May 12, 2024 — Existential Autotrip

May 12, 2024
# 1657

Talulla’s: Cambridge

Talulla’s is a small restaurant, but the tightness plays well. Every table is comfortably situated, and the resulting ambience is intimate and genial.

The two times I had dinner there my company and I ordered the prix fixe dinner. At $95.00, considering that Talulla’s is an outstanding experience, dinner is a bargain. The courses are perfectly portioned: large enough to satisfy your hunger, but not so large as to make you groan at meal’s end. Did I mention how delicious, artful, and successful the dishes are? Well, they are. Conor Dennehy is an artist. He doesn’t step out into the dining room, but if he did, I would praise and thank him for bringing culinary genius to Boston.

I left a wine pairing to the staff. Their recommendations were spot-on.

Everything about Talulla’s is in the circle of bests: from telephone presence to cordial goodbyes, patrons are treated respectfully and with appreciation. Service is impeccable: the polar opposite of, “That’s not my table.” Make eye contact with any of the staff and they are at your table to tend to your needs, attentive without being intrusive. You really do feel like an honored guest. Kudos to Danielle Ayer and the team for their professionalism and hospitality.

There are appallingly few restaurants in our area that can compare to Talulla’s. There are certainly none better.

Dom Capossela

Rohan Duck w/ Cabbage, Corn, Chanterelles, Mole Negro

Spaghetti w/ Squid Ink, Ramps, Mussels & Crispy Shallot

Tuna Crudo w/ Coconut, Candied Chili & Green Strawberry

How wonderful to find a restaurant that hits on all cylinders.

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Commentary
Strange.
I’ve lost two hours a day of work time and am afloat in the woes of reorganization.
There is no way for me to reclaim this lost time.
How did I lose the time?
To sleep.
Chewing on the gummy at bedtime has moved me from the ‘poor sleeper’ column into the world of ‘excellent sleeper.’
But at the cost of two hours less time to work.
But this is a good thing.
Especially as I get older and my endurance wanes.

Scenes from new dining table

All food tastes better on our table

Carrot sweet potato soup
Asparagus, pea, and mint pasta with vegan cream sauce
Zucchini babaganoush

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Tucker’s Corner
As Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace approaches its 25th anniversary I’m taking stock of what many believe to be the worst entry in the Star Wars canon. I was 10 years old when I saw Phantom Menace and the only thing I remember about the viewing experience was sheer joy at seeing the galaxy far, far away on the big screen. For me, a boy raised on VHS copies of the original Star Wars films this was something bright and new. Star Wars has always felt like home to me and with every year that passes I reexamine my fandom. Finally at the ripe age of 35 I think I understand why these films, these stories mean so much to me.

George Lucas’ idea for a prequel trilogy of films beginning with The Phantom Menace was structured around telling the story of how Anakin Skywalker falls from grace to become Darth Vader. It’s a journey many fans had imagined for years so the stakes were quite high. What no one knew when they went into theaters in May of 1999 was that George Lucas had written this film for a young audience. What many fans don’t want to admit though is that the original trilogy of beloved Star Wars films is also geared toward kids. This isn’t an insult.

Star Wars is a modern myth and just like any myth from human history it serves to convey important messages and values to help us understand our world and our place within it. Unfortunately, that aspect of what makes Star Wars such a “universal” story gets lost by fans who focus more on the story’s aesthetics. They’re cool but they aren’t what makes Star Wars resonate with so many people. George Lucas wrote Star Wars to help impart strong humanistic values to a young audience for those values take root and help sculp thoughtful, empathetic human beings.

Phantom Menace was the first new Star Wars story to be told in 16 years. In all that time the fanbase’s collective imagination had run wild. How do you, George Lucas, contend with people’s wildest dreams? High octane action certainly helps, and Phantom Menace has that in spades. Lucas has always been one to push the technological forefront of filmmaking and the special effects on display were cutting edge for 1999 and a genuine thrill to experience. Say what you will, Lucas knows what wows an audience.

Like many heroes’ journeys, the film ends with a climactic battle. Three battles to be specific but the one that stays with fans is a (laser) swordfight between the film’s two main Jedi heroes, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and the film’s terrifying villain Darth Maul (Ray Park). The battle is thrilling and horrifying in equal measure, using the physicality of warriors in combat to portray the ongoing struggle of good vs evil. However, this duel, known as The Duel of the Fates thanks to the title of the music that scores the sequence, doesn’t resonate because it’s a well-choreographed fight scene but because of how important the duel is symbolically to the entire story of Star Wars.

