Whole Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sitting in my father's kitchen is always an experience. I have my spot on the stool by the stove and I can just sit and watch him cook for hours on end (because on his days off he literally cooks ALL day). Like most of us home cooks he taught himself how to navigate around the kitchen because he gets hungry and he enjoys eating well. He says trial and error are the best teachers and I have to agree. He brought home these tilapias the other day, scaled them, trimmed their tails and fins and gave them a good rinse under cold running water. Then he stuffed them with cilantro and heated up the wok with a ton of oil and just before dropping them in he dredged them with flour and cornstarch (he wants you to know cornstarch is key). This is about when my mouth started to water...

The key to frying anything well is to make sure your oil is nice and hot. If you have a thermometer 350 degrees is what you're aiming for, if you don't, look for visual cues; shimmering oil (oil that moves around in the pan on its own). Since we want our fish to be almost completely submerged you'll need a lot of oil which takes time to heat up, so be patient. We used canola oil because it can handle high heat and it has a neutral taste. We used a wok which worked perfectly to submerge the fish while using less oil, a regular stock pot will still work fine. He still spooned the hot oil on top of the fish that wasn't submerged, and because you're frying an entire fish it will take a bit of time, about 20 minutes per fish. We devoured the first one while the second one cooked, anything fried is best when it's eaten immediately.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to close all the doors in your house, especially the bedrooms! The smell of frying fish will permeate your home and while it's a great smell while you're eating, it will certainly be off putting as you lay down to sleep at night.

Next on the to-do list was making a sweet and sour sauce. This came together with whatever leftovers were in the fridge. I annoyed my dad by making him measure things, I hope I caught all the ingredients.. It's basically diced veggies sauteed with vinegar and sugar. Taste it and adjust it till you like it. I like more sour than sweet, in that case just add more vinegar than sugar.

I was in charge of making the jasmine rice, which I tried not to be insulted by. Rinsing the rice until the water ran clear made my fingers really cold, so I guess I endured some form of hardship for this meal. When you're ready to eat get your small bowl of rice ready and lift the meat right off the bone and top it with the sweet and sour sauce. Prepare to die and go to heaven.

 We served ours on a large platter on a bed of watercress. The heat from the fried fish will help cook your greens just enough to soften them and the peppery fresh flavor of watercress goes great with the crunchy skin and soft meat of the fish. My dad also made a shrimp and meatball soup and then he sauteed Asian greens in oyster sauce as a side, but I'll save those recipes for another day, I could only take so many notes! Don't underrate visual presentation, make it look pretty! We eat with our eyes first. All of my senses were satisfied after this meal. My dad is spoiling me! I hope you have someone to spoil you too..

Whole Fried Fish
Serves 4

2 whole tilapias, scaled, fins and tails trimmed
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 egg
1/2 gallon canola oil
1 bunch watercress

Trim the tails of the fish with kitchen shears and wash and pat the fish dry thoroughly. Liberally season the fish with salt inside the cavity and outside on the skin. Beat the egg in a small bowl and coat the fish with the beaten egg. Place half the cilantro in the cavity of each fish, set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the flour, cornstarch and salt & pepper. Heat the oil in a large wok or stock pot until it reaches 350 degrees or the oil begins to shimmer. Coat the fish with the flour mixture just before adding it to the oil (coat one fish with flour, fry it, then coat the second fish once the first is done cooking).

With a large spoon, scoop the hot oil onto any parts of the fish that remain above the oil. After 10 minutes flip the fish and continue cooking, about 7-10 minutes longer depending on the size. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and serve immediately on a bed of watercress with jasmine rice and sweet and sour sauce on the side.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups
These veggies are what we had in the fridge, yours might look different!
 
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
handful of grape tomatoes, halved
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 inch ginger, grated
1 green onion, sliced
1 jalapeno or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 teaspoon white vinegar
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 fresh lemon
salt & pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic together until softened. Add the other veggies and cook until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add the bouillon cube, vinegar and sugar. Combine the water and cornstarch together to form a slurry, and slowly add to the vegetables and continue to cook until it begins to thicken. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want it more sour, add vinegar, for extra sweetness add sugar a pinch at a time until you get your desired flavor combination. Enjoy!

