Thursday, May 26, 2011

A Little Daily Food For the Soul

I've begun reading the Tao Te Ching (Barnes & Noble Classics edition) which houses the central tenets of Taoism.  Legend has it, when Lao Tzu (meaning "Old Master") decided to leave his native territory (on a water buffalo no less), he was stopped by the gate guard and asked to write down his teachings.  The result was the Tao Te Ching.  There is so much legend swirling around the legendary Tao master, including a story that his mother carried him in her womb until he was 72; he came out an old man, replete with white hair.  Taoism, as I've learned from my limited research, is a school of thought which concentrates on the power of inaction, although "power" itself goes against Taoist teachings because it promotes an inferiority in the self.  There is no question that this text is beautifully written, if at some times cryptic.  I've decided to digest it a few chapters at a time, especially since there's so much mysticism and deeper meanings in each of the chapters.  I thought I'd offer you something to think about, maybe to ask that you join me in my journey.

Chapter 1

The Tao the can be followed is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth
While naming is the origin of the myriad things.
Therefore, always desireless, you see the mystery
Ever desiring, you see the manifestations.
These two are the same-
When they appear they are named differently.

This sameness is the mystery,
Mystery within mystery;

The door to all marvels.



Chapter2

All in the world recognize the beautiful as beautiful.
Herein lies ugliness.
All recognize the good as good.
Herein lies evil.


Therfore
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficulty and ease bring about each other.
Long and short delimit each other.
High and low rest on each other.
Sound and voice harmonize each other.
Front and back follow each other.


Therefore the sage abides in the condition of wu-wei
(unattached action).
And carries out the wordless teaching.
Here, the myriad things are made, yet not separated.


Therefore the sage produces without posessing,
Acts without expectations
And accomplishes without abiding in her
accomplishments.


It is precisely because she does not abide in them
That they never leave her.




  Any thoughts on this?  Chapter 1 is particularly confusing to me, probably because the idea is so foreign to me.  What divine entity that we are seeking can never be found or named because whatever our idea of what the divine nature is is so narrowly defined that it can't possibly be what we're seeking.  To speak in terms that I'm familiar with, God is so vast, so immense, so all consuming that we, as human beings with limited universal knowledge, can't possibly even begin to paint a picture of what He is.  We, because it is in our nature, attempt to draw a picture of what God/the Divine is, giving Him hair, feet, feelings, actions, reactions, all based on what we know, and we convince ourselves that surely this is who God is.  Oh how mistaken we are.  Does this mean that it is wrong of us to do so?  I think that "wrong" is relative.  It is in our nature to want to know and define.  What the Tao Te Ching is pointing out, however, is that whatever formulations and manifestations that we come up with aren't necessarily wrong, just not the whole picture.  It would be like saying that you know the oceans because you've dipped your toes in a creek that feeds to a stream that empties into a river that flows to a gulf that opens to the ocean.  We should focus more on taking in and observing all of life's mysteries, accepting that everything around us and beyond is all part of the divine, the higher power.


I love the message of Chapter 2.  We are all quick to point out what is beautiful, we all agree, for the most part, on what is beautiful.  The problem, the ugliness, in this is that things are so much more deep than being "beautiful" or "good."  When we label an object or an abstract, we miss everything else about it, all the subtitles that lie outside our narrowly defined box.  Our world is made up of more than just dualities, in fact, as the text illustrates, the dualities that exist in our world rely on each other for existence and validation.  The enlightened are able to learn all the subtle details in the world and universe without confining them to a human definition.  This is true knowledge.


To me, the concepts held within this text are so simplistic in nature yet their underlying meanings hold so much more knowledge than one can obtain at first glance.  The idea of getting away from labeling things and abstracts is such a foreign one, especially since it is within our very nature and habit to do so.  But imagine the wealth of knowledge and information that you can open yourself up to if you just do away with the constraints of the labels of things.  How wonderful a journey life could be if we could break free from our small, narrowly focused tendencies.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Tiramisu Me, Baby, One More Time

I'm not going to lie, people usually devour my tiramisu, leaving no scraps or streaks of the delicious concoction left to be had.  They compliment my supreme talents profusely & beg and plead for the recipe (obviously something this good has to be a family secret, right?  Yes, a family secret from a German/Scandinavian/Vietnamese family, that's it.)  You too can make this mana from Heaven because I'm going to let you in on a little secret:  I just follow the recipe on the Bel Gioioso marscapone cheese (8 oz) package.  It's super easy, impressive and so tasty that you'll be the hit of any occasion.  Do I feel shameful for taking the credit for a readily available recipe that has probably been recreated by thousands of people?  Heck no!  Of course I put my own little spin on it to make it my own, French pressing the espresso and substituting amaretto for the brandy.  Seriously, this is a great basic recipe for quick and delectable tiramisu.  Give it a try & you'll never be able to say that you don't have time to whip up a homemade dessert.

Tiramisu

3 large eggs, separated
1 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled (I put about 1/3 cup of espresso grounds to 1 cup of hot water and brew it in my French press which essentially steeps the coffee, resulting in a stronger flavor)
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 T cognac or brandy (any liqueur will do.  I've used amaretto, cointreau, coffee liqueur, chambord, etc)
8 oz. Bel Gioioso marscapone cheese
1 pkg. lady fingers (about 20 cookies, give or take) Note: you could substitute the lady fingers for amaretti cookies if you're using amaretto liqueur and want more almond flavor
natural cocoa for dusting

Mix together the egg yolks, 1T cooled espresso, granulated sugar and liqueur of your choice.  Beat 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is incorporated into the liquid, resulting in a smooth mixture.  Add the marscapone cheese and beat until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the wire wisk attachment, combine egg whites and a pinch of sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the marscapone mixture, gently folding it to lighten the rich marscapone mixture.  Fold in the rest of the egg whites until incorporated.  Be careful not to over mix the mixture.  You want it to be light and fluffy.

