Saturday, June 12, 2010
Chat's American Grill Scarsdale
I have been wanting to try Chat's for months. You end up driving by this place, located in the back corner of Scarsdale, as you leave the main drag. Atmosphere is great. Inside there is live musice in an upscale Rat Pack enviroment. Outside
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Chrin - Horseradish Beet Sauce
I just whipped up a large bowl of Chrin (Ch = a guttal K sound) which is a traditional accompaniment to smoked meats during the Pascha meal. You will find this dish all over Central Europe. The recipe is simple and hot.
1 can beets (NOT pickled)
1 jar prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon
Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice. Drain the beets. Combine everything in a blender. Blend. Enjoy.
1 can beets (NOT pickled)
1 jar prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon
Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice. Drain the beets. Combine everything in a blender. Blend. Enjoy.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Questions of Transgender in Orthodoxy
A recent question at the New York Inter-Seminary Dialogue had me answering the question: “how are transgender individuals handled in your faith?” To be honest, this was something that had never entered my thought process until that moment. After giving pause to think and recall off the top of my head, I made the statement that those who choose to have gender reassignment surgery commit a sin that is definitely defined in canon law and, that further, it may be a sin against the Holy Spirit and thus, an unforgivable sin.
Wow, did I really go there? The more I think about this subject and, reflect on the canonical tradition of the Church, I think my off the hand comment might actually be the truth even though it sounds harsh. Before I continue I should clarify that I am only addressing those individuals who decide to participate in gender reassignment surgery because they believe they were created with the wrong gender. My thoughts do not apply to cross dressers, transsexuals, intersex, or drag individuals. In reality the style of dress is defined by culture and, some cultures would consider all Orthodox priests to be cross dressers since they wear skirts.
Let us first consider the opinions of the holy fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council. The first canon of the twenty issued at the council in Nicaea discusses how to handle eunuchs who are in holy orders. Those who were forced by medical reason or other cause should remain in holy orders, according to the canon, but, those who choose to remove healthy parts of the body should be removed. The Apostolic Canons speak of those who self mutilate as being a murderer of self. To show how serious an offense it is to self mutilate the fathers put a number of three years on the length of excommunication. While some might say “oh, it is only three year”, keep in mind that most offense list no prescribed length of time thus allowing the penitent to come back to communion as soon as the spiritual father see fit.
The most compelling support for my thought is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In it Paul states:
Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 COR 6:18-20)
Here Paul is linking our body to the Holy Spirit and, reminding us that our body is in fact not our body but rather, it belongs to God. Those who choose gender reassignment are going beyond what eunuchs did since they are not just removing a piece from the temple of the body; they are physically altering the temple of the body. So if our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul states, then by altering ones body is such a dramatic way the statement made is that the Holy Spirit is wrong. The accusation that the Holy Spirit is wrong is a blasphemy against the Spirit and Christ says that this sin is unforgivable (MAT 12:31, MAR 3:29, LUK 12:10).
When we consider what repentance from sin is, it is a turning away from that sin. If we mutilate and destroy that what God had created then how does one turn back from that sin? The canons speak of self mutilation as murder and, murder of oneself is suicide. Although our bishops have recognized that most suicides are due to mental defect, the same can not be said those who choose gender reassignment. If the person was not of right mind then no physician would ever agree to perform such a surgery and, the sin would never happen.
Long, and perhaps permanent, excommunication from the grace of the Church may sound harsh but, that threat is only made for the most serious sins. Compassion for individuals who wish to change their gender requires tough love and explanation on how that choice will affect them for the rest of their life. We can of course express this only to those who are inside the Church. I would also say that if someone who had participated in gender reassignment surgery wished to convert and enter the Church it would be permissible but, they would still be precluded from entering into holy orders.
This of course is all theologoumenon on my part and, merely a start of exploring a topic that has only become a reality in that last 25 years. As is often the case in seminary, we are asked to consider the possibilities of things that we may never be called upon to ever ponder again.
Wow, did I really go there? The more I think about this subject and, reflect on the canonical tradition of the Church, I think my off the hand comment might actually be the truth even though it sounds harsh. Before I continue I should clarify that I am only addressing those individuals who decide to participate in gender reassignment surgery because they believe they were created with the wrong gender. My thoughts do not apply to cross dressers, transsexuals, intersex, or drag individuals. In reality the style of dress is defined by culture and, some cultures would consider all Orthodox priests to be cross dressers since they wear skirts.
