Scrubbing our windows clean

and a recipe for wine-braised chicken that’s worth turning the oven on for

When was the last time you hung out with a group of strangers?

Even as we take a measured approach to shaking off the shackles of restraint, full offices and full planes, social gatherings, fundraisers and conferences are coming back with a vengeance. It can seem overwhelming at times, a tough navigation we used to do with ease, no GPS required.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that our connecting skills have become a bit rusty. After all, our circles became microscopic as we stayed close to near and dear ones, and made calculated choices about who we spent time with. Casual connections fell away and peripheral friendships evaporated. But while we may have gotten clearer about who and what we value, maybe we’ve also lost something important along the way.

I’ve written before about why “weak ties” are important, and how creating a vibrant social community is beneficial for our health and well-being. But I think there’s another important reason we need to up the ante on getting to know strangers.

The art of conversation

Conversation is civilized speech. It is more purposeful than chatter; more humane than gossip; more intimate than debate. But it is an elusive ideal.

John Armstrong, in The Conversation

A friend recently said that she’s through with going to fundraisers and sitting with a table of strangers. “I’d rather buy the whole table and have a great evening with friends while supporting a cause,” she explained. “I don’t have the energy for small talk anymore. And I certainly don’t need new friends.”

I get it. All of us have been in situations where we’ve spent time with people we don’t know, and even harder, don’t have a whole lot in common with. It can be a struggle to find common ground through casual conversation. And we’re much more likely to make assumptions about people based on extraneous facts that really are only data points and not the person: where they are from, what they do for a living, how they are dressed.

What’s made this even harder is how entrenched we’ve become in our belief systems. With so much strife and division around us, we’ve hunkered down into our comfort zones, reading news that supports our worldview, seeking out others that believe what we do, support what we say and are enthusiastic cheerleaders for our ideas.

As John Armstrong points out in this excellent article: …the worth of a truth, the significance of an idea, the power of a belief, depends on the inner life of the person who holds it. And if we do not know about that inner life, we do not really know that idea. How often, really, do we appreciate why someone thinks as they do?

Look, the next time you meet a stranger you may not get to that inner life. Not every situation will be one where we can go to a deeper level. But I do believe it’s important to seek out moments where we are engaging with curiosity, being open, seeking understanding and not affirmation. True conversation is not a debate to be won, but an opportunity to connect.

Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.

Alan Alda

With so much in turmoil around us, it’s easy to retreat to our corner. When we step out, we have an opportunity to learn not only about others, but importantly, about ourselves. In the process, we may be challenged to understand where our own beliefs come from, challenge our assumptions and shine a light on a different perspective. And isn’t finding common ground something we could all use a little more of these days?

Wine-braised chicken with orange and olives

Melissa Clark, Dinner in French

serves four to six

At this time of year I can eat pretty much nothing but tomatoes, corn, eggplant, peaches and be content. Newspapers are full of no-cook, oven-off recipes and easy is the watchword for dinner.

But with all that, can I persuade you to turn on the oven for this delicious one-pan chicken dinner? It’s perfect for causal entertaining or to eat over two or three days with different seasonsal sides. This version from Melissa Clark is a riff on any one of dozens of recipes you can find for this classic French dish. Switch out lemons for the orange, use mushrooms, try grapes - the possibilities are endless.

Make ahead: The dish can be prepared in stages and over a couple of days. Marinate the chicken on day one. On day two, you can brown the chicken pieces in the morning and cook later in the day. The dish can be fully cooked up to 1 day in advance of serving; cool and then refrigerate. Reheat covered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes; if there isn’t sufficient sauce, add a tablespoon or two of chicken broth before putting in oven.

Ingredients

1 navel orange

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 large garlic clove, minced or grated

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

4 skin-on chicken drum sticks

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, cut into thin slices, rinsed in cold water and drained

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes

⅓ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

⅓ cup sliced pitted green olives or small pitted green olives left whole

Fresh lemon juice, optional

1. Grate the orange and put the zest in a large bowl. Juice the orange and refrigerate until needed.

2. Add the salt, garlic, allspice, mace, coriander, pepper, thyme sprigs and bay leaf in the bowl with the orange zest; stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces and rub all over with rub mixture. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.

3. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or high sided 12 inch oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry without removing the rub mixture and reserve any leftover juices, including thyme and bay leaf. Add chicken pieces skin side down to the pot in a single layer (if they won’t fit, cook them in 2 batches). Cook until lightly browned on all sides, turning every 5 minutes, for a total of 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

4. Stir the leeks into the chicken drippings in the pot, adding more oil if the pot seems dry. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, reserved orange juice, and any reserved marinade with the thyme and the bay leaf. Nestle chicken back into the pot, skin up, along with any accumulated juices, into pot, cover, and bake 35 minutes.

5. Increase temperature to 450 degrees. Remove the pot and spoon the juices over the chicken, and then scatter the olives over the chicken. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings, adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if the sauce seems flat.

6. Serve the sauce over the chicken and serve alongside crusty bread.