At “choosing time,” the camper confronts choice: stream walking, horseback riding, cooking, dance, soccer or swimming. He spends choosing time stock-still, overwhelmed with options.
A condition that seems pandemic. At the coffee shop, the early riser is expected to distinguish between 25 drinks, 9 swirl-ins, 4 sprinkle-ons and 3 sizes. Plus whipped cream. Yielding something like 5,400 possibilities, before coffee.
The salad bar’s bounty overwhelms the lunchlorn, leading to noontime calamities like the boiled beet/rice pudding casserole. The butcher offers the choice of choice, among other choices.
Frankly, we could use a little less variety. In the confines of the voting booth, picking is our tireless duty. After hours, it’s merely tiresome. Which is why we are dismayed by this week’s festivities in Grant Park.
If Lollapalooza, that lollipop of musical fun, was once entrusted to spotlight the next big thing, it has surrendered that duty. The one-time passing fancy is now a three-day, eight-stage, 130-band music/poetry/performance/dance/scavenger hunt/eco-activist occupation. With rock ‘n’ roll petting zoo. Plus whipped cream.
The festival Web site features a flowing flowchart, known, in the parlance of the musical-chairs crowd, as the grid. The student of leisure works the 15-minute time slots sudoku style, knowing that selecting A means surrendering B. This is the tyranny of choice. Then he can scan and store the schedule of Friend 1 and forward his programming options to Friends 2-20. Just in case overlap allows interface.
This is the sort of exhaustive menu we find discouraging. We prefer the practice at Osteria Via Stato, where the diner picks Entree 1 or Entree 2, and lets the waitstaff fill in the blanks. Right down to the frank and frankly charming option called “just bring me wine.” Leaving more time to interface with Friend 1.
We’re also fond of the chef’s special. The cynic claims it’s a ruse used to unload overstock. We like to think it really is special. And especially easy.
Sort of like the headliner. At Lollapalooza, we plan to skip the grid and spend our choosing time choosing a picnic spot. Then try the special: Red Hot Chili Peppers, clothing optional.
RED HOT CHILI BEETS
Serves six
3 bunches baby beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chili dressing (recipe follows)
1 bunch watercress
4 ounces firm goat cheese, crumbled
1. Roast: Peel beets. Quarter any large ones, leave the tiny ones whole. Toss with olive oil and salt. Roast, uncovered, at 350 degrees until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
2. Dress: Toss hot beets with some of the dressing. Cool.
3. Serve: Arrange a comfy bed of watercress. Settle in cooled beets. Dot with crumbled goat cheese.
RED HOT CHILI FENNEL
Serves six
6 small fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chili dressing (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1. Braise: Trim and quarter the fennel bulbs. Settle in a heavy pot. Toss with olive oil, lime juice, water and salt. Cover and braise in a 350-degree oven until tender, 30 minutes. Cool.
2. Dress: Drizzle fennel with some of the dressing, shower with chives and green onions. Packs nicely for a picnic.
-Adapted from “Mexican Everyday” by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless
Red Hot Chili Dressing: Heat 3/4 cup vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Break the stems off 2 medium dried guajillo chilis, tear them open and shake out the seeds. Lay seedless chilis and 2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered, in the hot oil. Stir until toasty, 30 seconds. Transfer chilis to the blender; leave the oil and garlic in the pan. Add 1/4 cup sherry vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend 30 seconds. When the oil and garlic are cool, add to the blender and blend smooth, 1 minute. Season with salt. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
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LeahREskin@aol.com
