I saw my grandmother, Manuela, for the first time in six years on Saturday. She was visiting from Texas. It was a reunion of mixed emotion. I was so happy to see her and I hugged her so tight and kissed her so much, but so sad because I wonder if it’s the last time I’ll see her and there are so many things unsaid. So many things that I want to know about her. But I’d have to ask my father to translate and I don’t want to embarrass her.
Every year the little bit of English that she remembers dwindles a little more. My Spanish skills are almost non-existent from the few years I studied in high school almost 15 years ago.
When I walked into my Aunt’s house, where my grandmother was staying, after the gratuitous hugs and kisses the first thing she asked me was if I was hungry. Just like a Grandmother always does. I said I was starving. I excused myself for a minute and when I came to the kitchen I was surprised (but not really) to see a huge plate of food waiting for me that consisted of an enormous roast beef sandwich with at least three pieces of cheese, a half (yes, a half) of a sliced pineapple, 4 sugar cookies the size of my hands and a pint glass full of milk. Then she assured me not to worry. The tortillas would be ready in a minute. Only a grandmother would feed you like that. I ate every bite of it.
As I sat there eating we just looked at each other and smiled. She said “You know my English, not so good no more, but if you’re happy mija, I’m happy too.” I assured her that I was very happy.
I told her how excited I was for my boyfriend to meet her, how I talked about her all the time. She said “If he no meet me, he no miss much. Twenty years ago, no wrinkles, better.” I laughed and told her she was beautiful, that she was in her prime.
I sat there watching her as she hustled around the kitchen like she always had since I can remember, thinking about times that we’d shared. We were so close when I was a child before she and my grandfather moved back to Texas. My grandmother didn’t want to go, her children and me, her only grandchild until 5 years ago, were all here in Illinois. But she went.
I used to spend every Sunday with her. I remembered our walks to the ice cream shop, the awesome turquoise genie costume she made me for Halloween when I was 7, so awesome that I played dress up in it well until it didn’t fit anymore. I remembered my stuffed kitty that grew mold on it after it was left outside in the rain and how she magically restored it to just like new.
I remembered how she helped me write a letter to my parents the first time I spent the night because I thought that they’d left me. She assured me they’d be back in a few hours but I was adamant. She walked me to the mailbox well after 10 p.m. and let me mail the letter.
I remembered when I was 15, visiting Brownsville when she tried to teach me how to make tortillas from scratch so I could impress my future husband. I was appalled at the amount of Crisco she used and thought if I cooked for my husband like that every day I’d kill him for sure. So I tried my best to learn in case that was a skill I would need in the future. But no such luck. I could never get my tortillas round like hers. Mine always looked like different countries on a map. I swear I made Italy once. My tortilla had a boot!
I think of these things and I watch her and I smile. I smile like an idiot, like a silent film actress, so she will know how happy I am to see her and how much she means to me and how well I’m doing. I smile with the hope that she knows how much I really do love her and how sorry I am that I never made more of an effort.
It’s my fault that I haven’t seen her in such a long time. I could have made more time. We talk at birthdays and holidays but we can only say so much. I’m always too busy. Too busy to make a five minute phone call or take 3 days off, too busy for life. Being too busy is catching up to me.
The older I get the more I realize what I take for granted. My grandmother is going home soon, home to my grandfather who is losing his mind to Alzheimer’s and as I write this I’m telling myself that enough is enough and from now on I will call her everyday just to hear her voice and tell her that I love her.
But I know myself and I know how I make these little resolutions and then never follow through because there’s always tomorrow, until there isn’t.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's a maid! It's a slut! No! It's...a spunky cop?
Latina actresses in mainstream Hollywood have been severely limited for decades in the roles written for them and how they are portrayed on screen. They are maids (fiery and exotic or matronly, but maids nonetheless), who barely speak English, man-crazy sluts waiting for the next married man they can sink their “blood of the Virgin” red nails into or they can be - the spunky cop.
The spunky cop who doesn’t back down and can make a man “Freeze” just because she’s hot.
And rest assured she’s always hot. Just because these ladies are fighting crime doesn’t mean they don’t take time to pull themselves together before they grab those big nightsticks and head out for duty.
Daphne Rubin-Vega in “Wild Things,” Michelle Rodriguez in “S.W.A.T,” Rosie Perez in “Pineapple Express,” Jennifer Lopez in “Angel Eyes,” and lest we forget Eva Longoria-Parker in “The Sentinel.” Because you know, the first time I saw all 5 foot 2 inches of Eva Longoria-Parker’s size zero behind, the first thing I thought was “That woman was born to play a tough Secret Service agent.”
