As the spate of political correctness surrounding Christmas has grown these past years, I have to shake my head in wonder. There are certainly more just battles to engage in than demonizing people who greet you with “Merry Christmas”. When fundamentalists complain that Christ is being removed from the holiday, they are absolutely correct. That fact has less to do with uber-commercialization and everything to do with how certain factions insist we refer to the weeks surrounding December 25, that most sensitive of dates.

Because I can speak my mind and heart here, I’ll share a dirty little secret with you all. Jesus is the reason for this season. Through some unholy congruence of science, faith, political decree, and tradition, people of Christian faith have come to celebrate the savior’s birth in December. Whether you believe the actual birth date is correct… whether you believe the earth is 5000 years old or 5 billion years… whether you type BC or BCE, this is Jesus’ time to shine.

When I say Merry Christmas it’s not meant as an indictment of a Godless, heathenistic, liquor-filled sin-drenched lifestyle. It’s a simple hope that one will know some small moment of joy and peace before facing the challenges of a new year. How you get there is your business! Regardless of your religion (or lack thereof), mandating Christ’s removal from a greeting is a violation of free speech and an abrogation of the progressive notion of acceptance.

So don’t tread on my rights and I promise to smile when you wish me a Happy Flying Spaghetti Monster Day. And lest I forget… Merry Christmas!

A hearty beef stew alternative for turkey-jaded palates

Heat a Dutch oven or deep soup pot before adding enough oil to coat the bottom well. I like to sear the meat on high heat, just below or at the smoke point. Carefully add beef and stir to coat thoroughly with oil. I like chuck, but you’re welcome to use a leaner cut or trim a bit closer.

Allow to brown on one side before stirring and “flipping” to raw side. Add seasoned salt or dry rub liberally. It’s OK to overseason a bit here. Add mushrooms, bay leaves, ginger, and half the garlic and stir. Reduce heat to medium as meat browns and begins to sweat. Gather your vegetables as the meat continues to cook and make juice. At the peak of cooking, just as the juice starts to evaporate, remove meat and place into a large container with cover. Stir in the rest of the garlic, cover and set aside.

Place your flour, stock, and Marsala within an arm’s reach of the stove. Next, we’ll make a roux, the body of your stew. Melt the stick of butter adding a little (tablespoon or so) oil to help prevent burning. As butter finishes melting, begin whisking the flour in. Add slowly but steadily, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and clumping. After all the flour is in continue to stir as it browns. If you smell the flour burning, lower the heat and remove pot for a moment, always stirring though. The photos below show the roux near the beginning and at the end of its journey. You’re looking for a uniform brown color and smooth consistency with no white, floury lumps. This usually takes about 15 minutes for me.

Open a carton of stock and steadily add it to your roux. It will thicken and swell in volume pretty quickly. Keep adding stock, stirring as the roux “drinks” the liquid. Bring heat up as you finish adding the first carton of stock. You should have a loose but viscous gravy. Add your cup of Marsala as the heat continues to rise. Gently add the beef to the gravy and cover, allowing stew to come to a rolling simmer. From this point on, keep pot covered after every addition.

As meat boils gently, prep your veggies. Start with the potatoes. Cut into thumbnail sized cubes. In a separate pan, brown in oil, but don’t completely cook them. Place in container for addition later. Meanwhile, stir your stew and check for seasoning. Add more seasoned salt if necessary.

Next, slice your onion into quarter rounds. Lightly caramelize the rings and set aside for addition later.

Cut the remaining vegetables into chunky, bite size pieces. Keep the carrots and celery separated. After everything is cut, stir the carrots in and reduce heat to a slow simmer. Have a glass of Marsala and let the carrots get tender Ten minutes or so should be fine. Add the potatoes and celery next. Stir gently but thoroughly and let those veggies work for a few minutes. Finally, add the onions and remaining vegetables. Check for seasoning again and lower heat to nearly off. Cook an additional 15-30 minutes before turning burner off completely.

At this point, your stew is cooked. But it only gets better with age! Have a bowl now and let it cool completely before refrigerating. It will thicken even more. If you like it a little looser add bit of stock or Marsala to it when you reheat.

Enjoy!

Some obsessions should just be enjoyed and not deconstructed. The thrilling singe of hot peppers, the shock of cool, crisp linen, and the allure of French women for example. A closer examination would find the women of France lacking… in bras, makeup, and occasionally razors: all overrated entrapments of the bourgeoisie. Some days you won’t miss what’s missing.

