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Monday, January 7, 2013

Television Talent Dietary Tips: Polynesian Ha’ka For A Healthy, Mostly Texan, Part Polynesian Chili Ha’ka, With A Hint of The Philippines.

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One of my purposes here to continue advising Clients about menu and dietary concepts designed to help them look, feel and most importantly, perform at their very best, in front of a camera.

It occurred to me the other day that Texas and Polynesian cooking share allot in common.

Both Texans and Polynesians do quite a bit of cooking outdoors and indoors, they make (boil) stews and things like Chili.

People in my home state of Texas argue more about Texan cooking than they do politics. Most Texans don’t think that highly of politicians anyhow, which is one reason our elected officials only meet every two years and have six weeks to get their legislative business done.

We figure that gives them two years to hash out their differences and therefore six weeks ought to be enough time for passing laws. If nothing else, this practice saves money.

I can’t help but think Washington would do better by Americans, if Congress’s time for passing laws had a shelf life. They seem to wait to the last minute anyhow. Maybe they should take a look how things are done in Texas.

What we do care passionately about is our native cooking. People argue about whether brisket should be cooked outside fat side down or up and if it should be marinated or not. No one ever changes anyone’s mind, and the end product is always tremendous.

Note: Unlike other parts of the US, Texans generally don’t baste their ribs, chicken or brisket as it cooks. Bar-B-Q sauces and other condiments are served on the side.

The other great debate is over Chili. Non Texans use ground meat. That is a sin to us. We use cubed pork, lamb, goat or beef.

Another sin committed by non Texans, in our opinion, is that they use the wrong beans, like kidney beans. Chili that is overly bean heavy is also considered sinful.

This is supposed to be a Texas meal, in which meat is the main course and beans are a side dish. Same hold true for beans in Chili. They are second fiddle to meat.

Texas Cooking has a very heavy Mexican influence, too. We generally use pinto beans for about every kind of Tex-Mex dish. We also like jalapeño peppers in about everything except ice cream and desserts. Some people add onions, garlic and jalapenos to mashed potatoes (Skins on is traditional).

Chili’s main ingredients are meat(s), garlic, onions, carrots (optional), tomato sauce, salt, oregano, Chili powder, cumin and without a doubt, Cilantro.

Some people feel that their Chili needs a drink. Purists would consider nothing else than Mexican beer.

We believe that American beer can’t even come close to what they make down in Mexico. So, some folks put a bottle or two in the pot, depending on its size. Has to be Mexican beer, preferably dark.

Other fundamentals debated in Texas are whether you sear the meat and sauté the vegetables, first. I think it’s best not to sear or sauté anything. Doing so puts weight on the food, making it sink to the bottom of your pot and thus makes more work and burns the clock.

This being said, once you begin, the process is no different than cooking Chili Polynesian Ha’ka style, than my previous postings.

Absolutely the same technique I have been describing here for a month or so for Italian or Filipino dishes, prepared Ha’ka style. (Links to previous relevant blogs will be provided at the end of this post)

The beauty of cooking like Polynesians is:

No sugar, salt or oil
No unnecessary extra steps
Easy and fast to do
Everything is cooked together
Inexpensive
Very healthy
Allows you make multiple future meals

I have made some minor adjustments, though. I recommend using a wok and suggest you use whatever ingredients you want, assuming you know what the basic ones are.

The basics are some kind of meat, onions, oregano, basil and garlic. Feel free to add other vegetables like carrots, spinach, cabbage or my favorite Pechay.

This Ha’ka does have a five minute step the others didn’t. Cover a quarter liter of dried beans in water 24 hours ahead of time.

What this does is soften the beans and makes cooking them faster. I use white Filipino beans. One reason is I have never seen Pinto beans in The Philippines and other is, I like them.

A major benefit of using local Filipino beans is that they have been cleaned and picked over already. All dried beans in the Western Hemisphere have to been cleaned up and washed.

Here, they don’t. You rinse them off and you are good to go.

So, once again bring a couple of quarts of water to a boil and put in a half kilo of meat with 1/4 kilo of drained pre-soaked beans. Cover the wok and bring it up to a rapid boil. Then reduce it to a rolling boil.

