I want people to remember me and say, "Oh yes! Mattie! He was a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played."
This is how Mattie wanted us to remember him- I will remember him in this way and so much more. His soul and spirit moved me while he was alive and continues to resonate after his passing.
Mattie truly was a messenger from God, placed on earth for unfortuately a very short time, but in those years his spirit and profound wisdom touched the lives of everyone whom he encountered. Thankfully, through Oprah's powerful media influence, I and millions of viewers worldwide came to know and love Mattie. I will never forget his pure, joyous smile that warmed my heart and his profound, poignant words which continue to uplift my spirit.
Jenni Stepanek's memoir reflects upon Mattie's strength to overcome obstacles ("remembering to play after every storm"), inspire others (everyone from from friends, family to world leaders), show compassion (one example, consoling his mother after her bad dream, during one physically painful night) and share his Heartsongs.
Mattie defined Heartsongs as "the longings and hopes and feelings that both describe and stir each of us.". He wished that each of us would "take our Heartsong, package it in the best way we can, and offer it to others.". What a beautiful way to encourage each of us to share our passions and God-given gifts to others as we try to live our best lives. Mattie shared his Heartsongs through his poetry, public speaking events and daily through example.He lived a life full of grace, gratitude, hope and courage which embodied his Heartsong. "Thank You, God,
Not just for life,
But for our journey through life.
Life is a miracle,
And a journey through life
Is so full of so many more miracles
If we travel with our Heartsongs."
Mattie's Heartsongs touched the lives of millions. He served as an unofficial peace abassador sharing his message with members of Congress, Nobel Peace Laureates and countless others. During the final months of his life, Mattie co-authored with President Jimmy Carter a book dedicated to peace. He brightened the lives of camp members at the annual MDA Summer Camp and helped spread public awareness about muscular distrophy at Jerry Lewis' telethons. Most importantly, he was loved and treasured by his mother.
Mattie was not only a Messenger of peace and hope, but was also a vibrant child despite his physical struggles and limitations, reminding us to "play after every storm". He had a keen sense of humor, often playing practical jokes on others (like the time he drank a cup of apple juice pretending it was urine, in front of a horrified medical staff). Mattie appreciated the simple, beautiful gifts of life such as sunrises, not understanding "why everybody wasn't out on the pier at sunrise" and missing this miracle.
Throughout his life, God's miracles presented itself in numerous awe-inspring ways. On several occasions, he defied the odds in medical science and overcame life-threatening emergencies and complications. An elevator, which is not supposed to work during a fire, transported Mattie and his mother from the second to the first floor to safety and then immediately stopped working. Finally, during his funeral Mattie continued to shine his light and message from Heaven when a rainbow appeared following a brief rain storm, again reminding loved ones to "play after the storm".
While Mattie is a beacon of light, one should not forget to honor and respect Jeni Stepanek's strength. Diagnosed with an adult-onset dyautonomic mitochondiral myopathy, Jeni passed on this disease to all of her four children. Despite losing her previous three children and knowing the terminal disease's effect on Mattie's life, she provided Mattie with a loving, nurturing environment instead of dwelling on the losses in her life. Mattie honors her love and gifts to him in a letter her wrote for her to read after his death:
"You led me, inspired me, with wisdom each day,
And like glory of sunrise at dawn,
You led me from darkness, and held me upon
Your lap when I feared-when I most needed shelter,
You kissed my tears, fading hurts, calming welter.
Like a brave shepherd, you've been my life's guard,
Witnessing peace through your heart-loving ark..."
I will always treasure this book, frequently turning to it as a source of hope, strength and reflection. It is not only the story of a very special boy, whose time on earth inspired and will continue to inspire countless inviduals; it is a love story of a mother and a son.
,
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
"Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography" by Rob Lowe
From the onset, I knew I would enjoy reading this memoir. From the eight grade all the way through high school, Rob Lowe was my Hollywood teen crush. After reading "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton in 8th Grade English class, I along with most of my "boy-crazy" classmates in Penleigh Ladies College eagerly awaited the release of the movie featuring a group of future Hollywood teenage hearthtrobs. Each of us declared our favorite actor; mine, of course, was Rob Lowe. I continued to watch every Rob Lowe release (including "Youngblood", "Class", "Oxford Blues", "St. Elmo's Fire", "Square Dance" and "About Last Night") and adorned my walls with his posters. Consequently, I knew that reading his autobiography would in a way be like a trip down memory lane.
Rob Lowe had a passion for becoming an actor at an early age. Early in his career,he frequently starred in ABC's Afterschool Specials, which interestingly enough I watched religiously due to the their "controversial" (often the story lines dealt with teen issues that were not regularly discussed in the open such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, violence/physical abuse etc.) and inspiring storylines. Yet as I was unaware of Rob Lowe as an actor at the time, I do not remember his roles. His breakthrough role which made me and most of the teen population aware of him was his role as Sodapop in "The Outsiders"
Rob describes the audition process and the behind-the-scenes making of the movie. This was fascinating since the movie served as the launching pad for several acclaimed Hollywood actors including: Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze (although this wasn't his first film), Ralph Macchio and Thomas C. Howell. Furthermore, the movie was directed by the well-respected yet notebly difficult to work with director, Francis Coppola. Despite having his major scene removed from the final version and having his role reduced dramatically, Rob Lowe still went on to embark on a successful career.
