Marchfacets2018web

FACETS

March 2018

The magazine for women.

Florist benefits from online presence No sure way to avoid harassment in the Digital Age Are women disadvantaged in the tech world?

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The magazine for women.

Editor MARGO NIEMEYER

Publisher SCOTT ANDERSON

Contributors AUSTIN CANNON RONNA LAWLESS DAN MIKA CAITLIN WARE

Tribune Editor MICHAEL CRUMB

Photographs RONNA LAWLESS DAN MIKA

FACETS IS A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF GATEHOUSE MEDIA IOWA HOLDINGS.

ADVERTISERS To advertise in Facets magazine, contact Tiffany Hilfiker at (515) 663-6973 PHONE (515) 663-6923 ADDRESS 317 Fifth St. Ames, IA, 50010 EMAIL mniemeyer@amestrib.com ONLINE www.amestrib.com/sections/ special-sections/facets

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echnology. It’s a blessing and a curse. We are more connected to our friends, family and the world. We are also so connected to our mobile devices that we can miss out on the small happenings of daily life.

I would say I am on the low end of average for the number of online accounts I use on a regular basis. I don’t have cable, Netflix or other video streaming services. There are some popular social media sites I just haven’t gotten into. I do my best to stay away from the screen.

The digital world is a game changer for small businesses. They are able to reach more people and expand online. Networking and making new connections can also start online.

It’s even a way for business owners to save time, such as ordering supplies instead of traveling to the store and hopefully having enough room in your vehicle for the ride home.

The digital advances have also catered to online anonymity and can have a negative impact. One Facebook post of your own opinion on any topic can lead to a storm of people who disagree and, by golly, they are going to let you know that your opinion is wrong.

Having an argument via social media is never fun. I would rather do it in person, the world doesn’t get to see it that way. Harassment is another big issue with online platforms. It’s more difficult to get away from harassment with all the different avenues in which someone can now contact us.

With new technology I find that more responsibility and common sense need to be practiced. Like I said, technology is a blessing and a curse. We have definitely benefited from technology. There are tractors that drive themselves and we GPS so we aren’t fumbling with a huge paper map while driving. We can also have meaningful moments with friends and family across the country and overseas by video chat.

The digital world has allowed us to do many new things with our lives and integrate new ways of going about our daily lives.

On the cover: Monica Emerson poses with a flower arrangement at her store, Story City Floral & Garden. Photo by Ronna Lawless/GateHouse Iowa

FACETS • Table of contents

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Adapting to communicating in the digital world

Cities and schools keeping up with social media

No sure way to avoid harassment

Ames Police Cmdr. Huff discusses safety online

Hometown florists can benefit from online presence

Skip the flower clearinghouses and order from your local florist

11 Love me Tinder

Online dating — how it works and the different platforms available

14 Are women inherently disadvantaged in the tech world?

ISU entrepreneurship director says no

health 16 Staying active in the cold

3 tips for healthy fitness during winter

savor 18 An obsession with the Instant Pot’s home-cooking magic 23 Jambalaya’s Cajun spice will warm your winter soul

FACETS | MARCH 2018 | 3

digital world

Adapting to communicating in the digital world F

BY AUSTIN CANNON GateHouse Iowa

or Susan Gwiasda, the days of printing ream after ream of paper and filling dozens of binders for the most part are

over.

The Ames City Council packets are now available online, so public information officer for the city of Ames, who came here in 2004 from the same job in Dubuque, doesn’t have to help print out the hundreds of pages for each council member.

“The reams of paper we would go through … that’s all been streamlined,” Gwiasda said.

The shift to digital distribution has been an ongoing process since she got to Ames.

Back then, the city would keep hard copies

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of news releases, and city documents were faxed. (For any young people reading this, a fax machine transmits a paper document to another fax machine using a telecommunication system. Neat, right?)

Now, those documents are sent mostly through email. The city also maintains several social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Gwiasda said Ames is also working on a reporting app, so when a resident comes across a pothole, for example, they can let the city know about it via the app.

But even though government communications have shifted overwhelming to the digital side, Gwiasda said the city can’t abandon the

digital world more traditional ways of reaching residents.

