The Lost Art of Debate

On the eve of our country’s next election, there is no escaping the constant stream of political messages everywhere we turn. Print media, television, radio and the Internet are constantly screaming for our attention on issues from who should be President to whether our food should be labeled as genetically modified. If your mail box looks anything like mine, it’s probably filled with political messages too. This is just a sample of all the fliers I received in the last week alone.

Using mass media to communicate a point of view is nothing new in the world of politics. The growth of the Internet and social media, on the other hand, is a relatively new phenomenon. Politicians and their handlers are more savvy than ever about using social networks to get their message out but it isn’t just them communicating their point of view. It’s the very people we have invited into our lives through those networks that sometimes frustrate us the most when it comes to politics.  So why is that?

Before Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other online social networks, political debate among friends and relatives took place over coffee, by the water cooler, at the dinner table or at cocktail parties. Growing up, our kitchen table was the site of many arguments between my father and I over whatever political and social issue was important that day. While we disagreed more often than not, I always learned something from those conversations.

As he passionately espoused his position I learned about another side of the issue, and in responding to him I had to learn to articulate MY position with authority and credibility. Those conversations helped me solidify my own point of view by forcing me to understand how things looked from a different perspective . I could present my case MORE PERSUASIVELY because I understood the other side of the argument and could use those ideas to defend my position. And because those conversations took place face-to-face I learned to disagree with respect and advocate with dignity. If I chose not to participate in the current events discussion of the day, I would find a way to excuse myself from the dinner table and go work on homework -- or think more deeply about the issues raised and question my own position in the process.

In the online social world, this respectful process of debate is often sorely lacking. When  you don’t have to look another human being in the eye, it’s much easier to respond to disagreement with venom, accusation and name calling. Ann Coulter’s recent reference to President Obama as a “retard” based on his debate comments is a perfect example of everything that is lacking in contemporary political discussion. Even worse, you can ignore people altogether! I see examples every day of people online who “unfriend” someone on Facebook simply because of their politics. If you don’t respect and value them enough to hear them out, are they really a friend at all?

The digital world SHOULD make it easier than ever to exchange ideas and learn more about issues, yet more people seem less reluctant than ever to do so. The same tools that have the power to open our minds allow us to filter out information that doesn’t support our beliefs. It also allows us to ignore people who see the world differently than we do.

We live in a complex world with complex problems. With easy answers few and far between, the only way our society can make REAL progress on issues affecting us all is to collaborate and share ideas. We can’t get there when we fail to listen and consider other points of view, as well as thoughtfully questioning our own. Is it any wonder why the world is such a mess?

As you head to the polls tomorrow, I hope you remember two things. First, we are privileged to live in a society that encourages us to let our voices be heard. But that privilege comes with a responsibility -- to respect others voices just as you wish to receive respect for yours. Second, and perhaps most importantly, our debate cannot stop simply because of one election outcome. Our continuous progress as a nation requires hard work and tough conversations every day. That’s how problems get solved. Continue the debate and solutions will follow.

Cleveland Eats

Cleveland, Ohio is no one’s idea of a tourist destination. It’s a middle class American business travel city, the kind where screenwriters place a character who is down on their luck or going through the motions in a dead end job dreaming of life somewhere better.

Since nothing about Cleveland jumps out and screams “interesting” or “different,” I imagine lots of people passing through fail to explore it. It’s a big mistake, because I’ve found Cleveland has a surprising variety of interesting and unique things to try, especially when it comes to dining. So the next time you’re in town on business, skip the  Red Lobster or Olive Garden and check out some of these great local food finds. The best part is that you will eat well and still keep your expense account in control. Here is a list of a few of my recent favorites.

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B-Spot
Chef Michael Symon takes the basic burger upscale, complete with a variety of table side sauces that work as beautifully as dips for your fries as they do on the burger itself. The food is great and the atmosphere is hip and cool. There is only one caveat with B-Spot -- if you’re the kind of burger aficionado that likes to build your own burger, find one elsewhere. Mr. Symon is pretty adamant about how his combinations go together and they specifically note their policy of no substitutions on the menu. But if you like the combos as is, order a bacon infused cocktail and get down to business.

Paladar
The concept at Paladar is attractive rum bar with Cuban-style food. Mojitos are a must to start (I highly recommended the pomegranate ginger variety), then order one of the homemade guacamole choices. If you’re feeling adventurous, get the chef’s choice and prepare to be surprised. You can’t go wrong with anything else on the menu -- the hardest part will be choosing just one entree.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse
It doesn’t look like anything special from the outside, but inside Hyde Park is a classic, elegant steak house filled with dark wood, banquettes and tuxedoed waiters. During regular dinner hours there is nothing innovative about the menu, but if you get there early your wallet will thank you. Hyde Park has an "Early Night" special that will get you a small Fillet Mignon, soup or salad and a side for under $30 -- suitable for even the stingiest expense limit. If you have a generous boss, go for broke and enjoy the full steak house experience.

