True Grits | Winter 2014 Topeka Magazine by Sunflower Publishing

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Winter ’14

Vol. IX / No. I

from the editor

Editor Nathan Pettengill designer/Art Director

Jenni Leiste

Jason Dailey

chief Photographer

COPY EDITOR

Deron Lee

advertising Teresa Johnson-Lewis representative (785) 832-7109 Ad Designer

Jenni Leiste Kristin Forbes

contributing Bill Stephens Photographer Contributing Writers

Linda A. Ditch Marsha Henry Goff Jeffrey Ann Goudie Carolyn Kaberline Susan Kraus Paula Naughtin Debra Guiou Stufflebean

GENERAL MANAGER

Bert Hull

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Katy Ibsen

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Topeka Magazine is a publication of Sunflower Publishing, a division of The World Company. www.sunflowerpub.com Please contact us at topekamagazine@sunflowerpub.com for all comments, subscription and editorial queries.

In Memoriam Alejandro “Bill” Munoz, 1926-2014 Alejandro Munoz, shown in this picture, was a Topeka resident, active community supporter, and a beloved husband and family man. He was also a Ranger who fought in Europe after the D-Day invasion and was wounded in combat. This was the part of his life that we focused on when we interviewed and photographed Mr. Munoz this spring and summer for a feature story on area World War II veterans included in this edition. As we prepared the text and photographs for print, Mr. Munoz passed away on October 22, 2014. His funeral services were held in Topeka, where he was mourned and remembered by friends and family. With the knowledge and blessing of his family, his interview and photographs have remained a part of this winter edition. In our profile of Mr. Munoz, he recalls a traumatic and transformative period that shaped an entire generation of servicemen and women. We are grateful to him for sharing his memories, a few of which he had never discussed before. And we are grateful to Mr. Munoz’s family for trusting us with his voice, his image and his memory in print. Nathan Pettengill, Editor

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TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

what's inside TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’14

notables 8

Boots in the House The Strathmans’ country home provides a delightful blend of Western elegance and comfort

Home for the Holidays A master cake-baker looks back on her gingerbread house tradition

New on the Job “Educator extraordinaire” Beryl New wins acclaim as principal at Highland Park High

Farm-Practical Winter kale soup fits the busy schedule of one working family

travel

In every issue

Rocky Mountain Centennial Our travel writer provides you the perfect excuse to plan a trip this year to Colorado

Arts connect map

tom’s got dickens: in his fiction, in his kitchen Tom Averill’s new novel brings out the Christmas spirit in his hometown

35 What’s happening

features 42

TRUE GRITS To celebrate this year’s Big Read, we go chuck-wagon chic and serve up modern takes for a classic dish

HOMECOMING Seventy years after their largely unheralded return, area World War II veterans look back on their service and their reentry into civilian life

on the cover

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

Magazine

true grits gun horse spur shoot out spoon hominy bite deadly ride blood bible blueberries snake onion delicious son of a bitch taste bowl recipes bourbon badge rooster butter for a cheese stock salt classic peaches range yum

J.W. Hopkins of the Capital City Cowboys prepares for the 2015 citywide Big Read of True Grit with a bowl of grits. Photograph by Jason Dailey

Departments TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’14

You don’t have to scratch far to find authentic Western roots in Topeka. For example, while the saddlebarstools in the photograph in this page would be a clever design element of any urban bar, inside the Strathman home they are testament to the family’s direct connection to years of raising and showing horses. Even the wood in the kitchen comes from an old barn. But that’s one family’s story, one family’s connection. Our regular department stories in this winter issue are all about the connections that people have to their family and their history in Topeka: an educator returning to Topeka classrooms, a writer casting an English holiday classic into Topeka vernacular, a working family establishing their roots and nourishing their children from this land. And, as we frequently do, we include a travel story within our lineup—a balance to focusing only on ourselves, only our own town. We hope you enjoy this winter lineup … and we look forward to meeting again in the spring.

BOOTS IN THE HOUSE

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

NEW ON THE JOB

FARM-PRACTICAL

Tom’s got dickens: in his fiction, in his kitchen

28 ROCKY

MOUNTAIN CENTENNIAL

Western décor, such as these saddle-barstools, is at the heart of the Strathman home outside of Topeka.

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Photography by Jason Dailey Story by Carolyn Kaberline

Boots

in the House

The Strathmans’ country home provides a delightful blend of Western elegance and comfort

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

Carolyn Kaberline’s freelance-writing career began in 2006 when she wanted to show her journalism students that she wasn’t asking them to do anything she couldn’t do. Since then her articles have appeared in local, regional and national publications. A full-time high school teacher, she enjoys reading and working with her horses.

o build the perfect home, Matt and Sheryl Strathman first discovered the perfect location—just outside of Topeka on a small hillside. “We were attracted to the property because it had interesting open areas plus woods and a creek,” Sheryl says. “We cleared some of the trees to build the house, but we wanted the setting to be natural.” This natural setting inspired everything in the home, from its exterior façade to the interior décor. “I didn’t want a city house in the country,” Sheryl says. “I wanted it to look Western rustic. I wanted to be able to wear cowboy boots in the house. We had three boys, and I didn’t want to freak out when someone hit a wall. Above all, I wanted it to blend into the landscape.” Set back from the road, the earth-toned house is reached by a circular drive that passes through woods enhanced by brightly colored wildflowers along the driveway’s edge. Entry to the house is provided by double front doors reminiscent of a hacienda; the soft wall lighting of the entryway reveals a wagon-wheel chair, the heads of mounted deer and pronghorn antelope, colorful posters and a hide-covered tile floor. Antique lanterns, pottery and a chuck-wagon-style metal coffeepot bring a Western accent to the large modern kitchen. Posters on the wall advertise cowboy movie star Ken Maynard and his “wonder horse” Tarzan, as well as the “Biller Bros. Three Ring Circus.” “The Billers were my ancestors,” Sheryl says, explaining that her husband had researched the group and found the posters for her. The home’s rugged décor appeals to Sheryl’s family ties and lifelong love of the country life, and it is a style of living that has grown on her husband, who grew up a city boy.

Clockwise, from top: Relaxing, leather-covered chairs are scattered around the central living room; saddles were adapted for the home’s barstools; Odyss, the family’s border collie, greets visitors; western décor is spread throughout the Strathman home.

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“Matt was not necessarily a country type when I first met him,” Sheryl says, adding that Matt has since learned—and come to love— hunting. “He’s totally on board now. I promised him plenty of room to hang his trophies.” More Western décor can be found in the home’s rustic bar created from barnwood and surrounded by barstool saddles. “We had the bases made, then found the saddles to go with them,” Sheryl says. The rest of the home continues the warm, Western theme—a style that provides comfort, without ever losing touch with the outdoors. And ultimately, the home’s point of pride is a feature that merges the interior and the outdoors—a large balcony full of chairs, tables, benches and plants. With a fireplace allowing the area to be enjoyed throughout the year and a grill standing by ready for outdoor dinners even in chilly weather, it is the perfect location to watch winter storms roll and spot the first flowers of spring.

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Sheryl Strathman describes her home as having a rugged, but comfortable, Western feel.

River birches stand guard over the hillside. Although not native to Kansas, this copse of trees is a favorite with deer, birds and the homeowners. “I really like the texture of their trunks,” Sheryl says, pointing to large pieces of peeling bark.

Winter has killed off the grasses and many plants for now, but spring will bring asters, butterfly milkweeds, prairie blazing star, wild daisies, sunflowers and native grasses. “I wanted to encourage the types of flowers one would see on a trail ride,” says Sheryl Strathman.

Native limestone is used for fences and to provide a path to the barn.

The Strathmans built a pond on their property and used it as a private swimming pool for their boys … until the snapping turtles claimed the waters. Now they stock it with fish, and give the turtles a wide berth.

