Best Beef Stew

I love beef stew!  It’s a great stick-to-your-ribs sort of dish that’s very satisfying.

The best stew I ever had was made by grandpa Hal.  He was quite the gourmet cook.  Unfortunately, he past away before I had a chance to get the recipe out of him.

I’ve spent the last several years trying to perfect the right spices and ingredients to get something that approximates the goodness that I remember. This recipe is the closest I’ve gotten so far.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat (chuck)
• 1 pound lamb stew meat
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup Pinot Noir (or any rich red such as merlot)
• ¾ cup chopped onion (appox. ½ a large onion)
• ¾ cup chopped carrot (appox. 2 carrots)
• ¾ cup chopped celery (appox. 2 stalks)
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ¾ cup parsnip cubed (appox. 2 roots)
• 1 ½ cups Yukon gold potato cubed (appox. 3 large potatoes)
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons veal demi-glace
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• ½ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Sprinkle the flour over the meat and mix together in a mixing bowl. In a large pot (or Dutch oven) brown meat in oil over high heat. Remove and set aside.

Add butter and sauté celery, carrot, garlic and onion until onions are see-though (do not brown.) Add wine and reduce until a paste. While the wine is reducing, deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping it with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Add the meat, parsnip, potatoes, broth, demi-glace, and herbs.  Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a good bottle of red wine, and enjoy!

 

UPDATED: August, 24 2012.

Gazpacho and Sangria

A couple of Spanish favorites that I first had the pleasure of tasting while visiting Seville.  Gazpacho is basically a “cold” vegetable soup that is usually served as an appetizer with roasted bruscetta.  It’s super yummy, and is a great way to utilize those fresh vegetables in the garden. 

Sangria is a fruity wine “cooler” that pairs extremely well with this dish.  It’s very refreshing, and is perfect for a hot summer day next to the pool.

Ingredients

(yields 4 servings each)

For the Gazpacho

• 1 ½ pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 large garlic clove, puréed
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves (chiffonade)

For the Sangria

• 1 cup halved red seedless grapes
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 apple, sliced thin
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 bottle good quality fruity red wine, like shiraz or rioja
• ½ cup cognac
• 1 liter soda water
• ¼ cup simple syrup
• 1 orange sliced, as garnish

Directions

Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes.

When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients (vegetables, oil and spices) and stir to combine.

Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.

Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil.

In a large pitcher, add the grapes, raspberries and apples. Pour in the red wine, cognac and simple syrup and mix together. Refrigerate, about 20 minutes. When ready to serve, pour the soda water into the pitcher and stir. Serve the sangria in large wine glasses, and garnish with an orange slice.

Enjoy!

Honor vs. Chaos

When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.

– Lao Tzu, ca. 500 B.C.

An Honor Code is different than a moral code. People can be beaten into being moral but they can never be beaten into being honorable because honor requires judgment. You have to be able to reason to know the difference between right and wrong.  And only with the integrity of self-determined thought can there ever be any freedom of reason.

One of the first things that a despot will tell people is that he wants them to be moral or lawful.  He will then install a police force to enforce these laws.  This is then followed by the edict that the people mustn’t judge anything, especially the rulership.  The highest crime becomes any free thought that challenges the regime. And then all are subjugated through punishment and force.

The funny thing is that at this point the oppressed begin to suppress one another.  All reason is void to the point where, even though everyone is miserable, they willfully punish anyone who tries to escape the misery.  He who “rocks the boat” is cast overboard.  The prisons become overcrowded.  The asylums increase in bedlam.  The countryside becomes ravaged with war. Chaos ensues.

Eventually, the outcasts outnumber the “in” crowd.  The rumble in the weeds becomes a roar! The “revolutionaries” rise up and overthrow the Beast.  The cycle begins anew.

When will we learn?  No good can ever be wrought by enforcing a code. To do so does nothing but begin the cycle that can only lead to chaos. The path to freedom and honor is led by reason not force.  Teach people to think for themselves and maybe there can be hope for a better tomorrow….

The Art of War

“The art of war is of vital importance. It is a matter of life and death, and a road to either safety or ruin. Hence, it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.”  –Sun Tzu

Before we embark upon the study of martial arts, a.k.a. “the art of war,” we must first grapple with the idea of what war represents. It usually brings to mind images of violence and destruction. However, must we be warmongers in order to study the art of war?

