Family Man

1. Less than a week after their wedding, Allen and Elsie invited Allen’s sister Phyllis McKimpson over for dinner.  Phyllis insists:

I tried to refuse because I felt they were entitled to have the time to themselves, but they insisted.  At the dinner, Allen was serving the meat.  I thought—aha!  I wonder how long that is going to last!  I think it has lasted a long time

1. There’s the way Daddy never forgets, and won’t let you ever live down, embarrassing situations.  They way he lifts his hat back, scratches his head, and says, “Well, I figure”—always counting ears of corn or bales of hay or the number of pheasants or something.  There’s his gentle spoofing of those who pass by on Prairie du Chien Road and eye his field corn.  They see only the giant varieties planted in the first row.  (Hopefully they don’t see the splinter supports keeping a few from toppling over!)  We children can count on our annual supply of Daddy’s sweet corn, Indian corn, and the best popcorn since Orville Redenbacher.

1. Dawn Lang (Jamie’s Wife)

Always the teaser, one of the first times I met Grandpa Lang he told me I needed to have boys with Jamie since he was the last Lang.  He was very funny about it, but also a bit serious too.

1. Joy Lang

My favorite anecdote from the distant past was when Grandpa, knowing my Bohemian background, would always have a new “Bohemie” joke to tell me.  (These were usually variations of Polish jokes.)   I also remember his big bear hugs when he would almost lift me off the ground!  He and Grammie always made me feel welcome from the first time I visited their home with Gayle.

1. Jo Rummelhart Madison, Wi

Becky,

I have so many memories of your dad and mom at Pinehurst.  The wink in

Docs eye, when he would walk thru the door in his work clothes, and as

all us girls what we were up to.sitting at the round table  in the

kitchen playing cards………how he would just be “supervising” a

bit, when we were arriving for one of the famous lang “barn”

slumberparties…likely having helped with the preparations, and

wondering if we would hurt .ourselves on a swing rope or jumping the

hay bales.  But most of all, I remember the time when Doc let me

“ride” with him on his calls.  Becky and I both went, and I don’t know

if Doc planned a “special” outing for us two or not, but I remember

arriving at a farm…and looking at a pen full of large…too

mature…hogs that needed castrating.  Well, Bec and I got in there

and did all we could….and I could see Doc smiling between tackling

the hogs.  This was followed by the much remembered exam on a

horse…we looked at the leg…and then the well know VET GLOVE came

out!  ah…I enjoyed that day and my experience will Doc.  I also am

proud that Becky “grew up” to become a vet herself….and follow in

her dads footsteps.  I always loved having Doc and Elsie in the house

during those many hours I spent there. They were both a “second set”

of parents to me.

Jokes and Fun

1. Allen was remembered for one of his practical jokes while living in the schoolhouse, and Elsie was a collaborator on this one also.  Allen and Elsie’s sister-in-law Lee Mehlhop had come to Iowa City to have an embedded wisdom tooth extracted.  She remembers:

During the night I of course was sleeping on the davenport because I was to have a lot of pain later in the evening.  I tried to fall asleep, when the blankets kept coming off of me and I would pull them on again.  Would you believe your dad and mother were in the bedroom next door?  Allen had a string on my blanket and kept pulling them off.  Finally I got up and was going to see what was doing this.  Of course your dad was all set up for this!  They had a draw curtain between the living room and their bedroom, and when I went through the curtain he had all kinds of boxes and various big items, and, or course, I fell over the whole thing and your mother and dad really chuckled—as they figured I would have to investigate this mysterious moving blanket.

1. Bob Womer recalls when Allen, Elsie, Marie (Elsie’s sister), Gayle, and Tania moved in with them while the schoolhouse was being readied:

When you people and Marie lived with us while they were fixing up the schoolhouse we had so many good times.  One time we think about was when we all had the flu.  Bob and Elsie were real sick.  They seemed to meet each other to and from the bathroom.  Your Dad brought home a gallon jug of Pepto Bismol from the office to get us all over the flu.

1. Allen has always been an active “checker” and “tester” of things.  The unbreakable electric skillet he jumped on did not pass the test, and he had some difficulty at Bob and Ruth Frees’s farm one fall:

Every fall when we chopped silage Dr. Lang would have to drive over it with his car to make sure we had it packed good enough (just for the fun of it).  That’s what he said.  But one time he got stuck and we had to pull him out with the tractor.

