the ramble

“Most serious of all is the greatly increased risk of some cancers. Cancer, after all, occurs because as cells divide and reproduce they sometimes make mistakes that cripple the cells’ defenses against runaway growth. That’s one of the reasons that our risk of cancer generally increases as we are: our cells have more time to make mistakes. But this also means that any change promoting cell division has the potential to increase cancer risk, and ovulation appears to be one of those changes. Whenever a woman ovulates, an egg literally burst through the walls of her ovaries. To heal that puncture, the cells of the ovary wall have to divide and reproduce. Every time a woman gets pregnant and bears a child, her lifetime risk of ovarian cancer drops 10 percent. Why? Possibly because, between nine months of pregnancy and the suppression of ovulation associated with breast-feeding, she stops ovulating for twelve months–and saves her ovarian walls from twelve bouts of cell division…A woman who takes the Pill for ten years cuts her ovarian-cancer risk by around 70 percent and her endometrial-cancer risk by around 60 percent.”

- Malcolm Gladwell, What the Dog Saw

Did I mention I’m loving this particular long-form essay? Go get this book. Now. Seriously.

Yesterday morning I was in my kitchen with a cutting board on the counter and tears streaming down my face. Not because I was sad or happy. But because of an ENORMOUS amount of onions I needed to chop up. For my soup party last night.

See, and there I had you thinking this would be an emotional entry. Nope. It’s about a soup party.

What’s a soup party? Well, in my mind it was inviting over a handful of people whose company I very much enjoy and making soups. A french onion soup (thus, the onions). A chicken and wild rice comfort soup. A sassy tortilla soup. And a dessert soup–cherry.

There’s something both comforting and exhausting about cooking. I love setting the table with my wild southwestern-colored plates and bowls and glassware. I love chopping vegetables with some music or a radio show or something on Hulu in the background. Letting the warmth and smells of the kitchen surround me. Throwing Luna a few small pieces of cheese and watching her reject a dropped onion.

And then I’m tired. Hoping for some relaxation.

Relaxation that will mostly have to wait–as this week I took on a new project. One I’d been after for a while. With a company that does work that really matters. And the first installment of my work is due today. So, here I’ll leave you for now, as I better get back to finishing it.

I leave you with the seed of an idea–for a soup party. With the picture of me in a tiny kitchen surrounded by red onions and Parmesan cheese and frozen corn and unsweetened cherry juice. And with the very strong smell–which still pervades the house–of onion and garlic.

In a few days maybe I’ll smell like a human again.

A few weeks ago, I asked several of my clever, wordsmithy, hilarious and/or insightful friends to contribute to a week of manifestos! I call it the Manifesto Fest! Because, boy, am I clever.

That manifesto week starts now. First, I’ll let you in on the inspiration for the Manifesto Fest by sharing my final email to these very clever folks:

Dear Kumquats,

I am writing you today because: A. you are all fabulous and B. in your fabulousness, you have agreed to write a manifesto for my FABULOUS MANIFESTO WEEK OF MANIFESTO-NESS!

Currently, I’m planning for this Manifesto Fest to happen the first week of May, but you can certainly send the manifestos sooner.

In case you’ve forgotten, the inspiration for Manifesto Fest came from this: http://www.kimmok.com/514799/THE-MANIFESTO-MANIFESTO

You should probably also read Wikipedia’s entry, because that’s where we Americans get our information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto (I knew I liked the word Manifesto…and now I know why…it’s Italian!)

Need a manifesto example? The communists wrote one. http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/

You want another link? Okay. Puppies! http://cutepuppiespictures.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/cute-face-puppies.jpg

Now, go forth and be clever, be insightful, be hilarious or be someone who links to puppies. I am okay with all these things.

Please send your manifestos to me no later than May 1. Otherwise I will make you read the whole Communist Manifesto.

Much love & Manifesto-ambition,

Gigi

1 round flank steak
leftover red wine, preferably Merlot
meat rub

Making the meat rub:
Combine…
2 tbs salt
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
1/2 tsp onion powder

Making the skewers:
1. Cut the flank steak into thin strips. Rub with meat rub and let sit overnight in meat rub and its own juices.

2. Pour some red wine (create a small puddle at the bottom of the skillet, but don’t cover bottom) into the skillet and heat on medium high heat. Once hot, place steak strips in the red wine.

3. Watch steak strips and flip when you notice the edges browning. Simmer for another minute and remove steak immediately.

4. Spear on skewers and serve.

2 slices fresh Italian bread
thinly sliced brie cheese
truffle oil

1. Place thin slices of brie side by side on one slice of bread, nearly covering the bread.

2. Place second piece of bread on top of cheese. With a small brush, brush top of bread with truffle oil, lightly.

3. Place sandwich in hot skillet with truffle-oiled side down. Paint the second side with truffle oil. Flip when first side is lightly browned. When second side is lightly browned and cheese is melted, place sandwich on plate and eat!

For extra fancy schmancy-ness, add prosciutto over the cheese and serve with tomato basil soup and/or a crisp white wine, like Kim Crawford from New Zealand.