The scholar/athlete must choose her sport. And should she be ignorant of all sports, soccer will choose her. For those who are school-aged and have feet, soccer is hard to avoid.
She may find that she likes the sport. Especially the green striped jersey and the Velcro-tight shin guards and the camaraderie of slapping palms after someone-someone else, that is-scores a goal.
The nuances of the game, however, remain a mystery. She is aware that there is a ball and that this ball should be kicked, first one direction and then the other, depending on which way the pack of green-striped girls is loping. She is willing to lope behind this pack of girls, first one direction and then the other, for a complete hour, without ever achieving contact-even eye contact-with the ball.
For a time, this workout pleases her. She belongs to a team. She wears a striped jersey. She lopes with enthusiasm. But at some point in her career, she will notice that other girls manage to make the ball go where they will it to, even into that net thingy. She will realize, with a sudden upwelling of bitter tears, that her soccer skills are deficient.
After which she will bring a new level of determination to the game. Leaving her oatmeal warm in its bowl she will retreat to the driveway to dribble. She will attempt the nearly fatal hand/foot coordination involved in skipping rope. She will repeat, earnestly, I think I can.
Then one terrible, rainy Saturday will come when she-or her coach-is determined she will score. Loping the slick field, she will obey the order to go for the goal. As the more nimble players run the ball, the coach screams “Pass!” Just short of the net, the star player delivers the ball directly to the novice’s muddy cleats. She lurches forward and through a miracle of slippery field, fortuitous stumble and sideline invocation, the ball careers into the net.
There is great joy and much high-fiving.
Back home you will attempt to avert pneumonia by peeling off the dripping jersey and soggy green socks, right down to your soccer player’s clenched blue toes. You will settle her into fleece warmups and pink knee-highs and offer her a bowl of steaming black bean stew, lightly spiced, thick with wholesome greens and little soccer-ball dumplings, each of which rolls directly from spoon to goal. Each of which scores, every time.
GREENS AND BEANS
Serves six
1 pound dry black beans
3 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 small white onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh masa for tortillas (or 3/4 cup dried masa harina mixed with 2/3 cup hot water)
Salt
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cups crumbled queso fresco cheese
6 cups stemmed, thickly sliced sturdy greens (chard or collard)
Tortillas
1. The beans: Rinse the beans, then scoop them into a large pot, add 2 quarts of water and remove any beans that float. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Stir regularly and add water to keep the level of the liquid a generous 1/2 inch above the beans.
2. The chiles: Heat a heavy skillet over medium. Open the anchos flat, add to skillet and press flat for a few seconds with a metal spatula until they start to crackle, then flip and press down to toast the other side. In a small bowl, cover chiles with hot water and rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain and discard the water. In a food processor or blender, puree both kinds of chiles with garlic, onion and 1/2 cup water. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high. Add puree and stir as it thickens, about 5 minutes. When beans are tender, add chile puree and simmer 30 minutes longer.
3. The dumplings: In a large bowl, knead together the fresh or reconstituted masa with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup of the chopped cilantro and the cheese. Shape into about 48 balls. Cover and set aside.
4. The big finish: There should be a good amount of broth in the beans, about as thick as a light sauce (if not, puree a cup of the beans and return to the pot). Liberally season the stew with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. With the pot simmering over medium, add the dumplings one at a time, nestling them into the gurgling broth. Simmer 5 minutes, then add the greens, stir gently so as not to break up the dumplings, and simmer until the greens are fully cooked (about 7 minutes for tender greens like chard, 10 to 12 for collard). Ladle into warm bowls, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with steaming tortillas.
–Adapted from “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen”