You have about ten minutes to kill, so cut up your vegetables and add them to the Ha’ka. Yesterday on a whim, I put in about a cup of shell pasta.

Remember to keep an eye on the water level. You want the water to cover, not immerse, your food. Stirring is to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and everything is blended. I think I added more water four or five times, yesterday.

For vegetables I use pechay, beans, carrots, onions and garlic. Spices are Chili Powder or ground Chili seeds, cilantro, ground cumin, basil, oregano and a little soya sauce.

Your Ha’ka is now far enough along for you to add everything. Sir and see how the Ha’ka is doing and add 500-750 milligrams of tomato sauce. Stir it and it’s ok to cheat a little. I did. I put in a package of mushroom gravy. Stirred/folded it all together. Tasted it and added what spices I though it needed more of.

Turned off the fire and left it covered for about ten minutes and it was ready. I made enough for lunch, served some of the staff here and stored five more meals for myself.

I am sure some of my countrymen and women would be most likely howling over how I made the Chili, if they knew. So, don’t tell any Texans you may know.

I would respectfully reply that I am a Texan and that I will do whatever I want, as is my right a citizen of the Lonestar State. Our golden rule is simple. Do what you want.

Just be sure not to bother another person.
Furthermore every real Texan knows and appreciates that rules are made to be broken, if you have a good reason. Furthermore, there would not be a Texas if everyone just followed the crowd.

Also, you may want to consider adding a packet of dried coconut cream and join me in my heretical ways.

Here are the links to previous Polynesian Ha'ka Cooking:

http://johnsheehan17.blogspot.com/2012/12/fast-easy-to-do-healthy-cooking-from.html

http://johnsheehan17.blogspot.com/2013/01/polynesian-haka-goes-italian-great-for.html

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Polynesian Ha’ka Goes Italian: Fast, Easy and Healthy

This morning I thought about all the holiday leftovers you may have. I have a really easy, fast way to make new meals from any left leftover turkey, lamb, pork, beef or whatever you have.

I don’t know if you saw “Fast, Easy To Do, Healthy Cooking From Polynesia And The Philippines In One Pot,” which I posted here a few weeks ago. If not, there is a link below for your convenience.

That article like this one, is about how you can prepare several tasty servings quickly, cheaply and easily, in a Wok.

I used to prepared meals in what I would call the old fashioned way, after OD-ing on way too many cooking shows. I used to spend hours preparing meals, that I have now found out can be done in about 30-45 minutes. There is a bonus too. You can reheat these Ha’kas in a just few minutes.

I used to take all kinds of unnecessary, time consuming steps. I sautéed, I boiled and I fried, then assembled it all. I don’t have allot of time for all that these days, like most people. Imagine my relief when I found that I didn’t have to do all that work and still be able to enjoy great meals.

I have no idea how much I am saving now on energy, doing everything at once, with the final product being just as good as the ones I labored over. I do know it saves lots of time and is cheaper.

I use a Polynesian Ha’ka cooking (boiling) technique, as I mentioned a few weeks ago. The method is simple.

Polynesians combine all their ingredients, pretty much all at once, in a pot. The trick of it is being sure you have enough, but not too much water. You are not making soup.

You can decide too, what vegetables go into your Ha’ka. My Trinity is onions, garlic, and pechay, a cousin of Chinese cabbage, which tastes like spinach, (To me) when cooked.
This generic Ha’ka recipe is really simple and you decide what ingredients go into it. It is very healthy way to cook, as well as saves you time.

I usually make enough for four of five meals. You simply heat what you need up again with a little water in a non-stick pan.
You will note in this article, as with the last one, I don’t use oils, sugar or much salt.

My basic spices are basil, oregano and black pepper. You can also add bay leaves, fennel seed, chilies or cilantro too, if you want.

The basic premise here is you can do about whatever you want. Another premise to cooking Ha’ka style is ignoring everything you have been told about cooking techniques, because they really aren’t necessary, unless you host a Television Cooking Show or are selling Cook Books.

