Delicious Winter Meal: Baked Farro and Butternut Squash

 It may not look like much, but this dish is so delicious.  Serve it as a main course for lunch or dinner, with some crusty  bread and sliced tomatoes.  It's great for meatless Mondays.  It's easy to make, just takes a little time.  Farro is a grain, similar to rice, that takes a while to cook.  It can be used in hot dishes like this one, or cold salads (think rice salad).  Anyway, it is healthy and delicious.

                                          Baked Farro and Butternut Squash

4-6 slices bacon

2T. olive oil 

1 T butter

1 chopped yellow onion

1/4 tsp dry thyme

3 c. chicken stock

3c. butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1/2 c. parmesean cheese

Prehead oven to 375 degrees, place bacon on sheet pan and cook for 20-30 minutes.  It does not have to be completely crisp.  Break up into large dice.

Use a Dutch oven to heat oil and butter.  Brown onion 6 minutes, add thyme and salt and pepper.  Add the farro and chicken stock, and put put squash on top.  Bake for 30 minutes, covered, checking at least once.  If liquid evaporates, add more chicken stock.  Sprinkle bacon and parmesean and return to oven for 15 minutes.  Squash and farro should be tender, and cheese melted.  Serve directly from pot.

Or, you can do all the cooking except the last step, and refrigerate for up to two days, they cook for the final 15 minutes and serve.  (you can make it even easier by buying precut butternut squash at market.  I actually prefer the cheap parmesean in the can to fresh parmesean.  Either way, you're going to love this dish.

The UN Report On Climate Should Get Your Attention

 We've known about the effects of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere for decades, at least 4 decades, yet here we are.  The new report by the IPCC (United Nations) is 4,000 pages of doom and gloom.  Well, not really.  Maybe just 3,000 pages are doom and gloom.  The rest offers some optimism, if we change our ways.

  One quote from the report says, "It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.  The last decade was more liely than not warmer than any multi-centennial period after the Last Interglacial, rougly 125,000 years ago."

According to the hundreds of scientists that contributed to the report from around the world, we have to totally change the way energy is produced.  There doesn't seem to be the political will to do that right now, at least in this country.  Changes will likely come regionally.  Asking people to make changes for something that will benefit mankind in the future, is hard.  People don't want to invest in these changes unless they are personally going to benefit.  And they aren't..  The reality is that unless we keep our emissions low for the next 30 years, we cannot be at Net 0 by 2050.  

If we continue doing what we're doing the earth will at some point become uninhabitable.  Fossil fuels have got to go.  I know, lots of people make their living taking energy out of the rocks and ground, but if we don't find another way, we will all lose. 

If you're a podcast listener, I can recommend the August 13 episode of The Daily, called Code Red for Humanity.  It will wake you up.

Global Rise In Authoritarianism

 We live in what is commonly called a representative democracy.  There are other forms of democracy, such as direct democracy and consitutional democracy.  Sadly, the Democracy Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit,  has found that more countries are declining in their level of democracy.  They rate countries on 5 categories such as functioning of government and civil liberties.  They can score between 0 and 10.  Overall scores of 8.01 and 10 are considered full democracies.  There are 10 countries in the world with scores higher than 9.  They are (In order with Norway being the fullest democracy):  Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Switzerland.  The United States ranked 36th, with a democracy rating of 7.96.

On the other end of the spectrum, many countries that were once democracies or at least flawed democracies, are becoming autocracies.  Ones that come to mind that have changed their form of government in the past 10 years are Venezuela, Hungary and Poland.  Below are some bullet points regarding the rise in authoritarianism.  Pretty scary stuff.

• There are fewer democracies in Europe and Eurasia than at any point in the 26-year history of Nations in Transit. Of the 29 countries assessed, 10 were rated as democracies, 10 as hybrid regimes, and nine as authoritarian regimes. No countries changed categories this year.
• The average democracy score for the region has declined every year since 2005—17 years in a row. Eighteen countries’ democracy scores declined this year, only six countries’ scores improved, and five countries experienced no net change. The spread of authoritarianism continues to outpace democratic progress by a wide margin.

• The largest declines occurred in Poland (-0.36), which suffered the second-largest single-year drop ever recorded, and in Hungary (-0.25). Both countries’ democracy scores are the lowest they have ever been during the 17-year period of overall decline.
• The most common regime type in Eurasia remains “consolidated authoritarian.” Armenia is the only semiconsolidated authoritarian regime in Eurasia, while Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine are the only hybrid/transitional regimes in this subregion. There are no democracies in Eurasia.
• The most common regime type in the Balkans continues to be “hybrid/transitional.” The only exception is Croatia, which is considered a semiconsolidated democracy.
• Despite having suffered the steepest decline over the past decade, Central Europe remains the best-performing subregion; its most common regime type is “consolidated democracy.” Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania are the only semiconsolidated democracies in Central and Eastern Europe; Hungary is the only hybrid/transitional regime.