The digital shift has been effective, but some people prefer having a paper copy of the city newsletter.

“It doesn’t replace the other tools in that sense,” she said.

There has been a downside to the digital shift, though. As anyone who spends significant time on social media knows, sometimes people will use the platform to be unkind, embracing the semi-anonymity to disregard an emotional filter.

Gwiasda said those type of comments can “wear on city staff” to an unfair extent.

“It can be really tough to be working double shifts plowing the streets and have a Twitter comment come in, saying, ‘Do you even own a plow?’” she said.

Erin Rosacker, a communication specialist for Iowa State University, has to deal with something similar: ISU students pleading with the university on social media to cancel classes when it snows.

She said she tries to be customer-service oriented when replying to people’s concerns, though sometimes she has to tell people that she can’t help with CyRide or applying to the University of Iowa

medical school.

To her, social media has both good and bad benefits, pleasant and unpleasant.

“It cuts both ways,” Rosacker said.

In case you were wondering, she’s the one behind the @IowaStateU Twitter account. She helped develop the first webpage for the athletic department, which was basically just a list of rosters and schedules.

“Back then, not everybody was online so you didn’t need as much,” she said.

The university has been quick to adapt to new digital developments, establishing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. They even have the less-used Google Plus and Foursquare accounts.

“In the blink of an eye the next thing’s here,” she said.

Rosacker joined the university relations department in 2006 and has been with ISU since 1994 — back when fax machines were commonplace and email was only used internally. But since then, she said the school has been eager to adapt digitally.

“We jumped in when it was ready to go,” she said.

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digital world

In the Digital Age, no sure way to avoid

HARASSMENT Harassment and stalking are serious crimes that happen daily to women not only in Story County, but in Iowa, and across the country. But what used to be more covert, and requiring actual physical confrontation before peak social media use, is now more blatant through a platform that often allows harassers to remain anonymous throughout their actions.

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digital world To help avoid getting caught in sticky situations involving social media ... stay away from “dating” applications designed for casual encounters, because of the lack of knowledge of the other person’s behaviors and tendencies ... also be wary of online sales technology that requires meeting up and exchanging products, and that when buying and selling goods for cash, to conduct business in public places where security is present.

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ith the advent of social media technology in the 21st century, no greater tool has existed to get in touch with lost friends or stay consistently up-to-date with the events that happen in your world.

Unfortunately, with the technological progress of social media, so too comes the dangers of what can be done with these applications in the wrong hands.

Harassment and stalking are serious crimes that happen daily to women not only in Story County, but in Iowa, and across the country. But what used to be more covert, and requiring actual physical confrontation before peak social media use, is now more blatant through a platform that often allows harassers to remain anonymous throughout their actions. “(Social media) has provided just a great way to screw with people without having to personally have contact with them,” said Ames Police Cmdr. Geoff Huff. “It is absolutely ridiculous the number of calls we get for basically online harassment. People who are sending nasty messages through Facebook, like ex-boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives, it’s a constant source of problems.”

Huff said that social media — from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more, where significant personal information is shared and locations are easily displayed — can be used to facilitate almost any crime in the modern day, especially harassment and stalking. More often than not, in cases of harassment and stalking, the suspects are not random, and are more than likely to be someone women already know and have had previous interactions with.

“Just like most crime, it’s usually not random,” Huff said. “It’s usually someone they know, someone they’ve encountered. It’s often people who have broken up and continue the argument online, just trying to make the other person miserable online.”

While Huff said that before social media, harassment and stalking was still prevalent, social media is just “a new way to do it,” and is viewed as an “exciting” method of action.

“It’s usually not random, even if it appears to be,” Huff said. “Once (you) look into it, you find there is a

connection. The person doing the harassing might attempt to be anonymous, but you usually find out it’s someone they do know. This is the majority.”

But in an age where social media has become intertwined in the daily lives of women, it can be tough to avoid potentially problematic and dangerous interactions that lead to harassment and stalking. Huff said an application that causes a significant amount of problems that the department experiences is Facebook. Even if someone blocks someone else, the person can either create a fake account with a new email address, or even get their mutual friends to harass the individual.

