Winding up again, with Cabrito!

As a fellow chef in Canada I know would say; I have been “nose-down, tail up” busy, but I had a great experience a couple of nights ago here in Monterrey, Mexico that I had to take a moment and blog about.

My colleague and Mexican country manager Jaime took me to Restaurant Gran San Carlos. The specialty of the house? Cabrito or roasted baby goat. This is the specialty of Monterrey and the surrounding state of Nuevo Leon. At Restaurant Gran San Carlos they serve it al Pastor which is a method where the whole carcass is opened flat and impaled on a spit. The spit is then placed next to a bed of coals and roasted slowly. No seasoning is used other than the light scent it absorbs from the charcoal.

The meat from all areas of the goat is then served with tortillas, lime and salt as well as a homemade salsa made with the extremely spicy chili piquenos. We had offal wrapped in intestine then some of the leg and finally the equivalent of goat "ox tail" with some of the rear ribs attached. I was stuffed and very satisfied. We paired the cabrito with an Argentinean Malbec; not bad.

Below are some shots of the Cabrito and the chilies used in the salsa.

Colborne Lane Hors D'Oeuvres List

foie gras + huckleberry + confit lemon + grand marnier jelly
rainbow trout + asparagus + sour cream + purple sorrel
calamari + caramelized peanut + asian pear + mango
beef crudo + black olive + smoked cheddar + puffed mushroom noodle
fromage frais + lemon curd + lemon pearls + blueberry
iced coffee bombs

Oh what a night!

So I had a very exciting last night in Canada last week. I had the opportunity to see Ferran Adriá interviewed in promotion of his new book A day at elBulli. He was one cool cat, de-bunking the term molecular gastronomy by explaining that scientists are involved in all manner of food production and preparation today. Whether it is the engineering of all-purpose flour we bake with at home to the construction of a frying pan for the simple frying of an egg. Ferran pointed out that all cooking is technically molecular.

He took only one question from the audience but it resulted in an interesting answer; a young man asked if he started his far-out creations with the creative idea and then brought it to reality or if he started with a normal dish and then made it creative. He had a bit of a philosophic answer and my heart sank when he said (I’m not kidding) “there is no such thing as truth, everyone has there own truth…” but I understood the context he meant it in, which was that of flavor preference (we’re talking aesthetics not ethics). He went on to say he thought anyone whose job is solely to be creative is of little value, “creative directors” for example can be deemed unnecessary. He closed by explaining that last point with this thought “if one of my creative team members does not come in, life goes on, if the dish washer does not show up, everything stops.”

We followed up the interview and book signing with a reception and dinner at Colborne Lane. The chef at Colborne Lane did a stage at el Bulli and his cuisine shows the influence of Ferran. Dehydrated, frozen, powdered, crystallized and liquefied foods were never presented so well. One of the coolest presentations is the “iced coffee;” a frozen white “ice cube” of white chocolate with a molten mocha center that disappears in your mouth as soon as you eat it! The foie gras bombs were also amazing, like a soft and savory, melt-in-your-mouth lollipop. Calamari extruded and fried like Mexican churros were a thought provoking munchie. Probably one of my favorites was a perfectly cooked olive crusted lamb chop –wow!

So I owe a big thank you to John and Nicola. They turned me on to the event and provided great conversation at dinner. John and I have been trading chef-dialogue for quite some time. He recently turned me on to this website. He is a huge fan of the molecular culinary movement as am I. His Pacojet Appreciation Society should give you some good insight to this particular niche of our industry. Thanks again John for thinking of me! I will catch you on the next trip through Toronto.

Truth is not tolerent.

Truth. Take a moment and define the word.

What did you come up with? Was it a hard fast description of reality that is objective and unbiased for everyone? Did you find yourself asking “hmmm, what is truth for me?” Did you find your mind wandering into some Matrix-like meta-physical daydream of perception and how you look at reality versus how others do?

Dictionary.com’s first two definitions are; 1. Actual state of a matter 2. Conformity with fact and reality. If you follow their link to the definition of “reality” you find; 1. state of being real or fact. When you link to the definition of “real” you get; 1. True. Despite this seemingly simple and logical circle of thought, if you click on the “related topics” link along the left side of the page from the definition of truth or reality, you will get a long thread of postings where claims are asserted that there is something other than objective reality and truth. It seems many think this conformity to fact and reality can be interpreted differently byway of one’s perception.