1. Lee Becker

“How about the time you had a room full of guests and George and I were in the vicinity.  We were all sitting around when you decided to pass the candy and nuts; when it came to me you said “Oh wait, I will get another sack of candy” – then when I reached in to get a piece of candy from the new sack, a sparrow flew out and scared the hell out of me.  Of course everybody really laughed.”

1. William Gay, DVM

I’ve heard Doc’s sayings since I was fifteen years old:

Farmer:  “How are ya, Doc?”            Doc:   “Sober.”

Regarding a treatment:   “It cures onions, bunions, corns, fits, freckles and farts.”

Regarding administration of the treatment:   “Now give this at three in the morning.”

Regarding Doc in a hurry:   “I’m off like a herd of turtles with a north wind heading south going upstream.”

Regarding Phil-Lu birds (and cold weather):

Farmer:               “It’s damn cold.”            Doc:   “Cold enough to see Phil-Lu birds.”

Farmer:                  “What the hell are those?”

Doc:    “You only see these birds when it’s -10° or -20° out because they eat black pepper.  They come in all sizes and shapes and colors and they fly backwards so they’re rear ends don’t burn.  If they’re out warmer than -10° they just blow up.”

Vet

1. Doc Lang always did a lot of large animal work and he always made house calls.  He would put 80 – 90,000 miles every year on his car, a four-door sedan with the back seat removed to make space for medicines and equipment.  Every year he drove to Vinton and traded his car in on a new one.  Seems that one year the country road and Doc’s speed had been too much for the car.  He drove into Vinton, crossed the railroad tracks, and the rear end fell off right there on the street.

1. From a poem by Lil Dean:

Now, about Allen

OUR good friend, friend of animals, friend of young people.  He has a way with animals.  He knows how to treat them.  He talks to them. He cares, and the animals know it.  He thrives on young people, has been helping them all his life.  Time and again we read of various honors he has received.  Then, we might read where he was picked up for speeding.  He gives advice, too, now and then, such as, “Tie cotton balls on screen doors to keep flies away” or “Never paper train your dog, because just about the time the paper is on the floor and in use you’ll want to read it, and that’s no way to read a newspaper!”

1. From 50^th Anniversary: performed by grandchildren, “Talk to the Animals:”

Our grampa talks to the animals, just imagine it, crooning to a cow in bovinese,

Imagine talking to a Tom cat, pleading with a porker, what a neat achievement you can see.

Since he can talk to the animals, learned their languages, even took an animal degree,

He studied Simmental and angus, basset hound and beagle, cocker spaniel, Hereford, pig and flea.

He can converse in limousine and duroc, and he can cuss in fluent cockatoo.

If people ask him “Can you speak ramitis?” he says “Damnrightis!  Can’t you?”

And he confers with our furry friends, man to animal, think of the amazing repartée.

A man who walks with the animals, talks with the animals, grunts and squeaks and squawks with the animals, and he can talk all day.

And he consults with the quadrupeds, think what fun he has, taking little critters on his knee,

He calls them Ewe, Brute, and Suzy, Ichabod or Mitzi, what a lovely Heinz Variety.

Oh he can chew with the ruminants, the advantages any fool on earth can plainly see.

He jokes of backwards filaloobirds, oh and then “Have you heards?” that’ll be a sure laugh, you’ll

agree.

He’s learned to speak in St. Bernard and daschund, his Pekinese, it is extremely good.

If he were asked to sing in weimeronerous, he’d say, “Why noterous?” and would!

If he could parley with pigilets, it’s a story tale, worthy of James Herriott, the vet,

A man who walks with the animals, talks with the animals, grunts and squeaks and squawks with the animals, he sure can talk you bet.

He’s studied ev’ry living creature’s language, so he can speak to all of them on sight.

If friends say, “Can he talk in sheep or lambican?” we say, “Like helican!”  And we are right!

And if you just stop and think a bit, there’s no doubt of it, Doc has won a place in history, and he can walk with the animals, talk with the animals, grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals and they can squeak and squawk and talk to our grampa.

1. Gary Moss

“When Doc was called out to our dairy farm, it was for a serious purpose.  But I don’t remember much of the seriousness.  I remember the humor.

