The Haywire

The Haywire

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Howdy Folks,

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Now that the special election in California is over, I have time to contemplate the results in a variety of ways. One approach will undoubtedly be as a very happy progressive who, along with the majority of California voters, saw this expensive, unnecessary election as a power grab for special interests tied to Governor Schwarzenegger. This election came about due to the governor’s desire to circumvent the will of the democratically controlled Ca. State Legislature, in an attempt to use his former political capitol to pass controversial measures ranging from bureaucratic amplification to the defilement of our state constitution. Well, the voters have spoken, and it is my hope that this will result in a better dialogue between the governor and the legislature with citizens being the ultimate benefactors.

The other approach I will take is through the eyes of a historian. It seems that the American voting public may be souring on the GOP . Approval polls dictate this clearly, but in due course it is the elective process that actualizes the oftenfickle will of the U.S. citizenry. With defeats both unexpected (Virginia) and expected (New Jersey), a drumming-out of religious zealots, and the utter and unqualified trouncing of Governor Schwarzenegger’s ballot measures, it will be interesting to see how Republican and Democratic strategies react. What I glean from these admittedly isolated instances is a public that is becoming more and more restless with scandal, debt, economic forecasts, war, and the increasingly dreadful image of our beautiful republic around the world.

I am intrigued by the prospect of full disclosure in regards to pre-war Iraq intelligence, the Abramoff, DeLay, Chalabi, and Frist scandals, PlameGate and all the serious yet pathetic distractions that keep us, the United States of America, from reaching ourtrue civic goals.

I have often been called unpatriotic because of my relentless questioning of our government. In fact, it is my opinion that we can do much better, seek new heights of governing for and by the people, and create a beacon of hope brighter than past generations. Nope, I simply demand the very best from those who would stand in our halls of government at the behest of the electorate.

“You can keep the flowers blooming on their graves forever. It won't change the fact that they died for nothing." -- Antiwar protester, circa 1969

Judy the traitor out at NYT

Drink of the Month: Limoncello

Since summer in San Francisco starts in September, I will be drinking something that goes with sunshine and warm breezes. A thermos full of Limoncello while walking through North Beach should do just fine.

4 cups vodka, preferably 100 Proof.
Zest of 10 lemons.
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups water

Place vodka and zest in a sealable jar, like a mason jar and allow to sit in a cool place for 4 days. On the fifth day place the sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to cook 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Add sugar solution to the vodka solution and allow to stand overnight. Strain through a layer of cheesecloth in a conical sieve, pressing the solids firmly. Strain again through a second layer in the same manner. Chill and allow to stand 1 week. Serve very cold.

This Month's Recipe:
Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake

My goodness, is this delicious, and just in time for Thanksgiving. This recipe for a roasted-sweet potato cheesecake with maple cream won Kari Bowers of Bellevue, WA the best dessert and the overall grand prize in Sunset Magazine's 2005 Thanksgiving Recipe Contest.

Her prize includes a $50,000 kitchen makeover, a year's worth of groceries from Safeway or Vons, and a trip to Sunset's headquarters for a special harvest dinner.Sunset food writers and editors, past and present, chose contest prizewinners from among 6,500 entries. They prepared dishes in a test kitchen, and judged the entries on originality, taste, ease of preparation, and visual appeal.

Bowers, the mother of two sons aged 10 and 12, said she came up with her recipe, through many trials and errors, while seeking a way to get her family to eat sweet potatoes.She found that roasting the 'taters turns their taste a bit smoky -- a flavor that, when mixed into cheesecake and topped with maple cream -- makes them irresistible.

Her winning recipe, printed in the November issue of Sunset, follows.

Prep/cook time: 2 1/2 hours, plus a few hours to cool, then chill; Yield: 12 to 16 servingsPrep/cook time: 2 1/2 hours, plus a few hours to cool, then chill; Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

Notes: Cheesecake may be made up to three days ahead, then covered and chilled. Top with cream up to six hours before serving; cover and chill until serving.

Ingredients

2 dark orange–fleshed sweet potatoes (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. total)
1 tablespoon melted butter
Pecan crust (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, regular or light
(neufchātel), at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Maple cream (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375° (convection not recommended). Peel sweet potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan and brush with melted butter. Bake until potatoes are soft when pressed, 45 to 55 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare crust. Bake in same oven with potatoes until lightly browned all over, 10 to 12 minutes. 3. Scrape any charred spots off potatoes, then cut potatoes into chunks. Whirl in a food processor or mash in a bowl with lemon juice until smooth. Reserve 1 cup; save any extra for another use.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in granulated and brown sugars, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until mixture is well blended and smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Add reserved sweet potato mixture, the whipping cream, sour cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix on low speed until well blended.

5. Wrap bottom of cheesecake pan with heavy-duty foil, pressing it up the sides. Pour batter over crust. Put cheesecake pan in a 12- by 15-inch roasting pan at least 2 inches deep. Set pans in oven and pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cheesecake pan.

6. Bake until cake barely jiggles in the center when gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove pans from oven. Lift cheesecake pan from roasting pan and let cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour, then chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours, or up to 3 days (cover once cold).

7. Up to 6 hours before serving, cut around inside of pan rim to release cake; remove rim. With a pastry bag, pipe dollops of maple cream onto cake. Or serve maple cream separately, to spoon onto each wedge.

Per serving: 418 cal., 60% (252 cal.) from fat; 6.2 g protein; 28 g fat (16 g sat.); 38 g carbo (1 g fiber); 239 mg sodium; 130 mg chol.

Pecan crust: Whirl 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans in a blender until finely ground; you should have 1/4 cup. In a bowl, mix pecans, 11/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 5 tablespoons melted butter. Pour into a 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim (21/4 in. tall). Press mixture evenly over bottom of pan. Maple cream. In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat 3/4 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form. On low speed, beat in 1/4 cup maple syrup just until blended.

Drink a bottle of 2002 York Creek Cabernet Franc and drop me a line if you have any problems.

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Drink of the Month: Limoncello

This Month's Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Ingredients

This Month's Recipe:
Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake