Intelligent Trees Documenatary
Click image to see the trailer
Illustration courtesy Nature Khabar
When my nephew Aaron was in 2nd Grade (at P.S. 290 in New York City), I was so pleasantly surprised that as part of the regular curriculum was a bird study. To this day (he is 30), he knows how to identify many aviary species and knows their birdsongs. It occurred to me that we don't teach enough about our natural environment and what is right in front of us. I, for one, wish I had that kind of education and knew more about how to identify all the trees that surround us...
I read The Hidden Life of Trees by the German forester Peter Wohlleben and this film is a perfect companion to that book. Wohlleben is featured in the documentary along with Dr. Suzanne Simard, a forester and professor of Forestry at University of British Columbia and Dr. Teresa Sm'Hayetsk Ryan, Lecturer of Indigenous Knowledge and Natural Science, UBC. They have a lot to teach us about the interconnectedness of our forests and how trees work as a community and form mutualistic relationships with other species.
We think of a tree as the trunk: leaves and the crown but did you know that the major part of a tree takes place underground with a complicated network of it's roots and fungi that exist on the tips of the roots. There are "mother trees" that protect their sapling kin. Even seemingly dead stumps retain life and are fed by the surrounding community. To say that trees form "friendships" is not as far fetched as we think...
Playlist of Winter Songs
I know it is time to pull my head out of the sand, but I am not sure I am ready just yet. In the meantime, I spend my time listening to music. Here is a short playlist of some winter songs that I love...
Song for a Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot
Flowers in December written and sung by Mazzy Star (Hope Sandoval and David Roback)
7 O'Clock News/Silent Night by Simon and Garfunkel
Baby It's Cold Outside written by Frank Loesser (1944), sung by Ray Charles and Betty Carter
Winter Wonderland written by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith (1934), sung by Michael Bublé
Melissa Clark Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
Illustration courtesy Freepik
Of all the chefs on the New York TImes Cooking app, Melissa Clark is my favorite. I haven't made one recipe of hers that I didn't consider a success...
Right in time for Chanukah, here is her recipe for latkes (potato pancakes)--one of my favorite things to eat, and not just in December. Courtesy New York Times Cooking App
POTATO PANCAKES
by Melissa Clark
Ingredients (makes 3 dozen)
2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Safflower or other oil, for frying
Instructions
In a food processor, with a coarse grating disc, or by hand, grate the potatoes and onion. Place on a clean dishtowel and squeeze out excess moisture.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is well.
Over medium-high heat, pour in about ¼ inch of the oil in a heavy pan and heat on medium-high. Once the oil is hot, drop a heaping tablespoon of the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Pam Smilow, Tree Series: Day and Night, mixed media on paper, 60” x 22” each
Charity of the Week: American Civil Liberties Union
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.