Monday, March 21, 2011

GURDANI (Also Known As Chikki)

Ingredients:
Sugar : 1 cup
Oil: 1 tsp
Roasted Gram Dal (Putani/Bhugra, the same dal used in chutneys in S.India): 2 cups

Procedure:
1. Heat a pan and add the sugar. Also add 1/2 tsp oil and keep stirring first on high flame, then when it starts to melt, on low flame, until all sugar melts and the lumps disappear. Take care not to over-brown or burn the caramel. As soon as the lumps melt, add the dal and stir quickly until the caramel & dal are well-mixed.

2. Immediately transfer onto clean kitchen platform and beat with the palms to spread the lump.


Then use rolling pin to roll out the lump into a large thin (1 cm thickness) circle, at the same time, shaping the chikki into a neat circle by pushing towards inside at the edges. This process has to be done quickly, or the caramel will harden & the lump will not roll out anymore.

This stage requires practise & you can do that by making small quantities.
Once the chikki is rolled out, run a knife through the chikki as you wish, as squares or quarters. Then break it carefully at the knife marks.
Store in polythene bags.
Using Puffed Rice:
Ingredients:
Sugar: 1 cup
Puffed Rice: 4 cups
Oil: 2 tsp
Method:
1. Again, like we made as above, heat a pan, add sugar & mix until it melts into caramel like shown below. Do not burn it anymore than this.
2. Then add the puffed rice and mix briskly & quickly then shift it onto the kitchen platform.
3. Using a flat bowl as shown in the pic below, spread the lump as thin as u can quickly, and then resume rolling it out with a rolling pin, until it becomes a circle of 1.5 cm thickness.

4. Make marks with a knife and break the circle at the knife cuts.
Store in a polythene bag.
Note: You can make a chikki from other things such as cashew nuts, dried coconut, pistachios, groundnuts etc.

AWARD - 11




Akilandeswari - ( Learning to Cook ) has given this award of participation.

Thanks Akila
for hosting such wonderful events.

Wish you all the very best.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE - 10


Charitha - Womens Era 2008 has given me this award.

Thank you so much Charitha for honouring me with this special award.


Wish you all the very best !

Make your own flavoured butter



Herb butters are the best standbys for a busy weeknight, I feel. And these two weeks, I am going to be very busy, so I bought yet another block of butter (kerrygold's on offer anyway!) to set about making a few different flavours so I can just pop them into or on top of my baked/steamed/pan-fried vegetables/fish/meat<-- yes that's just how useful they are, and not to mention, easy. You can use any combination of herbs you want, or in my case, need to use up.

Garlic and Herb (Parsley) Butter
makes 1 little log
Ingredients
1/4 block of butter
2-3 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley (leaves only)
1 clove garlic, finely grated
sea salt, to taste (if using unsalted butter)

Method
1. Leave the butter out till it softens.

see how yellow grassfed butter is?

2. Mix in the chopped herbs, garlic and sea salt.


3. Scoop onto clingfilm and then wrap the clingfilm around the butter mixture. Roll (the way you roll play-doh!) gently till you get a little log, then twist to seal the edges.


4. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, or till it hardens.

Just slice into coins as and when you need them!


This was a quick dinner:


Pan-fried Mackerel with Garlic and Parsley Butter
serves 1
1 mackerel fillet
sea salt, black pepper (to taste)
2-3 'coins' of flavoured butter (above)
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Score the mackerel skin, you can slash or do criss-crosses , it just helps to keep it from curling up. Season on both sides.
3. Place the mackerel skin side down on a pan over medium high heat for about 10 min (could be a bit less even, depend how thick your fillet is. Just watch the colour change. It's easy though, no work. You shouldn't try to keep poking it).
4. When almost done, add one coin of butter to the pan and swirl about the edges of the mackerel, to help the skin caramelise and crisp up more.
5. Serve with more coins of herb butter and simply cooked greens. (you can drop coins of flavoured butter into the greens too hehe. never too much eh?)