Corky & Lenny’s
I love a good deli and there is none better in Cleveland than Corky & Lenny’s. The pastrami is an instant classic and the chicken noodle soup nursed me through a cold 17 years ago on my very first visit to Cleveland. Nothing has changed in their 55 years of doing business and it doesn’t need to -- everything is perfect as is.

Steak & Shake
Yeah, it’s a chain so it’s not unique to Cleveland, but since I tried my first Wisconsin butter burger there I’ll always think of it as a Cleveland joint. Add bacon and it’s a whole new level of fat and flavor.

What About Bob’s
Bob’s is a great little sandwich place in an old fashioned downtown strip of Willoughby, Ohio -- also know as America’s Most Polite City. If you’re craving a great lunch stop for burgers, melts and subs this is the place. I can personally recommend the turkey melt (pictured below). You won’t go back to work hungry.

Melt
I have never tried this place but it’s on the list for my next visit based on a rave review from a co-worker. According to their website, "Melt opened in September 2006 with one goal: To provide gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and as many beers as possible in a cool and comfortable environment." What's NOT to like there? They just opened their fourth location so they must be doing something right.

Winking Lizard Tavern
Seventeen years ago I visited this iconic joint with a group of co-workers during a training assignment on my first big corporate job. The “newbie” right of passage at the time was eating the Lizard’s “911” hot wings and having your face survive to tell the tale. I only had one and tasted it for 3 days, although I did take a  menu home as a memento of the experience and still have it. If burning your lips off your face isn’t appealing there are plenty of other wing varieties to try -- and plenty of beers to wash them down.

Malley’s Chocolates
A friend that grew up in Cleveland introduced me to Malley-Ohs! years ago and my Malley’s addiction began. Now I pick up a box to take home on every trip, along with whatever other treats look tasty -- which is basically everything in the store. You can see the pink painted plant where they have been making all that chocolaty goodness since 1935 as you’re flying over the city, so stop at one of their retail stores and grab a sweet taste of Cleveland to remember your foodie adventures.

Riding Out The Storm

“Into each life, some rain must fall.”

I heard that expression from my mother a lot growing up. It was often coupled with “Life is not fair,” “This too shall pass,” and other words of tacit acceptance for the difficult events in life none of us can change.

I imagine many people in the Northeastern portions of the United States are saying these things right now, immediately followed by prayers for the rain to stop -- literally and figuratively.

The devastation from Superstorm Sandy left unprecedented changes in its wake. The physical landscapes of cities, towns and beaches were altered forever. The flow of commerce and transportation was interrupted. Above all, the storm left an indelible mark on millions of lives, each one as individual and unique as a fingerprint.

When we witness destruction and pain on such a massive scale, it is easy to think that such devastating losses are confined to huge events and large numbers of people at once.  We forget that life altering events and unimaginable loss happen in our lives every day.

• The car that comes out of nowhere and causes a fatal accident.
• The unanticipated health issue that suddenly puts an expiration date on someone’s  existence.
• The electrical short circuit that burns a home to the ground, along with the life inside it.
• The random act of violence that ends an innocent life.

If you look honestly at your own life, it won’t take you more than 5 minutes to remember an event that changed it forever. None of us are immune to tragedy and pain. Loss and suffering are not unique, whether they are caused by a natural disaster or something else.

What IS unique is how you choose to move forward, survive and rebuild your life.

• Do you allow hope to buoy our spirits or get bogged down in despair over what you’ve lost?
• Do you reach out to help others whose losses are greater than our own?
• Are you grateful for what you still have?

In the coming days, everyone affected by Sandy will grapple with these questions. I have faith the stories of their responses will be even more memorable than the tales of their losses. Because the beauty of rain is that it doesn’t last forever -- and the sun always looks brighter after the storm passes.

Do You Know Your Numbers?

The first step in being in control of your health is understanding some basic numbers that indicate how well your body functions. One way to get this reading is participating in a biometric screening and it's something my company has been offering employees the opportunity to do for free.

What exactly is biometric screening? By my company's standards, it's a blood test combined with a blood pressure reading and waist circumference measurement. The results of these tests are combined to measure important medical factors that contribute to our overall health. Cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels are all important indicators of your risk for serious health issues like hypertension, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and others. Since every one of these diseases is represented in my family history, biometric testing is a great way to learn more about my risk at this point in my life.
 
The chart below lists the targets my company has set to be at a sufficient level of health to qualify for a discount.

