Corinne Van Houten http://www.corinnevanhouten.com Author & Freelance Writer Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:23:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= CorinneVanHoutenhttp://feedburner.google.com French Laundry http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2012/02/french-laundry/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2012/02/french-laundry/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:23:52 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=330 I have been invited to go to the French Laundry for lunch today.  I have dreamed of going there for ages and am so excited.  I will write a lengthy report :-)

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2012/02/french-laundry/feed/ 0 Merry Christmas http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/12/merry-christmas/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/12/merry-christmas/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:15:23 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=326 It’s December first and I am once again embracing one of my favorite seasons.  My Christmas tree is decorated, I have lights on a little spruce fir on my front doorstep (which is constantly struggling to stay upright against the blustery winds) and have strung lights on bushes in my backyard.  I’m listening to A Renaissance Christmas, a recording by New York’s Ensemble for Early Music, while sipping a cup of Pike Market Orange Spice tea.  I love Christmas music, especially from the Baroque and Renaissance periods—I think it is one of the most beautiful ways to celebrate all that I love about Christmas—the sense of joy and magic, the lights and music and smells—without the pressure of commercialization or the oppression of religious dogma.  I like to take what I believe is the essence of Christ at Christmas which is really the essence of what I love about the human spirit—the sense of love and appreciation for family and friends and the celebration of the possibilities of good in humanity.  The focus on the giving and forgiving aspect of trying to relate to one another and the idea that through love and understanding and tolerance we can move closer to a peaceful and harmonious world.  Quite a litany of sweetness and light there but I do truly find these ideas heartening in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.  SO there you go—it’s December, it’s Christmas, it’s time for lights and laughter, cookies and champagne.  Cheers

 

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/12/merry-christmas/feed/ 0 Thanksgiving http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/11/thanksgiving/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/11/thanksgiving/#comments Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:56:03 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=321 It’s Thanksgiving morning in our house. Our son arrived from the University of Oregon last night, good friends are coming over to share our feast tonight and, even though our daughter is in France and many other beloved friends and family are elsewhere, it feels warm and lovely to know that we can call so many wonderful, amazing people our friends—here in California, in Oregon, in Washington, in Georgia, in Texas, in New York, in Florida, in France and the Netherlands, in Italy and England, in South Africa and Australia.
Thanksgiving is about family and friends and recipes are a way of connecting—to family and friends as well as to memories and events. Recipes are narratives of history, of family, of friends. So, even though we will be a small group of five, there are dishes I must make because, with each one, I invite someone special to join us at the table. This Thanksgiving I want to share a favorite recipe of mine as well as the story of where it came from.
Every year I make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. And each time I make this pie I remember the day I got the recipe from Ruth Boozer. Dr. Boozer was a professor of Theology at Emory University. He and Ruth lived in a house on a hill above Peachtree Creek and across from one of the Chandler mansions which is now the Lullwater House. That day, I had driven over to ask Mrs. Boozer for her recipe for pumpkin pie. When she opened the front door, I could hear laughter and singing in the background. I apologized for intruding on what was clearly a family moment but she embraced me and insisted I come into the living room where Brenda, their daughter, and Robert Cline, her fiancé, were rehearsing a skit for Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. They were doing a parody of Hansel and Gretel. Feeling shy but honored to be invited in, I sat on the edge of a chair in the living room, so familiar to me from the many times I had visited. I was awed by Brenda’s beauty and talent, awed by Robert’s fame. I laughed and clapped as they bowed mockingly at the five of us who were their audience (Brenda’s brother was also there), fascinated that Brenda—someone who had grown up like me in a suburban neighborhood of Atlanta—should be going on the Tonight Show. I was later to be a part of their wedding (I cut the groom’s cake—I always seemed to be chosen to cut the groom’s cake) and later still I would hear stories of their tumultuous marriage and how Brenda would sing out her problems and anger in their therapy sessions so that their arguments would not ruin her voice. That day, however, they were in love and the skit resonated with joy and love and possibility. Ruth led me into the kitchen and told me her secret for her pumpkin pie—she added rum extract. Simple as it sounds, this is by far, my favorite pumpkin pie:

1 can of pumpkin
2 eggs beaten
¾ C white sugar
¼ C brown sugar
½ C milk or cream (I use 1 %)
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 tsp rum
Grate a little nutmeg (either mix it in with the rest or just grate it on top before cooking)

Pour into pie shell (I always purchase that). Cook 10 minutes at 425 then reduce to 350 and cook 50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving .

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/11/thanksgiving/feed/ 6 Writing Contests http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/10/writing-contests/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/10/writing-contests/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:37:50 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=316 After years of avoiding them, I have suddenly started entering writing contests.   Not just one but as many as I think I can handle.  Though I have yet to succeed I am not discouraged because, though being accepted would be gratifying, that is not really why I’m entering these contests.  I find the challenge of writing on a topic that I may not have considered very stimulating and the repercussions of struggling to make my article/essay/short story interesting very rewarding.   I have pondered the meaning of “diligence,” struggled with a memoir of an experience I had as a junior high teacher, written an article about popular images and women’s self esteem and composed an article on experiences I had living abroad.   Although it would be gratifying to succeed in at least one of these attempts, I don’t regret a single moment working on my approach to each theme.   I find that, when I am frustrated with the novel I am currently working on, if I have a shorter work I can address and finish such as one of those mentioned above, I return to my longer piece with sharper focus and renewed energy.  Although you do have to pay a nominal fee for many contests, there are a lot that are free.  If you’re interested in tackling some of these contests, a great place to find them is http://www.justacontest.com/.

