Kitchen Comeback Update 5

Things continued to roar in April 2016 and May 2016. In May I got a job, with the job the cooking of new dishes slowed down considerably. My work is as an in-home caregiver at home for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I cook quite often for the residents.  I have had to strengthen my on the fly/improvisational cooking skills.

Due to time constraints I was cooking from scratch less and at home. However, at work I started to experiment. This is a list of what I cooked that was new from 2016 to the present.

April 2016

Bagel with cream cheese and lox sandwich, corn husk baked paiche with corn and poblanos, pan seared paiche with spicy avocado sauce and greens, Puerto Rican pastelón de amarillos, ribeye steak with mashed potatoes and peas, turkey cheddar bratwurst with mashed potatoes, quesadillas, bean and cheese burritos, jalapeño cheddar bratwursts with mashed potatoes, beans with smoked turkey wings, Cajun dirty rice, eggs and hash browns, salsa eggs, and Southwestern pork roast with gravy, mashed potatoes, corn and peas.

May 2016

Curried coconut rice, bagel with cream cheese and lox sandwich, pollo con crema with red rice, calabacitas ralladas, and refried beans, Cajun red beans and rice, quesadillas, Rick’s tacos with serrano coleslaw, barbeque pulled pork with mashed potatoes and corn, fried rice, beef burritos, bean burritos, honey mustard chicken with rice, and Thai chicken and lemongrass soup with jasmine rice.

June 2016

Thai chicken and lemongrass soup with jasmine rice, pork in guajillo sauce with roasted red potatoes and avocados, Pad Thai with shredded green papaya, Mexican arroz con pollo, quesadillas, and quesadilla Española (flour tortilla filled with manchego cheese, piquillo peppers, and Spanish chorizo).

July 2016

Citrus roasted paiche in collard wraps, Russian beef Stroganoff with kasha pilaf, pepper jack quesadilla (flour tortilla filled with Monterey Jack cheese and pickled jalapeños),

August-October 2016

Rick’s Chile con Carne, taco dogs (hot dogs or sausages wrapped in flour tortillas with cheese and taco sauce or Heinz Chili sauce), quesadillas in various styles, slow cooked barbeque pork with mashed potatoes, slow cooked barbeque pork ribs with mashed potatoes and vegetables, beans with smoked pork or turkey, Rick’s burritos and tacos.

January-February 2017

Hamburger steaks with gravy on rice, pork in red onion sauce.

2018

Sautéed cabbage, quinoa, enchilada beef quinoa, carne molida con papas (ground beef with potatoes), Chile blanc con lima (White bean chicken chile with lime), kimichi fried rice

2019

Moo shoo pork, Pueblo pie (ground beef with black beans and corn topped with chipotle mashed sweet potatoes), Indian style curry, English banger sausages and mash (mashed potatoes)

Alpha Beta Bull Pucky

{Author's Note this was written in 2017. I had not gotten around to publishing it when the great implosion happened.}

Originally I was going to write about how Beta males are treated by our society. I was using the Beta as used when discussing wolves, canines, and primates. The problem is the terms Alpha Males and Beta Males have been corrupted when referring to human males. In the Animal Kingdom and alpha is a leader. No true leader would care about what other thought of them or fitting someone else’s molds. The whole Alpha male phenomenon is used to excuse bad behavior. The whole Beta male concept feed into an Us versus Them mentality, instead of solving the toxic masculinity we have in this society.

The idea that an Alpha male is the macho jock type or corporate raider type is a misnomer. It is a false construct created to excuse bad behavior. Look at the Stanford Rapist. He was presented at the one who was unfairly treated by our system. The victim was treated like she did not matter. This tends to happen with affluent “alpha” male types. The alphas are the more confident types, A type personalities, overachievers, the socially adept ones who fit in to the stereotypes of gender roles.

The betas are allegedly the less confident, the more intellectual, and passive types. The funny thing is the way human society acts they are treated more the traditional omega from wolves, canines, and primates. The Beta is also used to mean weak, submissive types, especially in certain human sub-cultures. In those social orders, the beta is the second in command. They are more supportive, but that is a role. In those orders the beta is the heir to the alpha position should anything happen to the alpha. In that manner the metaphor does not work as humans use it. The whole Alpha and Beta male dichotomy in humans is used to excuse bad behavior by the so-called Alpha males. It is their nature so therefore no their fault. The types of crimes that are excused by these people being labeled Alpha Males is terrifying, rape, murder, white collar crimes, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and so on. Interesting enough, the so-called Alpha Males are rarely any socio-economic level lower than middle-middle class. They are almost always Caucasian, Heterosexual, and Cis-Gendered. 

To me it seems the concept is used to keep the status quo, give the rank and file in our society the idea that leaders can only be certain types. These types of people are threatened and we are seeing their last gasps for control. In this system control is gained by keeping those with no power divided. The concept is also rooted to a toxic view of masculinity. One of the fallacies in that concept is that male sexuality is inherently predatory. That includes the idea males cannot control their sexual urges. Sentencing of sex crimes is also tied up in socio-economic politics. Suspects from middle middle-class backgrounds or higher are more likely to get lighter sentences. Where as suspects of color or people of lower middle class backgrounds or lower are more like to get harsher sentencing.

The problem is the toxic masculinity in this country seems also tied to socio-economics and race too. These rules are meant to protect those in power ad excuse their bad behavior. They will ridicule and discount anyone who does not fit their narrow view of masculinity. That has only perpetuated a culture that is toxic. They are also resistant to change. The funny thing is two groups most affected by this toxic masculinity are kept at each other’s throats. They are stuck in a dichotomy. Those groups are the Feminist and Men’s Rights groups. The powers that be are the cause to both their woes. The powers that be fear a coming together of both groups, so they push the more radical elements of both group against each other.

New Digs

At the end of July 2017, during a severe bout of depression I deleted all of my blogs and most of my social media. Friends have encouraged me to bring at least two of them back. I already brought back the food/cooking blog in March of 2018. Fumbling Forwards is going to take longer to replenish over 100 articles. I will post the Best of 2017 that I had planned to release last year. I am not sure if I will post newer stuff. Right now things are in flux. Enjoy.

Rick’s Best from 2017

Wonder Woman

As a kid I watched the 1970’s Wonder Woman show with Lynda Carter. I also was there for 1987’s Wonder Woman comics by George Perez. I have been waiting for the third member of DC Comics’ Trinity to get her own film. She finally did. It proved that a female led superhero movie could make money. I was lucky to see it on opening day since it came out on my 49th birthday. This also was the first successful DC movie since the Dark Knight Trilogy. The studios were shy to adapt her since the 70’s worrying about the backlash if they got it wrong. The other big thing is it also showed a big tent pole movie could be directed by a woman too and be successful. This all flied into the faces of the prevailing attitudes in Hollywood.

Spencer & Locke

What do you get when to put Calvin and Hobbes in Sin City? You get this wonderful exploration into childhood trauma and coping mechanisms. Detective Spencer and his stuff panther Locke live in the mean street, dealing with criminals, child trafficking, drugs, abuse, and murder. Iy has a good deal of Noir elements in it as well. This comic book series is definitely worth the time to read. Warning, the subject matter is very adult.

American Gods (TV show)

American Gods is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, so I definitely would be interested in this. Ian McShane plays Mr. Wednesday excellently and Orlando Jones does Mr. Nancy so much justice. The concept is the old gods going to war with the new modern gods of technology, media, and etc. It has great casting and wonderful writing.

Milk Run: Smuggler’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book One by Nathan Lowell

Nathan Lowell is another favorite author. I was introduced to his work through podiobooks. The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Universe is Space Opera done more like nautical fiction and less war and politics. The Smuggler’s Tales go into things from the side of those not part of organized space. These are independent worlds, stations, asteroids, and outposts in the Deep Dark. The previous stories dealt with charted organized worlds. It also surrounds two strong females, one unfamiliar with that part of space and the other more familiar.

Mage: Hero Denied

Matt Wagner has finally given us the final part of his Kevin Matchstick trilogy. He is the Pendragon, the latest incarnation of King Arthur. In this he fights the Umbra Witch, a new incarnation of the Umbra Sprite, and her daughters, the Gracklethorns. This time he has children and so the stakes are much higher. The third volume comes out 20 years after the second, and over 30 years after the first. Game of Thrones fans there are worse waits for new volumes of beloved series. All three volume are worth it.

Ready Player One (Novel)

I read this one in 2016, but I reread it in 2017 in anticipation of the upcoming film. This weaves cyberpunk, and 80’s pop culture into a wonderful homage. It has a lot of nerd/geek culture references including, comic books, table top roleplaying games, video games. TV, films., and music from the 80’s and before. The movie will not have all the same references due to budget and licensing. That is why you should read the book first or even after.

