The wreath – long a symbol of the holiday season – may trace its roots back to Persia, but the tradition of hanging wreaths on doors is a largely European practice. In ancient Rome, citizens hung decorative wreaths on doors to signify victory and celebration. The round objects soon came to symbolize immortality for Christians, and as evergreen traditionally represents life in many cultures, evergreen wreaths became popular décor during the holiday season.
Country Living in the City
When Tulsa-based interior designer Sallie Hughes, who with her sister, Beth Sachse, owns SR Hughes, went looking to relocate from her home in the country to a smaller city dwelling, she knew she wanted a place that still had a relationship to the outdoors. Light and a sense of space played a large part in her selection.
“To me the play of light, the courtyard and patio that bring the outdoors in – that appealed to me,” Hughes says of her Garden Park residence.
Both sides of her unit are covered in floor-to-ceiling expanses of glass that allow access from nearly every room to the courtyard and patio. High ceilings and ample storage add to the spacious feel that Hughes loves.
With more than 30 years of experience in design, it didn’t take her long to figure out where everything should go, especially when she used only items she already owned.
“It suites and delights me,” Hughes says of her collection of pieces, which include everything from a folding, English antique chaise and French daybed to modern Italian pieces from SR Hughes. “I’m a nester. When I walk in my home, well, there’s nowhere I feel more comfortable.”
Hughes’ signature design style is evident in the juxtaposition of traditional and modern elements throughout her home, like in her dining room where Cassina leather CAB armchairs share the stage with an antique English oak double gateleg drop-leaf table.
Another example is the living room. A rug by Odegard serves as the foundation. The space is complemented well by classic brown leather Le Corbusier chairs book-ending the sofa that is decorated with ethnic fabric pillows. Another juxtaposition that Hughes likes can be seen in the wingback chairs, inherited from her mother, and the bright orange Wassily leather sling chair by Knoll. The brightly colored painting that adds a punch of drama to the back wall of the room is a work by Hughes’ sister-in-law, Marsha Moore Hughes.
“If everything looks the same, then nothing stands out. To me an iconic piece of furniture or lighting gives an energy to the space,” Hughes shares.
The piece de resistance of the living room and of Hughes’ antique collection is the pine Chippendale-style secretary desk framed by two English leather chairs.
“It belonged to my mother and is my favorite antique,” she says with affection.
A common theme throughout the home is ethnic art and fabrics. Everything from Indian and African fabrics to Chinese primitive tables is featured.
“Something about ethnic influence speaks to my soul,” Hughes says.
Books are also something that speaks to this designer. An avid reader, Hughes was sure to create a bookshelf focal point in her master suite as well as golden-hued wingback chairs to enjoy.
Her study is another place where she enjoys her favorite hobby. A vintage green leather chair and a French daybed create a comfy feel where Hughes enjoys reading, and when she’s gone her two rescued dogs spend their time in the space.
Only a short time after finishing her own space, Hughes’ neighbor, Suzanne Brickner, asked for help with her condominium.
Brickner faced a dilemma most people do when downsizing. Her lovely Country French-inspired furniture was a little oversized for the layout of her new home. An avid cook and art collector, she wanted space and flow for both.
Working her magic, Hughes and Sachse showed Brickner how scale is the key to an engaging space. Using the traditional style of the home and high ceilings with wooden beams, Hughes paired a more modern touch that went along with Brickner’s taste.
Again, the foundation of the room is a striking Odegard rug from SR Hughes, which is anchored by the glass Cassina coffee table. The owner loves to collect glass birds, so Hughes created a natural space to show them. A pair of Kalos armchairs by Max Alto and a black leather Barcelona chair by Knoll add stylish comfort.
In the dining space, Hughes made two P. S. Gordon charcoal portraits, Brickner and her husband, the highlight and anchored them with an antique Chinese console from SR Hughes. The Ingo Maurer Birdie chandelier accented with feathers floats over a Cassina glass and wood La Rotunda table. Six burnt orange Cassina Hola chairs add just the right touch of color.
When it came to the outdoor space, Brickner achieved a Zen-like haven in which she can relax with creature comforts. In contrast, but still as relaxing, Hughes’ courtyard is deliciously overgrown with azaleas, boxwoods and other greenery.
“It’s full and wild and I love it,” Hughes says. It’s the perfect setting to enjoy the chiminea each night and a good book with her two canine companions.
