It's All Greek to Me

Around the corner from my office in DC there's a tiny storefront restaurant called, quite simply, "Greek Deli". It would be easy to miss, were it not for the long serpentine queue stretching all the way to the pavement, then turning 90-degrees and continuing on for a good distance more. Unsuspecting pedestrians are often corralled by the hungry ranks, eyeing the potential interlopers with suspicion as they push through towards their intended destination. You might think foul weather would dampen the resolve of the masses, and sometimes it does. But there are days when the promise of a carton of lush avgolemano soup is the only thing that gets you through the dull, grey drudgery of life in the city. And so you wait.

You take the full hour for lunch, and you spend most of that hour outside in the drizzle, the collar of your wool-coat hiked up and itching your neck because you left your scarf at home again. By the time you make it to the door, your coat smells, and you hate every person ahead of you. You stare at them through the stenciled door, they're smug and cozy, and also idiots. You didn't think this was possible, but you actually hate them more as they bumble through their orders.

And then, the door opens. A rush of warm air, saturated in olive oil hits you, and suddenly the last 40-minutes spent shivering in the cold are forgotten. The space is packed tight to the counter with customers. Behind the glass stands Kostas Fostieris. He looks like the captain of an old dory, with his fisherman's cap, leathery skin, and a beard as full as his belly. You watch him age through the pictures and news-clips crowding the walls. You're shocked by how little has changed. Aside from the color of his beard and the style of the suits, the scene around you perfectly mirrors the ones on display. Does he notice it too? Finally, it's your turn. But you were distracted by the photos and the baklava. "MEEEEEESSSS! MEEEEESS?" barks Kostas, and you realize that you haven't decided what to order. Now you're the one staring into the case of steaming lamb and salmon and brisket and spanakopita and moussaka and orzo and white beans and green beens like a tongue-tied nincompoop. The woman behind you sighs heavily, and someone from the back of the shop hisses "you've gotta be kidding."  Suddenly you're very warm, you blurt out a list of six different items. Because overcompensation? Azzad is at the the register, more relaxed than his employer, he sneaks you a wink and a smile along with your giant white sack of food.

By the time you make it back out into the rain you're late for work. You take the shortcut through the alley, and a driver blares his horn at you for blocking his way. That girl across the hall gives you the stink eye as you slink into your office, and you can't really blame her. The conference call you were supposed to be on has already started and you hope no one notices the 'bloop' announcing your arrival. They say something about slide five, you mute your line. You, are very, very hungry. You rip open the sack, it's oil-stained now and making an even bigger mess of your desk. You start to ask yourself why you keep going there anyway, but the first bite of warm bread shuts you up before you can finish the thought.

The below is my rendition of one of my very favorite dishes from the Greek Deli. I've added kale to make the dish a bit more substantial, and would not be against throwing a fried egg on top for good measure. Serve with crusty bread.

Rustic Gigantes Beans with Kale

---

3/4 lb. dried large white beans

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c white wine

2 t fresh dill

1 16 oz can good Italian tomatoes, whole

2 c kale, chopped

2 oz Greek feta

Cook beans in salted water according to your preference until just shy of done. For me, this means a "power soak," followed by about 20 min. in the pressure cooker.

While beans are cooking, prepare tomato sauce. Pour tomatoes (including their juices) into a large bowl, and squish to break up into a nearly uniform consistency. Heat 1/4 c olive oil in a large sauté pan, cook onion until translucent, add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add wine and tomatoes, fill can half full with water to rinse out any additional juice and add that as well. Cook over high heat until reduced by almost half (you can always add water if it gets too concentrated, sauce should still be a bit soupy). Add beans, kale and dill, and season to taste, then stew until beans are tender. Stir in additional 1/4 c olive oil, and top with crumbled feta.

Where great men live

I'm writing this post from a -- surprisingly pleasant -- random roadside hotel in West Virginia drowning my tears in prosecco (and Premal's sweet, soothing company). CLEARLY, I am in no position to write about my departure from my beloved capitol city just yet. So instead I offer pictures from our recent jaunt to Charlottesville, Va, and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. 

One of the items on my farewell bucket list was the home of our nation's third president. I'd heard tales of the idyllic mansion Jefferson designed. Tucked away in the Virginia hills with glorious gardens, quirky details, and peacocks roam free on the grounds. Jefferson's home seemed like a fitting place to spend my fatherless father's day (/anniversary). In many ways this tinkering statesman is a perfect blend of my inventor father and my politician grandfather. And as we meandered through another man's life I took special notice of the details they would have loved, and the conversations we might have had (hyper-efficient use of space, and life/philosophy contradictions come to mind). 