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Story by Debra Guiou Stufflebean Photography by Bill Stephens

Home for

the Holidays

A master cake-baker looks back on her gingerbread-house tradition

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

Debra Guiou Stufflebean is the author of four novels and the director of the Shepherd’s Center of Topeka. She and her husband, Mike, live in the College Hill neighborhood with their four dogs and can be found cheering at their grandchildren’s ballgames.

efore Alice Hurst retired as the librarian at Logan Junior High in 2004, she oversaw an annual holiday tradition with her student library aides. Each year, they would build—and sometimes taste-test—a gingerbread house. “The kids loved helping because they got to eat the leftovers. Nothing went to waste,” says Alice. An album from the Seaman District archives shows photographs of the projects through the years: a carousel, a lighthouse, an old stone house with cobbled stone chimney, a red schoolhouse with bell tower, a barn with graham-cracker reindeer and sleigh in the barnyard, a log cabin and a train station with a candydecorated choo-choo. Students gather around the displays, proud of their accomplishments. And every year, after the gingerbread house was built, Alice and her husband of 62 years, Clifford, would transport the display to a nonprofit such as Ronald McDonald House, Midland Hospice and others. Outside of school, Hurst would team up with her sister, Nancy Paslay, to take odd jobs as professional cake decorators. The bride always got to design the cake, which would occasionally lead to an odd request—such as a cake with slanted tiers. “Now that was a challenge, and certainly different,” says Alice. All of this baking was done on the weekends; sometimes as many as three cakes were created and delivered each Saturday and Sunday. During the week, Alice would go to work at the school library and Clifford would work as a railcar repairman for Santa Fe Railroad, as they raised their three daughters in a one-and-a-half story house a few blocks from Logan.

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Alice Hurst holds her master plans next to a gingerbread house she built.

Fall ’ 14

Under Construction Longtime gingerbread-house architect Alice Hurst has this advice when supervising a construction crew that might be long on enthusiasm, but short on experience ... Novice builders can use graham crackers for material. Make houses around a structure/frame such as milk cartons. Use a cardboard pattern to cut side panels and roof. Hot-glue pieces together for a sturdy backdrop. Create a simple icing by beating together 4 cups of powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons of water and 3 tablespoons of Wilton Meringue Powder. Add food coloring to icing if you wish, but working with plain white icing allows candy decorations to stand out better.

Rebeat the icing if it becomes too stiff.

Use a variety of candy decorations in different places on the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; pastel-colored sugar discs on the door, M&Ms on the roof and peppermint lozenges on the walkway. Create the house trim by piping the icing through a bag, using various tips. Trees can be made with green-colored icing applied by a leaf tip to provide a realistic evergreen texture.

When the Hursts moved to Brewster Place two years ago, Alice insisted on taking her refrigerator, stove and deep-freeze even though their new kitchen was fully equipped. She has slowed down on her baking since retiring, but still keeps homemade chocolate chip cookies on hand for her sonin-laws and participates in fundraisers for her church, Pleasant Hill United Methodist. On occasion, a former member of her library gingerbread crew will ask her to bake a wedding cake. Gingerbread houses, now, are mostly for fun with grown-up grandkids. And this house, the one Alice made for this article, will be displayed at Seaman Middle School before the winter break, marking a short return of the Hurst holiday tradition.

Photography by Jason Dailey Story by Jeffrey Ann Goudie

New on

the Job “Educator extraordinaire” Beryl New wins acclaim as principal at Highland Park High

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

Jeffrey Ann Goudie, former newspaper columnist, is a freelance writer and book reviewer whose work has appeared in the Huffington Post and the Kansas City Star. For Topeka Magazine, she profiles Topekans who are making a positive difference in the community.

or many Topekans, their introduction to Dr. Beryl New, principal of Highland Park High School, came this spring at the public schools’ recognition ceremony featuring first lady Michelle Obama. New, a product of Topeka schools, provided closing remarks and described herself as “Topeka proud.” In explaining that phrase, the educator says: “Even though I wasn’t born here and didn’t spend my entire life here, I think there is so much about this community that’s very special and unique.” New is part of what makes the community special. Taking over as Highland Park principal in 2010, she faced the immense task of filling Dale Cushinberry’s big shoes. Fortunately, the longtime principal was one of her biggest supporters. Cushinberry first met New when she was his student in Washburn’s School of Education, and he later hired her as assistant principal at Highland Park, almost a decade before she would return to take over the helm. Cushinberry describes New as “extremely talented, very resilient, kind and warm-hearted. “As a parent, as a citizen, as a church member, as an educator, she has touched many lives,” says Cushinberry. Since taking charge at Highland Park, New has overseen the implementation of a $5.8-million federal grant that has helped put in place an online credit-recovery and acquisition program, an innovative robotics program and career-readiness training courses. This spring, she received the YWCA’s Woman of Excellence Award in education.

first snow and professional growth The daughter of a pastor and a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife, New was born in Junction City. Her family moved to Lake Elsinore, California, when she was a year old, then to Topeka when she was 9. Kansas brought many changes for New. She and her siblings could only recollect seeing snow once before they returned to the state. And the schools were different as well. At that point, Monroe Elementary was integrated, but New says she remembers only one white student attending the neighborhood school. And while California schools provided supplies, Monroe expected students to bring them, a crucial distinction that New and her siblings missed as they started their walk to school empty-handed. Her family scrambled to assemble supplies when they learned about the oversight. “It was kind of a clumsy start,” recalls New. It would not be a clumsy finish. New went on to graduate from Topeka High, where she would later return as an English teacher after earning her degree from Washburn. She taught at Topeka High for 13 years before going to Highland Park as an assistant principal. She then moved to Lawrence High School, where she served as an administrator for four years. When the principal’s job opened at Highland Park, New’s friends and colleagues made sure she knew about the post. New says one respected educator asked her why she would drive 30

Beryl New has returned to Highland Park High School as principal.

miles to help students who weren’t in her community when she could drive three miles to help children in her own. She applied at 11 p.m. the night before the job closed.

Voice of pride Now, Principal New sits in a colorful office surrounded by mementoes, friendly clutter and pictures of her children. She says the office, the halls, the rooms and the extended community of Highland Park all exude a “family atmosphere.” For New, that is a phrase full of meaning. One thing that comes up a lot in conversations about Beryl New is that she raised eight children, who now range from a 45-year-old to a senior at Kansas State University. She and her adult children remain close and have recently started a business called Kwenzi House Publishing to publish their own work, including children’s literature, a guide for educators, novels and inspirational books. Another thing that comes up in conversations about New is her musical talent. Sandra Lassiter, a retired USD 501 administrator who was New’s childhood choir director, describes her as a “musical artist.” New has composed music and lyrics for productions at Faith Temple Church, and, Cushinberry says, “The lady can sing.” Janel Johnson, president of the Topeka USD 501 school board, has known New since she was a girl; Johnson lived around

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

the corner from New and babysat her children. She describes New as one of her mentors, and says she is impressed with the way New connects to people of all backgrounds. Johnson says New’s ability to connect makes it a natural progression for her to be a principal. “She’s an educator extraordinaire,” says Johnson. “In my philosophy, there are no throwaway kids, and there are no kids that will fall through the cracks,” New says. “If they’re in the building that I work in, we’re going to salvage them all. If they eliminate themselves, that’s their choice, but I’m not going to say, ‘You don’t belong here because I see you as a danger’ or ‘I see you as nonproductive.’ I might see somebody who has some issues that we need to address.…” New is an educator who models continual learning. She earned her Ed.D. from the University of Kansas in 2007, attending night and summer classes. Her doctoral dissertation is about the student unrest at Topeka High, Lawrence High and Highland Park High in 1969-70. As a senior at Topeka High in 1970, New was an eyewitness to these events. She says the adults at those schools contributed to the unrest by being unwilling to listen to students’ valid requests. New listens to her students. She knows her building and she is known beyond her building. Not only is she “Topeka proud,” Beryl New is someone who makes Topekans proud.

New describes the office and halls of her school as having a “family atmosphere.”

Photography by Bill Stephens Story by Linda A. Ditch

FarmPractical Winter kale soup fits the busy schedule of one working family about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 14

Linda A. Ditchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for food dates back to times spent watching her grandmother cook in her farmhouse kitchen. A freelance writer for almost two decades, she has contributed to The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, Taste For Life, Better Nutrition, Manhattan Magazine, Shawnee Magazine and Cat Fancy.

t is a chilly, wet day outside of the Holcomb farmhouse in Hoyt. Raindrops drip from kale leaves in the garden, one of the few plants to remain standing against the cold. The other crops have been brought in long ago, and the dormant fields around the farm are surrounded by leafless timber. It’s an isolated setting, just what Shawnda Holcomb and her husband, Jessy, wanted when they purchased the home in 2005. At first consideration, the remote location seems impractical for a couple who own Cook’s American Grill in Topeka. The restaurant business demands irregular hours, and immediate attention for instance, when a phone rings at 3 a.m. because a restaurant alarm is going off, which means a trip to see if a window or door needs to be repaired.

“…soup is so easy to make” — Shawnda Holcomb But the farm—and what the family can grow on it—is ideal for the Holcombs to raise their two young boys with a view of nature. Thomas, 8, was born just a few months after they moved in, and Eli came two years later. “Our commute, to me, is no worse than if we lived in Sherwood,” says Shawnda, comparing their region to an established western Topeka neighborhood. “I like the small-town community. I like the boys being able to know all of the kids in their school.” The farm is also a place where Shawnda and Jessy—both of whom have worked in restaurants much of their lives—can prepare food in smaller portions with ingredients from their farm.

