STEP OUT Migration

Virginia County Passes Tough Immigration Law

Last night, the county board for Prince William County in the state of Virginia passed a new law that aims to limit access to public services by illegal immigrants.

The board member who introduced the resolution said it "is the first step towards taking back our community."  NPR described it as "one of the most aggressive measures targeting illegal immigrants."  What do you think?

Tent City detention center and blog

A new immigration blog recently started called Tent City.  Its focus is a new immigration detention center in Raymondville, Texas, which can hold 2000 people at a time.  According to the new blog, the center could improve the treatment of its detainees, mostly from El Salvador.  Take a look. 

our East Hampton escape

We were on vacation last week in East Hampton.  It was delightful!  We stayed at my sister and brother-in-law's house, which was perfect for many reasons: the house is decorated in a nautical style, which gets you into a vacation mood; it has a beautiful pool and hot tub; is centrally located and; we were able to cook at home.  I love to cook and always miss it on vacation, especially in places where the produce comes fresh off local farms and the fish fresh from the ocean.  So this was a real treat.  We enjoyed lots of delicious meals.  One of Jack's favorite's was whole wheat pasta with my smoked salmon vodka cream sauce.  My recipe is below.  It is simple.  The sauce takes only minutes; you can prepare it while the pasta is cooking. 

We bought most of the ingredients at the fish store at Gosman's at the east end of Montauk.  They sell a tender smoked salmon fillet, which was perfect in this dish.  We eat the pasta with a 2005 Toasted Head Chardonnay.  Divine!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Smoked Salmon Vodka Cream Sauce

1/2 pound smoked salmon

1/2 small onion, finely minced

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup passata (this is a tomato sauce sold in some grocery stores; if you can't find it substitute 1 pint tomato puree

1/4 cup vodka

1 pint light cream

3/4 cup chopped dill

1 pound whole wheat pasta (we used Pirro brand, Stozzapreti cut)

Put 8 cups slightly salted water on stove to boil.  Saute onion in butter and oil over low heat.  After 5 minutes, when onions are translucent, add passata.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Bring heat up to high, add vodka, stir until alcohol evaporates.  Reduce heat to simmer and slowly add cream, stirring as it mixes in.  Add salmon and dill.  Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes

Cook pasta according to directions on bag.

Combine pasta with sauce.

Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. 

Buon Appetito!

Refugees cling for life in the Mediterranean Sea

Another group of migrants were found this week clinging to a fishing pen in the Mediterranean Sea, the report is here.  Eight to ten of their fellow refugees were lost at Sea.  A brave Maltese fisherman defied orders from his government to bring the surviving group back to Libya, instead insisting that Malta take them in.  Apparently, it took negotiations between officials from Malta, Libya and Iceland (the boat is Icelandic) and the UNHCR to finally reach a resolution, all while the refugees remained at Sea.  Europe and Libya have to come up with a solution before more lives are lost . . .