“It’s unbelievable how much of that goes on,” Huff said. “To a certain extent, we’d like to tell people, ‘Grow up, come on really?’ If people were just a little more tolerant, and treat people like they would like to be treated, those sorts of lessons we learn growing up go out the window on social media.”

As a general rule of thumb, to help avoid getting caught in sticky situations involving social media, Huff said that women should stay away from “dating” applications designed for casual encounters, because of the lack of knowledge of the other person’s behaviors and tendencies. Huff said to also be wary of online sales technology that requires meeting up and exchanging products, and that when buying and selling goods for cash, to conduct business in public places where security is present. Some people even choose to meet with strangers in the lot of a police department, where help is nearby and the area is under surveillance.

“You can always do these exchanges in the police department parking lot or lobby,” Huff said. “They’re a public place. Most police departments will let you do that. Because if someone means to do you harm, they won’t want to do it in the police parking lot.”

Huff said to also avoid sharing too personal information on the internet, such as sharing locations, and letting the world know when you are alone or not at home. Additionally, Huff said to be wary of what you send out to people through any application, specifically those like Snapchat, as nothing can truly ever be “gone” in the digital world.

BY CAITLIN WARE GateHouse Iowa

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digital world

Monica Emerson, owner of Story City Floral & Garden, inspects roses in the cooler. Photo by Ronna Lawless/ GateHouse Iowa 8 | FACETS | MARCH 2018

digital world

Hometown florists benefit from online presence The floral industry has become increasingly an internet-driven business, and that is just as true in small-town flower shops.

Monica Emerson opened her floral and gift shop, Story City Floral & Garden, at 525 Broad St. in downtown Story City in May of 2011.

She’s seen a dramatic increase in the use of the internet in the nearly seven years she’s been in business.

Emerson’s business is part of the Flower Shop Network, a group of independent florists. For a yearly fee, Story City Floral can accept wire orders from around the country and place orders with other florists in the U.S. “It helps us give our customers the full value of their order,” Emerson said.

When placing flower orders online, Emerson warns against going with the first company at the top of a Google search.

“Those first few links are paid advertisements, and it can look like you’re getting a good deal. But those companies, like Avas Flowers, are clearinghouses,” Emerson said.

For example, a customer might place an order for a $100 arrangement on one of those sites, then that company calls a local florist like Story City Floral and orders a $70 arrangement. Then Emerson deducts a delivery fee. In the end, the recipient gets an arrangment that is closer to the $50 range, and the person who placed the order might never even know.

To avoid this, Emerson recommends customers order directly through their local florist’s website — or call or visit their local florist.

Because Emerson wants her customers to get their money’s worth, her business will not accept orders from the clearinghouses; she and her staff have learned to identify them when they call.

“We have an e-commerce website and orders come directly to us,” Emerson said. “You get to see the costs up front. We want to ensure that

BY RONNA LAWLESS GateHouse Iowa

everyone gets the full value of their orders.”

Another example of predatory habits of companies like Avas Flowers is their use of Google Maps. “Shortly after I put my floral shop on Google Maps, Avas Flowers indicated it had a location right on top of mine, but they do not do business here,” Emerson said.

Some of those big online floral companies FLORIST, page 10

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digital world

Fresh flowers and greenery await arrangements. Photo

by Ronna Lawless/GateHouse Iowa

FLORIST continued from page 9

sometimes ship via delivery companies like FedEx. Emerson said that can be a problem too.

“FedEx might leave a delivery at your front door, and with our winter temperatures if it’s a floral arrangement, it will not survive long outside,” she said. “Also, some online sites ship a box with a vase and a bunch of wrapped flowers, and then it’s the recipient’s do-it-yourself project to have to arrange them.”

That is not necessarily the intention of the giver, who might think a completed arrangement is being delivered.

This can especially be a problem if a DIY arrangement is delivered to a funeral home and is addressed to the deceased.

“Legally, a funeral home can’t open that kind of a delivery because it’s not addressed to them,” Emerson said. “So then it’s put on the family to open the delivery, and the last thing a grieving family needs is to have to arrange a bunch of flowers.”

