Be My Guinea Pigs

I'm going to try something different today. Usually when I post a recipe, it's to brag about a meal I've already cooked. Today I'm going to post a recipe I have conceived but not tried, and challenge my readers to try the recipe, then comment here or email me and tell me how it turns out. Go on, I dare you.

I will give you this reassurance -- the recipe is based on other tried and true recipes, and was inspired by a successful spur-of-the-moment recipe I tried last night. So it's not completely out of left field.

I enjoy making stuffed meat dishes, and lately have become quite good at it. I also have a mean non-stuffed chicken dish based on Chicken Cordon Bleu.

So the other day as I was raiding the freezer for meat to thaw for the next few days' meals, and noticed a turkey breast right next to a package of Prosciutto, I had an idea. I stuffed the tuyrkey with the prosciutto and some Spanish cheese, and it came out delicious.

That got me to thinking of Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Parmesan and how they both have something to offer, and inspired the following idea for an upgraded Chicken Parmesan recipe:

Pollo farcito del parmigiano

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 slices prosciutto
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup crushed bread crumbs
1 cup and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 eggs
2 oz. fresh mozarella cheese
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp & 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp & 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 16 oz. can tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped onion
2-4 cloves minced garlic (to taste)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the tomato puree, chopped onion, minced garlic (to taste), basil, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer while making the chicken.

Prepare the stations for the outer coating. In a plate or wide shallow pan mix the flour with 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Crack the eggs into a wide bowl and whip the yolks into the whites. In another plate or wide shallow pan mix the bread crumbs with 1 cup grated parmesan, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper.

Slice the mozarella as thinly as possible. Butterfly the chicken breasts and lay them open on the cutting board. Lay two or three slices of mozarella on one half of each breast. Lay a slice of prosciutto on top of the mozarella so that only half of the prosciutto slice is on top of the mozarella, and the other half os on the cutting board. Rinse three or four large basil leaves for each breast. Lay the leaves on the half of the prosciutto slice that is on top of the mozarella, then fold the other half of the prosciutto over to cover the leaves. Lay down two ore three more slices of mozarella on top of the prosciutto, then close the chicken breast.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in an oven-safe sautee pan over medium heat. Carefully place each breast in turn in the dish containing the flour, then coat it thoroughly. Repeat the process in the egg and then the bread crumb/parmesan mix. Place the chicken breasts in the sautee pan and cook for about a minute per side, until the coating is a golden color. remove from the stovetop and place in the oven. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the breasts are just done.

Plate the chicken and cover with the red sauce. Garnish with more grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Side serving suggestions: Leftover red sauce can be used with a side of spaghetti. A light salad or sauteed green beans would go nicely. Serve with a dry white, soft red, or blush wine.

UPDATE (08 May, 2006):
I finally tried this myself. Based on my efforts, I'd recommend these changes to the recipe: leave the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder out of the dredge and the breading, and add some dried oregano and basil to the breading. Beyond that, it really was as delicious as I hoped it would be.

The Truth Hurts

Thanks for the Memory to Vulture Six.



Ouch.

Semper Fidelis

From the official U.S. Marine Corps website:

Semper Fidelis was adopted about 1883 as the motto of the Corps. Taken from Latin, it means "Alwas Faithful." But it is more than just a motto for Marines, it is a way of life. It is a commitment we all share to our country, to our Corps, and to each other. This is why there are no ex-Marines, only former Marines.

Thanks for the Memory to Trouble at Dubious Wonder.

If you're unclear on what that statement at the Corps website means, if you don't get it, if you want a glimpse of the kind of sacrifice and commitment and camaraderie that's embodied in the phrase "Semper Fidelis" (or "Semper Fi" for short), go read these twelve pages.

Done reading? Now do you get it?

It's all there: the faithfulness to their country even if it means dying (Lincoln's "final full measure of devotion); the faithfulness to each other even beyond that death ("Instead, he found himself faced with an assignment that starts with a long walk to a stranger's porch and an outstretched hand. It continues with a promise steeped in the history of the Corps that most people associate only with the battlefield: Never leave a Marine behind"). And it goes beyond that -- there's a faithfulness being displayed in these stories that is obvious, but that the USMC site modestly overlooks: The Marine Corps is, in return, faithful to its Marines, and to their families.

