by Paula D.
on December 31, 2020 1:16 pm in Plants
Monica Glynn, my work friend and The Wave’s Administrative Associate, asked me last week knowing I’m a “plant person,” “What’s the history of mistletoe?” Umm… I actually have know idea,” I said. We both thought, “This would be a timely column.”
I remember the mistletoe in my home growing up as a kid. It wasn’t fancy, the exact opposite actually. Our mistletoe was a round ball made of hard plastic leaves and red berries. It had a vine of more plastic leaves that my father would hang from the light fixture in our kitchen. Why the kitchen and not the traditional doorway location? I’m guessing we had the most foot traffic in the kitchen and so, that would be the easiest location to snag multiple kisses!
On my quest to answer Monica’s question about the significance of mistletoe, I learned from the almighty internet the most interesting of facts that reveal the plant’s symbolism.
Mistletoe is an obligate hemiparasitic plant – meaning a parasitic organism that lives on host plants. So it can’t reproduce without its host. In this case, mistletoe is keen on apple, oak, maple, elm, pine, and birch trees.
Mistletoe is an evergreen, producing berries in the winter. They’re quite attractive, revealing themselves on bare trees and against white snow. Celtic Druids of the 1st century A.D. believed that this plant’s ability to produce its fruit despite frozen winter temperatures was a sign of fertility. So they used mistletoe medicinally on themselves and animals. So many Christian traditions are founded on pagan mysticism and this too is one of them, in a modified form.
There are other references to the origins of the luck and love mistletoe bestows in Norse folklore. How these ancient customs extended to modern day is up for debate. The custom continued through the Middle Ages in various forms to the 18th century, transforming from sacred herb to a holiday decoration.
It is thought that the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started among servants in England before extending to the middle classes. It is said that men were allowed to steal a kiss from anyone caught under the herb and if the women refused, it was bad luck. I wonder who came up with that one…
My friend Matt Johnson adorned his St. Nicholas garb for a caroling event this past weekend. Mistletoe would have been perfect for his beard and staff but his adornments are beautiful nonetheless.
Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with love and good fortune!
by Paula D.
on December 31, 2020 1:08 pm in Food
I’m hungry and I open the fridge but I know it’s empty. I’m too cold and lazy to drag my starved body out the door to Key Food. My eyes scan the shelves and I pull out what I can find. Baby arugula, slightly wilted, edamame unopened, queso fresco (white cheese) – it’s been in there for a while but seems to smell fine. On the side of the fridge door I find black oil-cured olives (my favorite olive).
“This will do!”
I add all the ingredients into a bowl with salt, pepper, garlic powder, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of white vinegar.
Out of necessity, I invented a fantastic, unorthodox salad. It’s simple with minimal ingredients and that’s what makes it so tasty and easy to whip up.
The edamame gives the salad a hardiness. The flavor is basic which works well with the bold flavor of the cured olives. I’ve been really into edamame lately. The name translates to “stem beans.” Edamame are immature soybeans. Soy is naturally rich in protein and contains amino acids. It’s also rich in plant fats which is why you feel full after eating soy and that’s perfect for salads and dieting.
I’ve been using black oil-cured olives for at least a decade as my secret ingredient in many dishes. The olives are rich, salty and full bodied in flavor. This is why they’re ideal as a meat substitute in sauces and soups or for a pop of flavor in a salad. The Moroccan variety is the best by far, if you can find them. I buy mine around town (mostly not labeled as Moroccan ) but still good. Sorrentino’s Market ( 99-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd.) sells oil-cured olives regularly as does Bon Appétit (418 Beach 129th St.). Sometimes I see them in Key Food on 87th and the Blvd. but not always.
I’ve only started buying queso fresco. I picked it up for a layered bean dip I was making recently. The price is right, it’s only XX for XX oz. Since then I’ve been using it on everything – eggs, salads, over grilled vegetables. The creamy texture and mild flavor works for many dishes. There are several varieties of this Latin American cheese based on the region. The soft cheese with the rich punch of the black oil-cured olives is what makes this salad fantastic.
Try my newly invented salad and let me know what you think…
Paula’s Edamame Olive Salad
Ingredients (All equal parts):
Baby arugula
Edamame
Queso fresco
Extra virgin olive oil
White vinegar
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Directions: Pit the cured black olives. Combine all the ingredients. Use your discretion as far as the measurements. If you’re making in advance, wait to dress the salad before you serve it. After adding the oil and vinegar, give it a good mix so the cheese breaks down and becomes part of the dressing.
As an aside, I love the idea that this salad includes, Asian soy beans, Spanish white cheese and Morrocan cured olives, a cultural mix!
I took a dip in the ocean last Sunday. As one would guess, it was quite cold. The temperature read 41 degrees. It was windy. I loved it.
Artist Riitta Ikonen is the organizer of Sea Changes, the Rockaway winter swim initiative I participated in. Sea Changes is part of a global program curated by FLOCK to connect friends, family, community and strangers during our global pause. It is offered with support from the arts and cultural organization, Nordic Culture Fund and Nordic Culture Point, a cultural arts grant program. The FLOCK website reads:
“Ikonen started regular winter swimming in 2018 as part of a pact to connect with her collaborators across the Atlantic. During the global pause, the surf at Rockaway Peninsula is as near as Ikonen has been able to get to her Nordic roots. By setting just a date and a time: 2 PM on Sundays, Ikonen invites individuals worldwide to metaphorically swim together at the edges of the same water. Such mental and physical training is conceived as a way to connect with one another, with known or unknown neighbours, beach creatures, and the weather to challenge one’s personal limits.”
