All those Q’s

YOU’d think it’d be a piece of cake, but when filling out ESTA/Visa application for the US, it’s always tricky to remember. Do I have the Plague or have engaged in genocide? Yes or No.

Do you have a physical or mental disorder; or are you a drug abuser or addict; or do you currently have any of the following diseases

  • Cholera
  • Diphtheria
  • Tuberculosis, infectious
  • Plague
  • Smallpox
  • Yellow Fever
  • Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, including Ebola, Lassa, Marburg, Crimean-Congo
  • Severe acute respiratory illnesses capable of transmission to other persons and likely to cause mortality.

Do you seek to engage in or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities, espionage, sabotage, or genocide?

What I want to achieve

This will be a great year!

I have short goals. I have long term goals. I have outrageous goals and small, manageable goals that are easy and fun to check off.

There’s a Marathon in June keeping me motivated, although it’s not certain I can do it. I’m researching how to find a literary agent for my translated book, and the goal is to have a relationship with one by the end of the year. Regular morning pages for my mental health & developing my collection of short stories and having edited enough times that it will be ready for publishing by the end of the year. Oh, yeah, getting some stairs on the little hill outside.

Pinsam sekund

man wearing white long sleeved shirt holding black pen
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Den där obekväma, pinsamma och besvärade sekunden av tystnad då någon helt bestämt uttalat att så här är det och det vet jag i tonfallet kallat ”säger du emot är du korkad”, och alla runt bordet har på läpparna att säga att nja, det är väl liksom inte bekräftat, eller rent ut, det tror vi nog inte stämmer, men det känns så skämmigt att påpeka.

Men blickar möts och fladdrar som elektriska signaler – vem ska våga säga att kejsaren inte har några kläder? Eller bäst att inte säga något. Och hon väljer att titta ner i anteckningsblocket för att inte bli avslöjad att hon tillhör de tvivlandes skara.

Det varar bara ett andetag, sedan skrapar någon med stolen och kollektivt andas rummet ut. Det får ge sig. Låt verkligheten komma till tals, så slipper vi (plocka ner hen från piedestalen).

Grekisk Rostad Potatis

3 portioner

potatoes
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6 hg fast potatis

1 tsk salt

1 citron

1 msk olivolja

1 tsk rosmarin

1 tsk mejram

1 tsk lavender

selective focus photo of bottle with cork lid
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Skala potatisen, skär i stora klyftor och lägg i ugnsfast form. Pressa citronen eller ta ca 4 msk färdig citronsaft.

Strö salt över potatisen, häll på citronsaften och oljan samt kryddorna. Blanda runt.

Rosta i 175 grader i 30 minuter. Vänd klyftorna och rosta i ytterligare 30 minuter.

closeup of delicious roasted potato
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Förutom normal användning av potatisklyftor fungerar dessa utmärkt som tilltugg med en smarrig dipp.

Gravlox with Honey

Of course this very Nordic dish may be made more superbly with honey!

close up shot of salmon slices
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2 pounds fresh salmon fillet

3 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons dried Thyme

1 teaspoon white pepper corns

Zest of one lemon

a salmon breaching out of the water
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Cut fillet in half. Grate the lemon zest. Crush the pepper corns coarsely in a mortar.

Rub the salmon pieces with salt.

Place one half in a baking dish. Sprinkle pepper, lemon zest and thyme on that half. Drizzle honey over the spices.

Place the other half on top, and place thick ends on opposite sides. Put some weight, like a plate, on top, cover and store cold for two days.

Drain accumulated liquid and flip the fillets the next day.

When the gravlax is ready, carefully scrape off the spices and cut in very, very thin slices across the fillet. Enjoy with “gravlaxssås” and maybe a small boiled yellow potato.

If you have a larger fillet, or smaller, adjust spices accordingly. Or did you figure that out by yourself?

Limeonad

Till 4 glas

sliced lime
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1 dl flytande honung

1,5 dl färskpressad limejuice

8,5 dl mycket kallt vatten

20 iskuber

yellow bumblebee gathering pollen close up photography
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Häll honung i en karaff. Tillsätt limejuice och rör tills honungen lösts upp. Tillsätt vatten och rör tills allt är väl blandat. Tillsätt iskuber, rör om och hall upp i isfyllda glas.

En frisk och syrlig dryck som passar utmärkt till mexikansk mat!

close up shot of tacos on brown and white ceramic plate
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Limeade

Serves 4

green citrus fruit slices
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½ cup liquid honey

¾ cup fresh lime juice

4 cups very cold water

20 ice cubes

close up photography of honey
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Pour honey into large pitcher. Add lime juice and stir well until honey is dissolved. Add the water and stir until combined. Add ice cubes, stir and pour into tall, ice-filled glasses.

This is a tangy and very refreshing drink that goes well with Mexican meals!

Italian Bean Soup

people on a gondola
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Serves 4 – 6

Either buy canned beans or start a day ahead, soaking beans and chickpeas overnight. About 1 cup dry beans and ½ cup dry chickpeas will yield about 13.5 ounces of beans and about 6 ounces chickpeas. No worries if the amounts do not match exactly – it will be fantastic either way!

1.5 cups of cooked white beans

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1 red onion

2 carrots

1 yellow bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 quart water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon honey

4 ounces kale

1 teaspoons salt

White pepper

soybeans in sack
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Rinse beans and chickpeas and drain. Slice onion and carrots and cut bell pepper to small pieces. Mince garlic.

Heat oil and butter in a pot and sauté veggies. Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes while stirring.

Add water and crumbled bouillon cubes. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add thyme, honey, beans, and chickpeas. Remove leaves from the stems of fresh Kale. Tear kale leaves to small pieces and add to soup.

Simmer for another 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

jelly bean lot
No! Not Jelly Belly Beans, you silly!

If you need a serving suggestion, I’d suggest topping with grated parmesan, a dollop of crème fraiche, and some lightly fried cubed chorizo. But that’s only a suggestion, of course.