Semper Fidelis. Always faithful. Not just to each other, but to a country that sometimes repays that fidelity with scorn. That is why, when it comes to those in our military, this lifelong civilian has adopted for himsef a motto based on the Marine Corps motto: Semper Memoralis.

Always Grateful.

Quote of the Day

Thanks for the Memory to Anna at A Rose By any Other Name.

"People can be divided into two classes: those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire, why wasn't it done the other way?"

Oliver Wendell Holmes

"All Things Being Equal" Only Applies When All Things ARE Equal

Thanks for the Memory to Hans Gruber at Advocatus Diaboli.

On Monday, Steve Sailer wrote an excellent piece in rebuttal to an article in the New York Times regarding the impact of illegal immigration on wages in the US.

The article in question looks at the change in averages wages of high school dropouts in California from 1984 to 2000 and compares that change to Ohio during the same time period. Because the change is far more significant (17% in California vs. 31% in Ohio), the article concludes that such unskilled labor is far worse off in Ohio than in California, and thast therefore, the impact of illegal immigration is far less.

But as Sailer points out, the article makes a couple of glaring omissions. For one, it fails to take into account differences in cost of living. California's cost of living is one of the highest in the nation, while Ohio's is below the national average. Adjusted for cost of living, underemployed Californians are far worse of than similar Ohioans.

Furthermore, the NYT article ignores other dynamics that may have had an impact on Ohio -- namely, the loss of high-paying Union jobs in Ohio, as opposed to California, a traditionally less unionized state.

I'm no economist, but it seems obvious even to me that it was disingenuous of Porter to ignore the other dynamics that affected the statistics, and I remember just enough of my statistics class to know that taking one state to compare is cherry-picking.

But as both Sailer and Hans Gruber point out, such considerations seem to be ignored when discussing issues of immigration, whether it's out of a fervor for supporting illegals, as Hans asserts, or out of a disdain for the American working class, as Salier claims (I suspect it's a combination of both). The Times has its mind made up -- don't confuse it with facts.

Drool

Thanks for the Memory to Vulture Six.

Warplane Pr0n.

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Two hundred and thirty-one years ago today, a ragged, unkempt group of yokels stood up to the mightiest army on Earth.

Nothing has been the same ever since.

Quote of the Day

You know that ugly feeling you get when someone tells you "turn on the TV. ANY channel"?

-Emily from It Comes In Pints?, regarding the OKC bombing
(which happened exactly 11 years ago today, two years to the date after the tragedy in Waco)

Playing the Devil's Advocate.

When making and reading comments on other blogs, and even on this one, if I appreciate a comment and the commwnter has a blog, I'll follow the link to their blog just to look around. It was in just such a manner that I found my way from Mean Mr. Mustard over to Advocatus Diaboli. It's a new blog, with only a couple of posts so far, but he has a very logical approach (which I appreciate). He takes points that have already been made, and I believe are valid, and presents them in a rational, well-though-out manner. Go give him a read.

Besides, you gotta like a guy who adopts as his Nom de Plume the name of the slickest, smartest fictional eurotrash terrorist/criminal mastermind of all time.

The Ring of Fire

I finally got around to seeing the movie Walk the Line last night. That may come as some surprise to those who know what a HUGE Johnny Cash fan I am, but life has been hectic these past months, and I haven't been doing a lot of movie watching. But TFR got home from work early last night, and The Lad hit the hay early, so we were left with this strange, foreign concept called Free Time. At least that's what the legends passed down by the elders tell me it's called.

I had mentioned to TFR that Joaquin Phoenix, a PETA supporter, had refused to wear leather for the film and that all of the costumes were vinyl. She asked me if he also refused to wear cotton as well, and when I told her I wasn't sure, she asked, "But what about all those poor suffering Peter Cottontails?" My wife is weird.

The movie was well done. Phoenix didn't really LOOK all that much like Johnny, he certainly got hice voice, inflections, and mannerisms down well. The sound track -- not just Johnny's songs, but the entire background score as well -- was amazing (no surprise considering T Bone Burnett was the executive music producer). The lighting, the mood -- they really managed to evoke a certain feeling that helped tell the story.