The Orville

Many consider Galaxy Quest a Star Trek Movie. Officially it is not, but it a very good parody and homage. The Orville in a Science Fiction Comedy from Seth McFarlane of Family Guy. In many ways it is a more faithful adaptation of Star Trek than Star Trek Discovery was. There are joke and humor, but the old morality plays are back. A race that has only one sex and gender is used to comment of gender issues. McFarlane has never hidden his Trekkie cred, and it shines in the writing here.

Baby Driver

I love Edgar Wright as a director. This is a heist film, and it is as a result of his leaving the Film Ant-Man. The movie reminds me of the heist movies of the 70’s. I would not be surprised if Michael Caine, Steve McQueen, or James Coburn showed up. It has the chases the double and triple crosses. Everything one wants and needs for a good heist film. This is not one of those con job flim flam style movies like the Ocean’s film. This is a head on Robbery movie.

Samsung Galaxy 7S Edge

I finally got a smart phone. I went with an Android, because I am not a fan of Apple’s market strategy. They finally gave people a music subscription service 10+ years after Microsoft and other companies. I love what a smart phone can do. I like the Android OS, I find it intuitive.

Shape of Water

A film by Guillermo Del Toro that hearkens back to the Creature of the Black Lagoon films of the 1950’s. Del Toro captures the pathos and emotional truth of the story. The story of a mute woman falling for an amphibian humanoid. Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins prove that you do not needs words to convey feeling and meaning. I love this film.

The Most Heinous Fallacy

Three unrelated things occurred recently that affected me profoundly. The first was a video making its rounds. Momondo released a video called DNA Journey. This video shows how we are more alike than we think that our narrow ideas about ethnic purity and identity are not necessarily true. I have known I come from a very diverse gene pool. The heritages I know I belong to are English, Ulster Scots (Scots Irish), German, French, Dutch, Swede, Norwegian, Italian, Dane, Middle Eastern Jew, European Jew. Family legends claim Chiricahua Apache, Choctaw, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Chippewa. I no longer claim North American Indigenous heritages, because there is no corroborating proof. Plus through cousins, aunts, and uncles there is Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Mexican, Welsh, and Puerto Rican. Knowing my family history there could be Irish, Spanish, Mexican, African-American, Welsh, Eastern European, and who knows what else. The video showed an Iraqi who came out to have Jewish genetic markers. A “pure” Icelander discovered he had a more diverse genetic background.  We are so much more connected than we really think. The video includes two cousins that did not know they were related discovering each other in the room.

The second event was the sad sentencing of Brock Turner, a former swimmer for Stanford University. The judge, who sentenced Turner, was an alum of Stanford University. Many think he should have recused himself. This smells of White upper class privilege. Had Turner been non-Christian, non White, of lower economic means or anything other he would have received the maximum sentence. Once again the perpetrator was given more consideration than the victim, due to his superior social status. This stinks of two separate rules out there one for those of privilege and one for the rest of us. There has been a slate of sexual assault cases involving young white men of upper middle class or higher socioeconomic standing where there is more concern over the future of the perpetrators than that of their victims.

The third was the mass shooting in Orlando of a gay nightclub on June 12, 2016. Although many want to paint this incident as a religiously motivated incident, it appears to be one of self loathing. The Shooter based on some accounts was confused about his sexuality. He came from a culture that demonized homosexuality. No matter why it was still a hate crime. The reaction to the incident by the residents of Orlando was uplifting. Everyone came out to help, including holding a blood drive. Muslims, Christians, whites, straight, gay, and many others of all walks of life tried to help in this dark time.

There is a most heinous fallacy that pervades our society. That fallacy is we are more different than similar. Genetics like the DNA Journey proves otherwise. We have never been pure anything. We all are multiracial and multicultural even if we do not know it. Those who pull our cultural strings want us divided and fighting each other. We cannot allow there to be different rules based on race, faith, gender, economics, and so on. What message are we sending? As long as you are the right race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion and so on, you can do as you wish. That is serious male bovine defecation.

I come from a multiracial, multicultural, and multi-faith background as stated earlier. I do not see denying anyone a loving partner and the legal protections everyone else enjoys with regards to marriage as the right way of doing things. Extremists want us to fight; they win by controlling the narrative. ISIL/ISIS has attacked other Muslims, because they are heretics. I saw the same kind of extremism in evangelical Christianity as a young man. They decide who is true to their faith, based on their own biases. As long as nobody is hurting another we she just except them for who they are. Like the phrase goes, “United we stand, divided we fall.” The powers that be fear Unity and cling to division. We need to go to bat for are neighbors, even if we disagree in religion, politics, or way of life. People in glass houses should not be throwing stones. We are more the same than different. We want love, and to live to our best potential. To deny others the things we all need and desire because some notice difference is absurd. This has been My No So Humble Opinion.

The Best of 2016

Marvel’s Luke Cage

When I first heard of the slate of Marvel shows for Netflix, I was really excited for three of the five. Those were Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the Defenders. Power Man and Iron Fist was one of the first comics that influenced me. I am sad that we will not get the buddy show, pairing Luke Cage and Iron Fist together before Defenders. That is just me. This show fuses 70’s African-American Action Films with New Jack films of the 90’s, while paying homage to the Harlem Renaissance. The show runners understood what needed to be done and said. The show was being filmed before the Black Lives Matter movement, but it reflects it in the tone and subject matter. This was my most favorite TV show of 2016.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Everyone who knows me knows I am more a DC guy that Marvel. This show is such a wild ride in the DC Universe. First, one of the main characters is the Silver Age Atom, Ray Palmer. It also has had versions of Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Black Canary, and the JSA (Justice Society of America). This show was seriously in my wheelhouse. Season two has been as good in my opinion. It seriously mines the deep end of the DC Universe. I love its rollercoaster/mad ride elements.

Star Trek: Beyond

I enjoyed the 2009 Star Trek reboot, but was severely disappointed in the 2013 follow-up Star Trek: Into Darkness. Both films seemed lacking in something. They were missing an inherent element that Star Trek: The Original Series had. I was nervous coming into Beyond, but all my fears were for naught. This film was everything the Original Series was and were many of the films based on it. The missing elements were the depth of relationships, and not relying on action and special effects for the storytelling. Simon Pegg was able to get the right tone in the script and Justin Lin was able to get it all correctly on the screen. Lin proved to be as much a Trek aficionado as his screenwriter. It also was a great homage to Leonard Nimoy who we lost in 2015. It also is the last we will see of Anton Yelchin as Chekov with him passing in 2016. With the success of the film both monetarily and artistically, there is hope for this film series.

Shambling Guide Series by Mur Lafferty

Both books in this series, A Shambling Guide to New York (2013) and The Ghost Train to New Orleans (2014), were released before 2016. I did not read them till 2016, so they are here. This is about how Zoe, a human travel guide editor, finds herself writing a travel guide for Coterie, AKA Monsters. It is sort of like an Urban Fantasy Horror Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Mur Lafferty combines horror, urban fantasy, and humor for a wonderfully fun read.

Moana

Disney had three entries in 2016, Zootopia, Pixar’s Finding Dory and Moana. I was anticipating Moana for multiple reasons. First, it is a Pacific Islander tale. Second, one of the voice Actors was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Third, it seemed to be giving us another strong female lead. It was as good if not better than I thought. For the music it paired Lin-Manuel Miranda from Broadway’s Hamilton with Pacific Islander Opetaia Foa'i and Hollywood composer Mark Mancina. It was a wonderful fun ride.

A&A: The Adventures of Archer Armstrong

2016 saw the return of Archer and Armstrong at Valiant comics. The series starts with an adventure in Armstrong’s satchel, which is reminiscent of am AD&D Bag of Holding. It brought back the humor with the vast international historical conspiracies that are treated with the absurdity they deserve. It is everything that worked so well with the series’ previous incarnations.

Various Cooking Equipment

In 2016 I received an electric skillet, a tea infuser bottle, and a hand shredder. The skillet has been used on countless dishes since I got it. The tea infuser was received just before Christmas via a gift card from work. The infuser has made making tea easier, especially paired with the eclectic water kettle. The hand shredder is a hand held grater. The shredder was used in grating cheese, but also making noodles out of green papaya. The hand shredder makes longer shreds.