Palatial Flavors
You can get outstanding drinks at the bar in the new lounge of the Palace Cafe, but even if you’re not a drinker it’s worth a trip to admire the sleek, spare design. It’s spacious and modern, with rough slate walls accented by wood and metal trim. Step around the corner into the newly redesigned dining area, and the walls are slate and weathered wood planks, the banquettes are soft gleaming leather, and the huge wall hangings are flowering trees painted in Qing Dynasty Chinese style. The dominant – in fact, the only – color is gray, the pearly radiant gray of a Seattle dawn.
“I wanted to capture the look of my favorite restaurants in Seattle,” says chef and owner James Shrader, “where you can walk in wearing a lumber jacket and jeans.”
Amidst this austere yet elegant setting, though, you’d also feel comfortable in your finest suit and tie.
Natural, earthy materials and simple elegance influenced by Seattle, China and the whole Pacific Rim: what’s true of the decor is also true of Shrader’s cooking and perhaps Shrader himself. Fascinated by food as far back as he can remember, he tried to invent new ways of cooking simple dishes while still in grade school. He’s still doing that, obsessed with perfecting dishes that are lackluster everywhere else.
“Being creative isn’t the most important thing,” Shrader says. “It’s doing the dish well.”
Shrader graduated from what many consider America’s finest cooking school, the Culinary Institute of America. But most of what he’s learned comes from observing the world around him: The fascinating panoply of the farmers’ markets in Seattle and, later, of the big Saturday market right outside Palace Café’s door. He learned to base his dishes on fresh and local ingredients long before that became the fashion. Shrader used to call his cooking style “nouveau American cuisine,” but now he favors the phrase Pacific Rim. Indeed, a subtle Asian influence infuses many of his finest entrees. Braised beef short ribs, his take on a classic Yankee pot roast, are simmered in a veal gastrique accented by a blend of caramelized sugar and vinegar often used in China. He makes Moroccan-style preserved lemons to use in several of his dishes because, though North African, they blend sour and salty flavors in a way favored by Chinese cooks. Slow-roasted duck features a blend of Chinese spices, all freshly ground in house, including star anise, toasted cloves and Sichuan peppercorns.
East Asian flair and presentation are most clearly evident in the unique Bento section of the menu. These are tiny, bite-size appetizer plates prepared with haiku-like precision. Miniature filets with sauteed onions, salmon cakes with braised fennel and chicken-fried chicken with tomato chutney are each made with the care normally devoted to full-sized entrees. They can be ordered individually or in a set of six. A separate vegetarian menu, complete with bentos, appetizers and a full selection of entrees, is enticing enough to convert a carnivore. One entree features a grilled apple-sage polenta cake topped with layers of goat cheese, wilted spinach and cherry chutney. Another is wild mushroom ravioli.
The vegetarian menu is available only at dinner. But there’s also a full lunch menu, consisting of less elaborate, modestly priced selections, and also Sunday brunch. Shrader has maintained the same high standards as when Palace opened in 2003, and it is this as much as the breathtaking new decor that makes his restaurant cutting-edge, trendy and, like his produce, forever fresh. 1301 E. 15th St., Tulsa. www.palacetulsa.com
A Capital Experience
Arriving early and checking into your hotel frees your evening for acclimating yourself to the District. Grab a casual dinner on the fly as you make your way to the National Mall. Nothing will inspire the feel of the nation’s capital as does this Mall, a two-mile stretch abutted by such magnificent sites as the U.S. Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and numerous Smithsonian museums – all just south of the White House. Enjoy the lighted monuments and public activity at this, the iconic green space intended to be the heart of civic America.
Saturday morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel and head out for a day of museum tours. You’ll want to pick and choose which of the Smithsonian institutions you want to visit since, with 19 in total, seeing them all in a weekend isn’t likely. The National Air & Space Museum is one of the more popular options, as are the National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of the American Indian. But you’ll want to be your own judge and choose from among the Smithsonian and other important and popular sites, such as the somber Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Newseum, to name just a few. By day’s end you will want to settle in for a memorable dinner, so plan well in advance for reservations at Jose Andres’ famous Zaytinya or Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Washington D.C.
After breakfast Sunday, it’s time to return to the National Mall to explore the nation’s heart by day. The Smithsonian remains open, and the major monuments present a different view by day. Catch the ones you missed Friday night and opt for others relevant to you, such as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial, Declaration of Independence Memorial and others. Alternately, consider a trip outside of the urban core to other historic sites of interest to you, from the Watergate in town to Mount Vernon, where, one could argue, the inspiration for the whole American experience took shape.
Stay In Style
The nation’s capital can be an expensive place to overnight, particularly when staying close to the action. But for most people, it’s worth the expense to avoid commuting too far from outside the congested area.