These days, I am frankly shocked by how often I long for conversations with the first great men in my life. I wish I could ask them about Syria and Snowden, and my new car and big move, and the modern folk music movement. Mostly, I wish they knew Premal. But we will never have those conversations, and I will never get to see my joy reflected in their eyes. So instead I will be content to wander one great man's house, with another great man on my arm, and two more tucked safely away in my mind.    

^^^Thomas Jefferson knew a thing or two about classy gardening^^^

^^^patriotic flower beds may just be the key to my heart^^^

^^^the biggest, most beautifulest, lettuce head I have ever laid eyes on^^^

^^^down the rabbit hole^^^

^^^an older couple asked if we were on our honeymoon, I think that means we're doing this right^^^ 

Outtakes

 Last month we expended herculean efforts while wrangling the troupes to take a family picture. With 23 bodies to organize - and at least as many schedules - finding a time and place to gather was darn near impossible (please see the gory 75-long gmail message thread for evidence). In the end, everyone was able to make it except for Dave (who was whisked away on a last minute assignment in NYC), and little Thomas (who was needed at the opening of his preschool art installation). 

And in my humble opinion, the heartaches and headaches were totally worthwhile. We'll wait until Christmas to subject everyone to the finished product, but - until then - here are some of my favorite outtakes from the afternoon. 

Huge props, hugs, and kisses to Tom who was coerced into taking the pictures after we were unable to secure a professional photographer for the golden 45 minute window of opportunity. (Apparently this studly rocket scientist is also capable of corralling 21 of the most opinionated people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing). Huzzah!    

Old favorites

As the weather warms, Premal and I have resumed our habit of walking together. We'll return from our offices just as the sun starts to look a bit lazy in the early evening sky and set off for nowhere in particular. We take these treks often, so often that the scenery holds few surprises. Still, tired surprises soon become old favorites. Favorite doors, and yards, and roofs. We watch familiar gardens grow and flourish, and die and wait. Now they're back at it. Same as ever. Ever lovely, ever there. 

But now we are leaving, and this little neighborhood will continue its cycle without us. And I realize that even neighborhoods don't

really

stay the same. You see, we're headed back to another place where I once took frequent walks to nowhere in particular. We're going home. But there, things have changed. Friends have left, and angular condos now fill holes where once familiar fields and houses stood. It's fine, and certainly "good for the neighborhood," but it's very different. 

So, in these last four weeks that we have here in this city that has treated me so very well for the past ten years, I'm looking around at these old favorites extra hard. Filing away their magic and the comfort they bring me. Because who knows, perhaps we'll be back someday, years and years from now. We will  change, and likely the neighborhood will too. Hopefully for the best, but surely it will be very, very  different.

Sweeeeeeet

We had a truly glorious, extra-long Easter weekend. I'm still recovering from all the merriment. Momo and Zen flew in for a surprise visit Friday night. Saturday, we picnicked at the cherry blossom festival with our extended Lantos family in the shadow of a thousand kites. Sunday, we enjoyed church even more than usual, since both Charity and Hettie sang, and that afternoon we trekked to my cousin's lovely new home in Virginia for good food, great company and an epic egg hunt worthy of Grecian myth.

You'd think, come Monday morning, we'd be partied out. 

Nay, my friends. Never. 

Uncle Levi delivered the pièce de résistance: an afternoon at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

It takes a particular sort of good man to escape from a busy job for hula hooping 

and egg dying (in a khaki suit!) with someone else's kids. 

What can I say? My kids are awfully lucky in the Uncle Department.

Capital bound on a budget? Ask 5.

Q: On Saturday, I board the Empire Builder in Seattle and, for 46 hours, get to bumble about on a train until I reach Washington D.C. on Tuesday. I have six days (and a limited budget) to saturate myself with this village. Any suggestions on what to do with a day? I don't plan on eating out (lentils, onions, and rice for dayz), but if I were to, are there any places that would be worth throwing dollars at (or nicely handing the dollars to the folks)? Favourite tree?

As:


Kimber (Expert):

I’ve been visiting D.C. my entire life, and living here (more or less) for about ten years. And I still haven’t exhausted the options for a fun afternoon. This place is a veritable fire hydrant of free entertainment, and your week, my friend, is the proverbial Dixie cup.