It is an unfortunate incremental degradation that has advanced in education that the term truth is no longer taught as an absolute. The phrase “what is true for one, may not be true for others.” is scary when you understand the implications. If that statement holds “true” then the statement itself has no foundation. If everyone held to a position that everyone else’s position could be accepted as truth and thus reality we would have no solidarity in life to cling to.

When two mutually exclusive ideas butt heads one of them has to be wrong. Truth is a reality immune to perception and interpretation and only is exactly as it is.

Back in the saddle...

Wow, the last month or so has flown by. I got a little too pre-occupied to post. Work has ramped up in the R&D in the kitchen, I created some really cool plates for our Canadian, Mexican and Middle Eastern locations. I unveiled them to the franchisees at the Wynn casino in Las Vegas last week; good reception. Tuesday night 75 of us went out to eat at Daniel Boulud's Brasserie, it was the best executed catered dinner I have eaten. I peeked in the kitchen and said hello to executive chef Wess who was really hospitable.

The best meal last week was at Alain Ducasse's Mix. This sits atop THE Hotel at Mandalay and has an awesome view of the strip 60+ stories high. I did three course's with the kitchen responding to special requests (we mixed and matched some plate set-ups and protiens.) The foie gras was great and I had it paired with a glass of Sauternes; an over-done classic but still one of my top 3 favorite things to eat on the planet. The side of fresh morrells was the best thing I had eaten in a month, they were FRESH. I had a macadamia and pistachio crusted halibut for an entree, little extras like parmesan foam made it special.

Prior to Vegas I also had a chance to get to Napa Valley twice more in the last month in a half. Ate at old favorites; Bouchon, Tre Vigne and of course a burger at Taylor's Refresher. Had some wine and snacks at Go Fish one evening, a short walk from the old El Bonita where I normally stay. A real treat on the last trip was getting turned on to Bistro Jeanty; this is a great place to eat for foodies. They serve French classics like pig's trotters, veal kidney's and...wait for it...roasted bone marrow-yay! My apologies to Keller but I will walk on by Bouchon from now on to Bistro Jeanty. We did make the obligatory late night stop at Anna's Cantina for a draft PBR and to throw a couple of dollars in the cieling too (you'll know if you go.)

It seems all this time at home for the first half of the year left some travel to make up for in the back half. So it is back in the saddle, or economy plus exit row if I can help it, and out of the country I go. Alex and I find it a bit harder to be apart when I am at home for so long but it makes us appreciate our time together that much more. So it means I write this post from Toronto but it also means some quiet evenings alone in a hotel room to catch up on some apologetics studies and blog posts. More thoughts soon, stay tuned...

Following Bourdain’s Lead…

So there I was in Singapore…this trip was purely culinary in its purpose. The idea; the Singapore government would host a group of chefs and food writers for the sheer intent of spreading the global word that they have yummy food. I was glad to oblige.

In preparation for such an excursion I began reading up on the subject as well as recording what I could on Singapore food from TV. One particularly interesting TiVo-find was an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations, Singapore.” In this episode our witty, world-traveling chef eats in the famous Singapore Hawker stalls, dines with Singapore’s own celebrity chef, Kf Seetoh and eats bone soup – yes, bone soup. All the while he is pontificating on the culinary heaven that is Singapore.

I enjoyed his video-journal of the country so much I wanted to see it exactly the same way he did. The result was an absolute and complete success. Hawker Stalls, check! Kf Seetoh, check! And yes, bone soup, check! The last, and I am not joking here, was my favorite most memorable checkmark on the list.

The hawker stalls are an amazing part of Singapore life. Singapore, to begin with, is a very western friendly country to visit; Asia-light, as I have heard it called. Most of the locals speak English as it is a national language and there is little crime for fear of the strict punishments that follow. So now imagine a tourist friendly mix of Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian cooks lined up in a strip mall of stalls all cooking the one single dish they are best at making. The motto and philosophy here is; one cook – one dish, perfect every time because, for most, they have been making nothing but that one dish their entire lives. Add to this experience the best local knowledge and play-by-play food commentators that Singapore has to offer (Seetoh and Violet Oon) and you'll find it hard not to travel through this country like a pac-man after a super pellet.

