Mabon Beef Stew

Mabon Beef Stew

Recipe by Justine Greene

Ingredients

• 2.5-3lbs stew beef, cubed into bite size pieces
• McCormick’s Steak Seasoning
• Dried Oregano – I use approx. 1-2 teaspoons on meat & again on veggies
• Dried Thyme – same approx measurement as oregano
• ½-1 cup Flour
• EVOO – drizzle for meat
• Veg Oil
• 3-4 carrots, peeled & chopped into bite size pieces
• 2-3 celery stalks, peeled & chopped into similar size pieces to carrots
• 1-2 leeks, sliced & chopped (soak in cold water to remove grit)
• 10-12 baby ‘bella mushrooms, cut into halves & quarters to bite size
• 3-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock, room temperature
• 1 bottle light beer, such as Blue Moon – added to stock, to make 3 cups liquid – or – 1 bottle red beer, such as Killians or Pete’s Seasonal Brew for the Fall – or – 1 bottle dark beer, such as Guinness
• Worcestershire sauce – 2-3 good shakes of the bottle into liquids
• 2-3 cups water, just to cover
• 4-5 red potatoes, cubed into bite size pieces
• salt to taste
• cornstarch/water slurry – 1/4 cup cold water with 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

All seasonings to taste

Instructions
season beef with steak seasoning, salt, drizzle of EVOO & dust evenly with flour. Allow to come to room temperature; chop root veggies (except potatoes) while allowing meat to come to room temp & marinate in EVOO & seasoning.
Heat stew pot; pour 1-2 tablespoons veg oil in bottom & allow to heat. Brown meat in batches; set browned/seared meat to side. Do not allow juices to run off plate; reserve juices with meat.
Add a little more veg oil to pan. Sauté till soft-the chopped veggies & ‘shrooms. Season veggies with Steak seasoning, oregano & thyme. Toss 1-2 garlic cloves into pot in last couple minutes. Add tomato paste & stir into veggies.
Add meat back to pot.
Add liquids & re-season with salt & pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer; allow to simmer, covered, for approximately 20 minutes.
Chop potatoes in last 5 minutes. Add potatoes to the pot; bring back to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Allow to bubble away for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft to fork.
Mix cornstarch slurry (cold H2O & cornstarch.) Remove 1/2 cup stew broth from pot & blend in slurry, and then add back to pot, to thicken. Allow to bubble away for another 7-10 minutes, uncovered, to thicken slightly.
Serve with crusty bread & butter.

Cook’s Notes
I designed this recipe for Mabon, so I incorporated Fall harvest root veggies & Leeks. You could substitute/add onions, parsnips, etc. You could also substitute the beef with cubed lamb, prepared in the same manner. Any meat that is from a herd animal, basically, as Mabon is one of the Harvest Sabbats; the meat would be from animals that were slaughtered in preparation for the coming Fall and Winter, to stock larders when meats and vegetables were on short order while the Earth is at rest. I would not recommend any form of fowl, as the beef/game meats lend a level of complexity to the flavors appropriate for Mabon foods. However, if allergies/tastes/eating practices do not allow for red meat/game meat, throw in what you’d like. For an all veggie version, you might try full grown Portobello mushrooms, cut into cubes, lightly breaded as above, with the gills removed before breading. (The gills can lend a bitterness to the flavor when cooked over a long period of time.)

Serve with the same beer used to make stew. Conversely, replace beer with good red wine, or a merlot, for a deeper flavor. If carbs/complex sugars are at issue, do not use the flour on the beef & do not use as many root veggies. Remove potatoes entirely & consider replacing with gluten free/low carb orzo pasta to help with thickness, heartiness & texture. Do not remove cornstarch from recipe if possible, however, as it is the primary thickening agent. Could consider replacing with arrow root, possibly, but I have not tried that replacement.

 Happy, Healthy, Blessed Mabon; don’t forget libation & a serving from your own plate for the Lady & the Lord, after your feast/meal. And of course, if you have familiars, letting them lick the bowl is a nice gesture, too. 