While Rob Lowe "name-dropped" his personal experiences with famous celebrites including Hollywood legends (such as Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Liza Minelli), friends (e.g., Emilio Estevez, Charlie & Martin Sheen) and co-stars (e.g., Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster, Demi Moore), he maintained his class by not directly critisizing or exposing sensational details about these famous individuals. However, his anecdotes did provide interesting insights into several celebrities such as " Tom (Cruise) has a new perspective on his acting style, telling me, "I want to spend time with you but Joel (his character in Risky Business) doesn't.", " Swayze is a relentless spirit. He never sleeps, works out like an animal and writes and records music on a portable studio he has set up in his hotel room (during the making of "Youngblood")
and " My personal life would painfully and very publically implode. Of all the many people I had worked with over the years, there was only one who took the time to write a note of support: Jodie( Foster)."
The ultimate theme of his autobiography is the road to self-healing. As a young actor, Rob was engulfed by his fast-life of alcohol and sex. He came across as being immature, self- absorbed and ultimately, destructive. Rob recognized that "Fake confidence on the outside (which he typically acquired through alcohol and female attention) often trumps truthful turmoil on the inside." Following his notorious sex scandal he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility. While I respect his decision to seek substance abuse help, I perceived that he somewhat portrayed the actual taped sexual encounter as a badge of honor rather than something he was ashamed of and was more upset about the effects of the media attention surrounding the act. Many may counteract my surprise towards his behavior with the cliche "well he's a guy, what do you expect"; however, does he want to send the message to his sons that his sexual impropriety was acceptable. This was the only aspect of the book which disappointed me.
Following rehab, Rob gained control of his life as a result of greater self-awareness and self-preservation.
He learnt that "while I do love people, I hate small talk, am bored by idle banter, and wildly uncomfortable with people I don't know. I want a real connection..." and that he did, by proposing to his best friend and lover, Sheryl. Rob vowed that "after spending the eighties working on a career, I will spend the nineties working on my life." Since then, it appears, he has been able to maintain a healthy balance in his career and family, which includes his wife of almost 20 years, two sons and dogs.
I applaud Rob Lowe's strength to find his way out of a destructive youth and embrace the true meaning of life. I also applaud his early career for giving me hours of daydreaming during my teenage years. Finally, I applaud him for writing this well-written and fascinating autobiography.
Rob Lowe had a passion for becoming an actor at an early age. Early in his career,he frequently starred in ABC's Afterschool Specials, which interestingly enough I watched religiously due to the their "controversial" (often the story lines dealt with teen issues that were not regularly discussed in the open such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, violence/physical abuse etc.) and inspiring storylines. Yet as I was unaware of Rob Lowe as an actor at the time, I do not remember his roles. His breakthrough role which made me and most of the teen population aware of him was his role as Sodapop in "The Outsiders"
Rob describes the audition process and the behind-the-scenes making of the movie. This was fascinating since the movie served as the launching pad for several acclaimed Hollywood actors including: Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze (although this wasn't his first film), Ralph Macchio and Thomas C. Howell. Furthermore, the movie was directed by the well-respected yet notebly difficult to work with director, Francis Coppola. Despite having his major scene removed from the final version and having his role reduced dramatically, Rob Lowe still went on to embark on a successful career.
While Rob Lowe "name-dropped" his personal experiences with famous celebrites including Hollywood legends (such as Cary Grant, Lucille Ball, Liza Minelli), friends (e.g., Emilio Estevez, Charlie & Martin Sheen) and co-stars (e.g., Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster, Demi Moore), he maintained his class by not directly critisizing or exposing sensational details about these famous individuals. However, his anecdotes did provide interesting insights into several celebrities such as " Tom (Cruise) has a new perspective on his acting style, telling me, "I want to spend time with you but Joel (his character in Risky Business) doesn't.", " Swayze is a relentless spirit. He never sleeps, works out like an animal and writes and records music on a portable studio he has set up in his hotel room (during the making of "Youngblood")
and " My personal life would painfully and very publically implode. Of all the many people I had worked with over the years, there was only one who took the time to write a note of support: Jodie( Foster)."
The ultimate theme of his autobiography is the road to self-healing. As a young actor, Rob was engulfed by his fast-life of alcohol and sex. He came across as being immature, self- absorbed and ultimately, destructive. Rob recognized that "Fake confidence on the outside (which he typically acquired through alcohol and female attention) often trumps truthful turmoil on the inside." Following his notorious sex scandal he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility. While I respect his decision to seek substance abuse help, I perceived that he somewhat portrayed the actual taped sexual encounter as a badge of honor rather than something he was ashamed of and was more upset about the effects of the media attention surrounding the act. Many may counteract my surprise towards his behavior with the cliche "well he's a guy, what do you expect"; however, does he want to send the message to his sons that his sexual impropriety was acceptable. This was the only aspect of the book which disappointed me.
Following rehab, Rob gained control of his life as a result of greater self-awareness and self-preservation.
He learnt that "while I do love people, I hate small talk, am bored by idle banter, and wildly uncomfortable with people I don't know. I want a real connection..." and that he did, by proposing to his best friend and lover, Sheryl. Rob vowed that "after spending the eighties working on a career, I will spend the nineties working on my life." Since then, it appears, he has been able to maintain a healthy balance in his career and family, which includes his wife of almost 20 years, two sons and dogs.