So then there was bone soup, or Sup Tulang as the locals call it. This dish is far enough out of the box that the locals don’t eat it regularly and the guides didn’t think of bringing it to the attention of our group of locust-like chefs – I corrected them. After seeing the intriguing clip in Bourdain’s show I had to try it and hounded our tour guides until they acquiesced to find some. This dish is a masterpiece; perfectly stewed bones with succulent tender bits of meat and cartilage all in a spicy and savory/sweet red soup. The best part is the soup is served with a straw for sucking the marrow from the long slender bones, a chef’s delight! Indeed, ask most chefs and they will tell you the reason the saying goes: “Suck the marrow out of life.” is because marrow is really good stuff.

I love Singapore. I would even say a trip there would qualify as one of the life-marrow sucking experiences the saying I mentioned describes. So thanks Anthony for the tip, and to the rest of the world; Singapore really does have yummy food. If you want to begin visiting Asia, Singapore may just be the best place to start. Just be sure to bring an appetite and don’t forget your straw.

What watch in what field?!?!

Not sure how many people reading this fall into the category of regular “Finding watches in fields…” readers but I thought I might take a moment to explain the title of my blog for anyone finding themselves here now and again and wondering about it. My wife, and I am sure my parents, who read the blog have probably assumed it has something to do with my affinity for nice watches. While that would seem likely, and I do find all of the watch-related titles for the various components of my blog page fun, it isn’t the inspiration for the title. No, the title is a reference to the philosophical writings of a fellow Apologia-driven Christian thinker. (See 1 Peter 3:15)

William Paley (1743-1805) wrote works in defense of theism and Christianity that achieved great popularity in the 19th century. His most famous illustration was that a reasonable man will admit that experience establishes that the intricate and connected parts of a watch can be produced only by an intelligent designer. If evidence suggests that the workings of the present universe are more complicated and interdependent than those of a watch, then a reasonable man must conclude by analogy, that it is highly probable that God exists as the designer of the universe.

Paley’s argument is usually presented by asking the listener to imagine they are in a field and stumble across a watch laying there on the ground. The idea is, as described above, to have the listener realize the probability that the watch did not always exist there or evolve there or come about as the product of some small explosion or lightning bolt. I also find myself many times and in many ways in wonder of this life and this world and all of its intricacies and interdependencies and think; “there IS intelligence to this design.” Thus, as suggested by my title reference, I hope through posting thoughts and ideas related to this world, that someone may stumble across them (like a watch in a field) and wonder about the motivation and legitimacy of their creator.

Outing a friend...

Ok, I've seen enough...read enough...for goodness sakes I've worked with her for at least 6 months now! I am doing it! I am outing Addie Abu Sadda! She is funny!!! Listen to me really, if you want a laugh- I mean really a good belly jiggling full-on chuckle just check out this link;

http://littlewomenmomma.blogspot.com/

Addie,
If this doesn't make you want to blog again then I don't know what will...

Hope you and Ben are enjoying your well deserved vacation...NOW BLOG!!!

Inspired writings from last year...

With my Back to the Cross

I experience joy.
I experience bliss.
With my back to the cross,
I will witness to this.

I experience loss,
And life filled with sad stories.
With my back to the cross,
I still witness His glory.

I will never question.
I will never doubt.
I will keep my back there,
For I know the turn out.

I experience freedom.
I learn of success.
With my back to the cross,
I feel God’s peaceful bless.
---------------------------
With His back to the Cross

I read of His story.
I read of their hate.
With His back to the cross,
I imagined His fate.

I read of His rising,
His return is forthcoming.
With His back to the cross,
He will show us His loving.

He never wavered,
To stop or to doubt.
He put His back there,
His back did not give out.

I know that he loves me.
I know that he cares.
With His back to the cross,
He shows me He’s there.

An Observation While Traveling

People do not wash their hands.