Queen Califia's Magic Circle

Niki de Saint Phall was an Franco American woman who did many things in her life, including modeling, writing, and sculpting.  She is best known as an artist.  She was at one time married to the French artist, Jean Tinguely.  She was born in France in 1930, and died in 2002 in La Jolla, California.  She was a self taught artist, who delighted people worldwide with her colorful, monumental, cartoonlike sculptures and environments.  Early in her career, she created what was called target painting, where she threw darts at balloons set up on a canvas, and the dripping paint created the painting.  

She created sculptures for gardens around the world.  One of her nanas (bulbous, maternal like figures} can be seen in Balboa Park, another in the La Jolla restaurant, Barbarella.  Before she died she created Queen Califia's Magic Circle, in Kit Carson park in Escondido.

She did not live to see the completion of the installation, but she was involved in every phase of it's execution.  It was completed shortly after her death, and remains one of the beautiful sculpture gardens around.  Queen Califia was an Amazon goddess, and she is depicted in mosaic in the park.  Niki de Saint Phall depicts snakes, totem poles, and astrological symbols throughout her work.  The sculptures are massive.  I  was overwhelmed by the size and beauty of these sculptures.  

If you enjoy art, please make a point of visiting Kit Carson Park when Queen Califia's Magic Circle is open.  (Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the 2nd and 4th Saturday).  Check the website to be sure you are there at the right time.  It's an little known San Diego treasure.

Chiko Encinitas: Chinese Korean Fusion

 Thank you, Regina for sending me the link to Chiko in Encinitas.  When I looked at the menu, I knew I had to try it, and the very next day, Regina and I went to Chiko for Sunday Brunch.  What a feast we had!  We loved everything we ordered, and the portions were so big that we both had food to take home.

The restaurant began in 2017 in Washington, D.C., as the first restaurant in The Fried Rice Collective.  (A group of restaurants).  It was begun by Scott Drewno, who came from a fine dining backgroup, including a stint at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, Chinois.  Chiko added several partners, went for casual dining, and they were a big hit from the beginning.

 Chiko's is a great restaurant for sharing.  There are appetizers, salads, entrees and sides.  For the two of us, we ordered the orange-ish chicken as our main course.  It was slightly spicy, with a crispy coating on the outside, and just enough spice to make it delicious.  It was served with white rice and a wonderful sauce.  We also ordered half-a-cado salad.  So tasty.  It was a mixture of cucumber, jicama, nuts

and avocado, in a slightly spicy sauce.  The chicken spring rolls we ordered were wonderful.  The chicken mixture was nestled in a huge wonton, then wrapped like a burrito and fried.  We loved it.

Other popular dishes include spicy ribeye and rice, cumin lamb dumplings, and pork and kimchi potstickers.  

The restaurant  is in the space that was once occupied by Jamroc, one of my favorite Jamaican restaurants ever.  Chiko may well become a favorite of mine.  I can't wait to go again and try new dishes.  They have so many interesting items to choose from.

I will be taking our lunch bunch group there in January.  It's perfect for them.  Casual, great for sharing, and spectacular food.  Check it out.  It's a winner.

You're Going To Love Pickled Potatoes

 I was at The Waverly restaurant in Cardiff for lunch recently.  Pickled potatoes were offered as an appetizer.  I had never heard of pickling potatoes and was intrigued, so we ordered some for the table.  I was impressed!  They are absolutely delicious, that is if you like other pickled vegetables.  They're so easy to make.  I created a recipe as soon as I got home, and plan on serving them soon at a Happy Hour.  We pickle cucumbers, ginger, carrots, cauliflower and onions, why not potatoes?  Here's a simple recipe you won't make just once.

                                                       Pickled Red Potatoes With Creme Fraiche

12 small, firm red potatoes.  Be sure to get potatoes that are not too big

pickling brine:  it can be as simple as just malt vinegar, or you can use the pickle juice from an empty jar of pickles, or you can make a simple bine with vinegar, water and spices.  I used just malt vinegar

1 container of creme fraiche (for dipping)

chopped chives for garnish

Cook red potatoes in water until just tender.  (about 15 minutes)  Let them cool, then take a fork and prick each potatoes about 10 times.  You don't need to push too deep into the potato.  You just want the vinegar to be able to get into the potato and pickle it.

At this point you can store the potatoes in a bowl (drain the brine) until ready to use, or get ready to fry right away.

Using a fryer or a pan, heat oil to 350 degrees, and fry the potatoes until crispy and somewhat brown on the outside. Drain. on a paper towel.  Place in a bowl for serving.  Chop chives and sprinkle on top for garnish.  Serve with a side of creme fraiche for dipping.  If you don't have creme fraiche, use sour cream. 