I applaud Rob Lowe's strength to find his way out of a destructive youth and embrace the true meaning of life. I also applaud his early career for giving me hours of daydreaming during my teenage years. Finally, I applaud him for writing this well-written and fascinating autobiography.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" was a refreshing read when compared to most modern fiction. Not including historical fiction novels, modern fiction often deals with human angst and tragedy. There is also "chick-lit" which is mindless reading typically revolving around a female character's quest to find "Mr Right" in the dating jungle. I am not denying that I have enjoyed novels that have fallen into the above categories; however, I have increasingly become unsatisfied with these forms of modern fiction and have been yearning for a change, which is why I embraced "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand".
The novel is set in England and written by a British author. Simplicity is the essence of the novel, which also characterizes and why I find British productions (television and movies) so appealing. The British have a magical skill of transforming a simple storyline into a riveting yet relaxing production. Such is the case with "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand".
The story is about a retired, widowed Colonel, living in a small English village, who falls in love with an also widowed, Pakastani store owner. The love is not an over-the-top, dramatic love affair but is built on a sweet friendship. They experience barriers in the form of non-acceptance from the local community and family members, but this too is also handled without excess melodrama (with the exception of one family member's dramatic and unnecessary actions in response to his own personal problems at the end of the novel).
In many ways, the novel resembles a modern Jane Austen novel as the author makes astute observations about society's rules and behavior with a similiar witty and satirical style. Each character, both main and secondary (ie. town and family members) come alive not with wordy physical and narrative descriptons, but through their quirks, mannerisms and behavior in a variety of situations.
My favorite character is Mrs Ali, the widowed Pakistani store owner who falls in love with Major Petigrew. I found a kindred spirit in her love of books. " I tell myself that it does not matter what one reads- favorite authors, particular themes- as long as we read something. It is not even important to own the books" She stroked the library book's yellowing plastic sleeve...
I was also charmed and inspired by her nuggets of wisdom such as " The world is full of small ignorances. We must all do our best to ignore them and thereby keep them small, don't you think?" and "I don't believe the greatest views in the world are great because they are vast or exotic. I think the power comes from the knowledge that they do not change. You look at them and you know they have been the same for a thousand years."
This was author's debut novel. The "Random House Reader's Circle" interview, at the end of the novel, with Helen Simonson provided insight into her background, views and inspirations. She was raised in a small English villiage and moved to the U.S. in her teens or early adulthood (similar to me). Like me, she holds idyllic memories of her birth country, recognizing that "Perhaps home is more precious to those who leave. Away from the everyday annoyances of town and family life, we are free to recollect only the good bits and pine for a landscape that we remembers as always bathed in late-summer evening light." She is a source of inspiration, since she started writing "later" in life and I took note of her keen observation about writers "I have slowly come to the conclusion that this struggle to find consistency and a good routine, and to pile up creative work, is the challenge of all creative people. It is what separates the writer from the person who has an idea for a novel if they could just find the time.We also share a similar literary taste, as she identifies both Jane Austin and Edith Wharton as two of her favorite authors. Finally as a person of British origin, she reflects upon her strong connection to the Indian subcontinent noting that "it is an unexpected part of being British that, no matter the rhetoric, we maintain an enduring sense of connection to the Indian subcontinent."
I thoroughly enjoyed "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" and look forward to reading Helen Simonson's future novels.
The novel is set in England and written by a British author. Simplicity is the essence of the novel, which also characterizes and why I find British productions (television and movies) so appealing. The British have a magical skill of transforming a simple storyline into a riveting yet relaxing production. Such is the case with "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand".
The story is about a retired, widowed Colonel, living in a small English village, who falls in love with an also widowed, Pakastani store owner. The love is not an over-the-top, dramatic love affair but is built on a sweet friendship. They experience barriers in the form of non-acceptance from the local community and family members, but this too is also handled without excess melodrama (with the exception of one family member's dramatic and unnecessary actions in response to his own personal problems at the end of the novel).
In many ways, the novel resembles a modern Jane Austen novel as the author makes astute observations about society's rules and behavior with a similiar witty and satirical style. Each character, both main and secondary (ie. town and family members) come alive not with wordy physical and narrative descriptons, but through their quirks, mannerisms and behavior in a variety of situations.
My favorite character is Mrs Ali, the widowed Pakistani store owner who falls in love with Major Petigrew. I found a kindred spirit in her love of books. " I tell myself that it does not matter what one reads- favorite authors, particular themes- as long as we read something. It is not even important to own the books" She stroked the library book's yellowing plastic sleeve...
I was also charmed and inspired by her nuggets of wisdom such as " The world is full of small ignorances. We must all do our best to ignore them and thereby keep them small, don't you think?" and "I don't believe the greatest views in the world are great because they are vast or exotic. I think the power comes from the knowledge that they do not change. You look at them and you know they have been the same for a thousand years."
This was author's debut novel. The "Random House Reader's Circle" interview, at the end of the novel, with Helen Simonson provided insight into her background, views and inspirations. She was raised in a small English villiage and moved to the U.S. in her teens or early adulthood (similar to me). Like me, she holds idyllic memories of her birth country, recognizing that "Perhaps home is more precious to those who leave. Away from the everyday annoyances of town and family life, we are free to recollect only the good bits and pine for a landscape that we remembers as always bathed in late-summer evening light." She is a source of inspiration, since she started writing "later" in life and I took note of her keen observation about writers "I have slowly come to the conclusion that this struggle to find consistency and a good routine, and to pile up creative work, is the challenge of all creative people. It is what separates the writer from the person who has an idea for a novel if they could just find the time.We also share a similar literary taste, as she identifies both Jane Austin and Edith Wharton as two of her favorite authors. Finally as a person of British origin, she reflects upon her strong connection to the Indian subcontinent noting that "it is an unexpected part of being British that, no matter the rhetoric, we maintain an enduring sense of connection to the Indian subcontinent."
