Sure Don’t feel like Christmas

For many, Christmas is a time of happiness and rejoicing. But, some people feel left out in the cold… literally. The Boston Band “The Dogmatics” captured this plight almost 40 years ago in their Xmas song. The song has a cult following with a number of bands covering it, including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The refrain “sure don’t feel like Christmas” encapsulates the mood of someone left out of the holidays, especially the poor and homeless. The line “I’m standing in front of the Pine Street, I’ve got nowhere to go” pretty much sums it up. The Pine street Inn is a homeless shelter in Boston. It shows the huge disparity between the haves and have nots with studio apartments starting at $4,000 a month in most of the nearby buildings.

And, every year, around this time, politicians and celebrities visit the “Inn” and other shelters to serve food. Then they get back in their chauffeured limousines and drive back to their life of oblivion. The 1988 movie “Scrooged” captures this theme pretty well, when Bill Murray’s character looks like he’s about to have a breakthrough in a homeless shelter, but, quickly reverts to being a jerk. Both the song and movie, not so subtly, point out the problem of homelessness. Yet, decades later, the issue has only become worse. And, the disparity between rich and poor has increased exponentially. According to statistics, since 1970, middle income earners went from 63% to 43% of the pie, while High income earners went from 29% to 48%, and low income also lost a percent in the shift. Basically, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. And, the middle class get squeezed.

Rich getting richer Sure Don’t feel like Christmas

In the 1980’s, the theory of “trickle down economics” was tested by our government. Guess what, the trickle down didn’t happen. Since the Dogmatics released their song, according to recent data, the wealthiest 20% of wage earners more than doubled their net worth; while, the lowest 20% have actually lost about 1%. And, the middle class saw a tiny increase of about 10%. The decline really started in the 1970’s. There were always rich and poor. But, the ups and downs were similar from WWII to the time of the Nixon administration.

And, it gets worse

And, we are at another inflection point today. The whole world is experiencing unprecedented inflation. The first thing people do at this point is blame the government. But, the fingers usually point in the wrong direction. The people making the most money off of inflation are the large corporations and their top wage earners. The Seattle times reported this in 2019:

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson’s total compensation last fiscal year was about $13.4 million, or approximately 1,049 times the $12,754 that the coffee giant’s median employee earned in pay and stock.

And, let’s not forget everyone’s biggest lament that gas has gone through the roof. The CEO of Exxon made about 35 Million dollars last year. The top 4 VP’s of the company took in 15 to 20 million each as well. All this, while experiencing record profits, double the previous year.

Blaming sure don’t feel like Christmas

When people see inflation like we’ve had the last few years, the first thing they do is blame politicians. While they do hold some culpability, the real problem is the aforementioned corporate heads. All that governments can do to help stop inflation is to put regulations on companies. But, in our capitalist, laissez-faire society, even the mention of any regulation meets the label of communism. Newsflash: that’s the only power the government has to fix problems in industry.

During the industrial revolution, government did little to nothing to curb unfair labor practices. In fact, they were often pro corporation (and still are). The result was the rise of the union. And, with that came brutal union busting techniques employed by the companies and business friendly police and politicians. The Everette Massacre of 1916 (dubbed “Bloody Sunday”) ended in dozens dead and wounded at the hands of pro-business vigilantes. And, the “Palmer Raids” authorized by Woodrow Wilson’s Justice department targeted workers in a blatantly authoritarian genocidal effort to stop communism which had “poured the poison of disloyalty into the very arteries of our national life.” If that sounds familiar, you probably heard it recently from a certain Presidential candidate. They used the threat of communism to target low paid workers who were mostly immigrants.

They can do something

It’s ironic that the current Republican party is on a tear to get rid of illegal immigrants when they, historically, have been the beneficiaries of migrant workers. It’s no secret that the majority of business owners tend to be conservative and oppose any kind of regulation. And, the general public doesn’t really want to know how the sausage is made. Democrats used to be the party opposed to illegal immigration because it drives down wages since companies can pay illegals under the table, driving down wages for all workers. Now, it’s republicans calling for removal of immigrants? And, complaining about inflation? If Americans did the work, you’d be paying $10 for a single head of lettuce.

Jimmy Tingle (another Boston Icon) talked about this same dilemma back in the 1980’s as well. He, aptly points out the hypocrisy of the anti-immigrant stance: They’re not taking our jobs. They’re doing our jobs. When’s the last time you saw a banker say, Honey, let’s move to the dessert and pick some lettuce?