Let us first consider the opinions of the holy fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council. The first canon of the twenty issued at the council in Nicaea discusses how to handle eunuchs who are in holy orders. Those who were forced by medical reason or other cause should remain in holy orders, according to the canon, but, those who choose to remove healthy parts of the body should be removed. The Apostolic Canons speak of those who self mutilate as being a murderer of self. To show how serious an offense it is to self mutilate the fathers put a number of three years on the length of excommunication. While some might say “oh, it is only three year”, keep in mind that most offense list no prescribed length of time thus allowing the penitent to come back to communion as soon as the spiritual father see fit.
The most compelling support for my thought is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In it Paul states:
Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 COR 6:18-20)
Here Paul is linking our body to the Holy Spirit and, reminding us that our body is in fact not our body but rather, it belongs to God. Those who choose gender reassignment are going beyond what eunuchs did since they are not just removing a piece from the temple of the body; they are physically altering the temple of the body. So if our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul states, then by altering ones body is such a dramatic way the statement made is that the Holy Spirit is wrong. The accusation that the Holy Spirit is wrong is a blasphemy against the Spirit and Christ says that this sin is unforgivable (MAT 12:31, MAR 3:29, LUK 12:10).
When we consider what repentance from sin is, it is a turning away from that sin. If we mutilate and destroy that what God had created then how does one turn back from that sin? The canons speak of self mutilation as murder and, murder of oneself is suicide. Although our bishops have recognized that most suicides are due to mental defect, the same can not be said those who choose gender reassignment. If the person was not of right mind then no physician would ever agree to perform such a surgery and, the sin would never happen.
Long, and perhaps permanent, excommunication from the grace of the Church may sound harsh but, that threat is only made for the most serious sins. Compassion for individuals who wish to change their gender requires tough love and explanation on how that choice will affect them for the rest of their life. We can of course express this only to those who are inside the Church. I would also say that if someone who had participated in gender reassignment surgery wished to convert and enter the Church it would be permissible but, they would still be precluded from entering into holy orders.
This of course is all theologoumenon on my part and, merely a start of exploring a topic that has only become a reality in that last 25 years. As is often the case in seminary, we are asked to consider the possibilities of things that we may never be called upon to ever ponder again.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Super Bowl Party
We are one week away from the greatest holiday that America Celebrates, the Super Bowl. As you might be aware I am a little bit of a Colts and having grown up in Indianapolis I wanted to share some ideas for Super Bowl food to serve at your party in honor of the Colts.
First on the drink side. Get some Blue Curaçao and use it as a replacement for any drinking that needs triple sec. Make some Blue Margeritas or Long Islands Ice Teas (use Sprite instead of coke) or some other island concoction. Beer is always a classic for Super Bowl Parties but if you are outside of Indiana it is almost impossible to find any of the local Microbrews like Upland or Brugge. If you are really in search of Indiana Beer then take a gander over at www.indianabeer.com and check out some of local scene and maybe they can ship to you.
No Super Bowl Party would be complete without food. I will be the first to admit that it is hard for Indianapolis to compete with New Orleans when it comes to food. Mayor Ballard of Indianapolis took a lot of flak for putting up St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail as part of bet but since New Orleans is all about shrimp but St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail has become an institution and the Shrimp Cocktail is something that everyone loves to share without of town guest to see the reaction. So no Super Party with the Indianapolis Colts would be complete without a little Shrimp Cocktail St. Elmo's Style.
Of course the recipe is a secret but there are a couple of ways to going about creating a similar dish and they all involve FRESH Horseradish. You want to create a tomato based cocktail sauce; you can use a jar from the grocery as your base or make your own base from scratch. Whatever you decide to do the secret to St. Elmo's sauce is fresh grated horseradish and lots of it. I would say a good ratio is for every 1 cup base sauce use 1/2 cup of fresh horseradish. Add a dash of lemon juice and then toss your cooked, chilled shrimp in the sauce. If your eyes don't water then you need to add more horseradish.
As for other food ideas, check out my previous blog about Indy Pizza. Gourmet Pizza with quality toppings that are over the top, make them yourself and don't expect Pizza Hut to cut it. If you have been wanted to ad a deep fryer to your kitchen this is the occasion. People in Indiana love to deep fry everything from Pork to Snickers. Corn Dog, Deep Fried Deserts like Elephant Ears, and candy bars are all fair game for the menu. If you decide to deep fry a dessert item I would suggest freezing it and then using an Elephant Ear type batter to coat it. Great items to consider doing this to are Ding Dongs, Twinkies, Snickers, Milky Ways, and 3 Musketeers.