If I meet at least three of these measures, I can receive a health insurance discount for each pay period. My company has pretty good benefits but I still contribute a portion of the cost every paycheck, so I'll take a discount anywhere I can get it.

I went for my test yesterday, which required 12 hours of fasting and LOTS of water. I learned the hard way with a prior test attempt that if I don't really load up on water it's really hard to get blood out of me. There was a screening set up at my office earlier this year that I attempted but scrapped when they couldn't get a blood draw. What a nightmare.

Anyway, the vendor that does the testing for my company has an office 5 minutes from my work so I went there. I had to pee like a racehorse most of the morning, but they were finally able to get a blood draw. I'll get those results in a couple of weeks. Two of the measures I got to see right away -- my blood pressure and waist circumference. Let's just politely say I knew I wasn't going to hit one of those two, but the other one surprised me.

It's never any fun when you have to sign a blood pressure warning before you leave the screening office....

The testing process is to take your blood pressure three times and use the lowest number. Two of my readings were in the Stage 1 Hypertension range. The final one was still Pre-hypertension. Definitely NOT good.

I'd like to tell myself the readings are all because I was nervous about the blood draw and my anxiety raised my blood pressure during the testing. But I also know I'm carrying too much weight, I have more stress in my life than I should and my diet could use improvement. If I'm honest, I'm not surprised -- now I need to do something about it.

Once I have my full test results, I'm scheduling an appointment with a doctor to figure out how to regain control of my health because it's not too late to do that. I have a whole lot of life in front of me and I intend to live it as well as possible.

If YOU don't know what your numbers are, find out. It's the first step in being healthier in a way that really matters.

Kitchen Adventures: Is There Such A Thing As A Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie?

In my ongoing quest to be eat better, I'm always looking for a great new recipe for something sweet that won't destroy my good snacking habits (that's what the occasional restaurant dessert is for...). So when I saw a post about healthy chocolate chip cookies in People magazine online authored by Harley Pasternak, I took notice.

Just who is Harley Pasternak and why should you care about his cookie recipe? Harley is a personal trainer who made Halle Berry into Catwoman. Not that I aspire to be Catwoman OR look like Halle Berry, but clearly the guy knows something about health and fitness. What did I have to lose but some extra pounds?

Harley Pasternak believes you can make a chocolate chip cookie using these ingredients -- and ONLY these ingredients.

Oh wait, I missed one. You need a little of THIS too....

I was skeptical. I get the concept. Oats are a healthier substitute for flour.  Egg whites take the place of whole eggs. The maple syrup, banana and  minimal amount of chips add sweetness. The peanut butter helps glue it all together. It all makes sense. But does it work?

Yes -- and no.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention I didn't follow the recipe to the letter. It called for steel cut oats, but the steel cut oats in my grocery store didn't look all that different than the tried and true Quaker Oats (which were cheaper). Is that little substitution the reason my batter seemed a little runny?

I personally don't think so, but feel free to tell me otherwise. Anyway, I thought maybe I just hadn't mixed it thoroughly enough, or allowed the oats to absorb enough of the liquid. So I let it rest for a bit, stirred again and then put in the chocolate chips. Still runny, although it did taste OK. But NO WAY was this going to form cookies that would keep from running amok on my cookie sheet.

Then I remembered a quote from the article that mentioned this basic batter could be used for muffins, breads, etc. So I pulled out my muffin tin and sprayed it with a little cooking oil before I loaded up the cups with my "cookie" mixture.

They actually turned out quite nicely this way and they honestly tasted good!  Do be sure you like peanut butter and banana a lot before you make these, because those flavors are pronounced in the final product.

I would definitely not make these often, but I'm going to whip up a batch before my next work trip because they would make an awesome and filling snack on the go while I'm running through airports with no time to eat. They will also keep for a few days in a plastic container, but don't wait too long to eat them. The banana starts to get a little funky if you wait too long.

My advice? If you really want a CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE, make it the old fashioned way and eat a smaller portion. Moderation is always a winning health strategy.

In Case Of Emergency

To comply with the laws of the great City of Los Angeles, my building holds emergency preparedness training once a year, along with a mandatory fire drill. I missed the training last year because of work travel but made a point to attend this year.

I'm sure glad I did because I learned A LOT.

Here are some cool things you should know about surviving a fire or earthquake if you're in a tall building.

• My place is built with a firewall structure. It means fire could burn against the walls of my apartment for 30 minutes without penetrating through to the other side. That gives me at least 30 minutes to get the heck out of dodge in case of a fire -- good news! Especially since the closest fire station is a couple of blocks away and they can be here in 5 minutes.

• When you evacuate your unit, close the door. It helps keep the fire from spreading.

