Page 4C
East Oregonian
EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Walden Pond: A Thoreau-ly worthwhile day trip
By WILLIAM J. KOLE
Associated Press
CONCORD, Mass. — Henry
David Thoreau went to the woods
because, as he famously put it, “I
wished to live deliberately.”
Two centuries after the
“Walden” author’s birth, people
are still deliberately following in
Thoreau’s footsteps to discover
Walden Pond, the little lake he
immortalized.
Whether you’re visiting Boston
or the Berkshires, the pond and
the bucolic Massachusetts town of
Concord are Thoreau-ly worth a
side trip. Here’s why:
Walden Pond
A retreating glacier formed it
10,000 or so years ago, but it was
Thoreau — born in Concord 200
years ago this summer on July 12,
1817 — who really put Walden
Pond on the map. He spent two
years and two months in solitude
and reflection on its shores,
writing “Walden” (the book’s full
title is “Walden; or, Life in the
Woods”), about grasping at the
meaning of life by living simply
and coexisting with the natural
environment.
Today, Walden Pond is a
popular fishing hole stocked with
trout and frequented by walkers,
boaters, swimmers, sunbathers
and birdwatchers in warm
weather. In winter, there’s snow-
shoeing and cross-country skiing.
You can wander the shaded dirt
path hugging the oblong pond; at
1.7 miles, it’s perfect for walkers
and runners of all abilities, and
its serenity provides a spectacular
backdrop for foliage in autumn.
A can’t-miss attraction on
Walden Pond State Reservation
is the reconstruction of the tiny
wooden cabin where Thoreau
lived and worked. There’s also
a gleaming new solar-powered
visitor center that opened last
October, featuring interactive
exhibits about the man considered
a founder of the modern environ-
mental movement. Officials say
the pond and center draw about a
half-million visitors from around
If You Go
WALDEN POND: Locat-
ed in Concord, Massachu-
setts; http://www.mass.
gov/eea/agencies/dcr/
massparks/region-north/
walden-pond-state-reserva-
tion.html or 978-369-3254.
Open daily year-round; hours
vary by season.
GETTING THERE: Walden
Pond State Reservation is
most easily accessible by car.
Parking is $15 for out-of-state
license plates, $8 for Massa-
chusetts plates. From Boston,
you can ride the MBTA com-
muter rail (Fitchburg line) to
the Concord stop; then take
a taxi or Uber to the pond.
Admission to the reservation
and visitor center is free.
TIPS: Dogs, fires and
camping aren’t allowed. Only
boats with electric motors are
permitted on the pond
AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File
In this July 12 photo, a couple walks along the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, Mass. Two centuries
after Thoreau’s birth, people are still following in Thoreau’s footsteps to discover Walden Pond, the
little lake he immortalized, and its picturesque and historic environs.
AP Photo/Steven Senne, File
In this 2010 file photo, people enjoy an afternoon at Walden Pond,
in Concord, Mass.
the globe each year.
Thoreau at Walden
Thoreau made a big splash at
Walden Pond.
Working at a simple green desk
in the cabin he built himself, the
former schoolteacher completed
“Walden” in 1854. One hundred
and 63 years later, it’s a classic
known for lines such as, “The
mass of men lead lives of quiet
desperation,” and, “I went to the
woods because I wished to live
deliberately, to front only the
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File
In this July 2012 file photo, a
stone inscription marks the
actual site of Henry David Tho-
reau’s cabin on the shores of
Walden Pond in Concord, Mass.
essential facts of life, and see if
I could not learn what it had to
teach, and not, when I came to die,
discover that I had not lived.”
But Thoreau was many things
— philosopher, naturalist, tran-
scendentalist, abolitionist, early
climate change advocate — and
he wrote other acclaimed works,
including “Civil Disobedience,”
an 1849 essay in which he agitated
against slavery and government
overreach.
Concord and environs
Nestled about 20 miles north-
west of Boston, Concord is famous
for Revolutionary War landmarks
enshrined in Minute Man National
Historical Park, a leafy spot to
picnic and learn more about the
first battles that led to American
independence from England.
Thoreau isn’t the only
renowned writer who created here;
Ralph Waldo Emerson sketched
out his celebrated essay “Nature”
in town, and it’s the hometown
of Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Doris Kearns Goodwin.
The Concord Museum houses
some truly iconic Americana,
including the lantern that hung
in a church steeple during Paul
Revere’s fateful 1775 ride warning
that the British were coming.
Blending two Mexican favorites together
By THE CULINARY
INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
for the Associated Press
Laura Agra via AP
Flaky fish tacos.
Flaky fish tacos with vegetable slaw
By KATIE WORKMAN
Associated Press
A good fish taco is in a class
by itself. My kids tried their
first in a beachside restaurant in
Florida, and suddenly the world
of tacos had a new category.
And as any mother will tell
you, when fish comes in a form
your kids can embrace, that’s a
beautiful thing.
Sometimes the fish is fried
(fabulous), sometimes it is
grilled (also fabulous), and
easiest and most accessible of
all, sometimes it is pan-seared
(still, fabulous).
And the very best part of
cooking fish for tacos? If it falls
apart when you are sauteeing or
flipping it, who cares? You’re
going to flake that sucker up
anyway.
This recipes calls for any
white, flaky fish, allowing
you the flexibility of seeing
what’s freshest where you are
shopping. Don’t be shy — talk
to that fishmonger. He or she
will be only too happy to tell
you what to buy.
