f2fb#37 steve rahn and the recipes for horseshoes and fortitude

i met steve rahn three years ago when my business partner todd parkhurst and i were writing and producing plays to teach ethics to lawyers.  ha!  you might say–there is no way to teach ethics to lawyers.  i didn’t say it was a great idea, just that’s what we were doing.   f2fb#37 steve rahn worked for the illinois institute for continuing legal education (where f2fb#36 melissa still works) and i was so impressed with his sense of humor, his calm, his professionalism.

it wasn’t until we were driving through springfield this weekend that he said, in passing, “over there is where my son is buried”.    i cannot imagine the kind of strength necessary to go on from such a thing:  i believe if something happened to joseph or eastman, my life would be over.  and for him never to have given a hint of his personal grief before is a real testament to his professionalism.  which he is bringing into his next incarnation in private practice as a lawyer.  it’s hard to remake oneself as we get to the midcentury mark.  steve rahn, i truly admire you!

but you can’t get out of springfield without horseshoes and he shared a bit of its history.  the horseshoe was created by the head chef at springfield’s leland hotel in 1928 and the original form employed hamsteak instead of beef.  a half horseshoe is called a ponyshoe and, as it turns out, i had a ponyshoe when i dined with melissa at the westwinds lounge (if you go there be prepared to see all sorts of taxidermy hung from the walls, the ceiling, crawling on the baseboard, floating in your glass. . . . )

steve said he would have to kill me if he shared his secrets but that’s when i bailed out of the car.

steve rahn’s horseshoe

place a piece of bread on each plate, put a piece of cooked ham steak (thinly sliced) on bread.  add a generous dollop of bechamel cheese sauce (see below).  top with a garnish of crispy cooked ore-ida french fries.  in order to make this a healthy treat, wave a lettuce leaf over the top before serving (discard lettuce leaf)

bechamel sauce

melt 1/2 stick butter in a pan and stir in 1/4 cup flour.  when you have a nice roue, not lumpy at all, add two cups whole milk (or cream if you are courageous).  after stirring up the mixture, add 2 cups kraft blended preshredded cheddar, american and monterey jack cheese.  a dash of tabasco sauce and a bit of pepper.

so i gotta know:

i have the new york trip scheduled for the twenty fourth of february and am just laying down tracks for a trip to mexico city and to the eastern seaboard.  i am so happy and so excited and so scared all at the same time!  and the mc kato concert has been rescheduled for february 22.  please come!