The Jefferson, Washington D.C. benefits from close proximity to the White House, the Metro and many downtown restaurants and attractions. After major renovations, it’s more comfortable and spacious, so the elegant attention to detail matches the outstanding service and the ambiance evocative of Thomas Jefferson’s Parisian years. http://jeffersondc.com
The Palomar Washington D.C., a Klimpton Hotel, offers the gorgeous, hip setting and thoughtful service one expects from a boutique hotel, as well as the requisite playful eclectic room décor. But many of The Palomar’s rooms are also huge, well insulated from sound, and some include a hosted wine reception to welcome guests to D.C. www.hotelpalomar-dc.com
Four Seasons Washington D.C. is the only five star, five diamond hotel in the Capital region, situated in comfortable and accessible Georgetown, and possessing the flawless level of service and hospitality one would expect. Two distinct wings are connected by a scenic glass-enclosed garden walkway and many of the 222 rooms (including 59 suites) offer views of Georgetown, historic Chesapeake and the Ohio Canal. www.fourseasons.com/washington/
At a Glance
The nation’s capital is one of the most visited places in the country for its monuments, museums and history.
Access: One of the most accessible cities in the country, D.C. is served by three airports, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Amtrak also covers D.C. from around the country with all trains stopping at Union Station near the Capitol.
Population: Approx. 600,000 full-time, with a noticeable increase in population when Congress is in session, in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom and in the summer.
Climate: Despite being in a humid subtropical climate zone, Washington D.C. experiences four distinct seasons with usually gentle transitions but also with occasional extreme weather in the summer (high heat) and winter (blizzards and heavy snow).
Main Attractions: The National Mall and its museums and monuments and countless other historic sites are at least as popular as the more obvious sites such as the White House and the U.S. Capitol.
Hot Picks
See: The newest monument in D.C. has been a long time in coming, so it’s particularly worth the effort to check out the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial.
Eat: Most people are largely unfamiliar with Ethiopian cuisine, but D.C. is a great place to explore its exciting and eclectic flavors – notably in a “Little Ethiopia” section of Shaw, a north-central neighborhood.
Lingo: You’ll rarely hear the U.S. capital called by its full name by locals. Instead the city built on politics is simply called “the District” except in official or academic parlance.
Visit Online
www.washington.org
Reclaiming Fruitcake
Christmastime is here once again. ‘Tis the season for tradition, surprises and fruitcake. If thoughts of those hard, multicolored concoctions conjure up nightmares, take heart: Fruitcake can actually be a delicious – and even welcomed – part of any holiday celebration.
Casey Coman, a baker at Lunabread, wants to help debunk the notion that fruitcake is just a necessary holiday evil. Coman has always loved to bake and has done so since she was 6. She began baking at Lunabread in January and now bakes 60 to 70 loaves of bread a day as well as cakes, scones, cookies and other delectable baked goods. This ambitious baker has some definite thoughts on the subject of fruitcake.
“There is no rule that says fruitcake has to contain those mysterious candied fruits,” she says. Instead, she prefers to use dried fruits and nuts.
According to Coman, fruitcake does not have to be made the same, cookie-cutter way every time.
“Personalize it. Use flavors and ingredients that are appealing, but most importantly, have fun with it.”
Why does fruitcake get such a bad rap? It has been around for hundreds of years, and nearly every culture has its own version.
Coman contends that it started decades ago with late night television host, Johnny Carson.
“He joked that only one fruitcake existed, and it would get continually passed from family to family each year.”
So what are her tips for making a fabulous, much appreciated fruitcake?
“A delicious fruitcake should consist of tender cake with lots of fruit and nuts,” she says.
For a flavor punch, Coman likes to use orange or lemon zest. She also suggests using butter instead of oil for a more tender, flavorful cake, creaming the butter and sugar thoroughly before adding other ingredients.
Although fruitcakes are traditionally soaked with liqueur to help preserve and moisten, Coman suggests simply brushing the finished cakes lightly with a simple syrup made from a liqueur such as Grand Marnier, an orange-flavored brandy. One last word of advice from this talented baker:
“Even if your baked goods aren’t perfect, they will still be delicious and the effort will be much appreciated.”
Casey’s Fruitcake
Makes two 8×4-inch fruitcakes
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 tsp. vanilla
Zest from 1 orange
1 1/4 c. honeyed dates, chopped
1 c. walnuts
1/2 c. dried figs, chopped
1/2 c. unsalted shelled pistachios
Grand Marnier Simple Syrup
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. Grand Marnier
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8×4-inch metal loaf pans and dust with flour. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
Beat together butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternately with sour cream and vanilla in two additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Be sure to scrape the bowl well.