Most would agree that war is undesirable. However, what does one do when threatened with a life and death situation? Well, the wrong thing to do would be nothing! That would be a fatal mistake.

The fact is that even in the modern world of the United States a violent crime is committed every 5.5 seconds [1]. That’s over 5.7 million instances every year! And there are no less violent criminals today than there were at any other time in history. This isn’t to be alarming; it is just to illustrate the truth of the world we live in. It would be a lie to promote otherwise. Because, martial arts are just as valuable today as they were in Feudal Japan, and will continue to be right up until we achieve the goal or every warrior, which is Peace.

But, how does one achieve peace through martial arts? This is the question that every warrior has struggled with the moment he stepped off the battlefield, his enemies lying dead behind him. How can an art of violence become an art of Peace? The answer lies in the true purpose of a martial artist, and that is TO RESOLVE CONFLICT.

This is reflected in the Chinese character used to represent the concept of “martial”. It is a composite of two ideograms meaning “to stop” and a weapon held for a charge or a “spear.” Together this illustrates the basic idea envisioned for anything martial, and that is “to stop the spears,” or to resolve conflict.

And how does one achieve this resolution? The key is communication. This may seem like quite a diversion from martial arts but indeed it is not. Conflict is essentially a disagreement or a lack of communication. Therefore, communication and martial arts cannot help but be intertwined. Though this creates quite a dilemma for those who seek to communicate only with their fists, a true martial art is foremost an art of communication.

And should a threatening situation occur, and you are forced to use your art…. Do not hesitate to harm someone in a just cause! But, only do so in an effort to resolve the disagreement. This should be the ethic of a true martial artist. If you believe otherwise and are not willing change your mind, then you may want to consider a different art and forgo any illusion of creativity.

An true martial artist would not necessarily avoid conflict, because he would be an expert at resolving it – this is his calling. Whether a simple argument, or a life and death situation, he would have peace within himself and would always communicate and put harmony into the world. 

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[1] Criminal Victimization 2001. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.

Best Japanese Curry Rice

 “Curry Rice” was my favorite dish growing up. My Japanese father would make it at least once a month. However, that wasn’t enough for me.  In order to have it more often, I struck a deal.  If I made dinner, then we would have my favorite.  My parents being busy were more than happy to oblige.  So, that’s how at the age of eight I became a cook.

Over the last thirty years I’ve literally made this dish hundreds of times.  And just like every Japanese person, I have developed my own little tricks and variations. It has always been a great hit with all my friends who’d come over for dinner. Many times I’ve been asked to tell my recipe.  Well, at long last here you go.

The basics are very simple.  The easiest way to make it is with the curry sauce mix that you can buy at your local grocery store.  There’s a recipe on the box; however, if you follow my recipe below, I assure you it will be even better.

If you are really adventurous, you can also make the curry roux from scratch.  It’s a more involved process than making it with the curry blocks. However, making Japanese curry from scratch is hardly complicated, and gives you control over what you’ll ultimately be consuming. First, it allows you to control how spicy you want it. Second, if you want to avoid MSG, then curry from scratch is the way to go. [ALL store-bought curry mixes have MSG in their ingredients.] For this reason, I’ve included both ways in my recipe

Ingredients

(yields 4 servings)

For the roux

• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons curry powder (S&B is best)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if you want it spicy)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (or ketchup)
• 1 tablespoon tonkatsu sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)

For the stew

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 pound tri-tip steak cut into chunks (you could also use chicken, shrimp, or tofu)
• 2 carrots cut into chunks
• 4 cups beef stock (use chicken or fish as appropriate, or just water if you want it to be less rich.)
• 2 medium yukon gold potatoes cut into large chunks
• ½ cup peas (or any other green vegetable such as broccoli or zucchini)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat and add the onions. Sauté the onions until they are see-through (but not caramelized.) Turn up the heat to high, add the meat, and brown.

Add the carrots and the stock (or water), then bring to a boil. Skim off any foam or oil that accumulates at the surface then lower heat to medium and add the potatoes (and puréed apple if you like.) Simmer for about 30 minutes or until you can pass a fork through the carrots and potatoes.

For the roux, melt the butter over medium low heat in a small sauce pan. Add the flour and curry powder, stirring until you have a thick paste. Add the sugar, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt and incorporate into the roux. Add the tomato paste and tonkatsu sauce and combine. Continue to cook until the roux starts crumbling. Remove from heat and set aside until the meat and veggies are ready.