This Ha’ka is Polynesian Cooking Goes Italian. Last time it was Filipino. I have found though, that many of the spices used in Polynesian, Filipino and Asian cooking are pretty much the same. The real difference with this approach is that there is no frying.

Here’s how it works. You will need pasta, onions, Tomato sauce, garlic, pechay plus meat, pork, lamb or poultry. This is where holiday left overs can find their final resting place. And, don’t worry if you combine different leftovers. This will still be great.

If you are starting from scratch, bring about quart of water to a boil, in a covered wok and put your meat (Half pound) in. first. (If using leftovers, chop them up and put them in later with the tomato sauce.) After a few minutes, it will be half cooked and then put in about a pound of medium shell pasta and stir. This is when you have to keep an eye on the water level.

You want to keep the pasta and meat nearly covered by the water, but not like you are making soup. The pasta, vegetables will begin thickening your Italian Ha’ka.

When pasta is half done put in your vegetables and spices. You may want to consider adding eggplant, zucchini or both, too. Stir every few minutes and keep your water gently boiling, slightly covering your ingredients.

If you find the pasta is sticking to the bottom of the wok, you don’t have enough water.
Put in your leftovers and tomato sauce. I use about 500 grams. It just depends how thick you want your Ha’Ka to be.

Buy tomato sauce that doesn’t have any additives like sugar, salt, or anything you can’t pronounce.

After about five minutes you are about done and can let your Italian Ha’ka cool. I store future meals in Tupperware.

You can reheat using a little water. No microwaving since I have been told, that destroys all the nutrients. Plus reheating with water is just as fast.

You are good to go. You can top your meal with a little cheese or maybe a touch of wine or dark cane vinegar.

One reason too that this is a very healthy cooking technique is because of how you cook the food. You don’t loose any of the ingredients’ natural vitamins and minerals.

Below is the link to my previous article about Polynesian-Filipino Ha'ka Cooking in a Wok.
http://johnsheehan17.blogspot.com/2012/12/fast-easy-to-do-healthy-cooking-from.html

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Philippines Supports A Strong Japan Military to Balance China’s Mischief in the South China Sea

Should Japan Rearm Over China?

The Financial Times via CNN is reporting Philippines support for Japan rearming. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/09/business/philippines-backs-rearming-japan/

This is an interesting development and quite possibly could be the story of the decade, should Nihon heed this encouragement from The Philippines.

Fifteen thoughts about a Rearmed Japan about this come to mind:

Speaking of wars, the US and the UK fought two and Britain interfered with the American Civil War. All of that has long been forgiven by the US. Why should Japan be treated any differently, now?
Japan has been honest in business with other countries. They don’t steal the intellectual property of others.
Nihon’s companies don’t lie about their financial reports on the New York Exchange.
Japan is a true democracy and not ruled by anything remotely similar to China’s Standing Committee of Elites. (Princelings)
Japan has never hacked into the US Government or American Companies, to steal or cause malicious damage.
Japan has a fair monetary system.
Nihon has a Free Press.
Japan and the US have a strong defense treaty.
They are very involved with the International Space Station. China was blackballed for the club, right from the beginning and remains so.
Japan and the US have strong military and commercial ties, spanning nearly 70 years.
Japan is responsible and honest with US technology and intellectual property. They improve on US designs and don’t steal them.
Japan is economically fair to its Southeast Asia Neighbors.
A strong Japan could easily balance out Chinese aggression. I know some people think that could lead to a war. I believe it would prevent the one in the making.
Should Japan rearm, then China can only blame itself.

China's only target hasn’t been just been Southeast Asia. They have targeted Japan’s economy and have tried to cripple it. The only thing they haven’t done yet, is add the disputed Japanese Senkaku Island to their Passport maps, as they have with the Spratlys and parts of India. They have used their rare earth minerals exports to Japan like a weapon, for nearly three years.

The good news is Japan and the rest of world have new venues for obtaining rare earth minerals. The bad news is thousands of lost jobs in China, due to Japan being forced to wind down factory production.

China has created an enormous amount of anxiety and uncertain stability in Southeast Asia, for really no good reason. Maybe a muscled up Japan is the solution.

