Rejoining the Working World

First, I need to say out loud that I have neglected my blog over the last few weeks. As the title of this post indicates, I have been busy getting ready for my new job-- another position in the nonprofit field, this time advocating and fundraising on behalf of mentoring programs across the state of Massachusetts. I am really excited to start this new phase of my professional life.

So now that I am employed again, I clearly need a new topic (and name) for my blog, and I'd like to enlist your help. Any topic and/or name ideas?

A New Twist on the Hamburger

Reading the Metro this morning, a small blurb on page 5 caught my attention. Next to, funnily enough, another burger related story on McDonald's filing suit against a Swedish strip club called McDragan's whose logo of their "golden knockers" (I know, it is clear that in this case real life is indeed stranger, or at least more entertaining, than fiction) looks a little bit too much like the golden arches, was a story on Phil Hansen who made an recreation of the Mona Lisa using hamburgers, or more accurately burger grease. Hired by Arby's, Hansen's work is an advertisement for the fast-food purveyor, clearly to show the audience that other fast food sandwiches are greasy enough not only to clog your arteries and make your stomach turn, but to create a large piece of art out of the burger stains as well. Check out the YouTube video of Hansen creating his grease soaked masterpiece here.

I have to say, after watching that video more than once, I'm starting to lose my appetite. As much as I clearly lust after cheeseburgers, even I think the idea of all that grease is pretty disgusting.

First Writing Assignment

As you know, my fellow readers, I have recently begun a food writing class at the Boston Center for Adult Education. Our first homework assignment was to write about a meal we miss. It didn't take long for a vivid image of the meal I have been missing for the last seven months or so (since I began keeping a kosher home) to appear in my mind. Sigh. Cheeseburgers.

The following is my homage to this delectable, American dish.

Before moving in with my husband, I never spent much time considering kashrut, the dietary laws spelled out in the Torah, along with the other rules governing Jewish life. I have always considered myself to be Jewish (I go to synagogue on the high holidays, had my Bat Mitzvah etc), but was raised in what I would consider to be a “low-key” household, where keeping kosher was viewed as a practice that only very religious Jews like the relatives on my father’s side of the family in Brooklyn subscribed to. Surprise! As the result of an unexpected turn of events I now do what I never thought possible, and keep a kosher home myself. Although the 2 week transition was definitely a challenge, once in practice, keeping kosher is much easier than I ever expected. There are the rare occasions however, where I cannot help but remember the flavors, textures and sensations of my eating life before keeping kosher.
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Walking into the carpeted foyer at Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse, I hear the clinking of glasses and the boisterous revelry of happy hour patrons enjoying a pint at the bar (or probably two). I steal a moment away from my parent’s latest movie critique to study the chalk board displayed prominently in the entryway, which strangely always reminds me of elementary school. The bright pastel colors sing out the Charlie Brown’s siren song. New additions to your Charlie Brown’s favorites! Pan seared Asian ahi tuna salad, $11.99. Bourbon flat iron steak, $15.99. Fresh cedar plank salmon, $17.99. Visions of tender grilled chicken, rich and buttery steak, and flaky tuna dance across my mind as we approach the petite blond hostess. “Table for three?” she asks in a cheerful tone. “Great! Follow me please.”

The hostess leads us like a hunting party through a labyrinth of booths and tables. “Enjoy your meal,” she says with a smile as she hands us our menus before walking back to her station. The maroon leather seats give a satisfying squeal as we sidle into our booth and open our menus. I peruse the dish options carelessly, letting my eyes wander to the sandwich section and the listing I had been obsessing over all day. Swiss cheese and mushroom burger with farmer’s market salad bar for an additional $3.99.

My mouth begins to water as I approach the large salad bar in the center of the main dining room. Like the scout of our hunting party, I circle my prey slowly and deliberately, taking in every detail while planning my attack. I place my round, white plate on the tan, rectangular tray and move toward a bucket of greens. I rake a leafy green and red pile onto my plate, and then adorn the mound with a crown of bright red and firm grape tomatoes, wet with beads of condensation, and a tongful of crisp cucumbers. I find more ornaments to decorate my salad as I continue my second lap around the bar. Plump yellow kernels of corn, slices of green bell peppers, and fragrant diced kalamata olives each find there way to my expanding plate. I scoop a small handful of toasted garlic croutons on top and drizzle a light rain of ranch dressing from above, before heading back to our booth.My parent’s earlier conversation about their most recent movie viewing blooms back into life. I nod along at the appropriate pauses, happily munching away at my salad, appreciating each cool crunch, and garlicky bite.