Rachel Ticotin has made a career of portraying cops in films and on television like in “Falling Down,” “Con-Air,” “Crime and Punishment,” “Where the day takes you,” and most recently “Lost.”
Think about it? When was the last time you saw a movie and the female law enforcement side- kick wasn’t a Latina?
We’re still maids. Let’s not forget “Spanglish” and the awful “Maid in Manhattan.” J. Lo please, you’re killin’ me.
I’m not trying to put down cleaning women, sluts or police officers. Working as a cleaning woman is a respectable job and whom some may call a slut, others may call free-spirited. I certainly respect law enforcement and cops are great- when you need them.
But is that all there is for Latinas in Hollywood? Are they forever burdened in these roles? Where are doctors, lawyers, journalists, professors, CEO’s, architects and analysts? For Pete’s sake, Denise Richards played a nuclear-physicist in “The World is not Enough.” A hot nuclear physicist, but a physicist just the same!
I think it’s great that that Hollywood finds Latinas to be beautiful as well as tough and strong, women who can hang with the boys and look good doing it. When they portray these officers they certainly aren’t meek.
I respect that Latinas have been bumped up to the more respectable role of law enforcer, but why does that role always have to be filled by a Latina?
Why is it never an Irish woman or an Australian woman or just an “American” woman? My point is the role is not usually filled by someone of an Anglo look. Does Hollywood find the job too dirty or gritty for a white woman? Would a white woman never consider a career in law enforcement?
It’s up to Latinas to create strong, educated and powerful roles for themselves. Hollywood is controlled by middle-aged and elderly men who couldn’t separate a Latina woman from a stereotype if she served it to them on a plate of tamales.
Let’s encourage all Latinas interested in the arts and film to take control of their destinies. Because everyone knows you should never send a man to do a woman’s job.
The spunky cop who doesn’t back down and can make a man “Freeze” just because she’s hot.
And rest assured she’s always hot. Just because these ladies are fighting crime doesn’t mean they don’t take time to pull themselves together before they grab those big nightsticks and head out for duty.
Daphne Rubin-Vega in “Wild Things,” Michelle Rodriguez in “S.W.A.T,” Rosie Perez in “Pineapple Express,” Jennifer Lopez in “Angel Eyes,” and lest we forget Eva Longoria-Parker in “The Sentinel.” Because you know, the first time I saw all 5 foot 2 inches of Eva Longoria-Parker’s size zero behind, the first thing I thought was “That woman was born to play a tough Secret Service agent.”
Rachel Ticotin has made a career of portraying cops in films and on television like in “Falling Down,” “Con-Air,” “Crime and Punishment,” “Where the day takes you,” and most recently “Lost.”
Think about it? When was the last time you saw a movie and the female law enforcement side- kick wasn’t a Latina?
We’re still maids. Let’s not forget “Spanglish” and the awful “Maid in Manhattan.” J. Lo please, you’re killin’ me.
I’m not trying to put down cleaning women, sluts or police officers. Working as a cleaning woman is a respectable job and whom some may call a slut, others may call free-spirited. I certainly respect law enforcement and cops are great- when you need them.
But is that all there is for Latinas in Hollywood? Are they forever burdened in these roles? Where are doctors, lawyers, journalists, professors, CEO’s, architects and analysts? For Pete’s sake, Denise Richards played a nuclear-physicist in “The World is not Enough.” A hot nuclear physicist, but a physicist just the same!
I think it’s great that that Hollywood finds Latinas to be beautiful as well as tough and strong, women who can hang with the boys and look good doing it. When they portray these officers they certainly aren’t meek.
I respect that Latinas have been bumped up to the more respectable role of law enforcer, but why does that role always have to be filled by a Latina?
Why is it never an Irish woman or an Australian woman or just an “American” woman? My point is the role is not usually filled by someone of an Anglo look. Does Hollywood find the job too dirty or gritty for a white woman? Would a white woman never consider a career in law enforcement?
It’s up to Latinas to create strong, educated and powerful roles for themselves. Hollywood is controlled by middle-aged and elderly men who couldn’t separate a Latina woman from a stereotype if she served it to them on a plate of tamales.
Let’s encourage all Latinas interested in the arts and film to take control of their destinies. Because everyone knows you should never send a man to do a woman’s job.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Seriously, enough already
Can the celebrity journalist weight-control police take it down a notch for just one week? Just one. One week of no reporting about extreme dieting and celebrity thunder thighs.