I am aware that many will see Filipino support for a strong Nihon Military as provocative. Few thoughts about that:

Why is the Philippines the only ASEAN Member providing public leadership in the Region about containing China’s aggressive and menacing behavior?
The silence from many other ASEAN members is deafening.
I am sure if some one has a better idea about what to do about China, The Philippines would welcome it.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Chinese Princelings Gone Wild: Is There A Gang Mentality in Beijing?

Do China’s Taishito Govern as Gang Bangers Would?

Brazen China Announces Ownership of World’s Third Largest Sea.

China Taking Control of Over Half the World’s Shipping Lanes in 2013?

Bonus: The Possible Largest Untapped Fossil Fuel Deposits on Earth.

Southeast Asia in Crisis:
Part I: The Schoolyard Bully
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Do you remember when you were in school and a kid bigger than everyone bullied them? Even though he was from a wealthy family, the bully took the smaller children’s lunch money, threatening to beat them up if they resisted. A few other kids joined in with the bully’s bad behavior, since he rewarded them.

The bully made excuses to the teachers for his bad behavior toward the other children. And, for a while you and your classmates lived in daily fear.

One of your new friends decided not to give his lunch money to the bully and his gang. They announced that after school they were going to beat this kid up. After school, the bully and his entourage, found the kid who had defied them. But, they had misjudged their situation.

This kid had a big brother, who was fed up with all the bully’s bad behavior. He gave the bully a choice to either fight or behave toward his brother and the other children. The bully was finished that day. His credibility as some one to fear was over, from which, he couldn’t ever recover from.

This is what has been going on in Asia for almost three years. It’s pretty easy to spot the real cast of characters in my little fable.

If you don’t understand the metaphors, the school is the Western Philippines (South China) Sea. The bully is China and kids are Southeast Asian nations. The bully’s gang is Laos and Cambodia.

The kid with the older brother is Philippines. This metaphorical older brother is the United States, who behind closed doors warned China against any military misadventures with The Philippines.

China terribly misdiagnosed America three years ago. They felt that America was too preoccupied with the Middle East to take note with their aggressive plans for Asia, let alone stop them. Looks like we will get to find how much China will get away with or not, next year.

America is disengaging with the Middle East wars as fast as it can and today has the most powerful, well seasoned, high tech war machine in the world, if it’s needed. Iran will not be a distraction since there are many ways to deal with that problem.

American Pacific Naval forces are being increased to 60%, including Marines. The Pacific Fleet is actually comprised of two Fleets, each led by a Carrier. Guam is bristling with personnel and bombers. There are 30,000 US Marines based on Japan’s Okinawa, which also claimed by China’s media.

It is doubtful there will be a military conflict between China and the US, in Asia. But, what China is attempting would be like the US claiming all of the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea. That would be as ridiculous as what China is planning in Asia.

China has been ratcheting up the pressure on its neighbors, over the last few weeks. They have threatened to stop and board ships traversing in their Hainan Province’s territorial waters, which according to them, reaches into international waters and other nations’ territory.

I wonder if they will try that with the USS Washington and the carrier’s escort ships, should they enter international waters claimed by China?

The new Chinese passports, which show China’s claims in the Western Philippines (South China) Sea, (including Taiwan)

have outraged Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. India is furious over China also detailing ownership of one Indian state and region, in the new Chinese passports. Vietnam, India and Philippines have announced steps to thwart any legitimizing of the new Chinese passport maps.

All of this and Obama’s recent Asia trip is waking up some of my news colleagues in the US. One of them asked me recently what was so important about Southeast Asia and why is Obama so interested with the region?

I replied that at the end the day it’s about our long standing Asian allies and money, as most things are. I told him that the only region on Earth that is stable and economically growing is Southeast Asia. Obama correctly believes that trade with this region is essential to America’s future.

It is conceivable that the disputed islands have more untapped fossil fuel reserves than the Middle East. The shame of it is, that nobody can benefit yet from these natural resources, given China’s behavior. This is silly. Everyone on Earth could benefit from new abundant oil and gas production, including China.

China's New Standing Committee (Princelings)

Inadequate Security Protocols and Poor Judgment Killed Ambassador Stevens and Three Others at Benghazi Consulate.

