Yes, I know. The above title is a riff on the title of a great tome by the magical MFK called “How to Cook a Wolf“.

That book is actually not about cooking wolves.

“… the overarching theme of How to Cook a Wolf (is) “the will to survive, whether in wartime or in battle with old age or in a crise de nerfs  [fr].”^[16] A pandemic-era writer agreed, arguing that the essays in How to Cook a Wolf are “an argument for living the best life that you can when everything around you goes to shit.””

Amen to that!

So actually I do not refer to the rat as animal. I refer to rat as shorthand for ratatouille — a brilliant dish that you prepare when you want to liven up the atmosphere. To get that sun drenched Mediterranean feeling. And … drum roll please … my mother loved it.

This is one of those dishes that the uninitiated might think is simple. Just throw in the veg, and go watch the film, right?

Wrong.

There are a few tricks to make your rat something guests crave and remember, and this video offers them … in plain sight! Good Lord!

So go for it! And let the sun shine in!

On that theme, how about some Jimmy Cliff?

Enjoy!

Russian military strategists noted the success that the Ukrainians are having using ground drones. I suppose it was just a matter of time before they would attempt to duplicate the Ukrainian strategy.

As described below, the initial Russian attempts to deploy ground drones in renewed attacks on Vovchansk produced no successes.

There is little doubt that both sides in the war will continue to innovate so that ground drones can take on more roles and alleviate manpower shortages. So far, the Ukrainians are way ahead in this game. Can the Russians catch up?

Stay tuned!

The truth can hurt. Especially when that truth takes the veil off a deeply held conviction that is exposed as misplaced. I expect that when George Clooney et alwrote the script for the film, Good Night and Good Luck they had that idea in mind.

So what is that deeply held conviction? Put most simply, it is the conviction that Americans receive a balanced and factual view of the world around them from the media that we consume. We did not in the McCarthy era, and we do not now.

The problem is not whether the above reality sandwich is appropriate. The problem is what do we do about it. How can we do better?

Unfortunately, the answer to that rather thorny question is unclear.

BTW, there is an ironic moment towards the end of the film when President Eisenhower is depicted criticizing the climate of fear that McCarthy created. Good job Ike!

But when Eisenhower first ran for president, he was less than heroic in how he dealt with McCarthy and his cronies. Those dudes had their knives out for the man who made Eisenhower’s career possible, and who was one of the great heroes of the war – George Marshall. They called him a traitor. Eisenhower did not stand up for Marshall. To the contrary, he appeared on the same stage with dudes who were smearing him without uttering a single word of reproach.

Eisenhower’s failure to say anything enraged Truman, and led to a less than friendly relationship between the two men. The bitterness lasted many a year. I am with Truman on this one. How about you?

From NYT reporting on Donald Trump’s assessment of his first year in office.

““I think God is very proud of the job I’ve done,” Mr. Trump said as he neared the end of his remarks.”

God?

Since when did Donald Trump start growing a religious appendage? Since never, of course. Or perhaps I am mistaken. Perhaps Donald Trump tried and tried again to persuade Jeffrey Epstein to turn to God for forgiveness for his sins? Perhaps he asked Jeffrey to kneel with him in prayer.

And while we are on the subject, has Donald Trump himself ever suggested that he repents for the bad deeds that he has done? Does he ask forgiveness for how he mistreated poor Ivana for giving him unfortunate advice on hair transplants? Does he admit to God that he needs to control the “lust in his heart”? Does he pray to the Lord for guidance each day?

Or does Donald think that by invoking the name of God, he might persuade some folks that underneath his suit and tie, he is wearing a hairshirt, a la Thomas Becket?

Sadly, I suspect that Trump is — as usual — throwing spaghetti against the wall hoping that something will stick. Meanwhile, are we now going to see a Bible thumping Trump try to win over evangelicals?

That would be a sight!

Yesterday, I had a plan. The plan was to figure out where I could score some sake here in Tartu (not so easy), and make teriyaki chicken. I toddled down snowy Toome Hill to the center of Tartu. The white snow crunched under my boots.

I snagged my sake at a booze store on Rüütli Street, apparently the only place that has a sake selection — 3 bottles. BTW, many, many moons ago, this was the only liquor store in Tartu where you could buy French wine. Not good French wine, but at least they had 4 different vintages — all terrible. Life was like that back in 1995. I had not visited the store in over 25 years, and not much has changed, though the sake must be a new addition. The tiles outside the front door are as slippery as ever.

Putting my sake in my backpack, it hit me that the hair salon was nearby on the town square and I badly needed a trim. So I turned left at the skating rink just behind the town hall, and walked along the town square towards the mother river. The lights gave the town square a cozy (hubane) feeling. The nice lady waiting for me had cut my hair many times before, and gave me the same welcoming smile.