“It takes some scrolling, but people should be smart consumers and don’t just click the first link at the top of the page,” Emerson said.

A quick call to your local florist can ensure you are on the right track. Also, florists with a social media presence, like a Facebook page, usually have a direct link to their websites as well as their physical addresses and phone numbers.

Emerson also uses Facebook and Instagram to drive her business.

“It’s a great way to connect with people,” she said.

“I post pictures of floral arrangements and announce things like what is on special during the holidays. It helps

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STORY CITY FLORAL & GARDEN Owner: Monica Emerson Website: www.storycityfloral.com Address: 525 Broad St., Story City Email: info@storycityfloral.com Phone: 515-733-2760 remind people that we’re here; even if they don’t buy something that day, maybe they’ll be in in the next few months for something.

A native of Fort Dodge, Emerson has lived in Story City for the past 10 years. She has a degree in horticulture, worked for a florist in Des Moines for four years and also has worked in landscape design.

“Story City has always had a floral shop,” Emerson said. “When the Creations store at the mall closed a little more than seven years ago, I decided to open this floral and gift shop in downtown Story City.”

Emerson offers delivery to locations within a 30-mile radius of Story City, including Story City, Randall, Roland, Gilbert, Jewell, Ellsworth, McCallsburg, Radcliffe, Zearing, Hubbard and Ames.

The gift portion of the store offers everything from things to celebrate the birth of babies to when someone turns 100 — “and everything in between.”

The gifts include creations by local and Iowa artists, such as mittens made from recycled sweaters.

Emerson also offers a selection of live plants and fresh arrangements that are ready for customers to purchase and walk out the door with — no ordering necessary.

digital world

Love me Tinder

BY ERIKA ETTIN Tribune News Service

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h, dating apps. Some people love them. Some people hate them. Some people have no idea whether to love them or hate them. Of course, there are many apps out there, including an app for many of the already-popular online dating sites like Match.com, JDate, and OKCupid, but the most talked about dating apps these days are Tinder and Bumble, which cater to the younger, tech-savvy generation. Keep in mind that most, if not all, of the apps, are free; people will have many different intentions. Some are just looking for a hook-up, and some may want to start a real, meaningful relationship.

The problem? We don’t know.

How Tinder works: You download the app on your phone (duh), and then you connect through Facebook to create your (very minimal) profile. You can upload up to six profile photos and then specify your desired age range and distance from your location. Then, you scroll through potential matches and click on the heart (or swipe right) if you’re interested and the “X” (or swipe left) if you’re not. If you and your “heart” person both choose each other, you’ll be notified when this happens, and then you can start in-app texting.

PROS: Easy to use, really fast app, free, seemingly unlimited choices at any time, only first name is shown so somewhat anonymous, mutual friends shown, can find people when traveling because it’s always based on your current location CONS: Solely based on pictures and optional profile (more superficial than an already superficial market!). People’s intentions vary, and some just play like a game to pass the time, many matches do not initiate contact or respond (both men and

women), may match with someone who is only visiting the area If you’re looking for something a bit more serious, then a paying online dating site is still your better bet because you at least know that the people on the site have some skin in the game, in the form of $20 or so a month. Also, on the “traditional” online dating sites that I mentioned before, you learn a bit more about each person from his/her profile, and thereby his/her ability to string together a complete sentence. (I don’t know about you, but this “skill” is kind of important to me.)

The major benefit I see to the apps is that they create efficiency. (I feel this way about speed dating, too.) Technically, you could match with someone at noon and be on a date by 1 p.m. (Heck — you could be on a date at 12:05 if you live that close.) I always encourage people to meet in person sooner rather than later because chemistry (the “wild card”) can never truly be determined until you meet in the flesh. But if you’re looking for that one “true love,” then I’d recommend instead fishing in the traditional online dating pond, where many people make their intentions very clear (as in, the “marriage and children” option on JDate versus the “hookup” option on OKCupid).