So, this is nothing new. It’s all part of the same issue. And, politicians can, indeed do something about it. But, nobody wants to hear it, because our political parties are more interested in sabotaging each other than actually getting things done. Since the businesses and their owners have all the money, it’s their interest that comes first. And, anyone who dares even mention a living wage for all is branded a communist or worse. Heaven forbid democrats and republicans find common ground or actually do something that doesn’t involve corporate profits.

Inequality sure don’t feel like Christmas

There’s another word that drives people nuts: Inequality. There is a little truth in both the standard Republican and Democrat ideologies on this front. And, equality doesn’t just mean men and women. It’s different races, backgrounds, etc. The founders of America left England to get away from the rigid monarchical caste system of haves and have nots for a more egalitarian existence. But, instead, we just created a free market caste system. How many of Donald Trump’s voters would be welcome at Mar a Lago? We don’t have royalty, per se. But, having a lot of money gives privileges that most people don’t have access to. It sure don’t feel like Christmas to the Walmart worker making barely enough to buy a Christmas tree, even with her employee discount, thus returning her paycheck to the corporation she works for.

Meanwhile, The well heeled buy their kids into elite universities to continue building wealth, and exchange BMW’s for Christmas. But, that’s okay, they also give a few bucks to the Salvation Army (yes, that’s sarcasm). We just celebrated Winter Solstice here. And, Only Cumin talked about our place in the universe. The fact that we can’t even get charity right, here at home, shows how unworthy we are, as a species, to be part of the eternal everything. So, just like the starfish story we cited there, we should try starting with those we can help, right here at home. We’re not saying people can’t have stuff. But, as children, we are taught to share with others. Shouldn’t a lesson we learn as infants follow us through life?

And, isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be all about?

In Jesus Christ Superstar, there is a song where Judas calls out Jesus for using expensive oils, and indulging himself, while that money could have helped the poor. Jesus gives a half assed excuse of “there will be poor always”, enjoy the good things you got. He says we don’t have the resources to help everyone. Maybe that’s so. But, if you go to any country in the world today, there are people who win and lose what could be thousands of livelihoods on a daily basis, just in fluctuations of market capital. So, yes, the wealthy in the world do have the resources. The problem is, that, we, as a whole, don’t have the will, desire, or impetus to close the wealth gap. And, the wealthy have self preservation as their top priority.

Despite Andrew Lloyd Weber’s perspective of Jesus being more important than the people, there is a universal concept that no one being is more important than another. And, that’s what Jesus, David, Mohammed, Meher Baba, and others have tried teaching for millennia. Even some of the wealthiest people in America come to this realization later in life. The Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Gates families all instituted charitable organizations when they realized they had “too much wealth”. It was time to give back. But, they had to make conscious decisions to do that. And, most don’t have that come to reality moment. When was the last time you heard someone say they have “too much” money or stuff?

Sorry, Gordon gekko: “Greed” is not good…

What to do?

Christmas is about the birth of a saviour who was supposed to teach mankind how to behave. While there are millions who hang on his every word to this day, few actually learned from it, or really got the message. And, people of different faiths deride Jesus as Christians deride the heroes of other religions. If you take a survey of all religions, though, you will probably come up with one singular truth: be kind to others, help each other. Jesus told the parable of the “good Samaritan”. This was a Sumerian who came to the aid of a beaten Jewish man, despite being sworn enemies, when his own people refused to help him. Most people who call themselves “christian” wouldn’t help their own, let alone someone whom they deem unworthy of redemption. But, that’s not what Christ Taught.

So, to all the religions of the world. It’s time to be re-schooled, because, we have all failed miserably. If Jesus were here to administer a test, we would see an awful lot of F’s. And, his messages are simple enough for a child to understand.

It shouldn’t matter if you subscribe to transubstantiation, consubstantiation, Buddism, Islam, Hindi, or any other teachings. Love one another as you would yourself, seems pretty basic. Unfortunately, we live in a world where this message will never get through to the people who need to get it. So, it can be our own little Christmas dream. And, since, like Jesus, we don’t have the resources, we can only do what we can with what we have. But, that doesn’t mean we let the dream die.

We said it before. We’ll say it again.