Lobster & Bacon Quiche

 It isn't everyday that there is a leftover lobster in the fridge, but the Super Bowl was a special day and my dad decided to celebrate by buying $100 worth of live lobsters (this is not unusual, when he goes big he goes BIG). So while I gorged myself on Super Bowl Sunday like most people, we still couldn't eat them all. So I found myself with the unusual predicament of a leftover lobster that needed to get eaten but still shared by the rest of the household. What I love most about a quiche is that you can literally throw any leftovers in your fridge that need to get eaten and it's bound to turn out well covered in eggs and cheese.

There were plenty of veggies to choose from so a soft tomato was seeded and peeled, garlic minced, zucchini diced, bacon crumbled and any leftover cheese you might have laying around will do. My dad happened to have some soft Gruyere cheese from fondue night left over and it could not have been any more perfect. My dad said it was the best quiche he's ever eaten and that's high praise from a man who knows his way around a kitchen.

Make sure you whisk your eggs well. You want to fully incorporate your yolk and egg whites just like when you're making an omelet. If you don't have half & half or heavy cream, then milk will work just as well, it just won't be quite as rich. Don't rush out to the store if you don't have Gruyere cheese; Swiss, cheddar, goat or even feta will work here. 

Don't forget to serve it with your favorite glass of wine and some good company. This quiche is meant to be shared with someone you love.



Lobster & Bacon Quiche
Serves 4 to 6

1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
Meat from 1 lobster, diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 stalks green onion, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
fresh lemon juice
4 eggs
1/2 cup half & half
8 oz Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crisp up your bacon first in a cold skillet and keep the bacon drippings in your pan to saute your onion. Once the onion is softened add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add zucchini, lobster meat and tomato and cook until warmed through. Remove from the heat and add the green onion and freshly squeezed lemon, add salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, half & half and salt & pepper. Ensure that your eggs are thoroughly blended together and add half the Gruyere cheese. Add the remaining Gruyere cheese to the bottom of the uncooked pie crust. Add lobster and veggies on top of the cheese, then add the Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon and cilantro.

Carefully pour the egg mixture over the fillings until just covered, but not overfilled. Place on a baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes until the eggs are set in the center. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Kale Salad with Roasted Carrots & Chickpeas

This January marks 3 years since Joel and I moved to the city of Chicago and I started this blog. I still don't feel like I've hit my stride with it and I have a long way to go until it's exactly what I want it to be. I keep thinking I need to focus on one type of cuisine; either really healthy recipes with nutritional information and their benefits or the polar opposite, comfort foods that are really delicious and more likely to cater to the type of people I know read this blog. I don't want to corner myself into one market, most days I crave vegetables and leafy greens but sometimes I want a cheeseburger and french fries or a deep dish pizza. Don't we all?

So I guess I'll keep my recipes all over the place for now, kind of like me! I definitely knew I wanted to start the first recipe of the year off with health and wellness in mind. I just spent the best two weeks with family in Oklahoma eating whatever I wanted and not even thinking about working out, but when I walked through the door of our tiny apartment in Chicago I craved vegetables so badly I ached!

 

This recipe for a kale salad is inspired by Amanda Skrip, a clean eating chef who teaches classes at Whole Foods Market and I've assisted her on a few occasions. She really focuses on recipes that are good for you and easy to prepare and most importantly, taste delicious. The kale craze doesn't seem to be slowing down and I for one know that when I incorporate leafy greens into my diet I feel WAY better. This salad keeps from being boring by adding roasted chickpeas for a tasty crunch and carrots that are roasted until tenderly sweet. The tahini dressing pairs perfectly with the kale and the addition of paprika and red pepper flakes gives it a smokey and spicy quality that I love. Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds and oil and is a good source of protein, fiber and minerals. I already know I've explored all the wonderful benefits of kale but in case you need reminding it has more vitamin C than an orange and more calcium than a container of milk. It's also full of cancer fighting vitamins and minerals and it helps with inflammation, which plays a huge role in heart disease, obesity and cancer. EAT YOUR KALE. If you think it's is too hard to chew then try massaging the leaves with your hands; it breaks down the tough fibers and wilts the kale until it becomes tender and soft. 

 Roasted chickpeas are also delicious all on their own. I have what you would call a pretty serious addiction to potato chips; if you were to tell me I could never have another potato chip again I'm not sure life would be worth living anymore. But because my metabolism is not that of a teenage boy and because I generally feel pretty lousy after consuming an entire bag on my own, I try and keep roasted chickpeas around to satisfy my salty and crunchy cravings. You can jazz them up with all sorts of spices and they are super easy to prepare. Simply toss them with oil and your favorite seasonings (think cumin and cayenne or garlic and chili powder). Then you throw them in a hot oven and roast them for 40-50 minutes until they come out crunchy and delicious.