They are deep in debate by the time our food arrives. A wide smile spreads across my face as I pull the dish toward me, careful as to not allow any of the fries piled high to escape. I cut the medium rare, half pound burger into two pieces, causing a river of pink juices to pour onto the plate, washing against the lightly browned fries. I take my first bite, making sure to include a piece of each element in the dish. The melted swiss cheese complements the earthy flavor of the beef beautifully, the softness of the cheese seeping into each meaty crevice. The mushrooms add another layer of texture, the slices firm against the melted cheese and crumbles of beef. I alternate between mouthfuls of burger and thin cut fries dusted with a mystery spice to give it a little extra kick, taking an occasional break for a bit of sour pickle and sweet coleslaw. Eventually my plate is clean and I push my plate towards the center of table and close my eyes with a contented sigh.

Nonprofits in Trouble

Okay, so as I was not able to find too many lectures or events of interest this week, I thought I would post on something current, topical and that also hits close to home.

Like every other industry, the nonprofit sector has been all over the news of late with stories and reports discussing the impact of the recession in the charitable world. A recent survey by the Nonprofit Finance Fund found that a significant percentage of organizations are feeling an intense strain from the current economy. Some of the key findings include:

-- Only 12% of all respondents expect to operate above break-even this year.
-- Just 16% anticipate being able to cover their operating expenses in both 2009 and 2010.
-- 31% don't have enough operating cash in hand to cover more that one month of expenses, and another 31% have less than three months' worth.
-- 52% of respondents expect the recession to have a long-term (2+ years) or permanent negative financial effect on their organizations.
-- 93% of lifeline organizations that provide essential services anticipate an increase in demand in 2009.

As a former, and hopefully future nonprofit professional, this report does not surprise me at all. As the economy worsens, the ability and willingness of the donor community (both individuals and institutions) to continue making contributions at the same level has diminished. At the same time, the demands on those cash strapped organizations have only increased as they are forced to meet a greater demand with fewer financial and human resources. I can only hope that the tide will turn soon enough to prevent permanent damage.

Vitamin D Rocks!

Last week a friend of mine, who is a student at the BU School of Public Health invited to me to hear a lecture on the benefits of Vitamin D. I was intrigued right away by the tittle slide of the presentation, that if my memory serves correctly, read something along the lines of Vitamin D: A D-lightful Story! I was in awe of the speaker, Dr. Michael Holick, MD, PhD, who is nationally, and perhaps even internationally known for his expertise on Vitamin D. While I didn't pick up on every single detail, I got the gist pretty quickly.

First, Vitamin D is a hormone that is released from the skin that is essential for good bone health. (Check out this website for more information on how Vitamin D is metabolized)Moreso, Vitamin D deficiency is not only connected just to bone health problems such as rickets (soft weak bones in children), osteoperosis, osteomalacia but also to diabetes, multiple sclerosis and even some cancers. Second, most Americans don't get sufficient levels of Vitamin D (doctors recommend 30 nanograms per ml). Scientific American recently cited a new study that found 75% of US teens and adults and 97% of African Americans are Vitamin D deficient. Third, although people can get some Vitamin D from foods such as milk, salmon, tuna and mackerel, the only way to produce enough is to take 1,000 IU supplements a day and get some sunlight directly. For example, according to one study, a fair skinned person sunbathing for 20 minutes in strong sunlight would produce 20,000IU within <30 minutes. i.e. the equivalent of approximately 200 glasses of milk.

So consider this a public service announcement-- go out and get a Vitamin D supplement and be sure to get out and enjoy some sunshine for at least 15 minutes every day! Your body will thank you.

That Food Tastes..um.. Good!