The flavour of the garlic and parsely, and most importantly, that creamy nutty butter, just melts into the "boring old pan-fried fish", making for a quick yummy dinner!

DUDHI (bottlegourd) CURRY



Ingredients:
Dudhi .................. Cut into pieces
Tomato ............... 1 big cut into pieces
Ginger-garlic paste... 1 tbsp.
Gram flour ................. 1 tbsp.
Red chilli powder .......1 tsp.
Turmeric powder ..... 1/4 tsp.
Coriander powder ..... 1 tsp.
Cumin powder ............ 1 tsp.
Oil .................................. 2tbsp.
Salt to taste

For tempering:
Cumin seeds ..................... 1tsp.
Curry leaves .................... 7-8
Asafoetida ......................... a pinch

Method:
1. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a pan and saute ginger-garlic paste.
2. Add the tomato and stir fry.
3. Now add the dudhi pieces, salt and the dry masalas and saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add little water and let it simmer till done.
5. Meanwhile, fry the gram flour in 1 tbsp. of oil till golden brown (till you get the aroma),add 1/4 cup of water.Keep stirring to avoid lumps and add this to the curry.
6. Add the tempering.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Oh Yeah, This Is Going Well

Wow.
President Barack Obama, speaking in Santiago, Chile on Monday, defended his decision to order U.S. strikes against Libyan military targets, and insisted that the mission is clear.

And like a parade of Pentagon officials the past few days, Obama insisted that the United States' lead military role will be turned over—"in days, not weeks"—to an international command of which the United States will be just one part.

The only problem: None of the countries in the international coalition can yet agree on to whom or how the United States should hand off responsibilities.
It's like watching Barack Obama take Geopolitics 101 in real time. Dude, there's a midterm tomorrow. Have you studied?

Soto Semarangan


Entah kenapa sudah beberapa hari ini setiap weekend selalu bikin masakan any kind of stew.... enyak dan seger nah weekend kemarin kepingin makan soto bening semarangan dan seperti biasanya senang makan soto campur trus tanpa kol dan lauknya hanya tempe goreng yang baru aja diangkat dari penggorengan hmmmm tambah nikmat.

Setiap pulang ke Semarang pasti sering cari soto ini tapi carinya bukannya di restoran di jalan Bangkong ya....mahal .....hehehehheehe seringnya beli di depan pasar tradisional "Pasar Candi" dan terakhir ini beli di depan kantor pos baru dekat daerah kerinci tidak jauh dari pasar juga sih.

Menu sederhana yang kusuka adalah soto campur nasi langsung trus pakai tempe goreng hmmmm nikmat tambahin sambal sedikit pasti "gembrobyoss".

Tak percaya ? cobain aja yah.....

Soto Semarang
By. Nilam Sari

Bahan :
1/2 Ekor ayam - ukurannya cari yang besar ya
2 lt air

Bumbu halus :
10 bawang merah
4 bawang putih
sepotong kunyit
1sdt ketumbar
1/2 sdt merica
pala secukupnya
garam

sepotong jahe - geprek
sepotong lengkuas - geprek
10 lembar daun jeruk
Serai - geprek

Daun bawang seledri secukupnya

Pelengkap:
Bawang goreng
Tauge
Soun
Tempe goreng / sate telur puyuh

Cara membuat:
1. Rebus ayam hingga matang
2. Tumis bumbu halus hingga harum lalu masukan bumbu - bumbu lainnya lalu masukan ke kuah ayam masak hingga matang.

Penyajian :
Dalam mangkok taruh sedikit nasi, beri soun, tauge, ayam, bawang goreng, kuah soto dan beri pelengkap.

Things That Make Me Smile

Here is an explanation of this series of posts.

The surf hitting pier pilings.

Too Much is Never Enough


Henry has said for years that he isn't afraid I will spend all of our hard-earned money.  Nope, he is more concerned that I will give it away.  He's probably right.  You are unlikely to spot me at the mall buying shoes, clothes or jewelry (of course, that shows in the way I dress) but I'm a soft touch when someone is hungry or in need.  In my next life, I hope I get to be one of those "Secret Millionaires" who pretend they are just like the rest of us, then give much-needed funds to deserving individuals and organizations, amidst flowing tears, screams of disbelief and hugs.