 I wish you all the best 2015 you could possibly have, treat yourself and those you love with kindness and sincerity. And remember, you are what you eat! So eat well and often. Cheers to the next 3 years!

Kale Salad with Roasted Carrots & Chickpeas
Serves 4

1 bunch of carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch strips
2 tablespoons 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Sea Salt
1 bunch of lacinato kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup roasted chickpeas
Spicy tahini dressing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add carrots and chickpeas to two different baking sheets lined with parchment paper and toss each with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt. Roast carrots 20-30 minutes until tender. Roast chickpeas 40-50 minutes until crispy.

Meanwhile, place torn kale in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt. Gently massage the until tender and wilted. Toss in roasted chickpeas and carrots. Drizzle with tahini dressing and serve extra on the side.

Spicy Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
sea salt
2 teaspoons paprika
Dash of red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients together; add water to reach desired consistency. 

Preserved Lemons with Red Lentil Dal

Lately I have been obsessed with Yotam Ottolenghi and his cookbook Jerusalem. He has a new cookbook out which I've browsed through at the book store but haven't purchased yet, its called Plenty More and looks just as fantastic as the one I own. I love it so much because I discovered it right as fall said goodbye and winter reared its blustery head. It spoke to me because the warm spices he utilizes in every recipe chases the cold away and fills my home with comforting aromas. I rarely used spices like turmeric or added currants to make dishes pop nor did I utilize fresh herbs like I should; mint, cilantro, dill and tarragon are so lovely together. He pairs spices and fresh herbs together in a way that makes his dishes truly out of this world. He has changed the way I cook in the kitchen and while I'm not being paid to do so, I'm going to recommend you buy this cookbook.

Yotam Ottolenghi was also a guest on my absolutely favorite food podcast, KCRW's Good Food. He talked about his love of vegetables, and although he is a carnivore he is most attracted to vegetables and bringing them to life; for instance, whole cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks toasted and freshly ground that will make a dish so savory you never want to eat anything else for the rest of your life. I love the way he talks about food, as if its a precious gift he wants to share, and I'm thankful he did. His cookbooks not only have great recipes, the book itself is gorgeous with its soft hardcover and full color pictures that beg you to cook the recipes and taste it for yourself.

At the back of the cookbook Yotam gives a recipe for preserved lemons and lately I've been reading up on and experimenting with at-home fermentation and preservation (my homemade kimchi is coming up, be excited!) and it's really not as daunting as you would think. The book Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky really roused my interest in all the uses of salt, did you know it has over 14,000 known uses and preserving food is just one of them? Anyway, these lemons are so easy to prepare and then you just let them sit and do their thing for an entire month while the salt breaks down the lemon rind and makes it soft and sweet with a pleasant fragrance that is so enticing. The thought of eating a lemon rind certainly doesn't sound appealing to most people, but that's the magic of salt. It turns it into something so beautiful and sweet and it can accompany so many dishes. I actually bought a case of mason jars this weekend and I can't wait to stuff them with lemons and salt, these will be my Christmas gifts for my family this year because this treat is too good not to share.

Preserved Lemons
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

4-6 Lemons

4-6 6 T sea salt

juice of 6 lemons

Optional Herbs
2 rosemary sprigs
1 large red chili

 or

1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5 to 6 coriander seeds
3 to 4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Start by sterilizing a pint sized mason jar by pouring boiling water inside and letting it sit for one minute, then empty it out. Allow it to air dry naturally so that it remains sterile. Alternatively you can run them through the dishwasher and allow them to dry completely.

Wash and scrub the lemons. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the bottom of the mason jar. Cut each lemon in quarters stopping 3/4 of an inch from the base.  Stuff 1 tablespoon of salt in each lemon and squeeze them together tightly in the sterilized mason jar, alternating with the optional herbs in between the lemons if desired. Squeeze more lemon juice in if necessary so that the lemons are completely covered with liquid. 

Close the jar and leave in a cool place for at least a month. Shake the jar daily to distribute the salt to the lemons. The longer they are left, the better the flavor. (If a piece of lemon is not covered, it may develop a white mold that is harmless and just needs to be washed off.)
Before using, scoop out and discard the pulp, and rinse the lemon peel under the tap to get rid of the excess salt.