Treading Shadows

Do you ever wonder about the strange messages you seem to get when watching a favorite show? You synch with these shows because they appeal to your sense of the weird; or whimsy; or they feature really cute actors, or maybe some concoction of the three and then some. But usually, the ones that speak to our soul leave you pondering the words, the messages, the images…pondering who they can possibly speak to the person you are, every day, in the “real word”.

For me, I gravitate towards the weird, the wonderful, the dark, the twisted & the eccentric. I like a show that is original, that makes a statement. I began an Angel & Buffy fest this week, initially because I’d found out that Andy Hallett had passed. He played Lorn, the Host on Angel. He was a wonderful actor singer & human. I know this from meeting him at DragonCon many years ago, but that’s another story, and not the point of this writing, simply the instigator.

Watching these shows again, I am reminded of the higher messages that slip through when we’re being entertained by really good television. I was inspired to add a quote to my signature for my e-mails (yes, I’m one of THOSE people, that tags their e-mails with quotes that speak to them, and are probably rarely, if ever, read by the people that get their e-mails.) When I added this quote, I began thinking about why it spoke to me. The quote I added was this: “Strong is fighting. It’s hard & it’s painful & it’s every day.” Buffy says this to Angel, when they are arguing over the choice between carrying on in the face of adversity, loneliness and loss, or turning away from it all. In Angel’s case, he was literally walking into the sunlight. That could be a symbolic cleansing, I suppose, to burn away prior sins & fears with the light of the sun, but I tend to side with Buffy on this one; turning to the light is not always the answer, and is not always the strong, right choice. Sometimes we have to not only peer into the shadows, but we have to walk right into the dark.  Sometimes we can find our own answers in the shadows within our own souls, & we must plumb the depths of the pools within each others’ eyes.

What inspires you? When you are casually enjoying your favorite shows, and a line speaks to you, how does it resonate? Do you ask yourself why? Do you make note of the words, the tone, the context? I sometimes enjoy the academic exercise of placing the words or symbols within a literary or historical context. On the more personal front, I find that sometimes these lines inadvertently lead me to more relevant, personal insights.

To find ourselves, we have to take risks. We have to peek around the corner, then march bravely forward, even if we have no idea where we‘re marching. For myself, that also means walking along with my faith guiding me. I am not so egotistical to say that my faith is the right way, or the right companion for seeking self, but it works for me. My faith takes me in & out of the shadows, & continues to light my way. Strangely, Buffy even addressed the issue of faith, and fear, and th effect of these things on the mob mentality, overwhelming the individual. But again, that is a topic for another day.

Recently, I found I was pondering friendships, relationships, connections…why we crave these things, while still wanting to retain our own individuality. Why do we sometimes choose loneliness over companionship, because being lonely is also being safe. Being friends, even removed from romantic entanglements, is a risk. We have to open ourselves to others, to their needs. We risk making mistakes, and when we make mistakes, we not only risk hurting ourselves, but hurting others. I like to believe that most people do not strive to hurt others, or cavalierly toss it aside when it happens. Perhaps this is naiveté on my part, but I persist in this position. Walking in the sunlight is also walking alone. We cast shadows in the sunlight, and those shadows are mirrors of companions. Maybe walking in the shade or the shadows, is walking towards friends, or significant others, or people that fall somewhere in between platonic and romantic. We all need a smattering of all of the above, I think, to really live a full life. And this then allows us to be happy when we’re alone, too, because then we would simply be alone, and not lonely.

I find that sometimes being reminded of the thoughts and urges and motivations, even from the most unlikely sources, is refreshing. It’s not always comfortable, but usually it is enlightening. Ironic, to me, that in my case, enlightenment is often found by swimming through the shadows.

We are magical, mystical, amazing individuals, and I love that common, everyday things like TV shows can show us those magics.

Or, as Willow would say, “I am the magics.”

Who’s NOT watching the Watchmen?

Who watches the Watchmen? A better question this weekend would be, “Who isn’t watching the Watchmen?”