Invariably, an animal would need an injection of some kind.  And the same syringe that was used to administer the shot was called upon to strike fear, terror, and uncontrollable giggles and squeals from any youngster in the vicinity as Doc would pursue the helpless kid with what seemed like a four-inch needle.  Of course, the adrenaline that was pumped because of that needle made escape a certainty.  But there sure were some tense moments as we frantically searched for the nearest exit.

This was a time when little girls wore plastic headbands to keep their hair in place.  After the syringe has been safely put away and the scattered little masses had ventured back from their various sanctuaries, Doc would decide that he needed a headband for his hair.  Whichever little Moss girl was within reach first would find that she was suddenly headband-less.  After much pleading, threatening, and demanding, the headband would be returned none the worse for wear of course, but with a little girl vowing that she would never let that happen again.  And, of course, it would happen again.  Well, this happened so many times that Becky and Rachel decided to teach Doc a lesson.  So they went out a bought him his own headbands.”

1. Tom Wall

“When I was about 7 years old Dad and Larry had all the sows tested for rhinis(sp?).  The tests had to be done once a week for about 6 weeks.  The tests  were always done on Wednesday at 7:00 am.  On the second week I woke up late and grabbed a banana and headed for the barn.  Doc had already arrived and was setting up for the tests.  He saw me finishing my banana and wanted to know where his was.  When I told him I didn’t have any more he ribbed me all that day and all of the next week.  So, in order to maintain my mental health, I slipped a banana into a sack and took it with me one morning.  Doc saw me that morning and asked where his banana was and told me what a terrible thing it was to have a hungry vet.  So I reached into my sack and handed him the banana.  I must have satisfied his need for potassium because I never heard another word about that banana.”

1. Bob and Dorothy Russell

“An Ode to Good Friends”

Through the darkness and the light,

Through thick or thin,

Doc and Elsie were always there to help.

“A Liberal Interpretation of the Above Comes Out”

Through the night and the day,

Through constipation or diarrhea, and all in between,

We’ll get that critter back on its feet and feed!

Elsie somehow always got Doc to the trouble spot,

Before or after dark!

And we could count on his bedside manner

To pull us through this crisis.

We knew all was well, when Doc would say,

Well, “Flute-Ma-Gout” that ought to do it.

1. Jeannie Edwards

This year we returned to those thrilling days of yesteryear.

A day with Uncle Dick and Doc,

And for that day it seemed as though I had turned back the clock.

We tried our hands at several things, to help the best we could,

But covering ourselves in mud is what we did really good.

The lunch that served to us rated as big wow,

But I still missed our daily stop and the good old “Purple Cow.”

1. Bob and Helen Long

“One thing for sure, Doc Lang will never be forgotten around this country.  When Lower Muscatine Road was a gravel road we were used to seeing him fly by.  Some days he made the dust fly coming down our lane for a few hours of work and camaraderie.  By the one incident that really stands out in my mind was the Sunday A.M. that I went with him on a call west of Cosgrove to take care of some cattle that had shipping fever.  The cows were scattered out in a field full of ruts and baled hay.  No way to catch those suckers, so Doc decided he would ride on the hood of the car and rope them while I drove.  Well, between the ruts and the bales I nearly lost him several times, so I decided he better get in the car before he fell off and I ran over him.  I think he never let Elsie know about all of his antics, or she would have been worried all the time.”

1. Danette Riley

“After marrying Mike Lehman, I was lucky to see Dr. Lang more often as he came out to the farm to work on the cattle.  “Whoa Darlin” was his favorite expression, much to the chagrin of the Lehman boys as a cow would kick or break down a gate!

Mike’s favorite story is one Doc tells on himself.  Dr. Lang showed up on an early morning call and found the farmers were just sitting around with no gates or corrals in place to work the cattle.  When Dr. Lang asked why they weren’t ready, they replied that they figured they might as well wait for his instructions and do it right the first time!”

1. Betty Sedlacek

“Another anecdote on Allen was everybody knows what and early riser Doc was.  Our neighbor Ralph Wescott was having Doc come out to do some vet thing for him at 7:00.  Well, Doc slipped out there probably anytime after 6 and Ralph waited and waited watching for Doc at 7.  He thought it was funny he was late.  Well, upon calling in to inquire where Doc was, he was told “Good Lord I was there hours ago.”  Ralph Wescott used to laugh til tears ran down his cheeks.  How Doc tricked him.