I thoroughly enjoyed "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" and look forward to reading Helen Simonson's future novels.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl
This is the third memoir I have read by the famous food critic and editor of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl. I literally stumbled upon her first memoir " Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table" at our rental cabin in Medocino County last spring, almost exactly a year ago. I devoured the book, no pun intended. I relished upon her captivating anecdotes about her childhood and early adult years, interspersed with mouth-watering descriptions of the food that shaped her life. Fresh from reading "Tender at the Bone", I began to read her second memoir "Comfort Me with Apples" and was completely let down. This memoir lacked the charming appeal of her previous memoir and quite honestly bored me.So I cautiously did not set any expectations, prior to reading "Garlic and Sapphires" and fortunately the book more than delivered.
This memoir recounts the period in Ruth Reichl's illustrious epicurean career when she worked at the New York Times as their food critic. Early on, she discovered that restaurants were on the look out for her arrival and quick to recognize her. This resulted in preferential treatment such as being placed at the best table in the restaurant and literally being served larger, more luscious berries in her dessert when compared with regular patrons' meals. In order to provide a more consumer-friendly, accurate review, Ruth embarks on a innovative method to conduct her restaurant reviews- dress in disguise.
Not only does she alter her physical appearance but she takes on unique personality traits and invents distinct backgrounds for each of her characters. This distinguishes her memoir from most traditional "foodie" books. With each character, readers are drawn into different worlds and perspectives, which keeps the interest level high. Characters include frumpy, retired high school teacher Molly, the controlling and outspoken Miriam, the alluring Chloe, the lovable and delightful Brenda, the meek and inconspicous Betty and the rude, offensive Emily. Ruth learns about herself while taking on the persona of these characters. She gains a deeper understanding of her mother who most resembles Miriam and learns that Brenda represents her "best" self.
As in her early memoir "Tender at the Bone", "Garlic and Sapphires" contain mouth-watering food descriptions. This time they are part of restaurant reviews, which aptly end each chapter. Also included, as in her previous memoirs, are some of her favorite recipes.
Overall, "Garlic and Sapphires" is a fascinating read full of colorful characters, and vivid descriptions of restaurants' food and service. It provides an insightful look into the world of a respected food critic in a very engaging manner.
This memoir recounts the period in Ruth Reichl's illustrious epicurean career when she worked at the New York Times as their food critic. Early on, she discovered that restaurants were on the look out for her arrival and quick to recognize her. This resulted in preferential treatment such as being placed at the best table in the restaurant and literally being served larger, more luscious berries in her dessert when compared with regular patrons' meals. In order to provide a more consumer-friendly, accurate review, Ruth embarks on a innovative method to conduct her restaurant reviews- dress in disguise.
Not only does she alter her physical appearance but she takes on unique personality traits and invents distinct backgrounds for each of her characters. This distinguishes her memoir from most traditional "foodie" books. With each character, readers are drawn into different worlds and perspectives, which keeps the interest level high. Characters include frumpy, retired high school teacher Molly, the controlling and outspoken Miriam, the alluring Chloe, the lovable and delightful Brenda, the meek and inconspicous Betty and the rude, offensive Emily. Ruth learns about herself while taking on the persona of these characters. She gains a deeper understanding of her mother who most resembles Miriam and learns that Brenda represents her "best" self.
As in her early memoir "Tender at the Bone", "Garlic and Sapphires" contain mouth-watering food descriptions. This time they are part of restaurant reviews, which aptly end each chapter. Also included, as in her previous memoirs, are some of her favorite recipes.
Overall, "Garlic and Sapphires" is a fascinating read full of colorful characters, and vivid descriptions of restaurants' food and service. It provides an insightful look into the world of a respected food critic in a very engaging manner.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
life, on the line by Grant Achatz & Nick Kokonas
The book's subtitle is "A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death and Redefining the Way We Eat", which is a good summary of this memoir although in a different order of events. Grant Achatz is the subject and primary author of this memoir. Nick Kokonas' contributions are in the final two-thirds when he and Grant become co-owners of Chicago's Alinea restaurant. The memoir recounts Grant Achatz' journey beginning with his early aspirations to become a chef to his rise to become one of the world's renowned chef and ends with his successful battle with tongue cancer.
This is the second memoir written by a chef that I have read. The first was Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential". I by far prefered Grant Achatz's memoir. Both memoirs begin with each chef's fascination with cooking at an early age and follow them in their early career as they gain their bearings in the culinary world. The similarities end here. While Anthony Bourdain shares some fascinating tips for foodies regarding what to order and what to avoid, his recount of his early career is superficial,only touching the surface at best, and it appears his main objective is to propogate his "bad boy" image. He wears his hard-core drug-use and womanzing as a badge of honor. Grant Achatz, on the other hand, provides a candid, in-depth description that allows readers to not only understand his ladder to success but also gain a wonderful insight into the inner workings of gourmet restaurant kitchens.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Grant worked at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Trotter's in Chicago, owned by world -renowned chef Charlie Trotter. While he was initially excited to receive a job offer with such a prestigious restaurant, the intense working environment and arrogant chef/owner "managed to drain all the confidence and drive that I had built up over the years of cooking and thinking about food." His aspirations and passion for cooking were renewed when he then began working at The French Laundry in Napa. Chef/owner, Thomas Keller, a polar opposite of Charlie Trotter, became a lifelong friend and mentor. Reading about The French Laundry's dedication towards perfection and decadent dishes, convinced me that sampling the cuisine is worth the splurge before leaving the Bay Area.
