GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

Mental health as I call it; is packing a bag, calling a taxi, getting a friend to take care of Miss Bella (my dog ,or as she thinks, “the Princess of the universe” and escape to New York for a little R&R…smog, noise, cement, people..mmmmm love it!  I think that as you are growing up you absorb the personality and ideas of people that have influenced your life.  For example I continue repeating a saying that my mom’s beast friend Carmen Mangrich would say when somebody would talk about the country or rolling hills or open air activities. She would state; “ that is too  green, no cement, I am not liking it!” As you can guess I am not a tree hugger; camping equates to staying at a Holiday Inn, hunting is a sport that takes place at the supermarket, and ESPN stands for “Emergency Send Pizza Now” because I don’t plan to cook!  Rewinding, back to the trip…. Smog, the essence of polluted air, the hustle and bustle and the noise of the streets; the roaring sound of the trains rushing through the tunnels, thousands and thousands of yellow taxis dancing a well orchestrated ballet thought the streets of Manhattan. One million eyes passing you by, like particles of dust passing across a beam of light, faces you see for a second and they are recorded in your subconscience for an eternity.  It is the craziness; the chaos and the confusion of the city that will drive you crazy, permitting you feel alive, sane and rational.

Yes, this is Manhattan; the time is 7:30 PM and we have a curtain call at 8:00 PM.  We are going to see a new play called “Million Dollar Quartet” and we are late!  We have been praying to the “Parking Gods and singing the parking karma chant and we can’t find street parking. Suddenly it works…Eric spotted a space at the corner of 37^th Street and 8^th Avenue; right in front of the “ Weiss Schloss”, “El Castillo Blanco”; “ Il Castello Bianco”, or better known as house of the best little, itsie bitsie hamburgers in New York…White Castle! (And now! The Flourish of the trumpets.)  We have 29 minutes to curtain call and only one minute to grab a tiny burger.  Back to the road, rushing to arrive on time to the “will call” window to retrieve the tickets, Carrie, Eric’s sister was already waiting for us in front of the theater and we were late!  … But … NOOOO! It cannot be! Right there at the North West corner of 8^th Avenue and 38^th Street, the Cathedral of hotdogs, yes!!! “Gays Papayas” two hotdogs for a dollar; just like the ones served at “Versailles or the White House” do we stop or do we continue running?… “Ayh Caramba”! What to do!  Twenty minutes and counting… Soooo we bought two hotdogs and continued the race to the theater.  Now we are almost there, just two more blocks … NO!!!! At the corner of 8^th Avenue and 40^th Street; the “Pizza King” yes the one dollar slice of New York pizza.  Come on, we had to stop to have a slice!  As Rachel Ray would say; “$1.00 Hamburger, $0.50 Hot Dog, $1.00 pizza and a $1.00 drink”!!! We just had dinner on the run for merely $3.50 per person.  Viva New York! Ops,  I forgot a $1.00 roll of TUMS (stomach medication).

Now its 30 seconds to curtain call and… everybody in the room is giving a standing ovation.  But they are all looking to the back of the theater and the play has not even started!  It was President Bill Clinton ,his daughter Chelsea Clinton and her recent, plus one.  Even though when we purchased the ticket at the half price booth, we were informed that our $40.00 tickets at a $200.00 dollar section had an obstructed view. We had the best seats in the room.  Well ,I believe the seats were installed on a 30 degree slope.  It was great. I never had to tilt my head to see the stage, because I was already inclined. 

The play started mostly in a red stage that resembled an old record studio and then the action started.  Four individuals following their dreams, daring to be different, creating music entering into that zone that would permit them to feel alive.  The music was electrifying, the acting was superb and the surprise ending with Jerry Lee Lewis delighting us with his masterful compositions was inspiring!  

Mental health symbolizes different things for different people and there is no saying what is right or wrong.  Having an outlet that will permit your imagination to soar and be creative, is the best medicine for the soul! Go out and be daring, do something different, creative or exciting.  We only have one life to live…….. live it to the limit and don’t forget to exercise compassion, love and kindness.

FLAT BEAD PIZZA

Items you will need:

• A package of flatbread (lavash)
• cutting boards
• sauces:
• Italian
• Peanut
• Pesto
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• your imagination is the limit
• toppings
• cheese of your choice
• Assorted topping ingredients as desired
• arugula leaves
• ham
• chicken
• beef
• shrimp
• vegetables
• your imagination is the limit

1.    Cover bottom oven rack with aluminum foil to catch drips and spills. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2.    Place flatbreads on center rack of oven and bake for about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and bake for another 1 1/2 minutes until slightly browned.

3.    Place lightly browned flatbreads on separate small boards. Spoon 1 tbsp. of sauce of your choice onto flatbreads, spreading evenly in circles from center to about 1/4 inch from the edge.

4.    Sprinkle a generous handful of your sauce and favorite toppings, such as browned sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers or olives.

5.    Use a large spatula to move each flatbread pizza directly onto the center shelf of the oven, side-by-side. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 450 degrees F, until melted and crusts are browned.

6.    Open oven, pull out center rack and slide pizzas back onto separate cutting boards. Cut each flatbread pizza into four to six slices.

7.    Top with pepper, other spices or arugula.

Tips

• Meat toppings should be pre-cooked or ready-to-eat. Peppers, onions and mushrooms are best pre-cooked by light browning.
• Flatbread is usually found in the deli

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1.     In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, coconut milk, water, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, ginger, and garlic. Mix in the cilantro just before serving.

DAD’s Special Hamburgers

For The Patties:
½ pound beef, preferably good quality coarse ground

½ pound chorizo, Dry Style good quality small ground

½ pound pork, preferably good quality coarse ground

½ pound veal, preferably good quality coarse ground

1 half onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed or a pinch of garlic powder

1 teaspoon Paprika
1 dash catsup sauce (about 4 tablespoons)
1 small dash Worcestershire sauce (about 1 tablespoon or less)
a little pepper, fresh ground is better
1 hand fresh bread crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 quarter beef bouillon/stock cube dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons water

For the Rolls:
8 rolls
thinly sliced onion
Potato topping
mayo-Ketchup sauce


Mix all the patty ingredients thoroughly, leaving the salt for after the patties are cooked if you prefer Make sure the mixture is cool. Divide mixture into 8 equal balls and mold into patties.  Cook on medium heat under the grill, on the barbecue or in a pan until the patty is cooked to your preferred degree of doneness or the internal temp reaches 160F/70C
Split the rolls and toast the cut surfaces lightly (under grill, on barbecue or in pan) just before the patties are done. Spread mayo-Ketchup on the bottom half; add a thin slice of onion, potatoes. Top it off with the patty and the other half of the roll.

Buen Provecho!