One particular night years back, when Don was living, we had Doc out about 10 or so for a sow who couldn’t pig, then on [watching the heat lamps on the sow????] much later saw a ewe having trouble lambing, so had to call Doc back again about 4.  Well when he delivered the lambs he drug a bale of hay over and commenced to lay down.  “I’ll just finish the night sleeping here in case you need me again,” he told us.

One time when the boys were having a friendly fight throwing cobs at each other, Doc joined right in with them.  Ever after that the minute Doc drove in he ran and grabbed a handful of cobs and said “Let’s fight boys!”  My boys never lived that down.

1. Beth Duffy

In the world of 4-H we know

There is a vet named Doc Lang

and during each summer fair show

the cries for help loudly rang.

Come quick, John’s horse is bloated,

Tom’s sheep just swallowed a rope,

Mary’s rabbits eyes are coated,

Bill’s heifer ate orvis soap.

Doc Lang came along quick

And cured the ills of pets

No need to fear being sick

Because Doc’s our 4-H fair vet.

Others/Mixed

1. George Schultz, basketball coach at Remsen High:

And, there was your Dad.  He was a “real storm” on the basketball court.  No one, and I mean no one was beyond his challenge.  He could be categorized as a human tornado type—very aggressive.  He was a guard who frequently drew the assignment of harassing the best of our opposing players.  He helped our young team establish enviable records for Ol’ Remsen High.  However, of more importance was his ability as a student.  He was a good one!

1. Susan Lee

We would have to get up in the morning to chore or help with whatever needed to be done around the house on the weekends when Daddy was home, in spite of what time we had retired the night before.  There was no sleeping in if there was work to be done!   I remember the night after I had attended the high prom and then the party after the party, so I went to bed about 6:00 AM.  I think it was about an hour later when Daddy was waking me up to go to the attic at Pinehurst to place buckets, as the rain was leaking through the roof of the house.

Punctuality, especially when it concerned getting home to a meal that Mother had prepared, was important to Daddy.  When I would ride with him on calls and the business was finished, he would stand around and talk to the farmers.  After awhile he would say  “Gotta go; Elsie will have dinner ready”, and we were off.   In his years at the care center, it was important to him that the nursing assistants responded to his call light in a timely manner.  If they told him they would “be right back”, they had better have been right back, or he was not happy!

Daddy was always counting:  the number of weeds he had pulled; the number of nails he had hammered; the number of steps between TLG and Mother’s room at the SNCC, etc.

Whenever he would sneeze, he would say “horse manure”.  He always denied it, but that’s what he said!

When we lived on Brown Street, he brought home a skunk that had a back leg partially amputated by a piece of farm equipment.  He descented the animal, and it became our pet, “Stinky”.  We took Stinky to school on a number of occasions.  Don’t remember how long we had him.

Two of his favorite sayings:  Self praise stinks.

A job half done is no job at all.

1. Kelvin Lee

Being pulled behind his tractor on my sled when there was snow on the field behind Prairie Edge.

Wiffle ball! I think Grandpa pitched to me from the time I was 5 until they left Prairie Edge. Every time I mowed their lawn we would play afterward. I never had to go get the ball, had would pitch, go get the ball and pitch it to me again time after time.

Fishing is what I remeber most, both at Rericks (spelling?) Goffs (spelling?) and the pond behind the small cabin on Newport road. It seems like we went once or twice a month. We would stop for a pop afterward as well. I think he even took me fishing a couple of times when he shouldn’t have been driving with his vision. There were some scary trips down I-80.

Grandpa’s sayings:

You betcha
Well hello there
Now we’re cookin’ with gas!

1. Eric Boyd

Being the youngest of the grandchildren and growing up in the Northwest, I never really got to know Grandpa in his daily routine.  But as I was growing up, I remember proudly thinking of my Grandpa as a good fisherman.  Whenever we visited Iowa, he would take me out fishing to a farm pond, where he was always able to direct me to a few monster bass. This was my gateway for getting to know Grandpa, spending time talking and learning from him as we fished.  Our shared passion of fishing made it easy to connect with him on outings that I’m sure we both enjoyed.

1. Jamie Lang

Grandpa had a way of being very practical about things – for instance he always drove a sedan around as a vet, despite that fact that many others had four wheel drive trucks.  On many occasions he would take us (Sam and I) fishing (with us in the front seat of course as the back was floor to ceiling high with veterinary paraphernalia) and drive right through fields with the sedan.  We never got stuck, even when it was muddy, although he did have to “rock” the car a few times.