So, here’s my advice – think about what you love the most, no matter where you are, and take it from there. If I were in your shoes, I’d check out the schedule of free performances at the Kennedy Center. I’d make sure to spend a looooong afternoon wandering through the National Gallery (both East and West). I’d buy a loaf of bread from my favorite local bakery to make my PB&J’s awesome. I’d be sure to eat one of those PB&J’s in the KogodCourtyard, especially if it happened to be raining outside. I’d walk from the FDR Memorial all the way around the Tidal Basin, even if the cherry blossoms weren’t quite blooming yet. I’d pop into the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress and shamelessly let my jaw drop over what might very well be the most beautiful room on American soil.

But that’s just me. Your plan could be totally different, and equally spectacular. It’s honestly hard to go wrong….

Charity (Inner Grown Up): My sisters are going to tell you to spend all of your time at The National Mall. They are right. Take special time for The Library of Congress. Go and see the Main Reading Room. You might have to pick up a library card which will take about 10 minutes. It's free and it's totally worth it. Also, the West Wing of the National Gallery. I love the East Wing too, but I'm a sucker for French and American impressionists. It's one of the greatest collections in the world. The National Cherry Blossom Festival along with the blossoms themselves are about to pop and there are lots of free events in associating with that.

For your next trip: The Kennedy Center offers free concerts every day on their Millennial Stage.  The Portrait Gallery is in the middle of Chinatown and has lots of free programs. The Renwick Museum is one of my favorites, and it's nestled right up against the White House. The largest Catholic shrine in North America is at Catholic University. It is gorgeous, the second tallest structure in DC and worth a visit. The National Cathedral is right by one of DC's favorite pizza places, 2AMYS.

A few neighborhoods that are popping: H Street NE (which brings us to &Pizza, which brings artisinal pizza to the masses. Next big thing. Just watch...), Dupont Circle, U Street, Georgetown, Chinatown, Adams Morgan, Barracks Row and the Historic Eastern Market, where you can catch a beginners tango class every Thursday night for 10 bucks.

Liberty (TMI):Wait, so you’re taking a train across the entire country?? That sounds so incredibly awesome; I want to do it now.  Except maybe a little less than I would have wanted to do it had I heard about your plans before watching Transsiberian last week (and yes, I know this isn’t Russia, but still, watch the movie, you’ll understand).

See—Anywhoo. DC is actually a great city to tour while poor. The vast majority of the attractions are completely free, and it’s pretty small geographically which can help cut down on transportation costs if you’re savvy. If this is your first time in DC, you should really just take in the tourist-y sights. Go to as many Smithsonian museums as you can (seriously, they’re all fantastic), see the White House, arrange a tour of the Capitol with your congressman, take a walk through all of the memorials and monuments, and try to catch a glimpse of Obama’s motorcade going by. You’ll love every minute of it.

Move—Plan your routes. The DC Metro is expensive (at least $3 a trip if you don’t have a SmartTrip card), and the cost of rides adds up quickly. Circulator busses offer a much cheaper alternative for getting around the city. They run every 10 minutes, cost a buck a ride, and go most places a visitor would like see. Another even cheaper option for moving your body is the transport system you come equipped with, DA FEETS! This is coming from someone who is admittedly a bit irrational when it comes to walking, but hear me out. Traffic here is terrible, so it often takes almost as long to get places by bus as it does by foot. Also, if you pass something intriguing, stopping is totally within your control.  P.S. For extra points, if you do find yourself riding the metro, when taking the escalators remember to stand on the right, walk on the left J  

Eat—The good news! There’s a fair amount of yummy cheap eats in this city. The bad news? Very few (like, maybe none) of them are near the main tourist centers. The Capitol mall is a magical wonderful place, until you get hungry. So if you’re headed to the museums be sure to pack a sandwich and some snacks. Those who fail to will find themselves schilling out more than they’d like for vitals as mediocre as they are meager. If you’re willing to wander your options will certainly improve.  On weekends you can prowl Eastern Market  for  vintage and artisan gems, while noshing on free samples from local farms. While you’re there you can grab a couple apples to shove in your knapsack for snacking later on, or a tripped out wiener from DC-3. During the week, there are a couple of gems I frequent near Dupont Circle that are perfect if you can bring a friend or have access to a fridge.  The Well Dressed Burrito and The Greek Deli (both on 19^th NW, just south of Dupont) offer up big flavors on even bigger plates. Premal and I have made a ritual of sharing the El Gordo at WDB, and a platter from the Greek Deli always lasts me two (and more often three) lunches across a week. Finally for dinner, I’d recommend one of the many new noodle joints that have opened up across town. They offer the triple threat of tasty, trendy and thrifty.     