Shawnda Holcomb, opposite, makes her soup with kale from the family garden, above.

recipe:

Holcombs’ Sausage and Kale Soup Preparation Time 1 hour Feeds 4 to 6 people Ingredients: 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil ½ pound all-natural pork breakfast sausage or ground pork 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 6 cups organic chicken broth 1 diced carrot 1 cup diced onion 1 cup chopped kale Dried sage, to taste Lemon pepper, to taste Instructions: 1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon into small pieces. Saute the sausage until brown. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the sausage and stir. Cook the flour for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot with the chicken broth, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to get up all of the brown bits. Add the carrots, onion and kale. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with the sage and lemon pepper. 2. The soup can stay warm on the stove for as long as you wish. Shawnda Holcomb serves it with biscuits or cornbread muffins for Sunday supper. She also suggests adding any vegetables, such as celery or a few potatoes, if you like.

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Their boys seem equally comfortable in a restaurant or home kitchen. When visiting other restaurants owned by friends, Thomas and Eli don’t think twice about walking into the kitchen to see what’s cooking. They are accustomed to ordering just what they want, and Shawnda says she has to remind them, when at home, she isn’t a short-order cook. “My kids are party-food eaters,” she says. “If they have a tray of fruits and vegetables, and a nice cheese tray with some crackers sitting out, possibly with a dip, they’re in heaven because that’s how my kids eat. If I put down a plate of chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, they would eat the chicken fried steak and nothing else.” For home meals, Holcomb says pastas are popular, as are salads. She also makes meatloaf and roast beef, and the grill gets a workout during the summer. The milk is organic, and they grow their own tomatoes, corn, green peppers, peaches, cherries, apples, pears and kale. When winter arrives, the Holcomb home is often filled with the savory aroma of sausage and kale soup coming from a simmering pot on the back of the stove. This recipe came from Jessy’s sister, Kelsey, who was also responsible for giving them the kale seeds for their garden. You won’t smell or find canned soup in the Holcomb kitchen—not because the Holcombs are food snobs, but because they are simply farm-practical. “Why would you buy canned soup when soup is so easy to make?” Shawnda asks. But the young mother also understands the difficulty of timing daily life and working home-cooking into the routine. With commutes between their home in Hoyt and their business in Topeka, the Holcomb family schedule was even more complicated when Eli was in a half-day preschool program in Topeka and Thomas was in kindergarten at Royal Valley Elementary near home. Shawnda and Jessy arranged their schedules so each worked three days in the restaurant, allowing one or the other to be home with the boys when they were not in school. “Not a lot of people can do that, but you can’t get that time back with them,” Shawnda says. “We’re fortunate we have our own business, with the employees being able to run the restaurant at night so we don’t have to be there in the evenings. We don’t want to squash our ambition, but this is the time in our life when we need to be parents.” And in the Holcomb house, that family time always includes eating meals together.

Shawnda, opposite, modifies many recipes in her restaurant … and at home for her family, such as this sausage and kale soup recipe that came from her sister-in-law.

Photography by Jason Dailey

Tom’s got Dickens:

Story by Paula Naughtin

in his fiction, in his kitchen Tom Averill’s new novel brings out the Christmas spirit in his hometown

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

Paula Naughtin—a writer who works in the School of Education at the University of Kansas—is also a cook whose signature holiday shortbread goes exceptionally well with a Smoking Bishop.

riter Tom Averill’s newest novel is filled with spirits: of Christmas, of Charles Dickens, of Averill’s beloved hometown, and of his own life. A Carol Dickens Christmas is, as you would imagine, a book inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. This makes sense, since Averill set out to write a Christmas story and, he notes, “that’s always the way that I entered Christmas, through Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol.” But, of course, the award-winning novelist wasn’t going for a simple remake. “I thought it would be interesting to create a Christmas book that tipped its hat to Charles Dickens but also to The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” says Averill. So he has included “echoes of the manger;” three wise men bearing gifts; several characters who could give either the Grinch or Scrooge a run for his money; birth; death; dancing; Christmas spirits (the drinking, not the haunting type); and plenty of eating. Food has long been a theme in Averill’s work. Even in the early 1980s, before the localvore and gourmet-chef crazes, the native Topekan was already spinning culinary tales of haggis and exotic peppers in his works. The descriptions of meals and recipes in his latest book are mouthwatering: vinegary dill sauce for green beans, mince pies baked in the oven, and tamales redolent of corn and savory or sweet fillings. Averill included food themes in his early drafts, but as he revised the book he begin giving the main character more of an interest in recipes and eating. “I wanted to add those in because I love to cook and I like reading books with recipes in them,” says Averill. “Culinary novels are fun. You can actually taste the book if you want to. So all of that sort of grew into understanding the characters better, and understanding their passions and enthusiasms better.” In all, Averill spent 10 years cooking up this novel. “It took me a long time

to write because in my first pass-through I wasn’t quite sure of the tone,” he says. “It went from a little darker tone and more of an exploration of tensions in the family to a more celebratory tone in the final draft.” The result, like A Christmas Carol, is a tale of loss, redemption and transformation. The main character is striving to provide a last, memorable Christmas for her son who will soon leave for college. Her yearning for this ideal, nostalgic holiday soon collides with the contemporary, messier urgencies of teenage childbirth and midlife divorce— and darkness is held back only by love, the courage to begin new life—and the sharing of meals. Those meals—a mix of traditional English recipes and Mexican-American dishes—reflect the storyline, an overlap of modern Topeka and the limbo of Dickensian nostalgia. To create the latter, Averill immersed himself in Dickens’ world. He pored over A Christmas Carol and reread Dickens’ four other, lesser-known Christmas novellas released from 1843 to 1848. Averill also visited London during the holiday season, with the help of a travel grant from Washburn University. Just like the hero of his novel, Averill stopped in at all of the Dickens sites, made the pilgrimage to the Dickens Museum and took the tour of Dickens’ London—led by a woman dressed as Mrs. Cratchit from A Christmas Carol. But Averill’s book is firmly placed in his hometown. It’s a way, he says, to celebrate “the things I love about Topeka so much: I love the bridges, I like the different parts of town, I like the Mexican community, and the fiesta and the mariachi, Topeka High School—where my daughter graduated from and where my son goes.” The book’s descriptions of tamales are clearly based on experience. Averill fondly remembers the gift his father would bring home at Christmas from one of his coworkers. “Every Christmas we’d wait for the day that he would come home with the dessert tamales.” Those special tamales, stuffed with raisins and nuts, are savored by the characters in Averill’s book, just as the author and his family did when he was young.

Music—with a distinct Topeka sound— also winds through the story. Averill, who grew up playing trumpet in his school’s band and orchestra, made the teenager in his novel a trumpet player who is included in a mariachi band. In researching the book, Averill met the late Teresa Cuevas, a member of the legendary Mariachi Estrella de Topeka. “I had the good fortune to go to her house and go to the basement, and attend mariachi rehearsal and understand that music even better,” Averill says. Cuevas’ granddaughters, who play contemporary mariachi in the group Maria the Mexican, provided music for Averill’s book trailer. The common heritage of food and music is only enriched by Averill’s choice to infuse his family’s stories into the plot. The main character’s childhood Christmas echoes the one that Averill’s mother lived. The book’s dedication reads: For my mother, Elizabeth Kathryn Walter “Tucker” Averill, who, like Carol Dickens, sought refuge one dismal childhood Christmas, but gave her family holiday after holiday of sumptuous food, thoughtful gifts and, the greatest of these, love. That “dismal” day, says Averill, was when his mother waited in vain for her father to wake up from a drunken sleep and “give her Christmas.” He didn’t. Eventually, Averill’s mom was taken in by a neighbor. “She didn’t really have a family when she was growing up,” says Averill. “Her mother died when she was 7 years old. Her father was an alcoholic who committed suicide when she was 15. But even though my mother died in 2009, she had read a version of this book and really liked it. It makes me very happy because there is a lot of her in the book. Her passion for food and rituals, the notion of having a family, having a big table, having people around and having things to celebrate—she was very good at that.” When Averill asked his mother if she minded having such a painful event resurrected as part of his novel, he says she replied, “No. It’s good we can make use of things. It’s good it can be used in a literary way.”

