El Cid

There are 17 parts to click through, but it beats whatever is on telly right now.

It is so very tiresome, the political correctness pouring like a filthy, polluted river out of Hollywood. The fetid waters of political correctness rise in the East from the news desks in New York and from the hallowed halls of government in Washington. Would anyone believe that it wasn't always this way? Would anyone believe that men used to freely say what was truth, what they cherished in their souls? Not anymore.

All that passes for truth is a mere caricature of it.

By Sebastian Vivar Rodriguez - Spanish Writer, November 21, 2004.

I walked down the street in Barcelona, and suddenly discovered a terrible truth – Europe died in Auschwitz.

We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims.

In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world.

The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art, international trade, and above all, as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned.

And under the pretence of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride.

They have turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime.

Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts.

And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for backwardness and superstition.

We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and their talent for hoping for a better future for their children, their determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for themselves and others, for our children and theirs.

What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe.

New Choices

Photo from Seasonal Chef

I haven't had a very good year so far. Not to complain, but I have to quit writing food porn, much as I have enjoyed doing it. Problem is, I've gotten too fat on my own infidelicacies, and am paying a physical price. Diabetes, namely, accompanied with a tendency to fall and injure myself, due to the arthritic condition of my ankles...psoriatic arthritis. Auto immune diseases tend to proliferate like destructive teenagers at a party in your house when you're away for the weekend, and some of these diseases include Crohn's and Celiac. My twins, neither of whom are fat, are suffering with many IB problems as a result of my rich PA Dutch and Southern cooking, and so is the youngest. Only my husband is a slim and happy camper. Sigh. It is so not fair.

So I am dropping certain kinds of meat and processed flour and sugar from my diet. And most dairy. Anyone who wants to offer up recipes for me in my quest for healthy life style changes is welcome to email me at scherzophrenic AT yahoo DOT com and I will post them here with much gratitude to you.

In the meantime, I have become a great fan of tabbouleh, a damn-near perfect meal. It is a food which, after eating it I feel sated and happy. Yes, that is the word I am looking for. Happy food.

It is the easiest thing in the world to make, and not at all expensive. If you are aiming for a gluten-free food, you can substitute the cracked wheat for quinoa, kashi or even brown rice.

Avoid the boxed products you find in the rice section of your store, as it contains a pitiful amount of ?!? DRIED - are they kidding?!? parsley, seasoning and grains. Instead, head over to the gluten-free section of the store, or the organics section and pick up a bag of Red Mill bulghur or quinoa and gather your main ingredients in the produce section:

Ingredients:

1 cup grain + 1 cup boiling water

2 cups fresh chopped parsely

1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 scallions, chopped

1/2 finely diced red onion

1 can rinsed chick peas

2 large, diced tomatoes, or 1 pint halved grape tomatoes

1 large cucumber, diced

1 heaping teaspoon cumin

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

cracked pepper

Dressing

Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pour boiling water over the bulghur and cover with plastic wrap for about an hour. The grain will soak up the liquid and plump and soften.

After an hour, mix the vegetables garlic and herbs into the grains. Mix well and season with the salt, pepper and cumin.

Mix the lemon zest, juice and oil and pour over the salad, mixing it well with salad tongs.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Toss before serving. Tastes even better the next day.

Oh yes. The youngest child has developed a food tic: She hates pie. All pie. It's un-American and I was lamenting the fact that I hadn't raised her properly.

So last night we had empanadas. I have a delightful recipe for that, too.

She really loved the empanadas. When I explained that empanadas are Mexican and south American pies, she shrugged and said, "At least they aren't apple or cherry."

The GALL! Traitor.