Elemental Masters Series by Mercedes Lackey

Back in the 1990’s, I read Mercedes Lackey’s Fire Rose. I have since learned she wrote more in that world with the series Elemental Masters. Fire Rose in not officially in the series, it is viewed as the first glimpse into the Edwardian world these books inhabit. I have completed the first three: The Serpent's Shadow, The Gates of Sleep, and Phoenix and Ashes. Each book including Fire Rose is based on a classic Fairy Tale: Fire Rose (Beauty and the Beast), The Serpent's Shadow (Snow White), The Gates of Sleep Sleeping Beauty), and Phoenix and Ashes (Cinderella). Lackey’s villains are so well written and are so evil. She explores the questions of equality in the regards of race, religion, gender and so on. I was glad to discover she continued to write in this setting.

Black Magick by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott

I discovered Greg Rucka, not through his Batman run or Batwoman runs. I discovered him through Whiteout, and Queen & Country. I again discovered him through his Image title Lazarus, a dystopian future series. Black Magic is a supernatural detective story. The tale is about Rowan Black, a witch and a detective. It is about a case in which the two halves of her life collide. This is just the beginning. The series is scheduled to return in 2017. I love both the mystical and police procedural in this book.

Doctor Strange

This was one of the Marvel Movies I was most looking forward to. For me Marvel has been the Mythic (Thor, Hercules, and so on), the Mutants (X-Men and related titles), and the Mystic (Doctor Strange, Blade, Brother Voodoo, Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, and the like). We have seen the Mythic and Mutants; it was great to see the Mystic. There were a few things I was concerned about, the Ancient One as a European woman, a third tier villain, and how they would explore the psychedelic realms of magic, which Steve Ditko drew so amazingly in the introduction of the character in the 1960’s. They relieved most of those concerns with the execution. Their version of magic is similar to White Wolf’s Mage: The Ascension. Magic is the ability to change reality. It is kind of like being able to hack and mold reality to your needs. The villain seen in the trailers was just the tip of the iceberg. I loved this and I cannot wait for Stephen Strange’s return.

David Walker (Power Man & Iron Fist, Cyborg, Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes, Shaft: Imitation of Life, Nighthawk, and Occupy Avengers)

David Walker started to gain momentum as a comic book writer in 2015. In 2106, he was hitting it like gangbusters. David has been a print film reviewer, an independent film maker (Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered, and Shafted/2004, Damaged Goods/2005, Uncle Tom's Apartment/ 2006, Black Santa's Revenge/ 2007, My Dinner with A.J./ 2011, The Day They Ran Out of Bullets/ 2012), a YA novelist (The Adventures of Darius Logan: Super Justice Force/ 2013), and recently a comics writer. His comic book writing credits include Number 13 (Dark Horse Comics/ 2012), Army of Doctor Moreau (Monekybrain Comics/ 2014), The Supernals Experiment (Canon Comics/ 2014), Shaft (Dynamite Entertainment/ 2014), and Cyborg (DC Comics/ 2015), and various one shots for various publishers. Cyborg in 2015 was his first on-going title. In 2016, he wrote Power Man and Iron first (Marvel Comics), Nighthawk (Marvel Comics), Occupy Avengers (Marvel Comics), Shaft: Imitation of Life (Dynamite Entertainment), Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes (Dark Horse Comics), and finished his run with Cyborg (DC Comics). I read all of his on-going and limited series works to the present. Mr. Walker is one very good author. He is a master at hitting one with the bigger issues without being preachy. He uses his knowledge of Blaxploitation films for works like Shaft and Power Man and Iron Fist. In Cyborg, he looked into what was machine and what was human when involving a hybrid of both. I cannot recommend his stuff enough. Try it folks, it is definitely worth the time.

Identity Revisited

I wrote Identity almost 4 years ago. After 4 years much has changed. I discovered what my sexual identity truly was after over 30 years of struggles. I discovered I had severe depression and anxiety disorders. I have come up with a label to describe how I do not fit in with the traditional gender roles. I am not as involved with the geek/nerd culture as I thought I would be, and I am fine with that. I have created a wonderful circle of friends that have become a great support to me. That circle keeps expanding. I left a job, was unemployed for 2 and a half years, and I am now reemployed in a rewarding field I am rediscovering. I am working to move into a new place with a more positive atmosphere.

I am still an Uber-nerd/geek, but my attachment to superheroes in comic book form has lessened to a great degree. I still love them in merchandise, movies, TV and so on. I have worked hard to trim down my Television watching. I felt it got too out of hand. I thought I could plug myself into existing Portland Nerd/Geek community circles and no problem. It did not happen that way and I am glad. I have created a couple of circles of my own. Some are close and some are casual.

I have made lifelong friends in so many people. Even though, I have non-White and non-Christian heritages, and I have various disabilities, due to my Caucasian appearance I have had White privilege. That realization was hard to swallow with my experiences growing up in a Blue Collar family and living in a lower economic neighborhood. I have experienced sizeism, ableism, and classism. However, I can do things that my friends of color cannot. I do not have to worry about certain behaviors in public and how to conduct myself with the authorities. Is this right? No, it is not. It is however how things are. It is my duty as a human being to fight for equality and equal opportunity for all human beings.

I have come to embrace the rich multicultural, multiethnic, and multifaith upbringing I had. I come from a very diverse gene pool. The heritages I know I belong to are English, Ulster Scots (Scots Irish), German, French, Dutch, Swede, Norwegian, Italian, Dane, Middle Eastern Jew, European Jew. Plus through cousins, aunts, and uncles there is Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Mexican, Welsh, North American Indigenous, and Puerto Rican. Knowing my family history there could be Irish, Scots, Spanish, Mexican, African-American, Welsh, Eastern European, and who knows what else. I also grew up near Mexican-American and Japanese-American communities in Southern California. I try to honor the cultures I do not come from, but not to misappropriate anything.

I learned I have severe depression and anxiety disorder. The depression has lessened to a great degree since I became employed again. The anxiety it seems stems from the various traumatic experiences I encountered as a child. Between the many surgeries for 0 to 16, the physical and sexual child abuse, and more recently the domestic abused I suffered, it is no surprise that my fight or flight responses are on the wonky side. I am seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist to get these issues under control

Milepost 5 on the Road to Wellness

December and January were tough months for me.  On January 29, 2106, I was weighed at my dietitian’s office. I ended up at 370 lbs. I struggled with dietary choices and keeping up my exercise regimen. Part of it was holiday indulgences. With my weight goal from a total weight loss of 50 lbs by January changed to 50 lbs total weight loss by April, things seemed more possible. My depression was also affecting my choices. Compared to a year ago it was still a marked improvement.

In January 2016, I did not eat as much fruit or vegetables, I also had a tooth pulled and had to lighten my physical excursion to minimal for almost a week. In February and March 2016, I increased my vegetables. I worked my best to add vegetables to every dish. With my daily yogurt, banana, and fruit smoothies I had fruit under wraps. To help with my digestive heath, I added chia seeds and flaxseeds to my smoothies.

I tried several new vegetables, in February 2016 (calabacitas/Mexican zucchini, and piquillo peppers) and in March 2016 (chayote/Latin American squash, and taro leaves). I chose Cuban style yellow rice over Puerto Rican Style. Puerto Rican yellow rice had rice, seasoning and annatto oil. Cuban yellow rice had garlic, onion, peas, and red bell peppers. I was choosing dishes with more vegetable matter than those without.

I have limited how much potato chips I eat. In January I made nachos and used pre-made chips instead of making my own. As a holiday gift I received some Omaha steaks. Those probably did not help. I did increase my seafood intake. In December2015, I had my stocking stuffers (canned octopus, sardines, and oysters), tonnato sauce (tuna, anchovies, lemon juice, olive oil, and capers) with cucumber noodles, and my monthly sushi. In January 2016, I made California roll nachos and had my monthly sushi.

In February 2016, I started making bagels and lox (cold smoked salmon) sandwiches and added shrimp to my family’s 7 layer salad recipe. In March 2016, I made inarizushi with shrimp, avocados, and spicy Japanese mayo. In April 2016, mom, who was visiting, bought some paiche. It is an Amazonian freshwater fish. It is huge, meaty, and delicious. I made several dishes with it.

The end of March 2016 and the beginning of April 2016 were eventful for my health. I had tried to get a more consistent mental health care. I had two choices the county and Lutheran Community Services. The county for the initial mental health evaluations were daily but only a handful a day. They were also first come first serve. With my depression getting up early to get there was difficult. The depression was causing me to experience insomnia. With open ended appointments, I fell victim to procrastination. I do better when told to show up at a specific time and date. I decided to go with Lutheran Community Services.  