Carefully dip each side of the ladyfinger (or amaretti cookie) into the remaining cooled espresso and make a layer along the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish (I use glass because it makes a good presentation).  Spread 1/2 of the marscapone mixture over the cookies and then sprinkle with cocoa.  Repeat another time, finishing with the cocoa layer.  If your dish isn't big enough for 2 layers, 1 layer is just find.  Work with what you've got.  Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours (overnight is better), allowing time for the flavors to incorporate.  Serve chilled.

Monday, May 2, 2011

How Many is That in Dog Years?

This year I was feeling particularly geeky & decided to give my dogs a little birthday treat.  For the record, Coco (the one on the right) and I share a birthday, which is how I remember every year.  Unfortunately Lady (dog on the left) doesn't share a birthday with anyone I know, so I always forget.  We end up celebrating both their birthdays on the same day.  I couldn't resist sharing their official birthday photo.  Enjoy!


Sunday, May 1, 2011

Take That, Poached Egg

I remember watching "Julie & Julia," the scene where Julie, the main character, attempts to poach an egg.  She, being such a neurotic character anyways, spazzes out about the whole process & after one failed attempt, produces a beautifully sculpted poach egg which she devours despite a lifelong hatred of eggs.  In preparation of a Mother's Day brunch that I'm putting together with my sister for the coming weekend, I decided it was time to master the art of egg poaching...how hard could it be?

Well, pretty darn messy sums it up nicely.  I, being the geek that I am, researched the heck out of egg poaching.  I Googled, I YouTubed, I consulted FoodNetwork.com, MarthaStweart.com, and even Allrecipes.com.  I poured over the poaching techniques in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, reading and rereading it to make sure that the steps were burned into my brain.  I went out and bought some new, organic eggs because apparently old eggs do not congeal enough to poach.  I followed the steps, heated up the water to a simmer but decided to forgo the vinegar part, since it seems like there are two schools of thought regarding the use of white vinegar in poaching an egg-well that & I forgot to pick up the white vinegar when I went grocery shopping.

I carefully cracked the egg and watched it ker-splash into the swirling vat of simmering water (a drop of water even hit me square in the forehead...or was it egg white?  I'm not quite sure) & then disaster struck hard.  Have you ever ordered egg drop soup from a Chinese restaurant?  The egg is thin & wispy, permeating the soup and making a really cool suspended design.  That's what I got...actually, the egg yolk shot off in one direction, and the white swirled and dissipated into the simmering water.  Well crap.  I thought that maybe I didn't let the water simmer enough or that maybe I didn't swirl enough, so I cleaned out the saucepan and went for a take two.  This time it was even worse, if that's even possible.  The white didn't even attempt to surround the yolk...I think I was a little vigorous in my swirling technique.

When all else fails and all other resources have been exhausted, ask Mom.  Even though she doesn't cook nearly as much as she used to, my mother definitely knows her way around a kitchen.  I asked my mom if she had ever poached an egg & she looked frankly insulted, like I questioned her ability to tie her shoes or feed herself-I took that as a yes.  She is of the vinegar school of thought-note to self, vinegar=good-and she got her saucepan ready with a little water & a dash of vinegar.  Let the simmering being.  After a few jokes between my dad and me about how the slotted spoon looked like a kitty litter scooper & Lord only knows what's still stuck on it, the water had reached a perfect simmer & it was go time.  My mom did the honor of cracking the egg into the water.  It immediately sank  to the bottom of the pot like my two failed attempts had (Oh great, there goes another egg).  Oh and a little noteworthy tip, there was no swirling involved in the making of this poached egg.  So the egg sank to the bottom & the whites started to spread.  I was instructed to carefully fold the white back over the yolk in order to cover it, like a blanket.  Then we simply waited for 4 minutes and retrieved the egg from the water and slid it onto a waiting plate.  A little salt & pepper later and the finished product was ready to go.  Yum with a capital Y!  I hope my husband likes eggs, 'cause I can't wait to try it on my own.


Poached Egg Technique

Bring 2 inches of water and 2 tsp. white vinegar to a simmer (not a boil, it's much to harsh for the egg and will tear it apart, not allowing the white to congeal properly) in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Once it reaches a simmer, crack a fresh egg into the water (a fresh egg white will be gel-like, an old egg white will be watery and will not congeal properly).  Immediately fold the egg white over the yolk to envelop it, taking care to keep the yolk intact.  Cook for 4 minutes, until the white has set and the yolk remains liquidy.  Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drip from the egg.  Salt and pepper to taste & devour warm.  I've been told that you can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them for a few days.  When you're ready to serve them, bring a few inches of water to a simmer & heat the eggs in the water for 2-3 minutes.

Note:  I've read that you're supposed to put the poached egg in an ice water bath once you've cooked it in order to rinse off any vinegar that remains and to stop the cooking process.  However, I did not find the vinegar taste to be overwhelming or adversely affecting the finished product, so I skipped the step.  You may or may not find otherwise.