Don’t thank anyone today
Well, it’s America’s first made up holiday today. We call it Thanksgiving day. But, why do we have to pick one day to give thanks? Shouldn’t we be thankful every day? Of course, the original Thanksgiving was Pilgrims thanking the Indigenous people for helping them through their first year in a harsh new environment. Of course, the Canadians have the American holiday beat by decades, since the first North American Thanksgiving was a prayer session in Newfoundland/Labrador by a group of explorers who were thankful they found land and only lost a couple of their boats. And, neither holiday happened in November. So, don’t thank anyone today. In fact, stage a protest. You can be thankful the rest of the year. But, don’t let anyone tell you what to do today.
And, isn’t that what the Pilgrims did in 1620? They left England in protest of the abridgement of their religious freedom. So, when they gave Thanksgiving in their “New England”, It started a long history of rebellion and violence that continues to this day. The Natives who were so welcoming to the Pilgrims felt the brunt of the misplaced anger and hypocrisy of a group of people trying to forge a new life, free from persecution. But, just like in most domestic abuse situations, they perpetuated the violence, inflicting it on people trying to exercise their own freedom on land they had occupied for centuries. Then came the fights against witches, an uprising against the crown, battles with French and Spanish settlers, the annexation of Mexican land, a couple world wars, imperial ventures that brought violence to multiple lands, and the current political upheaval that affects the whole world.
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With all that, you probably don’t want to thank anyone today
But, as an eternal optimist, there is always something to be thankful for. We are cursed to live in interesting times. We have unprecedented wealth and prosperity. Although, with that, comes the responsibility of helping those less fortunate. And, as a species, we aren’t very good at that. Instead of being thankful, perhaps we should be charitable. Thanksgiving is technically non denominational, but, with roots in Christianity. And, if Christ taught us anything, it is to be kind to others. And, indeed, there are some who do follow this maxim. But, our country, and a good portion of the modern world fins themselves so self centered, that we ignore the well being of others unless it’s beneficial politically or financially to throw a bone once in a while. Turn on the news, You’re sure to find a photo op of some politician visiting a homeless shelter just for today.
Screw ’em the rest of the year.
What if we reversed that. Don’t thank anyone today. But, the rest of the year, think of others before yourself. Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or pastaFarian, you have it in you to be generous, at least once in a while. So, let’s make Thanksgiving every day. The great Spaghetti Monster in the sky would approve. Of course, there is a lot of confusion with revisionist history. And, the misinterpretation starts with who writes the history. As, former AG Bill Barr said, “History is written by the winners”. So, that Thanksgiving day photo op may give an appearance that an otherwise nasty person is really nice. And, those are “the winners”. But, collectively, we are all losing. Remember Jean-Bertrand Aristide‘s Quote: “If one suffers we all suffer. Togetherness is strength.”
We can still celebrate
When we think on all the senseless violence and destruction the world over, it can lead to despair. But, we need to stare into that abyss and overcome. In the words of Rodney King: “can we, can we all get along?” Is it really that hard? Let’s stop fighting and share nicely. Isn’t that what we demand from children in daycare? Stop acting like unruly kids. Then we can really be thankful for something. Perhaps Roger Waters is on to something when he says, “take all your overgrown infants away”. We need a Fletcher memorial home for incurable tyrants, for real.
In the meantime, we can demand better from our “leaders”. Why do they always have to be fighting for things. How about this: Work together on things, instead of fighting”? That’s the job of politicians: not destroying their opponents, but working together. Identify issues, and work together on solutions. Is it really that hard? Many of these leaders call themselves Christian. So, do the Christian thing, and, break bread together. Share commonality, and work together to create a better world. Then, instead of saying don’t say thank you to anyone, we truly can be thankful.
Here are a couple recipes to share in an effort to achieve that. And, they only involve killing plants, no animals or humans need to be harmed.
Truffled Grilled Eggplant Plank with Wild Mushroom Ragout Served with Caramelized Leek studded Cauliflower Puree and garlic Spinach Timbale
Ingredients
- For the Eggplant
- 1 Large Eggplant
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Truffle oil to Drizzle
- For Mushroom Ragout
- 2 Cups Assorted Wild Mushrooms, Cut in large chunks or slices
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Fresh Shallot
- 1/2 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
- 1/2 cup Sherry Wine
- 1/2 Cup vegetable stock (optional)
- 1 Cup Grape tomatoes cut in 1/2
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, sliced
- Truffle oil to taste
- For Cauliflower Puree
- 2 Cup Fresh Cauliflower
- 2 Cup Yukon Gold Potato
- 1/2 Cup Fine Diced Leeks
- Salted Water to boil
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- For Garlic Spinach Timbale:
- 1/2 Lb Fresh Spinach
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
- 1/4 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 1/4 cup Diced Red Pepper
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the eggplant: Chop your garlic and herbs, toss with oil and vinegar, and season. Peel and slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch Thick Planks or rounds. marinate the eggplant for about an hour
- Make the Ragout: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Saute the garlic and shallot until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Add the sherry and cook down until half the liquid is gone. Then add the tomatoes. Cook until they become soft, but don't fall apart. If the sauce looks a little dry, add a little vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, Add the basil and truffle oil at service time.
