Some Reading Material for the Thugs in #BLM

Until someone wised me up, I thought BLM was Bureau of Land Management.  However, now on track ...

What follows was written by Dr. Maya Angelou specifically for the National Council of Negro Women, founded in 1935 by Mary McLeod Bethune.  It was used in this instance as a part of The Black Family Reunion Cookbook - Recipes and Food Memories.

BLACK FAMILY REUNION PLEDGE by Dr. Maya Angelou

Because we have forgotten our ancestors, our children no longer give us honor.

Because we have lost the path our ancestors cleared, kneeling in perilous undergrowth, our children cannot find their way.

Because we have banished the God of our ancestors, our children cannot pray.

Because the old wails of our ancestors have faded beyond our hearing, our children cannot hear us crying.

Because we have abandoned our wisdom of mothering and fathering, our befuddled children give birth to children they neither want nor understand.

Because we have forgotten how to love, the adversary is within our gates and holds us up to the mirror of the world, shouting, "Regard the loveless."

     Therefore, we pledge to bind ourselves to one another:

To embrace our lowliest,

To keep company with our loneliest,

To educate our illiterate,

To feed our starving,

To clothe our ragged.

To do all good things, knowing that we are more than keepers of our brothers and sisters.  We are our brothers and sisters.

     In honor of those who toiled and implored God with golden tongues, and in gratitude to the same God who brought us out of hopeless desolation.

     We make this pledge.

Let's Read the Paper Newspaper, Not the Online Edition

Pro:  it is quite relaxing to lean back in one's chair and sip the hot beverage of choice in the mornings.  Little things will catch your eye - such as ...

Jamaica Bay, New York (I think it's on the flight path into and out of JFK) will shortly be the gratified recipient of 5,000 recycled porcelain toilets.  Then  - the toilets get 50,000 oysters dumped into them.   Both are said to be cleansing agents.  Bonus points:  the recycled toilet-oyster mix is believed to be able to buffer New York from storms, clean the water and create a wildlife habitat.

Remember what our mothers collectively said?  "Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where it's been!"

The great My Turn competition.  The Daily Breeze runs a two or three times a week column called "My Turn" wherein the local writers and wanna be's submit a column to that editor.  Mandates (not spelled out) are that it has to be of interest locally which covers a lot of ground.  

The Thurs. Writers (southbaywritersworkshop.com) have long encouraged a gentle competition to get this column.  Back in the day, the Breeze used to pay the writer $25 and it was a generous winner who would spend the $25 on a cake or other treats for the rest of us. 

A win led back to us indirectly because the writer almost always read it to the group for critique before submitting it.  We earned our cake, dammit!

Today our proud member is Christine Lynch whose My Turn today is:  "Buying shoes has come a long way"  When I saw this, I burst out in pleased laughter.  Four days ago, I'd submitted a piece and had been expecting to see me in that space.  And it was Chris who was smiling out at the passers-by!

This is great!  The tagline for "our" writers most frequently includes the fact that the writer is a member of the Thurs. Writers.  Which in turn leads to new members for us.  God bless the Daily Breeze, sez I.

Alzheimer's Hope - the LA Times Science File story is headed "Alzheimer's drug shows promise" and reports on a drug called "aducanumab"  which has shown some promise in trials.  I know four people at risk for this dreadful disease and quickly forwarded it on to them.

Yes, all of the above could have been found online, but you had to know to look for them.  Print rules!

A Not Very Scholarly Look at the Origins of Labor Day

Labor exclusivity began all the way back in the 1030s with the formation of specialist guilds.  As in all of the shoe makers got together and said, "This is how we're going to make shoes and this is how much we're going to charge.  The lace makers thought this was a good idea and so did the silversmiths.  As more and more specialists in the arts of living popped up, guilds became a heady mix of professional association, trade unions, cartels and secret societies.

Realizing that the King/Queen's favor could make them, getting an  "Appointments to HM the Queen" sign affixed to their place of business became a sort of cottage industry among them.  This snobbery still exists today.  In London you can patronize Fortnum and Mason (groceries and food imports,) Henry Poole & Co. (tailors and bespoke,)  James Locke & Co. (hats,) Garrard (jewelry,) or James Purdey & Sons (guns.) 

Meanwhile, across the Pond (to Brits; Atlantic Ocean to us) a parade was being held on September 5, 1882, to honor workers.  But earlier than that - 1880 - an entrepreneur named George Pullman began churning out passenger rail cars.  He set up his own feudal (no other word) town.  Workers were assigned dwellings in his "village" according to the skill of the job they performed.  They paid rent for this privilege and said rent was lifted before they got the paycheck. 

But a nationwide recession struck in 1893.  May 11, 1894, 4,000 Pullman workers went on strike, but their rent was deducted just the same.  On June 26, 150,000 sympathetic souls in 27 other States said, "We're witcha yas!" and went on strike, too.