The end of March 2016, I got my mental health evaluation. I finally got a diagnosis. I suffer from severe depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder. I am getting treatment. I am on a waiting list to see the clinician for pharmaceutical treatment. That is still better than what I had last year with no possibility of that kind of therapy. I have had tons of support from friends and acquaintances about my diagnoses and work to get treatment. I am currently looking to apply for disability in order to get out of my living situation. My depression, anxiety, and insomnia are making my job search difficult. I am not looking into permanent disability, just long enough to get me out of my situation and on the road to mental health.

At the end of 2015, I was encountering localized sourness on the left side of my chest. I had this happen in 2002. It turned out to be gynecomastia. This is the development of breast tissue in men. The first occurrence was due to medicine. I had another mammogram done in April 2016. I was clear of cancer. 1% of all breast cancer cases are men, so if you find a mass or have localized soreness, get it checked. I am very embarrassed by my gynecomastia. My ex was brutal in emasculating me about it. Now instead on being unilateral, it is bilateral, meaning I am no longer one sided. I would rather have my diagnosis than breast cancer.

In January 2016, I had my broken molar removed. I followed the directions to the letter and was able to avoid dry socket. The previous pulled tooth resulted in dry socket. I also had my problem wisdom tooth removed at the end of March 2016. I once again avoided dry socket like I did in January. It was not as painful as I had thought it would be. I think it having a cavity made it easier to remove. My jaw was sore and I had a dull ache for weeks. With my problem teeth removed, I should be doing better with eating. With the two problem teeth gone, I have any possible cavities left to deal with. My dental health is much better.

I was supposed to see my dietitian at the end of March 2016. She is no longer working for the hospital where her office was located when I saw her. I found out the day of the appointment. The hospital somehow did not inform me of the change that occurred two weeks earlier. This made me feel depressed. I backslid and ate three Hershey’s Whatchamacallits. The three candy bars in a sitting made me sick. I no longer can eat like I used to.

At the end of March, I was weighed by my primary care physician. I came in at 363 lbs. I was 13 lbs short of my yearly goal. Still I was able to lose and keep off 37 lbs. My goal weight for April 2017 continues to be 300 lbs. I had my ups and downs. I have had my lapses in following my dietary regimen lately. Overall, I have made to serious long lasting life choices. I am working on getting back to the better choices.

Kitchen Comeback Update 4

January 2016 ended with two Thai dishes. My second attempt at Thai peanut sauce was more successful. Adjustment is still needed, less red curry paste, more soy sauce, and more of the sweetener. The massaman curry was good, but again some adjustment needed there too. That I need to lower the amount of tamarind and lime juice just a tad.

In the beginning of February 2016, I made Tortilla Española, again. This time I used a smaller frying pan and half of the recipe. This worked out wonderfully. It looked and held together the way it was supposed to. I ate it with piquillo peppers, chorizo Español, and salchichon (Spanish salami). I had bought manchego cheese and Serrano ham, but I ate them the night before. I have been eating bagel and lox sandwiches with cream cheese onions, and capers in February and March of 2016.

My work to increase the amount of vegetables in my food continues. I worked with calabacitas (Mexican zucchini) in February 2016. In March 2016, I made chayote squash and taro leaves. The calabacitas were great and the taro leaves were amazing. I do need to adjust the amount of lemon juice on the coconut milk braised taro leaves. The chayote was made into a great hash. The recipe called for eggs. I removed the eggs since this was a dinner side dish. The hash had chayote squash, recaito, tomatoes sauce and some seasoning. With my inarizushi I made a cucumber namasu salad using the Veggetti device.

In February 2016, I made two spinach dishes; Indian Saag Paneer (Indian curried spinach with paneer cheese) and a Greek inspired spinach egg bake (spinach, garlic, onion, feta cheese and eggs). The Saag Paneer could have used a bit more heat. I made a variation of my Grandma Mac’s 7 Layer Salad. I made serrano pepper coleslaw and added vegetables to much to what I made. I chose the Cuban style yellow rice over the Puerto Rican version, because the Puerto Rican had rice, seasoning, and annatto oil. The Cuban style yellow rice included peas, onions and red bell peppers.

I made Hawaiian chicken teriyaki in March 2016. I over compensated with the amount of soy sauce. Using the juice from canned pineapple and lowering the amount of honey worked very well. The drinking pineapple juice I used the first time was too dang sweet. I also paired this dish with the coconut milk braised taro leaves. Uwajimaya in Beaverton and H-Mart in Tigard are becoming great resources of Asian and Polynesian ingredients.

I discovered a variation of the enchiladas Suizas, I have yet to do. That is adding sour cream or crema Mexicana to the salsa verde. I will try that next time. I am remaking dishes I forgot to take pictures of. Enchiladas Suizas was the first. The next was Cuban mojo marinated pork shoulder. I think the roast was slightly overcooked on the second go around. I also did a better pairing with the sides. I made Cuban style yellow rice and Puerto Rican chayote hash. I also did not remake the sauce. I used the discarded marinade, the roast pan drippings and cornstarch.

I worked to recreate my Grandma Mac’s hamburger hash. That was a fun experience trying into to make something from memory, actually my mom’s memory as well as my own. It was a great exercise in cooking. I also made another pot of beans this time using a ham hock. I prefer the smoked pork shank, more meat less salt and less fat. That is just my preference. I tried a variation of the serrano coleslaw. I removed the dry mustard and caraway seeds. I added the juice of half of a lime. It turned out to have the right balance of heat, sour, and sweet.

With saag paneer, inarizushi, Thai massaman curry, enchiladas Suizas, and the bagel and lox sandwich, I am making things I crave instead of going to a restaurant, deli, café, or diner. These are dishes I missed and wanted again. Some of them are still works in progress, others I have perfected like my tacos, chili con carne, and others.

January 2016

Rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce, ham and mashed potatoes, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and Thai chicken massaman curry with jasmine rice.

February 2016

Tortilla Española (Spanish tortilla) with Spanish chorizo, piquillo peppers, and salchichón (Spanish salami), cream cheese and lox bagel sandwiches with onions and capers, Saag Paneer (curried spinach with Paneer cheese) with basmati rice, enchiladas Suizas with calabacitas ralladas (shredded Mexican zucchini), shrimp salad (shrimp, avocados, spicy sushi mayo), crunchy tacos with homemade taco meat and serrano coleslaw, beef and bean burritos with homemade meat filling, spinach egg bake (spinach, onions, garlic, egg and feta cheese), 11 layer salad, ground turkey tacos with serrano coleslaw, beef and bean burritos, pork chops with rice and coleslaw, pork loin roast with coleslaw, peas and corn, and beans with ham hocks.

March 2016

Cream cheese and lox bagel sandwiches with onions and capers, turkey cheese bratwursts with mashed potatoes, Hawaiian chicken teriyaki with coconut milk braised taro leaves, chorizo and eggs with corn tortillas, inarizushi special (fried tofu pockets stuffed with sushi rice and topped with salad shrimp, avocados spicy Japanese mayonnaise, and sesame seeds) with cucumber namasu salad, hamburger hash, cucumber noodles with tonnato sauce, bean and cheese burritos, Cuban mojo marinated pork roast with mojo sauce, Cuban style yellow rice, Puerto Rican chayote hash, ground turkey tacos with serrano lime coleslaw, beans with ham hocks, eggs with hash browns, chili con carne and shoyu chicken with jasmine rice.

State of the Blog 2016

Since August of 2012, I have only had two non-consecutive months where I did not post a blog article. It has been 3 years and 7 months that I have been blogging regularly. In 2014, I re-edited some of my Shadowrun articles from my old Shadowrun website. I re-released those articles in another blog, he Sixth World Re-Visited. There were a finite number of those, but the blog is still up, even though there is no new material.

This year I decided to add a food/cooking blog. There I would discuss the individual dishes I have made in rekindling my love of cooking. I did not think Fumbling Forwards was appropriate for the recipe write-ups or in-depth food/cooking related discussions. It did feel appropriate with the new blog. In order to get caught up with my current dishes I posted and wrote daily. This was exciting and scary. I finished and got caught up on, February 23, 2016. I started the daily writing and posting project on January 17, 2016, so it took 5 weeks and 2 days to get caught up. Now I will write about the recipes around the time I make them.

That blog reached over 880 hits in its first two months. I decided to change the name of the blog’s Facebook Page to Fumbling Forwards Productions to include the Kitchen Comeback Chronicles, The Sixth World Re-Visited, as well and any other upcoming projects from me. The Fumbling Forwards Twitter feed is for all my blogs and future projects too.

