The first memorable meal of our trip was also our first meal and served in the stately Timberline Lodge at the base of Mt Hood.

We had a nice view and talked about a chair lift that was either there or not there (my assertion about an obvious, conspicuous feature of the physical landscape being met with discounting contradiction (“you mean that one?” No, I say, the one out front. “Are you sure?” Um, yeah. I took pictures of it) constituted what I am now calling a “mini #metoo moment.”

I said something but didn’t let it ruin lunch and only write about it now because it offers a soft echo to what is happening on the national stage. Whom do you reflexively believe? Whom do you reflexively discount? And why? And what about capitulation? There are so many moments when I had no dispositive photo to bolster my view (so to speak), when my go-to reaction would’ve been self doubt. “Um, I THINK so.” This pattern is part of why I find the push back by Dr. Ford’s lawyer so riveting. She offers some willingness to bend but it arises from strategy, not doubt.

The Pork Posole served to K and me was out of this world! I had to substitute frozen corn for hominy and used less heat, but my version was still delicious.

Pork Posole / serves five
Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Apply dry spice rub onto a pork shoulder after removing some of the fat and silver. I used a combo of chili powder, onion salt, and a prepared Moroccan spice mix.

Sear top and bottom in a Dutch oven covered in olive oil — about four minutes a side.

Rather than sear meat first, remove, then add veggies, I now add onions etc. while cooking the meat so that the pan doesn’t smoke.

For this dish: add one onion sliced in half moons, three whole garlic cloves and one cup of dry black beans.

When the meat is ready, throw in:

2 c chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
3 diced jalapeño rings
1 Tbs honey

Bake at low heat for three hours.
Once done, shred the pork* and add back into the pan with:

1 can tomato sauce
2 more c chicken stock
4 more jalapeño rings, chopped
Salt

Bring to a boil. Simmer briefly. Serve atop rice. Shredded cheddar optional.

A great meal for cooler weather. Will be better the second day.

*I stowed away enough meat for two pulled pork sandwiches and still had plenty for the Posole.

PS. Not to beat a dead horse here, but my response to someone mentioning a physical attribute of the landscape that I had failed to notice would’ve been, “Really? Show me on the way out, ok?”  And not, “Are you sure?”