Thomas Keller taught by example and fueled Grant's creativity. He generously encouraged Grant to take a leave of absence from The French Laundry and spend a summer in Spain working for a restaurant which focuses on moleular gastronomy, a creative, multi-sensory approach to cooking. Grant returned from this experience, freshly inspired and rejuvinated to create his own "out of the box" recipes resulting in his resignation from The French Laundry to take on the head chef position at a restaurant in an outer-Chicago suburb. His unique approach to cooking brought widespread attention to this relatively small, unknown restaurant and led to meeting his future business partner, Nick Kokonas.
Together, Nick and Grant created the world-famous Alinea, meaning "new train of thought". The authors share a detailed account of the birth of Alinea including its business plan, search for investors and retail space, interior design vision and plans, sample menu and opening night. Within six months of opening, Alinea earned the highly-respected title of Gourmet magagzine's best restaurant in North America. (recently in 2010 it was named number one in Gourmet magazine's best restaurants of the world).
Much to Allen's chagrin (the current price for a 22-course prix fixe menu is $300 per person), the book definitely wetted my appetite to sample Alinea's unique and extraordinary cuisne. Each dish listed and described in the book fueled my temptation, some enticing dishes included: lobster with rosemary vapor, proscuitto with passion fruit and mint, olive oil popsicles and candy cap mushroom icecream. Earlier in the book he stated his mission as a chef: " I want people to be excited, happy, curious, intrigued and even bewildered during the meal." This is probably a dream most foodies aspire to achieve and after reading his memoir, Grant Achatz (and later reading satisfied diners' reviews on Yelp) convinced me that a dining experience at Alinea will satisfy all of the above emotions in its diners.
This is the second memoir written by a chef that I have read. The first was Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential". I by far prefered Grant Achatz's memoir. Both memoirs begin with each chef's fascination with cooking at an early age and follow them in their early career as they gain their bearings in the culinary world. The similarities end here. While Anthony Bourdain shares some fascinating tips for foodies regarding what to order and what to avoid, his recount of his early career is superficial,only touching the surface at best, and it appears his main objective is to propogate his "bad boy" image. He wears his hard-core drug-use and womanzing as a badge of honor. Grant Achatz, on the other hand, provides a candid, in-depth description that allows readers to not only understand his ladder to success but also gain a wonderful insight into the inner workings of gourmet restaurant kitchens.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Grant worked at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Trotter's in Chicago, owned by world -renowned chef Charlie Trotter. While he was initially excited to receive a job offer with such a prestigious restaurant, the intense working environment and arrogant chef/owner "managed to drain all the confidence and drive that I had built up over the years of cooking and thinking about food." His aspirations and passion for cooking were renewed when he then began working at The French Laundry in Napa. Chef/owner, Thomas Keller, a polar opposite of Charlie Trotter, became a lifelong friend and mentor. Reading about The French Laundry's dedication towards perfection and decadent dishes, convinced me that sampling the cuisine is worth the splurge before leaving the Bay Area.
Thomas Keller taught by example and fueled Grant's creativity. He generously encouraged Grant to take a leave of absence from The French Laundry and spend a summer in Spain working for a restaurant which focuses on moleular gastronomy, a creative, multi-sensory approach to cooking. Grant returned from this experience, freshly inspired and rejuvinated to create his own "out of the box" recipes resulting in his resignation from The French Laundry to take on the head chef position at a restaurant in an outer-Chicago suburb. His unique approach to cooking brought widespread attention to this relatively small, unknown restaurant and led to meeting his future business partner, Nick Kokonas.
Together, Nick and Grant created the world-famous Alinea, meaning "new train of thought". The authors share a detailed account of the birth of Alinea including its business plan, search for investors and retail space, interior design vision and plans, sample menu and opening night. Within six months of opening, Alinea earned the highly-respected title of Gourmet magagzine's best restaurant in North America. (recently in 2010 it was named number one in Gourmet magazine's best restaurants of the world).
Much to Allen's chagrin (the current price for a 22-course prix fixe menu is $300 per person), the book definitely wetted my appetite to sample Alinea's unique and extraordinary cuisne. Each dish listed and described in the book fueled my temptation, some enticing dishes included: lobster with rosemary vapor, proscuitto with passion fruit and mint, olive oil popsicles and candy cap mushroom icecream. Earlier in the book he stated his mission as a chef: " I want people to be excited, happy, curious, intrigued and even bewildered during the meal." This is probably a dream most foodies aspire to achieve and after reading his memoir, Grant Achatz (and later reading satisfied diners' reviews on Yelp) convinced me that a dining experience at Alinea will satisfy all of the above emotions in its diners.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
Lately I have been choosing to read memoirs over novels, seeking inspiration in real-life stories. No matter what his/her background is, each author imparts wisdom and inspiration in his/her life story. While "Left Neglected" is a novel, it read like a memoir due to its first person narrative and the author's first hand knowledge/experience with the subject material.
The subject material is "left neglect" a neurological condition that occurs as a result of right-hemisphere stroke, hemorrhage or as in the main character's case, traumatic brain injury. Patients with left neglect involuntarily ignore information on their left side, which often includes lack of awareness of the left side of their bodies. ( I remember learning about this condition during my adult motor disorders course in graduate school.) Examples of behaviors exhibited by patients with left neglect include: difficulty moving the left side of their bodies (which results in difficulty with walking and performing routine tasks, such as dressing), not "seeing" objects or people on their left and incomplete output (for example, only drawing "half" of an object, difficulty reading).