The crown jewel of deep fried cooking in Indiana is the Pork Tenderloin. Pound out a deboned pork cutlet, give it a nice buttermilk bath and then apply your favorite breading and deep or pan fry. Place on an Egg Bun with some pickles and mustard and you have an instant Hoosier Classic.
Enjoy the game and GO COLTS!!!
First on the drink side. Get some Blue Curaçao and use it as a replacement for any drinking that needs triple sec. Make some Blue Margeritas or Long Islands Ice Teas (use Sprite instead of coke) or some other island concoction. Beer is always a classic for Super Bowl Parties but if you are outside of Indiana it is almost impossible to find any of the local Microbrews like Upland or Brugge. If you are really in search of Indiana Beer then take a gander over at www.indianabeer.com and check out some of local scene and maybe they can ship to you.
No Super Bowl Party would be complete without food. I will be the first to admit that it is hard for Indianapolis to compete with New Orleans when it comes to food. Mayor Ballard of Indianapolis took a lot of flak for putting up St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail as part of bet but since New Orleans is all about shrimp but St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail has become an institution and the Shrimp Cocktail is something that everyone loves to share without of town guest to see the reaction. So no Super Party with the Indianapolis Colts would be complete without a little Shrimp Cocktail St. Elmo's Style.
Of course the recipe is a secret but there are a couple of ways to going about creating a similar dish and they all involve FRESH Horseradish. You want to create a tomato based cocktail sauce; you can use a jar from the grocery as your base or make your own base from scratch. Whatever you decide to do the secret to St. Elmo's sauce is fresh grated horseradish and lots of it. I would say a good ratio is for every 1 cup base sauce use 1/2 cup of fresh horseradish. Add a dash of lemon juice and then toss your cooked, chilled shrimp in the sauce. If your eyes don't water then you need to add more horseradish.
As for other food ideas, check out my previous blog about Indy Pizza. Gourmet Pizza with quality toppings that are over the top, make them yourself and don't expect Pizza Hut to cut it. If you have been wanted to ad a deep fryer to your kitchen this is the occasion. People in Indiana love to deep fry everything from Pork to Snickers. Corn Dog, Deep Fried Deserts like Elephant Ears, and candy bars are all fair game for the menu. If you decide to deep fry a dessert item I would suggest freezing it and then using an Elephant Ear type batter to coat it. Great items to consider doing this to are Ding Dongs, Twinkies, Snickers, Milky Ways, and 3 Musketeers.
The crown jewel of deep fried cooking in Indiana is the Pork Tenderloin. Pound out a deboned pork cutlet, give it a nice buttermilk bath and then apply your favorite breading and deep or pan fry. Place on an Egg Bun with some pickles and mustard and you have an instant Hoosier Classic.
Enjoy the game and GO COLTS!!!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
What is Indy Cuisine? Answer = Pizzology
A number of years ago when the Colts went to the Super Bowl the question was asked what is Indy's signature cuisine? We were playing Chicago and they had two easy answer the Chicago Dog and the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Some people suggested steak but every Midwestern American city makes that claim so scratch steak. The one that seemed to get picked up by all the big chef's on the TV networks was the art of deep frying, in particular hot dogs covered in corn bread. This fits historical stereo types but does anyone in Indianapolis know of a restaurant where they serve corn dogs besides BW3?
Living in New York has taught me how to judge a signature food item. NY has two of them just like Chicago; Pizza and Hot Dogs. In NY the Pizza is thin and served by the slice, very big slices. It is simple sweet red sauce, cheese and a few toppings. There is of course the White Pie, but you have to be in Brooklyn to find a good version of this mozzarella cheese upon ricotta cheese cut with olive oil creation. The hot dog debate is all based on who makes and prepares the best version of the long narrow Kosher frank and it comes down to Gray's, Sabrett's or Nathan's. The point I am making is that for an item to be a signature item it means that several places have to be producing a great product and there is a debate as to who is doing it the best.
Thanks to my recent visit to Pizzology ( http://www.pizzologyindy.com/ ) I am now confident that I know what Indy's signature food is, the Artisan Pizza. To understand how I came to this conclusion we need to look at the history of Pizza in Indianapolis. First there was Bazbeaux ( http://www.bazbeaux.com/ ) introducing Indy to the fact there were more to pizza toppings then just cheese and pepperoni. For a long time this was one the place I took out of town guest to wow them. It opened up their ideas of what pizza could be, for many of them it was their first place they tried shrimp, pineapples or feta cheese on a pizza.