Scarlett Johansson is the latest target. Johansson, who has always displayed one of the more normal looking bodies in Hollywood, has been under scrutiny because of her recent weight loss estimated at around 15 pounds. She is being accused of starving herself and succumbing to a brutal workout regimen at the urging of her co-stars.
Johansson does not deny that she has indeed lost weight. She said that she’s never worked out as hard as this in her life because she is getting her voluptuous curves cat-suit ready for her role in “Iron Man 2.” She is denying, however, that she is resorting to drastic measures to do so.
Would Hollywood and the public accept a curvier Johansson in a cat suit? Probably not. She’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.
Stars like Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan have been on both sides of the weight debate, first being called too fat and then too thin after the dramatic weight losses they both experienced. Jessica Simpson was recently publicly humiliated because of her size. Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Love Hewitt were both blasted for (Egads!) having cellulite, Love Hewitt made the cover of People because of it. And Valerie Bertinelli, who was initially praised because of her weight-loss using Jenny Craig, is now being scrutinized for setting the bridge too high for ladies over 40.
All of these ladies look fantastic. What kind of message does this send to the women of America? Women who compare themselves to these celebrities? Women who think, “What must people think about me if they think SHE looks bad?”
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health said seven million women in America suffer from an eating disorder. Eating disorders do not discriminate. The rates of women affected by them are roughly the same for all races. The average person is exposed to a few hundred advertisements a day. They all feature perfect looking people pitching products. Nearly half of all Americans know someone who suffers from an eating disorder.
There seems to be no happy medium when it comes to celebrities, body image and average American women. Johansson, who said she “enjoys a grilled cheese as much as the next person” but keeps a healthy balance in her diet, should be applauded for blasting back against the media from “her healthy heart” as she says on her blog. Do us a favor celebrity-tabloids and give it a rest. We’re tired of hearing about it. American women everywhere, you’re all beautiful. Now go make yourselves a grilled cheese.
Scarlett Johansson is the latest target. Johansson, who has always displayed one of the more normal looking bodies in Hollywood, has been under scrutiny because of her recent weight loss estimated at around 15 pounds. She is being accused of starving herself and succumbing to a brutal workout regimen at the urging of her co-stars.
Johansson does not deny that she has indeed lost weight. She said that she’s never worked out as hard as this in her life because she is getting her voluptuous curves cat-suit ready for her role in “Iron Man 2.” She is denying, however, that she is resorting to drastic measures to do so.
Would Hollywood and the public accept a curvier Johansson in a cat suit? Probably not. She’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.
Stars like Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan have been on both sides of the weight debate, first being called too fat and then too thin after the dramatic weight losses they both experienced. Jessica Simpson was recently publicly humiliated because of her size. Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Love Hewitt were both blasted for (Egads!) having cellulite, Love Hewitt made the cover of People because of it. And Valerie Bertinelli, who was initially praised because of her weight-loss using Jenny Craig, is now being scrutinized for setting the bridge too high for ladies over 40.
All of these ladies look fantastic. What kind of message does this send to the women of America? Women who compare themselves to these celebrities? Women who think, “What must people think about me if they think SHE looks bad?”
The South Carolina Department of Mental Health said seven million women in America suffer from an eating disorder. Eating disorders do not discriminate. The rates of women affected by them are roughly the same for all races. The average person is exposed to a few hundred advertisements a day. They all feature perfect looking people pitching products. Nearly half of all Americans know someone who suffers from an eating disorder.
There seems to be no happy medium when it comes to celebrities, body image and average American women. Johansson, who said she “enjoys a grilled cheese as much as the next person” but keeps a healthy balance in her diet, should be applauded for blasting back against the media from “her healthy heart” as she says on her blog. Do us a favor celebrity-tabloids and give it a rest. We’re tired of hearing about it. American women everywhere, you’re all beautiful. Now go make yourselves a grilled cheese.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Easy Ways to Pair Wine and Food
Pairing wine and food can be a lot of fun and when chosen wisely can make everyday dining a whole new exciting and palate-pleasing experience. Whether you are trying to make the right choices for a family party, are out on date or just want to appreciate cuisine with a new approach, these tips can help anyone gain a basic knowledge behind pairing wine and food.
Kendall-Jackson sommelier Erin Minnihan and Maxine Vasquez, bar manager and organizer of monthly wine and appetizer tastings at Braxton Seafood Grill in Oak Brook, offer tips to enjoy the most popular varietals of red and white wines.
