About the Club — Director's Newsletter

Director Newsletter

October 2008 at The Faculty Club

"When you're outa luck in this man's country, you certainly are outa luck."

In the event you are feeling like "Mac" in the John dos Passos 1937 novel, U.S.A., this is to let you know that the Club is never "Outa." When times are hardest, our welcome is warmest, our pillows feel softest, and there is always a place at the table. Rooms steeped in history and tradition are a constant reminder that clear reasoning and honest faith will go a long way in seeing us through.

Simple pleasures can bring great happiness. The Conservatory Bar offers a lovely surprise. All opened bottles of wine from the Dining Rooms will be offered by the glass (in the Conservatory only) for the amazing low price of $5.00. Come and check out the daily selections.

What could be better for the morale than tucking into a Green Lunch? For a delicious and politically correct entrée, order the Whole Wheat Crepes where a perfect, poached Araucana egg nests on a bed of sautéed greens. A silky sauce over all owes its rich and nutty flavor to the Cabot Farms cheddar. For a quickie, Sous-Chef Eddie McPherson's Slow Cooked Brisket Barbecue sandwich served on a warm potato roll with a generous side of blue cheese coleslaw springs to mind - with, perhaps, an icy Sam Adams lager.

In his recent New York Times article, A 4th Climate Warning. Anyone Listening?, Andrew C. Revkin quotes Gilbert Butler Professor of Environment Michael McElroy. "...it appears that we can slow the rate of change substantially, giving us time to develop mechanisms so that the cost to society and the damage to ecosystems can be minimized." Well, my friends, President Drew Faust listens. After reviewing the report of her task force on studying Harvard's emissions of greenhouse gases, she has challenged the university to reduce its greenhouse gases by 30% over the next eight years.

"What does the present owe the future?" Drew takes this question so seriously that in addition to engaging those who live and work on site, she intends to change the culture of a far wider population. "Every member of the Harvard community has a role to play and the potential to make a great difference, not just for Harvard in the here and now, but for the larger world and its future well-being." We like the idea of making this a personal issue, most especially as Harvard has always attracted the most intrepid of individuals, those eager to grapple with difficult odds. For example:

Richard Henry Dana, Jr. was just nineteen years old when he abandoned his life as a Harvard student for the lot of a common sailor, sacrificing all creature comforts and security to live in squalor and hardship, and in almost constant danger of losing his life. He undertook this trip in the hopes that such a brutal life would cure his weak eyes. We can only imagine how he would respond were he facing today's challenge of global warming.

Recipe of the Month

Omelet French Style

  • "Une omelette, baveuse, s'il vous plait." If your chef performs bien, you might notice a trickle of uncooked egg on the plate. "Quelle Horreur!" Could it happen here??? Well, yes it could, but probably only in your own home.

  • This superb omelet requires a residence in the sauté pan of under 30 seconds. In a non-stick 7 inch skillet, deposit 2 Tbs. butter. Melt over highest heat until it begins to draw away from itself. Add 2 beaten eggs. After 15 seconds, rivet your attention on a process which entails carefully releasing the cooked edges from the top of the skillet with your rubber spatula and letting the runny part escape to the bottom of the pan. Before you have used up the liquid, apply about 4 Tablespoons of your filling (grated gruyere, herbs, whatever) to a half moon section of the eggs and let it sit until you count slowly to three. Slide onto a warm plate, folding the top half over the bottom half. Hopefully, a trickle of egg will ensue. Given a modicum of practice you will be able to whip out three or four of these a minute. Think of the possibilities.