I still need to get my fiction projects going. March 2016, saw my script I co-wrote for the Byron Chronicles produced into a new episode of that audio drama. I even did voice work for a bit part, MI-15 agent/Thug. That was the first fiction project I had finished in a decade and a half. There is a good deal going on in my personally life. My blogs, fictions, and other creative projects may take a back seat, to some of that. As always I will let folks know what is going on. Thank you for all your support.

Kitchen Comeback Update 3

I made something I always wanted to make from scratch, well at lest the sauce. That was rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce. It was good, but the recipe is not the right one for me. I found another that does not use quite as many salty ingredients and I plan to use unsalted peanut butter the next time. My second attempt at Filipino pancit and my third attempt at Grandma’s zucchini casserole were spot on. I perfected both of those dishes, which is good since they are childhood favorites. I am glad I now have great versions to make from now on.

I bought two of the Hungarian sausages from the German delicatessen. They were a tad steep in cost, so that will be something I do as treat every great once and awhile. I got a little burned out on the hummus, salsa, and tzatziki sauce. I toned that down the last few months. I still have the fixings for hummus and tzatziki sauce.

I did use the Veggetti to make cucumber noodles with a tzatziki like dressing, I liked it. I also used it to make cucumber noodles with tonnato sauce. I preferred it with the cucumbers. I made zucchini noodles with marinara and Thai cucumber condiment salad with cucumber noodles. The Veggetti is turning into a well used device.

I learned that veggie pizzas take longer to cook, otherwise they will get soggy. Last time I made Filipino adobo I thought the rice wine vinegar was too mild, I am going to try white or cider vinegar next time. When I made the zucchini noodles with marinara sauce they got too soft after blanching. I sautéed the zucchini noodles in the sauce as I warmed it. That infused the noodles with the flavor of the sauce and the zucchini noodles had the right amount of body to them.

I was really happy with my first attempt at my own chili con carne recipe. I added chipotle powder, ancho, powder, and Hungarian hot paprika to the recipe. I also added more cumin and paprika to it. The second attempt I used the identical recipe. It was a homerun. Next time I may add some guajillo chile puree. I started making bean and cheese burritos as a snack or meal. I use beans, cheese, salsa or taco sauce and pickled jalapeños. I ended up buying two jars of pickled jalapeños in December. My getting reacquainted with chiles continues. I used to eat pickled jalapeños on nachos growing up, but stopped in the last 30 years. That is when my tolerance for spicy foods started to wane. The last four or five months I have really increased how much heat I can handle. I tend to get things in the medium range. 

I finally did a holiday dinner. In the past I have made it following either my family’s traditions or that of my ex’s family. This year I went with Mexican dishes or Mexican inspired dishes. I made turkey breast roasted in banana leaves with guajillo marinade, pipián rojo de pepitas (a Mexican red pumpkin seed sauce), masa stuffing (stuffing made from masa harina {tamale/corn tortilla flour}), and esquites (Mexican roasted corn salad). There were a few tweaks needed to prefect the dishes, overall it was a huge success. The turkey breast was very moist. Next time I will use a little less lime in the esquites, more stock or broth in the stuffing, and guajillos instead of ancho chiles in the pipián.

January had some speed bumps. I made a salumi pizza (pizza with Italian cured meats). The first attempt stuck to the rack. The second attempt stuck to the baking sheet. The third worked out well, however the edges were a little on the dark side. The fourth was still a little dark but I think I got it ready for next time. I made Puerto Rican arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas). I was confused by the cooking direction and scorched the dish. Luckily I had enough to make it a second time. The second attempt the rice was a bit overcooked. The pegao, the crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pot or pan, was a tad dark, but my mom loved it. Third time, I hope will be the charm.

Since I started cooking again I have done the following family/childhood favorites: Quaker Oats meatloaf, Grandma Mac’s zucchini casserole (this one I perfected), 10 layer salad (a variation of Grandma Mac’s 7 layer salad), Filipino chicken pancit with mung bean thread noodles (AKA pancit sotanghon), Filipino chicken adobo, Filipino pork adobo, chile relleno casserole, Rick’s taco meat, shoyu chicken, and beans with smoked pork shank. I created my own chili con carne recipe. I found recipes for dishes I have loved as an adult: rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce, sopa de lima (Yucatan style chicken and lime soup), tzatziki sauce, roasted garlic hummus, picante sauce style salsa, pork chile verde, pipián rojo de pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seed sauce), tortilla Española (Spanish tortilla: egg onions, and red potatoes), Puerto Rican arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas) and enchiladas Suizas. 2015 was a banner year for my cooking journey. Yes, it was only 8 months of the year that is still two thirds of it.

The one thing I had missed with cooking from scratch is the constant experimenting. Be it with flavors or the cuisines of other cultures. I plan to expand my culinary horizons. There are other Filipino recipes other than the two I know how to make, adobo and pancit with mung bean thread noodles, and Filipino lumpia (AKA Shanghai egg rolls: a taquito sized egg roll), which I do not know how to make. I need to look into what else is out there. I plan to explore more with Mexican cuisine, Thai cuisine, Indian cuisine, Indonesian cuisine, Cuban cuisine, Puerto Rican cuisine, and so much more.

November 2015

Filipino chicken adobo with rice.

December 2015

Rick’s veggie pizza (marinara, mozzarella, parmesan, mushrooms, olives, green bell peppers, and pickled jalapeños), Hungarian sausage with mashed potatoes, quesadillas with chipotle powder, bean burritos (beans, green taco sauce, cheese, and pickled jalapeños), Filipino chicken pancit, rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce, tangy chilled avocado soup, smoked turkey sausage and mashed potatoes, turkey Polska kielbasa with mashed potatoes, toasted cheese sandwiches, zucchini noodles in marinara with parmesan cheese, Grandma’s Zucchini casserole, gazpacho Mexicano with lime and cilantro, cucumber noodles in tonnato sauce, toast points with tonnato sauce, zucchini in pesto, 10 layer salad, turkey breast roasted in banana leaves with guajillo chile marinade, pipián rojo de pepitas (Mexican red pumpkin seed sauce), masa stuffing, esquites (Mexican corn salad with roasted corn, cotija cheese, lime, cilantro, mayo, and Mexican hot chili powder), Rick’s red rice (rice, dice tomatoes, diced mild green chiles, guajillo puree, black beans, onion, garlic, and corn), Indonesian sweet pork with jasmine rice, and quesadillas.

January 2016

Quesadillas, bean and cheese burritos, Rick’s homemade chili con carne, California roll nachos, salumi pizza (salumi means cured or salted meats in Italian/ prosciutto, Genoa salami, capicolo, and pepperoni with mozzarella, parmesan, and homemade marinara), Puerto Rican arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas), quesadillas tradicionales (corn tortillas, Oaxaca cheese, and Spanish chorizo), zucchini noodles in marinara, and Thai cucumber condiment salad with cucumber noodles.

David Bowie & Me

I write this on the evening of January 10, 2016, I just learned of the passing of David Robert Jones or as the world knew him, David Bowie. Before I get to his accomplishments, I will get to my personal history with this musician, music producer, actor, and artist. Growing up in the seventies he was on the radio everywhere. At my Pentecostal Junior High, he was characterized by the teachers and school literature as one of the more morally corrupt rockers of the 60’s and 70’s since he was a self admitted bi-sexual. When I read about him I did not realized who he was based on his music till I was in High School. During that time my musical tastes were hard rock and metal. I loved his work from Space Oddity to the work in the mid 70’s. I was not a fan of his late 70’s to mid 80’s work, due to the genres David Bowie was working on in that period.

In college (1986-1988) at Forest Grove, Oregon when I was a Disk Jockey on KUPR, Pacific University’s radio station, I had a Classic Rock/ Oldies show. David Bowie was in serious heavy rotation. It did not hurt that the station had so many of his works on vinyl. In college I was experimenting seriously with music. When I immersed myself in his music, in college, I did not care about his sexuality. His work sung to me. I learned to love all of his work in college. I was the ultimate misfit in my mind, the genetic freak of nature. David Bowie loved freaks of all shapes, sizes, creeds colours, and endless varieties.

I have to admit David Bowie, along with another hero who just happened to be a friend of David Bowie’s, Freddie Mercury, taught me to accept all people for who they are. My credo is unless someone is doing harm to others and themselves I do my best to be accepting. In High School I started a path of rejecting some of the moralistic judgmental parts of my upbringing, by college and my mid-twenties the last vestiges of this were gone. I, to this day, see David Bowie’s work as instrumental in that path. As an adult I realized how he seriously influenced music from the 70’s on.