Riitta (left), Rob (right)
I became friends with Riitta and her wife Elisa through a mutual friend. I watched from the sand the first time I was invited to the event. When everyone came running back to shore, invigorated and cheering, I knew I had to join the following week. Riitta was the last out of the water. She floated calmly for about a minute in the wintry sea. Riitta is Finnish! So that explains her adaptation. Ice swimming is very common among the happiest people in the world.
My goal is to winter swim every Sunday. I felt awake and free! All are welcome to join – swimming or spectating. No your limits and take personal responsibility! Meet on the beach at 91st Street ever Sunday at 2pm until May. Or plunge at a body of water near you and share your swim videos and photos to @seachanges_rockaways on instagram or email mail[at]riittaikonen.com.
Sea Changes is one of many creative ventures Riitta Ikonen is involved with. She is a visual artist. Riitta and her artist partner across the globe, Karoline Hjorth have a new book slated for spring 2021. It’s called Eyes As Big As Plates. The book is a collection of living sculptures captured on analog film, resulting in stunning photographic works. This project is in its 10th year of exploration. It began as an imaginative study of Nordic folklore. It has transformed into a study of modern human’s connection to nature. For more information on Riitta’s artistry visit eyesasbigasplates.com
by Paula D.
on December 31, 2020 12:40 pm in Food
So many Rockawayites have connections to Puerto Rico. “Am I the only person on the whole peninsula that hasn’t been?” I thought. I don’t suffer FOMO well, so back when things were pretty calm with Covid-19, we booked a trip, and I ended up spending my first Thanksgiving in a bathing suit drinking a pina colada, which, incidentally, is the national drink of PR.
With the current Covid uptick, I did have second thoughts about the trip, but sitting on the beach in the open air seems much safer than sitting indoors around a Thanksgiving table. Definitely safer for my mental health. And we were tested beforehand and afterwards, and followed the guidelines in between. (They are very serious about masks in PR, incidentally.)
We flew into San Juan and stayed one night in the old part of the city, which was unbelievably picturesque. I wish we had more time there. The city has so much to offer in the way of history and beauty. Next time I may spend a week just exploring the capital.
Our Airbnb was a five minute drive from the center of Rincón. What I noticed most about the rural areas was the random animals – dogs, cats, cows, horses, chickens, roosters and the coquí frogs (heard, not seen). Between the frogs and the roosters, the mornings were very “musical.” As I layed in bed awake at 5am, I had the thought that to the locals, these sounds must blend in, just how the planes in Rockaway don’t even phase us.
The food… delicious. The prices weren’t cheap but not tourist expensive, fair. The highlight was mofongo! This was my first time eating Puerto Rico’s famous dish. Mofongo is pickled green fried plantains topped with chicken or fish usually, and pickled onions or cracked pork. We ordered mofongo at fancy restaurants and at beach side shacks. The best we thought was served at El Ancla, a little beach side place at the marina right outside the main town in Rincón. It started raining as it does randomly in Puerto Rico and we took cover there, not expecting a decadent comfort food experience.
Also to note is the fresh fish in general. I think I ate fish everyday. Not sure if it’s that most everything is caught the day of, or it’s the Caribbean waters but the fish is fantastic in PR.
Of course we had to check out Uma’s Playa Jobos (Isabela 00662, Puerto Rico). The first time I tagged Conrad on instagram (@umas_restaurants) and said “Oh hi, we’re here!” He wasn’t around. We ended up in Isabela again. Conrad Karl and his wife Umida (Chef and co-owner) treated us wonderfully. Stiff drinks, great conversation and a special-made coffee by Conrad himself. The coffee he uses is made from beans grown in the center of Puerto Rico. A seriously delicious cup. Besides the fanatic food and hospitality, the beach vibe at Umas is sooooo chill.
Some shops were closed due to Covid, but I have to mention my friend Meredith’s new boutique in Rincón is open and ready for business! You may know the brand from pop-ups on the boardwalk – Del La Mer (@delamer1981). We visited the shop a few times during our stay. I played dress up in her beautiful designer clothing, so much fun and I treated myself to a beachy jumper!! Del La Mer also carries other familiar brands – Goldie’s Soap and items from The Swellife. If you’re “snow-birding” to Rincón after the holiday be sure to check out the shop and support local business from afar! Del La Mer is located at Carretera 115, KM 14.1 Bo. Ensenada Rincón.
Lastly, I have to mention the natural geographic diversity on the island. There are beautiful beaches with aqua blue waters, mountainous rainforest with waterfalls, one being Gozalandia Falls and other-world white limestone rock formations and red sharp cliffs 200 feet above the sea at Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. I couldn’t tell you which is more breathtaking. I had know idea the landscape in PR was so diverse. I love being outside in nature, I could explore the natural world of Puerto Rico indefinitely.
There’s so much more I want to share but I will have to leave it at that for now!