We had a running commentary for years when he would visit Ames about the size of my herd of cattle (fictious of course).  As I got older I would spin tales of what was happening with the herd and he would go right along and help me embellish.

Like the other grandchildren I remember fishing at the many ponds we used to go to.  We always stopped at a gas station before or after to “wet our whistle” with a soda, and always had a good time.

Grandpa would also, on occasion, come play with Sam and I in the barn, where we would make forts out of hay bales and fling ourselves across the barn on the rope swing.  The player piano and basketball were also favorite barn activities.

In Canada Grandpa was always on “hat patrol.”   After a day or two for the newbies getting used to it, all he would have to do is give you “the look” and you would instantly remove your hat at the dinner table.

Grandpa was the master of sugary treats – even my dad had to hide snacks from him when fishing (and that’s saying something!)  He once put raw sugar on Fruity Pebbles.

1. Rachael Burger:

The summer I lived in Iowa with my two sets of Grandparents I stayed it the lower level room at Prairie’s Edge and had an office in Grandma’s sewing room. I had a few jobs and Grandpa was always eager to get me up at 6:00. Grandma, who was sympathetic to my case, made him stop. I remember that at that time (1990) they spent a lot of time watching birds out of the picture window in the house that Stephen Lee helped build. Humming birds in particular. And cardinals. Grandpa would be out most of the morning in a brown work suit and boots and would come in sweaty. He had two calves that he raised and shipped off at the end of the summer to Gay’s meat locker.

. . .

I remember my mother, Tania, telling a story about how the morning after prom Grandpa dumped a bucket of water on her head to wake her up. I guess something changes between the generations. The summer I lived with Grandpa and Grandma in Iowa, I remember one Sunday morning when I sitting on the porch nursing a bottle of water after a rare night out (I was not yet 21). Grandpa came by and commented on my bottle (to let me know that he knew my situation) then smiled and walked off.

. . .

Grandma and Grandpa came out to Boston for our wedding in 1999. We had special meals done for them so they wouldn’t have to cope with the Indian food. During the long interlude between the end of the service and the time that the food arrive (very late), I noticed that Grandpa had Kate Fenner (the rock-singer girlfriend of my ex-boyfriend Richard) sitting on his lap.

. . .

My mother used to always give Grandpa projects when he was visiting us in Boston. She figured he’d be happier with a project than sitting around socializing. The year of my high school graduation this project involved staining and finishing a sideboard with my Grandpa Burger. Apparently they did a good job.

. . .

The summer I lived with Grandpa and Grandma, I left a world map poster behind. Grandpa gave it back to me and when he found it sitting, partly creased, on the car seat next to me he got very upset that I hadn’t cared for it properly. When I was working on his service, there were piles of Mohan projects in the office. I felt like I had to pick them up before I could get to going on Grandpa’s work.

. . .

On a visit just after our wedding, Grandpa had Hitesh riding around on the riding mower. He (Hitesh) was thrilled. Caught his t-shirt on a tree branch and tore it — almost pulled his arm off, but he didn’t care.

. . .

That same visit, Grandpa told Hitesh how he would finish up his chores quickly on Sunday mornings so that he could go see Elsie after church. People would say, “Allen, are you all done?” and he’d say “Yup.” But he didn’t praise his own speed because he mother always told him “self praise stinks.”

. . .

Grandpa always remembered everything that was going on in our lives. He would ask me, year after year, “When are you going to make a board with all the houses you’ve sold?”

. . .

Grandpa was a tough guy. Until the last few years, and even when he didn’t seem to be too steady, he would insist on carrying heavy suitcases into the house when we came to visit.

1. Richard Harris

As you know I was a big, big fan of his–there was always a shine of

mischief and knowing in his face, and he had some stoic resolve that

made the world very clear somehow.  I also thought he was very

handsome.  You once wrote me a letter about him getting two cows to

slowly come home.  And about the tall corn he planted at the edges

of his fields… just for show.   I thought of him when I tried to

grow corn on my fire escape in manhattan.  I know he will be missed

sorely.

1. Vernon and Billie Brogla

Dr. Lang was and is a special friend as well as a top vet.  He always pregnancy checked our cows and would come up with “I think she is 6 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, and 2 hours pregnant – could have twins.”  We always had a good laugh over this.