I saw many of his films: Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), The Hunger (1983), Labyrinth (1986), Absolute Beginners (1986), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Zoolander (2001), and The Prestige as Nikola Tesla (2006). Even if I did not care for the film his performances were always impeccable.

Let’s get to his musical accomplishments. First was the hit Space Oddity in 1969 followed by the albums Man Who Sol the World (1970) and Hunky Dory (1971). David Bowie helped usher in the Glam Rock era of the early 70’s with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders of Mars. He continued to experiment with rock, soul, funk, ambient, and electronic music over the years. He inspired punk, the new romanticism movement, Goth, new wave, alternative, electronic, ambient, industrial, synthpop, grunge, and so much more. Some of the inspiration was musical, some was style, and he inspired others with attitude.

He was behind the re-mergence of Lou Reed post Velvet Underground with Transformer in 1972. Lou had released a solo album prior, but it did not do well. Transformer blew the hinges off things. David Bowie and his guitarist Mick Ronson were instrumental as the producers of the album that helped Lou re-discover his voice. That album had Lou Reed’s best known classics on it: Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, and Satellite of Love. David Bowie had a long working relationship with Brian Eno. He helped Iggy Pop with his solo career post Stooges with producing and writing songs for the albums Idiot (1977) and Lust for Life (1977). He even co-wrote Under Pressure, his duet with Queen in 1981. In 1982, David Bowie worked with Nile Rodgers of Chic on the album Let’s Dance. The Post Disco era had been hard on Rodgers. Let’s Dance led to Rodgers producing INXS, Duran Duran and Madonna. David Bowie was an artistic advocate; he helped other artists he valued.

In 1988 he started the band Tin Machine, going back to his rock roots. In 1995 he worked with Eno again on Outside. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. In 1997 he allowed Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails to remix I’m Afraid of Americans. His last album Blackstar (2016) was released in the same month as his passing.

He was a true Renaissance man and artist. He did not allow himself to become stagnant in any musical style, he evolved with the times. No one ever thought he was irrelevant, ever. He was a true inspiration and innovator. I hope he will inspire generations to come.

Rick's Best Things from 2015

iZombie

iZombie is a Television program that debuted in March of 2015.  It is loosely based on a comic book series from Vertigo Comics by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred. It is the story of a Doctor becoming a zombie. In order for her to function she needs brains. This leads her to become a coroner to have access to these brains. One side effect of brain consumption is she is able to see the memories of the deceased as visions. She uses these to solve crimes that the decedents witnessed. One drawback is while the brains are in her system she exhibits personality traits of the decedents. This is almost a crime procedural version of the original concept. However, it works. They are doing a similar treatment to the Sandman version of Lucifer which I have a bad feeling will not work. The original source material was definitely not the crime procedural this show is, the main character does not have the same name either. This show is a fresh spin on zombies and the crime procedural. As of December 2015, the first season is available on Netflix.

Mad Max: Fury Road

2015 has seen several films returning to old film franchises: Terminator, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and James Bond. Surprisingly Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most successful in terms of character development and story. Unlike the other film franchises, all of the entries in this series were directed by the same director, George Miller. I loved this film. Even in the quieter parts of it, it did not feel like it was dragging. Miller kept the momentum and pace at of good level. He also knows these characters and this world. With all the controversy about decent female leads in Action films, this proves it is very possible. Even though Mad Max is the title character, it is Furiosa’s tale. It also melded practical effects with CGI in a seamless and spectacular manner.

Muse Drones

Muse is one of my favorite bands. In 2015, they released the album Drones. I have listened to it multiple times. I loved it. Psycho and Dead Inside were the first two songs I became acquainted with. With those, Mercy, the Globalist, and Aftermath are among my favorites on this album. My favorite Muse albums are still Black Holes & Revelations, and Resistance, however this is still a decent album, and my favorite of the year.

Big-Ass Sandwiches Brick and Mortar Location

In 2015, Big-Ass Sandwiches in Portland Oregon made the transition from food cart to brick and mortar restaurant. Their signature sandwich is a sandwich with the French fries in the sandwich. By going to brick and mortar, they were able to expand they menu. Now they offer Regular-Ass Sandwiches (sandwiches with the fries on the side) and Cold-Ass Sandwiches (sandwiches using all refrigerated or room temperature ingredients).  They offer two non-sandwich items, Brian’s Meaty Balls (their meat balls with pasta) and Homemade Mac and Cheese. I have been to the location a few times since its opening in June. The food is still amazing. They have vinegar based coleslaw that inspired me to do the same. I have always suggested people go with the weekly special that has not changed. With the menu expansion the special are no longer limited to sandwiches. I loved this place back in the food cart days and still love it in the brick and mortar.

Bitch Planet

Technically the first issue came out in 2014. It came out in December, I rarely think something is the best just based on the first issue. I did not read it till after January 1^st, 2015. For me, it is new for the year. A tale set in the future where all the progress in equal rights for women has been reversed to worse than it was before. Women who refuse to follow society’s demands of inequality are sent to prison for being non-compliant. It is written in the vein of the women in prison films and shows from the 1970’s. Kelly Sue DeConnick has written an angry treatise about the anti-women attitude in geek/nerd culture and in our society at large. She uses a dystopian future similar to the one seen in A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It is a wonderful look at where we could go if we are not careful.

Raven and the Writing Desk

http://chrislester.org/

I have been a fan of Chris Lester’s Metamor City Podcast. It was full cast audio dramas of his work all set in his Metamor City setting. That went on indefinite hiatus in 2011. He returned with a new Podcast Raven and the Writing Desk. This time it is his narrations of his stories including a few in non-Metamor City settings. Metamor City is what if a fantasy setting evolved into a world similar to ours. That is what you have with Metamor City. Chris Lester’s podcast also includes updates on his writing progress, public appearances, interviews with those in the Podcast fiction and self publishing world, and so on. I am glad he is back and he is even publishing his works again in E-Book format. It is well worth the time.

Best-Ever Cookbook by Bay Books (2007)

This book was published in 2007 and I have owned it for over 5 years. I never cooked from it till 2015, hence why it is here. So far there is not a single dud in the recipes.  Every dish I make I put in my culinary repertoire. These are also simplified version of classic recipes found throughout the world.  I have found more traditional versions of the dishes and I am more the likely to try those, now that I have found the versions in this cookbook. The top two I have enjoyed are the Sweet Pork and the Madras Beef.  I also made Lemongrass Beef and the Asparagus & Mushroom Salad. Will I make all 500 in this cookbook? Probably not.

In Ashes Born by Nathan Lowell

I have not hidden my love of Nathan Lowell’s writing. I was introduced to his work through Podiobooks, in which the author read his own work. The first series was Trader’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series. The series followed Ishmael Wang (pronounced with the long A sound, like Wong) a young man who found himself without family or a planet to live on. He became a merchant spacer on a merchant space freighter. The series followed Ishmael from mess attendant to the Owner of his own space ship and hauling company. This book is the first in the Seeker’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper. It follows Ishmael on his new journey. I loved it. Characters we had not seen since the earliest books of the first series return. The first series is leaving Podiobooks, find it and download it if you can. All of the books are available on Amazon in their Kindle store.

Heroes: Reborn

I am and have been a big fan of the Television program Heroes. I know that the later seasons were not as strong as the earlier ones, and they had some serious dropped plot threads. I still enjoyed the show, heck I still own it. When I heard they were going to air a sequel min-series, I was seriously intrigued. Personally I have not been disappointed by the new series. Certain characters have not returned, but the new story is engaging and a fun ride. HRG (Horned Rimmed Glasses) is back and so are many of the favorites. This new series had done some interesting things with the concepts of time travel and constructs. If you enjoyed the original, give the new one a try.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I liked the new Star Trek Movies, but they did not feel like Star Trek to me. This film felt like the original Star Wars trilogy. I loved it, but I do think the Director, did his usual shtick. That is in a derivate work he harkened back too much to the source material. It was wonder to see those touches, but it did seem like blatant fan service to me. Despite this, I still think it is a wonderful movie. It was dissimilar to Star Wars: The New Hope enough to make it enjoyable. There were twists and turns, expected laughs and thrills as well as the unexpected. It was great and definitely and infinitely superior to the prequels, which in and of itself is satisfying.

