Dinner, Interrupted

Dear Tia Fia,

First let me say (as I'm jumping up and down and doing that high-pitched girl thing) "You submitted your book, you really did it, I'm so proud of you!" Hugs and more jumping- just to convey how excited I am. I can only imagine that when the Powers at the Publishing House recieve your manuscript they will stand up dramatically, raise the poems above their heads and intone, "This my friends, this is it. Our quest is over."

My Sunday started out a lot like yours. B played hooky from his homework and asked me to watch the Bears game with him. I'm guessing he was inspired to ask me on a date because I hadn't made that awful dry-heave noise in the last 48 hours. I felt so GOOD (except this little cough that I tried not to think about) that I hot-rolled my hair, put on eye-liner and even wore my largest, most purple, f-me earrings:

.

Our day went as planned, Bears and bar food at Bar on Buena, window shopping at Broadway and Belmont, and then a bus ride home. At that point, I was feeling a little tired, but didn't think much of it- I've been tired for a good three months now. When we got home, I started to make dinner. B has pleaded for Pozole Roja for the last year and I'd finally decided to make some. I chopped onions, seared the pork and dumped in the chicken broth- just as I left it to braise in the stove, I felt the first of the CHILLS.

I don't know if everybody gets them, but I know when I can't move my arm without feeling like I just plunged into Barton Springs pool I've got a temp that's about to rise a few degrees. First, I thought "swine flu". Second, I thought "I'm going to die." I know, Tia F, I know that seems dramatic, but the fear was reinforced when I googled H1n1 Chicago; I'd just wanted to see if there was an outbreak. Do you know what the first headline to appear was? Just guess. Chicago: 25 Year Old Pregnant Woman Dies of Swine Flu on Friday. Reassuring, right? B and I then both look at each other, grab our respective cell phones, he calls the doctor and I call my family. Both of them tell us to go straight to the ER. We made sure the stove was turned off, gathered up our things, and quickly hailed a cab.

We were at the ER for a good six hours, not much of note happened, except that I got put on an IV, they diagnosed me with swine flu, they took x-rays of my lungs then diagnosed me with pneumonia, then gave me a ton of medication that is safe for our little Arroz and would make me feel better within days. Whew! Close call.

Rewind to two weeks earlier. I've wracked up a number of absences(all that icky morning sickness) and I'm participating in a meeting that ends with me signing a warning that states "two more absences and I'll be fired." Uhhggg. So in the past month I've been written up several times at a job I can't afford to lose (this has never happened), I've seen my ob/gyn more than my friends, and I've spent some time in the ER, another first for me.

I just wanna demand, "Alright LIFE- Just Stop Where You Are!" I do not want to learn this lesson on vulnerability. My fantasy pregnancy life involved a beautifully painted nursery, hand-holding with B, and cute little kicks in my abdomen. I never imagined how defenseless it would make me to financial and physical forces outside of my control. But that's life, right? I better buck up and bear it. And while I'm at it- I better finish that Pozole that I started.




Pozole Rojo

Stew
1 bone-in picnic shoulder roast
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium- large onions, chopped coarse
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces dried ancho chiles
11/2 cups boiling water
3 (15-ounce) cans white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes
2 limes, cut into quarters
1/2 head of cabbage (the recipe says lettuce, but I think that's because they're based in Maine)
6 radishes
1 small onion
1/4 cup pureed ancho chiles
soft flour or corn tortillas


1) Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Trim the thick skin and excess fat from the meat and cut along the muscles to divide the roast into large pieces of various sizes; reserve the bones. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper to taste.

2) Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3) Add the meat and bones and stir often until it is no longer pink on the outside, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. With a large spoon, skim off any scum. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours.

4) Meanwhile, remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles; soak the chiles in a medium bowl with the boiling water until soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the chiles and soaking liquid in a blender until smooth. Pour the puree through a strainer into a bowl and reserve 1/4 cup of the pureed anchos for garnish.

5) Remove the pot from the oven and remove the meat and bones to a cutting board. Stir in the hominy and the remaining 3/4 cup ancho chile puree Cover and bring the stew to a simmer on top of the stove over medium-low heat. Cook until the hominy is hot and the flavors meld, about 30 minutes.

6) When the meat is cool, shred it using your fingers or the tines of two forks; discard the bones. Stir the shredded meat into the stew. If serving immediately, spoon off any fat that rises to the top and then simmer until the meat is hot, about 10 minutes. (The stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Spoon off the hardened fat and bring back to a simmer over medium-low heat.) Adjust the seasonings. Ladle the stew into individual bowls and serve immediately with the garnishes.

This one was WAY long. I'll try never to have to catch you up this much again.

Love,
TT