1. Hitesh Hathi

I send you all the love, affection, and comfort I can muster, though I loved your wonderful father myself and so find myself holding on, quite selfishly, to just a bit of that comfort.  It is hard to think of Iowa without him, his rich stories of childhood and favourite past-times like hunting, his ardent memories of wooing your mother, which I felt quite honoured to have heard from his own lips, and his jokes, with their naive and simultaneously naughty spirit.

The following is from the Lensing Funeral Website:

I’m a recent convert to Old Navy. Primarily because their pants fit me, because the clothing is inexpensive and generally of a decent quality, and because you can buy it online and with easy returns. In addition to buying a few news pairs of much-needed pants (I’m less thrilled about their tops), I discovered that they also carry shoes in large sizes (I’m an 11) that are stylish and, it appears . . . vegan! (made entirely of synthetic materials).

How wonderful to find stylish, affordable shoes that are also cruelty-free! My first pair garnered many compliments and were super-comfortable from the get-go, though only medium on durability. Still, this is a good tradeoff considering the other factors. Enjoy!

I first wrote about Mark Bittman’s no-knead bread recipe more than two years ago. Here’s the version I’ve been making for the last year or so . . . this version incorporates wheat flour and takes about 8 hours for the first rising (as opposed to 18-24) — so you can put it on in the morning and bake it in the evening when you come home. As I like to say, easier that going out and buying a loaf of bread (and much more delicious).

In a bowl, combine:
3 1/4 c. white all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. wheat all-purpose flour
1/2 t. active dry yeast
4 t. salt

Mix in:
2 1/2 – 2 3/4 c. water

Mixture should be slightly wetter than regular bread dough (just a bit too wet to knead with your hand, but not shaggy) and thoroughly mixed.

Cover your bowl with a plate and let set in a warm(ish) place for about 8 hours, until the mixture becomes flat on top and has little bubbles.

Turn the mixture onto a floured bread board and knead for about a minute. Add flour if needed so that you can manipulate the dough and so it doesn’t stick to your fingers easily.

Select a pan with rounded edges (to help your dough take shape). Lay a cotton cloth (dish towel, rag, or other tightly woven cloth, not cheesecloth) in the pan and sprinkle with corn flour. Set the kneaded dough smooth-side up in the pan and sprinkle more corn flour on the top of your dough, then cover the top of the bread with the corners of your cloth and let it set for about 2 hours, until springy.

Pre-heat a 4-5 quart cast iron pot with lid in the oven at 450 degrees. When the oven is hot, carefully remove the pot from the oven and turn the bread dough over into it. Bake covered for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, remove the top and bake for a few more minutes uncovered if you wish. Remove bread from oven and let cool on a rack. Enjoy!

3 1/2 cups unsweetenedd grated dried coconut
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.) (I like Trader Joe’s organic)
1 heaping tablespoon white flour

Mix the dry ingredients and then add in the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly and then shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place balls on a baking sheet on parchament paper and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown at 325 degrees. Keep in refrigerator for several days after making. Most delicious eaten fresh and at room temperature.

A couple weeks back, I noticed that they were selling Ethiopian bread at the Central Square 7-11. (Yes, at 7-11 — it’s Central Square, after all). I bought a large pack of fermented njira and set out to make some Ethiopian veggies to go with it.

In reading around on the internet, I decided there there were two fundamentals that could form the basis for my meal: Niter Kibbeh — an aromatic clarified butter, and Berbere, a red pepper and spice paste. I figure the Berbere would go well with a lentil, and that I could used the Niter Kibbeh with some steamed veggies — both dishes that I remember from some visits to Addis Red Sea in the South End. Surprisingly, I had all of these spices on hand, as they’re all favorites of the Indian arsenal. In a short time, the kitchen smelled just like an Ethiopian restaurant and the dishes came out great. Beginner’s luck, I guess. Here are the basic, and what I did with them:

Niter Kibbeh (adapted from from whats4eats.com)

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, and 1 c. canola oil (can be made with all butter but I cut it down because my husband’s watching his cholesterol)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T fresh ginger root, sliced
3 – 4 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
3 – 4 whole cloves
1 t. fenugreek seeds
1/2 t. turmeric

Makes about 2 cups, which is enough as fat for quite a lot of food.

Place the butter and oil in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on the lowest possible heat for about 1 hour. Pour off the clear liquid leaving solids at the bottom. (It helps to use a strainer for this). Store in the refrigerator or freezer as needed.