Furiously backpedaling, President Grover Cleveland and the Congress decided to pacify the screaming hordes with a parade to honor workers.  I think all of us who might be clinging to the jambs around our own front doors to avoid eviction might find this rather too little, too late. 

But June 28, 1894 was the first official Labor Day.  Six days later, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act made it a federal crime to strike and President Cleveland sent in 12,000 federal offices to quell the strikers.

I go into all of this because it is a very far cry indeed from being forced in to the street to live and the usual Labor Day barbecue celebrated by us today in backyards and parks across this fine land.    If you want to honor the guilds that in a way created the unions of the USA, go to London and buy something from the Queen's approved list.  Do me a favor, okay?  Drop into Purdey's and see if my over and under shotgun is ready - it's paid for, just bring it back for me, okay? 

COMMENT - "Very informative - thanks" Matthew Mayfield

The Two Most Terrifying Words if You Live Next Door

Our next door neighbors christened (so to speak) their new backyard patio with a smallish crowd of guests.  It may have also been a kick-off to Labor Day weekend.  We don't know; we weren't invited but due to the proximity of our houses (72 in. between our walls) you could say we were there anyhow.

Richie who is as nosy as any old lady at her window overlooking the street, walked out on to our balcony (width of house, narrow with redwood lattice fencing (including the patio ends for privacy) and reported back.  Young Gen X-ers milling around their yard.  They seemed benign.

Fine with me, live it up, go crazy.  Just turn it all off no later than 9:30 p.m. please.

The noise grew, piquing even my curiosity so I sidled out to look down and check out the action.

My gaze fell on the newly-installed red or grey pavers and I thought "That looks nice" and then a couple of people moved and I saw It.  Terror flooded my heart.  I very nearly gasped, but didn't want to give away my embarrassing position - that of neighborhood spy.

What did I see that affected me so much?  A long folding table with a neat row of red go cups and a keg of beer.  The dreaded, feared, guaranteed noise maker all set up to go?  Beer Pong.

I came back in to the living room, leaning on the doorway for support and said, "Richie - brace yourself!  I've got two words for you - beer pong!" Was he frightened?  Did the newspaper he was holding start to flutter like a debutante with her first fan?  No.  He laughed.

His response calmed me and after a moment's thought, I asked, "Wanna start book on what time we hear the first vomiting?"  He declined. 

In fairness to the party goers, other than waves of loud, hysterical laughter periodically, they were quiet enough (I suspect the food was being served) and they all went into the house around 10 p.m. and nothing more was heard from them. 

This morning, Richie stepped out on the balcony and looked down at the backyard for a long moment and then came back in.  "No dead bodies" he reported.   Take that, beer pong!

A Cardiologist's Nightmare - County Fair Foods

"Fair season" is a great treat for those of us that maintain a (fairly) healthy body.  We eat nothing this disgusting to our refined sensibilities and the great care given our precious bodies - I'm telling you!  So, this annual sneer is well-earned.  And we do enjoy it so...

The LA County Fair just opened and one area - the food court - is getting tremendous coverage.  Every year I think, "Well  that's as far as any right-thinking cholesterol-craver can go" and every year I am topped again.

Some of this year's entries ... you will note that bacon-on-or-in-everything isn't "so over" yet.  Apparently they get messages late out on the farm.  Or else bacon producers have got a lock on the market ...

Here to delect you - or not ...

Bacon S'mores - Graham cracker, topped with fudge sauce topped by a toasted marshmallow crowned with a quarter slice  of crispy bacon decoratively arranged over the marshmallow.

Deep-fried Hot Sauce which is 'way misleading.  Mix up a batter, dump a bunch of hot sauce into it, make balls and deep fry the balls.  I spent more than 10 minutes trying to work out how one could deep fry a liquid like Tabasco sauce.  Cheaters!

Another cheater - "Deep-fried Butter Balls"  (snort) Fritters is what I'd call them ... have  a shot at them anyhow.

2 sticks butter

4 T cream cheese

1 cup flour

1 beaten egg

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, roll into balls and freeze.  Meanwhile put out three dishes big enough to accept rolling the balls around and put flour in one, the beaten egg into another and lastly the seasoned bread crumbs.  Roll your frozen balls into them in that order - flour, egg, crumbs - and deep fry.  Paula Dean has a recipe for this along with a lot of other, lesser people. Paula Dean does not have a sylph-like body.  One too many butter balls methinks. 

Double Bacon - wrap an 8 oz. pork belly with a 24 in. long strip of bacon and deep fat fry.  That should be enough grease to hold you for awhile.  Your arteries will thank you!

There was one healthy food offered - a vegetarian taco made with a main ingredient of something called jackfruit.  Wikipedia.com says it is a ground fruit in that you harvest after they have dropped to the ground; don't rip them off of the tree and good luck with that anyhow - they routinely weigh up to 80 lbs.  The flavor is said to be a mix of apple, pineapple, mango and banana and is very popular in Asia and India where it is eaten as a dish ingredient or raw. 