This is one of the most repulsive realities I witness on a regular basis. In and out of airport restrooms as I am; I have never witnessed so many people practicing such poor sanitation practices. This is a very likely culprit for why people so often get sick while traveling - far more likely in my opinion than simply breathing the air in the planes.

Maybe it’s my culinary food safety training that cues me into this. I guess people don’t realize the amount of bacteria that gets on their hands when in a public restroom. I mean you find e.coli and fecal coliform on money, keyboards and handrails so why do people think any surface in a restroom would be different?

The Discovery channel’s Mythbusters once did an episode where they tested the myth that airborne toilet-water droplets would land on your toothbrush and carry “poo-particles” with it. They found that not only could they culture the bacteria found in poo off of the toothbrushes in a normally used bathroom but also off of the control toothbrush that never came any where near a bathroom. Scary, huh?

Now consider that on a normal person’s hand at a normal room temperature these bacteria double every twenty minutes! We’re talking exponential growth! Human hands that have been even slightly contaminated and are not washed within four hours could potentially carry enough bacteria to sicken a person. In the case of small children, the elderly or someone with a lowered immune system it could have the potential to kill.

Then there are those that think they are ok if they simply run their hands under some water before they leave a restroom. People, what is the last thing you touch when you rinse your hands? The faucet knob. What is the first thing everyone touches after they have “done their business?” The faucet knob. This is why those of us clued in turn off the water with a paper towel while you gross germ spreaders think we’re just displaying an OCD. The (sick) joke is actually on you!

I wish there was an activist group that would stand outside public restrooms and humiliate everyone who leaves without washing their hands. Maybe I’ll start one…World Activists for Stronger Hygiene or W.A.S.H!

Winding back up...

Well I need to get this ball rolling again, it has been too long! It seems the longer you let a blog sit the harder it is to start posting again. I literally have a clog of ideas, happenings and thoughts that I feel like I should post.

Since May I have been to Hawaii, Singapore and the very exotic Portland, OR. All of them were outrageously great trips.

Hawaii was our first anniversary trip, compliments of travel miles and Hilton points.

The Singapore government paid to take me on a tour of their cuisine. It was mind-blowing. More about that later…

A chef’s conference took me to Portland. Portland is a great town, a little granola but nice. I got to visit some wineries (superb Pinot Noir) and tour some farms; Hops and Hogs! The weather was beautiful, the food was great and Portland is a big city with a small town feel which I love. We had a reception one night at the Pittock Mansion; just a bunch of chefs, great food, wine and cigars in an early 1900’s mansion with a great overlook of the city.
http://pittockmansion.com/

Profundity and the Death of Cynicism

I felt it again last night. A somewhat emotional, but enjoyable appreciation for a gathering crowd, appropriate music and yes…ceremony. It is a feeling I can only blame on maturity and one I would never have admitted only two or three years ago. Alex and I went to a Memorial Day celebration and I really enjoyed it.

I explain it this way because for so long my motto was one of cynicism and (what I thought was) cool. I used to scoff at pomp and circumstance. I explained ceremony as humans’ over-emotional involvement to life events that, in the large scheme of things, were meaningless. I took my mantra so far as to skip graduation ceremonies, (including most of my own) birthdays, funerals and weddings.

When Alex and I decided to marry she put her foot down that we would have a white dress, cathedral and cake-wedding with all the music and ceremony that tradition dictates. I begrudgingly took part muttering when asked for opinions something like “Great, what is that going to cost?”

Something happened to me the day of the wedding however. As I stood in tux and tails in England’s oldest cathedral, trumpet voluntary blasting on the organ and my family around me, Alex appeared looking as beautiful as I had ever seen (in a dress I had never seen.) I stood feeling very proud of all of it. I felt love for my family, excitement for my future with Alex and profoundness at the awesomeness of this tradition and ceremony so many before me had also felt. I got it. Now one year later I have another feeling about that day I never expected to feel; nostalgia.

Last night I had a similar experience; Alex and I and a couple from church sat on the lawn of the WWI memorial with 40,000 other middle-American families to celebrate Memorial Day. The weather was beautiful and the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra was there playing American themed music, the last surviving WWI survivor was there to be saluted they even brought in a B-list movie star (Keith David) to read a few patriotic monologues. We celebrated with traditional American food like burgers and fried chicken, corn-on-the-cob and kettle corn. The whole evening was capped off with KC’s largest firework display complete with military cannon salutes all while the orchestra played.