For the Niter Kibbeh dish, I steamed potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and some fresh green beans. When tender, I tossed them in this oil. Delicious and delicate!

Berbere Paste

This recipe adapted from Recipe Zaar.

1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cardamom
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. fenugreek seeds
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. allspice
2 T. finely chopped onions
1 T. finely chopped garlic
2 T. salt
3/4 c. paprika (adjust as desired)
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (adjust as desired)
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. water
1-2 T. vegetable oil

I simplified the original recipe significantly, and simply: 1) combined all dry ingredients (minus paprika and cayenne) in a coffee-grinder type blender, mixed them;
2) then added the wet ingredients; 3) then finally stirred in the paprika, cayenne, and oil. Since I didn’t have ground cloves or cardamom, I simply put whole cloves and shelled cardamom in my grinder (in step 1) and this was no problem. I stored this in a jar in the fridge for about a week (could probably be fine for a longer period) with a 1/4 inch of oil on top.

To cook up this paste, I heated canola oil on medium heat then stirred in a couple tablespoons full of Berbere. I let this “cook” in the oil, stirring constantly, for about 3-4 minutes until I could smell a change in the paste mixture. I then added this to cooked lentils (masoor dal, in one case, and whole moong in another). Both worked well. I made up my Berbere not very spicy and have to say that my son Mohan loves his Berbere moong.

Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business,
Walking past each other, catching each others’
Eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise. All about us is noise
And bramble, thorn and din,
Each one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
A hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things
In need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere, with
A pair of wooden spoons, on an oil drum, with
Cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says: “Take out your pencils. Begin.”

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth,
Whispered or declaimed. Words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will
Of someone and then others who said:
“I need to see what’s on the other side.
I know there’s something better down the road.”

We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing
The names of the dead who brought us here, who
Laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton
And the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices
They would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign, the
Figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by “Love thy neighbor as thy self.” Others by
First do no harm, or take no more than you need.
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond
Marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening
Pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made,
Any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp.
Praise song for walking forward in that light.

In December ‘07 my sister Natasha and I joined our brother Alex in Paris for a short visit. We stayed in Alex’s friends apartment in Porte de Montreuil and spent three days running around outside. One of our early stops was Le Marais, 4th arrondissement, where we had a falafel snack at the famous “Ace de Falafel” (Falafel Ace). The falafel was freshly fried in small round pieces and nested in a pita filled with shredded cabbage, summer squash, and cucumber and topped with tahini and hot sauce. We ate ours standing up on the street. Delicious. And we weren’t hungry again until dinner. When I got home, I decided to try my hand at this delicious delight. After some experimentation, here’s my pan-fried version. I eat falafel almost every lunch time on salad with baba ganouch that I buy at Massis Bakery in Watertown, raw pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper. It make a filling and invigorating lunch.

Rachael’s Falafel:

2 cups dried chicpeas
1 cup white beans (flageolets, fava beans, or even any other kind of non-white beans you have around will do)
1 small onion
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
1 green hot pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, washed and dried
1 cup frozen spinach (optional), strained to remove any excess water
2 t. salt

Combine beans and soak overnight, or for at least four hours or so. Then cook the beans until tender and drain any excess water. Combine all ingredients in a food processor to make a thick paste. Mixture should be just thick enough to handle. Thicken, if necessary, with bread crumbs. At this point, you can put the mixture in the refrigerator to cook later (this also makes the paste easier to handle) or go ahead and pan-fry your falafel. To do this, use an ice-cream scoop, spoon, or just your hands to make a small ball. Roll the ball in fine-ground cornmeal, that pat it down into a patty. Pan-fry the patty in canola oil in a shallow pan at medium heat. I personally prefer a cast-iron season pan for this purpose, but non-stick would also work. Cook until browned and then flip over. Let the falafel cool and eat immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!

Breadcrumbs (addendum): I tend to keep breadcrumbs in my freezer for when I need them. I take what’s left of my old bread when I make a new loaf and drop it in the freezer. Then when I have a whole bunch of bread pieces, I make them into bread crumbs in the food processor, then bag. Bread crumbs are also great for making garlic soup.

Chowhound has a good conversation on these, and NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Assocation) appears to have a pretty comprehensive list for certified organic farms in Massachusetts. I’m going with Red Fire Farm this year–it’s organic, has a focus on variety, offers a fruit share as well as a flower share, in addition to the veggies, and delivers to the Growing Center in Somerville. A bunch of farms have already sold out of their shares, so it’s a good time to sort this out . . .