We have a recurring theme here that the best way to share your humanity is through the breaking of bread. So, if it sure don’t feel like Christmas, Perhaps it’s time to revisit that theme. If you are having a Christmas celebration, invite your Jewish, Muslim, or other friends to share in the experience. With the modern commercialization of the holiday, Jesus doesn’t even enter into most holiday celebrations anyway. But, the part of Jesus that matters, the lessons of humanity, that’s something that you can and should share with all living beings. So, let’s break bread tonight for the sake of all. Here are a few recipes intended to showcase cuisines of the World to bind us all together.

Feliz Navidad:

Korean BiBimBap

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Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 2 Cups Short Grain Rice
• 4 cups Water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Sesame oil for cooking
• For the Protein:
• 1/2 Lb Protein (Beef, chicken, Tofu, or seafood)
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
• 1/4 Cup Grated Fresh Green Apple
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
• For the Vegetables:
• 1 Cup Julienne Fresh Carrots
• 1 Cup Julienne Fresh Zucchini
• 1 Cup Julienne Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
• 4 Cup Fresh Spinach
• 3 Cups Bean Sprouts
• 1 Cup Julienne Red Pepper
• Vegetable oil for cooking
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp Mirin or rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• Toasted Sesame oil to taste
• For Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Gochujang Chili paste
• 1 Ounce Mirin
• 1 Ounce Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Instructions

 

• Marinate the protein: Slice meats, fish, or tofu in thin pieces or cubes. Mix all the other ingredients. Toss the protein in the marinade and set aside for at least an hour.
• Make the Sauce: Whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Set Aside.
• Cut and cook all the vegetables. Traditionally, all the vegetables are cut in Julienne strips. We recommend this for presentation, consistency, and ease of cooking. Cook each vegetable separately in a little oil over high heat. Just cook until al dente. Mix garlic, soy, mirin, sesame oil, salt and sugar to make a light marinade. Drizzle this over or toss each vegetable separately in this mix. Keep them separate for presentation.
• Cook the Rice: Boil the water or stock with a pinch of salt. Add the rice and stir. Simmer until cooked, but not falling apart.
• Cook the protein: Saute at high heat until cooked through.
• Fry the Eggs in a little Sesame oil. Cook them sunny side up, so the yolk is still runny. Be careful not to break the yolk. That is saved for when you are eating.
• Put the rice in bowls. Arrange the vegetables and protein on top, alternating colors. Place the egg on top in the middle. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve the sauce on the side and/or drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Notes

Traditionally, this is made with a lean beef cut into strips. But, you can substitute whatever protein you prefer: Chicken, Duck, Tofu, Shrimp, Fish, Beans, whatever. The marinade for the protein is light enough to transfer to other varieties of protein.

Most versions use a short grain rice. But you don’t want sushi or glutenous rice. They tend to be too sticky. You want each grain of rice to be distinct, not breaking down into each other.

You can change up the vegetables too. Yo can add more or substitute things like asparagus, snap peas, patty pan squash, green beans, other colored peppers. Use whatever is available. Try Kale in place of or in addition to spinach.

Gochujang paste is a Korean Chili paste available in Asian Markets and some specialty stores. you can make your own with miso, chilis, sesame, honey, soy, and garlic. But, if you are going on a special trip for those ingredients, why not save the steps and just get a pre-made paste? 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

Keyword American, Bibimbap, Bowl, Egg, Gochujang, Korean, Meat, mixed, Rice, Tofu, vegetables, vegetarian versions

The British are Coming Beef Wellington

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Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, French

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin trimmed center cut
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 6 inch sheets Frozen puff pastry dough
• 1 large Egg
• For duxelles
• 3 cups Assorted wild mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup diced shallot
• 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Thyme
• 1/4 cup sherry wine
• For Demi glace sauce
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh shallot
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 cups homemade or high quality beef or veal stock
• Butter to finish

Instructions

 

• Make the duxelles: saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add in the mushrooms and stir. cook until soft. Add the sherry and reduce to a glaze. Add in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Then puree in a food processor. Set aside.
• Make demi glace: Saute shallots in oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add red wine and reduce until it is a glaze. Add half the stock and turn heat down to medium. Reduce by 1/2 volume. Then add the rest of the stock. Reduce by 1/2 again. Set aside.
• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
• Cut the tenderloin into 4 filet mignon steaks. Oil each and season with salt and pepper, coating evenly. Sear on a grille or in a saute pan over high heat until all sides are evenly browned (about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Lay out the puff pastry sheets and paint with whisked egg. Place a spoonful or more of the duxelles in the center of each sheet (enough to cover the top of the tenderloin. Spread to the size of the steak, but keep in the center of the puff pastry. Put the steak on top of the duxelles. Then lift the 4 corners of the puff pastry and wrap around the steak. Fold them over to seal the steak in the pastry. Repeat with all the steaks. Then put them on a parchment lined sheet pan sprayed with pan spray. Brush the tops and sides of the pastry with more egg.
• Bake the wellingtons for about 20 minutes. They should achieve a golden brown crust. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. You want it to be around 125 for medium rare.
• Heat the demi glace and whisk in a pat of butter. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Sauce the plate and place the wellington on top of the sauce.

