1. Possibly, as I read further into Patricia Nelson Limerick's book Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West, I'll be able to coherently sum up what I'm learning from this book. It's very good. What makes it difficult to sum up, so far, is that Limerick writes about a mess. As settlers, miners, missionaries, land grabbers, farmers, speculators, cattle raisers, prostitutes, families, and others began to occupy the lands we now call the West, a long period of chaos broke out: wars, disease, violence, broken promises, broken treaties, naïveté, exploitation, lawlessness, bloody competition and confrontation, dashed hopes, and empty dreams were all countered, to a degree, by some people's material success. It wasn't romantic. It was rarely heroic. Its tensions have never been resolved and vigorously continue to inform all of our lives in the West.
2. A very short video from Milk Street popped up on my Facebook feed, as an advertisement, the other day. It demonstrated a way to make pasta sauce that was completely new to me. First, heat olive oil in a pan or pot and then add herbs and heat them until fragrant. I tossed fennel seeds, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and a some red pepper flakes into the oil. The next step is to put a 6 oz can of tomato paste in the pot/pan and combine the oil, herbs/seasonings, and the paste. Meanwhile, boil the pasta -- I made a batch of spaghetti -- and when it is al dente, separate the pasta from the water, but save the water. Following the video's instructions, I poured the starchy pasta water over the tomato paste and seasonings until the paste had thinned down to the level I wanted.
The idea is that sauce made this way, combined in a bowl with the al dente pasta, will not be on the pasta, but will soak in the pasta.
How did it turn out? Not bad. Next time I'll increase the intensity of the seasonings. Even diluted, the tomato paste's flavors are very concentrated (very tomato-y! duh!) and I'd like to bring the flavor of the seasonings forward more.
I can imagine adding minced garlic to the oil. I can imagine adding some chopped onion and a bay leaf.
Christy ran errands today, including a trip to Yoke's, and I asked her to pick up four 6 oz cans of tomato paste because I want to experiment more with this way of making pasta sauce.
3. After completing her errands and putting Riley to bed for the night, Christy came over and I fixed us each a Bourbon Renewal. Christy has been run down for a couple of days, but had more energy today and resumed taking care of things related to losing Everett and she visited a forever friend. We talked about her day, reflected together some more on Everett's last couple of days and remembered our mom and dad's last days, too.
We talked about other things, too -- current events, Laura Lippman and other writers, our plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas relative to the pandemic, and Riley being startled, harmlessly surrounded by a pack of small dogs up Jacobs Gulch today.
Christy returned home after about an hour or so of visiting, ready after a busy day to get some rest and sleep.
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