Monogamy to Dr. Phil & Chicken Puff Pastry by Rachel Ray = Irony

“There is no remedy for love, but to love more.”
― Henry David Thoreau

January 26^th, 27^th

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu8KFlfzk3Y

Went to the doctor at 8am on the morning of January 26th to inquire as to where/why I am currently hosting a little party for a family of mucus and its viral cousins.  “Stab away honey, I ain’t got no fear of those needles”, I sincerely proclaimed.   Four years of allergy shots every week has a tendency of numbing ones reaction to the stainless steel needle.  I honestly have to tip my hat to the team at my medical facility; everyone is consistently so amazingly kind and polite.   Following Operation Fix me Up, I headed South on the Amtrak train toward the OC, where I was shuttled to my sisters residence.  From there, prepped and pimped out my adorable nephew, Logan, for a modeling shoot later that evening in San Diego; I was to be his chauffeur & guardian, one of the liberties of being self-employed I guess.

In my last journal entry, I was without reluctance in designating my true feelings about self-worth.  Today, partially drugged, I offer my apologies for that offense and every offense going forward – consider my bondage to be truth in whatever word or form it may be delivered.  Back tracking to the events of my Wednesday, I spent several Shock-top beers with the always amicable Bishop  . . friendly in the way that is an open offered trouser sort of thing which is hardly offensive seeing how Bishop is handsome, charming & drama free.  I did manage to be productive whilst holding down more than my worn, leather bound  stool quite nestled up to granite bar embroidered by an elephant adorned brass railing.  Artwork in spontaneous formation and in true testament of my outlook on relationships, I created a mini series of bar napkin origami entitled, “blank, angled, bent & broken”  Which brings me to the discussion of this entry in questioning the very nature of our relationships, primarily in the context of “the f’k buddy.”

The less controversial title would be “friend with benefits” of course, but I think that hides the raw, vulgarity of this modern day sociological intercourse.  Is it right or wrong?  We won’t bother to ask the church officials for their opinion, but take it from a scientific perspective.  Are we really meant to be monogamous?   Humans like to think of themselves as a faithful species, but when it comes to true fidelity, many other animals offer better examples of how to keep a relationship together.   In fact less than 4% of the worlds animals are known to form lifelong paired bonds yet monogamy is almost inexistent, as creatures that do pair for life, occasionally have flings on the side and still move on to another should their partner die or fail to perform in bed. 

The only known animal in the world that this has yet to be disproven is the prairie vole.  

Staying faithful is extremely hard for animals, as the males are programmed to spread their genes and females to get the best genes from the best males for their young – humans are hardly an exception.  Instead, monogamy requires an individual to invest its entire reproductive potential on a single mate. This puts lot of pressure on each individual to choose the best mate, which, is a bit tricky and presents the true question of “how many of us married our true love?”  With a divorce rate of over 50% in the United States, I’m hardly convinced that number is anything more than 2%.  So what next then?  Well, my hypothesis now backed up by Science, let me recap a tangible experience that I was able to participate in as a bystander.

Sister Mary Cleo, her twins and I randomly run into a old colleague of hers accompanied with her two year old daughter.   After pleasantries are exchanged, each provided a brief overview of their current day to day lives including their current existence as wives & mothers , which ultimately prompted my sister to ask,  “So what happened to Ken, you two were perfect together?“   Apparently this gal had an amazing man on her arm the entire time of their acquaintance.  Sister Mary Cleo was shocked to hear that this Ken Doll Lover was in fact . . not the father of this woman’s child.  From there this lady opened up about how “Ken” was “the one, the one that got away, her true love” but that Ken just wasn’t ready for full commitment at that time and they went separate ways.  She had settled for a good man that she loves – but that he’d never match up to her feelings for Ken.  

 

So with that story in mind, speaking as a novice of relationships but who similarly thought “the one got away” . . the real question is, Is it better to settle for companionship as something inferior but more realistic than seeking out than the acquisition of that “true love” or . . . is it perfectly fine to seek out these mutually beneficial friendships?  And if one is to go the route of a marriage of convenience, is it really that fair to persecute those that go for financial stability?  I mean if it’s conforming to the expectations of society (ie: marriage & children, well . . if you’re gay that’s a little more open) than who’s to say that selling yourself short of “true love” is any worse than those that go for the gold?

I fear that more often than not it boils down to: offer up your heart, lest it be broken & left to solitude, or offer up your genitalia and concede to practicality.  This is an open discussion, so feel free to post your comments on this issue at hand.  Till then, I favor the “snuggle buddy” in providing temporary relief with regards to companionship & affection . . . I just can’t shake the hopeless romantic thingey!

With relationship blessings,

                     Chef Scotty

Lovebirds: Chicken in Pastry by Rachel Ray

In posting a recipe by Rachel Ray, I guess I am offering up some cynical perspective as her personality and approach to food pairs well with today’s discussion.  Affection & love is “on the Air” but the entire show is about convenience, easy-application, efficiency and marketing for financial gain.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces skinless chicken breast, boned (about 8 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sheet puff pastry (11 by 17-inch)
• 8 slices Italian fontina cheese, slices should be 2 to 3-inches square and 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick, cut in 1/2
• 1/2 cup fig preserves
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary. Cut each piece of chicken in half across the breast giving you 8 equal portions. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, 5 minutes total. Remove from heat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pastry into 8 pieces. Place a piece of cheese on each pastry square and top with spoonfuls of fig preserves and the chicken pieces. Pinch and seal the dough up and over the meat and cheese, seal with egg wash, flip the pastry packets over and brush the tops with remaining egg wash. Bake 12 to15 minutes, until golden.

For entree portions, simply leave chicken breast whole and cut the pastry into quarters. Trim off excess dough and use it to decorate the pastry with small cut outs such as heart shapes.