What am I supposed to remember?
We’ve all had that moment. You walk into a room and forget what you were there for. Last week I spent 20 minutes in the bathroom wondering why I was there. Maybe they’re senior moments. But, I started having them in my 20’s. So, there’s that. So, before you say “what am I supposed to remember”, take this to heart. Today is Memorial day. It’s a day custom made just for remembering. Not the daily things like where are my keys or did I leave the cat in the dryer. Today, we remember those who are no longer with us and what they sacrificed.
Memorial day was first observed in the wake of the Civil war. For more on the history, see our post from last year. The original concept was to honor the brave soldiers who gave “the last full measure” as Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address. Over the years it has applied to veterans across the board. And, along the way, the true meaning was lost. Now, it’s the unofficial beginning of summer, and excuse for a day off, and a reason to barbecue. Well, we had Barbecue day a couple weeks ago, so isn’t it redundant doing it again today? How about today, we say: “What am I supposed to remember”? and honor those we have lost, whether through the military or otherwise.
Table of Contents
What am I supposed to remember? How about lost loved ones?
My father was a veteran. he didn’t die in a war. But, his military service was an indelible part of him. I choked up as I was handed the flag that draped his coffin. The words of JFK: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” came to mind. He told stories of how the Yugoslavian forces on the hill opposite his company would lob missiles to try to get our troops to fire back and escalate a confrontation. Thankfully, my father and his friends showed restraint and laughed off the provocations.
He also told us of the German POW’s in their camp. Despite being prisoners, they were happier working in the camp than doing a madman’s bidding. They were grateful to get food and lodging. And, they shared a common humanity. It goes to show that compassion and understanding trump hatred and vitriol even when you are dealing with your perceived enemy. We are all human beings. We actually share more than one would think. A desire for peace, freedom, and safety are universal themes. That is what our armed forces stand for. It’s not about killing and vanquishing enemies. It’s about protecting rights and freedom. The use of force is always a last resort. Remember Teddy Roosevelt: “speak softly and carry a big stick”.
Ah, memories
So, don’t just spend the day focused on eating and drinking. Although it is the unofficial start of Summer, Memorial day is about contemplation and remembering people, events, and why we should care. Our people in uniform gave their time, energy, and life force to protect everything we hold dear. The Phrase “never forget” accompanies any discussion of the holocaust. And, that term applies to many other events throughout history. Yet, somehow our collective conscience as a society seems all too eager to forget.
We just saw an absolutely horrific event in Texas. Children and teachers died needlessly. What’s even scarier is the multiple other mass shootings within the last 2 weeks that have already been forgotten. There have been over 2 dozen mass shootings since the beginning of this year. And, we aren’t even half way through the year. Every time a mass killing occurs, there are chants of “never again.” Yet, here we are. Does anyone remember the University of Texas tower shooting of 1966? Or, how about the first reported mass shooting in Liberty, MS in 1891? We have a long history to learn from. But, our politicians treat these events as part of a news cycle that will pass instead of learning from history. And, we all know that short memory and lack of learning dooms us to repeat mistakes.
Remember their names
In recent years, the reciting of names to humanize horrific events marks an effort to bring about change. For all those killed, there are many more people touched by their memories. George Floyd and Brianna Taylor are a couple of those names. Since the Uvalde shooting, the names of the children and teachers have been read by multiple people. While the intention of this act is to let people know these deaths aren’t just numbers, but actual people and devastated families; the only way to truly honor them is to do something about the situation.
Beto O’Rourke was summarily dismissed for “making it political”. But, his response was right. If not now, when? When do we make it political? The stock response is to allow time to mourn. People offer prayers and moments of silence. By the time it comes to do something political to make a change, the emotion of the situation has passed. Then nothing gets done. Things get done when it is pressing. People have been calling for an end to this senseless violence for decades. And, politicians posture that their solution is right and the other guy is wrong. NO. By automatically discounting one sides view, you miss the point. Do we need gun control? Yes. Do we need better security? Yes. Do we need better screening for gun ownership, background checks? Yes. Do we need better training for police and first responders? Yes. Doing anything is better than doing nothing.
This isn’t a conservative VS liberal idea. It’s about protecting our citizens and children. And, beefing up security in schools may be part of the solution. But, that is reactive instead of pro-active. What about the Las Vegas shooting? The Pulse nightclub? The Aurora movie theater?
