Comfort through the Chaos through...

Cooking. 

A few weeks ago, I posted about the correlation between my stress levels and restlessness.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2020/10/ive-always-been-restless.html

Since then, the O-dark-thirty hours are the majority instead of the minority. While camping there’s barely enough available sunlight to heat a Solar Shower. I’ve also witnessed frost on my windows. With less then 24 square feet of living space in my camper, claustrophobia was starting to set in. Alas it was time to extricate Sanctuary Too off my truck and place it (lovingly) into hibernation. Sniff. Sniff. 

Since then II, the Election has come and gone. There’s a Constitutional Crisis brewing because President Me! Me! Me! has no comprehension of the Rule of Law, US History or basic math. Oh yeah, Covid is rampaging too, but in a quieter fashion. 

So my comfort traveling days are done for now. I’m seeking solace in alternative ways.

I’m cooking! 

I know, not as exciting as camping and hiking in amazing WiFi-less places, but I’m making do.

I’m going all out comfort foods: Chicken Marsala, Pad Thai, Cashew Chicken, Potato Latkes, Pasta with veggies. All spiced in an underwhelming manner instead of shockingly. I desire subtle. 

Of course, I’m dicing and splicing  my All Time Favorites too: Minnesota Soup (inspired by my Mom)

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2020/01/minnesota-soup.html

and Sambini’s Famous Kosher Green Chili.

Let’s face it, most of us crave a return to the good natured real family values of honesty, affection,  humility, kindness, generosity, displaying  empathy and being polite and civil. In other words be a Mensch.These traits shouldn’t be looked upon as human frailties or being a wussy. This is what separates us from the rest of the Animal Kingdom. 

So... in an effort to bring about a kinder, gentler World and Country, I’m willing to  share my Green Chili recipe. Mind you this is 42 years of tweaking and revisions to attain this final perfect outcome.

Think about this. A First Generation American Child of the Holocaust has created this very Mexican comfort food. Now that’s What Makes America Great! 

Enjoy! (I’m willing to dole out samples to the Durango locals and my neighbors.)

Cheers!

Jeff

Sambini’s 🌎 Famous Kosher Green Chili Recipe

Over 40 years in the making! OY!

Ingredients:

2 BIGLY cans of Hatch Green Chili’s (other brands work too) drained

One jalapeño pepper diced

1 can of Pinto Beans drained

1 can Black Beans drained

3-4 medium sized red potatoes cubed (parboil them and set aside)

4 skinned deboned chicken breast cut bite size.(toss them into a bag of flour (2 light handfuls shaken not stirred) 

Veggie broth (use about half boxed container)

Two medium sized Sweet Onions or 1 HUGE one Diced

Two Bigly beefsteak tomatoes diced.

1 teaspoon kosher salt (of course)

1 teaspoon Black pepper 

1.5 teaspoon cumin

2 hefty tablespoons of diced garlic ( I use the kind that comes in jars)

Olive oil but just enough to fry the onions and chicken

How to:

In a Caste iron Dutch Oven (works best)

Use enough oil to fry the onions up nice. Then add the chicken/flour mix. Might have to add more oil, but don’t OD on it.  Chicken doesn’t have to be cooked through and through. Just enough so it’s not raw

In a blender: 

Place one can Hatch GCs. A diced tomato, diced jalapeño add enough broth to cover the bottom one third to half. Blend until it looks like a purée. Toss this into the Dutch Oven. Repeat with other can of GCs and second tomato 

Toss in parboiled potatoes, spices and simmer at low heat for many hours. I let mine go about 6 plus. You want this concoction to look like a stew. 

When it looks like a stew. Crack open an IPA, Or Margarita, grab a tortilla and enjoy with others.

I’m Proud to be a Great Old Broad...

for Wilderness. 

“Whoa! Whoa! Jeff, did you have a sex change operation?”

No. Not at all. I’m a member of this organization. I’m considered a Great Old “Bro.” 