Topeka-based writer Tom Averill, opposite, has long explored food themes in his award-winning novels and short stories. His latest work, A Carol Dickens Christmas, continues this tradition by focusing on family identity, transformation---and good eating.

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Winter ’ 14

recipe:

Averill’s Smoking Bishop The recipes in Tom Averill’s A Carol Dickens Christmas are prefaced by evocative descriptions of the dishes, the ingredients and the characters’ thoughts as they prepare them. Smoking Bishop is a drink—basically heated wine with citrus and berries—that the main character prepares each Twelfth Night. Though Averill’s character had a set recipe, the author explored many possibilities from the wide variety of recipes for this drink. Eventually, Averill ended up with a version close to the one that Cedric Dickens, great-grandson of Charles Dickens, included in his book Drinking with Dickens. The main difference is that, although Averill experimented with using a grapefruit in the recipe, as Cedric suggests, he preferred “the purity of oranges by themselves.” But even then, Averill has several options for preparing the oranges. Some recipes call for juicing the oranges, some omit baking them, while some are more specific about the type and quality of the wine and port for them. This version—in ingredients and preparation— is the one Averill enjoys the most. He calls the drink “a great symbol of richness, flavor and warmth.” In the book, Averill’s characters drink their Smoking Bishop at a baby shower while eating a Twelfth Cake. The drink, says Averill, becomes a symbol of the future, just as it was in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where a transformed Scrooge discusses the future with Bob over a bowl of Smoking Bishop. Ingredients: 6 oranges 30 cloves 6 juniper berries 6 allspice seeds 4 ounces sugar 1 bottle of red wine 1 bottle of port instructions: Bake oranges in 350-degree oven until they begin to turn brown. Prick each orange with 5 cloves and put them in a bowl with the berries, seeds, sugar and wine. Let sit for a day. Press ingredients through a sieve or strainer, add port and heat until smoking (not to boiling). Pour.

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Winter ’ 14

Fine Arts Unique • Affordable • Functional

New Plots

Illustration by Clint Ricketts

The prolific author of several novels, including Rode—recognized by National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum as the Outstanding Western Novel of 2011—Averill is already well into his current project, Garden Plots, which incorporates his love of gardening and landscaping. “I’ve been visiting botanical gardens madly for the last six or seven years and just getting inspired,” he says. The result? More than 80 “short-short stories, prose poems, meditations, rants—all of them set in gardens.” The work exists in the form of an online brochure. Averill explains that this format was inspired by the guides at botanical gardens. “You get a brochure, and you open it up and there’s the map, and here’s the rose garden and here’s the Italian garden and here’s the lily garden.” Visitors to Averill’s online literary garden can navigate their way through the passages of statues and greenery, beautifully illustrated by Kansas artist Clint Ricketts, and enjoy the writing. “I’ve got a family section, and the Poetry Fountain’s right in the middle, and a British section and an American section. If you click on a section, the section pops out and then you find the stories in it based on little icons. You see something like a little piece of crumpled paper and click on it, and out pops a story. You can visit it in any order—random order, just like if you are in a garden. You don’t have to visit it all at once.” The themes and illustrations are playfully well-designed. A drawing of cracked, parched earth in the Garden of Plants section leads to a piece titled “Tasting Drought.” A solitary fallen leaf by the Poetry Fountains brings forth the poem “The Poet Eats Redbud Blossoms.” And in the Garden Images section, clicking on the wreath brings up the poem “Brides in Gardens.” The site is a lovely, nonlinear way to dip in and out of Averill’s writings.

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Rocky Mountain

Centennial

Our travel writer provides you the perfect excuse to plan a trip to Colorado’

about the

writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

Susan Kraus is a therapist and award-winning travel writer who believes that travel can be the best therapy. She enjoys helping people create their own “travel therapy” by writing about journeys that anyone can replicate.

n 1915, conservationists successfully convinced the U.S. government to designate part of the magnificent land of the Rocky Mountains as a National Park, thus preserving it from development. Had they not done so, it is not hard to imagine what this section of the Colorado landscape could have looked like: covered with ski resorts and condo developments, mining and logging operations, time-shares and boutiques. Fortunately, we preserved areas such as the Rocky Mountain National Park, with their panoramic vistas, forests and mountains, lakes and wildlife—all for the benefit of the public. As one ranger explained during my most recent trip: “These mountains, these forests, they all belong to y-o-u. It’s your park, for you and your children and grandchildren to enjoy and appreciate.” Of course, you can visit this park in any year—but the 100-year anniversary is the perfect excuse to make or to start planning a pilgrimage. Located on a 70-mile drive northwest of Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is roughly 415 square miles, with 92 miles of paved roads and 355 miles of hiking trails. There are 110 named peaks over 10,000 feet and 20 above 13,000 feet, 147 lakes, and almost 90,000 acres of tundra. The park is home to bears, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose, coyote, a few mountain lions and 280 types of birds. There is way too much to cover in any one visit, so it helps to figure out priorities. Keep hiking goals reasonable—this is especially important to remember for us Kansas flatlanders, as altitude adjustment can take a few days. If you can, visit in the late spring or early fall (or winter if you like cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing) rather than the uber-busy summer season. I first came to Rocky Mountain National Park some 35 years ago, and returned (not often enough) over the years. This past September, I saw a moose, elk bellowing during mating season, a bear (from a distance) and deer (on almost every hike.) But here is what I remember most: I was climbing a trail up from Nymph Lake to Emerald Lake. Coming over a ridge, I abruptly stopped. The déjà vu was strong—not only that I’d been here before, but that the vista was exactly the same: the massive boulders, towering forest mirrored in the cold mountain lake, peaks lined up in the distance. Even the sun and clouds seem unmoved. In that moment, I grasped, in a way I had not before, the meaning of “preservation.” “Preservation” is so we can go home again. Happy 100th anniversary, Rocky Mountain National Park! And thanks for keeping nature a part of our lives.

Psst! The Pass My pick for one of the best deals in the U.S.A. for anyone over 62? It’s the senior lifetime pass to all national parks and federal recreation lands (and it will cover whoever is in your vehicle as well) for only $10. Get one at any park or online with ID.

Opposite: For 100 years, Rocky Mountain National Park has worked to preserve scenes such as this.

Planning The popularity of the National Park system means you will want to plan your trip in advance. Here are some suggestions.

Months ahead: Go online and reserve a spot if you are planning to camp. Reservations open starting six months in advance at www. reserveamerica.com or www.recreation.gov, or by calling the federal reservation system’s toll-free number, (877) 444-6777. Rocky Mountain National Park features five drive-in campgrounds and many backpacking sites. For planning essentials, activity info and more, go to www.nps.gov/ROMO/planyourvisit/index.htm. For more detailed info (like guides to hikes, geology, wildlife viewing, etc.) go to www.rmna.org for a great selection designed to match specific interests. I also enjoyed reading about the area’s history through books, my favorite being Isabella Bird’s A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains. (Isabella was one feisty lady!) If not camping, consider lodging at Estes Park (on the east side of the Continental Divide) or Grand Lake (on the west side). The west side is easily accessed from I-70 up through Winter Park to Grand Lake, and is less crowded than the east side, but with fewer trailheads. Check schedules for festivals, as towns are often booked solid those weekends. For off-season weekdays, you can generally arrive without reservations and find options. When you arrive: Start any visit at a Park Visitor’s Center. Get maps, a current newsletter and trip planner. Sign up for a free ranger-led hike or Ranger Talk as a way to get info and ask questions. Sign up your kids for the Junior Ranger Program. If you are visiting in the summer, you should plan on using the shuttles to trailheads (where parking fills early in the day), so you will want to get shuttle schedules. Even if you are not camping, you’re welcome at the evening campfire ranger programs in the campgrounds, so get the listings for those events and consider joining. For one of the best, oh-my introductions to the region, drive Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake for stunning vistas up over the Continental Divide, above the tree line. Stop at the Alpine Visitor Center for alpine tundra exhibits. The café at the Alpine Visitor Center is good, but the views are unbeatable.

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

“It’s your park… to enjoy and appreciate,” — ???