Self Absorbed Petraeus Makes Administration Fall Guys Over His Irresponsible Incompetence as Country’s Intelligence Chief.

We have been hearing daily for months about the US Consulate Benghazi tragedy, but nothing about how to prevent such a deadly attack, in the future. People like Senator John McCain only want to argue about who said what, after the attack. Not very helpful and that’s not the important issue.

Security for the Embassies around the world is and nothing has been reported about this. No Congressional hearings have been held about improving Embassy security, in unstable countries. Can we assume then, that many are open to more attacks, as the politicians bicker over semantics?

At this writing, no one seems to know who to hold responsible for the attack. Let me assure you that if the attackers were in anyway part of Al Qaeda, they would have told us themselves a long time ago. This distracting issue only continues because of Willard Mitt Romney’s ridiculous accusations during the campaign.

No Terrorism Group has claimed credit for the attack that claimed the lives of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others. Former CIA Director David Petraeus testified the attackers were part of Al Qaeda and this was an act of terrorism. Bottom line is Petraeus mismanaged information about the attack and still is clueless who is responsible. So, he simply blames Al Qaeda. How come Al Qaeda hasn’t touted this victory, after over two months? It is not like these murderous glory hounds to be so publicity shy.

Why didn’t the CIA say so in the first place, two months ago? Part of the problem is what Petraeus told the Administration at that time. Now he is saying something different. This guy has been over his head at the CIA, since day one. Doubt very much the CIA misses him. This could explain how the FBI could run amok inside the CIA’s security systems, undetected. Or, anyone can do this.

Not a word from McCain about this, who’s wants a lynch mob investigation about who said what. Then, McCain forgets to attend a closed door security briefing about the lethal attack at Benghazi. What is wrong with him?

Petraeus Mistress Paula Broadwell announced at a University of Denver alumni symposium last month that that the Benghazi Consulate was attacked because it had taken a couple of Libyan militiamen prisoners. She speculated that the attack was possibly an effort to try to and free the militiamen. What? Thought her boyfriend didn’t tell her any state secrets. This has been and remains a joke. Why is anyone in the government talking to Petraeus anymore about this or anything else?

Some are calling Petraeus the MacArthur of our times, which is no compliment. Like MacArthur, none of his military strategies have worked. But he can muster a mean caravan of 28 cars to attend a party in Tampa hosted by Jill Kelly and is killer at writing thousands of love emails.

Petraeus never commanded live fire units and has not personally been in combat. He did get a Bronze Star for being around an area hit by a mortar round, in 2003. So, he does like giving himself medals for possibly being anywhere near harm’s way.

Bronze Stars are awarded to service people who did something heroic, while engaged in combat and not because they were in the neighborhood. I picture Petraeus back in his air conditioned quarters later writing a couple of hundred emails about his near death experience.

Speaking of emails by the hundreds and thousands, Marine General John Allen might be temporally out of the woods with President Obama, but he’s anything but square with the US Marine Corps, who hates the smallest of messes. The Marine Corps frowns on one of its own embarrassing them. Allen clearly embarrassed them and sullied their public image of Marine Virtues, which the Corps views as a cardinal sin.

Maybe the War in Afghanistan would be going better if Petraeus and Allen spent less time flirting via email and more time executing a war, which the American people entrusted to them. These are grown men acting like giddy teenagers addicted to Facebook chit-chat, while in charge of military personnel’s well being during a war.

What’s up with their getting involved with Jill Kelly’s sister’s child custody suit? Her former husband has total custody of their child. It appears that Tampa’s Family Court doesn’t think too highly of her character. Why in the world, would two four star generals write character reference letters for her?

Maybe they wanted future invitations to Jill’s parties? I would think both had bigger things to do, such as keeping our service men and women alive, fighting terrorism and rebuilding a nation. Where’s McCain, Graham and Willard on that? Too busy hunting UN Ambassador Susan Rice, I guess.

We still don’t know what to call the bad guys who attacked the consulate and killed our people over two months ago. Were they terrorists, insurgents, attackers, part of an angry mob or militants? All those labels have been applied. And, why does it matter what we call these people? I’m going with bad guys. Small timers got lucky that the Consulate had shoddy security.

