I am talking with my mom on the phone, when we start discussing the garden Phil and I are putting in and I say the fateful words: "long term."
My mom responds, "How long term are you talking?"
"Well, Phil did apply to Humboldt State, so I think we are going to be here for at least a few years."
My mom makes a sound on the other end of the line, "hmmph." Then, silence.
"Don't sound so freaked out," I plea.
"Well, I'm just worried that you are holding yourself back," she says.
"Mom, if there were somewhere else I wanted to go or something else I wanted to do, I might be being held back, but for now, everything I want is right here."
When I was a kid, I worried that I had to have some big, impressive plan for my life - shiny and glossy with achievement and prestige slapped all over it. I told my teacher in third grade that I wanted to be the president of the United States, and I think that I believed that I needed to at least aim for that.
In college, I began to find myself. In academia, I thrived, but I further internalized the energy of go, achieve, prestige. Approaching graduation, armed with plans and no shortage of support from my ego, my trajectory suddenly veered. I didn't want what I had always wanted. After collecting my diploma, I boiled everything down to two priorities: I wanted to use my degree and I wanted to travel. So, I worked my butt off at a super stressful job in politics, then I bought a one-way ticket to Thailand.
It's been a bit of time since I took off to South East Asia, but walking through the dinosaur-aged redwood forests of Arcata, California, I tell my mom that I still want the same things as I did back then. I still care about the same issues; I still feel the same fire. However, I also want some things that hadn't occurred to me when I was twenty-one, such as cultivating positive and meaningful relationships, discovering a path not governed by my ego, and searching for fulfillment - yes, and happiness..."long term" happiness. My beliefs haven't fallen out of step in terms of my angsty, political fervor, but new and unexpected happenings have continually redirected my path towards taking advantage of unplanned possibilities, leaving me feeling as though my life isn't determined by this moment right now, nor will it be the same in 30 years as it is today, but if that were the case, and that's what makes me happy, then why is that so bad?
We talk about prestige and we talk about expectations for ourselves and for others, but we are harsh. We cut out the hippie shit that pertains to feelings and adventures, and we stick to ladders and dollars - so that we can actually do some measuring.
"Well, it's just not what I would have chosen for you, that's all."
I tell her, "we can't rely on plans...the world doesn't seem to work that way." But, what I mean is, "I'm not in a big ol' hurry...and for now, I putting down roots."
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Sweet Potato Green Chile Enchiladas
When I opened the door in rainy Arcata - to find a package on our doorstep all the way from New Mexico, it meant only one thing: green chile!
For any New Mexico person, green chile might be the single most important thing in the world. Okay...food related. Seriously, it might be the single most nostalgia-inspiring, delicious vegetable ever put on the planet. So, the arrival of green chile meant a special kind of cooking was in our future.
If, when I say, "chile", thoughts of beans and southwest spices enter your brainwaves, you need to plan a visit to New Mexico and come to understand the majesty of a green chile...which has nothing to do with some kind of soup thing...and sure as shit only touches rice on the side of a plate. (Rice is a side dish...get it the hell out of burritos...unless you are eating Mexican food...which isn't the same as New Mexican. Typically here, I make some kind of joke about the "new and improved" Mexico. That's not how I feel. It is just a joke. However, it is important to note that New Mexico has a unique and distinct culture...with diverse food relating to its own region and not the same as the country of Mexico.)
I digress. I'm writing to share a recipe that I have adapted and fused with New Mexico deliciousness for a meal that needs to be memorialized. This has been a family recipe since my mom had the incredible inspiration to use sweet potatoes as a substitute for meat in tamales and enchiladas - a delicious veggie option, but my carnivore partner loves them too. Let me know what you think!
Sweet Potato Green Chile Enchiladas
Ingredients:
New Mexico green chile. Hot.
2 large sweet potatoes
A couple of Anaheim peppers
Tortillas
Cheese...now we are just being obvious.
1 Onion
Beans
Enchilada Sauce. Up to you. Green...red...Christmas?
Spices: cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon.
Phase 1:
Roast Anaheim peppers on the stove or broil them until black. Place them in a paper bag. (This helps the skins come off.)
Bake sweet potatoes - once soft...mash them and then season. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, and cayenne...then cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste.
Prepare pinto beans - or use a can of refried beans...either way, you need a bean spread.
Brown onions in a frying pan. About a cup of onions, but I won't tell you how to live your life.
Preheat the oven to 375 or so...
Phase 2:
Warm the tortillas for a minute in the oven.
Shred cheese. I used sharp cheddar. You could used pepper jack. Or, you could mix and match. Up to you.
Defrost the previously roasted green chile. Once defrosted, run them under water and shed off the outer skin, seeds, and stem from the chile. I used 3 hot peppers for this meal. Think about your fire eating abilities...and maybe think about the fire eating abilities of your friends and family. Be considerate...or if you don't want any of your room mates eating your food without permission...make that shit spicy. Haha. Kidding.
