Cast Iron Skillet

           Yes, I have a cast iron skillet named Jolene. Yes, I am OK with that.

            Durham is known for its food among other things. That particular topic is often a welcome part of conversations. I was talking to Lauren one evening about southern cooking…

Lauren is a Durham transplant herself; she has a passion for music and a passion for the south. She was the first person to ask me when I was moving to Durham. She asked that over one year before I actually moved. Before I was even thinking about it.

OK SO GOOD. I was talking to Lauren one evening about southern cooking before she disappeared into her kitchen and returned with a cast iron skillet. A “welcome home” gift she said. I have fond memories of cast iron skillets. Nana frying chicken on a splattering stove top. Mom cooking corn bread in the oven. I knew how much I enjoyed the food, but what I didn’t know is what you did with the skillet after you ate all of the food. Lauren gave me a crash course.

I understand that a cast iron skillet will last longer than I do if taken care of. In order for it to last it has to be given a bit more TLC than normal pots and pans receive. It has to be seasoned. In my mind seasoned is just a more caring version of bachelor washing.

Bachelor washing involves a few simple steps. Use the dish. Rinse the dish. Wipe the dish down. Place the dish back in the cabinet. I have had a fair amount of practice bachelor washing dishes. It is safe to say that before I moved to Durham, I hadn’t used a dishwasher in years. Yes, I said it. Seasoning the skillet is similar, though not necessarily the same. There are two ingredients in seasoning a cast iron skillet that aren’t in bachelor washing. Oil and love.

Cleaning a cast iron skillet involves a few simple steps as well. Clean the skillet after use, while it is still hot or warm. Do not soak the pan or leave it in the sink. Wash the skillet by hand using hot water and a sponge or a stiff brush. Soap is not recommended, and harsh detergents should never be used. Now you are speaking my language. Towel dry the skillet. Apply a light coat of cooking oil to the inside of the skillet. I like to coat the outside also. NEVER wash in dishwasher. Enjoy a lifetime of bachelor washing and delicious food.

            With all of the enjoyment,  care and attention, I felt that my heavy hunk of iron deserved a name. A southern lady name. A name like Jolene. Like the Dolly Parton song, but in my head it is the Jack White version. The version that goes through my head every time I break out the oil to carefully season her.

            You can have your choice of pans, but I could never cook again. You're the only skillet for me, Jolene.

Welcome to R+M

            Two months to the day after leaving OKC, I received a phone call offering me a position as part of the R+M team. Nearly four years to the day after beginning my advertising career in OKC, I got the pleasure to continue it in the Raleigh-Durham area.

            I was drawn to the focus of health, well-being, social responsibility and making emotional connections. I am excited about the clients, passionate people and a killer culture. I continue to smile about the no rules parking, friendly canines and an office adjacent to the arcade. And for crying out loud, who else enjoys serene sounds of chirping birds in forest like facilities? Ok, woodsmen do too, but you get the idea. This looks to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Running NC

It was a Sunday. October 26, 2008. I laced up a pair of old basketball shoes (that weren’t even mine) that I had in the back of the closet. I took off running down the road. 200 yards later I was doubled over trying my best not to vomit in the road. Lightheaded and gasping for more oxygen than was available, I turned around.

Since that Sunday I have grown to love running. LOVE it. I have run everything from a 5k to a half marathon and everything in between. I dream of the day I finish my first marathon, the process of preparing for that marathon and the resulting pain that is so invigorating. Over the past year I have learned that picking up your life, moving across the country, searching for a new job and beginning that job can have an effect on the routine of running. Unfortunately, as a result, running has taken a back burner to life recently. I aim to change that.

The unique North Carolina races that are available are one of the many reasons that I am ready to wear out another pair of running shoes. Do you want to run down the Atlantic Coast? Through the City of Oaks? Tour downtown Durham on foot? How about start a weekly training run at your favorite brewery? YES! Luckily they are all options.

Let the training commence.

Michigan Blueberries

            When Liz returned from Michigan she brought back with her a fairly large container of fresh, wild, Michigan blueberries that she had picked the day she was to fly back. I had not eaten blueberries in some time. They are just not something that is usually top of mind for me. That being said, I ate them like candy, throwing them down my throat one by one. Of course there are other things that you can do with blueberries rather than just eat them plain. Though that is never a bad thing. We decided to give a few of them a try and Liz took some pictures.

            Blueberry milk. Stirred a reduced blueberry syrup into the milk. You know Hershey’s Syrup?

Yeah, like that, but with blueberries instead of chocolate. Part of me just wants to drink it for the color.

            After I made the blueberry syrup for the milk I was left with the cooked, smashed berry portion of the recipe. Liz mixed that with honey and topped sliced cinnamon apples and added them to a cheese plate. 

       And of course blueberry pancakes had to be made.

       With about half of the blueberries still left in the freezer, I am looking forward to what other  concoctions we can come up with… that is if I don’t eat all of them first.

American Tobacco Campus

            In the short time that I have been in Durham, I have primarily been enjoying the downtown area. Anything beyond downtown Durham and my mind map begins to get a little fuzzy. One of the many areas that I enjoy and that interest me is the American Tobacco Campus (ATC).

            The American Tobacco Campus has been a Durham fixture since the early 1900’s. I am told that before production ceased in the late 80’s, you could smell the sweet scent of the tobacco being processed downtown. Not in a burning, secondhand smoke kind of way, but a smell of sweet, rich curing leaves. Nearly a century after being built, the warehouses were abandoned and left to deteriorate.

            The previously abandoned American Tobacco Campus was repurposed and reopened in 2004. It has since grown to house many businesses, offices, restaurants and shops. The red, brick smoke stacks still help define the Durham skyline.

            

            Burt’s Bees headquarters sits at the north end of campus. The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park help bookend the south. Immediately east is the ever-popular Durham Performing Arts Center. Live music is played on the lawn underneath the shadow of the large Lucky Strike water tower. The base of the water tower doubles as a stage.

            Looking through windows while walking through the ATC, you will see a variety of businesses and office spaces. Many contain beautiful exposed brick, polished hard wood, exposed ventilation, cement floors and steel supports. The combination of the historic red brick warehouses with the modern urban style offices go hand in hand. You may even wander into the underground corridor where tech companies set behind glass walls and recline in their chars to view multiple monitors. Personally, I would go down there for the free arcade games.

            The vibrant and diverse downtown area is only elevated by the rich history that it has experienced. If you know which windows to look through, and aren’t afraid to press your face near a dusty windowpane, you can see the old tobacco processing equipment. Almost as if you were looking through a window to the past.