In the end, regardless of what you’re looking for and how you meet, it’s nice that we have so many options today, certainly more than our parents or grandparents did. Though, I think my mom was onto something in her day … she used to find dates over the ham radio! The precursor to Tinder perhaps? Go, Mom! (That’s not how she met my dad, though. They were nextdoor neighbors.)

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digital world

Are women inherently disadvantaged in the tech world?

ISU entrepreneurship director says no

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ISU Pappajohn Center director Judi Eyles in a conference room at the Economic Development Core Facility. Photo by Dan Mika/Gatehouse Iowa

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here’s an explicit imbalance between the amount of men and women entering into the tech startup world, including at Iowa State.

As for why that’s happening? ¯\(°_°)/¯ — They don’t know.

Judi Eyles, director of ISU’s Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, said the amount of women in Iowa State’s startup programs, along with enrollment in business majors, have declined over the years from a near 50-50 balance into a heavy skew towards men.

“If you look at all of our work, there’s always an underrepresentative of women in our programming,” she said. “Twenty years ago, even our student organization, it was almost 50-50 men and women,” she said. “But we have seen that number change.”

That trend, combined with declining numbers of women entrepreneur enrollment at other startup generators, translate into fewer women starting their own businesses. According to a study by technology site TechCrunch, only 17 percent of new startups in 2017 had at least one female co-founder.

Eyles doesn’t know which particular reasons make that gender gap exist, or why fewer women are getting into business or “STEM” majors that lend themselves towards founding a tech company. It’s an intangible she can’t figure out despite seeing so many women she thinks are capable of running successful companies.

“It’s kind of baffling, because I see right out here, these women, they’re great,” she said, pointing to a group of women typing away in the Center’s main workspace. “They can start a company, they can consult, they can stand and do a presentation.”

Support networks for women entrepreneurs are continually gathering steam. Female-run angel funds that choose to provide extra capital to other women have grown dramatically. Locally, the Pappajohn Center established the “Women Who Create” conference this year to help women business owners build their networks and grow their businesses.

But in 2014, just over 10 percent of federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grantees were women, according to the Small Business

It’s the job of the Pappajohn Center and startup incubators across the country and the world to help fledgling founders take their good ideas and turn them into something useful.

Administration, and stories of capable women being passed over for promotion in favor of men and being sexually harassed in large tech companies continue to emerge.

“Nationally, they’ll tell you it’s a boy’s network, if you will,” she said. “… I haven’t been in Silicon Valley to sit there and present to a tech company and wonder why I would or would not get funding, would they really look at you differently? They say they do, but I don’t believe that. And yet, the numbers prove me wrong.”

In Eyles’ view, most narratives about women starting businesses takes too broad of a view, lumping in women with the skills to run a successful enterprise with both men and women who may not have the product or the business knowledge to keep a company going.

She said it’s the job of the Pappajohn Center and startup incubators across the country and the world to help fledgling founders take their good ideas and turn them into something useful, and that requires a specific approach for each person.

“It’s a path that somebody’s chosen and it happens to be in business that more men have chosen that path,” she said. “Does that mean women are blocked or incapable or uncomfortable?

Not necessarily. Some might be, but there might be men in that same boat.”

BY DAN MIKA GateHouse Iowa

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health

It’s important not to let cold weather affect your exercise plan. Photo by Dreamstime/TNS 16 | FACETS | MARCH 2018

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health

tips for healthy fitness during

BY MAYO CLINIC NEWS NETWORK

WINTER

Frigid winter temperatures may make you want to skip your workout and curl up in a blanket indoors, but it’s important not to let the weather affect your exercise plan. Dr. Sara Filmalter, a Mayo Clinic sports medicine specialist, says there are three things to remember if you’re going to work out in the cold.

“No. 1, to check the weather because when runners or other exercisers really get into trouble is when they think it’s going to be colder than it is or they think it’s going to be warmer than it is,” Dr. Filmalter says. “So, really, know what you’re getting into.”

She says to also take into account the wind chill as a factor.

“My second tip is to dress in layers, again, because you can under and overdress in the winter,” Dr. Filmalter says. “If you have layers, you’re able to keep warm but then shed them when you start to warm up.”

And make sure you keep your ears, hands and nose covered, as those are the areas most likely to be affected by frostbite first.