Since I am in this life however, I fulfill those urges by pulling a complete overload when someone asks me to bring food to a potluck dinner or bake a birthday cake.  What, a simple birthday cake?  As I have posted several times (most recently a week or so ago), if one cake is good, then three are better!

I held to that standard this past weekend when yet once again, I offered to bake a cake for a friend's birthday party.  Luckily for me, she loves cheesecake and as we all know, I AM THE CHEESECAKE QUEEN and I could bake them in my sleep.  Nonetheless, they are pretty spectacular looking and the best thing is that they require no frosting or complicated decorating.  No pastry bags needed!

You already have my basic cheesecake recipe (courtesy of Glenn Powell and Elise Griffin-Hughes) which calls for 3 pounds of cream cheese, 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 6 eggs and a 10 x 3-inch round (not springform) pan.  In case you missed it, here's the link:

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/11/wheres-my-tiara.html

For this latest birthday extravaganza, I made the Chocolate-Espresso Cheesecake as detailed in the above post.  It was yummy, but you already know this.


I also made the basic vanilla version (posted there as well).  For the crust, I pulverized about half a package of Vanilla Oreos and combined it with 4 tablespoons of melted butter (gotta love all that fat!)  I then topped the finished cake with sliced fresh strawberries, glazed with a little melted strawberry jelly. 


For the third version, I decided upon key lime.  The crust consisted of 7 oz. gingersnaps, ground with 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of lime zest, then combined with 4 tablespoons of melted butter.  I then placed the 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (as called for in the basic recipe - a little less if you want) in the food processor with 2 tablespoons of lime zest and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger.  This is what I used to add to the cream cheese in the electric mixer.  To the basic batter, I also added 1/2 cup of key lime juice and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

I will refrain from modesty and admit that all three of these cheesecakes were fabulous.  If you tried any one of them on its own, you might even venture so far as to say it was the best cheesecake you ever ate.  Sampled at the same time, however, the winner for the evening was the vanilla-strawberry version.  I'm convinced it had something to do with those Vanilla Oreos!

Go, Laura!  You're so special, you deserve 300 cakes!

Menu Plan Monday



Monday 
 L - Spinach salad and crackers 
 S - Hot dogs on the grill 
Tuesday 
 L - Spinach salad and veggie griller 
 S - Black Bean gluten steaks 
Wednesday 
 L - Spinach salad and crackers
Thursday 
 L  - Yogurt, granola and fruit 
 S - Mushroom salad and something with tofu
Friday 
 L -  Spinach Salad and chips 
 S - Haystacks (make your own taco salad) 
Sabbath 
L - Sandwiches 
S - Church function

Sunday 
L - Girls Brunch 
S - Rice and Veggies 
Other Items: Granola, and Irish brown soda bread 

Beard Handicapping 2011









March 21

The nominations for the James Beard Foundation Chef and Restaurant Awards were announced today.

So were nominations for cookbooks, journalism and broadcast media, but I don’t cover those and so I don’t care much.

Even the chef and restaurant awards are kind of, well, I mean it’s great for all the chefs and restaurateurs to come to New York and celebrate, and it’s even better that they get to publicize their nomination and maybe drum up more business, but so many nominees return each year that there are never any great surprises. These will be the 13th Beard Awards that I cover, and they have all started to blur together. 

Then again, why would there be surprises? The nominees tend to be talented chefs and restaurants that many people in their communities love, which is why they get nominated.

So I’m not saying that the awards necessarily need to be done differently. They are what they are; winners should use them for whatever they’re worth and those who don’t win shouldn’t take them too seriously.

This will be my fifth year predicting the winners, and I must say that I’m getting better at it. I guessed seven out 19 winners my first two years, then I bumped it up to eight, and last year I guessed nine winners. That’s practically half, almost.

My approach to these predictions is based on the idea that these awards don’t go to the best chef — I mean, “best chef”? What does that even mean?