As a long time admirer of Alan Moore’s original comic series that was illustrated by Dave Gibbons I had high expectations for this film. Adding to that anticipation the last year’s worth of teasers, rumors and previews as we drew ever closer to March 6, 2009. In an ironic twist, we fans were maintaining our own Doomsday Clock of sorts; none of knew what would happen on the screen when the lights went down and the film began to roll. Would it be a miracle on film, gold made from the imaginings of so many artists and actors; or would it be a catastrophe?

I am here to say that it was gold. The film’s imagery at times moved viewers, while bombarding the senses in the next scene. Zack Snyder brilliantly brought to life the characters, the decades and the struggles of a dark America living in the shadow of fear of nuclear holocaust. The story was handled with care and respect, but also did not shy away from the uglier, seedier truths behind the masks of American and Russian military aggressions. Truly, this film gave us a glimpse under the hood. Another key element to the success of this film would have to be the meticulous recreation of historical figures, the famous and the infamous, from the 50’s through the 80’s, when the current day story is set. The non-linear method of storytelling may be daunting to some viewers, but to tell this tale through a chronological methodology would detract from the mystery and the mystique.

The casting was inspired. No one gave a weak performance; the heroes are brought to life and bring you into the story, never letting go of the jugular. Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Billy Crudup gave particularly fine performances. Haley made you believe in Rorschach’s paranoia and his passion; these elements fuel much of the story. Rorschach never compromised who he was, no matter how costly the sacrifice. This was a major point of the story. The Comedian/Edward Blake drove the historical aspects of this story, and Dean was unflinchingly vulgar, amoral and violent with his portrayal. Anything less would not have done justice to the character. The Comedian was the link between the Minutemen and the Watchmen in the story, and he is the primary link between the past and the present for the audience. Surprisingly, Crudup breathed life into the physicist who became Dr. Manhattan. His acting came through the special effects, which was an impressive feat.

This film was not intended for young audiences. It was graphic, violent, sensual and gritty. Violence and nudity are both tools wielded well, and are not gratuitous in the film. The cast and crew made this their own creation, but there were enough elements from the comic that fans of the original should not walk away unsatisfied. Small details, like the Gunga Diner in the background, were seamlessly integrated along with additions such as a musak version of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” playing very softly in the background during a key scene with Ozymandias and the Kings of American Industry. The soundtrack is also worth mentioning; it was almost the extra character in the film. At times humorous and chilling, the commentary comes through loud and clear with the song choices. Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” would be a good example of this within the film.

Laurie/Silk Spectre II said at one point in the film, “Jon would say nothing ever ends.” The film did not give pat answers to the questions raised through the story. The ending was appropriate; the world depicted was raw, wounded and wailing for help or hope. It left me pondering a new question; if there is no end, can we ever have a Happily Ever After? Any film that entertained you and made you think, made you question your own perceptions, has succeeded. And will keep you watching.

 

http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

Truly Random Musings…no Muses Inspired

I’ve been ruminating about friends, motivations and cupcakes.

Why is it that some friendships can be so much more complicated than the ones that are "supposed’ to be challenging. People come together for so many diverse, random reasons. Sometimes those meetings are profound, intense & will live within you always. Others don’t even qualify for cliched commentary about ships passing in the night. Then there are those odd little friendships that seem to live in a place that’s not quite your heart, but not entirely your head, either. I think those are the friendships that may have started as one thing, but somehow meandered off the recommended or expected path; now they are beating their own trails through the landscape of your Emotions.

Strange, really, when you move from a “what if?” reality, where you’re wishing for things & connections that may not, or perhaps should not, ever exist, to relationships that are not much more than casually friendly. Stranger, still, when you can’t easily or convincingly argue that you’ve hung up the wishes, and now wish only to be a friend. Your motivations are still suspect, apparently. So do you balance yourself on the wall between the two different types of relationship? Or just jump from the wall, and wander away? Do you instead say, “what the hades, I’m going to bake cupcakes, instead?”

So it comes down to this, cupcakes or confusion? Sugar or sharing? Distractions or Deepenings?

I have been introduced to a new show that I may obsess about…and unlike the Twilight phenomena here in the states, these vampires & werewolves have real bite.