Here’s what the GOB are all about:

A worthy cause? I think so. I am one of 8,500 associates in over 40 chapters.

The GOB are fighting the good fight. They are BIGLY on conservation advocacy and education. 

I truly believe women are better suited at presenting a point of view than men. The “XY“ segment of humanity has an over-abundance of testosterone. This hormone can cause aggressive tendencies. Women are capable of discussion. Men come out swinging. 

So... at the height of the Covid lockdown, Suez J. from our local chapter of GOB reached out to us members for interesting and inspiring stories. I submitted this one:

Planting a Tree…                                                                   

                                                                                          

My father, a survivor of Hitler’s insane concept of human genetics, planted a tree at our house in the Bronx. The sapling was a two-foot white pine that my father appropriated from the Catskill Mountains, AKA in the “Big Apple” as the Jewish Alps. “Jeffy, watch! This tree will one day be taller than our house,” he proclaimed. Like a faithful son, I believed him.

 

One winter, a Nor’easter blizzard blew down along the eastern seaboard. The heart-attack-heavy snow broke the tiny, white pine in half. My dad, a tailor by profession, but whom Uncle Sam trained to be a medical assistant in WWII, sprang into action. He fashioned a splint made of a few sticks, a side order of rags and a lot of twine. With these meager tools and devices, he made the wounded tree whole again. He reasoned, “It works for people, why not trees?”

 

In 1978, I escaped the hassle and hustle of the Big Apple and moved out West. Now I, a son of a son of a tailor and graduate from the Syracuse College of Forestry, nurture trees at my home in Fort Collins, Colorado.

I can’t take all the credit; I get a lot of help from Mother Nature. Neighborhood squirrels burrow acorns into the mulch and forget where they placed them. A white-oak sapling will arise a season later. My furry friends do the same with apple cores and cherry and peach pits. I have a virtual fruit stand growing in my yard. We haven’t had much luck with avocado pits yet. When the oaks, peaches, apples, cherries and ashes grow too close together, I’ll go in and do a “thinning operation,” and rearrange some saplings. Once in awhile, I have to place a few up for adoption.

 

Letting go of my green children is always a difficult process. First I have to find a suitable “parent.” Then the lengthy application process begins. With questions such as, “Are you aware that Colorado is now in a drought?” Then a follow-up query, “Will you be able to provide an adequate supply of water for this young plant?” After that, I quiz the applicant about his or her general knowledge on such diverse topics as soil conditions, fertilizers and peat moss. Only when I am satisfied with their answers will we venture out Into the yard with a shovel in tow. As we dig up the adopted seedling, I make sure the new owner understands that I get visitation rights. It’s never easy to let go.

 

In the fall of 2000, I went back east to visit family and friends. I borrowed a car and drove out to see my childhood home in the Bronx. I was glad that I had faith in my Dad. He was right; that white pine tree is now taller than the house.

 

Do yourself a favor; plant a tree. It’s good for the soul.

 Suez liked my story. She asked me if I’d be interested in being interviewed for a podcast. I agreed although I know my sister-in-law, Robin is correct when she once said, “Jeffy, you write better than you speak.” 

Here’s the podcast link:     

  https://greatoldbroadsforwilderness.podbean.com/e/jeff-sambur-for-the-love-of-trees/

Please consider becoming a member of the GOB. https://www.greatoldbroads.org/

They are cool with you being an XY chromosome type of people.

Stay safe, sane and healthy,

Let’s all keep fighting the good fight.

Cheers,

Jeff

                                                                                                                              

In Fort Collins I had sociopaths...

for neighbors. 

Wow! Jeff that’s harsh! OK, I’ll throttle back. At least they were quiet sociopaths. 

I have oodles of examples on why I proclaimed the above statement, but for ADD sake, I’ll only present two.

