Truly a day to remember
Today, there is a lot of celebrating going on. In the USA, Cinco De Mayo reigns supreme. But, it’s also Yom Shahoah, Orthodox Easter, Liberation day in Denmark (and Dutch Heritage day in Canada), Mother’s day in Hungary, and Infertility survival day in USA. While all different holidays, with some sadder than others, they all have one thing in common. Each is Truly a day to remember.
Each one recalls battles, conflict, or horrific events. But, all had good outcomes. Cinco De mayo celebrates the battle of Puebla, when a small group of Mexican soldiers defeated Napoleon III’s army. The Dutch overthrew their Spanish rulers in 1581 to gain their independence. Infertility survival day focuses our attention on overcoming infertility? And Yom Shahoah reminds us to never forget the atrocities of the holocaust, while celebrating the liberation of Jews from Nazi concentration camps. Meanwhile, orthodox Easter simply exists because they work on a different calendar than the rest of the world. And, mother’s day in Hungary is simply a little early.
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Do we have to choose which is Truly a day to remember?
All of the above are truly days to remember. They all speak to the human condition and striving for autonomy, independence, and control of the destiny of one’s family, community, and diaspora. You could easily call this Memorial day instead of waiting a few weeks. Most countries have some form of a memorial day. But, each is specific to that country. Russians have Victory day on May 9 (corresponding to VE day on May 8 in Europe). Australians celebrate Anzac. Israel (in addition to Yom Shahoah) has Yom Hazikaron which memorializes all those killed in political violence and acts of terror. The Netherlands commemorates civilians and soldiers who died post WWII on Dodenherdenking. Even Germany has Volkstrauertag. And, of Course, The UK celebrates Remembrance day.
Maybe we could rename today as an international memorial day that is Universal, instead of focused on one group or nationality. We could remember the departed who died due to senseless acts like war and terror. And, we can strive for peace across all nations. Many believe that god is in everything and everywhere. If that is so, why do evil things keep happening? Some religions will tell you hat the devil or demons are responsible for evil and horrific acts. But, if god is in “everything”, he is in the demons as well. The irony is that the people committing these atrocities believe they are right and/or righteous. And, most claim divine authority to justify their actions with claims that god is on their side. Obviously, god doesn’t favor one side or another.
We need universal truths
The problem seems to be intolerance. And, it usually centers on one’s definition of god. But, most agree that god is in every living thing. So, why the disconnect? Just because someone doesn’t pray the way you pray or look the way you do? Moses brought down the 10 commandments. In them we find some pretty universal truths: Thou shalt not steal, kill, or covet. Some of the wording gets distorted in translation. But, these 3 central tenets should dictate a peaceful co-existence. What are wars fought over; and, what do people in smaller disputes die and suffer for? It’s almost always that someone wants what the other one has. And, the exacerbating factor is usually about who’s god is better.
Israel and Palestine are currently locked in a war over who has the right to plots of land. Each accuses the other of stealing from them. This all starts with coveting . And, the irony is, they all supposedly believe in the same concept of god, just different prophets and avatars. If we had a universal understanding , the similarities would be obvious. Unfortunately, people put too much emphasis on biblical personalities, and not on the concept of an omnipresent deity that inhabits all beings. We are not merely “god’s children”. If you believe that god exists, how could anyone demonstrate any form of cruelty even when in disagreement. And, if you don’t believe in a god, then you’re smart enough to know that covetous behavior is wrong, and you control your own destiny. Whether through divine intervention, or self determination, we are all better than this.
Drink about it.
Monty Python‘s Philosopher’s song has the famous quote: “I drink therefore I am”. Besides being a catchy tune, it points out that some of the greatest minds in the world all imbibed in drink. Indeed, on this very website, we also advocate responsible drinking to bring people together. Which brings us to the point of today. Maybe the Mexicans have it right today. Even though Cinco De Mayo isn’t that big a thing in Mexico proper, it is a big day for drinking and celebrating Mexican heritage. Couple that with dutch, Hungarian, Israeli, and the infertile and Orthodox, we truly have a reason to drink. And, we don’t mean drinking to get to the point where you become bellicose. We’re talking about the happy drunk, where you love one another despite, or because of differences. Be like Millhouse in the Simpsons, saying “this guy here, this is the guy”.
If we could do that, strive to be understanding and accepting, while curbing judgment and covetous behavior, this could Truly be a day to remember. So, instead of choosing one holiday over another. Let’s celebrate that which binds us together, instead of creating more reasons for memorial days dedicated to honoring those who died in horrible, misguided bouts of covetous stupidity and the breaking of the only universal rules that matter. So, share a pint, margarita, glass of wine, or whatever. And, while we’re at it, let’s share a cup of humanity and a comradery with all god’s creations.
To help bring us all together, here are some recipes for Breaking bread, and sharing a drink. Happy Cinco, Pascha, etc, etc, etc…
Vanilla Cherry Chambord margarita
Ingredients
- 8 Oz tequila (Blanco, preferably)
- 4 Oz Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur
- 4 Oz Chambord Liqueur
- 1 Small Vanilla bean
- 1 Pint Fresh Cherries, Pits and Stems removed
- 4 oz Agave Syrup
- 8 Oz Lime Juice
- Plenty of ice
- Limes and Cherries to garnish
Instructions
- Seed and stem the cherries and cut them up. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Put the pod in sugar to give it a vanilla flavor or use it some other way. Place the vanilla seeds and cherries in a large pitcher. Muddle them with agave. Then add the rest of the ingredients and fill with ice. Mix well.