I hope you love this dish as much as I did.  So easy, unusual, and delicious.  Enjoy. 

Are Lawmakers Trying To End The Opioid Crisis?

 I've been reading and listening to  books and podcasts about the opioid crisis, and it is heartbreaking that Congress has not done what it could do to reduce the amount of deaths from opioids.  Over the past decade over 500,000 Americans are dead from opioid overdoses.

There are so many aspects to the crisis:  how we got here, what are the causes, and how we get out of it are just some of the issues, but I want to focus on Congress, specifically Marsha Blackburn (now a senator from Tennessee) who was a congresswoman in 2014-2016  when she co-sponsored a bill that was ultimately passed.

Blackburn was warned by a DEA official about her bill.  The law that Blackburn co-sponsored increased the burden for DEA to immediately suspend large shipments of drugs, requiring that it demonstrate a "substantial likelihood of an immediate threat that death, serious bodily harm, or abuse of a controlled substance will occur" without action.  Congress pass the law, and President Obama signed it. 

So what does this mean?  This law means it became harder to stop large shipments of drugs, making it easier for bad players to continue to get drugs on the streets.  

Blackburn's co-sponsoring of the bill was at the behest of the pharmaceutical industry, and it weakened the DEA efforts against drug distribution companies that were supplying corrupt doctors and pharmacies who were pedaling  narcotics to the black market.

Marsha Blackburn's contributions from the pharmaceutical industry were over $711,000 from 2002-2015.  In 2016, after the the bill she co-sponsored was passed, contributions to her campaign increased dramatically.  Just thought you'd like to know about this.  

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle Annex

 About 2 weeks after rotator cuff surgery I went to LA for 10 days.  My dog Pepper was staying with my mom while I recovered, and I missed him desperately.  I thought the 10 days in LA would give me and my mom some time together too, and give me a chance to recuperate. 

Eating out is one of my great enjoyments.  Luckily my mom enjoys eating out as much as I do, so we made a list of a half dozen restaurants that we wanted to try while I was in LA.  We almost got to all of them.  I will tell you about those I especially liked, so if you have an opportunity to visit LA you will have some great places to dine.

On a Tuesday afternoon we headed to Sawtelle Blvd in West Los Angeles.  There are probably 30 Asian restaurants on a three block area of Sawtelle.  I had heard great things about Tsujita, often called the "king of ramen restaurants" so that's where we went.  Normally there is a line around the block waiting to get in, but we timed it just right, and got a table inside right away.  Almost all the customers were Asian, which is always a good sign.  The restaurant itself gave me the feeling of walking into a ramen shop in Tokyo.  I loved it.

The ramen was fantastic.  The broth was deeply flavored with pork, garlic and onion.  The noodles were perfectly cooked, the egg on top was delicious, and we added some extra toppings.  

There are basically only two things to get at Tsujita.  Ramen, either vegan or pork broth with delicious toppings, or tsukemen Tsujita style (Dipping noodle.)  The latter dish dips cold noodles into hot broth.  Ramen is just hot noodles and hot soup.

If you thought  ramen was the 25cent package that you used to cook in your dorm room in college, think again.  Tsujita ramen is a sophisticated soup, with layers of flavor.  It is so flavorful.  I can't wait to go again.

The good news is that there is now a ramen shop in San Diego that is owned and operated by a man who spent 5 years working at Tsujita in Los Angeles.   The restaurant is called Artisan Noodle Tatsuki on Broadway. I can't wait to try it.

A Meal To Remember: Le Petit Chez Mimi

 While recovering from rotator cuff surgery in August, I spent about 10 days in LA with my mom and dog Pepper.  We made a list of restaurants we wanted to try when I arrived, and I think we made it to all of them.  My favorite, by far, was Le Petit Chez Mimi in Santa Monica.

Our meal at Chez Mimi was memorable.  When I heard Mimi had opened another restaurant in LA, I jumped at the chance to enjoy her food again.  Mimi Hebert is the owner and chef at Chez Mimi, and has been involved in the LA food scene for years.  Many years ago Mimi worked at and helped create recipes at Chez Helene, a wonderful French restaurant that was on Abbott Kinney years ago.  Chez Helene eventually closed, and Mimi went on to open several other restaurants in LA.  Ron and I were frequent diners at her 26th street restaurant in Brentwood in the 1990's.

Mimi opened Le Petit Chez Mimi in the middle of the pandemic, and it is a miracle it is still open.  It was only take out for quite a while, but they made it through the rough times, and from what I can see, have a great following.  We sat outside on the heated patio, as did most diners.  