Estes Park— Halfway to Roughing It If you saw the news of flooding in Estes Park in September of 2013, it’s hard to imagine that the town could be cleaned up and rebuilt in a matter of months. But only one year post-flood, I found myself sipping a latte at a bistro table at the back of Kind Coffee, overlooking a gurgling, gentle Big Thompson River (the same peaceful flow that had turned into a wild flood surging through the middle of town). The stores were thriving. The popular Mama Rose’s Italian and Poppy’s Pizza and Grill, both significantly damaged in the floods, had lines out the door. “We’re ‘mountain strong,’ ” the barista said. “We did all of this,” she says, gesturing both to the remodeled coffee shop and then out to Elkhorn Avenue. Our first evening back in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, we did a lazy stroll around Lily Lake to adjust to the altitude. Over the next few days, we tackled longer hikes. We stayed at Ram’s Horn Village, right at the Beaver Meadows entrance to the park, a lovely time-share place with condos they also rent by the night. Towards sunset, we drove into the park looking for meadows with horny elk (fall is their rutting season). The first evening, we turned into a parking lot to check a park map … and looked up to see a huge elk with massive antlers making his lovesick call while trailing after a demure girlie-elk. This alongside a parking lot. We had our favorites: dinner in the back room of the Dunraven Inn; drinks on the patio of Old Rock Inn; lunch at Ed’s; an hour at the historic Cascades Bar at The Stanley, choosing among 500-plus whiskey varieties (we went for the $6-8 nips). Tip: If you don’t like whiskey, then try their Bacon Bloody Mary, all the usual ingredients plus a candied bacon strip and Bakon Vodka. I left with a bag of sea salt caramels drenched in dark chocolate from Laura’s Fudge (which I did not share with my spouse) and a few pounds of coffee—“Flood Mud,” they labeled it (“Dam Good Coffee for Estes Park Flood Recovery”).

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

An Itty-Bitty History: The Rocky Mountains were part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 (far from Louisiana, but part of what made that such a good deal). This territory was home to Ute tribes, and, later, Arapaho. While much of Colorado had been explored and mapped, and some towns settled, the ruggedness of these mountains kept even the adventurous at a distance. For example, Major Stephen H. Long and his expedition in 1820: Longs Peak is named for him but he never climbed it, never got closer than 40 miles away. John Wesley Powell conquered Longs Peak, but not until 1868. And while Rufus Sage published accounts of his time in the Rockies in the early 1840s, it took until 1858 before Joel Estes, from Kentucky, became the first settler. He lasted only six years, but from his solo cabin (after he sold it for a team of oxen) began the tourism business that was to become the lifeblood of the area. It’s hard to say if that trade-post area would have become a park without the single-minded tenacity of Enos Mills, a kid from Kansas, who first came to the Longs Peak area in 1884 when he was just 14. He later bought the Longs Peak Inn, became a noted naturalist, and proposed in 1909 that the area be designated a national park. Facing opposition from the timber and mining industries, Mills wrote thousands of letters and spoke to hundreds of groups, with unflagging persistence. In 1915 (a year before the creation of the National Park Service), President Woodrow Wilson declared that this land would forever be Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s still there, waiting for you.

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Calendar TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ‘14

What’s Happening in

DECEMBER Holiday Miniature Art Show Gallery-quality art is difficult to find at stocking-stuffer budget prices. But this year, Gary Blitsch at SouthWind Gallery has come up with a possible solution by hosting an exhibition of original, miniature artwork. Each of the 150-plus works of art in the show is approximately 6x6 inches. Regional artists, such as Cally Krallman and Judith Mackey, contribute a good portion of the pieces, but the exhibition will also show artists from across the United States, many of whom previously displayed in this west-central Topeka showroom. “What’s impressed me the most about this is the diversity of the work that has come in,” says Blitsch. “We’ve had everything from still life, to abstracts to landscapes—beautiful images and there is nothing given up in the fact that they are a small size.” The exhibition opens in November and runs through December 31; shows daily from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.

November 26- December 31 | Winter Wonderland drive-through holiday lighting display to benefit TARC, seeking to improve lives of children with intellectual disabilities | 6-8 p.m. daily | Lake Shawnee Campground November 28 – December 21 | Miracle on 34th Street, the classic holiday play | Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy December 2 | Bootleggers Dulcimer Band concert opens “Songs of the Season” concert series | 11:30 a.m. | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library | Free December 4-7 | Festival of Trees, a benefit for Sheltered Living, Inc. | Kansas Expocentre, Ag Hall December 5 | First Friday Artwalk, including a special holiday gift-art showing at Studio 831 in NOTO December 5 | Tom Averill reads from his book A Carol Dickens Christmas | SouthWind Gallery

December 6 | Holly Jolly Happenings at the Topeka Zoo | Santa Claus makes an appearance at the zoo with photo opportunities to benefit wildlife conservation | Gage Park December 6 | Old Fashioned Christmas Craft Fair & Bake Sale, featuring 50 booths of handcrafted holiday gift items sponsored by Shawnee County Parks & Rec. Dept. | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Crestview Community Center December 7 | Santa arrives by train for a day of children’s activities | Great Overland Station December 13-14 | Gun and Knife Show | Kansas Expocentre, Exhibition Hall December 15 | Shoji Tabuchi Christmas Show, the “King of Branson” brings a holiday concert to Topeka | Topeka Center for the Performing Arts December 20-21 | Kansas Ballet Company presents The Nutcracker with live orchestra and choir | Topeka Performing Arts Center

December 5-6 | Community Nativity Show, featuring 300 Nativity scenes and ongoing live music performances | LDS Topeka Stake Center, 2401 SW Kingsrow Road December 6 | Author fair with book signings by more than 60 area writers including Alex Grecian, Eric McHenry, Harriet Lerner and more | 1-5 p.m. | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

Photography, clockwise from upper left: Cris Chapin, Nathan Ham Photography, Traci Osborn and Topeka Magazine.

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

What’s Happening in

january Roadrunners Falling just short of their league’s Robertson Cup with an overtime loss in the semi-finals in front of a home crowd in May 2014, the Topeka Roadrunners are looking to push through to the championship this year. Grabbing the top position in their standings early in the 2014-2015 season, they open the 2015 portion of the schedule with a 3-day series against the Wenatchee Wild at their home arena in the Kansas Expocentre. Tiffany Logue, the marketing manager for the team, says there are two additional reasons to check out the Roadrunners this season. Hockey fans will appreciate the talents of the team’s much-scouted goalie … and those who are less serious fans will appreciate the entertainment events such as Star Wars Night on January 3 featuring special GalaxyFar-Far-Away uniforms a photo booth and more. You don’t have to wear a pair of Princess Lea hairbuns to be admitted that evening, but Logue wants you to know that if you do—you’ll be more than welcome in the stands. There are more chances to see the Roadrunners without an Ewok sitting next to you. Their last home appearances are a two-day series on March 20-21. The team then finishes up the season on March 27-29 with another 3-game match against the Wild, but this time on the road.

TOPEKAMAGAZINE

Winter ’ 14

January 4 | Euphoria Stringband opens “Music for a Sunday Afternoon” concert series | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

January 17 – February 7 | \ Don’t Dress for Dinner, a comedy following a romantic tryst gone wrong | Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy

January 5 | Frozen party; preschool to 5th-grade students are invited to dress as their favorite characters from the film Frozen for sing-alongs and crafts | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

January 29 | Kansas Day celebrations marking the 154th anniversary of Kansas joining the Union include opening of a statewide student photography contest at the Kansas State Capitol and a readers’ theater performance on the Underground Railroad, presented by SSNHA Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Association and co-sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council and the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

January 9 – March 14 | Drift & Drag: Reflections on Water; interdisciplinary exhibit focusing on water use and water shortages in Kansas, including drawings, film and design | Mulvane Art Museum January 9 | Alex DePue and Miguel De Hoyos in concert; classical guitar legend DePue teams up with Mexican violin sensation Hoyos for this event sponsored by the Topeka Community Concert Association | White Concert Hall January 17 | “Great Performances” concert by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra features Van Cliburn Silver Medalist Beatrice Rana | White Concert Hall January 17 | Topeka-to-Auburn Half Marathon: 500-600 runners participate in annual event sponsored by Sunflowers Striders Running Club

Photography, clockwise from upper left: Topeka Roadrunners, Neda Navaee, Nathan Ham Photography and Shutterstock

What’s Happening in

february

Ongoing – April 24 | “What True Grit Might Have Looked Like,” photographs by F.M. Steele | Sabatini Gallery of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

True Grit Time

February 1 | True Grit Big Read kickoff celebration featuring Tallgrass String Band | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

As part of the citywide common reading of True Grit, the Topeka & Shawnee County Library is partnering with organizations across the city for a range of events, most of them free and open to the public.

February 5 | True Grit visits NOTO and other Artwalk locations on First Friday, providing chances to win free copies of the novel and True Grit swag.

The library has sponsored a “Big Read” in Topeka since 2006, when it was one of the 10 pilot communities chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts to launch the community-wide reading program. Topeka has received the competitive grant—approximately 700-900 communities apply each year for the 70 programs, according to Marie Pyko public services director of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library—every other year and has chosen works such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby.

