The new location for Anthropologie will be the Northeast corner of McKinney and Knox where Z Gallery used to be.  Chanel will be occupying the old Anthropology location in Highland Park Village…not sure if this is a temporary or permanent move for Chanel.

The holiday lights on Beverly Drive are amazing.  Took this photo while walking the dog on Christmas eve.  Lots of people wishing us a Merry Christmas from their cars.  Hoping everyone is having a safe and happy holiday!

In the beginning of the pandemic during the lockdown I was constantly cooking to pass the time.  I found this recipe while reading a New York Times article about “What To Do If You Miss New Orleans During The Pandemic”.  In the article they featured a cookbook written by the proprietor of The Mosquito Supper Club…Melissa Martin.  I bought the book…it is the equivalent of a “down home southern cookbook” only Cajun style.  The Redfish Courtbouillon is my favorite recipe from her book (so far) and I endeavor to eat at Melissa’s restaurant in the Garden District very soon (I hope).  A couple of deviations I made from the recipe…I used crushed peeled tomatoes instead of starting from scratch.  I also marinated the fish in hot sauce for several hours.  Careful with the marinade…if you don’t like a lot of heat take it easy on the amount of hot sauce and the length of the marinating.

 In Louisiana, the term courtbouillon (“koy-boo-yon”) is used to describe a fish dish smothered in tomatoes. It is made using almost the same method as an etouffee and can be made with or without a roux. It can be served as a thick stew of tomatoes or a slightly thinner version. You can use any fish, but “down the bayou” they use only redfish.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (% stick/85 g) unsalted butter

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (50 g) all-purpose flour

2 pounds (910 g) yellow onions, finely diced

1/4 cup (30 g) finely diced celery

1/4 cup (35 g) finely diced green bell pepper

2 1/2 pounds (1.2 kg) ripe tomatoes, cored

4 garlic cloves, finely diced

3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

4 cups fish stock

2 pounds (910 g) redfish, black drum, or any white fish, cut into large cubes, skinless or skin on

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon hot sauce, preferably Original Louisiana Hot Sauce, plus more as needed

Cooked rice for serving

1/4 cup (13 gl finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1/4 up (20 g) finely chopped green onions, for garnish

 Serves 6 TO 8

Instructions

Warm a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat for 3 minutes, then add the butter. When it has melted, add the flour and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the roux is the color of condensed milk, about 15 minutes. Add the onions and stir them into the roux. (Be careful to avoid splattering the roux when adding the onions-this is when folks sometimes burn themselves.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let the vegetables smother together until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper and stir. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover, and smother, lifting the lid occasionally to stir, until the tomatoes have broken down, about 2 hours. Add the stock and stir. Raise the heat to medium to bring the stock to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Season the fish with the cayenne, the hot sauce, and salt and black pepper and add it to the sauce. Raise the heat to medium to bring the sauce to a simmer (don’t let it come to a rolling boil), then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the fish courtbouillon over rice, garnished with the parsley and green onions. ‘

Reprinted from our September 2021 issue…

Did you know that at least 2,500 stars should be visible at night?  Yet in a typical American suburb, only a few hundred can be seen.  And in large cities residents are lucky to glimpse a few dozen.  This is due to “light pollution”, the excessive glow from street lamps, buildings, and homes where lights blaze through the night.  Many people don’t know about light pollution’s negative effects.  Here are a few along with some easy ways to help:

Animals

Scientists have documented it:  excessive light at night harms dozens of species that rely on dark environments.  For example, newly hatched turtles often mistake city lights for the moon’s shimmer on the ocean.  This causes them to crawl toward urban developments rather than to the sea. Migrating birds are drawn to artificial light making them deviate from their route leading them to exhaustion and collapse. Light pollution also makes it harder for insects to navigate and breed. Fireflies for instance, have more difficulty seeing the bioluminescent cues they use to find mates.  Light pollution even effects trees, plants, and microorganisms which harms ecosystems and disrupts food chains.

What you can do: At home, adopt a “dark sky-friendly” approach (which does not mean no lights at night). Sky-friendly fixtures are easy to find at local retail stores.  You can install motion sensors or simply turn off unnecessary lights at bedtime.

Humans

Exposure to bright light at night can suppress melatonin, the chemical that regulates our sleep. Light pollution leads to less sleep and poorer sleep quality.  It is also associated with increased risks for cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Most harmful is “blue rich white light” that is often emitted by street lamps. The AMA has even issued guidance to help communities minimize street lighting’s detrimental effects.

What you can do: At bedtime close your curtains to street lamps and other artificial light. If you need outdoor lighting, be sure it doesn’t shine at neighbors’ windows (a growing problem known as “light trespass”).  Ask your local public works department if your area’s streetlights are dark sky-friendly or in line with AMA guidelines.

