At her young age, Amanda Gorman is a force to be reckoned with and already a national treasure.
three things we love
Many of the images above and below are clickable and lead to further information, so click away….
Painter Stephen Pace
Unloading at Duryeea's Pier #2, 1988, Oil on canvas, 60-1/2h x 84-1/2w in
Lobster Boat at Dawn, 1982, Oil on canvas, 42h x 70w in
Pulling Lobster Traps, 1989, Oil on canvas, 48 1/2" x 72 1/2"
I first saw painter Stephen Pace's work at the Dowling Walsh Gallery, a wonderful gallery in the heart of Rockland, Maine. Although Pace started as an abstract expressionist in the 1950s, it is his seemingly simple, zen-like figurative paintings that capture the essence of Maine for me. Beginning in the early 60's, his subject matter switched as he started painting the every day life of the coast of Maine: lobstermen, boats, seagulls, the sea...I share some of my favorite images here. You can see more of his work by visiting the gallery in person, through their website and/or by watching this film about him on vimeo.
Coconut Curry with Tofu
Although I live alone, I do like to eat well and during the pandemic, as I found myself craving certain foods that I would usually get in a restaurant, I started to cook more for myself. And as a result of one of my absolute favorite restaurants in NYC (AbcV), I also realized that meat does not always have to be the center of a dish.
Here is a recipe I made last night for the first time from a Melissa Clark recipe on the New York Times cooking app. Surprisingly, even in my local small town Maine grocery story, I was able to find fish sauce, curry paste and unsweetened coconut milk...
COCONUT RED CURRY WITH TOFU
Serves Four
(I made it with green curry paste instead).
INGREDIENTS
14 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste (or green)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup snow peas
Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish
Brown or white rice, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and lay it out on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Cover with another layer of paper towel and place another baking sheet or something similar on top to press the moisture out. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.
Serve warm with brown rice. Sprinkle with torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.
If They Should Come For Us
Poet, writer, filmmaker and creator of the web series Brown Girls
If They Should Come for Us
By Fatimah Asghar
these are my people & I find
them on the street & shadow
through any wild all wild
my people my people
a dance of strangers in my blood
the old woman’s sari dissolving to wind
bindi a new moon on her forehead
I claim her my kin & sew
the star of her to my breast
the toddler dangling from stroller
hair a fountain of dandelion seed
at the bakery I claim them too
the sikh uncle at the airport
who apologizes for the pat
down the muslim man who abandons
his car at the traffic light drops
to his knees at the call of the azan
& the muslim man who sips
good whiskey at the start of maghrib
the lone khala at the park
pairing her kurta with crocs
my people my people I can’t be lost
when I see you my compass
is brown & gold & blood
my compass a muslim teenager
snapback & high-tops gracing
the subway platform
mashallah I claim them all
my country is made
in my people’s image
if they come for you they
come for me too in the dead
of winter a flock of
aunties step out on the sand
their dupattas turn to ocean
a colony of uncles grind their palms
& a thousand jasmines bell the air
my people I follow you like constellations
we hear the glass smashing the street
& the nights opening their dark
our names this country’s wood
for the fire my people my people
the long years we’ve survived the long
years yet to come I see you map
my sky the light your lantern long
ahead & I follow I follow
Source: Poetry (March 2017)
Charity of the Week:
World Central Kitchen
Feed refugees. Click image to donate to Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen.
Painting of the Week
Landscape with Tree, Village and Moons mixed media on canvas 60” x 80” $8500
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created 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 the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.