February 27 | Young Guns and Gallant Geezers: Age and Heroism in True Grit; Topeka Magazine book discussion and concert | Hear presentations about the role of age in the narrative of True Grit and enjoy the folk music group “Jeff and Deb with Bill” as they present 5 period-authentic songs based on the heroes and villains of True Grit. | 10:30 a.m.-noon | Shepherd’s Center, 3033 SW MacVicar | Free and open

The concept of a community-wide novel, says Pyko, allows diverse audiences of Topekans to gather and talk about compelling, perhaps uncomfortable, topics that are made a bit easier to discuss in the framework of fiction.

February 12 | True Grit Keynote featuring author Thomas Fox Averill | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library | 6:30 p.m. | Free and open

February 27-28 | Kansas Silent Film Festival; featuring authentic silentera films with live musical accompaniment | White Concert Hall | Free and open

In True Grit, a young lady teams up with two misfit lawmen to seek justice for her murdered father. Pyko says the novel’s theme of a spunky protagonist prevailing over the dangers of the West should open many conversations about youth, the land and what makes someone succeed.

February 13 | True Grit film series; The Searchers (1956) | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library | 6:30 p.m. | Free and open

Various dates and locations | True Grit book talks; join librarians for community discussions at restaurants and local eateries across the city; pick up a library newsletter for a full listing of dates, locations and sign-up information or go online at kscpl.org/bigread.

Pyko estimates that 5,000-7,000 Topekans will attend and participate in the citywide events. Some highlights of this year’s Big Read program are listed opposite in the calendar. For a full listing of official events, pick up the library newsletter or go online at tscpl.org/bigread.

February 14 | “A Great Night of Romance,” music for Valentine’s Day by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra | White Concert Hall

February 27 | True Grit film series; True Grit (1969) | Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library | 6:30 p.m. | Free and open

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Photography, from left, Overlook Press, public domain and Topeka Performing Arts Center

Winter ’ 14

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Our two models for the “True Grits” photo shoot, Shootin’ Newton (George Newton) and Sheriff J.W. Hopkins (Allen Shelton), didn’t bat an eye when we asked them to switch out their guns for a whisk or when we began to spread grits across the sheriff’s moustache. Who knows, maybe the real cowboys of the 1870s would have been just as accommodating. But that’s doubtful. Life was harsher then. There was more need for selfpreservation and less tolerance for whimsy. And a cowboy’s food probably wasn’t as good. A classic Western novel like True Grit—the upcoming citywide “Big Read” that inspired our story of True Grits in this section—makes for sour reading as a recipe book. Dry meals. Blood-soaked hush puppies. Whiskey for breakfast. Maybe a celebratory meal of rattlesnake soup at the end, but it doesn’t say for sure. With that type of diet, no wonder the West was wild. Now we live in different times with different priorities. Good eating is one of them, and we’ve got the recipes for that, as Topeka chefs update bland standards like grits with fun and delightful adaptations. And good reads should be another priority—with novels like True Grit that connect us to the past, and hopefully with stories like these that start the conversations.

42 True Grits

48 homecoming

TOPEKAMAGAZINE Shootin’ Newton and J.W. Hopkins of Capital City Cowboys prepare to face off … over a bowl of grits.

Winter ’ 14

true grits

To celebrate this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big read, we go chuck-wagon chic and serve up modern takes for a classic dish Story by Linda A. Ditch Photography by Jason Dailey

True Topekan by Linda A. Ditch of Topeka Magazine

his winter, Topekans come together for a series of readings, concerts and other happenings exploring True Grit. This classic Western novel was chosen in a citywide vote held by the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, the main sponsor of the events (see calendar on page 39 for many listings). At Topeka Magazine, we know good reads always go better with good eats, and what could be more perfect for this book than an authentic, hearty dish of true grits? We asked local chefs to share their favorite grits recipe, and we prepared one of our own. If you’ve never tried grits, this is your chance. Though popular in the South, where the dish is often served for breakfast or as a side dish at dinner, grits are a little harder to come by in Kansas. Few places serve grits, many people have never heard of it, and the ones who have tried it have very distinct feelings of love or hate. Seems there is no middle ground when it comes to grits. What is grits? It is ground dried hominy, corn kernels soaked in a lime or lye solution to remove the hull and germ, then ground and simmered in liquid until thick. Think oatmeal or mush. Grits on its own tastes … well, bland. “It’s how you dress grits that matters,” explains Forrest Wright, café manager of PT’s at College Hill. “It can be dressed up in different ways to make it work.” Wright dresses his grits with peaches and whiskey. However, the most popular way to up the flavor is with cheese, as Ice and Olives’ David Scroggins does for his Perfect and Simple Cheese Grits. Truanna Nickel of Brickyard Barn Inn uses Parmesan cheese in his recipe, while Chef Alli not only mixes cheese in her grits, but also adds roasted green chiles, jalapenos and garlic. Here are their recipes—plus our own—to try at any meal. And remember, all these recipes are served best with a few chapters of this year’s Big Read—True Grit. Grits & Guns

If you are interested in firearms or the history of firearms, then you might want to consider going out to visit the Capital City Cowboys during their shooting practices. This group of enthusiasts—two of whom served as our “True Grits” models for this article—dresses in period-authentic costumes and targetshoots with period-authentic firearms. Visitors are welcome to watch and interact with the shooters. Meetings are held at the Capital City Gun Club range on the fourth Sunday of every month. Safety briefing begins at 9:30 a.m. Shooters should bring eye and ear protection. More information, directions, a photo gallery and contact details can be found at their website: capitalcitycowboys.org Models, from left, Shootin’ Newton (George Newton) and J. W. Hopkins (Allen Shelton)

Feeds:

4 people

Preparation Time:

90 minutes 90

Ingredients: (Note: For an authentic Topeka experience, local-source your foods. We used bratwurst from Farview Farms Meat Company, cider from Rees Fruit Farm, onion and cabbage from Meier’s Market, and cream and butter from Iwig Family Dairy.) 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 pound (4 sausages) bratwurst 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon sugar 1½ teaspoon kosher salt 1½ cup apple cider ½ teaspoon caraway seeds 1 bay leaf 1 medium cabbage, cut into 8 wedges 2 tablespoons cider vinegar Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Whole grain mustard, to taste For grits: 1½ cup low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup cream 2 tablespoons butter ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ½ cup quick-cooking (5-minute) grits Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions: 1. Place the oil into a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the bratwurst on both sides and then remove to a plate. Set aside. 2. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the butter, onion, sugar and salt. Sauté until the onion is golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. 3. Add the cider, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot, and then add the caraway seeds and bay leaf. Bring to just a simmer, and then add the bratwurst back to the pot. Add the cabbage wedges. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the cabbage is tender and the bratwurst fully cooked, about 60 minutes. Check from time to time to be sure the liquid has not completely evaporated. If the pot becomes too dry, add more cider. 4. Prepare the grits in the final 15-20 minutes of cooking time. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock, cream, butter and thyme to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer the grits until thick and tender, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 5. When the cabbage and sausage have just finished cooking, remove the lid and add the cider vinegar and black pepper. 6. To serve, divide the grits onto 4 dinner plates. Place a sausage and 2 wedges of cabbage on top of the grits. Serve with whole-grain mustard on the side.

Instructions:

Cowtown Cheese Grits

by Chef Alli of Chef Alliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farm Fresh Kitchen Feeds:

8 to 10 people + Preparation Time:

60 to 90 minutes, not including roasting 60

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees if using a glass baking dish). Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (or 10 x 12-inch cast-iron skillet) with nonstick spray and set aside. 2. In the bowl of a food processor, place roasted green chiles, jalapenos, cilantro and garlic; process until smooth and set aside. 3. To a large saucepan, add chicken broth and grits and combine well; bring grits to a simmer over medium high heat, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook, whisking often, while grits thicken. 4. When grits have thickened, remove from heat. Place eggs into a bowl and temper them by adding a small amount of hot grits; stir to combine. Add tempered eggs to the saucepan of grits and combine well; stir in butter, cheeses and the prepared chile-jalapeno-garlic mixture. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, then pour mixture into prepared baking dish. 5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, uncovered, until center is set. Let grits rest for 10 minutes before serving. Grits may have a cornbread appearance on top, but should be soft and silky on the inside.