“My third tip for exercising in the winter is to stay hydrated,” she says. “A lot of times in the cold, we don’t feel like we’re sweating as much as we do in the summer, but,

underneath those layers, you really are, and the clothes are just soaking it up. So don’t underestimate your fluid losses.”

And make sure to get inside after you’re done exercising because the moisture from your sweat can cause your body to cool down quickly when you’re outside in cold temperatures.

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savor

The Instant Pot, a hot gift for the cook. PHOTO BY KIMBERLY P. MITCHELL/DETROIT FREE PRESS/TNS

BY PATRICIA LOPEZ Tribune News Service

Why I’m obsessed with the Instant Pot’s home-cooking magic My Instant Pot obsession started innocently enough, with a resolution to finally crack down on processed food.

Guess what? Unprocessed food takes time and attention.

A good pot of brown rice takes 45 minutes or more, and still didn’t soften enough to suit me. Steel-cut oats? There goes a half-hour and I scorched way too many pots because of other morning distractions.

Then I started hearing from friends about the Instant Pot, a culinary Swiss Army knife that does it all: pressure-cooks, steams, slow-cooks, makes yogurt and probably does your laundry if it finds a spare minute.

Electric pressure cooking may be what the Instant Pot is best known for. If you’re like me, the traditional pressure cooker has always sounded slightly terrifying in a scraping-sauce-offthe-ceiling kind of way. The genius of the Instant Pot is that it takes away the worry. First, you physically cannot open the pot while it’s under pressure, so the “danger” is gone.

My first foray — steel-cut oatmeal — was magical: creamy and tender, with a deep oat flavor. The recipe in the accompanying booklet calls it 3-minute oatmeal. That’s a little

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misleading. The pot needs to build pressure before cooking and to release it afterward, so you should add 10 to 15 minutes on the front and back ends to whatever cooking time you see. That said, the attraction here is that, unlike your stovetop pot, your Instant Pot requires no watching.

Oatmeal, black beans, farro, lentils, frozen chicken, pork tenderloin, chili — whatever you’re cooking, once you punch in the time and lock the lid, you walk away.

After a week or so, the slow cooker that had been with me since college was relegated to the basement. A week after that, the Dutch oven went there, too, along with the cast-iron braiser.

I may still use them occasionally, but the Instant Pot has become a mainstay. I can come home from work, throw in dried chickpeas, water and seasonings, walk the dog and come home to a creamy potful, ready for add-ons.

Over the holidays my son invited several college friends to watch football. I went to the freezer, unwrapped a rock-hard turkey tenderloin, added a packet of Frontera slow-cook chipotle chicken sauce, cut up red and green peppers and a large onion. I set the timer for 20 minutes and said a little prayer

savor (these boys were hungry). When it beeped, I released the steam, shredded the meat, now tender and well-cooked.

Unlike a slow cooker, nothing was mushy and everything still tasted like itself.

The Instant Pot does take a little getting used to. It has a number of presets, but like microwave ovens with all the buttons, you’ll most often use the manual setting.

It does some things you wouldn’t expect, like easy-topeel hard-cooked eggs. It can steam half a dozen baking potatoes to fluffy perfection in about 20 minutes. The skin won’t be crisp, but a brush of olive oil and 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven takes care of that. I’ve used stacking bamboo steamer baskets to steam frozen salmon fillets and a green vegetable in — no kidding — 5 minutes of pressure time.

The Instant Pot is genius for stock, yielding a rich-tasting broth in about 40 minutes for chicken. Vegetable broth is even shorter, about 20 minutes. If you’re into what’s called “bone broth,” the 24 to 48 hours that bones have to cook on the stove is condensed to a few hours in the Instant Pot. There are a couple of rules to remember: First, check the vent. My initial effort resulted in a pool of water on the counter (and floor) because I failed to close the vent.

Instead of building pressure, the pot releases moisture.

Lots of moisture.

Second, be wary of dairy. Dairy froths at high temperatures, sometimes right into the aforementioned vent, where it can clog. If you like milk in your oatmeal, as I do, reduce the amount of water and add that much milk at the end.