Preserved lemons are excellent served with meat, fish, lentils, couscous and quinoa. They should accompany your food like a chile sauce, a little goes a long way. It will add a depth of flavor that you can't find anywhere else. The best part perhaps is that these lemons will keep at room temperature for up to a year! If you have leftover lemon rinds you've used for other purposes, keep stuffing the jar with your leftover rinds and you will have an seemingly unending supply of preserved lemons.

 

 Now that you have preserved lemons how will you eat them? When I say they will accompany just about any dish, I'm not exaggerating. If you roast a chicken and some potatoes for dinner chop up some preserved lemons and sprinkle them on top of your chicken while it roasts. It's really that easy. You could even skip the roasting and place them directly on the chicken before you serve it for a more intense lemon flavor. The recipe I'm sharing is an Indian dish called Dal. It's simply lentils cooked down in delicous onion, garlic, and warm spices served over rice or bread. The preserved lemons send this simple dish into the world of gourmet cuisine, it was a big hit at my dinner table. I really hope you guys enjoy this.

Red Lentil Dal
Adapted from Bon Appetit 

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
2 cups chopped onions 
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup dried red lentils
3/4 teaspoon turmeric 
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Toppings
1 cup basmati rice, cooked according to package directions 
2 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, chopped
2 tablespoons preserved lemons, chopped


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop the cauliflower into bite size florets and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges brown and char nicely. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion and 1 minced garlic clove and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Combine 3 cups broth, lentils, remaining 1 cup onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, turmeric, cumin and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, gently blend the lentils for a few seconds, careful not to puree the whole pot. You still want to see some whole lentils in your final dish. Finally,  mix in the remaining sautéed onion mixture. Simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors, adding water or broth if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon rice into bowls or plates. Spoon dal over. Place roasted cauliflower around the edges of your dish. Top with preserved lemons, tomatoes, cilantro and chili. Enjoy it warm.

Eat Your Quiche

Whether or not you like it, the holidays are fast approaching. It's time to start thinking about what you'll bring to the table, a new recipe you've been wanting to try or a spin on a traditional favorite. I happen to be old school, I like Thanksgiving to be exactly what I was used to growing up. That means cornbread stuffing, pecan pie, and cranberry sauce from a can. Anytime I try to mix things up it  has a tendency to go wrong, like last year when I decided to make an Italian bread stuffing, it was dry and tasted like cardboard. When you cook for a living and write a food blog people expect to be wowed but alas, that doesn't always happen.

The most important thing about Thanksgiving is being with people you love and care about. Sometimes the pressures of family and dramas of past events can make us dread the annual get together, but imagine what life would be like without those crazy people in our lives… Very lonely and empty. Because no matter how crazy your family is they are there when things go right and when things go wrong and we all need a support system when things in our lives don't go according to plan. And lets be honest, things rarely go according to plan.

Recent events in my life have made me value kindness and generosity in a new light. Practicing kindness and generosity early and often is the kind of person I would like to become. Living in a big city it's easy to become calloused and hostile. "Excuse me" and "thank you" are hard to choke out when so many people seem oblivious to their surroundings. It's easy to forget your manners when you know you'll never see that person again and even if you do you would never remember the face of that pregnant woman you didn't give up your seat for on the bus.

Why is it that only when faced with the loss of something we realize its value? I come to expect most people in the city to ignore me so when someone holds open a door and waits for me I feel touched. When someone asks if I need help when I look lost without me having to ask it makes me have a renewed faith in human kind. We are all in this together and we can't go it alone.

This is my first post without any accompanying pictures but circumstances have prevented me from writing this post without my usual cadre of supplies. So I will share a recipe with you that you will just have to make yourself to see how delicious it looks and tastes.

I have made many pie crusts in my time and I am always dissatisfied with the outcome. It always takes too much time and energy for something that rarely comes out right because baking is just not my forte. This recipe for a quiche with a homemade crust has reinvented homemade pie crusts for me. It's super simple and turns out great every time. It's inherently better than a store bought crust and once you try it I bet you'll never go back. The fillings I like best are simple vegetables like broccoli and leeks, but you could certainly add bacon, chicken, tomatoes, the possibilities are really endless. Just make sure that when filling up your pie crust with the filling that you don't over do it and add too much so that it spills over in the oven. If you have liquid left over, just discard it. Your oven will thank you later.



Recipe courtesy of Sarah Chrystal
Quiche Crust
Makes two 9 inch pie crusts

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl mix flour and salt. In a small bowl whisk oil and water together. Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and mix with a fork until a dough ball is formed.

