The Haywire

The Haywire

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Howdy Folks,

What a long, strange year it’s been. My journeys took me from the wonderful Garifuna of Belize to the streets of District 2 in my beloved hometown. From the dregs, watching W’s re-election, to a personal zenith; A Master’s Degree in Theologyfrom the University of San Francisco. Adding to the heartbreak were the heartrending tragedy in Asia and the infuriating, misguided War in Iraq. When nature shows her force to such a degree, it truly makes what we humans do to each other trite by comparison. The War in Iraq is shameful, and I hope much can be done to restore peace in that region in 2005. Most importantly, may all those who lay their lives on the line for our great country come home safely to the ones they love.

I have heard from many individuals who read my graduation speech, and was less than surprised that so many Christian fundamentalists misinterpreted its meaning. I will spell this out as simply as possible. Jesus of Nazareth was all about peace. If he had wanted, he could have raised an army to win his freedom. He chose not to, and spelled it our quite plainly. Therefore, let me reiterate: If you support this war in any way, you are not a Christian. You may believe in the Bible, in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth, and do good works in your life. However, there is no such thing as a just war. Period.

Anyway, the Red Sox finally won a World Series, so who knows what tomorrow will bring. I look forward to a more educated, loving, and brave world in 2005. At the heart of most problems I see in this world lies fear. Whether in your personal life, in relationship, or civically: I implore you to ask yourself hard questions, embrace your fear, and triumph over all trepidation.

See you somewhere soon,

PAUL'S BEST OF 2004

Drink of the Month: Hard Apple Cider

Lately, I have been reminiscing about the long days spent scraping shit and baling hay at the ol' Tri-Non Farms back in Pleasant Mount, PA. Given that we were self-supervised most of the time, we often used what nature provided in order to celebrate the finer and less-fine moments in life. Now, older and perhaps wiser, I give you one of the secrets of our youth, along with modern equivalents. The type of yeast you select makes a great difference in the flavor of your cider. In the old days the cider was left to ferment on it's own. That was done out of our ignorance of the true nature of bacterial fermentation. Wine yeast will produce a clean, dry flavored cider with little of no aftertaste. For a dry cider use champagne yeast or for semi sweet cider try Cote De Blanc. Cider with a more rounded, lasting flavor can be made by using brewer's ale yeast. All of these ingredients can be purchased at local Brewing Supply Shops, or ordered online.

1. Crush up one campden tablet per gallon of cider to suppress any bacteria or wild yeast.

2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of pectic enzyme per gallon to prevent pectin haze in the finished cider.

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of yeast nutrient per gallon to provide for complete fermentation.

4. Cover and let the juice rest for 24 hours stirring once or twice during that time.

5. Use a hydrometer to record the starting gravity of the must.

6. Open the primary fermenter and sprinkle in one packet of wine or brewer's yeast. Let the yeast re-hydrate for five minutes then stir it in for about a minute. Close the fermenter and attach an air lock which is half full of water. Ferment for 7 to 10 days at 70 degrees.

7. Open the fermenter and check the specific gravity with a hydormeter. It should have dropped by at least 75%. If not, close the fermenter and allow to sit for a few more days. Do not leave the cider in the primary fermenter for more than 10 days. If the specific gravity has not dropped in that time, continue to the next step any way.

8. Place the primary fermenter on a counter ot table top 24 hours prior to the next step. This will provide time to the sediment to settle to the bottle of the pail.

9. Clean and sanitize a glass secondary fermenter along with your siphon equipment. Crush up one campden table per gallon and put them into the secondary fermenter.

10. Siphon the cider from the primary to the secondary ferment. Attach an air lock and allow to rest for 14 days and 70 degrees.

11. Check the cider for clarity. If it is hazy or not quite clear, you can add a fining agent such as isinglass. Add the fining agent directly to the fermenter and stir it in gently. Allow the cider to rest for another week at 60 tp 65 degrees.

12. Clean and sanitize your primary fermenter or another glass carboy and siphon the cider into it. Sample the cider by tasting a small amount. You can adjust it at this time. If it tastes a little bland you can add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of citric to taste. If it is lacking in apple flavor but the tartness is correct add our apple flavor enhancer. If it is too tart or sour add frozen apple juice concentrate, which contains no preservitites, to taste. Allow the cider to age for another week in a cool place.

Hard cider is best bottled in standard beer bottles using regular crown caps. You can make the cider still or sparking by adding priming sugar the same way as is done with beer. Bottles and caps must be cleaned and sanitized just prior to filling. Comple instructions for bottling are HERE.

This Month's Recipe:
Mushroom Stuffed Filo Parcels

My New Year's resolution for 2005 is to be a stricter Vegetarian. Since I could never give up cheese, I am going to be more conscious about my food choices in regards to additives and fillers. However, I will try to include recipes that even hard-core meat eaters and Chicagoans will enjoy.

Ingredients

6 medium-sized field mushrooms (flat)
Oil to fry the mushrooms
225g / 8oz packet fresh or frozen filo pastry
25g / 1oz vegan margarine, melted
30ml / 6tsp cranberry or redcurrant sauce
Extra cranberry or redcurrant sauce, to serve

Hazelnut stuffing
1 packet vegetarian stuffing mix, eg. parsley, lemon and thyme
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
15g / 1/2oz vegan margarine
25-50g / 1-2oz roasted hazelnuts, chopped
Soya milk, for binding

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F.

2. Fry the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes on each side until tender, then cool. Make up the stuffing mix of your choice. Fry the onion and celery in the margarine, and then add the stuffing mix and hazelnuts. Add a little soya milk if necessary to bind together. Leave to cool.

3. Fill each flat field mushroom with the stuffing mixture.

4. Take 3 sheets of filo pastry at a time. Cut in half so you have 10~12.5cm/4~5 inch squares. Take one square and brush with a little melted butter or margarine. Place another square on top at an angle, and brush again. Do the same with a third sheet.

5. Place a stuffed mushroom in the middle of the filo pastry and top with a teaspoon of cranberry or redcurrant sauce. Bring the edges of the pastry up together and pinch them to form a little parcel (money-bag shape). Make up the rest of the parcels in the same way.

6. Brush with melted margarine and place on a greased baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15~20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve hot with extra cranberry or redcurrant sauce.

Drink a bottle of Simi 2001 Landslide Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and drop me a line if you have any problems.

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PAUL'S BEST OF 2004

FICTION

NONFICTION

HISTORY

MOVIES

MUSIC

FOOD

GOOD THINGS

BAD THINGS

Drink of the Month: Hard Apple Cider

This Month's Recipe: Mushroom Stuffed Filo Parcels

Ingredients

Directions

This Month's Recipe:
Mushroom Stuffed Filo Parcels