the MSW Cooking Companion

Some (Christmas) Dinner Receipts ;
(Veggie) Pot on, Gas on low

As for an inspiring alternate receipts and also for some brief pause in-between our otherways pretty 'heavy' matter-of-fact writings, we now present some cooking advices. These receipts are mainly veggie foods; easy to prepare as soups and salads. Not solely for vegetarians and they can serve as main dishes (for lunch especially) but since its December we suggest these also as some additionals servings in the main (X-mas) menu.

Also, knowing that fx Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative (LEAD) has identified the livestock sector (= rancheries devoted to meat production, cattles maintenance and other such participants in the meat-chain, mostly) responsible for 18 per cent of global GHS-emissions (percentuages acc. to IFPRI-report Impact of Climate Change and Bioenergy on Nutrition(2007), measured in CO2-equivalent. The actual numbers may vary in reports and statistics but also other reports usually show meat markets responsible for something like 10-20 per cent from combined GHS-total.). So it would be not at all a bad idea to consider these (hopefully less common) veggie-pot cookings and mixed meals as compared to much beef-oriented diet. Besides, these are lot healthier.

Receipts are here presented in pics (along with other pics), they're not containing very many ingredients, but one can always use some imagination in preparation...

Beetroot Soup

(for 2 personnel)

This one's sometimes dismissed in synonymity of bortsch, but it's really based on Polish soup (I guess they call it barszcz...), though the original version may differ greatly from our own home-made soup...One can also use other vegetables in it, but the actual taste is best when made purely from beetroot, I think. Parsley as additional spicey goes fine with it.

(preparation:)

Peel and slice the beetroot, then grate them (to thin slices), next slightly few minutes fry slices in pan with butter (add sugar).

Use spices in amount according to taste. The suitable amount of black pepper is important for taste. Then pour along broth and let cook for 10 to 15 Minutes.

Vinegar should also be added according to own preferances (but it adds novelty in taste.) Pour off the (possible) extra water and serve warm. Cream / yoghurt(indian, fx) can be used to soften the taste of vinegar, fx.

(Green) Lense-Pot

(This is best perhaps as served with an accompanying food - as an additional extra for fish or chicken. But can be offered as main meal, too.)

First let the (dry) lenses lay in cold water (in fridge fx) for couple hours.

Then add in the pot a little olive oil. Cook pepper and/or onion in it. Next strain the water away from lenses and pour them to the pot.

Shortly after pour broth in the pot (+ add garlics in) and let cook in slow heat for about 20 minutes. Lastly add spices for few minutes to mix within and then just in before serving slice tomatoes in small pieces along with the lenses. Ready to serve as hot/or let cool first.

Green Beans Salad

First cook the green beans and maize (or use ready-made and defrost them). Leave them aside after draining the water off.

Slice onion and (if prefer to use) eggs for suitable pieces. Then take a bowl and add all these ingredients(+ olives) to it.

With a small bottle fx, shake (crushed) spices mixing them with olive oil. Then pour over salad and serve the resulting straight or keep some half an hour to coollen in refrigerator first.

Receipt:

200-400 g green beans

200 g maize grains

1/2 dl olive oil

4-8 olives (halved)

1/2 red onion

(1-2 eggs; if wish)

green and black pepper

(salt)

(1-2 cherry tomato)

---

Since we don't here offer any whole table sitting, the cook (of the house) is free to mix these experimental servings with other foods, if prefered. Also, these can be prepared in no time, with minimal effort to be served with (well, perhaps not bean-salad...) the most typical Christmas foods.

Also, because these don't contain any meat, chicken (excluding the eggs one can use in salad) or fish they can be easily added in part of the 'purely veggie' meal. For starters is preferable, but I suppose, solely vegetarian diet should also contain little larger portions in total. Anyone in favor of vegetarian diet can also of course select used ingredients according to tastes (we don't recommend stricktly veggie diet, but don't see that as any problem either). Some researches have noticed certain amounts of protein-rich meat in diet necessary for human evolution in needs of increasements in brain-capacity. Since it appears obvious that considering the planets current state, any further 'evolution' and such increasages would be of harmful kind, not beneficial ...besides, considering this from any reasonable point-of-view, no adult necessary needs to eat meat. However, for the children and growing ups we think certain amount of meat loaf recommendable (And it also has to be mentioned: your kids propably won't appreciate these meals very much...)

Happy X-Mas !

Muleskinner Book Recommendations #10:

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus
^{(written Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley;
possible text-editor/co-writer Percy Bysshe Shelley)}
(1818 version)

"God in pity made a man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid from its very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and detested." (Frankenstein novel, p. 175)

Having in passing touched the thematics of Frankenstein-novel and actually used it as source of some allusions in background to our recent Mammophant-article, it seems quite outright following if we here now also review book in question. However, this task fills us with plenty of uncertainties. 'Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus' easily counts among the most reused and most original horror-stories of all time. In addition to its many influences on later (romantic ) fiction, there's all this innumerable later references in the movies, comics, other popular fiction and even more secondary material available. Can we possibly say anything original in this recommendation?