As long as I can remember, I have always thought being a food critic must be the coolest job on the planet. Perhaps it is a function of spending 7 years in NYC with an endless list of restaurants at my fingertips, or just that I lack the instinct and motivation to cook, but eating out is one of my favorite activities. There is just something about the mystique of a new restaurant, looking at a menu for the first time wondering which of the delectable entries will tickle your taste buds in just the right way. What dishes will surprise with their unique combinations of flavors or dazzle you with the artistry of the presentation on the plate?

The funny thing is, I think I enjoy talking about what I eat as much as I like the experience of eating out. So when I saw the course title From Plate to Pen: Writing About Food in the Boston Center for Adult Education catalogue, I knew the class was for me. One of the positive aspects of being unemployed is that for once I have the time to explore, and can direct all the energy that would have previously been devoted to my job to new endeavors. So inspired by the uptick in my mood from the thought of this new path, I jumped onto their website and registered.

On Wednesday night I went to my first class. As I climbed the stairs in the pristine, new building (BCAE just moved to a new location in back bay) I wondered what the class would be like. Small discussion? Giant lecture? Would we have homework? or god forbid, tests? I walked into the airy, white room where our class took place and got my answers. There are six of us, which offers a very intimate feel. We started off talking about our interests in food writing, which was, as one would probably expect, all over the map. We read a selection from a memoir of one woman's experience eating noodles and living in Chengdu and discussed the passage with a particular focus on the writing devices she used. We talked about her use of vivid imagery when setting the scene, the explanations of how the food she delighted in complemented the region's history and culture, and her use of dialogue and powerful word choices. Then we took a stab at doing some writing of our own and completed an exercise where we each wrote about what we had for breakfast. It was challenging to turn my breakfast of two fried eggs, toast and cheese into prose-- but it felt good to flex my writing muscles in this new way. Strange that while I have been writing almost daily for the past week, sharing personal experiences and moments with the wider world, I still felt anxious reading my 300+ words to my 5 classmates and teacher.

Our first assignment is to write 700 words on a meal that we miss. Anyone want to join me? I'll let you know how my piece turns out (and maybe I'll post it too).

Learning How to Drive, Again

So you just might be thinking, what self-respecting 30 year old needs driving lessons? The answer is, well, I do. I got my driver's license when I was 17, like most teens in NJ (yes I am from NJ, so feel free to insert appropriate garden state joke here). I drove around my town but never spent much time getting comfortable with highway driving and long distance driving in general. Then I went to college in New York City and lived there for an additional three years. If you have never lived in New York it is important to note that, owning a car there is more trouble than it is worth. Long term parking is insanely expensive, competing with taxis on the road frightening, and why bother when mass transit pretty much can take you anywhere you want to go anyway. I went to grad school in Indiana, where a car would have been much more useful, but it was easy to get by without one by living close to campus, so I did.

Fast forward a few years and here I am. Now married, living close to the suburbs and needing to have more flexibility in my job search to boot. Frankly it is just time. Now, sure I have access to a car, and my husband could probably teach me, but as I am happily married and would like to stay that way, I decided a better route would be to hire an objective professional. And that's exactly what I did.

Her name is Sarah, and she has been a driving instructor almost since I was born (she started in 1979 as she loves the flexibility) I nervously awaited Sarah's arrival this morning, thinking what if I get into an accident? What if I am the worst "brush up" student she has ever had? What if I cause a big traffic jam trying to make a left turn on a busy street? Argh!!! Sarah met me at the door, and set me at ease right away. As we drove around Belmont and Arlington she told me about her three kids who live all over the world and her trips to visit them. I told her about my job search and she suggested looking in the health care field as we made a three point turn. The only time I started to panic a little was when I thought we were going onto the highway, and I got into the right instead of the left lane. She remained calm, thank goodness, so I did too. We even practiced parallel parking for the first, and definitely not the last, time. Before I knew it, my hour was up and I was left excited and looking forward to Sarah's next visit.

Have any early driving stories to share? I'd love to read them!

Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: an exploration of rilvarly

Energized by the lecture I attended at Harvard Kennedy School last week, I visited the MFA yesterday with my husband and in-laws to view the new exhibit, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice. The exhibit was really fantastic! Typically I am not that enthusiastic about paintings depicting religious events, mythological creatures and portraits of royalty (I'm more partial to the impressionist paintings of Renoir, Degas and Monet; Renoir's Dance at Bougival is one of my absolute favorites) but found the organization of the exhibit, which compared paintings of similar subject matter interpreted by each artist side by side, to be very compelling and engaging.

