Carnage du Jour - 04 March 2013

Pork Tenderloin. That's almost enough to make one hungry, isn't it?

Well, even better than just the words was the actual meal.
The tenderloin was seasoned with Beau Monde, White Pepper, and Nutmeg, then seared in a hot roasting pan with a bit of canola oil.
Out came the meat to wait a bit while a head of shredded purple cabbage was sauteed a bit in that now-flavorful oil, then popped into a 375F oven for 15 or 20 minutes.

The cabbage got a good stir, along with the addition of 1/2 C or so of chicken stock, and the meat was placed on top to roast again for another 15 or 20 minutes. (It may have actually taken a bit longer than that, but not a lot, really.)

Once the pork was done, it was time to serve up with a side of some reheated quinoa, chickpeas, and green peas.

A classic combination, made just that much easier by the roasting of the cabbage, rather than having to stand at the stove, stirring it all the time.

Oh, and it was delicious.

For Grandpa

I wrote this poem on the death of my grandpa, Adiel J. van Becelaere (yep, he had a lower case V until some point in school when the nuns made him capitalize it).
I included it in my novel, A Rune With A View, as a poem written by the protagonist, but it was recently used in a memorial service by some of my friends, so I thought I would share it a bit more widely.

For Grandpa

Suddenly we are without you:
Without your life and laughter.
And yet; we are not less,
The world is not less:
Where, then, is the loss?

Deep within us all,
At the core of each of us,
In the hearts of those you love, and who love you,
There is still your laughter, your life, your light:
Where, then, is the loss?

We weep for ourselves,
For our family and friends who feel a loss;
At times we think we weep for you.
But you are with God, with Christ:
Where, then, is the loss?

What is lost has yet to come:
The beauty and the wonder we'll long to share with you,
The children who'll not hear your laugh, not see your light.
But through our lives, our love, and laughter, they'll know yours:
Where, then, is the loss?

We weep at our pain,
At our bewilderment at your death.
And yet with you, for you, we must rejoice!
You have left pain behind, and fear and longing as well.
Where, then, is the loss?

What is lost is the easy affection we thought would never leave.
What is lost is your smiling face each evening, each morning.
What is lost is myriad things we wouldn't believe could go.
But realizing this much, we realize more:
There is no loss - there is only Love.

Ear Worms

I'm not sure why, but the other day I pulled out my CD from the early '80s musical, Pump Boys and Dinettes.

We had seen the touring company (including Tom Chapin!) in Detroit way back then, and really enjoyed the show. Frankly, the original cast recording was a bit of a disappointment, but I think most recordings are, when compared to the live experience.

Anyway, there are some memorable songs, and some not-so-memorable ones in the show, but there are two that are stuck in my head right now; real ear worm material.

The Night Dolly Part Was Almost Mine is a really fun tune, as is Farmer Tan.
OK, really fun tune is the positive part - ear worm is the negative.
I've got to find something else to displace them, now, as they're taking turns running through my head.

Help!

Little-known New Orleans Flemish Mardi Gras Traditions

The following is purported to have been translated and excerpted without permission from Flemish Life in the New World, by Anke Vandermeersch  published in Ghent, 1893

Mik van de Koningen

The large Flemish community in New Orleans has a centuries-long tradition at Vette Dinsdag (or Mardi Gras) of which far too few “outsiders” are aware. This tradition, parts of which were copied by the French Acadian refugees (also called Cajuns) when they arrived here in the deep South, is that of the festive Mik van de Koningen, now called in French the Miche des Rois (sometimes altered to Galette des Rois – the King Cake).

At the end of Epiphany, each Flemish household would endeavour to rid itself of all the soon-to-be-outlawed items, such as fat and flesh. Unlike their French neighbours, the Flemish – reputedly a somewhat “thrifty” or “frugal” race – were seldom overstocked in the fat area, but rather in that of meat: hence the Mik van de Koningen, the Loaf of the Kings.

The loaf traditionally consists of a mixture of ground beef, oatmeal, crushed tomatoes, and eggs. Typical additions would include diced onions or other aromatics, salt, pepper, possibly nutmeg, and a sauce known to Latin America as salsa inglesa - the venerable Worcestershire Sauce.

No Flemish Vette Dinsdag celebration is complete without the round loaf, festively decorated in the three colours of the kings – Purple for justice, Gold for power, and Green for faith. Adding even more to the anticipation is the hope each celebrant harbours of finding the tiny, hidden representation of the Christ Child in his or her piece of the loaf. Tradition dictates that the finder of the child, if of suitable and legal age, must host the party the next year, and provide the loaf or the beer – a sometimes difficult choice to make in that zymurgic culture!

What to Read Next - 26 Feb 2013

Doc Sidhe, by Aaron Allston

If' you've followed my posted reading, you'll have noticed that I've read this book several times, and usually rated it a 3.5 - above average, but nothing spectacular.

Why, then, do I keep going back to it when I need another book to read?

Frankly, the story is pretty good, but the writing is what brings me back.Allston manages to make most of the characters pretty real, even the ones who have no business being real at all. Further, the in medias res opening isn't just a toss-away scene to get things going, it's something that actually matters to the plot, and to the protagonist.

I haven't read them, but I've been told that Allston's contributions to the Star Wars universe are top-notch as well. Based on this book, I'm not surprised.

Now I need to find the sequel to Doc Sidhe and see what happens next.

Carnage du Jour - 23 Feb 2013

Chicken breasts. What to do with chicken breasts. Again.

Lemon chicken is pretty much always a winner ... aha! let's grab some artichoke hearts and capers and lemon ... chicken piccata sounds like a plan.

Oh. There are no artichokes. Ah, but there are fire roasted green chilis. Time for a modification.

Into a bit of cornmeal, I added the zest of a lemon and a teaspoon or so of minced garlic. That's going to become a crust, and some diced onion is needed as well.

One side of each breast got smeared with the lemon crusting, and into a pan of fairly hot canola oil they went. Once they were well browned on that side, and the crust wasn't going to stick to the pan, they got flipped, the onions added, and the juice of the zested lemon was squeezed in around the meat. A nice pour of Vermouth Bianco and a lid made for a nice, juicy piece of meat.

While the chicken finished, some chopped spinach was added to leftover rice as the side, and it all came together in a very tasty dish.

Give it a shot - it's not hard, and it's delicious.

Shameless Self-Promotion (again)

A new version of my great-great-grandfather's book is now available on Amazon.

An Adventure with Guerrillas is the same third edition text that had been available, but sourced through a new manufacturer, which means we've been able to drop the price.
A lot.
From $9.95 to $5.95.

Now is your chance to read a wonderful memoir of adventure, danger, friendship, and faith from the US Civil war.

Check my author's page on Amazon for this and my other books.

Enjoy!