• Smoke is the enemy. I knew it could cause you breathing problems, but didn't think about the fact that it can blind you and disorient you as you're trying to get out. That's also why it's important to stay low to the ground where there is fresh air.

• AVOID THE ELEVATOR AT ALL COSTS. When the building fire alarm goes off, the elevators are programmed to automatically descend to the ground floor. Don't die waiting for the elevator to arrive -- it isn't coming!

• If you're in an elevator when the emergency happens, it won't suddenly fall down like it does in the movies. Elevators are counterbalanced with a weight to keep them from dropping. If they do anything, they're likely to rise to the roof. 

• If your emergency is an earthquake, find a table or desk and get under it. Then hold on to the legs. If the furniture starts "traveling" around the room, you'll go with it and remain protected from falling debris.

• Even though your first reaction might be to evacuate your building after an earthquake, you might be safer inside. Falling debris can injure or kill you, so if you do head outside get well clear of the building and any trees, utility poles, signs or other objects that could fall.

• Having an earthquake kit is important in case you can't evacuate and it should last you at least 3 days. But what happens if you're stuck longer and start running out of water? Check out these creative sources for additional water!

• Check your freezer for thawed ice, etc.
• Fruits have lots of water. A banana has as much water as a full glass!
• Canned foods are usually packed in water.
• If all else fails, the TOILET TANK contains drinkable water -- as long as you don't use any kind of drop in cleaning tables.

In addition to all the great safety info, I also found out my building was built the same year I was born! That means it has lasted a long time already, so with a little additional preparation I'm feeling pretty good about avoiding disaster.

Now to stock up on water so I don't end up drinking from the toilet....

Kitchen Adventures: Interpreting Pinterest Recipes

One of the reasons I joined Pinterest was to expand my recipe box. There are lots of other places to find recipes online, but I've found Pinterest is better for a few reasons.

First, I'm a visual person. I want to see what my food is going to look like and everything on Pinterest starts with a photo. Second, most of the recipes are posted by home cooks like me so they typically have few ingredients and minimal prep time. Nothing against Martha Stewart, but not all my food needs to look like it could be served in a restaurant, especially when I'm trying to manage it after a long work day. Third, Pinterest lets you see what your friends are trying and they will give you an honest review of a recipe.

As great as Pinterest is in many ways, it has some pitfalls. It's very easy for the average person to post a recipe from their blog. Unfortunately, not every blogger knows how to write a usable recipe. And in some cases, you need to read between the lines a bit to know what you're getting.

One of my first Pinterest "fails" was the 3 Meat Pizza Casserole recipe. The link makes it look pretty tasty and unassuming.

Source: cullyskitchen.com via Meg on Pinterest

But if you follow the recipe to the letter, it looks more like this:

While it tasted great, It's seriously an ENORMOUS amount of food. It was a full inch taller than the casserole dish. It took over a week of eating it twice a day to get rid of the leftovers. What did I learn from my experience with this recipe? When the author says things like "this would make a great dish for a graduation party" and "My oldest boy took one look at it-it did not make the 5 minutes" you should ONLY be using the recipe if you are preparing to feed an entire hockey team. Last time I checked, there are two people in my house and while we both love our hockey, this was too much for us. Cut the ingredients in half and you'd have something workable for a normal family meal.

This evening's Pinterest adventure was Sweet And Spicy Bacon Chicken. The list of ingredients was pretty simple.

4 chicken breasts cut in thirds (12 pieces)

Bacon slices

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder

chili powder

brown sugar

 

Unfortunately that's about ALL the recipe told you. No amounts on the garlic powder, chili powder or brown sugar. Not such a big deal in the case of the brown sugar since you're just using it to coat the chicken like a breading. BIG ISSUE with the garlic and chili powder since the taste of the dish is impacted by how much you use. 

 

Now some of you reading may be the kind of experienced cooks that intuitively can figure out how much of each you should use. I AM NOT. I'm all for tweaking a recipe to perfect it once you've tried it, but it's a little hard when you don't even know where to start, right?

I was using half the amount of chicken (lesson on portion control learned from the pizza casserole applied here!) so I used a tablespoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of chili powder and hoped for the best. My two cut chicken breasts fit nicely in a 9x13 pan, but the the author of this recipe seems to think 4 breasts would fit and I couldn't see it happening. Is there some secret "Pack The Casserole Dish" contest out there I don't know about?

Anyway, the dish turned out just fine. It was much more sweet than spicy, so I may have needed more chili powder. Luckily everything tastes better with bacon. The funniest part of the evening was my boyfriend looking at his plate and saying "What is it?" In the romantic dining room lighting, he thought I was serving bacon wrapped hot dogs!

As you venture forth to search new recipes on Pinterest, be prepared for just about anything. Whatever you do, have fun in the kitchen -- and take lots of pictures!