Lisa Genova is a neuroscientist at Harvard University. This is her second novel. Her first novel, "Still Alice"
is one of my favorite reads of last year. It chronicles the progression of a middle-aged woman with Alzheimer's Disease. I was fascinated and saddened as I observed the gradual deterioration of her mind and its affect on her loved ones. In "Left Neglect" the main character also goes through physiological, emotional and life-shifting changes; however, a major difference exists between the two characters lives. In "Still Alice", Alzheimer's causes Alice to lose control of her life as her mind deteriorates; the end result is despair.
In "Left Neglect", Sarah's traumatic brain injury initially disrupts her life; however, through rehabilitative care and determination she makes signficant gains and creates a new life for herself; the end result is hope.
The first few chapters of the novel reveal Sarah's life before her traumatic brain injury. A working mother of three, she juggles motherhood with a demanding professional career.
"I juggle a lot of balls-expensive, fragile, heavy, irreplaceable balls. And just when I think I've got as many in the air as I could possibly handle, one partner will throw me another...There are days when there is no room for error, no time to pee, no extra minutes to squeeze one more of anything out of me. On those days, I feel like a balloon blown to capacity, ready to burst."
While driving to work one day and simultaneously attempting to make a phone call, she loses control of her car. This results in a traumatic brain injury in the right hemisphere in which she loses her capacity to attend to her left as she verbalizes to her doctor:
"Intellectually, I understand that there's a left side of the plate, but it is not part of my reality. I can't look at the left side of the plate because it is not there. There is no left side. I feel like I'm looking at the whole plate."
Sarah spends several weeks in a rehab. hospital following her accident. As a therapist, I enjoyed reading about the different therapy strategies (such as visual- painting her left nails a bright color, jewelry on her left hand, tactile- sponge baths). The novel sensitively unravels the stages Sarah goes through as she comes to terms with her condition (denial, acceptance/self-awareness, anger, frustration, fear, determination, hope) through anecdotal recounts of events. For example, the frustration she feels when she realizes the difficulty performing routine tasks (such as going to the bathroom, eating, dressing) to the fear she feels with the uncertainty of her prognosis.
The more therapy I have, the more I realize that this is not a math equation. No one will give me any guarantees...I can work as hard as I've always worked at everything I've ever done, and it might not be any more effective than just lying here and praying. I've been doing both.
Despite the uncertainty, she persists with therapy and has a poignant revalation at the time of discharge, which elevates her spirits-
I go back to the poster. Something is different...The picture is of two hands, not one. And the hands aren't clenched into individual fists, ready for battle. The hands are clasped together. Holding hands. And the word above the hand isn't Attitude. The word above the holding hands is Gratitude.
I start to cry, loving this poster that I'd been looking at all wrong. I think about Heidi (her therapist) and Bob and the kids and my mother and all the help and love I've been given and all I have...I'm going home today, unable to copy a whole cat but able to see this whole poster, filled with gratitude.
As Sarah re-adjusts her life at home, the novel delves into her relationships with her mother who has come to help take care of her and who her son, who has recently been diagnosed with ADD. These relationships play a vital role in her healing process. Her mother's devotion and love as Sarah's primary caregiver brings Sarah to forgive her mother for a painful childhood resulting from her mother's emotional abandonment following her brother's tragic death and they are brought closer. Sarah draws parallels between her neurolological condition and her son's ADD, recognizing that while they both may deviate from "normal", self-awareness and strategies will help them to cope and lead happy, fullfilling lives.
Her self-awareness includes discovering what she can and cannot do. On one of her family's weekend ski trips, as she mulls over her frustration and disappintment of no longer being able to ski, she discovers an
alternative through the NESP's office located in the ski resort town. NESP ((New England Handicapped Sports Association) mission is to help people with disabilities enrich their lives through sports, recreation and social activities. Through the organization she discovers her ability to and eventually her love for snowboarding. Later, when she turns down an offer to return to her former place of employment, she is offered an professional opportunity with the organization which better suits her professional capabilities, current productivity capacity and chosen lifestyle.
This chosen lifestyle is a more healthy balance in life:
And although much of the stillness of the past four months(since her accident) has been a painful and terrifying experience, it has given me a chance to lift my head up and have a look around. And I'm starting to wonder. What else is there? Maybe success can be something else, and maybe there's another way to get there. Maybe there's a different road for me with a more reasonable spead limit.
"Left Neglected", like Lisa Genova's previous novel "Still Alice", is an intelligent and poignant novel. "Left Neglected" reinforces the importance of accepting one's circumstances, treasuring life's blessings and striving to achieve one's dreams. Dreams do not necessarily have to be monumental, but can be our daily pursuit of being the best we can be and nurturing our relationships with loved ones.
The subject material is "left neglect" a neurological condition that occurs as a result of right-hemisphere stroke, hemorrhage or as in the main character's case, traumatic brain injury. Patients with left neglect involuntarily ignore information on their left side, which often includes lack of awareness of the left side of their bodies. ( I remember learning about this condition during my adult motor disorders course in graduate school.) Examples of behaviors exhibited by patients with left neglect include: difficulty moving the left side of their bodies (which results in difficulty with walking and performing routine tasks, such as dressing), not "seeing" objects or people on their left and incomplete output (for example, only drawing "half" of an object, difficulty reading).