Mercina (To the point): So many wonderful options! I'm going to try to keep mine short and sweet. Here are my favorites sights and eats:

Museums & monuments -

• National Gallery (one of my very favorite museums in the entire world!)
• Natural History Museum 
• Portrait Gallery 
• Air and Space Museum 
• Lincoln Memorial 
• Washington Monument
• National Mall
• Capitol 
• Freer Gallery
• Botanic Gardens

Food

• Founding Farmers (veggie burger - 'nuff said) 
• seventh Hill (their Nutella calzone may be my favorite food ever)
• We the pizza (the mushroom pizza is insane - head next door for a mind blowing toasted marshmallow shake from Good stuff)
• Leopolds (delightful)
• The sweet lobby (some of the best cupcakes I've ever had)

Have a wonderful time!

Glorianna (Junkie): I like to spend my days in Washington DC like any good teenage girl -- At the Mall. Were I in your situation, this would be my itinerary for the day:

Start your day at Union Station, where you presumably just got off of the metro. Admire how beautiful this center of trans-national commuting is, despite construction. If you haven't already eaten, meander over to Bagels and Baguettes for a delicious, federally-themed breakfast sandwich. As you munch, make your way past a few Senate office building towards the Capital's capitol dome itself. Admire. Proceed past the reflecting pool (don't inhale, if at all possible), and start to make your way down the near side of the National Mall. Stop inside the National Gallery of Art for and hour or two*, then move on to the Museum of Natural History about two blocks down. Skip the American History Museum (still excellent, but pass-able). If the cherry blossoms are out, continue past the Washington Memorial and head over to the Tidal Basin. Take a rest and bask for a few minutes in the puffy pink beauty which surrounds you. Head back up the Mall (if you hug the outside, you might come across the DC WWI Veterans Memorial, an exquisite and under-frequented bit of architecture). Next stop: the Hirschorn Museum of Modern Art, then cap off your superbly-curated binge with the National Air and Space Museum.

I almost feel bad for giving you such an obvious answer, but not really because the museums in DC are pretty much as good as they come. If you've already seen all of them and don't feel like going again, then I'd suggest finding your way down to the National Arboretum or the Congressional Cemetery -- some of my favorite (non-Smithsonian) haunts.

*I could spend an indefinite amount of time in any of these museums, so just decide early on if you're aiming for breadth of experience or depth of experience. Both are good.

Democracy, freedom, and justice don't just happen: we must strive for them through action.*

A few weeks ago, our clan descended on the Capitol for the presentation of the Lantos Human Rights Prize. It's a really lovely occasion where we remember our incredible grandfather by honoring others who dedicate their lives to the things he believed in. (Human rights is such a wonderful cause, we thought it made more sense to celebrate that than to give people a medal for loving fluffy white puppies... But that would also have been a fitting tribute).

I had planned to leave Hettie with the babysitter, but Momo called to let me know that this year's honoree, Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, was bringing along his two young children, and she thought Hettie might like to meet them. I'm so glad she came. She was a charming little hostess to Kerui and Kesi, and behaved so well during the lengthy speeches. Afterwards, she reflected, "We're lucky to live in America, because it's my favorite place, and Daddy gets to be a lawyer AND wear shoes." A week or two later, when we were wandering through the Ai Weiwei exhibit at the Hirshhorn, she said "This reminds me of the blind man who taught us to help everyone, even when it's hard." I couldn't have summed up the morning more succinctly myself. I think Didi would be proud.

I will always treasure these brief months when the three of us live within a few blocks of each other!! Didi surely smiled down on us as we carpooled for the five minute drive up East Capitol Street -- especially because we had a man at the wheel! (Thanks, Yoni!)

Left to right: Richard Gere; Mimo; Momo; Congressman Jim McGovern; Congressman Chris Smith; Auntie Katrina; Chen Guangcheng; Yuan Weijing; a lovely translator lady; our big brother, Tomicah; Senator Kelly Ayotte

Hugs for everyone!!

Momo showing off her priorities after the ceremony: Forget the foxy movie star and the senator! Hettie NEEDS her!!

*From Chen Guangcheng's speech