I blew it last week. I’d been promising myself I would cook a good meal. Since my standard dinner lately has been a plate of nachos and a couple of spoons of peanut butter. I figured it was high time to cook a proper meal. It started well: I snagged a fancy pasta recipe off the internet and raced through the grocery store after class loading up on ingredients I had no business buying: sun-dried tomatoes soaking in tubs of yellow oil, artichoke hearts squeezed into tiny square jars, and a big bottle of dry white cooking wine for simmering the sauce. Then I came home and made a huge mess.
First, I didn’t have butter so I tossed the chopped onions into some lukewarm olive oil. Then after I realized I forgot to buy garlic I dumped the whole bottle of artichokes in to make up for it, figuring they were related somewhere way back in their vegetable family tree (I know better than that, but when you start cooking and don’t have what you need, sometimes you improvise). Unfortunately, while trying to get the onions frying I dissolved those artichokes to mush. My grip on dinner was slipping so I tried saving the day with half a bottle of white wine before letting the whole thing simmer for ten minutes. Smiling and satisfied, I washed my hands and scooped a bed of steamy pasta onto a dinner plate before pouring a generous amount of my sauce on.
Well, guess what?
It was disgusting.
The onions were somehow raw and burnt (if you’ve cooked before, you know this feat is hard to accomplish), the artichokes were long gone, and the booze hadn’t simmered off so the entire thing tasted like hot wine. I got up to check the recipe and noticed I’d forgotten to put water in during the important final stage and somehow replaced it with triple the amount of wine. It was a terrible meal and I choked it back through a forced smile and hot tears. A half bottle of Parmesan cheese and a loaf of bread were also called in to help. It was a sad day but I really do hope that one day I get to experience the joy of cooking something new and having everyone like it.
This is not something I have no experience at. I have been cooking successfully for many years now. I can make lasagna from scratch with the noodles you have to cook first (not the cheater, cook while they bake ones). I can make a pretty good chicken noodle soup (so I’ve been told). I am a grilling champion the likes of Bobby Flay. And I have a mean prowess when it comes to baking a firm, but moist, cake. So I know what it looks like when people enjoy your culinary creations. I can see it now.
After flipping through cookbooks and strolling through aisles I get a sneaky twinkle in my eye as I race home ready to whip up a storm. Next I grab my trusty “cooking towel” (a multipurpose towel I use while cooking), throw on a cap to hold back the sweat, and preheat that oven. After spinning like the Tasmanian Devil for a couple hours everyone finally comes over and samples my big meal.
“Ohhhh…” they say softly “Wow, this is delicious! What is this?”
“Oh … just some experimenting,” I smile back shyly, shrugging my shoulders. “It was so easy, honestly.”
But they won’t stop. None of them will. A round of applause starts as I get up to start cleaning the kitchen. They want the recipe, they want the leftovers, they want me to cater their upcoming dinner parties…I am chef galore. This, of course, has never really happened. I do get compliments, though. I make a darn good turkey gravy at Thanksgiving. I can make just about any casserole from memory (my folks are from the Midwest, home of the casserole). But, on those rare occasions where I screw up, it reminds me how good I should be. I never make the same mistakes twice and I’ve never made a bad meal two times in a row.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Babaganoush Sports Beat
Texas Rangers
Tonight, the Rangers open up a series with the Detroit Tigers. Two days from now the Rangers will have an off day before heading to Seattle. They will play the Mariners, Angels, and A's before coming home (likely as AL West Champions) to play the Mariners and a season finale season series with the Angels. That means two things. HOLY COW THE SEASON IS ALMOST OVER and HOLY COW THE RANGERS WON'T PLAY ANOTHER NON-AL WEST TEAM AGAIN UNTIL THE PLAYOFFS AND THEN NOT AGAIN UNTIL 2011. I think about this season and it seems like it has flown by but then I think about things like the McGriddles game in Cleveland and it seems like a lifetime ago. I mean, Matt Harrison was in the rotation then. Ryan Garko was the starting first baseman that day. Cliff Lee was still a couple of weeks away from debuting in Seattle. Justin Smoak was still a week away from debuting in Texas. His debut? April 23rd at the Ballpark against Detroit of course.
It's been a long, strange, weird, awesome, draining, amazing, confusing, sexy, and hilarious season. And it's weird that this meaningless, except for Magic Number watching, series feels like such a milestone. No more AL Central and no more AL East. After Wednesday, the Rangers head out west and the next time they face a team from outside their division it will be the first time they've done so in a little thing we call MLB Postseason since 1999. It feels like reality is getting ready to sink in.
SMU Mustangs Football
Zach Line rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns to lead SMU to a 28-7 victory against UAB on Saturday night. Line, recruited to SMU as a linebacker, moved to offense and was the team's goal-line rushing specialist last year, scoring seven TDs. The 235-pound sophomore won the starting running back job in the preseason.