Do the same with the Anaheim peppers. (Run under water, shed skin, seeds, and stem.) Then, cut them open.
Add the onions to the sweet potato mixture. Mix.
Phase 3:
Prepare your enchilada sauce. Normally I am a supporter of making every-ting from scratch. (I just think it is infinitely better and that you should challenge yourself to learn new things in the kitchen.) Last night, I didn't have any red chile powder, but I was at the grocery store and I found that they actually had Hatch products...so I bought enchilada sauce - both red and green...and settled for medium. (Only because "hot" wasn't available...where am I??)
Phase 4: Assemble
Spread beans in the center of each tortilla. Make a thin, but healthy layer.
Next, place a strip of Anaheim pepper on top of the bean layer and top with good sized, even dollops of sweet potatoes.
Roll up the enchilada. Place in a lightly greased deep dish or cast iron. Repeat until you have the enchiladas filing the dish. (I usually fit 4 at a time.)
Pour your enchilada sauce over top. Go crazy. This is like a bath for the enchiladas and Christmas should be celebrated.
Cover with additional green chile to make it hot and then cheeeeeese!
Bake for 20 minutes.
Phase 5:
Think of your home and the meals you create with the people you love.
Phase 6:
Eat your heart out. Enjoy!
For any New Mexico person, green chile might be the single most important thing in the world. Okay...food related. Seriously, it might be the single most nostalgia-inspiring, delicious vegetable ever put on the planet. So, the arrival of green chile meant a special kind of cooking was in our future.
If, when I say, "chile", thoughts of beans and southwest spices enter your brainwaves, you need to plan a visit to New Mexico and come to understand the majesty of a green chile...which has nothing to do with some kind of soup thing...and sure as shit only touches rice on the side of a plate. (Rice is a side dish...get it the hell out of burritos...unless you are eating Mexican food...which isn't the same as New Mexican. Typically here, I make some kind of joke about the "new and improved" Mexico. That's not how I feel. It is just a joke. However, it is important to note that New Mexico has a unique and distinct culture...with diverse food relating to its own region and not the same as the country of Mexico.)
I digress. I'm writing to share a recipe that I have adapted and fused with New Mexico deliciousness for a meal that needs to be memorialized. This has been a family recipe since my mom had the incredible inspiration to use sweet potatoes as a substitute for meat in tamales and enchiladas - a delicious veggie option, but my carnivore partner loves them too. Let me know what you think!
Sweet Potato Green Chile Enchiladas
Ingredients:
New Mexico green chile. Hot.
2 large sweet potatoes
A couple of Anaheim peppers
Tortillas
Cheese...now we are just being obvious.
1 Onion
Beans
Enchilada Sauce. Up to you. Green...red...Christmas?
Spices: cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon.
Phase 1:
Roast Anaheim peppers on the stove or broil them until black. Place them in a paper bag. (This helps the skins come off.)
Bake sweet potatoes - once soft...mash them and then season. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, and cayenne...then cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste.
Prepare pinto beans - or use a can of refried beans...either way, you need a bean spread.
Brown onions in a frying pan. About a cup of onions, but I won't tell you how to live your life.
Preheat the oven to 375 or so...
Phase 2:
Warm the tortillas for a minute in the oven.
Shred cheese. I used sharp cheddar. You could used pepper jack. Or, you could mix and match. Up to you.
Defrost the previously roasted green chile. Once defrosted, run them under water and shed off the outer skin, seeds, and stem from the chile. I used 3 hot peppers for this meal. Think about your fire eating abilities...and maybe think about the fire eating abilities of your friends and family. Be considerate...or if you don't want any of your room mates eating your food without permission...make that shit spicy. Haha. Kidding.
Do the same with the Anaheim peppers. (Run under water, shed skin, seeds, and stem.) Then, cut them open.
Add the onions to the sweet potato mixture. Mix.
Phase 3:
Prepare your enchilada sauce. Normally I am a supporter of making every-ting from scratch. (I just think it is infinitely better and that you should challenge yourself to learn new things in the kitchen.) Last night, I didn't have any red chile powder, but I was at the grocery store and I found that they actually had Hatch products...so I bought enchilada sauce - both red and green...and settled for medium. (Only because "hot" wasn't available...where am I??)
Phase 4: Assemble
Spread beans in the center of each tortilla. Make a thin, but healthy layer.
Next, place a strip of Anaheim pepper on top of the bean layer and top with good sized, even dollops of sweet potatoes.
Roll up the enchilada. Place in a lightly greased deep dish or cast iron. Repeat until you have the enchiladas filing the dish. (I usually fit 4 at a time.)
Pour your enchilada sauce over top. Go crazy. This is like a bath for the enchiladas and Christmas should be celebrated.
Cover with additional green chile to make it hot and then cheeeeeese!
Bake for 20 minutes.
Phase 5:
Think of your home and the meals you create with the people you love.
Phase 6:
Eat your heart out. Enjoy!
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