The fish in these tacos
is topped with a chopped
vegetable salad that adds
brightness and crunch. Use
either flour or corn tortillas,
whichever you prefer, but do
take those extra few minutes
to warm them up in a skillet so
they soften and get a bit more
flavorful.
———
Katie Workman has written
two cookbooks focused on
easy, family-friendly cooking,
“Dinner Solved!” and “The
Mom 100 Cookbook..”
FLAKY FISH TACOS & VEGETABLE SLAW
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Serves 4
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 (6-ounce) filets tilapia, cod, barramundi or
other flaky white fish
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise,
seeded, and cut into thin half moons
• ½ red onion, cut into wedges, then slivered
• ½ cup chopped fennel
• ¼ cup chopped olives (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 8 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
• Crumbled queso fresco to serve
Heat a large heavy skillet, preferably nonstick,
over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon of
the oil. While the oil is heating, sprinkle both
sides of the fish filets with the coriander, cumin,
salt and pepper. Sear the fish for about three
minutes per side, until browned and cooked
through. Transfer the fish to a plate and break it
into small chunks. Tent with foil to keep warm.
Wash the skillet out.
While the fish is cooking, combine the
radishes, cucumbers, red onion, fennel, olives (if
using), lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon
of oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Return the clean, dry skillet to medium high
heat and cook the tortillas for about 20 seconds
on each side for flour, 45 seconds on each side
for corn, until lightly browned in spots and
softened. Stack them on a plate.
Serve the tortillas with the fish and the
vegetable relish, along with the queso fresco on
the side. Let everyone assemble their own tacos.
Nutrition information per serving: 343
calories; 86 calories from fat; 10 g fat (2 g
saturated; 0 g trans fats); 85 mg cholesterol; 347
mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 5 g
sugar; 37 g protein.
If you’ve spent much
time traveling in Mexico
or the southwestern United
States, you may have seen
folks enjoying an agua
fresca on a hot day. Agua
frescas are simply water
blended with sugar, fresh
fruit, seeds (like chia) or
dried flowers to make a
refreshing, non-alcoholic
drink.
Fruits like lime,
pineapple and watermelon
are all popular in agua
frescas, but none is more
recognizable than the jewel-
toned water of the hibiscus
flower. Known across the
region as agua de Jamaica,
hibiscus aqua frescas are
sweet and floral.
The hibiscus’ use in
traditional Latin American
cooking doesn’t stop there.
In Mexico, the bright red
flower can be found in
everything from tacos to
quesadillas, salsas, liquors
and desserts.
Martin Matysik, a chef
at the Culinary Institute of
America, makes a hibiscus
margarita, combining two
of Mexico’s most beloved
beverages for a hot-weather
(or any-weather) cocktail.
In this recipe, we’ve
used mescal, the earthier
cousin to tequila. It’s a
distilled spirit derived from
the agave plant and has
many regional styles.
You’ll also notice that
the recipe includes honey
liqueur, which should be
available at most liquor
stores. If you can’t find
it, just omit it and add a
dash of honey, which will
provide the light sweetness
and rich flavor that helps
round out the tartness in the
cocktail. Experiment with
fragrant and floral honeys,
like orange blossom.
Since this drink is
otherwise sweetened, use
unsweetened hibiscus water.
If you’d like, you can make
a big batch (use about 1 cup
of dried flowers for every
3 cups of water), reserve
some for the cocktail, and
sweeten the rest to make
a classic agua de Jamaica.
Sweeten it to taste with
simple syrup or agave
syrup. The mixture also
makes the perfect popsicle.
Dried hibiscus flowers
Phil Mansfield/The Culinary Institute of America via AP
Hibiscus margarita.
HIBISCUS MARGARITA
Servings: 1
Start to finish: 5 minutes active, 4 hours inactive
• 1 lime wedge, for preparing glasses (optional)
• Smoked vanilla salt, for garnish (optional)
• 2 ounces Hibiscus Water (recipe below)
• 1 ounce mescal
• 1 ounce honey liqueur
• ½ ounce orange liqueur
• 1 ounce agave syrup
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• Sliced limes, for garnish
• Vanilla beans, for garnish (optional)
Prepare a tall glass by wiping the lime wedge
around the top rim. Dip the rim of the glass in smoked
salt, fill with ice, and set aside.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the
hibiscus water, mescal, honey liqueur, orange liqueur,
agave syrup and lime juice. Shake vigorously, and then
strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with lime and
vanilla beans, if using, before serving.
HIBISCUS WATER
Makes 8 servings (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups water
• ⅔ cup dried hibiscus flowers
In a large pitcher or container, combine the water
and flowers. Set aside to soak for at least 4 hours or up
to overnight.
Drain in a fine mesh sieve, using a wooden spoon to
press out all of the liquid, and discard the flowers.
Nutrition information per serving: 307 calories; 1
calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
0 mg cholesterol; 2 mg sodium; 38 g carbohydrate; 0 g
fiber; 34 g sugar; 0 g protein.
can be purchased online,
but you’re likely to
pay a premium. If you
have a local market that
specializes in Mexican or
Latin American products,
you will almost certainly
find hibiscus flowers and
other regional delicacies.
Because if you’re making
margaritas, tacos can’t be
far behind!
———
This article was
provided to The Associated
Press by The Culinary
Institute of America in
Hyde Park, New York.