- Make the Cauliflower Puree: Boil the potatoes in salted water until slightly soft, drain well, toss in olive oil, and spread out on a sheet pan. Toss the cauliflower in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place both in a preheated 400 degree oven. Cook until soft. In the meantime, heat some olive oil in a saute pan. Saute the leeks over medium heat until translucent. When the Cauliflower and potatoes are done, puree in a food processor, Add in half of the coconut oil. Check the consistency. If it is not too thin, add more coconut oil. Season the puree and fold in the leeks at the end. Keep warm until service or reheat when ready.
- make the spinach Timbale: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the peppers and spinach and cook them down stirring until the spinach becomes wilted and pliable. Season the mix, Then strain off extra liquid. Stuff the spinach and pack tightly into ramekins. Hold in a warming oven.
- Grill the eggplant over a preheated grille or grille pan. Cook until nice lines appear and the "steak" softens all the way through.
- Assemble the plate. Carefully spoon the Puree into the middle of the plate, maybe slightly off center. Prop the eggplant against or on top of the puree. Turn the spinach Timbale out onto the plate next to the eggplant. Top the eggplant with the ragout. Then, drizzle a little truffle oil on top of the eggplant and ragout. Serve hot.
Olive Ladder Bread
Ingredients
- 7 cups bread flour
- 3 cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp Dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt kosher
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 cups chopped olives without pits kalamata or a mix of olives
- 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
- Extra oil for coating and baking the bread
Instructions
- Mix sugar, yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Allow to bloom until it becomes a little foamy.
- Add 1/3 of the flour and beat for about a minute until it is smooth. Cover with plastic and let sit for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- When the starter is a bit spongy, add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well with the machine. Then pop out onto a floured surface and knead by hand until the dough (with the exception of the olives) is smooth.
- coat the dough with oil and return to a mixing bowl. Allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours. It should double in volume
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Oil a couple sheet pans.
- Cut the dough into 4 portions. Knead each into a ball. Then flatten them to about 3/4 inch thick rectangles or ovals. Place them onto oiled sheet pans, cover with a damp cloth or plastic and let rise about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Before putting into the oven, slit the bread loaves multiple times to mimic a ladder. Cut through the dough, about an inch or 2 between each slit. Pull the slits to widen the gaps if desired. Brush the tops of the bread with oil. Then pop in the oven.
- After 10 to 12 minutes, check the bread. Turn the loaves and switch pans from lower racks if necessary so they all cook evenly. Put back in for another 10 to 12 minutes until they achieve a nice golden brown.
Vegan Mexican chocolate Pave with Kiwi Salad and Grand Marnier berry drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 Lb vegan chocolate
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1/4 cup Agave syrup or raw honey
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 mini chili Fresh or dried
- 1 each cinnamon stick
- For drizzle
- 1 Tbsp Grand marnier
- 1/2 pint Strawberries or raspberries
- 1/4 cup Simple syrup
- For Kiwi Salad
- 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier
- 2 Tbsp sugar in the raw
- 2 large kiwis
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries or other berry
- Fresh Mint to garnish
Instructions
- Put all the chocolate ingredients in a large metal bowl and set it over a pot of boiling water to create a double boiler. Stir occasionally to make a smooth chocolate. Turn temp down a bit and allow the cinnamon and chili to infuse their flavor into the chocolate for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the chocolate from the heat and pour it into a mold lined with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge and allow to set at least 2 hours.
- Make the Drizzle. Blend berries, grand Marnier and syrup at high speed. If it is too runny, add more berries and puree more. Strain seeds if they are evident.
- make the kiwi salad: Put kiwis and berries in a bowl and toss with sugar and grand Marnier. Allow to absorb the flavors for at least 20 minutes.
- Unmold the chocolate and cut slices. Serve with kiwi salad,, berry drizzle, and garnish as you see fit. A sprig of mint is always nice.