To make the curry sauce, ladle about 2 cups of liquid from the stew into the roux, then whisk until smooth. (If using the curry block, just break it up in a small mixing bowl and do the same.) Pour this mixture back into the other pot and gently stir until thickened. Add the peas (or other green vegetable) and heat through.

Serve over rice. Enjoy!

(Note: You will want to get the rice cooking in the beginning if you want it to be done at the same time.)

UPDATED: April 31st, 2012

The Wolf and the Shepherd

A Wolf followed a flock of sheep for a long time, and did not attempt to injure one of them. The Shepherd at first stood on his guard against him, as against an enemy, and kept a strict watch over his movements. But when the Wolf, day after day, kept in the company of the sheep, and did not make the slightest effort to seize them, the Shepherd began to look upon him as a guardian of his flock rather than as a plotter of evil against it; and when occasion called him one day into the city, he left the sheep entirely in his charge. The Wolf, now that he had the opportunity, fell upon the sheep, and destroyed the greater part of the flock. The Shepherd, on his return, finding his flock destroyed, exclaimed: “I have been rightly served; why did I trust my sheep to a Wolf?”  -Aesop, c. 570 B.C.

The Wolf has always been portrayed as the evil one. Yet, why is that? Simply because he eats the sheep? That doesn’t make sense because the Shepherd eats them as well. Therefore, the act of killing could not be considered the “evil” in this case. So, what is so inherently evil about a Wolf?

To the Shepherd he is merely the “enemy.” In that statement you can find the true answer. In reality “good” and “evil” are in the eyes of the accuser. Does not the Wolf see the Shepherd as the evil one – he who hunts the wolf down and murders him for no other reason than being a Wolf? Is not the Shepherd a hypocrite to condemn the Wolf for doing that which he himself does?

In reality, it is the Shepherd who ultimately leads ALL of the sheep to slaughter. Does he ask the sheep for their permission? No. Does he give them a choice? No. Does he inform them of their impending doom before the killing blow arrives? No.

At least with the Wolf the sheep have a chance. They can run. They are not fooled by the Wolf’s intentions. They merely play out the age old roles that Nature has given to them.

In this world it is the Shepherd who is the stranger. It is the Shepherd who attempts to play God, and pass judgment on all those who he sees as inferior. Yet, it is the Shepherd who should take a look at himself! Is he a God or is he a Devil?

I myself prefer to be the Wolf.

Source:  Aesop’s Fables Copyright 1881, WM. L. Allison,New York. Illustrator: Harrison Weir,John Tenniel,Ernest Griset, et. al.

Awakening

 That souls are not alike, full well I know,
This truth each day’s experience does show;
In God’s image were we all created,
Yet not endowed are we all related.

To heights surprising some great spirits soar,
With inborn strength mysterious depths explore;
By perseverance the game of life’s won,
And knowledge, led by study, wears the crown.

But some there are who wish not to improve,
Who never can the path of honor move,
Whose spirits with mortal coil are one,
With anxious care each mental pleasure shun.

Asleep they are lost in nightmarish dreams,
They cannot swim the currents of life’s streams,
Blocked by the rude hills standing in their way,
Without harmony do not dance or play.

These weak and doubtful and paralyzed minds,
Are but while here to vegetate designed;
Tired spirits mingling with their clod
Can scarcely boast their origin from God.

Yet haste the era when the world shall know
That such distinctions only dwell below,
That a soul unfettered to time confined,
Was for the abodes of cloudless days designed.

This poem was inspired by an essay written by Judith Sargent Murray (1751-1820) entitled “On the Equality of the Sexes”, originally published in The Massachusetts Magazine, in 1790.  She made a very good argument for the inequality (or superiority) of the female half of the human race. 

I believe that the argument can be extended even further to those of whatever sex that are endowed with the intellectual powers of profound imagination and reason.  I’m not sure how you would classify such individuals.  “Genius” only implies intelligence.  “Leader” only implies the ability to control others.  Regardless, it is quite evident that such individuals are rare – maybe one in a million.

Yet, is it true that these individuals are born and not made?  It would be a very doomed world indeed if the there was no hope for the other 999,999 out of a million to have the benefit of such things as creativity and judgment.  I can only hope that someday the eyes of the blind can be opened, and a true golden era can be realized, where we can finally live in a world without war and criminality, where the “great spirits” can soar to even greater heights of freedom and prosperity.