Snark Attack

Why do internet nerds and geek have to tear down and attack with snark things they have only seen in previews? Are they so afraid that the thing they are looking forward too is going to be bad that they might as well assume it will be? This all started with reactions to the Superman V. Batman and Suicide Squad Trailers, and one pop culture commenter’s impressions of the upcoming DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

It all started with the reveals of some of the DC characters that will make cameos in Superman V. Batman: Dawn of Justice. The cinematic version of Aquaman is no longer the blonde haired and blue eyed, he appears to look more like a Pacific Islander. The actor portraying this character is of Pacific Islander descent. The commenters on the internet had a conniption fit. I like the idea of more diversity. Since I am a fan of Alternate Reality fiction I enjoy twists on old concepts. This is that, but instead of going with the flow the internet trolls gathered to be unmitigated pain.

They said the film will suck, some said that when Ben Affleck was cast as Batman. When Jared Leto’s version of the Joker leaked on the internet, the trolls and fanboys said Suicide Squad would stink. These movies have not even been released yet. One was still in production when this all started. I understand having your opinion, but having an opinion before something even is released is uninformed and ridiculous. This is not new when Michael Keaton was announced as Batman fanboys were not happy, they were not happy when Heath Ledger was cast as Joker either. Both performances shut them the heck up.

Similar snarkiness was abound, before the release of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. They thought it would fail due to its obscurity. I mentioned in a previous article that Marvel seems to do well with obscure properties, especially true with the successes of Blade, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Big Hero 6. Judgments and assumptions were being made before the finished product was released.

Another possibility is now that their obsession has become popular with the mainstream, with the success of Superhero and other comic book based films and television, they do not feel like they belong to an exclusive club anymore. That is why some of their misbehavior to the newer fans. They now feel they have to be too cool and bash anything that deviates from their precious obsessions.

I read an article about the upcoming DC's Legends of Tomorrow. The writer spewed out late Bronze Age fanboy snark. He referred to the Silver Age Atom, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, and Firestorm as obscure. Obscure to the Mainstream audience maybe, and many late 80's to 90's comics book fans. Atom, Hawkman, Firestorm, and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman were members of the Justice League. Mind you the version of Hawkman and Hawkgirl they are using in the Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow are more in line with the Golden Age versions. The Golden Age Hawks were members of the Justice Society of America.

These characters in one form or another have had the own headlining titles. In my opinion that is not obscure, to me Booster Gold and Blue Beetle are more obscure than the Atom, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and Firestorm. With their appearances in Super Friends, both of the Justice League animated shows, and Batman: the Brave and the Bold, many folks are more familiar with the characters than previously. Rip Hunter, the Master of Time, and White Canary, I agree are obscure. Once again this is before the show’s premiere date, and the assumptions being made are based on the writer’s personal taste and experience. It ignores historical context. What is obscure to one generation is a huge pop culture franchise for another.

Here is an example, Captain Marvel (now referred to as Shazam) was so popular in the 1940’s that National Periodicals (DC Comics’ company name in the 1930’s to 1950’s) sued the parent company, Fawcett Publications, for copying Superman’s powers. Fawcett settled for fear of a prolonged legal battle. No one today would know of that popularity. Captain Marvel’s sales were over twice the amount of Superman’s. The settlement led to Fawcett getting out of comics. This also led to Marvel comics taking over the trademark of the name Captain Marvel. This is why his titles and more recently the character himself have used Shazam in the last 30 years.

It seems like these internet troll types and fanboys are unwilling to learn the history of their beloved obsessions. It is like they do not care that their ignorance shows. This problem seems to be rearing its head in many arenas in today’s society. Ignoring the past means you lack perspective. Also we seem to be in this weird era of celebrating and encouraging ignorance, which is sad.

There is a prevailing attitude of attack it in case it stinks, also is a lousy trend. I try not to make assumptions till the show, movie, or other media is released. Plus I do not care what others think, I like anything unironically. I like the Green Lantern film, but I was very clear to its shortcomings. I like both Ghost Rider films. I like the cheesy movie that is Billy Zane’s Phantom.

Overall I wait till something is out in public before making my decision. Bootlegs of stuff in post-production could be missing parts of it. Sometimes unfinished works get leaked, wait until is has been released properly. There have been films that were improved, because the director was unable to produce the film he wished and released it with his original vision at a later date. There are also a few cases where the studio was right and the later released Director’s cut was less than the original release. Remember Pop Culture is a personal preference.

It also seems that the level of discourse since the advent of the internet has seriously deteriorated. I believe this is due to the perceived anonymity. If they had to use their real names they would be afraid of repercussion to their snark and rudeness. However there are some with public identities that still spew venom and snark. Free Speech is not an excuse to be an ass and being told you are being a jerk is not an attack on your Freedom of Speech either. This Has Been My Not So Humble Opinion.

Milepost 4 on the Road to Wellness

In November I saw my doctor I weight 367, I regained 7 lbs. I was disappointed, but I had been eating too much potato chips and other junk food. The next week I saw the dietician and lost 2 more lbs getting to 365 lbs. I worked in November and December to cut my fast and junk food consumption again. I weighed myself on December 22, 2015 and I weighed 357. I may reach my goal a month or two late. I still have been walking three days in a row and one day off. I had a few bumps in early November but I got back onto the regimen. The plan is four days in a row of walking then one day off starting in January.

I have been having abdominal pain since June. I started to worry about the abdominal pain. I thought it could be a groin pull, but the pain was too high for that. My potassium was seen as low back in August, because of my new blood pressure meds. I had increased my potassium intake in October and continued it through the present. I had some tests, because I had a hernia as an infant. Those tests showed no new issues in that field. The soreness is overworking muscles, so I need to learn when to rest.

In October and November, I really worked on eating more vegetarian and vegan dishes. My cholesterol was high. I went to two to three red meat dishes to only four meat dishes period. That does not include my two or three nights out. I had previously converted ground beef dishes to ground turkey. Otherwise I am following an Ovo-Lacto-Pesco Vegetarian diet, so that means I am following a semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet. The term reducetarian fits more that I am working to reduce the consumption of meat. I am not being rigid, but doing my best to get healthier.

A result of the lowering of my intake of meats and starches is all of my size 56 waist pants are too loose. I seriously need a new belt. This is a good problem to have. My long term goal is 200 lbs. I may or may not get to 350 lbs by January, but the plan for 2016 is a 50 lbs goal for the whole year. I have to do this slow and steady. If I lose more next year I will be happy, but I am going to do everything in my power for 50 pounds a year. I hope to be at 300 lbs by next January.

I am working on my dental issues too. I have a broken tooth and two wisdom teeth causing issues. At the first dental appointment, my blood pressure was too high due to a migraine. I am scheduled for January 6^th for the broken tooth. It is currently broken below the gum line and there is swelling.

I have been also working to get more consistent care in counseling and mental health services. Since I started my new life I have been battling with serious bouts of depression. I have suspected for years I may have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I found a program that is more clinical, that last service provider was a University counseling center. That program I had to get renewed every 2 or 3 months. There was no guarantee I would have the same counselor, and after a year I would get a new one. This was not conducive to consistency of care.   

I am scheduled to get more tests, including calcium, kidney and liver function tests. I am doing my best to improve my health. I sometimes have to rest my regimen due to migraines, injuries, or illness. I have to just get back on the horse after these road bumps. I got to remember to keep moving and do let myself become stagnant. This is a marathon not a sprint.

Kitchen Comeback Update 2

In September, I continued my path in increasing the heat to my food. When I mean heat I mean as in spicy or piquant. The Mexican enchiladas Suizas had a wonderful kick to them. This started in June when I made the first batch of a Pace picante sauce copycat recipe.  This was hotter than I had planned. I did not stop using the salsa. Since, I have made a few things spicer than I used to do things.  I even have experimented with heat with Thai, Indian and other cuisines. I made coleslaw with Serrano chiles; I did not put enough in the batch, next time I have to use more. One issue I am noticing is that certain peppers have a large range of heat. Something that would be spicy in one batch could be milder next time. One batch of Carroll Shelby’s chili I added Hungarian hot paprika, ancho chili powder and all of the cayenne that came with the kit. It gave it some good heat.

I am also working to use less pre-prepared foods. I found a copycat Carroll Shelby’s chili con carne recipe. That will lead to my own personal chili con carne recipe. I made the mistake in September of using a pre-made marinara sauce for my vegetarian lasagna.  I later discovered how loaded with sugar it was. In October, I have made my own homemade marinara and froze it for future use. I froze some of my homemade salsa for future use too. The vegetarian tacos I made in November called for Old El Paso taco seasoning.  I found a copycat recipe and made my own, so as to avoid sugars. All the pre-packaged taco seasonings have sugar (and/or corn syrup) and MSG in them.