Rewind to the original Star Wars film from 1977. The duel between Obi-Wan (Alec Guinness) and Darth Vader (David Prowse (voiced by James Earl Jones)) is physically very stilted by today’s action standards, but the scene is still enthralling because of how much is at stake. When Obi-Wan sacrifices himself to give Luke time to escape it’s incredibly meaningful. We all felt like Luke at that moment. We all felt the loss of a surrogate father we’d grown to know like he was our own flesh and blood. The loss of a loved one, especially one who serves as teacher and guide is often used in mythology and for good reason. Losing the safety and security provided by these figures in our lives presents us all with a choice. How will we move forward? Most myths take this opportunity to show the hero making the right choice. They remember what they were taught and forge their own noble, altruistic path. Phantom Menace defies convention and places Anakin on the opposite path.

Qui-Gon, like Obi-Wan in the original Star Wars is a father figure not only to young Anakin but to us as viewers. I didn’t understand it when I was 10 years old but what’s clear now is that Qui-Gon is fighting because he knows he’s the father that Anakin needs. The Jedi of Phantom Menace, who are Star Wars’ surrogates for the priests of the Vatican crossed with warrior monks, are instruments of social and political good but have lost their humanity. Qui-Gon hasn’t let go of the belief that Jedi should care for their fellow beings and that’s why he’s battling Darth Maul at the film’s climax. He knows that the outcome of this duel will steer the course of Anakin’s life.

Tragically, Qui-Gon loses the duel and dies. So now Anakin, a young boy who has been taken from his mother with the promise of a bright future, falls into Obi-Wan's care. Obi-Wan trains Anakin to be a Jedi but does so out of obligation and respect for Qui-Gon. As their relationship becomes deeper and richer the two become best friends but Obi-Wan never really assumes the role of father to Anakin. By no fault of his own this is where Obi-Wan fails his apprentice. He doesn't provide him with the family that he needs. What I think most people who deride Star Wars don’t understand is that these stories are all about family.

Near the climax of 1983’s Return of the Jedi, The Emperor, the final villain of Star Wars tells Luke “You, like your father, are now mine.” This bit of dialogue terrified me as a kid. The idea of someone so evil possessing my father (or anyone in my family) was horrible. It hit me deeper than my young brain could even understand. The entirety of Luke’s scenes with the Emperor in ROTJ are about temptation. Evil tempting good into lowering itself. I believed Luke might make the wrong decision through those tense scenes and give in to his hatred and fear. I truly thought he would lose. I wasn’t considering Luke’s greatest attribute. It’s not his connection to the Force or his Jedi training. It’s Luke’s ability to think of his father in this moment and resist. He replies to the Emperor “You failed your highness. I am a Jedi like my father before me”. He’s telling the Emperor that he loves his father and there’s nothing in the entire universe that’s going to change that.

The Emperor can’t understand Luke’s resistance to being handed all this power. He thinks he’s a fool for denying it and knowing now that Luke will never succumb The Emperor decides to kill him. It’s in this moment that Vader redeems himself by defeating the Emperor and saving Luke. He does this by deciding, after years of choosing the evil path, to become the father figure that he never had. He has to give up all the power the Emperor has given him to save his son. To finally act in the interest of others.

This is ultimately why Star Wars works. It’s not about space battles. It’s not about lightsabers. I love Star Wars because I react to its story on a soulful level. I keep coming back to these films because in my heart I yearn to be uplifted. Star Wars is reassuring to me because these stories are a promise that there is hope in the world. We are all capable of evil but most of us want to be and do good and the way toward that good is to persevere through selfless action. It’s also a story that revolves itself around the idea that you can make a lifetime’s worth of mistakes and still do the right thing when it matters most. That’s a true depiction of hope. I think it’s an essential quality in art that’s aimed at younger audiences because they need to be taught about hope at a time where they can learn from it and be reassured by it when times are toughest.

PAELLA
for 6
5 oz of rice per person
Rice is the critical component of this dish. Go for Bomba rice.

Bomba Rice (Valencia Rice) is the short-grain, almost round rice that is ideal for Paella because
it absorbs three times its volume in water and retains flavor without becoming mushy, esp. prized for its ability to absorb the saffron and other paella flavors.

Calasparra Rice is a great alternative if bomba rice is not available. It’s similar to bomba rice in texture and absorption properties.

Arborio Rice (Acceptable but with adjustments) is a short-grain Italian rice, creamy when cooked due to its high starch content.
Adjust measurements and cooking time when using arborio rice for paella.

In 3 oz of Italian olive oil, sear a whole small chicken, like 3lbs or less, and a large Italian spicy pork sausage (or chorizo). Keeping the skin on, cut the chicken into small pieces, like 16 to 18 pieces but leave the sausage whole.
Sear the meats pieces in the paella pan. Use salt and freshly ground black pepper generously.
Remove the chicken pieces after 7 minutes or when they have a good color. Reserve. They’ll finish cooking with the pot.

In that same oil, sear seafood like shrimp, scallops, squid, and fresh fish. Remove and reserve with the chicken.
If you’re using clams and mussels, steam these with two cups of water. Reserve the shellfish and the broth.

Create a broth using equal parts of the steaming water, chicken stock, and dry white wine. Reserve.