The movie also did an excellent job showing the development of the relationship between Johnny and June. I was struck by just how fragile Johnny seemed, despite the bad boy image he cultivated with such calculated carelessness. It was June who brought that vulnerability out (as evoked by the shots we see of Johnny watching her when noone but the camera is watching, how genuine the look on his face is), and it was June who say through his disguise. The other thing I was struck by, and this was a well-known, well-documented aspect of their relationship, was just how feisty, strong, and level-headed June was. She not only stood up to Johnny, she backed him down. And while she was definitely his better half, she also made him better.

At one point early in the movie, when Johnny and his band are auditioning for Sam Phillips, and he tells Johnny to sing a song that he will believe -- and Johnny belts out Folsom Prison Blues. The raw anguish and anger are believable. At the end of the movie, as the epilogue and credits roll, they play a duet by Johnny and June -- not Joaquin and Reese this time, it's actually Johnny and June. And the joy, exuberance, and love that comes through the song is equally believable.

I remember the day Johnny Cash died. A friend of mine emailed me the news at work. The Regarding: line of the email really said it all: He must have really missed June.

You Want an Order of High Culture With that Big Mac?

Thanks for the Memory to Sobek (who puts "it" in "Egyptian Deities").

A Very Brief History of Art, Featuring Mr. Potato Head

Someone must be very, very bored.

Just Breathe -- Oh, Wait, I Can't!

I SO FREAKING HATE stupid bureaucracy!

About five years or so ago I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea -- I occasionally stop breathing in my sleep. This can be a serious health issue, so I was issued a CPAP. CPAP stands for Constant Positive Air Pressure. A CPAP machine is a small air pump that forces a steady stream of air at slightly higher than atmospheric pressure throungh my nose to create an "air splint" that keeps my airway open and prevents the apneas from occurring.

So yesterday I went to the local medical supply store to get some needed replacement parts for the CPAP -- a filter to make sure I'm breathing in clean air, a new pad to protect my forehead from the mask, a plastic piece that holds the nosepiece in places, and a new strap that holds it all in place. I went in to this place when we first moved to Eugene, so they have my data on file -- which machine I have, what sized mask, and what size filter. They suggested that I just get a whole new mask assembly.

But they couldn't give them to me.

Why?

BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A PRESCRIPTION LESS THAN A YEAR OLD!!!!!!

*deep breath*

OK, I understand requiring renewed prescriptions for things like drugs, especially for conditions that can change. But this isn't a medication -- it's a few pieces of plastic and a 1"x2" piece of hepafilter. And it's not like I'm some schmick off the street -- they have my data on file. And apnea is a long-term condition. But thanks to Federal regulations, I have to make a doctor's appointment, go see the doctor, make sure he gets my medical records from the sleep center in San Diego, pay the copay, just so he can tell them it's ok to give me a freaking face mask! Unbelievable!

To Your Health!

Last Night TFR came in after I'd gone to bed to tell me about an interesting news piece she'd seen on the local Fox affiliate. I was unable to find any local news links on their website, but a bit of Googling produced the gist of the article, if not the article itself. The gist of it is this: If you want to reap the greatest health benefits possible from drinking red wine in moderation, your best bet is Oregon Pinot Noirs.

Apparently, it's all about the resveratol. Resveratol is a flavanoid that has been linked by several studies to a reduction in heart disease and certain kinds of cancer, and is found in several foods, but most prominently in the skins of red wine grapes. And the grape varietal that has the highest levels? Yup, Pinot Noir.

But the report on TV last night highlighted Something else -- something that local growers have jumped on and are bragging about. That is the fact that Oregon-grown pinot noir grapes have even higher levels of resveratol than pinot grown in other regions. The reason for this seems to be the rainy, cool climate here in Oregon -- rseveratol is produced by plants to combat fungus, and the climate here is fungus-friendly (as witnessed by our booming wild mushroom industry), so the plants produce more of it.

Reveratol isn't proven to be a miracle cure, but it is believed to be the ingredient in red wine that makes it so healthy. And if you do decide to crack open a bottle of Oregon Pinot, here's an added benefit: it's darned good wine!

Much Tastier than Prairie Hay, Thank You Very Much!