Divide the dough ball in half and using your fingers press into a 9 inch pie dish.  Prick with a fork and pre-bake for 5 minutes. Add quiche filling and continue to bake.

Quiche Filling

2 T oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cups cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dry mustard, red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir until translucent. Add broccoli and cook until it turns a vibrant green and still retains its shape.

In a medium bowl add eggs, milk, and spices and whisk until incorporated.

If there is any liquid in your veggie mixture make sure you drain it well. Add veggies to your pre baked pie crust. Pour egg mixture on top and sprinkle the top with cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes or until its set in the middle. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Acorn Squash Biscuits (And Chicken Soup)

Alright, fall, you win. I've accepted the cooler temperature, falling leaves and I've even embraced winter squashes. I'm still struggling with darkness falling earlier and earlier but there are worse things in the world, like Ebola and arthritis, right? And even if you have arthritis it's nothing some homemade chicken soup won't cure.

Well maybe not cure, but it sure makes you feel better. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned about cooking is to eat what's in season. Eating in season means your fruits and vegetables taste like they're suppose to, its more affordable and better for the environment. Last time I went shopping I utilized the bounty of the season and loaded up on butternut squash, acorn squash, parsnips and apples.

I like cooking things I've never made before and Acorn Squash Biscuits sounded like a good idea. I took the left over chicken thighs from a dinner party out of the freezer and made a simple stock with carrots, onions, celery and black peppercorns. I roasted the acorn squash in the oven for 40 minutes and pureed it until it was nice and smooth. After skimming the stock I added half the puree to the clear broth and the rest went into the biscuits. It was a great fall dinner and I highly recommended trying these biscuits, and don't skip out on adding the pecans, the added crunch gives them a wonderful texture. Don't feel confined to using an acorn squash, butternut squash or even a sweet potato would also work.

There is no need to oil your squash before placing it in the oven, it will roast up beautifully without the extra fat from the oil, saving you on calories without sacrificing flavor. These biscuits could be served with just about anything, they are savory with a hint of sweetness from the brown sugar.

Acorn Squash Biscuits
Makes 12

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornflakes, crumbled (or oatmeal)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups winter squash, roasted and pureed
1/2 cup toasted pecans

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Roast pecans for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant, roughly chop and set aside.

Increase oven heat to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half, scrape out seeds and place face down on a baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or tender a fork inserts easily. Let cool and puree until well blended.

Decrease oven heat to 350 degrees. Add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until just blended. Drop biscuit dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

For Granny

Below is the story of my grandmother and her quest to have her son awarded the Medal of Honor. She succeeded and because of this generous and amazing woman our family got to travel to Washington D.C., meet the President of the United States, and attend numerous ceremonies and receptions honoring her sons sacrifice and recognizing his bravery. I want to share that journey while documenting my families travels to the nations capitol, including the food served at the White House, of course, this is a food blog after all...but mainly I would like to share this journey and honor our matriarch, Evelyn Sloat.

My family doesn't always agree on everything, actually, we disagree on just about everything and the drama, heated exchanges and stress induced drinking are par for the course. The one thing, however, we can all agree on is that we loved my grandmother, Evelyn, unconditionally and we miss her more each day. She was the glue that held our family together and things just haven't been the same since she left. Our only solace is that now she is in our lives living through our memories, allowing her legacy to live on. 

 I knew her son, my uncle Don Sloat, had died in the Vietnam War long before I was born. He was kind of famous in Coweta since it has the dubious distinction of having the most casualties per capita, 8 men in total, my Uncle Don being one of them. And it was this war that made my father a refugee who fled his home in South Vietnam at age 19 to come to America. My mother talks about how it was hard for my grandmother to meet my dad and accepting their relationship didn't come easy.

 

 But Evelyn would fight a lot of battles through her life and finding forgiveness and letting go of bitterness is what got her through. She was a woman of God and she wasn't afraid to tell you so. It would take a better writer and a lot more time to adequately describe this woman's tremendous and tumultuous life so this post is dedicated to one of her last battles she fought so hard to win: getting her son recognized posthumously for the Medal of Honor.