Create the aromatic base either using a food chopper or chopping by hand to a medium dice. This is the base:

3oz each of these:
red bell pepper
onions
celery

and 1 oz of these:
1 oz garlic cloves
1 oz chili pepper

And:
Pinches of oregano and ground bay leaf
the zest of one lemon
1t loosely packed saffron

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley

Put the aromatic base ingredients into the food chopper or cut it into medium dice.
Then put the pureed base into the paella pan with the olive oil- chicken fat, and actively soften for 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the uncooked Bomba rice, 5oz/person.
Toss and cook until all the rice grains are coated with oil. The more you toss the rice, the creamier will be the paella. (The rubbing releases starch which thickens the dish, making it creamy. It also helps the rice absorb all the flavors of the seasonings and broths.)

To add richness and even more flavor, stir in 2oz of solid butter and coat the rice.

Create a broth. Steam the shellfish and reserve that stock. Add white wine to the shellfish broth. Add chicken stock to the combined stocks. This is the broth.

Return the chicken pieces and fish to the paella tucking all the fish, sausage, and chicken in among the rice in the paella pot.

Add only enough broth to barely cover the rice so it can continue to rub shoulders with its neighbors. Stir often. Add more broth as the rice absorbs it. Cook until all the ingredients are cooked.

You might additionally include a ½ bunch scallions, and an additional 1/2 cup of loosely packed Italian parsley as additional garnishes. And olives.

Continue to cook, adding broth to the rice until your taste tells you the rice and chicken are cooked.
Note that the concept of Paella is that a crust forms at the bottom of the pan and the broth is evaporated.

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Chuckles and Thoughts
"I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time.'
So I ordered French toast during the Renaissance."
Steven Wright

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Six Word Stories
“He smiled. She wept. Universe shifted.”

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Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts, including links.

Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
text to 617.852.7192

This from dear friend, Sally C:

Dear Dom,

Do you know the origin/source of the “antonym/synonym” quote in your newsletter. I love it!

Stephen Puleo, the author of “Dark Tide” and several other books on American history, spoke at The Room to Write’s Senior Writing Program in Wakefield yesterday. He is very engaging, and the decent-sized crowd enjoyed his notes and comments on writing greatly. My husband and I heard him speak 20 years ago at a history conference in Framingham, when “Dark Tide” had just come out. His newest book, “The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union,” is just out, and he had all of his books available, some as raffle gifts, others for sale.

I had a moment to speak with him, and as one of his books is about Boston’s Italians (he’s of Italian descent, too), I mentioned your two books - “Dom’s: An Odyssey” and “Do You Believe In Magic?” He was interested in both – being a voracious reader and a historian, he sounds like he will follow up and seek your books.

I think I emailed you before about it, but I was very touched by your TED Talk – you were/are so: YOU.

Still having a blast working on my novel about Nicodemus. Different characters keep dropping in, most intriguing. I’m coming down to the end of my second draft, then I’ll renew my revision and development from the beginning, into a third draft. It’s slow, but I tend to write slowly, savoring a story’s organic evolution. I learned a long time ago that the stories that the Muse prods me into writing will not be pushed. I’ve also learned to listen to the Muse – if I ignore it, it will not let me be. And its insistence is none too gentle.

All this fed in and around my business work, mostly in editing, which is growing – also slowly, but growing. Life is good!

Sally:

BRASS CASTLE ARTS
Literary Services to Polish Your Gem
Wordsmith: Copywriter | Copyeditor | Author
Sally M. Chetwynd
PO Box 1916, Wakefield, MA 01880
781-548-9519 c
brasscastlearts@gmail.com
https://www.brasscastlearts.com [Please: Avoid texting or messaging.]

AUTHOR OF: Bead of Sand and The Sturgeon’s Dance

And this from friend, neighbor, and fellow author, Tim Leland.

Bravo, Dom!

Or "Brava!," as you used the word in a recent speech. Bravo or brava, your TED Talk was magnifico! Beautifully delivered and very touching. If that was all memorized, no one would ever know it. And if it was extemporaneous, that makes it even more impressive. Smooth as silk.

Congratulations and best wishes in your new career as a motivational speaker.

-Tim

And this from my lovely, intellectual niece Tessa M:

Thank you Uncle Dom! I meant to write you - I watched your TED talk and thought you did a great job up there! I love hearing stories about nonnie (your mother) and you all growing up. It’s very cool to see a member of our family giving a TED talk.

Best,

Tessa

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Travel
My daughter and I have set dates for four trips:

In late June, Kat and Will will visit me for several days.

In late August, if I can get a table, I will overnight in NYC to eat at Rao’s, long considered a ‘connected’ restaurant, nearly impossible to get reservations at.

Thanksgiving weekend we’ll spend in Trinidad, long a favorite of mine for its rich, indigenous culture.

In March, northern Africa here we come.

What fun.

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Last Comment
Mother Nature has recently gifted us with some lovely days. Thank you, Mother.

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May 8 May 12, 2024