Coming back out, I walked past the Irish pub, and things went off the rails. I had not had a Guinness from the tap in a long time. And the Irish pub on the town square has Guinness on tap. i was a goner.

I checked out the menu. A pork chop and a Guinness? Yes! One overcooked chop and a Guinness later, and I was toddling back up Toome hill. Toddling very slowly past Heller music school where my aunt studied piano. Very slowly because I was losing it. I badly needed a nap. Back home I hit the sack. The kitties hit the sack, and we dozed until 8.

There would be no chicken teriyaki tonight!

But all not is lost! This morning I saw the nice tutorial below on salmon saute. I knew about the low temp, not overcooking, and the critical post saute rest time. But scraping the scales? Portioning? Skin down first? Basting? Hmmm … all stuff to consider.

I do agree that the crispy salmon skin is a major reason to put this dish on the weekly menu! And pursuing the ultimate crisp is worth the effort! The other major weekly treat? Uruguayan antricot that one can score at the artisan butcher located next to the Kaubamaja food hall.

So it goes in my quest to eat well in Tartu!

I was not aware that Russia was using Venezuela to launder its oil transactions. With stepped up interdiction by the US, that game may be up.

Full disclosure: My mom was Estonian, and I have lived in Tartu for over 30 years, so I confess to not a small bias here.

The other day, I bumped into a promo in Robb Report for a new hotel/spa that will open up on Hiiumaa Island this June. It is called “Eha”. Here is the text and photo

“Singaporean expat and entrepreneur Sonny Aswani and his Estonian wife Eva Maran are the brains behind Eha, an exclusive-use property on an island best considered the Baltics’ answer to Nantucket, Hiiumaa. The main house will have eight rooms plus three forest cabins on the 84-acre site among the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve here, and it will offer seasonally based wellness programs year-round, all of them anchored in nature. Don’t miss the chance for a sundowner on the west coast of the island, known for its killer sunsets. Prices to come.“

BTW, here is a link to the Robb post that highlights lots of other hotel openings.

And the Eha webpage is nice!

But there is a shortcoming. Eha fits into a much broader Estonian way of seeing the world. That broader way is unique. Not better than what other cultures might offer at their best, but unique. And in my view, the Eha promo and text does not bring this out enough.

You can find more about Estonia from the“Visit Estonia” web platform. But while the Visit Estonia platform is also nice, I am not satisfied that it captures the core qualities of Estonian culture that makes us unique.

The question — how to put those unique qualities into words? I am not sure, but I can point to several aspects of Estonian culture that give clues.

Eha and Visit Estonia showcase one aspect — a reverence for nature as it is. Not fancied up. Not Disney like. But nature as it exists without the intervention of humans. And that includes the weather, even when that weather is a bit … shall we say … challenging. One finds that reverence especially on the island of Hiiumaa, but not only there.

Another aspect — a love for music. Especially music that has a mysterious and deeply restful quality. You get a sense of this in the work of Paavo Järvi.

You also can hear that quality in “kannel music” played by Anna-Liisa Eller. You can listen to some of her works from videos on her webpage. And Anna-Liisa is one of a number of top performers.

But these offerings just scratches the surface.

Another aspect — respect for slowing down to experience time. To find and be at peace with the world. Along with slowing down, loving quiet ways that one finds in rural settings. Estonians highly value folks who have that peaceful aura. BTW, my grandfather was one such person.

And there is a deep warmth. Not on the surface, but in caring about essentials that people need. Being realistic about those needs rather than carried away by fanciful extravagances. That sense of caring is a component of a need to insure that one is “korralik” — the way he or she should be. Perhaps this is a holdover from the old peasant farmer roots of Estonian culture.

So how does one put the above, and much more, into words?

I am not sure.

Well, things don’t always turn out as one planned! Last night, I was planning on making a simple pasta dish, but saw a beautiful piece of salmon on offer. I could not resist. I prepped the salmon with the usual spices and some lemon juice, then seared it over medium heat — skin side down first. The finishing touch, after the flip, melting butter and more lemon juice over the top in the final minutes of the saute.

The keys to this — from my experience over the years — resist the temptation to raise the temp too high. Be patient. And check the internal temp towards the end to avoid overcooking. I take the salmon off the heat when the temp goes above 50 degrees cent and let it rest a bit. This gives me the texture that I love.

BTW, I found myself plopping a dollop of spicy humus onto the plate to add a je ne sais quoi flavor to the salmon.

Tonight? I think I will go for some chicken teriyaki with a side of crispy baked eggplant. I will need to source some sake to make the teriyaki sauce. That is not so easy here in Tartu!

And the eggplant? I like the greek yogurt dip idea you will find in the video below.

I might add a dside of mashed potato if the mood strikes me.

Enjoy!