Your new 2012 Diversity Team members have arrived, and we are excited to get to know you!

Team Leader, Angela Battle:  Hi!  My name is Angela Battle and I have been with the University of Washington since January 2011, working in the Business Diversity Program within the Strategy Management Department.  This is my first time on the Diversity Team and is very excited to be a part of this group!

Robin Brooks:  Hi!  My name is Robin Brooks and I work as a Budget Fiscal Analyst in Grants and Contracts Accounting.  I have been with GCA for almost two years now and I am very excited to be serving as the treasurer for this year’s FM Diversity Team!

Elsie Cabanilla: Kumusta (meaning "hello" in Tagalog).  My name is Elsie Cabanilla and I am a Program Coordinator at Student Fiscal Services. I was born and raised in south Seattle. I graduated from UW last spring and my favorite color is purple. GO HUSKIES! I LOVE to eat a lot. I'm not a picky eater so I enjoy all kinds of food.  I'm very excited to be part Diversity Team and can't wait for every to see what we have planned for this year.  

Hannah Coache:  Hello everyone!  My name is Hannah and I work in Grants and Contracts Accounting.  I am originally from Massachusetts and I have been at the UW for just over a year now.  I love living here in the great Pacific Northwest, I am happy to be a part of the UW community, and I am so excited about serving as the editor of the Diversity Connections Newsletter!  It's going to be a great year!

Stephanie McCarthy:  Hey!  I am Stephanie and I work in Banking & Accounting Operations here at the UW.  My favorite activities outside of work include baking, cooking, and running, and I am very excited to be working on this year’s FM Diversity Team!

Dao Nguyen:  Hi, my name is Dao Nguyen.  I have worked in the Creative Communications Department for 6 years.  I’m really happy to be a part of the Diversity Team and am particularly excited to be a part of the Mentoring Program.  I love meeting new people and making new friends!

 Vanessa Posadas:  My name is Vanessa Posadas and I work in Payroll.  I’ve grown up in Washington for most of my life, but I have traveled abroad, as well as across the country.  My parents worked in healthcare, and have lots of diverse friends, exposing me to people from all walks of life, with various religions, ages, cultures, etc.  I’m always thinking about the next time I can go to a beach, I love learning how to do any type of dance or acting, and I like cake.  

Stephanie McCarthy

Diversity and culture has been ingrained in Stephanie McCarthy since she was young. Living in Illinois, her mom taught ESL to children at the YWCA which allowed for Stephanie to go to preschool at the YWCA while her mom was teaching during the day. It was a very mixed ethnicity preschool class- In fact, it was Stephanie who stood out as the minority. 

Growing up, it was very normal for her to be surrounded by people who looked, talked or acted different. At the age of 9, Stephanie's mom moved her and her brother to Washington State for a whole new introduction to differences and diversity. They packed their car full of their possessions and drove half way across the country. A few months later, her mom met and soon married a refugee from Iraq. While she was used to encountering different cultures, being thrust into a completely different religious and ethnic culture was a bit challenging. "We had our differences, that is for sure, but we learned to develop a middle ground and establish a respect for the differences and an appreciation for what they had to offer." It definitely was not easy. Going to parties where the men were in one room and the children and women were secluded to another was often difficult, especially when there was a language barrier. Sitting in a room for hours and not being able to communicate left her feeling so different and left out, to the point which was often painful, bringing her to tears. One of the ways in which the two groups were able to break down the communication barrier was not through words at all, but rather through food. During gatherings, many of the women would cook together and she was taught many traditional middle eastern dishes, and even began picking up the language-- and all of this through the shared joy of cooking. Even today, she truly believes that her ever-present passion for cooking and baking is rooted in those quiet but meaninful encounters. 

Due to some family issues during her senior year in high school, she moved out and lived with her friend's family, who happened to be Jewish. It was yet another great learning experience for her, but it also had its challenging moments. As Stephanie already knew, diversity comes in many forms; socio-economic differences can often bring similar feelings of uneasiness, as those that can spring out of cultural or religious differences. The family happened to be much more economically stable than Stephanie was accustommed to, and this surprisingly left her with an uncomfortable feeling of being too dissimilar.  However, the family was both loving and welcoming, which allowed for some of those feelings to diminish over time and provided a space for finding those similarities that would help to close the disconnect. 