Lisa Genova is a neuroscientist at Harvard University. This is her second novel. Her first novel, "Still Alice"
is one of my favorite reads of last year. It chronicles the progression of a middle-aged woman with Alzheimer's Disease. I was fascinated and saddened as I observed the gradual deterioration of her mind and its affect on her loved ones. In "Left Neglect" the main character also goes through physiological, emotional and life-shifting changes; however, a major difference exists between the two characters lives. In "Still Alice", Alzheimer's causes Alice to lose control of her life as her mind deteriorates; the end result is despair.
In "Left Neglect", Sarah's traumatic brain injury initially disrupts her life; however, through rehabilitative care and determination she makes signficant gains and creates a new life for herself; the end result is hope.
The first few chapters of the novel reveal Sarah's life before her traumatic brain injury. A working mother of three, she juggles motherhood with a demanding professional career.
"I juggle a lot of balls-expensive, fragile, heavy, irreplaceable balls. And just when I think I've got as many in the air as I could possibly handle, one partner will throw me another...There are days when there is no room for error, no time to pee, no extra minutes to squeeze one more of anything out of me. On those days, I feel like a balloon blown to capacity, ready to burst."
While driving to work one day and simultaneously attempting to make a phone call, she loses control of her car. This results in a traumatic brain injury in the right hemisphere in which she loses her capacity to attend to her left as she verbalizes to her doctor:
"Intellectually, I understand that there's a left side of the plate, but it is not part of my reality. I can't look at the left side of the plate because it is not there. There is no left side. I feel like I'm looking at the whole plate."
Sarah spends several weeks in a rehab. hospital following her accident. As a therapist, I enjoyed reading about the different therapy strategies (such as visual- painting her left nails a bright color, jewelry on her left hand, tactile- sponge baths). The novel sensitively unravels the stages Sarah goes through as she comes to terms with her condition (denial, acceptance/self-awareness, anger, frustration, fear, determination, hope) through anecdotal recounts of events. For example, the frustration she feels when she realizes the difficulty performing routine tasks (such as going to the bathroom, eating, dressing) to the fear she feels with the uncertainty of her prognosis.
The more therapy I have, the more I realize that this is not a math equation. No one will give me any guarantees...I can work as hard as I've always worked at everything I've ever done, and it might not be any more effective than just lying here and praying. I've been doing both.
Despite the uncertainty, she persists with therapy and has a poignant revalation at the time of discharge, which elevates her spirits-
I go back to the poster. Something is different...The picture is of two hands, not one. And the hands aren't clenched into individual fists, ready for battle. The hands are clasped together. Holding hands. And the word above the hand isn't Attitude. The word above the holding hands is Gratitude.
I start to cry, loving this poster that I'd been looking at all wrong. I think about Heidi (her therapist) and Bob and the kids and my mother and all the help and love I've been given and all I have...I'm going home today, unable to copy a whole cat but able to see this whole poster, filled with gratitude.
As Sarah re-adjusts her life at home, the novel delves into her relationships with her mother who has come to help take care of her and who her son, who has recently been diagnosed with ADD. These relationships play a vital role in her healing process. Her mother's devotion and love as Sarah's primary caregiver brings Sarah to forgive her mother for a painful childhood resulting from her mother's emotional abandonment following her brother's tragic death and they are brought closer. Sarah draws parallels between her neurolological condition and her son's ADD, recognizing that while they both may deviate from "normal", self-awareness and strategies will help them to cope and lead happy, fullfilling lives.
Her self-awareness includes discovering what she can and cannot do. On one of her family's weekend ski trips, as she mulls over her frustration and disappintment of no longer being able to ski, she discovers an
alternative through the NESP's office located in the ski resort town. NESP ((New England Handicapped Sports Association) mission is to help people with disabilities enrich their lives through sports, recreation and social activities. Through the organization she discovers her ability to and eventually her love for snowboarding. Later, when she turns down an offer to return to her former place of employment, she is offered an professional opportunity with the organization which better suits her professional capabilities, current productivity capacity and chosen lifestyle.
This chosen lifestyle is a more healthy balance in life:
And although much of the stillness of the past four months(since her accident) has been a painful and terrifying experience, it has given me a chance to lift my head up and have a look around. And I'm starting to wonder. What else is there? Maybe success can be something else, and maybe there's another way to get there. Maybe there's a different road for me with a more reasonable spead limit.
"Left Neglected", like Lisa Genova's previous novel "Still Alice", is an intelligent and poignant novel. "Left Neglected" reinforces the importance of accepting one's circumstances, treasuring life's blessings and striving to achieve one's dreams. Dreams do not necessarily have to be monumental, but can be our daily pursuit of being the best we can be and nurturing our relationships with loved ones.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena De Blasi
La Dolce Vita!
This is one of many memoirs written by Americans who have chosen to settle or spend a significant amount of time in Italy as they pursue "the sweet life". I find myself drawn to such books, since it allows me to rekindle the sweet memories of our stay in Bellagio, Italy and stroke the flames of a dream to ultimately settle in this magical land.
This is a follow-up book to a previous memoir in which the author first moved to Venice and fell in love with an Italian man. In this memoir, her husband enters early retirement upon giving up his financial job and they decide to relocate to Tuscan villiage where they rent a house without central heating, electricity and telephone connection. Unlike most main characters who escape to Italy purely in search of the sweet life, Marlena realizes alongwith the sweet comes the salty.