They tend to go to those whose names are most easily recognized by the judges, who are food writers and past winners.

My predictions do not in anyway indicate who I would like to win. For the sake of propriety, I will keep that to myself.

And now onto my predictions.

Rising Star Chef of the Year:
I think Christina Tosi will benefit from the name of Momofuku, which introduced Asian food to many New Yorkers who had, it seemed, not bothered to walk a mile south of the East Village to Chinatown or two miles northwest to Koreatown.

Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, Calif.
Thomas McNaughton, flour + water, San Francisco
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore.
Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans

Best New Restaurant:
Torrisi’s the darling of New York gastroscenti at the moment, and although it’s possible that it and ABC Kitchen will split the New York vote and the award will go to Benu, whose chef Corey Lee won the Rising Star award a few years ago and who still shines in the glory of the Thomas Keller empire as The French Laundry’s former chef, I don’t think it will.

ABC Kitchen, New York City
Benu, San Francisco
Girl & the Goat, Chicago
Menton, Boston
Torrisi Italian Specialties, New York City

Outstanding Restaurateur:
The judges, feeling bad that they dissed Jean-Georges Vongerichten by not voting for his ABC Kitchen as best new restaurant, will give this award to his business partner, Phil Suarez.

Bruce Bromberg and Eric Bromberg, Blue Ribbon Restaurants, New York City
Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Restaurants, Seattle
Pat Kuleto, Pat Kuleto Restaurant Development & Management Company, San Francisco
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Chicago
Phil Suarez, Suarez Restaurant Grou, New York City


Outstanding Restaurant:
This one’s always a crap shoot, but if in doubt, pick the restaurant with the most famous owner. That would be Danny Meyer of Eleven Madison Park.

Blue Hill, New York City
Boulevard, San Francisco
Eleven Madison Park, New York City
Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Ala.
Vetri, Philadelphia


Outstanding Chef:
Paul Kahan is new to this category, and it usually takes a few years for a chef to win. Everyone loves José Andrés, but we’re in kind of a post-molecular gastronomy mood at the moment. I think this one’s a toss-up between Gary Danko and Suzanne Goin. I think I’ll pick the one with the homier reputation.

José Andrés, mini bar by José Andrés, Washington, D.C.
Gary Danko, Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco
Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles
Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago
Charles Phan, The Slanted Door, San Francisco 

Outstanding Pastry Chef:
Can Eleven Madison Park possibly win two awards? Well, yes, it can, but Mindy Segal’s the only chef in this category who also was nominated last year. I think that’s a sign

Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Café, Boston
Patrick Fahy, Blackbird, Chicago
Dahlia Narvaez, Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles
Angela Pinkerton, Eleven Madison Park, New York City
Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar, Chicago

Outstanding Service:
Emeril’s famous, but in my world I think Thomas Keller’s even more so.

Canlis, Seattle
Emeril’s, New Orleans
La Grenouille, New York City
Per Se,  New York City
Topolobampo, Chicago

Outstanding Wine Service:
San Francisco’s got to win something big, and Bay Area judges are used to voting for A16, whose Nate Appleman was named Rising Star Chef a couple of years ago. Appleman’s consulting for Chipotle now, but that’s his journey, not A16’s.

A16, San Francisco, Shelley Lindgren
Blackberry Farm Walland, Tenn., Andy Chabot
Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, Colo. Bobby Stuckey
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas Robert Smith
The Modern, New York City, Belinda Chang

Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional:
So many ways to go with this one. The Beard Foundation is trying to shake its New York-centric reputation. In fact, it announced the list of nominees at a press conference in Portland, Ore., this year. It was a classy move, but still, if you wonder which city is going to take an award, it’s probably going to be New York.

Sam Calagione, Dogfish head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.
Merry Edwards, Merry Edwards Winery, Sebastopol, Calif.
Paul Grieco, Hearth and Terroir, New York City
Rajat Parr, Mina Group, San Francisco
Julian P. Van Winkle III, Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Louisville, Ky.

