My friend recently invited us over to share homemade pizza and half-cake for her daughter’s half-birthday. Isn’t that such a sweet tradition? Half-cake. I love it!
There was a really interesting story in the Times, not too long ago, about traditions and family entitled “The Family Stories That Bind Us.” Essentially it suggests we should make an effort to establish family traditions—the funnier the better—that are likely to get passed down and help build a narrative. The best story for a family is one that oscillates and includes ups and downs that can be recounted over and over.
That and half-a-cake are making me seriously consider celebrating half-birthdays from here on out.
P.S. You can use one 9-inch round, cut in half to build a two layer “half-cake.” Or, make a three layer like this one, where one-half of a second 9-inch round is, um, disappeared. Also, chocolate frosting (just multiply the recipe).
Did you go to summer camp as a kid? There’s a whole culture of sleepaway camps that I know very little about (and that I associate with the East Coast).
I went to a day camp, the 49er sports camp at Cal State Long Beach one summer—where I learned that I did not have a future in basketball. (I’m a terrible dribbler!) Can you spot me in the photo above?
And then, when I was older and thought I wanted to write, direct, and star in movies (I said “like Eddie Murphy” in a monologue once–how weird is that?), I went to a summer theatre production camp. Nevermind that speaking in public is one of my least favorite things to do.
Eventually I got a summer job as a camp counselor for a couple of years with the Long Beach Parks & Rec department (just like my dad), and did crazy things like coach soccer (which I don’t play) and co-chaperone 20 four-year-olds at Disneyland.
I was intrigued to hear about Camp Galileo. They have 38 locations throughout the Bay area with the mission is to create a world of fearless innovators through imagination-sparking programs for kids from pre-K through 8th grade (while making sure they have a lot of fun). Fearless, joyful innovators? Sounds awesome.
Plus, if Hudson were to go, he’d be called a Nebula. How cute is that?!
Interestingly, I think it was around fourth or fifth grade when I decided I wanted to do it all (um, just like Eddie Murphy), which is the age that Camp Galileo says kids are ready to pick a passion and go deep exploring it. So at that point they introduce “weekly majors”: in pre-K, campers may build a crude xylophone or design a lion mask. By 8th grade, they may program their own video game, design their own fashion line, tell a story through digital filmmaking, or breathe life into some creation entirely of their own invention. Can someone please hit rewind and sign me up for one of those digital media courses? For all ages, the curriculum partners are Klutz, The de Young Museum, The Tech Museum of Innovation and The Chabot Space & Science Center.
If you or someone you know is looking into summer camps, check out Camp Galileo.
Thanks to Galileo for sponsoring today’s discussion and for supporting Hither & Thither.
Many years ago, during Aron’s first break from residency, we took two weeks and toured around the Yucatan. (Here’s our Yucatan travelogue.) While in the beautiful city of Campeche, we followed some mariachi music into a small bar where the bartender was eager to share with us some favorite food and drinks; he brought us a selection of squash with aged cheese, a cucumber salad, and a ground meat/meatball-like dish. The margarita he made was like nothing I’d ever tasted—so fresh and simple with tequila and a very generous amount of squeezed lime over ice (I’m not even sure that it had triple sec). And he also recommended we try a chelada (beer with lime juice and salt rim) or a michelada (beer with lime, Worchester and chili with salt rim)–something we continued to order on a regular basis throughout our trip.
Why not try serving micheladas alongside margaritas this Cinco de Mayo? I actually prefer the latter.
Since that trip I’ve learned that, essentially, a michelada has some kind of tomato juice in it and a chelada doesn’t. It’s a bit like making a Bloody Mary with beer and, likewise, the exact ingredients and spice level is up to you. There’s actually a great New York Times explanation of the recipe that I’ve since come back to:
“Cut a small lime wedge and use it to moisten the rim of [a pint] glass, then invert it onto a saucer of kosher salt, or salt mixed with chili powder. Fill the glass with as much or little ice as you wish. Then use whichever of the following ingredients fit your mood, pouring the beer in last. Do experiment with lavish versions compared to more stripped-down ones to see which you like best. [In fact, I’m pretty sure the one in Campeche had three or four ingredients at most: lime, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and beer.] Salud!
— Fresh lime juice, about an ounce, or one lime’s worth. I like to save the squeezed half-hull to cap the drink, to incorporate the aromatics of the oil into it as well.
— Maggi Seasoning
— Salsa picante (bottled hot sauce)
— Worcestershire sauce
— Soy sauce
— 1-3 ounces tomato juice
— Beer, 12 ounces. [Any light beer, preferably Mexican, is my pick. But a dark one is great, too, and often offered when you order a Michelada in Mexico.]”