Climate

Each year, U.S. residential outdoor lighting emits about 15 tons of CO2…the equivalent of 3 million passenger cars.  To offset that carbon dioxide, we would need to plant about 600 million trees annually.  Fortunately, cities from Paris, France to Santa Rosa, California have taken measures in recent years to reduce unnecessary lighting.

What you can do: Use lower cost LED lights outside., but don’t let that relax you into using them when they aren’t needed.  Think twice about decorative lighting.  They look great but their effects on the natural world are not.

Randy and Jennifer Marvel grew up miles apart, with Randy being from Ladue, Missouri, and Jennifer from Longview, Texas. Jennifer is a proud fifth-generation Texan with roots traced back to the Battle of

the Alamo. Her fourth great-grandfather is also honored at the Alamo. Randy, a Missouri native, left the St. Louis area to follow his first love, baseball, and moved to Texas to play for Texas Christian University. The couple met in Fort Worth through mutual friends prior to Randy’s return to TCU for his MBA and eventually moved to Dallas for their careers. They were married in 1997 at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. “Those early years were such great memories shared Jennifer. “We started our football Sunday traditions together rooting for the Dallas Cowboys. Randy is the CEO and Co-Founder of Macrospect, a boutique consulting company that implements Workday and SAP financial systems for Fortune 1000 companies. Jennifer has a degree in Public Relations and previously worked for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the national office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving before deciding to stay at home

to raise their children, Reed and Brooke. Both Reed and Brooke now attend Texas Christian University where Reed is a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and is entering his senior year as a political science major. “After working for a Fort Worth-based law firm and interning for a state senator, he has set his sights on pursuing a law degree after graduation;’ said Randy. Brooke is a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority and performs on the sidelines as a TCU Showgirl while pursuing a degree in Psychology. “Brooke has danced since the age of three and plans to continue dancing as long as possible by continuing her training toward becoming a Radio City Rockette. Jennifer explained. “She is excited to be on staff this semester working with young dancers in our community and teaching at Highland Park Dance Company. Regular hangouts for Randy and Jennifer include Highland Park Village which they enjoy walking to for dinner. “I often say, ‘I have a kitchen because it came with the house said Jennifer. “We are so lucky

to be surrounded by amazing restaurants in Dallas, and we like trying new places. Even though our kids are now away in college, they will still drive back for our weekly sushi Sunday at Oishii. They still love rooting for the Cowboys, but Randy has a strong allegiance with the St. Louis Blues hockey team as well. Jennifer is a Stars fan which she says makes for healthy competition in the household. As a family, they cheer on the TCU Horned Frogs and you can find them most weekends in Forth Worth at Amon Carter Stadium, The Schollmaier Arena, or Lupton Stadium. In addition to visiting local places, the family has always made travel an important part of their lives. “Early on, we decided as parents that travel was a very important part of our kids’ education;’ said Jennifer. “We took great care in planning trips and involved our children in the process. Often, everyone would toss a trip request or idea in a hat, and we

would draw for our next destination. Some of our most memorable destinations were England, Ireland, France, Germany, Greece, and Italy. We also wanted them to see more of our great nation, from the East Coast to the West Coast. National visits have included Pearl Harbor, The Alamo, national parks, and the nation’s capital:’ Recently, Randy traveled to the Gulf Coast to participate in a land-based shark excursion and caught a 10-foot Tiger shark. “Reed has always been fascinated with sharks which

has become infectious to Randy as well stated Jennifer. “This excursion was great in that it included an educational course in care and conservation. The guide often uses dedicated technology including tagging and release techniques. Both Reed and Randy are planning a shark dive in the near future off the coast of the Baja Peninsula:’ Traveling has always brought some great memories for the Marvel family. Both kids agree that their funniest travel memory occurred in London when Jennifer attempted to plug in her hairdryer and knocked all electricity out to an entire hotel floor. Jennifer says her most memorable family vacation was a rainforest tour in Costa Rica when the Turrialba Volcano erupted.  This sent ash falling like a snowstorm and stranded us there for a few extra nights:’ Though they love to travel and explore new places, the Marvel family is happy to call Highland Park home. They live there with their two miniature dachshunds, Lili and Rosie. “We were drawn to the small-town feel near the heart of the city;’ they shared. “We had the most fun while the kids were in high school attending all of the Highland Park football games and celebrating those back-to-back state championships!” The family lives by the mottos: “The way you do anything is the way you do everything”, “Work hard, play hard and “You go nowhere by accident. The family’s favorite quote, which is also displayed in Randy’s office,

is by Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.