How to Oven-Roast Green Chiles and Jalapenos: Ingredients: 4-5 roasted green chiles, skins removed (see roasting directions) 1-2 roasted jalapenos, skins removed (see roasting directions) 1 head roasted garlic (see roasting directions) Â˝ cup chopped cilantro 6 cups chicken broth 1 1/3 cup hominy grits 3 eggs, beaten Âž cup unsalted butter 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste

1. Cut chiles and jalapenos in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scrape out seeds and membranes. 2. Preheat oven broiler. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty foil and spray with nonstick spray. 3. Spread chiles and jalapenos cut-side-down across foil on baking sheet. 4. Place baking sheet under broiler, keeping a close eye on peppers as they will blister quickly. When peppers are blackened and blistered, remove from oven. Immediately pull foil up around peppers and close tightly to steam for 10 minutes. Open foil and rub peppers with fingers to remove blackened skin; it should slip off easily. Peppers are ready to use. How to Oven-Roast Garlic

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. With a sharp knife, slice off pointed head of garlic, exposing the ends of the cloves. Wrap garlic loosely in heavy foil and bake for approximately 50-55 minutes or until garlic head feels soft to the squeeze. Remove from oven and let cool completely. To use garlic, turn head over and squeeze gently to force out roasted cloves. Using a fork, mash cloves in a bowl until garlic forms a paste.

Perfect and Simple Cheese Grits

by David Scroggins from Ice and Olives Feeds:

4 to 6 people + Preparation Time:

15 minutes, 15

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter ¼ cup yellow onion, diced finely 1 garlic clove 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup chicken stock ½ cup five-minute grits ¾ cup shredded cheese (suggest sharp cheddar or pepper jack) Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Sauté onion with butter in medium-sized saucepan until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute before adding cream and stock. 2. Once stock and cream come to a light boil, whisk in grits. Turn heat down to low and stir occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes. 3. Gradually stir in cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Whiskey Peach Grits

by Forrest Wright of P T’s at College Hill Feeds:

4 to 6 people + Preparation Time:

30 minutes, 30

Ingredients: 1 cup water ½ cup grits 2/3 cup maple syrup 8 ounces whiskey of your choice ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 peach 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar ½ cup blueberries

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a simmer and whisk in grits and salt. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, add maple and whiskey in a large saucepan. Heat on high until it bubbles, and then reduce to medium heat for 5 minutes and sprinkle in black pepper. Store in fridge until cool. 3. Cut the peach into fourths. Melt butter in a skillet and add in peach. Sprinkle brown sugar on each side and allow the peach slices to caramelize on both sides. 4. Serve the caramelized peach slices on top of the grits. Add blueberries and drizzle with maple whiskey sauce.

Creamy Parmesan Grits

by Truanna Nickel of Brickyard Barn Inn Feeds:

6 to 8 people

Instructions: +

Preparation Time:

45-60 minutes 45

Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked regular grits 1¼ cup milk 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth 1 (10 ¾-ounce) can cream of celery soup 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring grits, milk and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in soup and next 3 ingredients. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish. 2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top evenly with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Serving suggestion:

For serving the grits with a bar concept, have little bowls of toppings for your guests to choose from and mix into their grits. These toppings could be crumbled bacon, chopped smoked salmon, lightly sautéed (in butter or olive oil) popcorn shrimp, grilled corn kernels, sundried tomato pesto, regular pesto, steamed petite peas, wasabi paste, sautéed onion, chopped green onion, or whatever your favorite might be.

S P to h r o y t o b g y r a M ph a y rsh b a y B He i n l r l y S G t o e f ph f e n s

Homecoming Seventy years after their largely unheralded return, area World War II veterans look back on their service and their reentry into civilian life World War II demanded sacrifices of all Americans, but none greater than those of the young men and women who served in the armed forces and were prepared to give all for their country. Many did, dying under foreign skies and losing the opportunity to grow old. Beginning in 1945, the veterans returned to build families and communities, homes and careers. These five area veterans share their experience of entering, surviving and never fully leaving the war behind.

Frank Galbraith, Navy Armed Guard Signalman Second Class Frank Galbraith and his girlfriend, Katherine, were driving home from a Sunday School Christmas party when they heard the radio announcement that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by Japan. The war would have an immediate impact on the lives of the young couple. By June, Frank was enlisted in the Navy. “I decided I’d rather be aboard a ship—take my chances there—than trying to dig a hole somewhere,” he says. He was assigned to the Armed Guard and trained in Chicago. During his leave in October 1942, he and Katherine were married. He returned to Brooklyn, New York, headquarters for Armed Guardsmen serving in the Atlantic. Safe transportation of troops, munitions and supplies was essential to the war effort. The Armed Guard consisted of gunners, signalmen and radio operators who protected 6,236 merchant ships in convoys traveling so slow they were sitting ducks for German submarines. The duty was hazardous; casualty rates among the Armed Guard were equal to those of front-line combat troops. His first trip aboard the Ann Skakel as part of a huge 64-ship convoy from New York in January and February of 1943 put him in the middle of attacks. Eleven ships, including one transporting troops, were torpedoed by German U-boats in frigid waters where survival was measured in minutes. That fierce introduction to naval combat led Galbraith to question whether he would survive the war. During that three-week trip, he wasn’t allowed to shower, change his clothes or undress for sleep because he was on 24-hour call. “You survive all that,” he says, “without doing any of those things.” Galbraith served on five ships carrying cargo—mostly munitions—in multiple slow convoys to the Arctic, various European cities and the Panama Canal. By war’s end, he was serving on ships bringing soldiers home from Europe. He was released from service in October 1945. In Topeka, Katherine Galbraith waited most of the night at the depot for the train that brought her husband home at 5:30 a.m. The couple breakfasted at a waffle house, then visited his mother. When the stores opened that morning, Galbraith bought two suits at Palace Clothing and rejoined the civilian population. The young veteran immediately picked up on his interrupted education. He earned his GED and used the GI Bill to attain a business degree at Washburn University. He finished a four-year course in two years and nine months, while working part-time at the police station’s traffic office. “I would have wanted to go to college,” he says, “but, without the GI Bill, I couldn’t have afforded it.” After graduating, Galbraith was immediately hired by Capitol Federal, but he took his family on a two-week vacation to Albuquerque and Mexico before going to work. He would retire from Capitol Federal as vice president after 34 years. Contemplating his wartime experiences, Frank Galbraith says, “Many made the supreme sacrifice, so I don’t want anybody to ever think I was a hero. I was a simple serviceman doing my job, and I was one of the lucky ones who came home.”

“I decided I’d rather be aboard a ship…”

Nancy Pollock, Navy WAVES Specialist (Gunnery) Second Class Nancy Pollock was a student at the University of Michigan when she was recruited in 1944 to join the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Even though she was 20, the government forced her and other female volunteers to obtain parental permission. In June 1944, a week after D-Day, Pollock was sent to boot camp at Hunter College in New York. “I was in charge of mopping floors, probably because I had two years of college. Or maybe because I was tall—5 feet, 7-and-a-half inches.” After boot camp and a series of aptitude tests that showed she should be a teacher, Pollock was sent to Pensacola, Florida, for 10week gunnery training, where she was outfitted in men’s jeans and a chambray shirt. She had never shot a gun, but soon learned to shoot pistols, rifles, shotguns and even a machine gun. “Machine guns used too many shells, so shotguns were often mounted on machine gun frames for practice,” she says. “We shot a lot of skeet.” Barred from combat, the WAVES’ mission was to fill stateside jobs that could free up men for fighting, as indicated by the lines of the tune “Waves of the Navy.” Carry on for that gallant ship, And for every hero brave, Who will find ashore, his man-sized chore, Was done by a Navy WAVE. At the Naval Air Station in Atlantic City, Pollock’s “man-sized chore” placed her at a “gunairstructor,” a large device much like an arcade game, to teach fighter pilots how to aim their guns to shoot down enemy planes. The pilot sat in a mock-up of a cockpit, while Pollock sat in front at a lower level. She flew a target plane on a screen realistically depicting sea and sky. Not all pilots, she recalls, were receptive to being trained by a woman. And her service was little acknowledged at the end of the war. “There wasn’t any fanfare when I came home on the train. Maybe the small towns were that way, but not my town of 47,000. There wasn’t that much communication then; if you wanted to make a call announcing your arrival, you had to find a pay phone and have the right change.” She lived at home and attended Almira College on the GI Bill. After graduating, she married an Air Corps veteran. “Our mothers fixed us up on a blind date,” she says. His career brought the family to Kansas. Pollock is one link in a chain of family members who served their country. Her grandfather was adjutant general in New York under Teddy Roosevelt, her father was a lieutenant in World War I, a grandson flew helicopters in Iraq, another is a Navy commander, and a grandson-in-law is a major in the National Guard. Reminiscing about her service in the WAVES, Pollock says, “I never regretted it, and I felt like I was doing something to help the war effort. I had a good time. It had its ups and downs like any job; there were good days and bad days, but I don’t feel like I sacrificed anything.”