This wonderful finding is the new BBC Three show, “Being Human”. The basic premise is deceptively simple; three monsters of the old school – werewolf, vampire and ghost – trying to make there way in the contemporary, human world in London. Mitchell (Aidan Turner) is the elder of the trio, the vampire with a soul and George (Russell Tovey) is his young best friend who suffers from much more than your average “that time of the month” issues, as the show’s werewolf. They move into a flat that is haunted by Annie (Lenora Crichlow.) She died before her time, through one of those unfortunate, random accidents that haunt everyone’s every day life.

I enjoyed the concept enormously. It’s not an entirely novel idea, of course, but still….they have contemporized it nicely, at least in the first episode. Sadly, unless you have access to a telly in England, a chum in London with a burner, or a really fine computer download set up, you’ll have to wait for the SciFi Channel to pick up this gem, or the DVD set.

I was immediately drawn to the fellow playing Mitchell, but the lad playing George is quite engaging & he also makes the whole thing so terribly human, although he’s the most obviously monstrous of the trio. I quite liked Anne, as well. I felt that she was a nice balance between bubbly (so we’d see that she was full of life before, thus her literal loss of animation, now, is even more poignant) and anxious. Mitchell’s fight to overcome his killer instincts is also not a new theme, but his portrayal is fresh and accessible, and makes this shark seem almost vulnerable. His casual, suave, laid back attitude also makes it easy to believe he has spent many years learning how to exist within his own skin, in spite of his fight to regain and retain his humanity. Georg is a sweet, wonderful contrast to Mitchell. Combining that “boy next door” charm with the ferocity of a killing machine armed with teeth and claws works beautifully.  Annie is outgoing, talkative and just this side of annoying at times. However, this gregariousness and hyper vivacity just highlights her underlying lack of confidence in herself, and her longing to have just a taste of what she lost.

As for the “bad guys”, the primary ones seem to be other vampires, with Herrick (Jason Watkins) leading the pack, warning of change to come. He is smooth, and charismatic in an understated, “I’ll smile while I eat your heart, and say thanks afterwards” sort of way. There is a defining scene between Herrick and Mitchell, in which Mitchell asks Herrick, “What was that?” and Herrick replies, “that was manners.” The look he cuts to Mitchell as he says it seems to underscore the relationship between these vampires. It so beautifully lets you know Herrick is older- you are sure Herrick comes from a time when manners really mattered – but it also lets you see there’s a deeper level of resentment or disparagement for Mitchell; Mitchell will be a tool, or he’ll be dead. Summing all this up in a two minute scene in a hospital cafeteria; it’s brilliant.

The other vampires are not nearly so well drawn, but there is almost certainly more to be revealed in the next few episodes. There also seems to be an unknown supernatural lurking in shadows, stalking George.

I am eager to see more of this dark, evocative show that may show all of us how hard it can be, being human, and why its’ worth the effort.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/

Worlds, Whimsy & Wild Imagings

I just created this blog site…so I guess this makes it one of my worlds.  This prompted me to think about words, and worlds, and where these things lead us…

We wonder about the worlds we can see when we stare at the sky at night; we visit other peoples’ worlds when we delve into a good book, or an entrancing film. However, I am often more fascinated with the worlds in my own head, or the ones my friends host in their own imaginations. These worlds may lead you to the seas of Tripoleneebikini; or spelunking in the Caverns of Titillation. The fine authors who write those books we read, those films we watch, and the TV shows that bring us back each week…they get to visit their own worlds, and their fiction gives us a travelogue. But…they do not TAKE us to their worlds. We view them, and we in turn create our own worlds based on those travelogues.  It’s an amazing process, really. We have more creativity on our souls than we may imagine (yes, that was a deliberate play on the words & subject matter.)

Do you follow your imagination down the rabbit hole, or do you stifle it? Do you ground yourself in reality? Do you keep your eyes on the visible horizon, wading through the red tape of level-headed, sensible parameters?

I think that we NEED that whimsy, that wonder, those wild imaginings to make our lives all the better. It adds color to our lives; flavor to our encounters; definition to our relationships.

Don’t let the world tell you to put away your childish things. Those childish things can make the difference between simply walking the world & living your life.