Have a safe and fun Halloween!
happy halloween
fusion of South Africa and a Japanese Favorite food
Okay, sometimes I do cheat a little and I don’t use everything from scratch… but I thought that these were so enjoyable that they deservd to be combined together! Obviously, I buy raw shrimp, boil until pink and sautee in gralic butter before adding the sauce from South Africa. The organic wheat noodles from Japan are gaining popularinty in this county and offer a distinctly different taste and texture to the meal.
My grandmother gave me some great advice as a young person. She said — do what we all do ( chef’s) when caught with a time constraint find a nice mix that gets you close to where you want the recipe to be…. then amend it. Ah, the secret of quick cooking!
The best part? I still have some left for today!
cookies for the holidays
The holiday season is a great time to bake cookies! If memory serves, nearly all of the cookies baked today are chocolate chip ( roughly 80%); however, chocolate is grand but there is so much more to try. One of our favorite cookies is this spicey gingerbread style cookies made in the shape of a mushroom that has been a family favorite forever…. and if you hide a few they keep virtually forever!
Besides mushroom cookies, we’ll be making some of the basics, sugar, butter, gingerbread, oatmeal, shortbread, lemon squares and a few more that you may have never heard of… but fun! One of my favorite that I enjoyed making in my youth comes by many names: Russian Tea cakes, Sandies or Mexican Wedding cakes. These little powdered sugar dusted nutty canonball shaped delights are wonderful with a frosty glass of milk!
So what will you be making this year?
in california, it is legislation by ballot
- In California, legislation by ballot is more and more becoming a necessity CLICK on the picture about the extraordinary measure now before the San Luis Obispo City Council
This November represents , more than any time I can remember, a battle between individual citizens vs. incumbant politicians and their beneficiaries. One critic of democracy stated that a tipping point is reached when those who profit from government spending exceed — in power and influence — those who can provide the resources for that spending…. then the system changes. As for me, I try not to be too cynical, but a real problem exists when one party and one system controls the counting of the ballots.
Personally, I can understand how hard it is for those who enter politics to maintain a perspective over time. It is often easier to just get along. Some historians trace this back to President Andrew “old hickory stick” Jackson who “invented” both the “campaign” and the “campaign promise.” In traveling the country, he would place a hickory stick at every road intersection with his name etched or painted, hence the moniker. In addition, he would promise every voter what they wanted to hear, whether or not he planned to deliver on said promise. Today, many politicians haven’t strayed too far from this approach to politics and this is real troubling for those who have to “feed the beast.” Many California cities are approaching real bankruptsy and the monsterous $100 Billion unfunded pension liability of the state casts a heavy shaddow on the future. ( read my blog on this subject.)
When California’s Proposition 13 became law and maintained the dream of home ownership, politicians and their interests had to become more resourceful in the pursuit of ‘revenue enhancement.” It has taken them some time, but they found that they could raise certain fees without the consent tof the ‘governed.’ Many fees were originally set to cover the basic costs of the service provided, but it has now become an ‘opportunity.’ If you wanted to pour a short replacement driveway for your home, it might cost you $2000 in labor and materials; however, the ‘permit fees’ to the city might cost you an additional $2400. There was a time in California and still in most of the country where there are few fees — if any– fees associated with ‘flatwork.’
The State of California, the counties and many of it’s cities are once again facing huge shortfalls ( real and budgetary — there is a difference) and want to distract the voters long enough to pass the November 2nd election and resume a program of aggressive revenue enhancement.
Here’s a link to what should be on the 2012 Ballot in San Luis Obispo as it has already been submitted for certification. BTW, Thomas Jefferson had a remarkable quote that may seem quaint to some… but will ressonate with others and I prefer to end this blog on a positive note:
“In matters of fashion, swim with the current.
In matters of conscience, stand like a rock.”
Thomas Jefferson
Vote on November 2nd
bbq ribs for the holidays – step one
Today is really the start of baking season as folks start putting together what they want to serve their friends and families for Halloween, then comes the truly universal American Holiday of Thanksgiving and finallyDecember and for us that means Christmas.
As the father of adult children, when we all get together, it calls for something special. Memories of family foods and fun from times gone by for starters. Food is a way of keeping family close and traditions alive. My daughter Kristin, for example, is fixing some ‘seafood lasagna’ this weekend… it takes a lot of preparation… but it is an impressive dish!
Fortunately for me, I have lots of freezers!