The food is so outstanding, that even though I was stuffed when I left, I couldn't help but think about what I would get next time I dined there.  It's typical French food.  Appetizers include chicken liver pate, escargots, onion tart and salmon mousse.  The salmon mousse was extraordinary.  Every night there are about 5 soups to choose from.  I had cold cucumber soup with lots of dill.  Yum.  Entrees are mustard chicken, grilled lamb chops (fantastic sauce), mussels, calves liver, pepper steak and bouillabaisse.  We had the tart tatin for dessert, with a big dollop of whipped cream on the side.

So, if you're visiting LA or in the Santa Monica area, make it a point to go to Chez Mimi for dinner.  (reservations necessary).  It will be a meal you will not soon forget.

Stay Away From DNP

 I listen to a number of podcasts, and recently I listened to a fascinating 4 part podcast on One Click, about the toxic drug DNP.  I couldn't believe how deadly it was, yet is still sold illegally on the dark web.

DNP is Dinitrophenol, a drug sold illegally as a weight loss supplement.  Online retailers target body builders and extreme dieters, promising miracles.  It is potentially lethal to anyone, at any age.  The drug can cause a rapid increase in you metabolic rate and body temperature, and it's a terrible death.  It is not fit for human consumption.

DNP was originally manufactured in France during WW1 to make dyes and explosives.  In 1933 it was found to be good for weight loss.  It was sold over the counter from 1933-1938 as a weight loss supplement, but was pulled from the market because of safety concerns.  It is used today in wood preservatives, dyes, explosives, and pesticides, so it's hard to imagine it could be good for human consumption.  

In the One Click podcast, they explained how people got involved in buying DNP, what specifically happened to them, and reviewed some very sad stories of death.  I encourage anyone who finds this topic interesting to go to One Click, and listen to the 4 part series.

Sadly, it is not illegal to possess DNP in the U.S.  However, the sale of DNP is prohibited around the world, and it has never been approved by the FDA.  Sellers of DNP face heavy fines and jail time.  

DNP is extremely toxic and has a high potential for overdose.  Ingestion doses as low as 10-20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight can be fatal.  The most common cause of death from DNP is hyperthermia.  

The FDA and other international regulatory bodies routinely take legal action against websites illegally selling drugs such as DNP.  DNP can legally be sold as a fertilizer.  In many countries retailers use this loophole to sell it as a weight-loss drug.

Warning:  try to avoid any drug supplement that claims it can cause weight loss without the need for dietary changes or increased exercise.  Any product that claims this is either ineffective or dangerous.

Gypsy Moths Being Renamed

 We've all heard about renaming sports teams, college mascots and the like because their names were offensive to certain ethnic, religious or social group, but here's a new one.  The Entomological Society of America, an organization that oversees bug names, has dropped the name "Gypsy" moth, considering it an ethnic slur to the Romani people.  

This move is one of the first two for the organization's Better Common Names Project, which seeks to replace names that contain derogative terms, inappropriate geographic references and for those that disregard what native communities called the species.  The other insect it renamed was called the "gypsy ant."  

The gypsy moth is a caterpillar that eats large quantities of trees and plants, similar to locust, but not as extreme.  Are we carrying the renaming of things too far?  You tell me.  The new names for the moth and the ant are unknown at this time.

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

If you like the idea of making your own vanilla extract, and maybe giving it as gifts this Christmas or Hanukkah, you better get started right away.  The ingredients have to sit for 2 months to finish.  If you've bought pure vanilla extract recently, you know how expensive it is.  I usually buy it in Mexico, but I haven't been to Mexico recently, so I'm almost out.  Actually, even if you start making it today, it won't be ready for Hanukkah.  Hanukkah is early this year, at the beginning of December.  Oh, well, make it anyway and give it as a New Year's gift.

                                                            Homemade Vanilla Extract

6 vanilla beans, sliced lengthwise

8 ounces vodka

Place sliced vanilla beans in a 10 ounce jar, and cover with vodka.  A small vinegar bottle or any small bottle will do.  Place in a dark place, shake once a week, and in 2 months you will have vanilla extract.  

That's it.  It makes a wonderful gift for bakers.  Be sure and keep some for yourself. 

Red, Bold Lips of the 1940's

 The 1940's was an era brimming with patriotism, optimism, and red bold lips.  "Beauty was your duty" and considered an act of patriotism during WW11. 

Elizabeth Arden, famous makeup artists and women's activist, was approached to create a lipstick specifically designed for women in service.  In 1941 "Montezuma Red" was created.  Why red?  Adolf Hitler hated red lipstick, thus red lipstick was seen as sign of patriotism.  Red lipstick was not only worn by American women but in all the Allied countries.  It became a statement against fascism.  

The origins of red lipstick can be traced to the Sumerian region of southern Mesopotamia, circa 3,500 B.C.  It was there that the red rocks were crushed into powder to tint the lips red.   In the 1700's, red lipstick was outlawed in England on the basis that women were using cosmetics as a tool to seduce men into into marriage.