After all the unique experiences she feels fortunate enough to have been part of, Stephanie posses a profound understanding of culture and a deep respect for the differences that may be present in lives of others.  

"All of these rewarding experiences have brought several ideas and perspecitives into my life, I am grateful for all of them and wouldn’t change a single one as they have shaped my identity today."

Today, she works in Banking & Accounting Operations, has a deep passion for cooking and baking, runs marathons in her spare time, and loves the color pink more than Barbie herself!

As we here at the Diversity Team begin a new and exciting year, we would also like to extend a special welcome to all the new staff members who have joined Financial Management in 2012... Welcome!  We are thrilled to have you onboard!

Grants and Contracts Accounting

Patricia Taylor, Budget Fiscal Analyst

Wendy Weng, Budget Fiscal Analyst

Phuong Nguyen, Grant Analyst

Ann Cronin, Budget Fiscal Analyst

Deepor Shahchartsiri, Budget Fiscal Analyst 

Student Fiscal Services

Katie Anderson, Loan Advisor

Ellie White, Budget Fiscal Analyst 

Banking & Accounting Operations / Cash Management

Sarah Garland, Manager

Travel Office

 Rahima Carpenter, Fiscal Specialist II

It’s a Hit!!

By David Wright

 On Wednesday, February 22nd, Financial Management/Strategy Management was treated to some wonderful performances in the always popular FM/SM Talent Show at the Ethnic Cultural Theater. This was the final event sponsored by the 2011 Diversity Team, comprised of Jaeson Albritton (leader), Heidi Schwab, Shawna Litterski, Carolyn Drebert, Cathy Sleipnes, Lina Nguyen, Ric Edmondson, Marion Benner, Elise Glassman (facilitator), and oh my gosh, they certainly went out with a bang.

 The show had a wonderful variety of acts that truly displayed the uniqueness of our organization in this celebration of diversity. What made this show particularly enriching was how the performers were able to connect with the audience by providing some background to their music, making their performances even more meaningful.  

Bill Christensen & John Whitney lead off with a 3 song tribute to Huddie William Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly, signifying their passion for the roots of rock & roll. Their presentation of his music was moving in how they demonstrated Leadbelly’s rightful place as the foundation of so much of the music we hear today.

Ann Anderson then did a beautiful piano sonata of Mendelssohn’s “Scherzo” that was truly outstanding with its complex and delicate movements that would transition into a shockingly powerful pounding of the keys bringing the piece to a crescendo, and then once again, reverting to the beautiful flow of its melody. Later in the show after an intermission that included a delightful assortment of complimentary refreshments, Ann also did a solo vocal performance of “Bring Him Home” written by Claude-Michel Schonberg from “Les Miserables” that required a velvet like softness to her deeply rich vocalization. It too was beautifully done.

I should also mention that the intermission included a surprise duo, Dan Druliner and his son Max doing a kid song about science. Max was great; he exhibited no signs of stage fright and had the audience laughing with his antics, and dad wasn’t so bad either. 

Sandwiched between Ann’s musical numbers, Kari Le and her brother Thanh did a lovely Vietnamese folksong, and later in the show, Kate Lynch was absolutely dynamic on the Taiko drum doing “Kaminari” which translates into lightning, written by Stan Shikuma & Lika Roberts and arranged by Kate Lynch. And wasn’t it appropriate for Michael DeShazo to do his own arrangement of “LEAN on Me” with all of the LEAN projects in GCA. And as usual with Michael, the audience was held in rapture with his performance as he led their participation in the extended sing along version of the old Bill Withers classic.