I sat there in my lawn chair watching families of various ethnicities play around me, holding my wife’s hand and really enjoying the weather the music and the show. It hit me again the profoundness of it all. I actually thought in my head how the prayer we all sing and say and probably take for granted has been answered big-time; God really has blessed America. As I felt the emotion and connection to my God, my family and the land I love I couldn’t help but enjoy another thought and say a prayer of thanks; God has blessed me too.

Ramblings on reading and the news today

My Bible study was cancelled this morning, so I took the time to play with Sam in the backyard and catch up on my daily readings. I am reading Jeremiah and still in the first 35 chapters of gloom and doom. It was interesting timing because as I went back upstairs to shower Alex had CNN on and they were talking about a pastor who thinks Jeremiah’s prophecies foretold the holocaust. Alex asked what I think of that…

Well at first I thought it completely ridiculous, I told her I thought that Jesus died for our sins as an intercession, basically buying us time to repent in this life so there would be no need for the punitive action of God until final judgment. Suffering in this life is simply a by-product of the free will we are given mixed with a very real evil force that permeates secular life. Later I wondered if I had been too quick to cast the notion aside. Could Jeremiah have been prophesying about the holocaust and the restoration of the Jews in 1948? Could God not use evil in this life as a vehicle for what could ultimately be good according to His plan?

First let me point out that the whole idea of the Jewish nation needing to be judged and punished and then restored through a process of affliction and agony paints a picture eerily like what Christ did for each of our punishable sins to restore our nature – interesting!

But back to the question: was Jeremiah talking about some historical event that we have already seen (like the assault by the Babylonians or the Nazis in the holocaust) or a future event that still has not fulfilled this prophecy?
If the first is true, as I understand the verses in Jeremiah 30, we are missing some of the finality and incomparability of circumstance described in verse 7. The Jews were enslaved and attacked by Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, the Greeks and the Nazis each one would seemingly disqualify the previous as to any claim of fulfilling the Jeremiah prophecy in chapter 30. If another event as big or bigger happens it will disqualify the last (holocaust) if it isn’t already disqualified by a previous event. We also know of prophecies surrounding the End of Days where Israel will be involved with unifying the nations under some false leader (anti-Christ,) maybe this is what verse 11 refers to.

I am no expert on this and have not made up my mind about what I think. I am sure my soul does not hang in balance over which side of this issue I stand. As for the pastor on CNN, I wish he had been given better context for his statements.

My Last Great Meal

I was relieved, as a chef, to find a really decent place to get a gourmet “fix” nearby KC in Lawrence. This is not to say we don’t have good restaurants in Kansas City, we do, but once in a while as a chef you really want the good stuff; truffles and foie gras and offal all expertly prepared, ingredients flown in from opposite coasts served remarkably fresh in the same meal, even mundane vegetables prepared in a new and exciting manner can all play a part in this special foodie “jones” we get. Find a place that does a couple of those things well and few foodies can resist spending a lot of hard earned foodie-dollars on the “goods.”

The relief came when I was introduced to Chef Robert Krause and family who operate an exclusive little high-end eatery out of their house!! Yes, depending on the week Robert and one sous chef will prepare a meal for one seating of up to 30 people on specific chosen nights in the Krause family home. Call ahead and grab a spot and you can (for $80) eat a pretty terrific 6 course meal. Another $50 and Robert will pair each course with a wine from what proved to be an excellent cellar.

My first experience there went something like this;

1st course - Smoked Muscles and Oysters mixed with Dungeness Crab and Micro-Greens, topped with a Blue Point Prawn
served with a Pinot Grigio
2nd Course - Corn Meal dusted, first of the season Soft Shell Crab served on Carrots and Radishes with a Moroccan Spiced Aioli and Turmeric Sauce
served with a Gewurztraminer
3rd Course - Risotto of Mushrooms made with White Truffle Butter topped with a Parmesan Crisp and surrounded by a Garlic Nage and Balsamic Gastrique
served with a Pinot Nero (I think)
4th Course - Lamb Chop with Rhubarb Demi Glace served with housemade Gnocchi and Pistachio Pesto
served with Rock Block Syrah
5th Course - Rhubarb Soup with Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and Goat Cheese Cream
served with Prosecco Spumante
6th Course - Chocolate Soufflé with Chocolate Ganache and Chantilly Cream
served with Vintage Sherry

The picky eaters need not apply as there is one menu served per night and you find out what it is when it is served to you. I won’t be making “midnight-flights” to Lawrence often but it is nice to know it is there for long stretches off the road. If you want a serious meal experience I do recommend: http://www.krausedining.com/

No apologies...