“We shot a lot of skeet.”

“It was kind of a game, until I saw my first dead Marine.”

Jim Freel, USMC Private First Class Going into his senior year at Topeka High School in 1940, Jim Freel knew he could find guaranteed employment with Uncle Sam. The government had instituted the first peacetime draft in September 1940, and Freel enlisted in the Marines as soon as he graduated in 1941. He worked civilian jobs—including a six-month stint at Sunflower Ordnance Works near Eudora— while waiting to be called to duty. His brother Billy, younger by 14 months, joined the Marines at 17 with their parents’ permission. By then, America had declared war. Leaving boot camp, Freel was sent to New Caledonia and fought at Bougainville, New Guinea, attached to the Third Marine Division as a paratrooper. “I made an extra $50 a month, but I never jumped in combat. We went in on landing craft. We used to tease the Navy about it; they’d take us over there in little boats, let us off, then run away with the boats so we had to fight.” Prior to that battle, Freel had no conception of the horrors of war.

“It was kind of a game,” he said, “until I saw my first dead Marine.” He would see more as his unit went on to fight in Iwo Jima. Beginning in February 1945, the 36-day battle brought tremendous losses. Americans suffered 26,000 casualties, with 7,000 killed at Iwo Jima. It was estimated that the Japanese suffered three times as many deaths. Only four Marines from Freel’s 200-man company that participated in the invasion escaped being wounded or killed. Their orders were to circumvent the island, turn left and take Mount Suribachi. Freel made it three-quarters of the way across the island when mortar shrapnel hit him in the back of his head. He was hospitalized in Corvallis, Oregon, then hitchhiked to Topeka on leave and was with his family when they received the telegram notification that brother Billy, 21 plus three days, had been killed on Okinawa. Freel was still hospitalized when the Japanese surrendered three months later. He often thought about the casualties that would have resulted if the Allies had

needed to invade Japan, and he concurs with many observers from the time that the Japanese would have put up fierce resistance. “They were fanatics, but they were good soldiers.” His hitch with the Marines lasted until 1947. “Most available jobs were filled when I returned home, so I applied at many places and the Topeka Police Department was the first to call.” Freel loved the job; he rose through the ranks and served as police chief for two years before retiring in 1975. He worked 20 additional years in California as a government special agent in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section. Jim Freel enjoys reunions and gatherings with those who shared and understand his wartime experiences. “One of the reasons the guys from World War II didn’t talk publicly about it, particularly the ones who saw the most combat—they couldn’t without tearing up. And I always felt if they were talking and bragging about the glory of war, they just weren’t there.”

Alejandro Munoz, Army Ranger Private First Class

in memoriam: alejandro munoz passed away in october, 2014. We INCLUDE THIS SECTION WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND BLESSING OF HIS FAMILY.

Alejandro Munoz, a skinny 17-year-old kid desperate to escape discrimination against Mexican-Americans in 1943 Topeka, begged his mother to sign papers allowing him to join the military. Fearful for his safety, she refused, but Munoz managed to join the army shortly before his 18th birthday. He was shipped to England, where the Rangers were recruiting. When asked by an officer why he thought he could be a Ranger, Munoz answered, “Mexicans have a reputation for being good with a knife.” The officer pasted up a target and tossed Munoz a knife, which he immediately threw, just missing the officer’s ear but hitting the bull’s-eye. Munoz later admitted, “It was luck. I never threw a knife in my life.” But the young soldier went on to perform equally well with a gun. He joined an elite group: Of 16 million Americans in uniform during World War II, only 7,000 were Rangers. Known as “spearheaders” for leading invasions, Rangers tackled dangerous assignments, often infiltrating through enemy lines. Soon he was in combat. “I found myself in a shooting war. I kept thinking, ‘I’m a Ranger,’” Munoz said. “But you’re not really a Ranger until you earn that patch.” He would earn that patch. Munoz volunteered to be a radioman and, when his heavy radio was shot and destroyed, he carried a wounded soldier. “He never said a word. I carried him around my shoulders for a long time only to discover that I was carrying a dead man. But I wouldn’t have left him anyway.” Munoz found little discrimination in the army. “Only one sergeant took a dislike to me, and another sergeant threatened to fight him, saying: ‘I’m your size. Fight me.’ I told that sergeant I could handle it, and he told me to ‘shut up.’ So I did.” When Munoz suffered a head wound in action, he refused to accept military honors because he did not want his mother to know he was injured. After victory in Europe, he volunteered to serve with the 6th Rangers, still fighting in the Pacific. He made it only to California, where he was hospitalized at Letterman Army Hospital for two years with debilitating headaches from his previous injury. It was here that he encountered Army Gen. Joe Stillwell, who had led Allied forces in Burma. “I met him once coming down the hall. He asked, ‘Are you the Ranger?’ I replied that I was, and he said, ‘Good job!’” Munoz would leave the hospital and go on to enroll in college on the GI Bill and spend his working life in club management. He and his wife, Lupe, had four sons and would have been celebrating their 63rd anniversary this winter. Reflecting on his World War II service, Ranger Alejandro Munoz emphatically declared that he was not a hero, saying simply, “I fought for my country.” And he smiled as he remembered his quiet homecoming. “No one met me at the depot. They didn’t know I was coming home until I walked in the door. My mother cried and wouldn’t let go of me.”

“They didn’t know I was coming home until I walked in the door.”

Nolan McKenzie, USAAF Captain Graduating from Kansas State University with a B.S. in agricultural economics in May 1941, Nolan McKenzie was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry, U.S. Army Reserve, immediately upon graduation. He was ordered to active duty a month later, eventually ending up at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, and was touring government sites in Washington, D.C., when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. “Military Police vehicles with speakers alerted all service personnel to quarters immediately,” he recalls. McKenzie completed various Army schools before returning to Fort Sam Houston and being promoted to first lieutenant after one year of duty. It was there that his 1940 Chevrolet convertible was borrowed for the war effort, as McKenzie recorded in his diary. President Roosevelt had flown secretly to Fort Sam to have formal inspection of the Second Division. My car was carrying G-men guards—standing in open car—and was first car in parade behind the convertible carrying FDR.

“And, if you were lucky, you survived.” 54

In 1943, he married Lois Watson, a flight nurse in the U.S. Army Air Force, and was then soon transferred to the USAAF to begin basic flight training. “The Air Force was really looking for some 24-, 25-year-old people with a little more maturity to run the bombers and transports,” he explains, “because they had all the 18- and 19-year-old fighter pilots they needed. So they took me and a few other officers, who had to go completely through pilot training.” Eight months after their marriage, Lois was reported missing in action after her plane crash-landed in Nazi-held territory. Trapped behind enemy lines for months, Lois and the other nurses, medics and flight crew of the medical evacuation aircraft were eventually rescued. A book published in 2013, The Secret Rescue, chronicles their story. McKenzie worked his way up, piloting increasingly larger airplanes, and was sent to Liberal Army Air Field in Kansas for B-24 heavy-bomber training. In July 1944, he and his crew received top-secret orders assigning them to the 512th Squadron of the 376th Heavy Bombardment Group, which would soon move its base from North Africa to Allied-occupied Italy. McKenzie led his crew into his first combat mission on August 27 and his fifth mission a week later, qualifying him for the Air Medal. The bombardment crews primarily targeted enemy airfields, refineries, rail centers and bridges—infrastructure vital to the Nazi defense, and objects that were heavily defended. McKenzie says he and his crew would depart on each mission assuming it could be their last. “In early ’44, only 43 percent of the people who went into combat and flew their bombing missions made it all the way through,” he says. “The bombardier flew the plane on the three-minute bomb run. The rest of us were relieved when he said, ‘Bombs away!’” In all, McKenzie completed 50 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He remembers his return as a series of small homecomings and errands—perhaps visiting his parents on their farm in Solomon, and picking up his convertible from his sister in Effingham. All of these daily details were overshadowed by historic developments across the globe while he was still stateside on a 30-day leave—the announcement that an atomic bomb had been dropped on Japan, and then Japan’s surrender. Home for good, McKenzie completed his master’s degree at K-State and worked in finance and securities. He remarried after Lois died. Looking back on the air war’s heavy losses against German radar and 88mm antiaircraft guns, which were accurate to five miles, McKenzie commented about his crew’s entrance into the war: “We were just replacements taking the place of somebody who was already gone. And, if you were lucky, you survived.”

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