The show finished on sweet and adorably amusing note with a traditional Indian dance performed by Najia Tariq and her reluctant 3 year old niece. When it was apparent that her niece was too fascinated by Najia’s dress and the theater surroundings to dance, Najia bravely picked up the microphone, saying she’s “never done this before” but would like to sing one of her favorite Indian songs for us, and she did so, quite commendably.

Women Who Rock -Brown Bag

April 2^nd, Monday

11:30am-12:30pm

Gerberding Room 142

Hosted by the 2012 Diversity Team

Please join us as our three guest speakers, UW faculty members Michelle Habell-Pallán, Sonnet Retman, and Angelica Macklin, share their experiences as organizers of the “(un)conference,” a gathering which celebrated and looked at music in the US from the viewpoint of women.  The "(un)conference," which was held March 2-3, was part of the Women Who Rock Research Project which brought together "academics, students, educators, musicians and activists in project-based scholarship that explores: the politics of performance, social identity and material access in music scenes, cultures, and industries.” 

And take a look at some of the other fabulous events and opportunities taking place here on our campus in the coming months...

MARCH

PCC Tastings: Turkish Cuisine with Sureyya Gokeri
Saturday, March 24, 2012 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Where: Burke Museum, University of Washington Campus
Description:Thanks to support from our sponsor, PCC Natural Markets. Turkish food is a unique blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, offering an abundance of locally produced fresh foods due to a pleasant climate and rich soil. Join PCC chef, Sureyya Gokeri for quick cooking techniques and her vast knowledge of these healthy ingredients. Tastings are scheduled at 11 am and 1 pm and include recipe demonstrations as well as sample bites of the featured cuisine. Seating is limited.
http://www.burkemuseum.org/events/browse/pcc_tastings_turkish_cuisine_with_sureyya_gokeri
Sponsor:The Burke Museum
Phone: 206-543-5590

18th Biennial Conference on Balkan and South Slavic Linguistics, Literature, and Folklore
Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:15 AM - Sat, March 31, 2012 6:00 PM
Where: University of Washington Club
Description:Showcases research in Slavic (Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovene, Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian), Romance (Dacoromanian, Aromanian, Meglenoromanian, Judezmo), Greek, Albanian, Romani, and Turkic (Turkish and Gagauz) languages, literature, and folklore.
http://depts.washington.edu/slavweb/18BSSLLF/index.php
Sponsor: Slavic Languages & Literatures, REECAS, Simpson Center for the Humanities, Linguistics, Comparative Literature
Phone: 206-543-6848
E-mail: slavicll@uw.edu

Traditional Northwest Native Foods and Diets
Saturday, March 31, 2012 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Burke Museum, University of Washington Campus
Description:Teachers from the Northwest Indian College will join members of local tribes to present activities, food walks, and talks illuminating the resurgent interest in traditional Native American diets. This event will include demonstrations of traditional foods, plant medicines, basketry, cordage, netting, and tool-making, as well as recipes for a wild green salad, acorn bread, and crab apple butter. Learn how this varied and tasty cuisine is providing healthy alternatives for Native people today.
http://www.burkemuseum.org/events/browse/traditional_northwest_native_foods_and_diets
Sponsor: The Burke Museum
Phone: 206-543-5590

APRIL

Poems for Libya, and a Conversation
Monday, April 2, 2012 7:00 PM
Where: Savery 260
Description: Khaled Mattawa is the author of four books of poetry, most recently Tocqueville (2010), and the translator of nine volumes of contemporary Arabic poetry. He is the recipient of the 2010 Academy of American Poets Fellowship Prize and a Ford/United States artist for 2011.
http://depts.washington.edu/nelc/events.html
Sponsor:Near Eastern Languages & Civilization
Phone: 206-543-6033

AFSP Out of the Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk at UW
Saturday, April 14, 2012 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Denny Field
Description: A group of UW students is bringing the first ever Out of the Darkness Walk to the UW campus! All proceeds from the event go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for suicide awareness and prevention efforts. Event starts at 10 a.m., registration at 9 a.m. Registration is FREE, sign up today! Donations accepted until June 30.
http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&...
Sponsor: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture
Monday, April 19, 2012 5:00 PM
Where: Reception- Odegaard 220 / Lecture- Kane Hall 110
Description: Named in honor of the University of Washington's first Vice President for the Office of Minority Affairs (1970), the annual Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture is dedicated to acknowledging the work of our distinguished faculty by spotlighting nationally recognized research focusing on diversity and social justice.
http://depts.washington.edu/omad/event/samuel-e-kelly-distinguished-facu...

Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana Lu'au
Saturday, April 21, 2012 5:30 PM - 11:00 PM
Where: Kane Hall, Room 130
Description: This event is a celebration of Hawaiian culture. It includes a traditional Hawaiian dinner, a store to buy Hawaii souvenirs, a hula & Tahitian dance performance, as well as a reggae concert to conclude.
http://students.washington.edu/ohanauw/service.html
Sponsor: RSO: Hui Hoaloha 'Ulana
Email: ohanauw@uw.edu

First Nations @ University of Washington 41st Annual Spring Powwow
Friday, April 20, 2012 - Sun, April 22, 2012
Where: Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Ed Pavillion
Description: The Powwow is the largest student-run event on campus, attracting more than 8,000 people annually. Held by ASUW's American Indian Student Commission and First Nations UW, it includes competitions with prizes for best dancer and best drummer. Many tribes from the region are represented at the event, and artisans are present to sell their works. Grand Entry Times: Friday 7pm, Saturday 1pm and 7pm, Sunday 1pm.
http://students.washington.edu/fnuw/powwow/
Sponsor: First Nations UW
Phone: 206-543-9082

Stroum Lecture Series 2012: The Emerging Identities of Younger American Jews
Monday, April 23, 2012 7:30 PM - Wed, April 25, 2012 9:00 PM
Where: Kane Hall 220
Description: April 23; Jews in the Borderland: The Complicated Fluid, and Episodic Nature of Jewish Identity (for some) Today April 25: Devotion, Distancing, and Disloyalty: The Diversity and Complexity of American JewsÂ’ Relationship with Israel Today Jews now in their 20s and 30s have been developing ways of being Jewish that continue the patterns of their parents Â’ generation and depart from them as well.
Sponsor: Jewish Studies Program
Phone: 206-543-4835 Ms. Jennifer Cohen, Assistant Director
jencohen@uw.edu

Ethnomusicology Visiting Artists Concert: Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader: Music of Afghanistan
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 7:30 PM
Where: Meany Theater
Description: Homayoun Sakhi is a virtuoso performer of the rabāb (short-necked lute) and heir to a musical lineage that began in the 1860s. In this special guest artist concert, Homayoun Sakhi performs Afghan traditional music and innovative new works on the rabāb joined by noted percussionist Salar Nader, tabla.
Admission is $20 for the general public and $12 for students and seniors
http://www.music.washington.edu
Sponsor: University of Washington School of Music

MAY

New Books in Print - The War Machines: Young Men and Violence in Sierra Leone and Liberia
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Where: Communications 202
Description: The New Books in Print series provides opportunities for UW scholars to discus their recent publications. In "The War Machines," Danny Hoffman considers how young men are made available for violent labor on battlefields and in the diamond mines, rubber plantations, and other unregulated industries of West Africa.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/programs/lecture-series/new-books-print...
Sponsor: Simpson Center for the Humanities
Phone: 206-543-3920

Queering the Art Museum
Friday, May 11, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Henry Art Gallery
Description: Join Jonathan Katz, co-curator of "Hide and Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture and Art, AIDS, America" and Rock Hushka, Director of Curatorial Administration at the Tacoma Art Museum, co-curator of "Art, AIDS, America" for a conversation that will address their work including queer perspectives in museum exhibitions and programs. Part of the “Queering the Art Museum” symposium.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/calendar/calendar?y=2012&m=5&d=11&e=14465
Sponsor:Simpson Center for the Humanities
Phone: 206-543-3920

...and to find more great events here on campus and in the greater UW community, don't forget to check out the official UW events calendar: http://www.washington.edu/discover/visit/uw-events

This spring we celebrate many holidays and observances, among them...