Stir in orange zest, dates, figs, walnuts and pistachios. Divide mixture between pans and smooth the tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pans for 20 minutes.
To assemble simple syrup, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the Grand Marnier. Lightly brush tops of loaves with Grand Marnier simple syrup. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely before serving.
Tasty Traditions
Small towns are often known for their hospitality, especially with food. Some towns in Oklahoma show how seriously they take this tradition by hosting an annual community dinner that goes back generations in some cases.
The Frederick oyster fry began in Manitou in 1952, says co-organizer Betty Box, when resident Bramlett Johnson went fishing on the Texas coast and brought back a gallon of fresh oysters.
“Nobody in this part of the country (southern Oklahoma) had tried it,” Box says.
Tradition was born when one PTA member, after tasting the dish, suggested a fundraising oyster fry. After that, the fry was held every year until 1983, when it was discontinued, Box says.
But, in 1990, the Chamber of Commerce for the city of Frederick – 10 miles south of Manitou – restarted the fry, and the dinner is still held today, in support of the chamber.
“You either like oysters or you don’t, but more people seem to like them,” Box says.
The oysters used for the fry are transported by a local truck the night before and are never frozen.
Now, 800 to 1,000 people attend the fry, including bus tours that come from Tulsa, Oklahoma City and eastern Oklahoma.
The event’s popularity often causes long lines to form hours before the event, but this doesn’t discourage anyone, Box says.
“It’s worth the wait,” she says.
Another long-standing dinner takes place on the eastern edge of the state. In Tahlequah, a wild onion dinner organized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary has been going on as long as Faye Morrison can remember. And Morrison has been a member of the organization for 47 years, as a former president and as a current secretary.
“People won’t let us quit,” Morrison says of the annual dinner. “The community demands it.”
This annual event’s main course is wild onions and scrambled eggs.
“Wild onions are a traditional Cherokee food in this area,” Morrison says. “We fry the onions with bacon drippings and add them to the eggs.”
Proceeds from the wild onion dinner, which is actually held during lunchtime, go towards veterans’ needs.
“It’s something you just do here in the spring,” she says. “The money goes back to the community, and you won’t go away hungry.”
Tulsa might be a city, but the Tulsa County Democratic Party has taken a cue from small towns with its annual bean dinner Cowboy Bash, which marked its 45th anniversary this year.
Vice chairman and executive director of the party, Michael Whelan, says that the dinners help raise funds and give candidates a chance to meet and mingle.
“Bean dinners and bean suppers have been a mainstay throughout the Democratic Party across the state, and it is important for the party to continue to pay homage to that tradition,” Whelan says.
Community dinners can be found scattered all throughout Oklahoma, like newer bean dinners held by Wagoner’s Okay Senior Center and Norman’s American Legion, to Bartlesville’s wild onion dinner in its 58th year. All Oklahomans need to do is work up an appetite.
Radio Redux
For about a decade, from the mid-1950s until the mid- to late ‘60s, every town of any size had at least one. Most cities had more. Tulsa and Oklahoma City, for instance, each boasted a pair, competing hard for the burgeoning baby boomer teen market.
I’m talking about Top 40 radio stations, providers of the crazy kaleidoscopic soundtrack that swirled behind the adolescent lives of a half-century ago. Blaring the popular music of the day from cruising cars or tinny transistorized speakers, served up by fast-talking local heroes of the airwaves, these outlets connected teens and their culture in a brand-new powerful way.
To get an idea of how it all worked – or remember it all again – check out the current exhibit on radio station KAKC at the Tulsa Historical Society. While technically not a Top 40 station – its weekly printed playlists featured 50 songs instead of the more usual 40 – it was a great example of Top 40 radio, as was its crosstown rival, KELI. In Oklahoma City, a similar situation existed between WKY and KOMA.
KAKC and latecomer KELI vied for listenership with competitive giveaways and contests, radio-station sponsored sock hops and other teen-oriented events, and disc jockeys with machine-gun deliveries who could connect with the kids in what was almost a secret language. The KAKC-KELI competition played out in every city across America, as each Top 40 outlet in every market strove to be the hippest, the grooviest, the hottest purveyor of happening-now music in the area.