I host a men’s bible study every Friday at 6:30 am (yes A.M.,) this week’s was fun with great discussion. Sam made some small barking noises when Mike arrived which gave me hope that he is getting comfortable and “owning” his home. He is going to be a great guard dog yet!
I also introduced the guys to a new study series we may start called “Foundations of Apologetics” by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. The 1st volume (of 12) is Introduction to Apologetics: Conversations that Count. It is presented by Michael Ramsden, a passionate evangelist and apologist who in this first volume examines the biblical call to give an apologetic and considers the method and manner in which we should strive to give a defense for the Christian faith.
Both the guys there this morning verbalized interest in this series once we are finished with our current study of the book of Acts. This will give me a chance to go through the first one or two volumes and determine the best way to adapt the study to our morning meetings.

If you are not familiar with apologetics it is not what it sounds like in word or definition. To give an apologetic is to give a defense of what you believe and has nothing to do with apologizing. Those that are familiar know what I mean. The word “Apologetics” is a branch of Christian theology which upholds Christ’s charge to every follower to be prepared to defend what they believe;
1 Peter 3:15
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
From this text the Greek word for defense is “apologia” thus the theology becomes “Apologetics.”

I have encountered some Christians who are wary of this line of thinking as they fear it somehow “cheapens” their faith; that they don’t need to “prove” what they believe and that faith is not an intellectual exercise. I understand that faith is the main component of salvation but I still live in the very real secular world where that faith is challenged constantly from many angles including my own questioning mind. In order for me to fuel my faith I must be able to make sense in my head what it is I believe in my heart. Apologetics is a way to answer not only your own doubts but to be able to engage others when they question you. I have also encountered those that accuse apologetic thinkers as proselytizers or that their goal or motive is to “convert” non-Christians. It is not about conversion (or coercion) but how to respond to questions in a purposeful way and engage in meaningful discussions where one can share what it is they believe and why.

Not the only one to notice...

In reference to my previous post Alex pointed out a couple of articles to me.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the Dallas Morning News where Jeffrey Weiss says;

"Tony Stark, wealthy hedonist is nearly killed and gets a "new heart" (more physically obvious in the movie than in the comic) by someone who sacrifices his life so that Tony can live. Tony takes the power of his "new heart" and transforms his values and the way he lives his life and becomes a true hero. Does that resonate with any other story you can think of?
Many Christians put particular emphasis on Ezekiel 36:26: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
The creators of the Stark/Iron Man character, and whose origin story is broadly tracked by the movie just about scene for scene, were writer Stan Lee, a mostly secular Jew, and artist Jack Kirby, also Jewish and more religious than Stan. I can't imagine, though, that either of 'em was thinking about Ezekiel at the time.
And having interviewed Stan a couple of times, I am tee-totally sure he had zero intent to make any explicitly religious point. OTOH, mythmakers draw from the culture where they live. So who knows what corner of the zeitgeist inspired Kirby and Lee back then?
Bonus tip: Stan, who is still very much alive, has had cameos in the Spider-Man and Fantastic Four movies. He's here, too, for a nanosecond. Keep your eyes peeled for "Hef."

Iron Man a must see (and think!)

Alex and I saw Iron Man Monday night = AWESOME!! I think second to Batman Begins this is the best comic-based movie that I’ve seen.

As is usual with storylines written by or influenced by Stan Lee (the chairman emeritus of Marvel Comics and Exec. Producer on the film,) there are some very thought-provoking themes of purpose and ethics evident in this movie’s story; Midway through the movie after he has survived several life-threatening situations Tony Stark tells his assistant, Pepper, that he feels he is still alive for a reason; “I have a purpose…in my heart I know it is right.”