Why aren’t Senators McCain and Lindsey Graham more interested with making sure our diplomats have the right security now, instead of who said what, when this happened. Why aren’t they yelling for heads of anyone who stood in the way of the Benghazi Consulate having the right security? Who cares what Susan Rice said? She wasn’t the Secretary of State. Any remarks Rice made were based on what Intel an incompetent CIA Director gave the Administration, when he could tear himself away from penning love emails.

If the Administration got it wrong during the early days, we most likely have Petraeus to thank for any confusion. That was then and this is now. We need leadership and solutions not unproductive sophomoric bickering. Leadership is needed now, not a childish, vengeful circus over the last elections.

Let me tell you about Libya. This was a planned attack by Libyan militiamen, plain and simple. The current government there has to get along with a wide assortment of armed militias. This is why they have not arrested anyone nor did much to help during assault on the Consulate.

Libya was a cornucopia of bad decisions. The Ambassador didn't take any Marines with him to Benghazi, instead relying on a two former military contractors. It’s still not clear who else there could fight.

You can't expect a few guys with light weapons to defend against an attack like that. No embassy is set up to mount a rescue to a Consulate over four hours away. There was nothing that could be done once the attack began.

Anyone who has been in a firefight will tell you, they don’t last long, particularly in circumstances like those in Benghazi. The cavalry arriving shortly after the fighting has commenced, are going to be just too late. Why didn’t they send a squad of Marines, stationed at the Embassy? Sending only six CIA Agents to the rescue is ridiculous. Some one has seen too many movies.

Embassies usually rely on the host governments for protection. Libya is not a normal host country. It barely has a government, overrun by militias and has no real legitimate security structure. The Ambassador calls the shots on the ground and he should have had a well armed Marine Squad with him, at least.

He made a bad call in a very unstable Islamic country. And, that got him killed. No way that this terrible tragedy can be blamed on anyone above him. They didn’t cause his or three other Americans’ deaths. Poor judgment did.

Security Marines assigned to our Embassies are trained for stuff like this. Stevens clearly didn't understand his situation. Our Ambassador to China was attacked by a mob a few months ago and suffered a few minor injuries. Then mob realized what could happen if they didn't back off. His situation was resolved quickly. Bad guys around the world rarely test US Marines. That is a fact, not a slogan.

Tricky using US Military in some one's country, legally. Press said little since about the China attack because they were much more fixated on Libya, courtesy of Romney & Company. Good thing for Petraeus that the Rumster is out of the picture. Though it would not surprise me to hear something nasty come out of Willard, over the next few days

I think two things about the Press's Libyan Coverage. 1) They exploited an unfortunate situation, showing absolutely no understanding about what and why it happened, quickly gravitating to what they heard last from Romney. Willard’s behavior during this time, was disgraceful, to say the least. 2) Our policies for Embassies are not new. Wonder what would have reported today about the over 200 Marines killed by a suicide bomber in Lebanon, on Regan's watch? I don’t remember a media witch hunt about who said what, after that very sad tragedy. Nor were there reports about accusations of a cover up from partisan elected officials.

The Ambassador’s people did call for help, but no way could anyone have been there in time. Playing the blame game then and now is not productive. We look like idiots the more we debate how the Benghazi information was managed. It doesn’t matter any more.

What does is what is going to be done to better protect our Foreign Service people serving in hostile countries, like Libya. Put aside the finger pointing and scandals in favor of designing better security protocols for our Embassies.

The Libyan Embassy allegedly asked for more protection a few months earlier. They didn't get it over money. You can't cut budgets and expect to be able to react quickly when something like this happens. Regardless, the Ambassador would have most likely traveled without enough security anyway.

End of the day, the Ambassador set himself up. Don't kid yourself that the bad guys hadn't studied his patterns. I don't fault the Libyan people, who have gone out of their way to apologize. This couldn’t have been prevented with help from the local people. Correct, defensive security procedures just were not in play. Wasting time and money on finger pointing will not correct this problem, or bring back the four countrymen we lost.