Darius Johnson caught two touchdown passes from Kyle Padron as the Mustangs (1-1, 1-0 Conference USA) beat the Blazers (0-2, 0-1) for the fourth time in as many meetings since the schools became league rivals in 2005. Johnson had seven receptions for 45 yards.
David Isabelle threw a 4-yard TD pass to Mike Jones for UAB's only score.
Dallas Cowboys
For some, it is time to move on. For others, the bad taste that came with the 13-7 loss to the Redskins hasn't dissolved just yet. Players such as Keith Brooking and Marcus Spears talked about the disappointment of losing a game in the final seconds, especially when it virtually came down to a pair of plays at the end of each half. For rehashing sake, the two plays in reference were Tashard Choice's fumble on the last play of the first half when it seemed the Cowboys should've just kneeled on the ball and gone into halftime with a 3-0 deficit. Instead, a Hail Mary from their own 34 was called, resulting in a dump-off pass to Choice, who fumbled and it was returned for a touchdown. Secondly, with the Cowboys looking for the go-ahead win in the final seconds, trailing by six, an apparent game-tying touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Roy Williams was nullified by a holding penalty on Alex Barron, the third of the game for the Cowboys' right tackle.
Coach Wade Phillips refused to single out any player or coach on the final player, and didn't say whether Barron was supposed to have blocking help on the right side against Washington pass-rusher Brian Orakpo. Barron, who didn't speak to reporters after the game Sunday or in Monday's open locker room period, did apologize to Williams after the game, according to the receiver. While Barron apologized to Williams, whose game-winning touchdown certainly would've gone a long way to restoring the confidence of a Cowboys' fan base that has ridiculed the wide receiver, another culprit from Sunday's loss faced the music with reporters as well.
Admitting that he's constantly trying to make a play, Choice took the blame for his second-quarter fumble, the first of his career. Choice said he received a lot of support from his coaches and teammates about the play, and said the fact he got more carries in the second half was also encouraging.
However, more than Choice, taking most of the blame for that play was Phillips, who said he should've been more assertive in telling offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to call a more conservative play with just four seconds left on the clock. The play before the fumble, Barron was called for a holding penalty, pushing the ball back to the Cowboys' 36. Before the play, the Cowboys were prepared to throw a Hail Mary into the end zone.
Tonight, the Rangers open up a series with the Detroit Tigers. Two days from now the Rangers will have an off day before heading to Seattle. They will play the Mariners, Angels, and A's before coming home (likely as AL West Champions) to play the Mariners and a season finale season series with the Angels. That means two things. HOLY COW THE SEASON IS ALMOST OVER and HOLY COW THE RANGERS WON'T PLAY ANOTHER NON-AL WEST TEAM AGAIN UNTIL THE PLAYOFFS AND THEN NOT AGAIN UNTIL 2011. I think about this season and it seems like it has flown by but then I think about things like the McGriddles game in Cleveland and it seems like a lifetime ago. I mean, Matt Harrison was in the rotation then. Ryan Garko was the starting first baseman that day. Cliff Lee was still a couple of weeks away from debuting in Seattle. Justin Smoak was still a week away from debuting in Texas. His debut? April 23rd at the Ballpark against Detroit of course.
It's been a long, strange, weird, awesome, draining, amazing, confusing, sexy, and hilarious season. And it's weird that this meaningless, except for Magic Number watching, series feels like such a milestone. No more AL Central and no more AL East. After Wednesday, the Rangers head out west and the next time they face a team from outside their division it will be the first time they've done so in a little thing we call MLB Postseason since 1999. It feels like reality is getting ready to sink in.
SMU Mustangs Football
Zach Line rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns to lead SMU to a 28-7 victory against UAB on Saturday night. Line, recruited to SMU as a linebacker, moved to offense and was the team's goal-line rushing specialist last year, scoring seven TDs. The 235-pound sophomore won the starting running back job in the preseason.
Darius Johnson caught two touchdown passes from Kyle Padron as the Mustangs (1-1, 1-0 Conference USA) beat the Blazers (0-2, 0-1) for the fourth time in as many meetings since the schools became league rivals in 2005. Johnson had seven receptions for 45 yards.
David Isabelle threw a 4-yard TD pass to Mike Jones for UAB's only score.
Dallas Cowboys
For some, it is time to move on. For others, the bad taste that came with the 13-7 loss to the Redskins hasn't dissolved just yet. Players such as Keith Brooking and Marcus Spears talked about the disappointment of losing a game in the final seconds, especially when it virtually came down to a pair of plays at the end of each half. For rehashing sake, the two plays in reference were Tashard Choice's fumble on the last play of the first half when it seemed the Cowboys should've just kneeled on the ball and gone into halftime with a 3-0 deficit. Instead, a Hail Mary from their own 34 was called, resulting in a dump-off pass to Choice, who fumbled and it was returned for a touchdown. Secondly, with the Cowboys looking for the go-ahead win in the final seconds, trailing by six, an apparent game-tying touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Roy Williams was nullified by a holding penalty on Alex Barron, the third of the game for the Cowboys' right tackle.