March

This month is Women’s History Month, Irish American Heritage Month, and Greek American Heritage Month

March 8th, celebrate the acheivements, advancement, and power of women on International Women's Day!  March 15th, 'Beware The Ides of March'!  March 17th-- feeling lucky? Wear something green for St. Patrick's Day!  March 30th, get out there and celebrate 'Take a Walk in the Park Day'...

April

This month is Arab American Heritage Month, Scottish American Heritage Month, and National Volunteer Month

April 1st, play a practical joke on April Fool's Day!  On April 7th, people of the Jewish faith will observe the Passover, or 'Pasach'.  On April 8th, Christains all over the world will celebrate Easter.  April 22nd --make an effort to be green-- clean up your local park or plant a tree in honor of Earth Day!  And on April 25th, celebrate your favorite administrator on Administrative Professionals Day!

May

This month is South Asian Heritage Month, Haitian Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and Jewish American Heritage Month

May 5th, plan a fiesta for Cinco de Mayo! May 13th, show your mom you love her on Mother's Day! May 19th, honor all of those who serve on Armed Forces Day. And May 28th, take time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our nation this Memorial Day.

...Did you know?

 March 8^th 2012 marked the 101^st annual International Women’s Day, also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace

After Women's Suffrage was enacted in the State of Washington in 1910, Washington’s first women legislators were elected in 1912 and served in the 1913 State Legislature. Since then Washington State has consistently been in the top five states for percentage of women legislators.  Frances Axtell & Nena Jolidon Croake, First Women Washington State Representatives. Reba Hurn was the first woman Washington State Senator and Dixie Lee Ray was Washington State’s first woman Governor; two proud firsts in a long-standing tradition of women serving in Washington State political institutions.

 

April 22^nd, 2012 marks the 42^nd annual Earth Day

The First Earth Day- “We only have one earth, so we need to take care of her.” That's what Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin believed. He was disturbed that an issue as important as our environment was not addressed in politics or by the media, so he created the first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970. An estimated 20 million people nationwide attended festivities that day. It was a truly astonishing grassroots explosion, leading eventually to national legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. 

To learn more about Earth Day activities both on campus and in the community, visit:  http://f2.washington.edu/ess/content/earth-day-2012 or http://www.earthday.org/

 May 13^th, 2012 will mark the 98^th anniversary of the first ‘official’ Mother’s Day 

The story of Mother’s Day here in the U.S. has had a long road indeed when it comes to the “official” observance of the holiday, the first of which finally came in 1914, some forty-four years after it had first been lobbied for…

Written as the rallying cry of all mothers during the American Civil War, Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870 was intended as a protest to what she saw as the senseless futility of “Sons killing the sons of other mothers,” and called for an international Mother’s Day to celebrate peace and motherhood.

Though Julia Ward Howe’s call for an official holiday was not recognized in her lifetime, the torch was again lit and carried by the young American woman, Anna M. Jarvis.  After the death of her mother, she worked tirelessly toward the recognition of an official Mother’s Day holiday, in remembrance of her mother and in honor of peace.  After years of campaigning, in 1908, a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The proposal was initially defeated, but by 1909 forty-six states were holding Mother's Day services, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico. In 1912 West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

March

March 1, 1803 – Ohio became the 17th state.  Happy 209th anniversary to Ohio!
March 6, 1875 – Italian Renaissance artist Michael Angelo was born on this day in 1875.
March 14, 1794 – The cotton gin is invented by Eli Whitney.
March 17, 1845 – On this day Stephen Perry, owner of the rubber manufacturing company Messers Perry and Co, Rubber Co in London invented the first rubber bands.  During the early 19th century, sailors brought items made by Central and South American natives home such as footwear, garments and bottles.  These items were made from the sap of rubber trees.  But what makes rubber bands elastic?  Rubber is made into a flexible elastic material through a chemical process called vulcanization.  After these and other useful items were brought to London, the right to vulcanize rubber was granted.  As soon as this right was granted Perry’s company and began manufacturing elastic bands by slicing suitable sizes of vulcanized India rubber tube. Vulcanization made rubber stable and retain its elasticity. He invented it to hold papers or envelopes together.  Can you imagine working without them?!?!
March 31, 1918 – Daylight savings time went into effect in the United States.
 