Red Wines:
Merlot- The most widely planted grape in France’s Bordeaux region. An easy-to-drink wine that is great for the beginner. They can be light and fruity or deep and velvety. Some aromas and flavors found in Merlot are blueberry, black cherry, vanilla and plum. Merlot can be paired nicely with meats like venison, veal, lamb or turkey and oily fishes.
Try: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection.
Cabernet- Originating in the Bordeaux region, the cabernet grape is now planted in almost every wine producing country. Cabernet is full bodied, robust and full of tannins. Some aromas and flavors found in cabernet are chocolate, smoke, cedar, black cherry and black current. Cabernet is paired nicely with rich foods, spicy foods and heavy meats and sauces. Vasquez said, “Tannins love fat! So a cabernet is going to great with a steak. Just remember big cab equals big steak.”
Try: J Lohr Hilltop
Pinot Noir- The most expensive pinot noirs are found in France’s Burgundy region. The most common and most affordable are grown in California and Oregon. Pinot Noir can be fruity or smoky and silky. Some aromas and flavors found in Pinot Noir are raspberry, violets, cherry and plum. Vasquez said Pinot Noir is a great introductory wine and goes great with smoked salmon or prime rib. Pinot Noir is also paired nicely with rabbit or veal and pasta dishes.
Try: La Crema
Syrah and Shiraz- This grape comes from France’s Rhone Valley where it is known as Syrah and it is the signature grape of Australia where it is known as Shiraz. Syrah can be intense and spicy or fruity. Some aromas found in Syrah are blackberry, raspberry, chocolate and pepper. Syrah is paired nicely with smoky barbequed food, game birds, spicy foods and stews.
Try: Frei Brothers
White Wines:
Chardonnay- The hands-down most popular white wine around. Originally grown in France’s Burgundy region, Chardonnay is now grown in almost every wine producing country. Chardonnay can be oaked, crisp, fruity or buttery. Some aromas and flavors found in Chardonnay are apple, pear, peach, vanilla and butter. Chardonnay pairs nicely with rich seafood like lobster and shrimp or poultry like chicken, turkey and anything with a cream sauce.
Try: Buena Vista Carneros
Sauvignon Blanc- Grown in France’s Loire Valley and New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc has a tart flavor, high acidity and mineral depth. Some aromas and flavors found in Sauvignon Blanc are grapefruit, gooseberry, melon and fig. Vasquez said Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with shellfish like oysters and scallops and almost any bottle will pair nicely. Also try with asparagus, salmon and any strong cheeses.
Try: Kim Crawford
Riesling- Riesling grows mainly in Germany and Australia. It has a high acidity and is very versatile with food. They can be tart and citrusy, full-bodied or sweet. Some aromas and flavors found in Riesling are peach, pear, papaya and lime. Riesling pairs nicely with sushi, tuna, salmon, oysters and light cheeses.
Try: Chateau Ste. Michelle
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris- Called Pinot Grigio in Italy and Pinot Gris in France, this grape produces a light, more of a dry wine. Pinot Grigio can be fruity or more full bodied. Some aromas and flavors found in Pinot Grigio are melon, peach, almond and honey. Because of its mild flavors it is a nice wine to drink before a meal and pairs nicely with light seafood, chicken dishes and light cheeses or smoky dishes as well.
Try: King Estate
5 Wine Pairing Elements:
· Fruit- fruity wines will cut down on spice and heat
· Tannins- Don’t pair wines with strong tannins (like Cabernet) with light dishes. It will overwhelm the dish.
· Sugar- Sweet likes sweet. Sugar should be higher in the wine than the dish served as dessert. Try: King Estate Ice Wine
· Acidity- Wine should be equal or higher in acidity to the dish it is being served with. Don’t serve a merlot with spicy tomato dish. The Merlot will be lost.
· Oak- Mostly found in reds. Don’t pair oaky or smoky wines with salty dishes.
Minnihan said when pairing wine and food remember that similar flavors will complement one another like lobster served with butter and a buttery chardonnay. Opposite flavors will play-off of each other and give a nice contrast like a spicy tuna roll and a nice, sweet Riesling. Weighty wines should be paired with heavy dishes like strong Cabernet and beef tenderloin. Lighter, delicate wines should be paired with light food like filet of sole and a Sauvignon Blanc. Find some good company and try a few combinations to see what works to best please your palate. Enjoy!
All wines listed in each category can be found at local liquor or grocery stores for under $40.
Kendall-Jackson sommelier Erin Minnihan and Maxine Vasquez, bar manager and organizer of monthly wine and appetizer tastings at Braxton Seafood Grill in Oak Brook, offer tips to enjoy the most popular varietals of red and white wines.