Best Chef: Great Lakes:
Perennial favorites like Zingerman’s tend to linger as nominees, but they don’t win very often. I’m going to guess that Chicago will follow the lead of their new Michelin guide, which gave two stars to Avenues.

Michael Carlson, Schwa, Chicago
Curtis Duffy, Avenues, at the Peninsula, chicago
Bruce Sherman, North Pond, Chicago
Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs, Ill.
Alex Young, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic:
You know what? Philadelphia’s a really great food city.

Cathal Armstrong, Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, Va.
Johnny Monis, Komi, Washington, D.C.
Peter Pastan, Obellisk, Washington, D.C.
Maricel Presilla, Cucharamama, Hoboken, N.J.
Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia

Best Chef: Midwest:
I think the Midwesterners are going to vote classically this year, and that means a vote for L’Etoile.

Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee
Isaac Becker, 112 Eatery, Minneapolis
Colby Garrelts, Bluestem, Kansas City, Mo.
Tory Miller, L’Etoile, Madison, Wis.
Lenny Russo, Heartland, St. Paul, Minn

Best Chef: New York City
New York has an incredibly dynamic restaurant scene, and yet April Bloomfield’s the only newcomer on this list. With all due respect to the very deserving nominees here, that says something bad about something, but I’m not sure what.
That said, as much as food writers love April Bloomfield, I think they like Michael White even more.

Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern
April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig
Wylie Dufresne, WD-50
Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune
Michael White, Marea

Best Chef: Northeast:
Tony Maws is the only returning nominee on this list and so I’ll follow the same logic I did picking outstanding pastry chef.

Tim Cushman, o ya, Boston
Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland, Maine.
Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold, N.Y.
Matt Jennings, La Laiterie, Providence, R.I.
Tony Maws, Craigie on Main, Cambridge, Mass.
Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, Vt.

Best Chef: Northwest:
This list shows me that I need to get to the Pacific Northwest more often, because I am, quite frankly, at a loss as to who to predict. But I have to pick someone, so, congratulations in advance to Cathy Whims.

Matt Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Seattle
Christopher Israel, Grüner, Portland, Ore.
Andy Ricker, Pok Pok, Portland, Ore.
Ethan Stowell, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Seattle
Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Portland, Ore.

Best Chef: Pacific:
I’ve heard many good things about Daniel Patterson, and that means that judges in the Bay Area have, too.

Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles
Christopher Kostow, The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.
Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francico
Richard Reddington, Redd, Yountville, Calif.
Michael Tusk, Quince, San Francisco

Best Chef: South:
The Brennans are possibly the most respected restaurant family in the entire country, and this list indicates that New Orleans still is enjoying a post-Katrina bump. 

Zach Bell, Café Boulud, Palm Beach, Fla.
John Harris, Lilette, New Orleans
Christopher Hastings, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, Ala.
Tory McPhail, Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast:
Bigger cities have more judges.

Hugh Acheson, Five and Ten, Athens, Ga.
Craig Deihl, Cypress, Charleston, S.C.
John Fleer, Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley, Cashiers, N.C.
Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta
Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, Ky.
Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Best Chef: Southwest:
Remember what I said about the Southeast? It’s true of the Southwest, too.

Bruce Auden, Biga on the Banks, San Antonio, Texas
Bryan Caswell, Reef, Houston
Saipin Chutima, Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas
Tyson Cole, Uchi, Austin, Texas
Ryan Hardy, Montagne at the Little Nell, Aspen, Colo.

And that concludes my predictions. 

Please feel free to share your own observations in the comment section below.

Thank You DIY Cards

I have a few thank you cards I need to send out after all the birthday cards I received in the mail. I set my station up outside today because it was too gorgeous to be inside.


I spent an hour re-organizing my entire stash just to get it all out again and make a huge mess. Its a vicious cycle. Anyway, here are a few cards I made today. It felt so good to get back into crafting..I've been out for about a month. 




I really love how most of them came out...the circle cards are really fun to work with.


