cucumbers & cream

The next few posts will feature great vegetarian recipes that even the most ardent meat-eater will love. With late summer upon us, gardens and farmer's markets have an abundance of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs.

This is a refreshing recipe to serve as a stand-alone side dish on those hot summer days, or as a potato topper any time of the year. I grew up enjoying different variations of this; I'm not sure if it's a uniquely ethnic Polish dish, but it was always served with other Polish foods on my Dad's side of the family at weddings, reunions, dances and backyard BBQs.

4-5 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 small or 1/4 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 pint (16 oz) half and half
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon fine dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed (optional)

Cut up the cucumbers, onion and chives and add to large mixing bowl; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. If desired, gradually add more salt, vinegar and/or sugar to taste, checking balance regularly.

Pour over cucumber mixture, and mix with a large spoon. Cover and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours to chill and let the flavors mix. Makes enough to fill a gallon bowl/container.

Serve in bowls as a side dish, or spoon over baked or mashed potatoes, as an alternative to sour cream or butter. Refrigerate after serving; can keep for several days in a well-sealed container.

Prep time - 15-20 minutes chopping and mixing, 3-4 hours chilling in refrigerator
Serves - it varies. Lots!

the great minnesota get-together

After posting on my blog "The Urban Pioneer" for a week straight, I realized my real passion involved discussing food preparation, dining and entertaining more than discussing music, books and other things. So I present my re-tooled and re-named blog, "The Kitchen Pioneer."

What better way to kick off the new blog than with a discussion of my 2011 Minnesota State Fair experience. I was there with my friends Kraig and Derek for 6 hours this past Saturday. The weather was perfect; overcast skies with moderately warm temps. No rain or scorching sun. The Fair was fairly packed, based upon our observations compared to years past.

Now I am the first to admit it; I eat my way through the Fair. Machinery Hill is interesting, the Agriculture and Dairy buildings fascinating, the prized pumpkins, cherry pies and German chocolate cakes a delight to view. But I came for the food, so let me at it!

I like the Minnesota State Fair versus many other festivals and fairs for one main reason - no food coupons or tickets. No matter how carefully I plan, I always end up with 2 or 4 tickets I can't use, and can't get a refund for either. So cash for food suits me just fine.

We started the tour with Derek eating a pork chop - on a stick of course. He loves that particular food booth, and purchased 2 seasoning shakers to take home. We then progressed to the dairy barn and looked at the butter sculptures of Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Paula Deen would be very excited to see all that butter...

We next ventured over to the International Bazaar. Kraig had mentioned basil lemonade being served last year at the Holy Land booth. I live near the actual Holy Land restaurant, and it is a favorite of mine. We all ordered the basil lemonade, and Kraig and I also ordered falafel. The falafel was good; not too greasy or salty. The basil lemonade was very refreshing, but was a tad too sweet. More water and less sugar would have made it perfect.

With a sugar rush/gut-ache going on, we looked for something to counter the effects of the sweet lemonade. After touring the vegetables and corn and seed art in the Agriculture building, we spied the cheese curd booth in the food building and ordered these yummy, cheesy treats. Oddly, eating those was the right antidote for the sugar rush.

Kraig and Derek decided to have a corn dog after we debated the merits and differences of pronto pups versus corn dogs. I was holding out for something else, but wasn't sure what. After a tour of the Art Building and a new snow plow that fascinated Kraig, we split an order of corn fritters with honey butter. Delicious! Not exactly the same as the corn fritters my Mom made growing up, but still tasty indeed.

No visit to the Fair would be complete without a stop and the roasted corn booth. Kraig was full, but Derek and I braved the long lines to get a buttery, steaming golden ear of delicious sweet corn. And it lived up to the anticipation.

I finally ended up getting a cheap (only $3.00!) corn dog on our way to our final food destination. The Blue Moon Cafe was serving one of this year's new food creations - sweet corn ice cream. Bits of sweet corn are interlaced in a slightly sweet, creamy ice cream base, and then homestyle toasted corn kernels are sprinkled on top.

I got mine with caramelized cayenne peanuts, and Kraig and Derek got theirs with a blueberry sauce. By far, this was the most delicious thing I had at the Fair this year. I would look for this again.

I'm glad we were done eating, for our next stops were the animal barns. It wasn't until we stepped foot into the Swine Barn had I realized I'm truly a city boy. I don't think I've ever been in the barns before, and one whiff of the smell that permeated my nostrils told me I would have remembered that smell if I had been in there before.