Notes

If you prefer a well done steak. Cook the steak through more before wrapping in pastry.

These are individual wellingtons. If you prefer, you can leave the tenderloin whole and Wrap the entire thing, Then you can cut it to order. It will show off the medium rare center. But, be careful cutting it. The puff pastry can fall apart easily.

 

Keyword Beef WEllington, British, duxelles, Father’s day, mushroom, Tenderloin

Japanese Eggplant and Daikon Radish Salad with Miso Wasabi dressing

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 12 oz Japanese Eggplant
• 1 oz Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 Tbsp Lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp garlic chopped
• 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup julienne daikon radish
• 1/2 cup Julienne English cucumber
• 1/4 cup julienne red bell pepper
• 2 cups Baby mizuna or other baby greens
• For dressing:
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar (Seasoned)
• 1 tsp Lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp chopped fesh ginger
• 1 tsp wasabi powder
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp Miso paste
• 1/2 cup soy bean oil
• 2 Tbsp Sesame oil

Instructions

 

• Marinate the eggplant. make marinade: Mix Lime juice, sesame oil, honey, soy, cilantro, garlic, and black pepper. Split the Japanese Eggplant lengthwise and coat evenly with the marinade. Let sit in fridge about an hour or longer.
• Make the dressing by mixing all ingredients except oil in a blender or in a bowl . Turn on the blender or use a stick blender and slowly drizzle in the oil until the ingredients emulsify into a dressing. Set aside in the fridge until service time.
• Heat a pan over medium high heat. Sear the eggplant until caramelized (about 2 to 3 minutes). Then flip over and cook on other side for about the same amount of time. Turn off the heat and pour in the glaze. Let in coat the eggplant. But, be careful not to scorch it. That would leave a bitter taste and burn the product. Allow to cool. Then slice into diagonal cut shapes.
• At service time, Toss the vegetables together with some of the dressing. If there is extra dressing, it will hold for a couple weeks in the fridge. Serve imediately.

Notes

Mizuna is an Asian baby green for salads. It is very delicate. You could substitute baby spinach, arugula, or any type of cress.

Keyword Daikon Radish, Dressing, Eggplant, Japanese, Miso, salad, vegan, Wasabi

Mandarin Orange Scallop Ceviche With Crispy Tortilla Threads and Avocado

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

marinating time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, first course

Cuisine Mexican, Southwestern

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz Fresh sea or bay scallops
• 2 each Mandarin oranges
• 1 cup fine diced sweet onion
• 1 cup diced fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup fine died sweet peppers
• 1 Tbsp fine diced jalapeno
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or scallions
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tbsp Avocado oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 each Avocado
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 each raw tortilla or flour tortilla Julienned
• Oil to fry tortillas
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Either make or buy raw tortilla dough. You can substitute flour tortillas as well. Julienne them super thin and fry in 350 degree oil. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper. These will be your garnish
• Peel and pull apart the mandarin oranges. Place the segments in a bowl. Cut them in 1/2 if you prefer. make sure to remove the little muscles from the scallops before marinating. They can be tough. Then add in all ingredients except avocado and second lime juice. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Closer to 1 hour is better. This gives time to "cook" the scallops.
• Place the flesh of the avocado in a food processor or mixing bowl and puree with lime juice, salt, and pepper.
• Serve the ceviche in small bowls or in ceramic spoons as an hors d'ouevre. Garnish with tortilla threads and avocado puree.

Keyword avocado, ceviche, crispy, mandarin, Mexican, orange, scallop, tortilla, tortilla threads

Marjoram scented Baba Ganoush with Fresh Vegetable crudites

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 Large Eggplant
• 15 to 20 whole garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 1 to 2 cups olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Assorted vegetables and Pita for dipping

Instructions

 

• Split the eggplant in half. Cut slits into the flesh, but not all the way through. Stick garlic in the slits intermittently (6 to 10 pieces per half eggplant). Dowse the eggplant with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then put it in a preheated 300 degree oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check the consistency. It should be soft and easily pull from the skin. Give it more time if needed.
• Scrape the eggplant from the skin into a food processor. Pulse to begin pureeing. Stop and scrape down the sides.
• Add in all the other ingredients except the oil and herbs. Run the processor to create a smooth puree. stop, scrape the sides, then start again.
• Drizzle the oil in until it becomes smooth, but not too loose. Then add the fresh herbs and adjust seasoning.
• Serve in a bowl, drizzle a little olive oil on top, sprinkle more fresh herbs on. Serve with fresh cut vegetables and pita bread.

Notes

When roasting the eggplant, it is important to have a good amount of oil. This recipe says 1 to 2 cups. It could be more, maybe less. It depends on the eggplant. Eggplant absorbs oil like a sponge. You want enough that it bakes up soft and comes off the skin easily. Saturate the eggplant until it looks moist, then splash a little extra for good measure. This is art, not science.

Sometimes the dip looks a little loose. If it is, you can puree some chic peas and fold them in for a hybrid hummus baba ganoush.

 

Keyword baba ganoush, crudite, Earth Day, marjoram, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, vegan

Vegan Zinfandel Hummus

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Soak beans 12 hours hrs

Course accompaniment, Appetizer

Cuisine American, Middle Eastern

Servings 1 Quart

Ingredients

  

• 1 Cup Dry chic Peas
• 1/2 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
• 12 Cloves Peeled Fresh garlic
• 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
• 1 Pint Red Zinfandel Wine May substitute another wine if desired
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp Tahini Paste
• 1 to 2 Cups Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Place Chic Peas in a 1 quart or larger container. Cover with water, to the top of the container. Let sit overnight until most of the liquid has been absorbed. The beans will triple to quadruple in size. When they have soaked at least 12 hours, drain off the excess liquid and give a quick rinse.
• Make a zinfandel syrup. Start with 1/2 to a whole bottle of red zinfandel. Add the sugar and whisk together in a pot. Bring to a simmer. Allow the liquid to cook down until a syrup forms. Set aside.
• Heat a little olive oil in a pot. Saute the onion and 1/2 the garlic until translucent. Add in the chic peas and cumin. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the beans are soft. If they are still a little hard, but the liquid is gone, add more water and continue cooking. You want all the liquid gone. If they are soft enough, drain off excess liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place the chic peas in a food processor. Add in the remaining garlic. Pulse to break down the chic peas. Scrape down sides as needed. Process until it becomes like a paste. Add in the tahini and lemon. Continue processing until relatively smooth. Add in the Red wine syrup while the machine is running. Scrape down sides and continue pureeing. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil until the hummus moves freely and is pliable. You don't want it too thin or too thick. Add salt and pepper. Test the batch and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Serve with Pita vegetables, and/or other crisps.

Keyword Garlic, Hummus, red wine, vegan, Zinfandel

Grilled Rosemary garlic Flatbread

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course bread

Cuisine Mediterranean

Equipment

• Pizza Stone

Ingredients

  

• 4 Cups Bread Flour
• 2 Cups Warm water
• 1 Tbsp Dry Active Yeast
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
• Corn meal to sprinkle on the stone to prevent sticking.

Instructions

 

• Put water , yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl, and, mix well. You want the water warm, around body temperature for best result. Let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. The yeast will activate and bubble up.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix in a stand mixer using a dough hook for about 2 to 5 minutes until it pulls away from the sides by itself. Remove the ball of dough and coat with olive oil. Then return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic and let it rise for about 15 minutes.
• Preheat a grille or grille pan to medium high (around 400 degrees)
• Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl, cut it into 2 or 4 pieces. Let it rise for a few minutes until it becomes pliable. At this point, you can either shape it by hand or use a rolling pin to make a flat pizza like shape. Round, rectangle, triangle, whatever you prefer. The important thing is to make it flat, no more than 1/2 inch thick. If it is too thick, it won't cook all the way through on the grille, you may have to finish in an oven. Sprinkle with a little more flour or brush with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the dough on the hot grille and cook for a couple minutes until grille marks appear and the dough begins to bubble. Flip it over and cook a couple more minutes on the other side.
• Cut and serve immediately with various condiments such as hummus, baba Ganoush, or a nice marinara. You could even top it with pizza toppings and melt them under a broiler or in a hot oven. Now go make friends.

Keyword flatbread, Garlic, Grilled, Rosemary