One article mentioned "washing it all down with a bacon beer!" but I was too disheartened to look it up.  You're on your own on that one.   

Beer Coaster Art

What the hell is that?  An artist doodling on a new and small canvas - 4 in. x 4 in. -- as in  "beer coaster."  Now we all know that it is not unusual to sketch or doodle on a bar napkin but this coaster stuff is new to me simply because they are not blank stock, but have a beer brand logo or other advertising on them.  And they're thick, often wet, cardboard.  This is not sketch-friendly.

This is the story told by Matt Kennedy, gallery director for La Luz de Jesus Gallery.  An artist who was about to be exhibited suddenly backed out.  As he was hanging up the phone from this distressing news, a friend and artist walked in the front door representing L.A. Beer Week to ask for some space to exhibit the various brands to be represented by designer beer mats.

Kennedy got his hands on a bunch of (presumably) blank beer mats, handed them out to artists for inclusion in this pop-up show and it took off like mad.

Now the show is entering its fourth year.  There will be 900 to 1,000 mats on display, walled by artist's name alphabetically and all are priced at $250 or less.  Many of the exhibitors are newbies, but a lot of them are also well-known in their fields and getting anything of theirs for less than $250 is a steal.  Especially since gallery attendance is free.  All in all, this is a good deal.

To read more --  laluzdejesus.com  It's an interesting concept and it should inspire all of us to spend our time in a bar more productively.  Don't forget a pocketful of marking pens and pencils next time you drop in for a beer at your favorite brewery. 



 

Brooklyn - A New Foodie Mecca

"Brooklyn Rustic - Simple Food for  Sophisticated Palates" by Bryan Calvert   Little Brown   304 pages   $30 

Calvert is the owner chef of a restaurant called "James" after his great-grandfather who was a chef at about the time the current building was constructed.  Soon after they opened, Lehman Bros. had a meltdown and James was losing money.  The intrepid chef decided that "simpler food means fewer cooks, fewer ingredients and lower costs."  What applies to a restaurant also applies to the home. 

One of his recipes reminded me of another one.

The Chef's Heirloom Tomatoes with Gin, Feta and Dill
2 lbs. mixed Heirloom tomatoes, stems removed
pinch of sea salt and pepper
2 T fruity, young olive oil
2 teas. gin (ed. note: chintzy)
1/4 cup coarsely-chopped dill
1 large shallot finely chopped (about 2T)
4 oz. sheep's milk feta, crumbled

Core the tomatoes and slice in 1.4 in. rounds -- salt and pepper them then lay them out in a bowl.
Drizzle all of the ingredients except the cheese over the layers, one by one.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes, gently tossing it once after 15 minutes.  Serve with crumbled feta strewn all over the tomatoes.

A Cut Out Recipe from God knows how long ago - Bloody Mary Tomatoes
bowl of cherry tomatoes, washed and stemmed, if any.
A packet of dry Italian salad dressing in a dish big enough to roll the tomatoes around in it.
1/2 cup vodka to dunk the tomatoes prior to rolling in the dry salad mix.  Serve with toothpicks at the ready.

This recipe appealed to me as am a big fan of dulce de leche, but I can't recommend the way the sweetened evaporated milk is turned into caramel.  It involves cooking the UNopened can in simmering water for THREE hours.  I think that has to be a surefire way to blow up the can and shower your entire kitchen with the contents.  Use your own judgement!  And be prudent.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Sea Salt and Carmelized Apple slices

1 8oz. can sweetened evaporated milk - bring a pot of water to a simmer and add the can, making sure that the top of the can is covered at all times and cook for three hours.
12 oz. cream cheese, cubed and softened (no mention if it's okay to nuke it.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
12oz. whole milk ricotta
4 1/2oz. crème fraiche  (once rare, now stocked at the supermarket)
3 large eggs
1 store-bought Graham cracker pie crust (or if you're into that kind of thing, make one.  I think you can duplicate "homemade" with dabs of butter and a quiet drift of cinnamon across the purchased crust, but am also almost too lazy to live.)

Start beating the sugar and cream cheese together, then beat in ricotta and crème fraise and then beat in the eggs one by one.  Time this so that your condensed milk is done and cooled so you won't burn your fingers - open the can and beat the contents into the other mix.  Set aside some of the caramel for the apples though. 

Now stick your "pie" in the oven at 325 for about 45 minutes, using a chopstick or skewer to check for doneness in the middle.

Saute apple slices dusted with powdered sugar in butter, place prettily on the pie and drizzle reserved caramel sauce over them.  Two quick grinds of sea salt and you're done. 

This just occurred to me - substitution:  beat together cubes of cream cheese and butterscotch sauce for ice cream,  add a bit of crème fraise, being careful not to get it too liquidy, slap it into a Graham cracker crust, treated as above, and top with the apples and leftover butterscotch sauce.