Well, let's try anyway... Normally we don't much read other reviews from books chosen in recommendations here (on blog). If needed, something from fx writers biographies may be checked, but in general, we consider it better to avoid any criticism as these might have some influence to our own interpretations. However, on this case the usual zero-tolerance concerning the other reviews wasn't possible to maintain and we are also of course pretty well aware that there's number of later rewritings and discussions from books main content. Also, fx that famous Boris Karloff popularized filmographic image from the creatures outer looks(not much even described in the book itself) can't be left unmentioned. Continuing, there's as well many humorous 'pulp' characters based on Frankenmonster, like this similar well-known character from (recent) the Adams Family-serie. Among these later rewritings from monsters image, of course, one could ao include the many mixed species born from fictional inter-breedings of humans and robots, humans and aliens, and even more clearly the many birth-giving monsters and their descendants like some presented in the Alien-movie series. But if we think of original ity and imagination in this horrondous human-like creation, not later movie fiction has ever been able to invent anything similar, not even close.

So, considering all this renown co-existing stuff, it shouldn't appear too surprising that the book itself feels mostly rather typical gothic-romantic novel. Nothing especially enchanting in the style its written with; the story-telling is rather continously too much weighed on details not necessary important for the main story, too much romantically overdone sentencing and sometimes it gets even boring in all these typically romantic moods and phrases used in characterization or personnels inner feelings. Also, in backgrounds 'frames' for the story, the letters in the beginning of novel, diary-pages in the end, are rather conventional methods, typical in romantic fiction of the time like ghost-stories and similar. For some reason H.P. Lovecrafts later short-stories feel like a close comparison, though in Frankenstein the narration doesn't ever reach same the intensiousness. Ultimately, I conclude the text propably benefited a lot from Percy's additions in text, fx. the more poetic use of language and the passionate expressions.

What still makes this book an uncomparable classic, is of course the Frankenstein itself (creature, though in the book only person called by this name is the creator himself, Viktor Frankenstein). The nature of that strange human built creation(the revived 'monster') appears to be somewhat nature of the beast: ambigous like his masters, just enough unpredictable and as such, impossible to be ordered and used according to ones wishes. Sometimes, especially in the chapters where Frankenmonster recalls the first days after 'waking up in alive' its true nature is shown as deeply human and capable for feelings of caring and compassionate emotions. At this point in story, its innocence is actually already gone and it has caused and fulfilled some horrondous acts already. During some later parts the creature is seen as straightforward evil in nature, mostly viewed from Viktors opinion and as result (the main point in thematics as this ambivalence rest on criticism of the natural sciences at the time) he disagrees to be in debt to the creation resulting from his own deeds and causing therefore its eventual fate as an outcast among humans.

During Shelley's times as well as today the main strength of the book appeared possibly in that originality of the idea. There's been much (and ever more is) discussions and speculations from its real exemplaries; precursors and influences. Actually, often noted, the creature appear as some symbolical image from modern mans doomed efforts to change the sadness of his existence and the unchangeable laws of nature, exactly like a bad dream (Mary Shelleys dream it is mentioned to have originated) about the imaginable experiments the science should not even consider to make real.

As fictional character, the Frankensteins(creature's) fate and role in novel are eventually quite similar to later outsiders from existentionalist novels, typically Camus or Sartre's. He is without any power to change circumstances, doomed to stay as such outsider. But surely, he is also kind of Prometheus like depicted in books name. And in that the Frankenmonster originates actually from a lot older tradition. Its most closest relatives from the past – not necessary often mentioned, since this book is claimed to be some kind of starter and forerunner for stories from modern mans (and sciences) fears – the alchemists and wizards from the 'darker centuries' in the past. In spite of that Viktor in the beginning shows his keen interests on modern sciences realm and shows his clear rejectance for the depths of Fausts demonic visions, they are still there from the very beginning. And so the creature, like Prometheus who stole the fire for humans from gods up above, stands there on the edge of times, representing for the people some frightening 'dark sides' in the history of mysticisms and at the same time on-coming futuristic mad illusions arising from developments of science.

Conclusively, one can also say, the idea and literal form (of the book) must have had a much stronger impression to the readers of the romantic period (early 1800s) than it has for the present day reader, familiar with Frankensteins many later reincarnations. But, also noteworthy to mention, at the time of writing, Darwin's theory from evolution wasn't yet published and probably also the originality and novelty of human existence weren't that much indisputed. So, those are the main thematics which easily raise from reading the Frankenstein-novel. It isn't, even in its conventional style, easy to challenge from its place among the most horrondous books ever written. The role of Viktor Frankenstein (the creator), as an archetype from human scientists faults and miseries, appears just as secondary in importance concerning the books main contents. In later creations of the story it has also been so, though since the films more deeply need 'easy' heroes, usually Frankenstein (the hero) has been romanticed further and Frankenstein (the creature) nourished in characteristics (fx. compare that in the novel it even reads Goethe's Werther and Milton's Paradise Lost). Luckily, in the original book, (most) of the brilliance raises from the creatures apparent capability for human tensions, not from the creators lack of human feeling.