 

She reached out to the media, congressmen, senators and personally reached out to every living member of Don's platoon trying to get documentation gathered for a case to take to the President. It became a family battle with both her daughters and a son-in-law also taking action, mostly because my grandmother wouldn't let them rest until they did. She even handed me a manila envelope filled with articles and a notarized statement from a solider in Don's platoon documenting his memory of that day. I had mentioned I had a friend in Seattle who worked for MSN and she latched onto the idea that my friend could get the story some national attention; alas he only picked out stock photos for internet articles, but her tenacity was noted.

In 2011, my husband and I went to Vietnam to explore the land where my father came from and to see the land where Don spent his last days. I promised my grandmother I would try and find Hawk Hill, the military base where Don was stationed. She had found an article that said Don had a room dedicated to him with a plaque to commemorate it. I doubted we would find the building still standing, but through military veterans websites and military documents online we had a rough idea of where Hawk Hill was suppose to be and the directions seemed to pan out, eight miles south of Thang Binh and seven miles north of Tam Ky just east of the railroad, we found what could certainly have been a military base at some point.

We never did find a plaque but I brought my grandmother back a brick from a dilapidated roof, a tenuious connection to her son if there ever was one, but it was all that I could offer. 

 

 Losing a child isn't easy and Don would be her second son to bury. Donald Paul Sloat joined the Army in 1969 at age 20 and not even a year later was killed in action. It wasn't until 40 years later that my grandmother learned the truth about his death, that the military mistakenly simplified the incident, saying only that he was killed by shrapnel from a land mine. She then went on a quest that nobody could derail her from. A mother's love is what got Don the recognition he deserved.

 

Here is what really happened: 

On the morning of Jan. 17, 1970, Sloat's squad was conducting a patrol, serving as a blocking element in support of tanks and armored personnel carriers from F Troop in the Que Son valley. As the squad moved through dense up a small hill in file formation, the lead Soldier tripped a wire attached to a hand grenade booby-trap, set up by enemy forces.

When the grenade rolled down the hill toward Sloat, he had a choice. He could hit the ground and seek cover, or pick up the grenade and throw it away from his fellow Soldiers. After initially attempting to throw the grenade, Sloat realized that detonation was imminent, and that two or three men near him would be killed or seriously injured if he couldn't shield them from the blast. In an instant, Sloat chose to draw the grenade to his body, shielding his squad members from the blast, and saving their lives.

Sloat's actions define the ultimate sacrifice of laying down his own life in order to save the lives of his comrades.

 You can see why she fought so hard to see him recognized for his bravery. Unfortunately things didn't move quickly enough for her, patience was not one of her virtues. She died almost 3 years ago, too soon to see her hard work paid off.  When the family got the news that the President had signed the paperwork making it official- we couldn't wait to pack our bags.

On September 15 we headed to the White House. 

Being a fan of the President I could not have been more excited... He even stopped to have a conversation with me before the ceremony!

Okay, maybe not. But I was still in the same room with him and for this small town girl from Coweta, Oklahoma it was a big deal. 

After the ceremony we were treated to hors d'oeuvres and wine.

Top Left: Salmon & Grits, Brie topped w/Dried Fruit, Sesame Beef. Bottom Left: Pork Belly, Watermelon (I know it doesn't resemble it in the slightest) and for dessert Macaroons, Petit Fours and Coconut Cake. Oh, and yours truly got to make a fool of herself in the White House.

 The other highlights of the trip was our expedition into the bowels of the Pentagon where Chuck Hagel and other top military officials gave heartfelt speeches that honored both Medal of Honor families. My mom and aunt got a tour of the Pentagon and were served a dinner that put the White House finger foods to shame, I'm told.  Many Vietnam Veterans who fought with Don attended the ceremonies and were eager to tell their stories of Don and their experiences of Vietnam in general.  Needless to say many of these stories were touching and raw; one story that has stayed with me came from a man named Roger Sherrard who was in Don's platoon. He said the hardest part was coming home from a war fighting for a cause that nobody at home supported. He felt like a criminal. Everyone was crying by this time, and even though most of us were too young or didn't exist at the time we all felt it was a shame for our soldiers to come home to protests and angry political opinions when they just came back from hell.  I know that today the tides have changed and these men are all heroes and we are thankful for them and their service.

     

   The rest of our sightseeing trip was exactly what was missing from my travel experiences. 

I have a new found respect for our military personnel and for the intricate but often maligned Congress; it was all amazing to see up close. We all know someone who has signed up for service and I want to say thank you to all the men and women who serve our country. I thank my grandmother who raised a son who is nationally recognized as a hero and for my family, who is just crazy enough for me to handle.

 

We miss you, Granny.