You thought it was going to be fun in the sun?
While getting back to summer fun is on the agenda, the real purpose of memorial day is the memories. So, before firing up the grille, we all have a duty to our country to use our memories for good. Remember the wars against injustice. Think on the families in buffalo and Uvalde who won’t be having a joyous memorial day this year. contemplate all the times you heard the phrase “never forget”, and how much of what you were supposed to remember, you forgot.
The Horror of Gettysburg, Normandy, the Holocaust, and 9/11 are indelibly etched in our historical memory. But, who remembers the actual visceral feeling at the time? The rawness of the open wound that screams “Do Something!” Right now, is one of those times for our country. The gut punch of Uvalde is still raw and screaming for answers and a response. When 9/11 happened, we went right to work to bring about change. Why not now? Uvalde isn’t even the end. Since that shooting, there have already been 3 more mass shootings in Philadelphia, Alabama, and Michigan. Something needs to be done before the memory fades.
And, please, don’t say “What am I supposed to remember?”
People love lists. So, here is your virtual string around your finger:
- Remember all our soldiers who gave the last full measure for their country
- Remember those who we have lost over the years
- Remember the feeling of dread and horror at the loss of all the children and teachers in Uvalde
- Remember this has happened before and it will happen again if we don’t do something about it.
Since the Uvalde shooting, polls show that as much as 90% of the country support background checks and a solid majority support a major increase in gun control. The US leads the world in gun ownership and gun violence by a wide margin. There are about 330 million people in the US. There are over 400 million guns. The next largest gun population is in Yemen with half their people owning guns. They have been dealing with wars and political instability for decades. So, what is wrong with us? Why do we need so many guns? The proliferation of guns results in more gun deaths. 79% of homicides in the US are by gun. In Canada, that number is 37%. While the UK (with strict gun laws) comes in at 4%.
What we’ve got here is failure to communicate
Do we need to look at mental health issues? Of course. School security? yes. Gun control? Yes. part of the problem is in the wording. People don’t like the word “control”. Okay then: “gun safety”.
The “woke” community takes a lot of flack for saying stupid things and getting hung up on words, pronouns and semantics (and rightfully so). But, words, pronouns, and semantics are the reason we can’t do anything about gun violence in our country. Gun rights advocates constantly shout: second amendment rights. But, the second amendment has language that people skip over.
Second Amendment
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
The second and third words are “well regulated”. But, Gun rights people skip to the last 4 words: “shall not be infringed”. Both sides skip over the central theme, the words in the middle: “the security of a free state”. At the time this amendment was added to the constitution, the United States was a newly formed nation that had just rebelled against an oppressive regime. The “right to bear arms” was seen as a necessary protection against King George or actors within our own government infringing on the “freedom of the state”. But, it was not intended in absolute terms. The architects of our government purposefully left ambiguity in the wording of documents.
Read in context
The founding fathers of our country were human beings. They had their flaws. And, if you read the texts of what they wrote, there was definitely ambiguity and a lot of double negatives. Look at this crap from article one of the constitution:
No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.
If you wrote like that in a school paper, you would receive an F. It sounds like some members were hitting the hard cider a little hard when they wrote that. No wonder we’ve got a failure to communicate.
The context of what was written and when is the important thing when interpreting a “right”. Remember, the country was growing at the time. The second amendment sought to enlist citizen soldiers. We were not the mega world power we are today. We didn’t have a trillion dollar military budget. So, any and all weapons and men were subject to being drafted into the defense of the country. In fact, the second amendment, as it is written, arguably, has little to no place in our modern government. It was intended as a tool to build a viable military to defend against invasion.
What am I supposed to remember?
For comparison, look at Ukraine. They have enlisted their citizenry to fight an army immensely larger than their own. But, they still need weapons far beyond the means of the ordinary person. They face a military force 3 times their size. At the time of the revolution, George Washington faced a British force roughly twice the size of ours. And, that was only a fraction of the British force at the time. So, calling on citizen soldiers was a necessity.
So that brings us back to memorial day. As you can see by the journey we took from Barbecues to Gettysburg, to mass shootings, to the constitution, and the founding of our country, there is a lot to remember. And, that is why we need memorial day. But, it shouldn’t just be memorial day. Remember what we just talked about and what we have been through, not just today, but in November when it’s time to vote for people who want change and who can do what politicians are supposed to do: compromise.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been working on gun violence since Newtown. He made an impassioned plea to his fellow senators to put aside the vitriol and pass something. Look at the situation as a whole, not just parts. He has been working with Republican senator Bill Cassidy, and, they are making progress. We need more people from both parties to work together like that.