Third, don’t ever submerge the lid in water. That’s where the electronics live.

Finally, pay attention to recipes that denote whether you should let pressure release naturally or do a quick release after a certain number of minutes, or some combination of both. Those times are designed to prevent food from overcooking, which can happen fast when it’s under that much pressure. I cooked a whole chicken in 25 minutes, as instructed, and found it way overdone for my taste. I now do it in less than 20 minutes.

It’s been months since I got my Instant Pot and I’ve now gotten into an easy weekend rhythm of batch cooking that sets up the week. Brown rice, which never cooked up tender enough for me on the stove, is done in about 25 minutes using just 1 1/4 cups of water for a cup of rice.

Don’t use the rice preset, by the way; the manual or multigrain setting is better.

Black beans are a great example of what the Instant Pot does best — making short work of long-cooking beans and grains. I’ve made black beans all my life, but pressurized cooking does something extra that’s hard to beat. There are lots of recipes out there, but I simply dump a generous cup of dry black beans, water to cover by a couple of inches, some dried chiles (I use guajillo or New Mexico chiles, which are not really hot), a cube of bouillon and a little bacon fat or olive oil. Don’t worry about adding salt to your beans before they’re cooked. Turns out that is an old wives’ tale. The result is a pot of well-seasoned beans.

You can still soak your beans, but you really don’t have to. I’ve made chickpeas from dried to finished in under an hour. When you make chickpeas, plan for at least 1 cup in leftovers. Toss those and some of the cooking liquid into a food processor or a blender, add a couple of dollops of tahini, the juice of half a lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and salt, and you have hummus in under 15 minutes.

If you have za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend, sprinkle it generously on top and drizzle more olive oil. I made this for a book club and it was gone in, well, an instant.

“How to Instant Pot,” by Daniel Shumski, has a great recipe for Fragrant Lamb and Chickpea Stew that lists a prep time of 1 hour and 30 minutes. But once you have used the sauté function to brown the lamb, added the spices, dried chickpeas and other ingredients, it’s as simple as closing the lid, cooking for 45 minutes and letting the pressure release for the next 30 minutes. You get to do what you want — go for a run, help the kids with homework, put your feet up. Then dish it up, add some chopped herbs and a spoonful of yogurt, and dinner is ready.

There is something fun and enticing about this little device. Maybe it’s the all-in-one nature that means I don’t have to dirty an extra pan to sauté. Maybe it’s because I get to walk away and let it do its thing. Whatever the INSTANT POT, page 20

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savor INSTANT POT continued from page 19

reason, it has a permanent spot on my counter now, waiting to make the next batch of red lentil soup with mint oil, steamed butternut squash or maybe just a batch of wheat berries to use in salad.

FRAGRANT LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW FOR INSTANT POT Serves 8.

Note: This is a hearty, flavorful and healthy dish that keeps well and looks good enough to serve at a dinner party. If you can plan ahead, season the lamb a day in advance. The extra time really gives it extra punch.

Adapted from “How to Instant Pot,” by Daniel Shumski.

1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Generous pinch of cayenne pepper (at least 1/2 teaspoon) 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra as needed 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds boneless lamb, such as shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil 2 medium onions, chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped.

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices 3/4 cup reduced-salt chicken broth or any homemade chicken stock 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

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From “How to Instant Pot: Mastering All the Functions of the One Pot That Will Change the Way You Cook,” by Daniel Shumski (Workman Publishing). Photo by Waterbury Publications, Inc./Minneapolis Star Tribune

1/2 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed, drained and picked over to remove debris Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish Dollop of plain yogurt, for garnish

Combine the cumin, coriander, cloves, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Add the lamb cubes, toss to coat and set aside.

Press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot. Add oil in the inner pot and give it 1 minute to warm, then sauté onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Push aside and add the lamb cubes, sautéing just until they get a little brown. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, cinnamon stick and chickpeas.

Close and lock the lid. Set the value to “Sealing.” Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function and press “Manual.”

Make sure it is set to high pressure (this should happen automatically, but check anyway). Set the timer to 45 minutes.

