of apples, a few bunches of bananas, and some pears), I went in search of the dry goods on my list. It was a bit hard, as the aisles were not what I was used to, but I found everything after a few passes. Also, there were plenty of workers around for me to ask questions of. Many wore TCU sweatshirts, as the University is just down the way. The price tags did not have the price per ounce, as at Walmart, but in places I really wanted to know (breakfast cereal, mainly), I used the calculator on my phone.

I stopped by the deli to get swiss cheese – it was on sale. What a concept, sales! For someone used to “always low prices,” seeing deep discounts was fun. This could bring in more variety to our pantry, as some weeks a certain item is on sale and a better deal, unlike the previous store where I bought the same items every week.

As I walked to the front, I smiled at a low table where coloring pages and crayons were scattered. A sign read “Bring a colored page to the deli and get a free cookie!” This store is clearly interested in entertaining its younger customers, dragged along by reluctant mothers through necessity.

There were no lines that afternoon, and a checker walked out from her post, greeted me with a smile, and took my cart. She unloaded it, and a guy a bit older than my younger brother bagged them up. Another bagger came along with a second cart. After I paid, the two of them wheeled my carts out, waving me to go ahead, and loaded up my car for me! I was so grateful, as the loading/unloading of the groceries is usually the final straw of the shopping experience that absolutely exhausts me.

Leaving, I felt taken care of. I had some new items we haven’t had before – including locally produced pasta – “Our Best; Made in Fort Worth, Texas, Since 1899 by the Laneri family.” A review of that to come later. And the price — well, I have to say, with the sales and all, it seemed to me it was about the same. All I can say now is, we’re going back next week!

City Market
3563 Alton Rd
Fort Worth, TX 76109
(817) 921-4020

Lately, I have been doing the old “what am I doing wrong” in my search for an eligible bachelor. More specifically, what is up with all the guys who don’t quite work out? I think I have the answer.

They were cat people.

Now, before you laugh and tell me I’m just desperately looking for something upon which to pin my disappointments in love, wait. I really think I’m on to something.

Whether a guy is a cat person or a dog person is significant. A dog person is more dynamic, likes activity, and doesn’t mind getting dirty. A cat person, on the other hand, is looking for quiet, peace, and serenity, things which I cannot offer to anyone.  My life is chaotic, and I come from a family with a chaotic style. There’s no way a cat’s going to make it in my house, especially since the dog breed I like best, the Basenji, makes a point of eating them.  

So: what actually happened with all my “bad relationships?” They were cat people. Guy who was chasing me from the seventh grade on, but then disappeared? Cat person. Boyfriend in eighth grade, who lasted 8 weeks? Cat person. High school sweetheart, who has now parted ways with me and is across the country? Cat person. Every guy in my high school group? Cat people.

Even guys I meet I don’t actually want to date, they’re cat people too! That one who met me in eighth grade, and called up every sixth months, and, even though he had a girlfriend, kept asking me questions like “so, if she and I broke up” or “so, why have I never kissed you?” and, my favorite, “I’ve got a project and need a model to photograph” and this has gone on for five years! He’s a freakin’ Cat person. It’s an epidemic! Other male cat people in my life include my father and my mentor in high school.

 I’ve begun to wonder: do guys who like dogs even exist? Where does one go about finding them? These cat people think reading books and lying around are proper Saturday activities.  I’m telling you, there’s a link. 

I admit that guys who read books and lie around petting the cat are cute.  At first. But the past is the best predictor of the fucture, and eventually, there’s going to be problems with a guy who likes cats. At least for me.

Am I doomed to keep attracting men who love cats? Maybe not.  I recently asked the guy whom I somewhat have my eye on which animal type he preferred. He responded “It depends, but I like calm pets.” Hmmm… at least he doesn’t have a feline in residence. There may be hope. Honestly, please, no more cat people. If a cat can’t make it in my house, how can a cat person?

Deuces.

For the last few weeks, the house has been mixmasterless.  My old reliable Kitchen Aid started running slower one day a few weeks back, then really slow, and finally groaned and stopped. This is not a good situation, but I keep forgetting to take the machine down to Fort Worth Shaver and so we’ve had to learn to live by hand mixing. Okay, so say you’re me, you want to make molasses cookies and not in a way that involves machine mixing. This is not too hard. I mean, the pioneers did it, after all, and a lot of them lived to tell the tale. 

Molasses spice cookies go perfectly with coffee, any time of day.

When baking by hand, it helps if you give yourself some extra time. First, probably a good half hour to hour before you want to begin, take 12 tbsp.  (1 and a half sticks, or 3/4 cup) of butter out of the ‘fridge to soften in a medium sized bowl. If the house is not particularly warm, you may want to cut it into tablespoon-sized pieces to soften faster.  

After the butter is soft, set the oven to 350 degrees. Next, get the flour and spices together and sift them into a large bowl.

2/14 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp.  ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Now, to the first bowl, add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar to the butter, and cream together. This is the step you can’t do if the butter isn’t softened. Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add two eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/2 cup molasses.  Mix all these ingredients until they form a batter, and when all are well incomporated, dump the batter into the flour mixture. Stir it up until incorporated.  Now you have your cookie dough.

Before anyone eats too much of the dough, grease a cookie sheet and drop the dough by spoonfuls onto it. Make sure all the cookies are basically the same size and nicely spaced or they won’t bake evenly. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until done. They are cooked when firm and the bottoms are slightly browned but not black. Remove from oven and cool on a rack or newspaper or on the cookie tray if that’s all you have. Serve with coffee. Hide from children. And that’s about it!