"We've come here to make a life scrubbed clean of clutter, a life that follows the rhythyms and rituals of this rural culture....We're hoping this is a place that still remembers real life...the hard parts and the joyful ones. Dolce e salata, sweet and salty...each side dignfying the other."
Ironically it is her Italian husband that has more idealistic expectations about the region in search of serenity, while Marlena recognizes that serenity is not geographically dependant. In her unique way, she reminds him to focus on the present rather than living life with regrets.
"Instead of worrying who's robbing you of what, worry about how you thieve yourself. You rob time, Fernando. How arrogent you are taking an evening like this one as though it was some sour cherry, spitting half its flesh into the dirt. Every time you pitch yourself back into the past you lose time."
They befriend their landlord Barlozzo, who helps assimilate them to their local neigbhors, customs and surrounding locale. The book is effectively organized seasonally, as the traditions and natural surroundings change dramatically with each season.
They soon discover that the soul of Tuscan life is food. "In Tuscany, the lessons are all about the food. As Barlozzo promised from that first day, for rural folk, food is the fundamental theme of their lives. It is different from that of the American who gets excited about the restaurant of the week or a holiday feast or a dinner party at which someone auditions a recipe from a just acquired cookbook.
Lunch and dinner here compose a twice-daily-said mass. After all, here in the countryside, some people still grow it, gather, forage and hunt for it."
With Barlozzo as their guide, they gather wild chesnuts and grapes, forage for wild mushrooms, and prepare a hunted boar.
Marlena takes local ingredients and transforms them into delectable dishes. Each chapter ends with several recipes spotlighting seasonal ingredients. She recognizes the true art and beauty of cooking. "Certainly good cooking is about flavor. About the liberation of flavor, the suspension of it, and finally, the release of it... For instance, to make basil pesto, one pounds garlic and basil to release their oils and essences. Then one captures, holds those flavors by suspending them in olive oil, forming an emulsion, a thick, smooth sauce. But this sauce has yet to rerelease those flavors one worked to liberate and suspend. The sauce needs heat...The contact with the heat intensifies the flavors of the sauce to its fullness."
The book provided a steady and relaxing read, closely imitating the pace of life in Tuscany. The author captured the close friendships, mouth-watering dishes and colorful local traditions/customs. While I enjoyed experiencing rural Tuscan life through her keen observations and vivid descriptions, I did not feel as strong a connection to her as I felt for other recent memoir authors.
This is one of many memoirs written by Americans who have chosen to settle or spend a significant amount of time in Italy as they pursue "the sweet life". I find myself drawn to such books, since it allows me to rekindle the sweet memories of our stay in Bellagio, Italy and stroke the flames of a dream to ultimately settle in this magical land.
This is a follow-up book to a previous memoir in which the author first moved to Venice and fell in love with an Italian man. In this memoir, her husband enters early retirement upon giving up his financial job and they decide to relocate to Tuscan villiage where they rent a house without central heating, electricity and telephone connection. Unlike most main characters who escape to Italy purely in search of the sweet life, Marlena realizes alongwith the sweet comes the salty.
"We've come here to make a life scrubbed clean of clutter, a life that follows the rhythyms and rituals of this rural culture....We're hoping this is a place that still remembers real life...the hard parts and the joyful ones. Dolce e salata, sweet and salty...each side dignfying the other."
Ironically it is her Italian husband that has more idealistic expectations about the region in search of serenity, while Marlena recognizes that serenity is not geographically dependant. In her unique way, she reminds him to focus on the present rather than living life with regrets.
"Instead of worrying who's robbing you of what, worry about how you thieve yourself. You rob time, Fernando. How arrogent you are taking an evening like this one as though it was some sour cherry, spitting half its flesh into the dirt. Every time you pitch yourself back into the past you lose time."
They befriend their landlord Barlozzo, who helps assimilate them to their local neigbhors, customs and surrounding locale. The book is effectively organized seasonally, as the traditions and natural surroundings change dramatically with each season.
They soon discover that the soul of Tuscan life is food. "In Tuscany, the lessons are all about the food. As Barlozzo promised from that first day, for rural folk, food is the fundamental theme of their lives. It is different from that of the American who gets excited about the restaurant of the week or a holiday feast or a dinner party at which someone auditions a recipe from a just acquired cookbook.
Lunch and dinner here compose a twice-daily-said mass. After all, here in the countryside, some people still grow it, gather, forage and hunt for it."
With Barlozzo as their guide, they gather wild chesnuts and grapes, forage for wild mushrooms, and prepare a hunted boar.
Marlena takes local ingredients and transforms them into delectable dishes. Each chapter ends with several recipes spotlighting seasonal ingredients. She recognizes the true art and beauty of cooking. "Certainly good cooking is about flavor. About the liberation of flavor, the suspension of it, and finally, the release of it... For instance, to make basil pesto, one pounds garlic and basil to release their oils and essences. Then one captures, holds those flavors by suspending them in olive oil, forming an emulsion, a thick, smooth sauce. But this sauce has yet to rerelease those flavors one worked to liberate and suspend. The sauce needs heat...The contact with the heat intensifies the flavors of the sauce to its fullness."
The book provided a steady and relaxing read, closely imitating the pace of life in Tuscany. The author captured the close friendships, mouth-watering dishes and colorful local traditions/customs. While I enjoyed experiencing rural Tuscan life through her keen observations and vivid descriptions, I did not feel as strong a connection to her as I felt for other recent memoir authors.
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