- Dip glasses in water. Then salt the rims with a mixture of sea salt and large grain sugar. Fill each glass and garnish with limes and cherries.
Grilled Rosemary garlic Flatbread
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.
Mariposa Mai Weisse Ale
Ingredients
- 5.5 Gallons Water
- 1 Lb White wheat malt
- 1 Lb German Vienna Malt
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Seed
- 1 Tbsp green Cardamom pods
- 9 lb Golden malt extract
- 2 oz Mosaic whole Leaf Hops
- 1 Oz German Polaris Hop pellets
- 1 Oz Sterling Hop Pellets
- 4 oz Candied Ginger
- 1 oz Tettnang Pellet Hops
- 1 Oz Centennial Pellet Hops
- 11.5 Grams S-33 Wheat Style specialty yeast
- 1 each flocking tablet or 1 oz Irish moss
- 3/4 Cup Priming sugar
Instructions
- Bring 3 gallons of water to a boil in a 5 to 6 gallon pot. Place the malts in a brewing bag with the coriander and cardamom. Simmer for 45 minutes. Then remove the bag.
- Stir in the malt extract and return to a boil. Add in the candied ginger.
- Add the polaris, mosaic, and sterling hops and boil for 30 minutes. When you add the hops, the wort will bubble up. Be sure to whisk it down to prevent overflow.
- Add the tettnang and centennial hops plus a flocking tablet to help clarify the ale. Boil for another 15 minutes. Don't forget to whisk the mix to prevent overflow.
- Sanitize all your equipment, hoses, stoppers, buckets, carboys, funnels, etc.
- Remove the wort from the heat. Strain through cheesecloth and a sparging back into a racking bucket, preferably with a spigot. Transfer the concentrated liquid to a carboy for fermentation. Add cold water to bring the total volume to 5.5 gallons. Cool to room temperature.
- When the ale is room temperature, pitch the yeast by floating it on the wort. Cap the carboy with a rubber stopper with a blow off tube to allow crud and excess pressure to escape into a container partially filled with water. Store the carboy in a dark cool area where it won't be exposed to light or disturbed.
- After about 3 days the most active part of the fermentation will subside. You will notice the bubbling and blow off taper off. At this point, you can replace the blow off tube with an airlock. Allow to ferment another 11 to 14 days.
- After 2 weeks from brew day, it should be relatively inactive. You can judge by how often the air lock produces bubbles. To double check you can take measurements. ABV should be around 1%. It's time to bottle.
- Dissolve 3/4 cup priming sugar in 1 cup water. Sanitize all your equipment: racking tub, hoses, bottling equipment, Bottle Caps and bottles. Or, if you are using kegs, sanitize them and all accessories.
- Use a siphon to transfer liquid to a racking tub. be careful not to disturb the sediment in the bottom of the carboy. Stir in the priming sugar. Then you can transfer the ale to your bottles or kegs. Cap the bottles or seal the keg and put in a dark cool place where it won't be disturbed for another 2 weeks.
- After 2 weeks, it is ready to drink. Pop a bottle open and enjoy! Share with friends.
Notes
Mexican Chorizo and Corn Empanadas with Cumin Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- For Dough:
- 3 cups Flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 oz Melted coconut oil
- 1 cup water
- Filling:
- Avocado oil for cooking
- 4 oz chopped chorizo sausage
- 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh tomato
- 1/2 cup cooked corn, removed from the cob (preferably fresh, we grille ours)
- 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar or jack cheese
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Sauce:
- Avocado or olive oil to cook
- 1 cup fresh diced onion
- 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh jalapeno or chili of your choice
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 oz tequila
- 1 each 28 oz can of crushed tomato
- 1 can water (the can from the tomatoes)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dough: Either by hand or in mixer, using dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add in oil and water. Mix until a smooth dough is formed. It should be very pliable, but not wet or sticky. If too wet, add more flour. If too dry add more water. Lightly flour the dough and set aside, covered with plastic for about an hour. The gluten needs to relax.
- Make the sauce ahead of time as it takes a while to cook. Heat oil in a heavy pot, over high heat.. Add in garlic and onion. Cook and stir until translucent. Add the jalapeno and stir. Then add the tequila. Cook off the alcohol. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Then cut the temperature back to low to medium. You want a light simmer. Allow to simmer at least an hour, stirring occasionally. It should resemble pasta sauce when done.
- Make the filling: Saute the onion and garlic in heated oil until translucent (stirring occasionally). Add in the chorizo, and allow it to brown. Stir as needed. Add the spices and mix well. Remove from heat and add in the rest of the ingredients. Fold together until the mix sticks together. You should be able to make a ball of the mix.
- Make 8 to 16 balls out of the dough. Press them in a tortilla press or flatten by hand. Place a little bit of the filling in the center of each disk of dough. Then fold up the sides to create a half moon and crimp the edges to seal in the filling. Place them in a flat pan lined with parchment and spray with pan spray or use a silicone non stick pad. Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. They should become golden brown. Serve hot with the chili sauce.