What I really love about this is the underlying tenets of the character’s statement;
· He acknowledges a greater plan and purpose for himself thus acknowledging a higher power or authority above his own relative desires.
· He acknowledges a sense of what is right and wrong thus acknowledging a moral law above his own relative preferences.
· He also determines that his purpose (to do “right”) is somehow related to his continued living thus inferring said higher power has intervened in order to see said plan/purpose carried out and further, it seems, he gained a moral compass or basis for said values “in his heart.”

I don’t know about you but I find it really cool when someone (even a fictional character) expresses the very real evidence of God’s influence and moral law. It is a powerful idea to have subtly communicated in such a popular medium.

Spicy Beef Layover

So I sat in the Chicago airport for a couple of hours tonight on my way back from Toronto. I managed to dodge a bullet from a previous flight; I was originally scheduled through Washington but my instincts kicked in to change flights the minute a mechanical check had been announced. I was the only one who stood up and changed flights when the lady at the check-in counter announced a “slight delay due to a nut that needed tightening on the hydraulics.” I watched the departure board from the security of my new departing gate as my previous flight’s “slight delay” went to 30 minutes, then an hour, then two and eventually the flight was cancelled. I later learned the connection in DC also had problems and was cancelled; chalk one up to travel experience.

Knowing a two hour layover in Chicago was immanent my mouth was already watering for one of my favorite Chicago foods; the Italian beef sandwich. Tell my wife that I was in the Chicago airport for an hour and she will tell you what I had to eat. If you are ever in the Chicago airport and have some time and a desire for a great food experience it is not to be missed. Look for Billy Goat’s Tavern in the food court of concourse C. Order an Italian beef either “sweet” or “spicy” depending on your pepper preference. What you will get is a tasty Chicago classic. As with many culinary greats there are only a few components to this sandwich but together they make one great big flavor experience. The sandwich consists of thinly shaved beef heated in au jus and then slapped on a hoagie. The hoagie is then partially dunked into the au jus to soak the bread with beef flavor. Finally either sweet peppers or spicy giardinera (hot peppers and spicy pickled vegetables) are placed on the shaved beef. The sandwich will require a lot of napkins and if one is familiar with the “Philly stoop,” the stooped over position in which you eat a real Philly cheese steak so as not to get the cheese whiz all over you, you can implement that technique also. Good hot beef, great au jus flavor and really nice spicy peppers and vegetables never went together so well. I wish I had one right now. There is always next time…

Sam is Home

I received a call today that our lost dog had been found. He was not really so much lost as had run away from home. You see, this dog, Sam, was a stray for the first two years of its life and we were only just beginning to “convince” him of how good life could be with a home. He never quite bonded completely when an opportune moment presented itself for him to get away. He had been circling our house and the neighborhood for five days as if he knew there was a safe home for him there somewhere. Once he was away the “call of the wild” seemed harder to resist for him than the home that could protect him. Even though we were only trying to help him he would not allow us to come close to him despite various attempts and close encounters.

As my wife, Alex, and I were driving around looking for him, we were reminded of an analogy used by Lee Strobel in his book “A Case for Faith;” During a discussion with a non-believer Lee tried to explain how we as humans can sometimes not see the big picture; that God has a loving plan for each of us despite the current hardships we may be experiencing. He describes a scene including a bear and a hunter. The bear has been caught in a trap and the hunter is trying to help set the bear free. The bear does not understand and so is aggressive towards the hunter. The hunter must subdue the bear in order to help it out of the trap and moreover has to push the bear further into the trap in order for the trap to release the bear. Lee draws the comparison to how even the difficulties in our lives have purpose under God’s master plan. We, like the bear cannot always see the bigger picture of His grace surrounding the events of our lives. Just like the bear in Lee’s story, my wife and I knew our new dog misunderstood why we were chasing him and was unable to know our good intentions.

Sam has made me reflect on my own naivety in the past. How many times did I “circle the house” while God called for me? Why was my “call of the wild” so convincing for so long? What did it take for me to realize how good life can be when you live content by His plan?

Fortunately for me and Sam, we have both made it home.