Coach Wade Phillips refused to single out any player or coach on the final player, and didn't say whether Barron was supposed to have blocking help on the right side against Washington pass-rusher Brian Orakpo. Barron, who didn't speak to reporters after the game Sunday or in Monday's open locker room period, did apologize to Williams after the game, according to the receiver. While Barron apologized to Williams, whose game-winning touchdown certainly would've gone a long way to restoring the confidence of a Cowboys' fan base that has ridiculed the wide receiver, another culprit from Sunday's loss faced the music with reporters as well.
Admitting that he's constantly trying to make a play, Choice took the blame for his second-quarter fumble, the first of his career. Choice said he received a lot of support from his coaches and teammates about the play, and said the fact he got more carries in the second half was also encouraging.
However, more than Choice, taking most of the blame for that play was Phillips, who said he should've been more assertive in telling offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to call a more conservative play with just four seconds left on the clock. The play before the fumble, Barron was called for a holding penalty, pushing the ball back to the Cowboys' 36. Before the play, the Cowboys were prepared to throw a Hail Mary into the end zone.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Mysterious Trinity
The language of three persons points to a mystery of distinction that nevertheless abides in relationship at the heart of the one God. God is not a singleness but a communion—a living fecundity of relational life. For God, to be is to be in relation—this is the primary divine characteristic of God. Yet, even these powerful words are not to be taken literally. As St. Augustine reminds us, "the formula 'three persons' was coined not in order to give a complete explanation by means of it but in order that we might not be obliged to remain silent." Fundamentally, speech about the Trinity needs to go hand in hand with knowing that we do not totally understand. Quite simply, to say that the persons are three is to negate solitariness, thus affirming relationality at the heart of God.
Although the images of Father, Son and Spirit are rooted in Scripture, liturgy and traditional use, they are not necessarily the only imagery in which the triune symbol can be expressed. The Scriptures themselves speak about the triune God in the economy of salvation in cosmic images such as light, fire and water, and theology today quests mightily for other articulations. Whatever the categories used, the three's keep circling round. Always there is reflected a livingness in God; a beyond, a with and a within to the world and its history; a sense of God as from whom, by whom and in whom all things exist, thrive, struggle toward freedom and are gathered in.
The biblical doctrine of the Trinity, bound to the experience of salvation in Jesus and freed from literal interpretations, has the power to call forth loving relationship in our community and in the world. It does so positively, by inspiring efforts to create a community of sisters and brothers interwoven with the whole web of earth's life according to the ideal community that the Trinity models. It does so negatively, by prophetically challenging social and ecological injustices that distort such a community. And it does so by the power of grace, the trinitarian mystery of God actually empowering relationships of mutuality, equality and inclusiveness among persons and between human beings and the earth.
The goal of all creation is to participate in the trinitarian mystery of love. The Church is called to be a sacrament making this love visible and effective in the world. Wherever the human heart is healed, justice is done, peace holds sway, liberation breaks through, the earth flourishes…wherever sin abounding is embraced by grace super-abounding…there the human and earth community already reflect, in fragments, the visage of the trinitarian God.
Although the images of Father, Son and Spirit are rooted in Scripture, liturgy and traditional use, they are not necessarily the only imagery in which the triune symbol can be expressed. The Scriptures themselves speak about the triune God in the economy of salvation in cosmic images such as light, fire and water, and theology today quests mightily for other articulations. Whatever the categories used, the three's keep circling round. Always there is reflected a livingness in God; a beyond, a with and a within to the world and its history; a sense of God as from whom, by whom and in whom all things exist, thrive, struggle toward freedom and are gathered in.
The biblical doctrine of the Trinity, bound to the experience of salvation in Jesus and freed from literal interpretations, has the power to call forth loving relationship in our community and in the world. It does so positively, by inspiring efforts to create a community of sisters and brothers interwoven with the whole web of earth's life according to the ideal community that the Trinity models. It does so negatively, by prophetically challenging social and ecological injustices that distort such a community. And it does so by the power of grace, the trinitarian mystery of God actually empowering relationships of mutuality, equality and inclusiveness among persons and between human beings and the earth.
The goal of all creation is to participate in the trinitarian mystery of love. The Church is called to be a sacrament making this love visible and effective in the world. Wherever the human heart is healed, justice is done, peace holds sway, liberation breaks through, the earth flourishes…wherever sin abounding is embraced by grace super-abounding…there the human and earth community already reflect, in fragments, the visage of the trinitarian God.
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