I am doing more improvising. I had leftover marinara, zucchini, and summer squash.  I added roasted garlic, onions and topped it off with parmesan cheese.  I referred to it as my low rent ratatouille, for true ratatouille I was missing eggplant, bell peppers and some of the herbs. It is funny how this improvisation came out of an experiment. Next time I make lemongrass beef or Thai chicken and lemongrass soup, the plan is to use the food chopper to make the lemon grass edible. It was too fibrous otherwise.

In November I changed my quesadilla recipe. Since October I have been using my toaster oven to make quesadillas. My recipe was simple cheese, flour tortillas, and Valentina hot sauce. In November, I replaced the hot sauce with chipotle powder, or chipotle powder and ancho powder. The smokiness of the chili pepper powder really gives it a kick and flavor with out the biting sourness of the vinegar found in the hot sauce. I have been adding the chipotle powder to many dishes to enhance flavor as opposed to salt.

Then after researching Mexican cheeses, I discovered that traditionally quesadillas are made with corn tortillas and without oil. Previously I was frying them in olive oil, but I found them too greasy. I tried them without the oil and using the cheese with the chipotle and ancho powders. They were not as crispy as I tend to like them, but I still loved them.

I experimented with more vegetarian and vegan dishes. This was due to the advice of my doctor.  I am working to eat healthier. I have a Veggetti device that turns vegetables into spaghetti or fettuccine shapes. I have a few ideas there like cucumber noodles with a dill yogurt sauce (tzatziki salad), cucumber noodles with a spicy pickle dressing (Thai cucumber condiment inspired salad), zucchini or cucumber noodles in tonatto sauce, zucchini noodles in pesto, zucchini noodles in marinara sauce, and a cucumber noodle salad based on bread & butter pickles. I was making more egg dishes as well.   

There are few dishes I really want to try out. They are noodles in Thai Peanut sauce from scratch, Mexican pipián sauce (a pumpkin seed sauce), Indian Saag (either lamb or paneer cheese), Puerto Rican tostones (twice fried mashed plantains), Puerto Rican arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas), Thai massaman curry, and homemade pesto. I also found a German delicatessen that makes their own sausages including Hungarian, and Polska kielbasa. I am thinking of picking a few up for a meal.

September 2015

Mexican enchiladas Suizas, Indonesian lemongrass beef with rice, Yucatan sopa de lima,

Rick’s vegetarian lasagna (zucchini noodles with garlic and onion marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and mushrooms), turkey Polska kielbasa scramble (turkey Polska kielbasa, eggs, hash browns, and onions), Rick’s low rent ratatouille (zucchini, summer squash, onions, garlic, leftover marinara sauce, and topped with shaved parmesan cheese),Vegetable medley (asparagus, carrots and potatoes) with eggs, and honey mustard chicken with rice.

October 2015

Pizza with homemade marinara (turkey pepperoni and skim milk mozzarella), chilled tangy avocado soup, turkey bratwursts with mashed potatoes, ground turkey tacos with Serrano vinegar base coleslaw, homemade salsa, Denver scramble (eggs, ham, green bell pepper, onions, Cheddar cheese, and hash browns), quinoa spaghetti in tonatto sauce (tuna, anchovies, lemon juice, capers and olive oil) garnished with parmesan cheese, parsley, and black pepper, Turkey ham with mashed potatoes, California scramble (Spanish chorizo, hash browns, onions, olives, Ortega mild green chiles garnished with avocado and salsa), Thai chicken and lemongrass soup with jasmine rice, Madras beef with jasmine rice, quesadillas with Valentina hot sauce, Carroll Shelby’s Chili con Carne with ground turkey (added garlic, corn, Ortega mild green chiles, diced tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, and onions), and Shoyu chicken with jasmine rice.

November 2015

Country link sausage with mashed potatoes, quesadillas with chipotle powder, Hungarian pan fried steak with Hungarian paprika gravy and garlic mashed cauliflower, spinach pesto pizza (pesto, spinach, sun dried tomato, feta and shaved parmesan), black bean and cheese burritos, turkey cheddar bratwursts with mashed potatoes, asparagus and mushroom salad (with red bell pepper, arugula, and a citrus dressing), corn quesadillas with chipotle and ancho powder, spaghetti squash enchilada boats, gazpacho Mexicano (Mexican gazpacho, the difference is jalapeño, lime, cilantro, and spicy tomato juice), vegetarian tacos with spicy crema, chile relleno casserole, homemade taco seasoning, and Rick’s ground turkey chili con carne (diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, Ortega mild green chiles, corn, black beans, and small red beans).

Not Acting My Age

Based on the Television, Films (mostly reruns on Television), and music I grew up with, people would think I was 10 to 20 years older than I am. I watched a lot of films on TV from the 30's to the 60's. Since I spent a lot of time in my youth in the Greater Los Angeles area which had 4 independent TV stations that means they did not belong to a network.  That also meant quite a good deal of reruns and films from before 1980. Fox launched in 1986, when I was in college. I was in my mid twenties for WB (1995) and UPN (1995). WB and UPN merged to become the CW in 2006. We did not get Cable till I was 14 or 15. In those days there were a lot of reruns on Cable too.  It was cheap programming.

Growing up in the seventies radio still played a good deal of music from the previous decade. Music had a longer shelf life. Pop stations in the early 80's still played music from the late 70's. I also got into music very young, at 7 or 8. This was partly due to my uncle who was 8 years older. He was also a musician.  Many of his tastes wore off on me (hard rock, classic rock, early metal, psychedelic rock, Southern rock, country rock, progressive rock, blues rock, jazz rock fusion and so on). I got into other music but 60's and 70's rock is my comfort zone. This is why the Soundtracks for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series speak to me. It is mostly late 60's, 70's and early 80's music.

All those old movies I watched led to an appreciation of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the Golden Age of Television. Many of the Legends from that era have left us in the last decade. As a kid I watched Tom Hatten on KTLA; he had a show called Family Film Festival on from 1978 to 1992. That is where my love of Danny Kaye, Hope & Crosby, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Gene Kelly, and more started. That show was a precursor to what AMC did in the 80’s till 2003 and what Turner Classic Movies does.

I previously discussed the shelf life of media being longer in the 70’s and 80’s. This period was the early years of video rental. With the advent of the internet, access to this has increased but there is so much to occupy our time. The classics get lost in the mix. In regards to music, many music video games like Guitar Hero, and Rock Band, the classics are reaching younger audiences. Films like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy help as well.

I have friends involved in the Classic Horror culture and Disney fandom. They too are about preserving the classics like I am. What spurred this particular introspection were two things, the release of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series’ Soundtrack and the passing of movie legend Maureen O’Hara on October 24, 2015. The songs on the Soundtrack hit my musical tastes head on. Ms. O’Hara was one of my few Hollywood movie crushes.

I am not saying my film, television or musical tastes stop there, but these are my foundations. I will always have the themes of I Love Lucy, Leave It to Beaver, or Batman ’66, stuck in my head. All of those and many others started and ended before I was born. Today, except for TV Land, rarely do you see shows on TV that are older than a decade, except maybe the Simpsons, which is still producing new episodes. CBS’s online streaming service includes many classic television shows. Hulu also includes many classic shows, and so does Netflix. With there being so many choices they as I have stated earlier get lost in the deluge of options.

Back in the 80’s I used to have exhausting discussions with people my age about the colorization of Black and White films. Let’s just say I was a film purist. Especially many films made in the 50’s and 60’s, that decided to be in Black and White for artistic reasons. This was especially the case with film noir. 30 years later that turned out to be an abysmal fad, however there are a few classics that are only available in the colorized version. A few films have purposely made black and white versions of the films, for example the Mist. It works, if done right and the right subject matter. Colorization still happens, but not to the degree it did in the 80’s and early 90’s.

I have noticed certain fandoms have been known to go back to the originals. Star Trek and Doctor Who fans are known for going back to discover the originals. Not all of those fans, but more than the average TV watcher today under 30. In my experience Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Disney, Horror, and Superhero fans are more likely to watch older, classic works. Some classics are kept alive by the Television Networks. The Peanuts, Dr. Seuss, and the Rankin-Bass TV specials are still shown, available streaming, or accessible on DVD and/or Blu-ray today.

We need to keep the classics alive, to do that we need to expose younger generations to these works, regardless of format. When a remake is made, we need to point folks to the original and start the dialogue. Back in the mid to late 90’s when I heard a group of kids lauding the talent of Marilyn Manson, I pointed them to the acts I thought he was borrowing from, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Ozzy Osbourne. In the early 2000’s I pointed kids into Hip Hop to Funk, specifically George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. Don’t be condescending or talk down to the kids.

This Has Been My Not So Humble Opinion.