Bazbeaux gave birth to Some Guys ( http://someguyspizza.com/ ) and the debate began as to who has the better pizza. Since then the scene has been joined by places like Jockamo ( http://www.jockamopizza.com/ ), WB's ( http://www.wbpizza.com/ ), and Za's ( http://www.zapizzeria.com/). I don't include places like Arni's or Union Jacks on this list because I don't think they qualify as Artisan, they are just good pizza but don't represent what I am now calling Indy Pizza.
Indy Pizza is a double entendre because while it indicates type of pie found in the Indianapolis area it also describes the pizza itself, independent ownership (say no to chains!) and independent thought (they are creative in how they build their pies). So this brings us back to Pizzology, Neal Brown's ode to Indy's signature food.
My meal started off with the Chop Salad. Light Italian dressing allowed the focus of the salad to be the cheese and olives. The ingredients are a great combination together but each one was flavorful and unique to stand on their own merits. The lunch special sounds like the best deal in town if you get this as your salad.
Next came the pizza, My Kentucky Rome. Simple in ingredients: crust, white sauce, cheese (taleggio), arugula, prosciutto, and figs. This leads to a complex taste of that salty sweet that is the ultimate in umami. You can tell that the ingredients are picked with care and thought out to give the eater the best taste combination possible. While this cuisine is a far cry from that found at L'explorateur, Neal's previous restaurant, the concepts that made that place the best food in town are found at Pizzology.
You can debate who has the best Indy Pizza in town, I have my answer; Pizzology.
I will be writing more about Indianapolis' signature cuisine (including St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail) if the Colts make it to the Super Bowl. If any of my New York media people need an Indianapolis food expert for a cooking segment I am ready to go!
Living in New York has taught me how to judge a signature food item. NY has two of them just like Chicago; Pizza and Hot Dogs. In NY the Pizza is thin and served by the slice, very big slices. It is simple sweet red sauce, cheese and a few toppings. There is of course the White Pie, but you have to be in Brooklyn to find a good version of this mozzarella cheese upon ricotta cheese cut with olive oil creation. The hot dog debate is all based on who makes and prepares the best version of the long narrow Kosher frank and it comes down to Gray's, Sabrett's or Nathan's. The point I am making is that for an item to be a signature item it means that several places have to be producing a great product and there is a debate as to who is doing it the best.
Thanks to my recent visit to Pizzology ( http://www.pizzologyindy.com/ ) I am now confident that I know what Indy's signature food is, the Artisan Pizza. To understand how I came to this conclusion we need to look at the history of Pizza in Indianapolis. First there was Bazbeaux ( http://www.bazbeaux.com/ ) introducing Indy to the fact there were more to pizza toppings then just cheese and pepperoni. For a long time this was one the place I took out of town guest to wow them. It opened up their ideas of what pizza could be, for many of them it was their first place they tried shrimp, pineapples or feta cheese on a pizza.
Bazbeaux gave birth to Some Guys ( http://someguyspizza.com/ ) and the debate began as to who has the better pizza. Since then the scene has been joined by places like Jockamo ( http://www.jockamopizza.com/ ), WB's ( http://www.wbpizza.com/ ), and Za's ( http://www.zapizzeria.com/). I don't include places like Arni's or Union Jacks on this list because I don't think they qualify as Artisan, they are just good pizza but don't represent what I am now calling Indy Pizza.
Indy Pizza is a double entendre because while it indicates type of pie found in the Indianapolis area it also describes the pizza itself, independent ownership (say no to chains!) and independent thought (they are creative in how they build their pies). So this brings us back to Pizzology, Neal Brown's ode to Indy's signature food.
My meal started off with the Chop Salad. Light Italian dressing allowed the focus of the salad to be the cheese and olives. The ingredients are a great combination together but each one was flavorful and unique to stand on their own merits. The lunch special sounds like the best deal in town if you get this as your salad.
Next came the pizza, My Kentucky Rome. Simple in ingredients: crust, white sauce, cheese (taleggio), arugula, prosciutto, and figs. This leads to a complex taste of that salty sweet that is the ultimate in umami. You can tell that the ingredients are picked with care and thought out to give the eater the best taste combination possible. While this cuisine is a far cry from that found at L'explorateur, Neal's previous restaurant, the concepts that made that place the best food in town are found at Pizzology.
You can debate who has the best Indy Pizza in town, I have my answer; Pizzology.
I will be writing more about Indianapolis' signature cuisine (including St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail) if the Colts make it to the Super Bowl. If any of my New York media people need an Indianapolis food expert for a cooking segment I am ready to go!
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