What caught my attention, more than discovering all the subtle differences between the styles of each of the artists, Titian's grand and expansive perspective, Tintoretto's dark viewpoint that placed such a great emphasis on capturing the dramatic movement of his subjects and Veronese's sunny outlook communicated through a frequent use of pastels as his color palate, was the backdrop which set each of these masterpieces. The three painters were artistic rivals, all living and working in Venice at the same time and were as strongly influenced by one another's works as they were in competition with them. Titian was the oldest, and well established when Tintoretto and Veronese rose to fame. Although it is not entirely confirmed, it has been said that Tintoretto began his career as a pupil of Titian, but was expelled when Titian became concerned that Tintoretto's talent might match or even surpass his own. A decade later Veronese became known in the Venetian art world, but unlike Tintoretto became Titian's protege. The three competed for commissions and prestige throughout the middle 1500's until Tintoretto was the last man standing, and literally the last of the three living after Veronese died suddenly of pneumonia in 1588. The final image of the exhibit is a self-portrait of Tintoretto in his 70's and his expression is one that suggests a quiet longing for the more tumultuous days behind him.

Leaving the museum I kept thinking about the role of rivalry in art and society. Sure there are definitely some negative connotations, but rivalries can also produce better end results (in this case more powerful and more innovative imagery) through the force of competition. Would any of these masters have achieved the same great heights without the knowledge that the other two artists were on their heels? Plus, who are we kidding who doesn't love the absolute drama of human rivalry on display? Look at the glut of competition reality TV shows everything from who is the best cook and clothing designer to which star-struck woman can win the love of aging rap and rock stars. Rivalries can be seen across every field from sports to science and beyond, and thank goodness for that. Life would be just so boring without them.

Day 1- Heading to Harvard

I awoke this morning with the frightening realization that I had publicly committed to doing something very different with my day. What could I do to start my learning expedition off on the right foot? I took a deep breath as I remembered there was a lecture at the Harvard Kennedy School this afternoon called, Will Obama's Recovery Plan Work, a part of the school of government's library speaker series. After treating myself to a chai tea and conversation with a friend at Dado Tea this afternoon, I wandered over to the Kennedy School.
The session's talk was led by Richard Parker, an economist and current lecturer in Public Policy and Senior Fellow of the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. Mr. Parker began his lecture by setting the stage for a conversation on the current global economic crisis by giving his interpretation of the major historical events in the financial markets since the 1930's. While I must admit, that much of his lecture went over my head, two things resonated very strongly with me. The first is that, as Mr. Parker so aptly put it, nothing is ever new in financial markets-- just the same things in a different form. Today's financial crisis started almost exactly the same way as the savings and loans scandals in the 1980s, from lending too much money to people who couldn't afford to pay it back. Second, we are now at a point in time where the US government and the citizenry at large have both the responsibility and the opportunity to decide what kind of financial regulation we want. Although the picture is complex, it is clear that a good deal of public discourse will be necessary to create a system that will be in the best interest of all Americans.

Setting Out On My Learning Expedition

Hello cyberworld. My name is Elena, and I am one of the 3 million plus unemployed people across the country invading the coffee shops, libraries and other public places with free wireless Internet. After the initial shock of the elimination of my job had abated, I decided to "get out there!" For the past two months my search has been in high-gear. I scanned a variety of job websites everyday and went on several informational interviews a week in an effort to expand my network. As I continued along on the path to my new job, I began noticing more and more news articles, radio and TV shows with advice on what to do while unemployed-- and it wasn't job searching. I started to think that maybe there really IS a better way to do this. Spending so much time pouring over job websites looking for postings is tiring, isolating and discouraging. Waiting by the phone or your email account for people to respond takes you out of the drivers seat. Well I have had enough, and today I am taking charge of my destiny. I am making a promise to make the most of the time I have now, by committing to learn or experience something new everyday for the duration of my unemployment. And of course take anyone reading these words on the journey with me.