What's Cooking

I'd spent what seemed like my whole life working -- often multiple "jobs." In my teens, in addition to going to school, I worked early mornings and weekends tossing newspapers from a car onto the driveways and walkways of residential customers. I continued to deliver newspapers, albeit less regularly, while earning my undergraduate degrees -- yup, there were a couple. Then, after graduation, while designing integrated circuits during the day, I delivered newspapers in the early mornings and studied for a graduate degree.

That work ethic followed me through my career. After advancing from delivering publications to writing for them, I continued to stay extra busy, researching, designing, and writing an award-winning series of articles for EDN describing my efforts to design a microprocessor, even while moving to Hong Kong and leading the editorial launch of an EDN spinoff. At the same time, I consulted on the relaunch of a university journal highlighting its technical achievements and, after my daughter was born, I learned the value of volunteering by serving on the board of an early-learning human-service agency.

Later in my career, I returned to the semiconductor industry as a PR flak. There, I (communication)-coached executives, wrote press releases and speeches, and served as the key technical liaison between the media and the company. You likely came across previous issues of "What's Cooking..." which I'd launched to serve the media and, it turned out, also worked as a valuable internal communications tool. While doing this, I continued to volunteer my energy and expertise on the board of a human-service nonprofit and as a job developer for individuals with special gifts. I've even written -- and await publication -- of an op-ed on the these folks as an untapped, undervalued, and underemployed resource.

Perhaps it isn't surprising, but since retiring, I'm still busy. There are a few differences in what that means, though. For the first time since I can remember, I can sleep in. I'm also biking and exercising without feeling like I'm stealing the time from something else I should be doing. And while I'd often had to travel for work and tried to occasionally sneak in an extra day or two for sightseeing, I now travel at my convenience -- albeit also at my own expense. Earlier this year, we visited Ireland and jungle safaris may be in the works.

As you might have guessed from the name of this screed, I've also continued to cook. I'm not too bad, although we've had occasional surprise Pizza nights, the typical fill-in when "Plan A" is inedible. I've also broadened my cooking target audience: in response to our pet dog's unwillingness to eat his kibble, I'm now cooking for him and revelling in his enthusiasm for my all-natural mongrel muffins.

Reflecting my retired lifestyle, I will be sharing "What's Cooking..." irregularly and will honor two promises: you'll only find tried and tested 5-star recipes -- the best of the best -- and in advance of the most important election in my lifetime, I may occasionally share observations on the "at-risk" nature of democracy in the US.

If I make any factual errors in what I share, please send corrections. On the other hand, if you disagree with what I share, feel free to cancel your subscription for a full refund.

Now, for those who need it, a simple comparison between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris (mostly extracted from Britannica ProCon.org); a link to a summary of Project 2025, and then, on to What's Cooking at my house!

You may have heard or read about Project 2025. Overseen by the conservative Heritage Foundation, the multi-pronged initiative includes a detailed blueprint for the next Republican president to usher in a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch -- as if the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity wasn't enough.

While Donald Trump has improbably claimed he didn't know anything about it or who wrote it, the effort was led by two former Trump administration officials: Paul Dans, who was chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management and serves as director of the project, and Spencer Chretien, former special assistant to Trump and now the project's associate director. In addition, at least 140 individuals who were associated with the Trump administration contributed to Project 2025. According to Politico, "notable contributors include former Trump Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, former White House aide Peter Navarro (who was convicted of Contempt of Congress) and former EPA Chief of Staff Mandy Gunasekara."

Moreover, The New Republic has published the foreword written by [Republican Vice President-nominee JD] Vance for a soon-to-be published book written by [Heritage Foundation President] Kevin Roberts. Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of History who writes the Letters from an American (with more than 1.5M subscribers) newsletter: "Vance makes it clear he sees Kevin Roberts and himself as working together to create “a fundamentally Christian view of culture and economics.” Like others on the Christian right, Vance argues that 'the Left' has captured the country’s institutions and that those institutions must be uprooted and those in them replaced with right-wing Christians in order to restore what they see—inaccurately—as traditional America.

As a humanist and a cultural, but non-practicing Jew, that isn't the country *I* want to live in and, added to comments like those Trump made on Monday about "never having to vote again" after this upcoming election, makes the choices for this election, very clear.

Now, I'm hungry. On to What's Cooking at my house!

I've made this pasta salad several times and it is always delicious and there are rarely leftovers.

Extra Green Pasta Salad

Andy Baraghani -- NY Times

30 minutes preparation time

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound short-cut pasta (such as rigatoni, campanelle, fusilli, or gemelli)
• 3 cups / 8 ounces sugar snap peas
• 1 cup frozen English peas
• 3 packed cups / 3? ounces baby spinach
• 2 packed cups / 1? ounces basil leaves, plus more for serving
• ? cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Zest and juice from 1 lemon
• 4 ounces Parmesan (or other firm salty cheese, such as feta or aged Gouda), thinly sliced

Preparation

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt. Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente. Just before draining, add the snap peas and English peas to the boiling water to blanche, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and peas and rinse lightly with cold water; set aside.

• While the pasta water comes to a boil, place the spinach, basil, oil, miso, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a blender. Blend to a bright green purée. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and a few grinds of pepper, then blend again.

• Transfer the purée to a large bowl that is big enough to toss all the pasta. Add the pasta and peas and toss until coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and more basil leaves. Toss once more before serving.
• Can be served hot or warm.