APRIL

 April 3, 1944 –In a U.S. Supreme Court ruling for African American voting rights in Texas Democratic primaries.  Court ruled 8 to 1 that African Americans cannot be banned from voting because it violates the 15th Amendment.  
April 4, 1968 – Civil Rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed by a sniper in Memphis, Tennessee.
April 11, 1968 – The Civil Rights Act of 1968 also known as the Fair Housing Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The law prohibited discrimination in housing, protected civil rights workers and expanded the rights of Native Americans.
April 15, 1817 – Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc found the first American school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut.
April 26, 1994 –In South Africa, multiracial elections were held for the first time in history.  About 18 million blacks voted- Nelson Mandela was elected president.   
 

MAY

May 5, 1961 - Alan Shepard became the first American in space.
May 16, 1862 – “Woman Order” was issued during the Civil War.  This is order declared that any “Southern women showing disrespect for Union soldiers or the U.S. would be regarded as a woman of the town, or prostitute.”  This was issued by Union General Benjamin Butler, military governor of New Orleans who was later on dismissed as military governor due to this and other controversial acts.

May 18, 1980 - Mount St. Helens volcano erupted here in Washington. This was the first major eruption since 1857.
May 23, 1846 – Happy 166th Birthday, Arabella Mansfield! She was the first American female attorney who was certified in 1869, and admitted to the Iowa bar.  She never practiced law-- instead she became a college educator/administrator.

May 24, 1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge is opened to public use, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan.

History in the Making...

On February 13, 2012 Christine Gregoire made Washington state history by legalizing same sex marriage.  Washington is the seventh state in U.S. to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.  The law takes effect June 7, 2012.  Washington follows New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Washington, D.C. and Vermont in legalizing same sex marriages.

 In honor of Women's History Month, we recognize some of the most prominent women in U.S. History, celebrating their spirit, leadership, and service, through their own inspiring words:

 “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”
Abigail Adams 

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Eleanor Roosevelt 

[At Wellesley College Commencement] “Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President's spouse. I wish him well!”
Barbara Bush

“Although the circumstances of our lives may seem very disengaged, with me standing here as the First Lady of the United States of America and you just getting through school, I want you to know we have very much in common. For nothing in my life ever would have predicted that I would standing here as the first African-American First Lady.”
Michelle Obama

“Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”
Lady Bird Johnson

“I am a woman above everything else.”
Jaqueline Kennedy

“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”
Martha Washington

“I am a big believer that eventually everything comes back to you. You get back what you give out.”
Nancy Reagan  

March:  Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza

While you are digging through your closet to find green attire to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th), Corned Beef and Cabbage is likely next on the list of ways to celebrate. And here is a great little fact of cultural and culinary history that truly demonstrates the greatness of diversity:  When Irish Immigrants in New York City were trying to get around the cost of traditional Irish bacon, Jewish residents in the area taught them about substituting with corned beef. Since the month of March is Irish-American Heritage Month we thought it would be fitting to share a way to extend St. Patrick’s Day grub and use up left-over corned beef.  

Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/corned-beef-and-cabbage-pizza-recipe/index.html)

 Ingredients

For the dough

2 teaspoons sugar

1 package active dry yeast

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl

3 cups all-purpose flour, or 2 3/4 cups plus 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon fine salt

For the toppings

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan

3 cups sliced green cabbage

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon pickling spices, tied securely in cheesecloth

1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced

Freshly ground pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

6 ounces sliced corned beef

Directions

1.     Make the dough: Whisk 1 cup warm water (105 degrees) with the sugar in a bowl; scatter the yeast over the top and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olive oil.