Breaking news: There were 9 more mass shooting events this weekend. That is on top of the 3 mentioned earlier here. If that doesn’t say we need to do something about gun violence, what does? Please, don’t say, “What am I supposed to remember?”
Almost forgot
What am I supposed to remember? I almost forgot that this is a blog about food. Sorry for the long journey. But, this is something that we shouldn’t have to just live with. When I was in High school, we had “open campus”, which meant if you had a free period or on your lunch break, you could leave school grounds. We would support the local pizza shop and other businesses. Or, we would spend time in the fields or grounds. Today, schools are locked down like prisons. The second amendment was supposed to protect our freedom. Now, it is doing the opposite. We have enough worries with pandemics and inflation. Getting shot in school, church, or a mall shouldn’t be a thing.
We are supposed to be celebrating memorial day. Brave men and women died to protect our rights. Let’s honor them by doing something about gun violence. Do you remember the old Superman show with George Reeves? The phrase: Truth, justice, and the American way was in the opening. That is what they fought for. Now it’s time for us to accept the truth and not alternative facts. Only then can we achieve justice and return to the “American way.”
And, just to let you know I didn’t forget to remember to forget, here are some recipes for Memorial day. We’re giving the people what they want: Barbecue in several permutations.
Sweet chili Rubbed Baby Back Ribs with Korean BBQ Sauce
Equipment
- Smoker or grille with soaked wood chips
Ingredients
- 2 Full Racks of Baby Back Ribs
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Mustard Powder
- 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Tbsp Ground Coriander
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Spicy Asian Chilies
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Ground Black or white pepper
- 1/4 Cup Paprika
- For Korean BBQ Sauce:
- 3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Oz Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Ginger
- 1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar or Mirin
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha or similar spicy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 Oz Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Fresh Ground Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Make a sweet dry rub: mix brown sugar and all the spices.
- Rub the ribs generously on both sides. Coat well. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to permeate the the meat
- make the Barbecue sauce. Mix all ingredients except cornstarch and water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Mix the water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Stir in the slurry to thicken the sauce. Set aside until needed.
- Set up your grille with soaked wood chips or a smoker if you have one. Heat to 250 degrees with the cover on. Place the ribs on the grille or in the smoker and cook for 1 hour at 250. Then, turn the temperature down to 200. Cook for another 2 hours at 200. Then, take the ribs out and wrap in foil. Cook for another hour. Check the doneness. They should pull off the bone pretty easily. If not, give a little more time. When finished. Remove from the heat and let them cool down naturally for about an hour before removing from the foil. The foil will hold in moistness. While they are cooling, preheat an oven or covered grille to 400 degrees.
- Brush the ribs with some of the Barbecue sauce. reserve more sauce for service. Place on a sheet pan into the oven or closed grille cook for about 10 to 20 minutes to let the flavor of the BBQ sauce really settle in. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Southern dry rubbed chicken with bourbon barbecue sauce
Ingredients
- 2 whole grilling chickens cut into 8 to 10 pieces each (about 3 to 4# each)
- For the rub:
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 Tbsp Paprika
- 1 Tbsp rubbed sage or pultry seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Onion powder
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Basil flakes
- 2 Tbsp Dry Mustard powder
- 2 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Dry Thyme
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
- For Sauce:
- 1 Pint Good quality Barbecue sauce (either home made or store bought)
- 1/4 cup Diced fresh onion
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 each whole small chili, split
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup Bourbon
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dry rub by mixing all the spices well or buy a quality BBQ spice mix. Try to avoid the larger commercial spice rubs. They tend to have preservatives that you don't want, and the flavor is designed for a general audience. By making your own or buying local, you can adjust the seasonings to your taste. This rub has a good blend of sweet, spicy, and earthy.
- Cut the chicken or get a chicken cut into 8 to 10 pieces. Place the pieces in a container large enough to toss around with the dry rub. Add in the rub a little at a time. You probably won't need all of it. That's fine. Save the extra for the next time. Evenly coat the chicken pieces and refrigerate overnight.