For peppers and sheets you’re on your own. But I can offer for your enjoyment French chanteuse Camille. Besides singing, she employs a lot of body percussion (slaps, finger snaps, beatboxing, etc.) in her music. If you like her style, this Morning Edition interview may interest you. The third video below is a candid (very) interview in English where Camille describes her music making process. Full disclosure: the second and third vids have some mature content (nudity and language/female genitalia shoutout) and may possibly ruin your young sons for life. Or at least 20 minutes.

Hell froze over.

The South rose again.

Monkeys flew out of my butt.

I went to work this morning hopeful yet somber. As I write this, CNN has projected 333 Electoral College votes for President Elect Obama. That’s right, Barack Hussein Obama. Stop hating and vote… we did! North Carolina is still in question but it looks like Virginia came through and sent a message loud and clear. That means a lot coming from a state with a notable military presence. The thoughts are getting tangled in my head.

I was on the phone with a distant (and perhaps former… long story) friend when CNN called it. The first thought was I wish Dad were here to see it. He always thought a woman would be elected President before a black man. We’re all wrong sometime. But growing up in the Jim Crow Era and serving in a barely desegregated Army gave him a perspective unmatched by reading the limpid history books public school offered.

What’s apparent is that this election will be dissected by both party’s politicians and pundits for many moons to come. There will be time for that later and there’s no doubt I will add my two cents. Tonight belongs to Obama and all those who supported him. Tonight belongs to the haters and baiters who crossed racial, moral, ideological and religious picket lines to support the black man with the funny name. It even belongs to those who dreaded the reality and fought it every step of the way.

Tonight belongs to America. All of America.

On the eve of history for the US, I’m making a bit of history myself. This is my 100th post… overdue and perhaps a bit fluffy. But in case you’ve forgotten to breathe (for whatever reason), take a breath with me now and eyeball a few pics I took during Wilson’s Whirligig Festival 2008. We can talk about history and the future later.

The slide viewer is about a meg. When it downloads, click anywhere inside the frame and then you can navigate with your keyboard arrow keys. Sorry it’s inelegant, but Flash is a PITA and I’m not figuring it out tonight.

EMERGENCY ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT

Draft 1 (GW & “Pimp Daddy” Paulson edition): 3 pages

Draft 2 (”Country First” edition): 109 pages

Draft 3 (”Damn the Pork, Full Squeal Ahead!” edition): 451 pages

Number of words to describe a previously ignorant electorate seeing their government in action: one… priceless.

Thank you PostBourgie for the heads up on this! You will hit the blogroll.

Lovely Sarah Silverman encourages young Jews to travel to Florida to convince their presumably non-Obama supporting elders to vote for him. The Great Schlep has more details. As always, Sarah loves profanity, so consider the embed NSFW or Synagogue.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

You’re not truly a blogger until you’ve turned the writing reigns over to someone else for a day or two. My dear friend and Purveyor of All Things Pink took it to the next level this past week. So far off the radar that she’s entirely devoid of intarweb (except cell phone), she asked me and a few other friends to guest blog for her. After the initial panic subsided I settled down and wrote something I hope will add a little spice to her groovy domain. Check it out at:

All I Want For Christmas

Today is my birthday. There’s nothing especially earthshaking about that, but I’ve had a notion the last few days. I’m beginning, or with much blessing, nearing the second half of my life. Sobering, yeah! Unlike the overwrought end of one’s 20s, this is a real occasion. In Bojangles for lunch, the lady taking my order asked if I wanted a sweet potato pie. I wanted to scream there’s no time for sweet potato pies in THE SECOND HALF®! It should have been obvious to her. I merely smiled and said, “No thanks.”

I approach this epoch with the curiosity of a puppy discovering his own backyard. Cautiously pawing the new possibilities, I embrace the potential to make this half the better half. All the mistakes I’ve made were only stumbling blocks; nothing broken, I’m all about continuing the exploration. If I were a briefs guy, today would definitely be the day to slip into boxers… or is underwear superfluous in THE SECOND HALF®?

Perhaps I can finally pull off a splash of Old Spice or wear one of Dad’s jaunty tams that Mom despised so much. It’s no mid-life crisis; I’m talking about an epiphany. As tumultuous as the first leg of the journey was, THE SECOND HALF® can more than make up for it. I’m off to make that happen.