After weeks of searching and overcoming Sunday morning lethargy, we finally found ourselves a church. You’d be surprised to how many obscure and absurd churches you can find around here (the first Korean Methodist church? I didn’t now churches were being separated by race now…). What ever happened to, hey, let’s open the Bible and see what it has to say? This politicking, especially on the spiritual level, is going to rip this country a part piece by tiny little piece. When did it come to the point that humans were so bored with their existence that they had to make institutions to “liven” things up a bit? Has humanity really gotten this pathetic? Sad. I dare ask when everyone will finally start asking the big questions that the ancients used to. I think we’ve reached the point where such questions have become to uncomfortable for the masses and we’ve turn to technology to console us. But I digress.
The people there were wonderful- a small congregation of older folks who looked delighted to be among friends. Very, very few young people. Very few. But I digress again! I’m hoping I can convince the husband to attend the chili cook off- free food right?
After service, neither of us felt like braving the 55 F ice box we call home and decided on coffee instead. I FINALLY GOT MY COCONUT MOCHA :D. I became well acquainted with it as I read HP Lovecraft and let my mind wander. In the Silver Key Lovecraft painted a chillingly accurate picture of humanity. “Warped and bigoted with preconceived illusions of justice, freedom, and consistency, they cast off the old lore and the old ways with the old beliefs; nor ever stopped to think that that lore and those ways were the sole makers of their present thoughts and judgments, and the sole guides and standards in a meaningless universe without fixed aims or stable points of reference. Having lost the artificial things, their lives grew void of direction and dramatic interest; till at length they strove to drown their ennui in bustle and pretended usefulness, noise and excitement, barbaric display and animal sensation. When these things palled, disappointed, or grew nauseous through revulsion, they cultivated irony and bitterness, and found fault with the social order.” The story itself is very new age almost- that all meaning comes from the dreams which we have all seemingly lost and surrendered to science. I don’t agree fully with him, but I do agree that humanity has lost touch with itself and looks to blame everything but itself. It seems that our modern age refuses to remember where we came from, and because we have no roots to ground us, we float around looking for what feels nice at the moment. That breeds revulsion and finally bitterness.
Coffee eventually gave way to dinner, which was a huge hit. Coconut Dal and Naan bread. I modified the Dal recipe from AnEffingFoodie.
1 c lentils
½ can of coconut milk
1 cup of vegetable broth
2 tbs of oil
1 Tbs curry powder
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 teaspoon of ginger
Add the spices to the pan with the oil. Saute the spices (bay leaf included) for one to two minutes and then add the tomato paste. Add the lentils and add just enough water to cover them. Now, add the broth and the coconut milk and let simmer for 30 minutes until desired lentil tenderness has been achieved.
The crowning glory of this dinner is the Naan bread- the recipe from Allrecipes.com. It was always a favorite back home, and liked well enough here to be made into takeaway lunch.
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
- Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Punch the dough into disks and grill.
3. I use a forman grill to grill the bread. Grill the bread until it has lovely golden brown grill marks on both sides, coating in garlic butter as you flip them. Enjoy!
I love to read your blog! I love you! Dad.
ReplyDeleteI miss Naan bread!!!! ~Mom~
ReplyDelete