A Quarter-Induced Quarter-Life Crisis

I recently had a “conversation” in my mind—err, in the Mic’s Tape newsroom—about things that make brumpelstiltskin feel old.

For MC Gallagher, it was discovering that the teenage sister of his friend and fellow blogger, Anna MD, had never even heard of a band named Oasis. For Mike-Michael, it was the curious mixture of annoyance and rejection he experienced "late" Sunday night when canvassers for the University of Iowa Student Government (UISG) Go Party ticket (a) woke him up at 10:30pm on a "work night" by knocking on his college-aged neighbors' door, but (b) did not knock on his (27-year-old alumni) door several minutes thereafter.

For me, though, it was a recent realization that the US Mint's "50 State Quarters" program has officially run its course. The 10-year program started with the release of the Delaware coin on 4 Jan 1999—back when I had about as much need for a Roth IRA as I did for a razor—and I remember thinking that it was gonna take somewhere between a "wicked long time" and "forever" for the 50th coin to finally enter circulation. But now, a quick decade later, the Hawaii coin (pictured) is already here. Oh...time [single tear].

Has anything made you feel older lately?

Rien de Fawlty à Propos de Basil

My cooking horizons were expanded gigantiquement three years ago when mon cher ami Eli shipped me a copy of "Fast Food My Way" by French Chef, Jacques Pépin.

Since all of my culinary mentors up until this point had been Swedes (notably this guy), I was initially skeptical of learning recipes from a Frenchman, but Pépin's kind visage (familiar from PBS) quickly set me at ease, as did his pledge (in the Introduction) to "easily transform [various] ingredients into fast and elegant dishes".

One ingredient introduced to me by Chef Jacques quickly became one of my favorites—basil (pictured below). This green, lusciously aromatic herb is used to great effect in Pépin's recipe for "Summertime Pasta" which I highly recommend to cooks of any skill level, including beginners.

To start, gather the following inside a large microwavable bowl: 3 cups diced (1-inch) tomatoes, 1 diced (½-inch) zucchini, 1 cup diced (½-inch) white button mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, and one-third cup extra-virgin olive oil. Then, cook 6-10 ounces of pasta shells (Jacques calls for 6 oz, I prefer 10). Shortly before the pasta is finished cooking, microwave the bowl of vegetables for ~2 minutes (until lukewarm). Next, drain the pasta and add it to the bowl of vegetables, sprinkle with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1½ cups of coarsely shredded, loosely packed fresh basil. Toss well. Serve immediately.