Friday, September 10, 2010

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day 
~ Alan Jackson 


May We NEVER Forget! 

Poached Figs Stuffed with Walnuts and Clotted Cream

Now is the time for walnuts - what a sight!

  I confess I have been having a perfect figgy fest but here we are with my third and final fig recipe: today I am going to explain an authenticTurkish fig dessert, İncir Tatlısı, which is a complete classic at this time of the year. It is sweet and sticky and really fingerlickin' good. Not only does it look great, especially if you are careful with presentation ie wipe off any excess syrup with a piece of kitchen paper, but it's quick and easy- all you need is some dried figs and some walnuts and you are more than halfway there. I looked at several recipes and in the end preferred this one from Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen http://www.turkishkitchen.org/. The actual book is now out of print, more's the pity, as it is a little gem.



 Ingredients

Serves 6

Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 10 minutes

500g/ 1 lb Turkish dried figs
2 tbsps sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
50g / 2oz shelled walnuts
kaymak/clotted cream

soaking

Method

  • Place figs in hot water to soak for 1hr and then gently simmer in the  same water until soft. Don't overdo it: they shouldn't be mushy. 
  • Drain and pass the cooking liquid through a sieve into another pan. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the cooking liquid.
  • Continue cooking gently to create a concentrated fig syrup.

  • Set aside to cool.
simmering
slitting


  • When cool enough to handle, gently split open the figs with a sharp knife.
  • Gently spoon in some kaymak and pop in a walnut.      
  • Serve drizzled with the fig syrup.
Arranging the stuffed figs on the serving dish
       
 Tips
  • Now I realise that kaymak  (pron: ky-muk) may be a mystery ingredient to many of you: you will faint when I tell you what it is! Buffalo cream! Yes! Really! It is sold in rulo/ rolls in small plastic containers from pudding shops or delicatessens, well-stocked supermarkets but not with the regular cream and milk. 

  • A word about dairy products while I am at it:  don't waste your time looking for creme fraiche, double or whipping cream, sour milk, or buttermilk as they don't exist here per se. But I substitute with either yogurt and/or the basic cream which comes in a little packet from the supermarket.This latter cream can whip up quite nicely on a good day. Sometimes when it is misbehaving, I add some of the powdered  krem şanti/creme chantilly, perhaps adding some milk too, depending on how thick it is, and the blend produces a delightful cream of the right consistency with a slightly sweet taste.
  • When I was doing this recipe, I realised that the syrup wasn't going to be as syrupy as I would like. Of course the answer lies in adding more sugar to the cooking liquid in step 2 above. I used 3 tbsp and probably next time, it will be 4!

Seasonal Change

Hi everyone, I thought I would take a break from Gracie and show you some small changes I made for fall. Fall is a great time of year, you can sit out without being burned up or frozen. Depending on where you live you can feel a pleasant nip in the air at night. Fall colors are not usually in my palette, but I make small changes for the season. I find its cheaper to make small changes, and it does have more of an impact than you might think. First change dining room, all I did was get a black urn I already had (I know its not white, I don't paint everything white), rolled up some paper (in this case a clearance calender from Anthropologie I bought years ago, because the pages had an old parchment quality), threw in some pheasant feathers (I did have to buy them, but they weren't much), and a vintage paint brush I had around the house. Wa La... a cheap and cheerful center piece.


Here is a no money change, some lavender (ok I know everyone has potpourri, or can get some cheap, I had this in a baggy doing nothing), Pour it in these apothecary jar I had (try a glass bowl, or silver platter), and added some watch faces. Quick and easy....
My favorite crown in some river rocks (I usually use the rocks to put around orchids), some old hardware I picked up a long time ago, in a silver bowl I had in the china cabinet. Fall for no money......

This one is another freebie and only took 2 minutes, I took this piece (my favorite) off a bookcase shelf and put it on the coffee table.
Some more pics of this wonderful piece...

Look around, you may have a piece if you look at it a little different may make the perfect seasonal change. After all why should the big designer stores get your money, you use whatever you buy from them for a month, maybe two, then toss it or have to find a place to store it. I hope this inspired some of you. Now back to Gracie, I hear her now........COMING GRACIE (she sure is a taskmaster!!!)
(No I don't hear voices, just kidding LOL!!!)
See everyone next time.......

Lamb Stew with Onion and Egg from Abruzzo

    
To be the American in Abruzzo is to be exposed.  Stone hewed hill towns perch isolated over open plains.  Wide open expanses allowing the Apennine mountain air to crisp and crackle, whether in the sound of a stone underneath on a cobble walk or a rustling grass carpeting the distance.  Traveling to this rural region of Italy in the mountains east of Rome you can find a small room in an ancient castle town, or a secret bend in the river in a national park, but you cannot hide.  At some point, you must come out into the sparseness, the loneliness that pervades a stark and rustic existence.  
     
Similarly, you cannot hide when you cook.  The food will always reveal whether you used the freshest ingredients, the proper techniques or are trying to hide behind presentation or distraction.  Abrezzesse food is simple and hearty, but more importantly it is pure, wholly reflecting the ingredients.  No butter and cheese dolloped in, no truffles sprinkled, no fried breading coated, just wild game of the countryside, cooked in wine of the hillside, with herbs of the mountainside.  These are the feelings and images that resonate as the air turns cool and the dry fall winds start to blow.  Try this recipe to fortify yourself against the coming chill.  Serves 2.
    
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 strips of bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1/4 dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup flour
1 lb lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt/pepper
      
Directions:
In a heavy dutch oven or other enameled cast iron pot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion and bacon 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and herbs and cook a further minute. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and dredge through the flour.  Add to the pot and brown on all sides.  Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the wine, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pot to deglaze.  When the wine is simmering, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Turn down the heat and cover, continuing to simmer for up to an hour.  Remove the lamb and onion mixture to a bowl, retaining the liquid in the pot.  Whisk in the egg and lemon juice and heat without allowing to boil.  Return the lamb mixture to the pot and stir to coat.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Plate the lamb stew and sprinkle with parsley if desired.  
    

raya tak pernah se-simple ini

salam. hye hye! so camne 1st day raye? ngee. mine was ok la. i mean, i da 21. n this is my simplest eid. based on preparations, celebrations, moods. what was i expecting? cousins are growing up, and, situations changes. it's ok. i still got a chance to be here, with beloved fmly. alhamdulilah ;)

i slept at 5 yesterday, woke up at almost 7am. oh god, mandi! sejukkk. breakfast with some ketupat + rendang. ke masjid. solat sunat hari raya. it was great!


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mama abah depan masjid. sweet. love u both so much!

we were home around 930 am. final packing, and, salam sessions! ok, and a lil bit of pictures, duit raya. yeayyy. seriously thank u mama abah sbb still kasi duit raya. malu sgt + happy sgt!

around 1030am, bergerak! yeah yeah. to kuantan, and straight to terengganu. jmpa fmly mama ngah + fmly teh + fmly auntie di sane. singgah 2 buah rumah di kemaman, and here we are, at Batu Burok, Kuala Terengganu. gonna stay here about 2 days!

esok akan serang rumah sedara-sedara di Padang Midin. mcm MYDIN kan? huhu.

btw, seriously cousins -- akma & ayih. thank you utk duit raye tu!!! seriously terharu. sobb2. walaupun korang ckp tammo kasi, tp korang kasi. itu duit raye 1st dr korang :') kak lin & mama ngah -- thank u sbb kasi lg! waaaa. tak kisah pun berapa tp tak sangka dpt lg. HAPPY!

oklah, semua dah tidur sbb penat, so see u guys later on. goodnite!


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have a blessed raya! ;)