Remember, it will take a little time to build pressure, so total time in the pot will be closer to an hour.

The pot will beep when the cooking cycle ends. Press “Cancel” and allow pressure to release naturally, which should take about 30 minutes. This is important, because the lamb continues to cook during this time.

Remove the lid, discard the cinnamon stick and adjust the seasonings. Serve with a generous portion of the broth and fresh cilantro and yogurt for garnish. This will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

GARLICKY CUBAN PORK FOR INSTANT POT Serves 8 to 10.

Note: This is a great weekend dish that can also provide the stuff of enviable lunches. The pork is enlivened by a good hit of cumin, garlic, citrus and oregano. Pressure cooking intensifies the flavors and renders the meat as tender as if you’d braised it for hours. Don’t flinch at the amount of garlic. It’s just right.

Adapted from “Dinner in an Instant,” by Melissa Clark.

8 garlic cloves Juice of 1 grapefruit (about 2/3 cup) or orange juice Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 1/2 tsp. dried 2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste 1 (4- to 5-pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces 1 bay leaf Fresh chopped cilantro, for serving Lime wedges, for serving Salsa or hot sauce, for serving

Tortillas, for serving Use a blender or mini food processor to combine the garlic, grapefruit juice, lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, brown sugar, oregano, cumin and salt. Process till blended. Transfer to a large bowl and add the pork and bay leaf; toss to combine.

Marinate, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Using the “Sauté” function set on high if available, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pressure cooker (or use a large skillet). Remove the pork from the marinade (reserving the marinade), and shake the meat to remove any excess liquid.

Cook until it is browned on all sides, about 12 minutes (you will need to do this in batches, transferring browned pork to a plate as you go).

When all the pork is browned, return the pieces to the pot, along with any juices from the plate. Add the reserved marinade to the pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 80 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

Remove the pork from the cooking liquid. Taste the liquid and, if it seems bland or too thin, boil it down either in the pressure cooker on the Sauté setting or in a separate pot on the stove until it thickens slightly and intensifies in flavor, 7 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and adjust the seasonings.

Shred the pork with your hands or 2 forks. Toss the meat with the juices to taste. Don’t skip this step. The liquid will help flavor the meat and keep it moist. Serve with warmed tortillas, cilantro, lime and a good salsa. Or add some pickled red onions, freshly diced avocados and thinly sliced radishes to add visual appeal.

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Sometimes, a warm bowl of Cajun jambalaya is all you need to warm your soul. Photo by Dreamstime/ TNS

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Jambalaya’s Cajun spice will warm your winter soul I

know the colder months have me craving different foods, so I want you to cook along with me and try some of the recipes. A warm bowl of jambalaya is all you need to warm your soul.

Cajun food was never on my radar pre-Randy. It’s not a cuisine our Lebanese household ate, and there really aren’t very many restaurants to get Cajun cuisine around here. Randy used to make his sons, Zach and Josh, Cajun foods on Sundays when they were growing up. It’s a family favorite that has become one of mine, too — not just because Randy makes it and gives me the night off but because of the warm, deep, complex flavors of dishes like jambalaya. Plus for some reason, Cajun food just feels festive. I’ve never been to New Orleans, but

I’ve heard stories from many people who have about the wild times of drinking, live music and incredible cuisine.

If Cajun is your jam, grab a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven and whip up a batch of this. I have a feeling jambalaya might just earn a spot in your winter meal rotation.

CAJUN JAMBALAYA 3/4 pound chicken, cut to small pieces 3/4 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons chopped garlic 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon

BY DENISE NEIL Tribune News Service

Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon hot sauce 4 cups chicken stock 1 1/2 cups rice 3/4 pound shrimp (40-50 count is a good size) Mix chicken and sausage in a bowl with the Cajun seasoning, making certain that the spice is mixed evenly.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the chicken and sausage until lightly browned. Add garlic to the skillet to soften. Add the Cajun holy trinity — onion, bell pepper and celery — and cook until soft.

Add bay leaves, Worcestershire, hot sauce and chicken stock and then bring to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat, cooking covered about 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add the shrimp into the pot the last 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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