Food Writer’s Diary readers vote differently from Beard Foundation judges

March 21

As you would expect, readers of this blog had a different notion of who should be Rising Star Chef of the year, an award the James Beard Foundation gives to chefs aged 30 or younger who show promise.
Of the five nominees, who were named today, only one, Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City, also was in the top five voted on by this blog’s readers from among the long list of Beard Foundation semifinalists for the award.

Not a whole lot of people participated in the vote, just 49, apparently many of them from the Twin Cities.
I’ll post the results below, and also point out that I have a new poll up with the finalists for Best New Restaurant on the right.

Vote away (write in your own candidate in the comments section below)!

MY CHOICE FOR RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR IS:


Sameh Wadi, Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Minneapolis — 10
Christina Tosi, Momofuku Milk Bar, New York City — 6
Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland — 5
Kevin Gillespie, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta — 4
Nicholas Stefanelli, Bibiana, Washington, D.C. — 4
Anthony Martin, Tru, Chicago — 3
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans — 3
Andrew Ashmore, The Greene House, Scottsdale, Ariz. — 2
Clayton Chapman, The Grey Plume, Omaha, Neb. — 2
Sheldon Simeon, Star Noodle, Lahaina, Hawaii — 2
Benjamin Bailly, Fraîche, Culver City, Calif. — 1
Eric Gabrynowicz, Restaurant North, Armonk, N.Y. — 1
Will Gilson, Garden at the Cellar, Cambridge, Mass. — 1
Greg LaPrad, Quiessence, Phoenix — 1
Matt Lightner, Castagna, Portland, Ore. — 1
Jesse Schenker, Recette, New York City — 1
Bjorn Somlo, Nudel, Lenox, Mass. — 1
Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, Wash. — 1
Justin Aprahamian, Sanford, Milwaukee — 0
Sean Baker, Gather, Berkeley, Calif. — 0
Sean Ehland, Kaya, Pittsburgh — 0
Sam Gorenstein, BLT Steak, Miami Beach, Fla. — 0
Perry Hoffman, étoile, Yountville, Calif. — 0
Casey Lane, The Tasting Kitchen, Venice, Calif. — 0
Aaron London, Ubuntu, Napa, Calif. — 0
Thomas McNaughton, flour + water, San Francisco — 0
Paul Qui, Uchiko, Austin, Texas — 0
Dan Richer, Arturo's, Maplewood, N.J. — 0
Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore. — 0
Lee Styer, Fond, Philadelphia — 0
Michael Toscano, Manzo, New York City — 0
Total votes: 49

Open Ended

Defined:
(A)dministration officials and military leaders came under a barrage of questions — raised by members of Congress, outside experts and reporters — about the parameters of U.S. participation and the operation’s goals, especially if Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi does not capitulate.

“There have been lots of options which have been discussed, but I think it’s very uncertain how this ends,” Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged on CBS’s “Face the Nation.’’

Mullen, who appeared on five television talk shows, was pressed repeatedly to define the mission and its objectives. “I think circumstances will drive where this goes in the future,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.’’

Pen-di-di-kan!

Kata orang pendidikan itu penting, apalagi kalau mau merubah keadaan yang buruk menjadi lebih baik. Tapi, kok mau mengecam bangku pendidikan saja, kok, susahnya naujubilah minzalik, alias susah teramat sangat nian dan sekali. Bayar sekolah mahal, beli buku mahal, biaya inui-itu mahal. Yang enggak mahal cuma berkhayal. Sayang, berkhayal tok enggak menghasilkan harga murah.

Beberapa bulan yang lalu, waktu ikutan nonton live di studio salah satu stasiun TV swasta yang memelihara burung elang, talk show paling yahut soal Indonesia dari berbagai sisi, aku menyaksikan orangtua seorang anak yang bunuh diri karena enggak bisa kembali bersekolah. Padahal hanya butuh 25.000 rupiah perbulannya, tapi untuk makan saja perut sering melilit. Hina dan caci dari teman-teman di bekas sekolahnya pun sudah diabaikan demi pen-di-di-kan.