Red Wines:
Merlot- The most widely planted grape in France’s Bordeaux region. An easy-to-drink wine that is great for the beginner. They can be light and fruity or deep and velvety. Some aromas and flavors found in Merlot are blueberry, black cherry, vanilla and plum. Merlot can be paired nicely with meats like venison, veal, lamb or turkey and oily fishes.
Try: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection.
Cabernet- Originating in the Bordeaux region, the cabernet grape is now planted in almost every wine producing country. Cabernet is full bodied, robust and full of tannins. Some aromas and flavors found in cabernet are chocolate, smoke, cedar, black cherry and black current. Cabernet is paired nicely with rich foods, spicy foods and heavy meats and sauces. Vasquez said, “Tannins love fat! So a cabernet is going to great with a steak. Just remember big cab equals big steak.”
Try: J Lohr Hilltop
Pinot Noir- The most expensive pinot noirs are found in France’s Burgundy region. The most common and most affordable are grown in California and Oregon. Pinot Noir can be fruity or smoky and silky. Some aromas and flavors found in Pinot Noir are raspberry, violets, cherry and plum. Vasquez said Pinot Noir is a great introductory wine and goes great with smoked salmon or prime rib. Pinot Noir is also paired nicely with rabbit or veal and pasta dishes.
Try: La Crema
Syrah and Shiraz- This grape comes from France’s Rhone Valley where it is known as Syrah and it is the signature grape of Australia where it is known as Shiraz. Syrah can be intense and spicy or fruity. Some aromas found in Syrah are blackberry, raspberry, chocolate and pepper. Syrah is paired nicely with smoky barbequed food, game birds, spicy foods and stews.
Try: Frei Brothers
White Wines:
Chardonnay- The hands-down most popular white wine around. Originally grown in France’s Burgundy region, Chardonnay is now grown in almost every wine producing country. Chardonnay can be oaked, crisp, fruity or buttery. Some aromas and flavors found in Chardonnay are apple, pear, peach, vanilla and butter. Chardonnay pairs nicely with rich seafood like lobster and shrimp or poultry like chicken, turkey and anything with a cream sauce.
Try: Buena Vista Carneros
Sauvignon Blanc- Grown in France’s Loire Valley and New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc has a tart flavor, high acidity and mineral depth. Some aromas and flavors found in Sauvignon Blanc are grapefruit, gooseberry, melon and fig. Vasquez said Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with shellfish like oysters and scallops and almost any bottle will pair nicely. Also try with asparagus, salmon and any strong cheeses.
Try: Kim Crawford
Riesling- Riesling grows mainly in Germany and Australia. It has a high acidity and is very versatile with food. They can be tart and citrusy, full-bodied or sweet. Some aromas and flavors found in Riesling are peach, pear, papaya and lime. Riesling pairs nicely with sushi, tuna, salmon, oysters and light cheeses.
Try: Chateau Ste. Michelle
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris- Called Pinot Grigio in Italy and Pinot Gris in France, this grape produces a light, more of a dry wine. Pinot Grigio can be fruity or more full bodied. Some aromas and flavors found in Pinot Grigio are melon, peach, almond and honey. Because of its mild flavors it is a nice wine to drink before a meal and pairs nicely with light seafood, chicken dishes and light cheeses or smoky dishes as well.
Try: King Estate
5 Wine Pairing Elements:
· Fruit- fruity wines will cut down on spice and heat
· Tannins- Don’t pair wines with strong tannins (like Cabernet) with light dishes. It will overwhelm the dish.
· Sugar- Sweet likes sweet. Sugar should be higher in the wine than the dish served as dessert. Try: King Estate Ice Wine
· Acidity- Wine should be equal or higher in acidity to the dish it is being served with. Don’t serve a merlot with spicy tomato dish. The Merlot will be lost.
· Oak- Mostly found in reds. Don’t pair oaky or smoky wines with salty dishes.
Minnihan said when pairing wine and food remember that similar flavors will complement one another like lobster served with butter and a buttery chardonnay. Opposite flavors will play-off of each other and give a nice contrast like a spicy tuna roll and a nice, sweet Riesling. Weighty wines should be paired with heavy dishes like strong Cabernet and beef tenderloin. Lighter, delicate wines should be paired with light food like filet of sole and a Sauvignon Blanc. Find some good company and try a few combinations to see what works to best please your palate. Enjoy!
All wines listed in each category can be found at local liquor or grocery stores for under $40.
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