While we were in San Diego for my Grandmother's funeral, The Feared Redhead and I decided we'd like to go back down there for vacation, so we can visit when we have more time and aren't there to bury anyone (the reason for both our visits since leaving). One resolution I made while there was to stay in closer touch with my family. Towards that end, we plan on throwing a barbecue for my family, to be hosted at my cousin's house.

In preparation for said event, I decided to try my hand at making bacon and beans. Baked beans, pork and beans, ham and beans -- beans are a common staple in every part of the US. And they go well with barbecue. Because this was practice, I made a huge batch. They were delicious, but be aware that this makes enough beans to feed an army if you decide to try the recipe.

Bacon and Beans
2 lbs pinto beans
enough water to soak said beans and keep them covered once soaked
1/2 lb bacon
1/4 of a large onion or 1/2 of a medium onion
2 clove of garlic
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1-2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
dash cayenne

Soak the beans overnight (at least 8 hours, I soaked these for 24). Strain beans, saving soak water. Cut bacon into 1 inch long pieces. Chop onions and mince garlic. In a 4-quart dutch oven, heat bacon over medium high heat until it starts to sizzle. Add onions and garlic. When Onions soften, add the beans, honey, molasses, tomato paste, and enough soak water to fill to just below the lid. Add in paprika, oregano, cayenne, cumin, bay leaves, and salt to taste. Heat to a boil, lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 10 minutes. Cover and place in a 275 degree oven for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serves everyone.

Antici..................Pation!

STILL waiting to hear from the Culinary Arts Program regarding my application. Sure, feel free to borrow my mind, I'm about to lose it anyway.

Virtually From the Horse's Ass's Mouth

Thanks for the Memory to Emily at It Comes in Pints? (Boy, they're just EN FUEGO today!), who links to this cool chatbot, Ask Chomsky. I did, and just couldn't resist asking:

Me: How does an advanced degree in linguistics make one an expert in diplomacy?
Chomsky: How should I know how it does.

Just "Plane" Stupid

Thanks for the Memory to Emily at It Comes in Pints?

When one views the modern mainstream media from a certain political perspective, and one notices the omission of certain stories or details of stories, it is easy to reach the conclusion that said media have an agenda: that they hold to a certain political and philosophical viewpoint; and that they select the stories and images to be presented to their audience in such a way as to paint their own beliefs in a positive light, and that of their opponents in a negative.

But Hanlon's Razor dictates that we never presume malice in an individual's actions if those actions can simply be attributed to stupidity. And while I am firmly of the belief that the media have been self-incrimination to the point where simple stupidity cannot explain their actions, and said action seem convincingly evident of malice AND stupidity combined, on occasion, they do present me with anecdotal evidence in support of a pure stupidity theory.

Case in point:

Emily points us in the comments to her entry to this fawning article from People, an interview with Tom "Caligula" Cruise and Katie "Deer in Headlights" Holmes. In the first sentence of the article, the writer, Clint Brewer, writes, "It was a scene straight out of a Tom Cruise blockbuster: the hero in the cockpit of a 1944 P-51 Mustang fighter plane, a beautiful girl on the tarmac, and the roar of the jet's engines as it tore across a Mojave Desert sky."

Most of my beloved readers are well-versed in the history of the US Military and its more famous weapons, and will catch the error in that sentence right away, but for the few of you who aren't and don't, I commend to you this URL about the North American P-51 Mustang, including photo.

If you'll take a look at that photo, a couple of things become clear right away: First of all, the Mustang is a single-engine aircraft. Second of all, it is propeller-driven. And that propeller is driven not by a turbofan (which is, technically, a form of jet engine), oh no, but by a piston engine, like the one in your car (well, nominally like the one in your car, in the same way that a Ferrari Enzo is a car, like my Ford Focus) an Allison F-series V-12 in early models, and a Rolls Merlin V-12 (yes, built by Rolls Royce, and under license by Packard) in the later, more successful models.

The point being that to refer to the P-51's roar as being that of a "jet's engines" is doubly incorrect. Had Mr. Brewer bothered, a simple Google search could have provided him with the information. Do I think that Mr. Brewer hates the military, or P-51 Mustangs, or the memory of the North American Aircraft Company? No. But it is obvious that he is uninformed, and furthermore, lazy. Unfamiliar with the simple nuances of aircraft design (nuances that seem frighteningly obvious), he chose to simply equate "airplane" and "jet", and either missed the distinction himself, or trusted that his readers would do so. In either case, this is irresponsible and stupid, but not malicious.