Banyak juga kasus lain, anak-anak yang punya semangat tinggi dan berkehidupan dalam garis kemiskinan, sehabis sekolah kerja keras di jalanan demi mendapat uang untuk sekolah. Semakin hari semakin banyak, semakin susah mendapatkan uang. Makin banyak yang harus putus sekolah.

Belum lagi, sekolah negeri yang dibawahi pemerintah bukannya justru membantu rakyat malah justru menyengsarakan jua. Bagaimana tidak, bayaran dan iurannya juga sama mahal dengan swasta menengah, padahal fasilitas jauh lebih buruk. Guru-gurunya pun terkadang berbuat culas, dengan bermodal statement "ngajar atau enggak pun tetap digaji." Ya, bahkan saya mengalaminya sendiri ketika di SMA.

Sedangkan, cukup banyak sekolah swasta yang bisa memberikan keringanan buat mereka yang berada di garis kesulitan finansial. Sebenarnya, banyak juga sekolah negeri yang memberi keringanan namun tidak sebesar swasta. Umumnya hanya uang pangkal, namun iuran bulanannya tetap sama, berat. Pada hakikatnya, sekolah negeri adalah sekolah yang semestinya mensejahterakan rakyat.

Pendidikan yang lagi-lagi katanya penting, yang menjadi harapan tonggak perubahan bangsa di masa depan, kok kesannya eksklusif? Kemajuan zaman diingkari dengan keotoriteran para pengajar. Memang tidak semua, tapi mayoritas, menerapkan "guru selalu benar." Ada guru-guru yang tidak mau minta maaf pada muridnya ketika beliau bersalah. Ada guru-guru yang menghakimi muridnya tanpa memberikan kesempatan muridnya untuk memberi penjelasan. Ada yang tidak mau menerima masukkan dari siswa-siswinya.

Di balik sisi buruknya pendidikan di Indonesia, ada banyak juga sisi baiknya. Dimana ada guru-guru yang tak mengenal lelah meski daya dan upaya tidak membawakan kesejahteraan lahir. Menempuh jarak yang jauh, memiliki benda dan harta yang sedikit, meninggal rumah dalam terang bulan dan kembali bermandikan cahaya bulan lagi.

Masih ada guru-guru yang bersedia mengajarkan tak kenal waktu, tak pandang bulu, yang sabar dan bijak, yang ramah dan pengertian. Mereka berbagi, mereka bermimpi, menaruh harapan pada anak-anak berseragam, bukan materi jua bukan sanjung puji, sekedar senyum di akhir karir nanti. Memimpikan perubahan yang signifikan, yang sanggup menggetarkan jiwa berbalut raga, yang mampu mengobarkan merah putih bagai sayang garuda nan perkasa.

Tapi semua itu terkemas campur aduk. Sedang populasi generasi muda makin menggelegak, semangat mulai berkobaran, meski banyak jua yang tergilas dan terpadamkan paksa. Harta yang jadi buah bicara. Yang makmur makin sentausa, yang sengsara makin tersiksa. Adil itu bagai tertinggal di zaman yang jauuuuuuh sekali dari peradaban. Dijaga raksasa-raksasa liar yang membuatnya sulit terjamah kembali.

Pada siapa rakyat kecil mengadu? Pada siapa pemimpi-pemimpi besar menggantungkan tekadnya, pada siapa kami mengadu? Katanya kita demokrasi kerakyatan. Dimana rakyat hidup bekerja dan berbahagia bersama demi rakyat dan bersama rakyat. Nyatanya rakyat kan hanya wacana, yang ada korupsi, yang ada ketidakadilan, yang ada ketidaksejahteraan, yang ada manipulasi konspirasi. Hangus terbakar lara.

"Oh lihat ibu pertiwi, sedang bersusah hati. Air matanya berlinang, mas intan yang terkenang..." Penggalan lagu, menyampaikan pada kita, bukan hanya warga yang disebut sebagai warga negara Indonesia saja yang merintih dalam keterinjak-injakan, jua alam Nusantara yang terluka. Tertawalah, bercengkerama dengan keangkuhan sebagai petinggi yang memiliki pundi-pundi uang, kami berdoa adanya mukzizat yang rendah hati ingin menyapamu.

Tapi kini aku ragu, jikalau memang pendidikan itu penting, mengapa orang yang berpendidikan yang kini menjabat di pemerintahan dan departemen-departemen kenegaraan, pengusaha-pengusaha yang uangnya tak berbatas, justru tampil dan tampak bagai tak berpendidikan. Salah siapa? Apa artinya? Mereka bagai tuliiiiii! Mereka bagai bisuuuu! Mereka bagai bayangan-bayangan semu nan palsu. Mereka merusak citra yang mereka bangun sendiri. Mereka kah yang patut kami jadikan contoh untuk masa depan kami?

Tapi kami punya cita, sebagaimana yang tertera dalam panca sila, sebagaimana tersurat di lagu kebangsaan Indonesia Raya. Dan saya tidak akan berhenti bermimpi dan berusaha. Demi pendidikan, sesulit apapun ini, kuhadapi, kuperjuangkan. Dan kiranya perlu kami, aku, kita, membuktikan sendiri, apakah pendidikan sepenting itu?

Salam hangat,
Ketty Tressianah



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La Madeleine cakes

S.Kenney - La Madeleine cakes


With a daughter named Madeleine, you'd think I would have made these adorable cookies long ago.  It was actually for an event for my son that I tried them out for the first time.  I found a Madeleine cake mold and decided to buy it.  My son had one of his "Odyssey of the Mind" meetings so I thought this would be a nice treat for the group.  Don't worry.  My Madeleine, the newly turned 17 year old, had some put aside for her.

"Odyssey of the Mind" is a wonderful team-building group for teens.  My son enjoyed coming up with and building an invention with his group, pairing it with a skit that brought a character of a famous inventor and then competing against other teams from the Houston area.  Every single item involved in building their contraption and pairing it with their skit had to come from scraps that they found at home or in garages.  No adult intervention is allowed in giving technical or artistic advice.  It was a wonderful experience and as the team was working hard, it was probably nice to munch on dainty Madeleine cakes.



Pardon the little chick.  Isn't he adorable?  I just can't help adding him to some photos.  You'll be seeing him pop in and out as we near Easter.  Wouldn't he be so cute on top of cupcakes?  I just might try that.


S.Kenney - La Madeleine cakes


One thing that was allowed was bringing snacks to the kids.  I am good at that.  I was tickled to use this new "Madeleine"mold.  The cookies (or more like little cakes) were easy to make and had just the right touch of sweetness.  With Easter fast approaching, these would be so sweet to have on hand as Easter treats.

La Madeleine Cakes:






Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla and half of the milk until thick and light yellow. Add the flour and baking powder bit by bit and continue mixing until smooth. Stir in the rest of the milk and the melted butter.

Carefully grease your madeleine tray if necessary. Spoon about two tablespoons of batter into each mold. Bake for 15 minutes at 375°F. Cool on a rack.

Makes 24 madeleines.

You could flavor your madeleines with different things, perhaps orange or lemon zest. A dusting of powdered sugar would look nice as well.



GOBHI MATTAR SABJI


Ingredients:
Cauliflower ..... 1
Green peas ..... 1/2 cup
Capsicum ........ 1 cut into cubes.
Onion ............. 1 ( sliced)
Ginger garlic paste ... 1 tbsp.
Green chillies ........... 1-2
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp.
Coriander powder .... 1 tsp.
Cumin powder ......... 1 tsp.
Amchoor powder ...... 1/2 tsp.
Salt ........................... to taste
Oil.
Coriander leaves ..... to garnish

Method:
1. Wash and cut the cauliflower. Boil water, add salt and leave the cauliflower in the water for 10 minutes.
2.Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced onion and saute until pink in colour.Now add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies.
3. Add the cauliflower pieces and stir fry. Add salt and turmeric powder first. Sprinkle a little water and simmer till it is half done.
4. At this stage add in the capsicum and green peas. Also add the dry masala powders. Simmer on low flame sprinkling little water to cook.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.