The Water Dragon Awakening . . . well, slowly - not quite Awake yet!

“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us even in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavour. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”
― Henry David Thoreau

December 3rd, 2012

Exhaustion gripping my body, Contemplation for consideration, Resolution leftovers scraped from the plate . . . it’s been a few days since I’ve entered anything in my journal and for good reason(s).  A snapshot of the past few days would have you believing that I danced out my emotions for nine hours, that I cooked up some killer New Years brunch cuisine and embraced a friend who lost her only daughter just one week ago, that in a fit of fatigue I babysat Sister Mary Cleo’s three little children and finally, that I wrapped up this four day sabbatical by taking Mr. Wilson out for his 55^th birthday dinner at an “upscale” restaurant named Jar  . . I woke up at 11:23am this morning, I could have slept all day! 

Such highs & lows, like the rise and fall of the Roman Empire I’ve had so much in my mind and heart it’s been a little difficult to hold onto any given page for too long.  What I want, and what I need . . . blended together like sweet-n-sour mix, a handful of iced over intentions and a good pour of Patron tequila passion – this Margarita of life seems to be packing plenty of punch (and if not handled wisely – plenty of hangover regrets).  Yeah, I’m still a bit dazed and confused . . . manana might bring more clarity.

With the conventional New Year’s out of the way, I always look onward towards the Chinese 2012 New Years on January 23^rd “the year of the Water Dragon”.  I myself, was born in the year of the Fire Dragon  http://www.metaphysicalzone.com/china/dragon4.shtml  and find it easy to identify with the characteristics attributed to the dragon personality.  Honestly, I’m a bit tired of defending my keep  . . . seems that with all the benefits of being a mystical, intuitive, fire-breathing creature . . . not only do peeps want a good look at you, but their drawn to the appeal of a Dragon trophy head mounted above their fireplace mantel.  My wings are unfurled, perhaps it’s time to creep from my liar and give a little show.   Let me all know what this mo-fo can do!  That might just remind them as much as myself – “you want some of this?”  Bring it on!

Diverting back to culinary purpose, our dinner last night at Jar was good, if not overpriced for pot roast & coq au vin.  The oxtail dumplings were that – exactly that!  Just shredded beef essence in a light beef broth with a few medium diced butternut squash cubes.  In my opinion, everything was two snips short of the correct salt amount (the oversized “grilled” asparagus lacking it entirely).  The dessert adorning one long stemmed candle as it’s sole garnish, was a chocolate mousse “terrine” neither formidably decadent nor lacking sufficient sucrose.  The success of five years in holding their location might be attributed to the limited size of the restaurant – roughly 110 seats and a rather limited menu featuring a la carte steaks and only a few options of seafood.   The ambiance was modern nostalgic;  most notably – the chairs were all on wheels . . a bit too much like a retirement home mess hall.  The service was impeccable – I give it 7.7 out of 10 Scotty stars.

Pot Roast would probably suit this entry – a favorite carnivore concoction, homey in all of it’s manifestations it can certainly be doctored up with a little innovation. 

Chef Scotty

Pot Roast Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 pounds boneless chuck roast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled, cut on bias
• 2 parsnips, peeled, cut on bias
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Options:  add 2 tablespoons of  garam masala, fresh tarragon &/or thyme, montreal steak seasoning, or liquid smoke

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Heat a heavy Dutch oven on top of the stove over medium high heat. Add oil, and sear meat in the center of the pan for 4 minutes. Turn meat over with tongs; sear all sides for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove meat from pan. Arrange onion, carrot, parsnip, garlic, 1 bay leaf & thyme in the bottom of the pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return meat to pan, place remaining bay leaf on top of meat, add red wine and cover.
3. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove roast to a platter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice, and top with onions and gravy.