We’re going where the wind is blowing

December 13, 2019

A. Stevens et al., via The Amarna Project and Antiquity Publications, 2019

By Jamelle Bouie

Opinion Columnist

I’m afraid I don’t have any interesting observations or takes for this week’s newsletter. There are weeks when I’m just at a loss for ideas and despite all the activity in Washington (and abroad), and this is one of them. And so, instead of a take, I’m going to provide a few more links for you to read. I hope you enjoy them.

What I Wrote

I wrote on why Democrats should keep impeachment going as long as possible.

Pelosi wants to get to the bottom of the president’s wrongdoing and she wants to protect her moderate members. But a quick, narrow impeachment isn’t the way to go. On the substance, there’s still a lot to learn about the president’s behaviors, hints of corruption and illegality that should be pursued. And on the politics, the fate of the House majority — and the fate of the eventual Democratic nominee’s presidential campaign — rests more on the national political environment than the particulars of each swing congressional district. Individual Democrats might have run on health care in 2018 and other “kitchen table” issues, but it was anti-Trump energy that put these districts within reach, and it will be anti-Trump energy that drives the outcome next year. If the president is unpopular — if he’s mired in controversy — Democrats will likely win. If it’s the reverse, if Trump can overcome scandal and recover ground with some voters, he’ll win re-election. And those vulnerable House Democrats? They’ll lose, along with the party’s nominee.

Now Reading

Eric Foner on George Washington in The London Review of Books.

Amanda Mull on the problem with free shipping in The Atlantic.

John Ganz on Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” in The Outline.

Verlyn Klinkenborg on dinosaurs in The New York Review of Books.

Rebecca Traister on authenticity and honesty in New York magazine.

William Davies on “pain” and conservative politics in The London Review of Books.

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Feedback

If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please consider recommending it to friends. They can sign up here. If you want to share your thoughts on an item in this week’s newsletter or on the newsletter in general, please email me at jamelle-newsletter@nytimes.com.

Photo of the Week

The remnants of a house, somewhere in Albemarle County, Va.Jamelle Bouie

I finally developed and scanned my film from last week, and of all of the exposures, this is my favorite. It’s the remnants of a chimney in the woods outside Charlottesville, Va., that I took on a cold, rainy day. There was a real “Blair Witch” vibe, which I tried to enhance by taking the picture from close to the ground, so that I’m looking up at the chimney as if I had just stumbled onto the scene.

I used an old Yashica medium-format camera and Kodak color film.

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Now Eating: Salmon Fried Rice

I’m out of town at the moment but the first thing I plan to do when I get home is collect the ingredients for this recipe, which comes from The New York Times’s Cooking section.

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) skinless salmon fillet
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
1 bunch broccolini (about 8 ounces), trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch thin asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups cooked brown rice (preferably short-grain)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
Hot sauce or chile-garlic sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

Slice the salmon down the middle lengthwise into 2 pieces. Slice against the grain into roughly ¼-inch-thick slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the salmon in a single layer and cook just until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add ginger, garlic and the scallion whites and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broccolini, asparagus and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to another plate.

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Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pan and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the rice, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice starts to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, push the rice to one side of the skillet and add the eggs to the empty side. Let sit until eggs are just starting to set around the edges, then gently scramble just until set, 1 to 2 minutes.

Return the vegetables and most of the reserved scallion greens to the skillet and toss until warmed. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Gently fold in the reserved salmon and serve immediately. Top with remaining scallion greens and serve with hot sauce or chile-garlic sauce, if desired.

IN THE TIMES