The format had a good run, but it was eventually done in by a number of factors. For one thing, as the youngsters became young adults, many were swept away by, or at least attracted to, the hippie movement, and the fast-talking jocks and their wacky takes gave way to a format called, in many markets, “fresh air.” That approach featured laid-back voices that sounded as though they were under the influence of something extremely mellow, introducing spacey rock-album cuts instead of the pop-oriented singles designed to play out in a radio-friendly three minutes or less. (A length that allowed for lots of songs per hour.) Also, the fast-rising FM radio format made the fresh-air stations more viable, as they offered better music reproduction than those on the AM band.
While they lasted though, the Top 40 stations were remarkably democratic and eclectic, much the opposite of both satellite and over-the-air radio today. Now, anyone can access an astounding variety of stations catering to just about any taste, from country-music oldies to jazz to R&B to hard rock. It’s been called “narrowcasting” instead of broadcasting, and while it definitely has its advantages – a listener can home in on exactly the kind of music he or she wants to hear at any given time – it lacks the grab-bag approach of the Top 40s, when you might hear a Buck Owens country record next to a Beatles rock ‘n’ roll tune, followed by a Motown soul number and then something by Frank Sinatra. A listener never knew exactly what musical style was going to jump out of the speaker when the dial was turned, and that element of surprise was, as much as anything, what made Top 40 such a joyous thing.
The point here is that while the format has technically been gone for decades, it still comes around once a year – this time of year – when at least one station in each major market devotes itself to playing nothing but Christmas music for a month or so. Those outlets are the last place left to find that great old Top 40 spirit; last year, in the space of 15 minutes, I heard holiday songs by Bruce Springsteen (rock), Gene Autry (classic country), Britney Spears (dance-pop), and Dean Martin (classic pop) all back-to-back on a Tulsa station devoting itself to all-Christmas music.
So, if you’re a baby boomer, or someone not of that era who wonders what radio was like then, give a good listen to the egalitarian lineup offered on a limited-time basis by those stations – and keep an ear out for a few of my own favorites from a variety of genres.
Best Christmas Song with Oklahoma Ties: There’s no shortage of these, but of course the nod has to go to “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” co-written by Broken Arrow’s own Ralph Blane. You’re liable to hear just about any vocalist giving it a whirl – it’s one of the most-recorded seasonal songs ever – but it was originally penned for Judy Garland to sing to in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. In her fine biography of the songwriter (Ralph Blane, published by TCS in 2008), Phyllis Cole Braunlich noted that some of the original lyrics, by Blane’s songwriting partner Hugh Martin, were just too sad. “Have yourself a merry little Christmas/It may be our last/Next year, we will all be living in the past,” for instance, which indeed can induce depression.
Garland thought those words were “too much” and complained. “Blane told Martin he thought he could fix it,” wrote Braunlich, “and Hugh then said, ‘Be my guest.’” The result? A holiday classic.
Honorable mention goes to “Swingin’ Home for Christmas” by Steve Ripley. Originally pitched to fellow Oklahoman Roy Clark, it was instead recorded by Ripley’s group the Tractors at Tulsa’s Church Studio for the disc Have Yourself A Tractors Christmas (Arista, 1995). The spirited tune manages to celebrate not only the season, but also Oklahoma and western swing, one of the state’s greatest contributions to popular music.
Saddest Christmas Song: This one has to be “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot,” which originated with British songstress and actor Vera Lynn in the 1940s. We’re most likely to hear the Nat “King” Cole version these days. What makes it so sad is that you keep hoping for something good to happen to this poor kid, and at the end of the song it turns out he really is the little boy that Santa Claus forgot. Bummer.
Best Christmas Song That’s Not About Christmas: Although it debuted in the famous 1954 holiday movie White Christmas (and lost a best-song Oscar to “Three Coins in the Fountain”), Irving Berlin’s “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)” doesn’t contain lyric one about Christmas, or even winter. It’s a beautiful song with a laudable sentiment though, and the most popular version still seems to be by Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas co-star.
And finally, Best Christmas Song You Won’t Hear: In 1984, country artist Loy Blanton recorded a straightforward but heart-wrenching number called “Christmas at the Jersey Lily Lounge” Released on the independent SoundWaves label, it inexplicably failed to make an impression nationally and faded away, as did Blanton’s career.
“That’s probably as good a song – not just a Christmas song – as I’ve ever heard,” says well-known Tulsa-based manager and booking agent Ray Bingham, who worked with Blanton during the ‘80s. “It’s just a great heart-wrenching song.”
The only other recording I can find of “Christmas at the Jersey Lily Lounge” is by country star Bobby Bare, who put it on his 1988 disc Merry Christmas from Bobby Bare.
I’ve never heard that version on any station, however, and the song remains a forgotten near-classic.
A sad situation – but still not as sad as “The Little Boy That Santa Clause Forgot."