1 cup dal (split mung, urad, muth, etc.)
3 +/- cups water
3 tablespoons canola oil (or other neutral oil)
1 small-medium size yellow onion
3 medium-sized cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 level tablespoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teasponns cumin powder

Take out 1 cup of dal (1/2 cup if smaller portion is desired). Take out any
small stones. Rinse out the dal thoroughly in water so that water comes out
clear. This may take up to eight changes of water, depending. Then soak the
dal overnight or for at least a few hours. This cuts down the cooking time,
especially for toor dal and whole moong dal. After soaking, rinse the dal
once more, and boil it for an hour or so with a good amount of water (2-3
times the amount of dal). How do you know that the dal is done? The
individual pieces are soft, and may start to break apart in the water. The
mixture should have enough water to be somewhat soupy, and you can choose
the thickness you like best. Dal doesn’t need to be stirred much when
cooking, in fact it may be better just to leave it alone, but it needs to
have enough water or will burn. You can always boil off some more water
later.

In the meantime, cut your onion and sautee slowly in oil until it becomes
soft and translucent. You can add salt at this time. Add finely chopped
ginger and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, then add powdered spices. Cool
the spices, stirring frequently, until cooked, for about 3-4 minutes. They
will at first smell “green” and then will acquire a more dense smell as they
cook. When dal if finished cooking, add it to the spiced mixture and stir.
This makes a savory, tasty lentil, about 6-8 servings. (You can’t eat a lot
of this at a sitting).

Korma is a savory vegetable dish served in many Indian restaurants. I offer two versions here, one with heavy cream, and a vegan version using coconut milk.

Korma gets it character and depth from the combination of fried spices and cream/coconut milk. The nice thing is, you can make it with whatever vegetables you might have around, provided you have some variety. I like to include a cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower); a root (potato, carrot or both, in limited quantities); greens (green beans are particularly good but spinach or other leafy green can work as well); and orange/yellow vegetables (i.e. summer square, zucchini). I’ve even used radicchio in this recipe and it was delicious. The key is not to overcook anything. Absolutely delicious, and keeps/re-heats well. Just be careful not to mush it up when you store it away.

For spice mixture
1 ½ T. coriander powder
2 t. cumin powder
2 t. salt
½ t. turmeric
¼ t. hot pepper powder
1 – 2 T. water
3 T. canola oil

for sauce
1 medium onion
1 T. fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ c. grated dried coconut (or fresh coconut, if available)
¼ c. raw cashews, whole or in pieces
1 can coconut milk or ½ c. heavy cream
1 c. canned diced tomato, cut into smaller pieces or 3 ripe tomatoes, pureed.
1 c. fresh coriander, chopped

Vegetables (see above for variations), in bit-sized pieces
2 heads of broccoli or cauliflower, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut in rounds (cut the rounds into two if carrot is too thick).
2 potatoes, peeled cut into small cubes
24 green beans (or so) cut into ¾ inch pieces (cut off the ends first).
1 yellow squash, cut into thin 1’’ strips

To get started, prep all your vegetables and start steaming them. I sometimes boil my potatoes in the steaming water, but the rest of the vegetables will steam up quite quickly and then can be put in one large pot on the side until they go into the sauce. Steam vegetables until just tender but not soft. That way, they’ll have a little crispness less and will taste very fresh in your korma.

In the meantime, mix all your spices together in a small bowl and add 1-2 T. of water to form a fairly thick paste. Heat your oil in a skillet on medium heat and then add your spice mixture, stirring constantly. In a minute or two, you the smell of the spices will change from “green” (at the start) to deeper or almost toasted smelling. Then your spices are cooked. Add your onions, and sautee (again, stirring almost constantly) until they get soft and start to give off water. At this point, add your cashews, ginger, and shredded coconut (if using) and stir for about a minute. Then add your tomato and coconut milk. Stir, then let simmer about 10 minutes. Add your bowl of steamed vegetables to the sauce along with the fresh cilantro and any other un-steamed items (e.g. fresh spinach), mixing gently so that the sauce covers the veggies. Serve and savor!

The korma pictured above is non-standard and has asparagus and sweet potato (along with other veggies). It’s cooked in a 5-quart Lodge cast iron dutch oven.