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/10/writing-contests/feed/ 6 Back at Domaine Carneros http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/10/back-at-domaine-carneros/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/10/back-at-domaine-carneros/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:28:37 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=312 Stopped at Domaine Carneros for a glass of their delicious Brut with a friend of mine.  It was a gorgeous day in Napa Valley and it was good to be back :-)

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/10/back-at-domaine-carneros/feed/ 2 Troy Davis http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/09/troy-davis/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/09/troy-davis/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:36:58 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=308 It’s late and I’m tired but, more than that, I am stunned that a state (Georgia I’m ashamed to say) has murdered a man, Troy Davis, who may be innocent of the crime he is accused of committing. Whenever I discuss the idea of the death penalty, I am torn between righteous anger at the perpetrator of a crime, the desire for justice for the victim and the idea that a government condones the murder of an individual. That said, when there is indisputable proof that someone has committed a crime, I confess I feel little remorse when the justice system takes his or her life. In the case of Troy Davis, however, there are so many, many reasons to grieve over the decision, which was taken in spite of so many, many questions and doubts as to Davis’ guilt. It is truly a deeply disturbing moment when a state makes the decision to take a person’s life, regardless of proof of guilt. Inevitably, then, the state becomes no more nor less guilty of criminal behavior.

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/09/troy-davis/feed/ 0 Moving http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/moving/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/moving/#comments Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:52:08 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=302 My husband and I are moving back to California and I’ve spent the last two weeks packing.  It’s going along pretty well though it seems that as soon as I finish one box I look around and realize I need to do two more.  I thought it wouldn’t take so long but my problem is that I’m going through tons of paper that I just haven’t been able to throw away over the years and am in the throes of laughter and tears as I read various letters and poems and recall events and places.  I found my essay and application for the FAWCO grant I got in 1992…I was wondering where those were as I want to keep a copy of the essay which was on “The person who has most influenced my life”—I wrote it about Mariek (my daughter who was two at the time).  I have also found several letters from my dear friend Bob Detweiler and a poem I wrote for his 60th birthday (August 15) just two years before his stroke.  Many things make me sad—I do so miss Bob (he died in September 2008)—and of course the absolute reality/finality of death is so HARD.  That I will never see him again, never sit around the table laughing and arguing, never be able to share my anger and hope about world events and find reassurance in his intelligence and positive approach to complex issues, never walk on the beach with him…  This, of course, is one reason religious and spiritual belief is so powerful—for me I hold onto the belief that he and others I love so much have not really gone but remain in spirit—certainly in their poetry and letters.  It’s the voice and the mind and the memories for me.  But, at the same time that I grieve I’m also happy to find these letters and things that stir up so many rich memories including letters from my parents and photos of my children when they were younger.  Well, I’m off to complete the @#$@# storage area!

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/moving/feed/ 3 Wine tasting in Sonoma http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/wine-tasting-in-sonoma-2/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/wine-tasting-in-sonoma-2/#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2011 23:48:41 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=284 We had friends over for dinner and we all sat outside, munching on edamame and puffed pastry ‘twists’ that I had made following a recipe from Ina Garten.  We also shared a couple of bottles of wine.  The first one we tasted was “R” a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley made by Robert della Santina, one of the owners (with his father, Quirico) of Della Santina’s restaurant in Sonoma, CA.  When I last visited Sonoma in April I had lunch at Della Santina’s with a friend and we ordered a bottle of 2008 “R”.  My friend and I were so taken with it, we bought a case which we split so I was curious to see what my friends in Portland thought of this wine.  As you know, Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs are very popular, especially in their home state, Oregon, and my Oregonian friends tend to prefer the lighter Oregon Pinot Noirs to the more robust Carneros Pinot Noirs.  Everyone was pleasantly surprised by “R”, however, even Judy who confessed she generally didn’t care too much for Pinot Noir.  Following that wine, I opened a bottle from Jacuzzi Winery, another well-known Sonoma winery which specializes in Italian varietals.  This one was a 2008 “Aglianico”, another red wine that is on the lighter side.  It proved to be an excellent bridge between the Pinot Noir to the more intense 2008 Robert Gott Cabernet Sauvignon I was serving with dinner.  Yes, all the wines were from 2008—maybe there is some subconscious connection between 2008 and a beautiful night.

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/wine-tasting-in-sonoma-2/feed/ 2 Picnic in Sonoma http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/picnic-in-sonoma/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/picnic-in-sonoma/#comments Sat, 06 Aug 2011 23:46:08 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=292 A bottle of Jacuzzi Barbera with a small salad and some cheeses I picked up in the Sonoma Whole Foods (La Tur and Morbier :-) .  A nice little picnic table in the shade and I think that is pretty good.  Wish you had been there.

]]> http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/08/picnic-in-sonoma/feed/ 0 Wine tasting in Sonoma http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/07/wine-tasting-in-sonoma/ http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/2011/07/wine-tasting-in-sonoma/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:13:14 +0000 Corinne http://www.corinnevanhouten.com/?p=286 Wine can be enjoyed anywhere but I think it’s especially nice to sip a glass of wine in the middle of rolling vineyards under blue skies with a cat or dog nearby contentedly sunning themselves.  That’s because, for me, wine tasting isn’t just about wine, it’s about the whole experience of being in wine country and visiting family-owned wineries each, like the wines they make, with their own personality and charm.

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