- make the sauce: Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Add in onions, chili, and garlic. Stir. Cook until translucent. Then add in the whiskey, vinegar, and OJ. Reduce by half. Add in the remaining ingredients and turn the temperature down to a low simmer. Allow to simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if it gets too thick.
- Pre-heat a grille to high temperature. Mark the chicken on the grille, about 3 minutes per side. Then turn the temperature down to below medium (between 250 and 300 degrees). Let the chicken cook slowly for about an hour. If you have multiple levels, put the smaller pieces up away from the heat, so they cook to the same degree. Check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. It should reach 165.
- Serve with the sauce on the side or glaze the chicken with the sauce.
Notes
Minted Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 2 cup cubed fresh watermelon
- 2 cup fresh English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1/2 cup shaved red or sweet onion
- 1 cup feta cheese cubed
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint julienne
- 1 handful fresh spinach or arugula
- For Dressing:
- 1/4 cup honey or agave
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp pink peppercorn
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- mix all ingredients for dressing except oil in a mixing bowl with stick blender or in a blender. Slowly add in oil until emulsified.
- Toss all ingredients in a bowl except dressing. Put in a little dressing at a time until well coated, but not swimming in dressing. Serve chilled.
California Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with Pico De Gaillo, Avocado, and Micro Greens
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (or whole in the skin to be baked)
- 1/2 cup dry black beans
- 1/2 cup grilled corn
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 Tbsp Chopped fresh garlic
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh jalapeno
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh scallion
- 1/4 cup Quinoa
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
- For pico De gaillo:
- 1/2 cup diced fresh onion
- 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 cup diced fresh tomato
- 1/4 cup diced fresh peppers
- 2 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1 Tbsp diced fresh jalapeno
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp Chopped fresh scallion
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 medium Avocado, sliced
- Micro greens for garnish
- Gluten free Burger rolls (If gluten is not a problem, substitute rolls)
Instructions
- Soak black beans for several hours or over night. Drain off liquid and rinse. Cook beans in salted water with cumin until soft, but not falling apart. Drain liquid and set aside.
- Boil sweet potatoes in salted water. Drain well. Let all liquid drain out. You can pop in the oven to dry out more if necessary. Alternatively, you can bake the sweet potatoes whole in the skin for about 30 to 40 minutes,and, scrape out the flesh. Either way works. The important thing is to remove moisture. When cooked, puree in a food processor until smooth
- Cook the quinoa: Saute onions, garlic, and jalapeno in oil in a pot, Cook until translucent. Add Quinoa, stir. Add water at a ratio of 2 to 1. Cook until liquid is mostly gone and the quinoa is soft, but not breaking apart. Drain off any extra liquid.
- Fold all the burger ingredients together. The mix should be pretty stiff. If not, add a little more rice flour to bind. Form burgers from the mix. Freeze them for at least an hour until they are firm enough to stand up to the heat of cooking.
- Make the pico de gaillo: Fold all ingredients together and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Right before or while you are cooking the burgers, slice the avocados. Sprinkle with lime juice if they are going to sit for a while. Otherwise, they will turn black or brown.
- Pre-heat a grille to high heat or a saute pan. Spray the burgers with pan spray and cook on the grille or in a pan. Let them sear well about 1 to 3 minutes on either side. They should be heated all the way through. The best way to acheive this is by finishing them in a 400 degree oven. They can be a bit soft, and hard to manipulate on a grille. Serve on buns with pico, avocado, and microgreens.
Notes
Clementine Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup fresh orange juice.
- 2 cups water
- 3 clementines peeled and sectioned
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh scallion
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t ground cumin optional
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into rounds.
- Heat oil in a large saute pan.
- When oil is freely flowing, but not smoking, add the sweet potatoes. Allow them to caramelize before shaking and stirring. Try to brown a bit on each side stirring occasionally.
- Once a good color and even cooking has begun, add juice and water. Bring to a boil. Allow the potatoes to simmer, stirring occasionally. You will want to cook down the liquid until it is a coating. If the potatoes aren’t cooked through, add more liquid and continue cooking. Add the honey and seasoning. Stir this to mix everything together. The liquid should be more like a glaze at this point. Add in the clementines and continue cooking. Adjust seasoning and check the potatoes to make sure they are soft enough to eat, but not breaking apart. Fold in the scallions to evenly distribute all the ingredients and colors. Serve immediately or save to reheat later.