2.     Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to make a rough, shaggy dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Add more flour to prevent sticking, if necessary.) Form the dough into a ball; place in a large oiled bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

3.     Meanwhile, prepare the toppings: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, season with salt and cook until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add the pickling spices and just enough water to cover. Simmer over low heat, covered, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the cabbage and set aside (discard spices).

4.     Place a pizza stone in the oven, if you have one, and preheat to 500 degrees. Toss the potato with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet until golden, about 15 minutes.

5.     Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll one into a 14-inch round (keep the remaining dough covered). Place the round on a floured pizza peel (if baking on a stone) or a large oiled pizza pan; drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter half of each of the cheeses, corned beef, cabbage and potatoes on top. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully slip the pizza onto the hot stone, if using, or place the pan in the oven. Cook until golden and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

If you’re feeling up to it- curing brisket on your own (vs. buying a package at the sore) really does make all the difference. Here is a great link to that process (http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/home_cured_corned_beef/ )

Diversity means so many things… And this month, as a celebration of the diversity of life here on earth-- and all of the amazingly unique and varied creatures, great and small, that inhabit our precious planet-- we would like to give a shout out to World Penguin Day (April 25th) and provide a recipe for Cream Cheese Penguins to create and enjoy while watching “March of the Penguins”. Of course this creation would also make an adorable feature appetizer at your next get together.
Source: Allrecipes( http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cream-cheese-penguins/ )

Ingredients

• 18 jumbo black olives, pitted
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 18 small black olives
• 1 carrot

Directions

1. Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 tsp. of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into 18, ¼ inch think rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small over to form the beak.
2. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then set a small over onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

The month of May is dedicated to Asian-Pacific American Heritage to celebrate the Asians and Pacific Americans who are enriching the United States in numerous ways. Celebrate by making homemade Chicken Pho (Pho Ga):

Chicken Pho (http://www.pinkbaketress.wordpress.com)

Broth Ingredients

• 2 whole organic chickens
• 1 whole onion, cut in half
• 3-inch chunk of ginger 

Broth Spice

• 2 Tbs Whole Coriander Seeds
• 4 Whole Cloves
• 2 Whole Star Anise
• 2 Cardamom pods
• 2 Tbs Fish sauce  

Side ingredients (to be added as desired): Rice noodles, fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, lime cut in wedges, green onion, thinly sliced white onion, thai basil, jalapeno, Sriracha hot sauce, Hoisin sauce 

Directions

1. Place ginger and onion on a small baking sheet. The top of the onion should be about 4″ from the oven’s heating element. Set to broil on high for 15 minutes. Turn the onion and ginger occasionally, to get an even char. The skin should get dark and the onion/ginger should get soft. After cooling, rub to get the charred skin off the onion and use a butter knife to scrape the skin off the ginger. Slice ginger into thick slices and slice onion into chunks.
2. In a large stockpot, fill with water and boil. Cut the chicken breast meat off the chicken and reserve. With the rest of chicken whacking hard through the bones to get sections about 3″ big. The more bone that is exposed, the more marrow that gets in the broth making it more flavorful. When the water boils, add chicken sections (not breast) and boil on high for 5 minutes. Foam should rise to the top. Drain and rinse your chicken of the scum and wash your pot thoroughly. Refill with about 4 quarts of clean, cold water.
3. Add chicken, chicken breast meat, onion, ginger and all of the spices (tied in a cheesecloth or use refillable tea pouches- I also like to roast the spices in a dry pan for a couple minutes to bring out the flavor) in the pot and cover. Turn heat to high – let it come to boil, then immediately turn heat to low. Prop lid up so that steam can escape. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts, shred with your fingers when cooled and set aside (you’ll serve shredded chicken breast with the finished soup). With a large spoon, skim the surface of any impurities in the broth. Skimming every 20 minutes ensures a clear broth. Simmer a total of 1-1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning with more fish sauce or spices.
4. Strain the broth, discard solids. Prepare noodles as per directions on package. Ladle broth, add shredded chicken breast and soft noodles in each bowl. Have side ingredients set at table for each person to add to their bowl.