My surprise wasn't over yet. We spotted a large male pig that had to weigh close to 1100 or 1200 pounds. I have never seen a pig that massive. He was on his stomach, eating and filled the entire breadth of his pen. Opposite him was a new mother and about 12 cute little piglets. By then I'd got somewhat used to the smell.

We passed the sheep on our way out, but didn't see any little lambs. We crossed the street and entered into the Cow Barn, where Kraig and Derek were regaled with interesting facts about cows and milking while I looked around on my own.

After all we'd seen that day, the last place i wanted to visit was the Birthing Barn, so I stayed outside while Kraig and Derek toured it. They came out and assured me no births were taking place at that exact moment, but videos of animal births were playing throughout the building.

On that note, we decided we'd call it a night, and went our separate ways to our respective shuttle bus pick-up points. I decided I wanted to have one more try at some unique food, so I made may way around one last time, and I found Sausage by Cynthia. They serve all sorts of ethnic and regional sausages.

I decided upon the sampler, and they prepared a dish of 3 types of sausage, with grilled onions. I chose Swedish potato sausage, Cajun Andouille and a Minnesota wild rice jalapeno pork sausage. All three were amazing! The wild rice sausage was on the spicy side, but in a good way. The potato and andouille sausages had great texture and taste.

I finally made my way to the shuttle bus stop. It was a great day at the Fair, and i ate favorites old and new. I love going to the fair, but I know it's best that I only go once each year. My body and waistline couldn't handle more than one trip!

Minnesotans are known for having food a central part of their social gatherings, and the food at the Fair is no exception. I think the motto "The Great Minnesota Get-Together" aptly describes this, because the Fair really is like one big holiday dinner, family picnic, backyard BBQ and church potluck rolled into one fantastic time and place.

two stories

I admit I wasn't fully prepared with a topic for today's blog post. I've been job hunting like crazy and time got away from me. I did come across two stories - totally unrelated to one another - that I thought were worth sharing. One concerns the somewhat inexplicable bond between man and man's best friend. The other involves a war of words and a clash of ideology in the foodie world. Take a look at both; they are interesting reads - one bittersweet, and the other thought-provoking.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44271018/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/opinion/bruni-unsavory-culinary-elitism.html?_r=2&src=tp&smid=fb-share

mmm, hotdish

When I babysat my cousin last weekend, I was looking for something to make for lunch other than sandwiches and chips. Since my cousins are a family of 6, and all the kids play sports, they go through a lot of food. So I went hunting in the pantry. I love throwing together a meal with ingredients already on hand - you never know what you'll find or how they will work together. In the end, I whipped up a hearty, Italian-inspired hotdish. My cousin loved it so much he went back for seconds!

creamy italian hotdish

1 box penne noodles, prepared al dente, drained

1 pound hamburger, cooked with 1 small or 1/2 large onion (chopped) and 1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning, drained (you can substitute 1 pound Italian sausage and omit Italian seasoning)

15oz jar alfredo sauce

1/2 of a 15-24oz jar marinara sauce

1/2 of a 9oz bag of fresh spinach

14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained

13.75oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

8oz bag shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cooked noodles, meat, sauces and vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Mix in cheese last.

Transfer to a lightly greased (Pam or olive oil) 9x13 glass or metal baking dish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes (convection) or 40 minutes (standard). Remove from oven, remove foil and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Bake time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 8-10 hearty portions

homosexuality and the bible

I debated with myself before creating this post - is it too racy for my blog? In the end, I decided I had to post it. This religious bullying by the evangelical right is out of hand, and really needs to be stopped. To remain silent is no longer an option.

Below is a letter that's been circulating the internet for a while, but while it was written tongue-in-cheek, the author brings up some very valid points and I thought it was worth sharing. You can't pick and choose what you follow in the Bible and what you don't. If talk show hosts Like "Dr." Schlesinger, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, and evangelical politicians like Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry are going to quote select Bible verses to hide behind their homophobia and bigotry, then they need to be taken to task for not following ALL of the Bible's tenets. And the Bible has no place in the U.S. Constitution or in the politics of government at the local, state or federal level. Period.

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homosexuality and the bible

Ever get tired of people throwing Bible verses at you, and using religion as an excuse for condemning homosexuality? Well, this is something I came across many years ago, and I still laugh every time I read it.

On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

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Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination... End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is, my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.Exodus 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle- room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan. 

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus Dept. of Curriculum,
Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia

Original article here: http://allthingsqueer.co.za/archives/religion/60.html