However, I would offer one caveat to any journalist who might stumble upon my humble blog: falling back on Hanlon's Razor may exhonorate you regarding your motives, but it doesn't exactly commend you regarding your skills.

Your Weekly Dose of Steve Taylor Lyrics: Installment #1

A couple of weeks ago, I reminisced on being a fan of Steve Taylor, a Christian pop musician from the 80's and early 90's with a satyrical twist to his lyrics. I also commented on how those lyrics from two decades ago seem even more germaine today. So I decided I'd start sharing them with you, one song at a time, in whatever order seems most appropriate. I hope to make this a regular feature.

This week I was struck by how many of my fellow bloggers have been registering their annoyance with the owners of hybrid cars -- particularly Prius'. It brought to my mind a recent, hilarious episode of South Park in which the "Smug" of too many hybrid owners threatens South Park and, in fact, the country. This in turn led me to ponder the lyrics to Steve's song "Smug", from his 1993 album Squint:

Strike this little pose
Chin up in the air
Lips together tightly
Nostrils in a flare
Now look like you care
Very nice!

Practice in the mirror
Brushing back a tear
Very sincere
A promising career could begin right here at home
If you've got that smug...
That smug...

chorus:
Hey mama hey mama lookee what your little babies all have become
Hey mama hey mama don't it ever make you wish you'd been a nun?
Vain and fickle, were we weaned on a pickle?
Is it in our blood?
Rome is burning
We're here turning smug

Strike another pose
Power politics
Swallow their conventions
Get your power fix
We love to mud wrestle
We love to be politically Koreshed

Practice that smug
Post it like a man
One part Master Limbaugh
Two parts Madame Streisand
Now pretend you're in a band
My, my, we're looking smug
Very very very very

(chorus)

All you smug-starved millions in the thick of the search
Welcome to our church
Whatcha wanna solve?
We can help you evolve from merely self-righteous
To perfectly smug

Strike the proud pose of our country club brethren
Friendly as a tomb
Fragrant as the bottom of a locker-room broom
Now what's the matter?
Hey...get off your knees...that part don't come 'til later...
God will not be pleased...

(chorus)
Hey mama hey mama lookee what your little babies all have become...
Rome is cooking
My, we're looking smug

Birthday Meme

Thanks for the Memory (and the meme) to Ken S. at It Comes in Pints?

This is the latest Meme going around, and it's a cool one. Go to Wikipedia, and look up your birth date (excluding the year). Then list three interesting historical events that occurred on that day, two births, and one death.

Here's what I learned about my birthday, June 5th:

Events:

70 - Titus and his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem.
1783 - The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon).
1968 - U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California by Sirhan Sirhan. (He dies on June 6). (This one I knew, since it's the same year as well -- my dad heard the news in the hospital waiting room.)

Births:
1723 - Adam Smith, Scottish economist and philosopher (d. 1790)
1850 - Pat Garrett, American Western lawman (d. 1908) (For those who don't know and don't care to follow the link, Pat Garret killed Jesse James Billy the Kid. I knew that, duh. Thanks to Ken S. for pointing out the goof.)

Death:
2004 - Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States (b. 1911)

Link Love

I finally got around to doing something I've intended to do for a while: Updating my blogroll. For the past couple of months I've been reading some new blogs, and it's time I give credit where due:

Fiddle Dee Dee
GroovyVic is a mom blogger from back east. Her blog is a humorous mixture of commentary on politics, parenting, and Vic's obsession with Ewan MacGregor.

It Comes in Pints?

Ken S. is a frequent commenter on this site, and it's time I returned the love.

1 Girl, 4 Martinis

Bobgirrl is a twenty-somehting California girl whose usually apolitical blog (though she is conservative) is a sassy, sexy, smart insight into food, wine, culture, and the never-ending quest for a "Future Ex-Husband".

Wally Wonders Why

I've just found Wally's blog, but you have to like a guy who blogs about himself in the third person.

OOPS!

How could I forget Dubious Wonder?

Trouble linked to me when she ran the Carnival of Recipes, and gave my recipe high marks. She made an instant friend for that.