A blizzard rolled into the “Choice City.” I woke early before work to shovel the potential heart attack stuff off my sidewalks. After two pots of coffee, it didn’t take me long to clean my turf. Heck! I’ll be helpful and clear the white death from my neighbors walks too. So that’s what I began to do. I was making progress when the misanthropic couple emerged from their home. They sprinted past me on the slip-free sidewalk en route to their car. There was no “Good Morning!” Or a “Thank You!” No eye contact either. I leaned on my shovel like a city worker as I pondered my next move. Ahah! I pushed all that icy stuff back onto their walk. For good measure, I added a half ton more. That’ll learn them to be impolite to Mr. Jeffy Manners.

Another short example: My unemployed alcoholic neighbor once opened a KOA for the local homeless folks in his weedy backyard. There was no Porta Potty or “Necessary Room.” provided. There will be no photos of what transpired.

So...when I decided to end my 6.5 year Homeless by Choice lifestyle by settling in Durango, I wasn’t thinking too much about neighbors. I had my sights on a low maintenance basecamp rental, close to downtown and bigglier than the 66 square feet of living space in Barley the Van. The Parkside Terrace Townhomes was exactly what I was seeking. 

Upon moving in August 2019, I made it a point to try and get to know my many neighbors. Not easy for a guy who describes himself as a “sociable hermit.” I waved, smiled and introduced myself when the situation presented itself. 

Over a year and a pandemic later, I’m pleased to say my efforts were heavily rewarded.

Here’s a list of folks who were on my welcome wagon:

Tanya (AKA Ms Gregarious). I was having another solo woe is me Thanksgiving Day. A text came in, “Jeff, we noticed your lights on. Get over here and have Thanksgiving Dinner with us!” She didn’t have to text twice. This could be one of the kindest gestures I’ve ever received. To this day, I still thank her. 

Molly who text alerts me about impending community Happy Hours and birthday parties. Her sunny disposition always brightens my day.

Jimmy and Ethan who ply me with IPAs, poke, sliders, cerviche and tool loans while distributing manly advice and suggestions at our gatherings. 

Linsay for dropping off two six packs of delicious IPAs, just because.

Cale and Corrine my immediate neighbors. Cale took me fishing, changed my flat tire and is now building me a camper conveyance contraption for transporting Sanctuary Too into my snug garage. Corrine smiles and schmoozes with me. In pre-Covid times she doled out neighborly hugs.

Brian for his expert advice on the local mountain scene. 

Dave the Pilot all around nice and helpful guy.

Tim and Fon who always bring something (besides interesting conversation) to our Happy Hours whether it be Pisco Sours or Fon’s Thai appetizers. 

Marcia who is a patron of our Mini-Library. (I’m the Founder) and graciously gave me a gift card to the local book store along with a “welcome to the hood“ note.

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2020/06/barley-van-was-only.html

Meesh who volunteered to be my “Safety Bubalah” (a Yiddish term of endearment). She wants to know where I’m going and when I’ll be back. That way the authorities will have a general idea on where to look for the buzzards circling above my kosher carcass. Her boyfriend Jimmy is OK with me calling her Bubalah. Meesh makes me potato pancakes and knishes too. Jewish soul food.

So...at the risk of being a schnorrer (a sponger in Yiddish) I decided to pay the kindness forward by hosting a party. The occasion? My upcoming birthday. The guest list was my neighbors and the few other acquaintances I’ve made so far. Here was the invite. Yes there was a band too!

All these photos were taken on Party Night. Before you admonish us about lack of masks, the CDC states that consuming growlers of double IPAs provide temporary immunity to Covid. 

I feel fortunate to have chosen Durango to settle in. It’s at the epicenter of incredible people and scenery.  

https://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2019/05/seeking-contentment-in-land-of.html

The bonus is my Parkside Terrace neighbors are kind, generous, caring and thoughtful. There’s not one sociopath in the bunch! They are quiet too.

Stay safe, sane, healthy and remember to vote,

Jeff