Dry them pepper fruits!

We are living in the end-times, there is no doubt about that.   There is only 1 question that remains;  which 'Christ' are you following? 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FOLLOWING CHRIST ON EASTERN ROADS

LOVING OUR GLOBAL NEIGHBORS STARTS WHEN WE
RECOGNIZE GOD’S IMAGE — AND PRESENCE — IN THEM,
BE THEY BUDDHIST, HINDU, OR MUSLIM.

BY PAUL - GORDON CHANDLER

(We appreciate the way the following reflections invite
Christians to seek to understand and enter into relationship with
the adherents of other faiths, looking for commonalities, acknowledging
their strengths, and learning from them. Since Christ is the
Truth, all other truth is indeed compatible with him.

At the same time, we believe that Christians must continue to
understand and proclaim clearly the ways that Christ points to a
significantly different reality than those proclaimed by other religions:
that Jesus is true God and true man, the only way to salvation,
and that God is Trinitarian. After we have listened humbly
and learned carefully about what is good and true in other faiths,
we must continue with gentle boldness to invite everyone to taste of
Christ, “the way, the truth, and the life” for one and all.)

Wow!  This is deception at it's finest.  And many, many, many 'Christians' will fall for this.   'Christ' will be the centre of the one world religion.  'Christ' is the essence of ALL faiths.   We will have Christians saying, 'Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life, and no man can come to the Father but by Him'.  And we will have a Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu answering, 'Absolutely! I believe in Jesus Christ, I've been baptised, Amen!'.  And they will hug eachother and call each other 'bothers in Christ'.  The new 'apostles' and 'prophets' of the 'Christian' faith will one day soon be hugging their enemies and incorporating them into 'the Body of Christ' for we ALL worship the same 'Christ'.   NO!  WE DO NOT!

The lotus and the cross

Albert Einstein once wrote, “Buddhism has the characteristics
of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future:
It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it
covers both the natural and the spiritual, and it is based on
a religious sense arising from the experience of all things...
as a meaningful unity.”

So much for Albert Einstein...

Over the last few decades, many in the West have become
deeply interested in Buddhism, and many Christians have been
drawn to various aspects of it. Perhaps this interest is best
explained in the words of St. Ambrose, a fourth-century
Christian bishop of Milan: “...all that is true, by whomever
it has been said, is from God’s Spirit.” I recall Frederick
Buechner, the bestselling novelist and Presbyterian pastor, once
saying, while reflecting on the Four Noble Truths and the
Eightfold Path of Buddhism, “If I wasn’t a Christian, I think
I would be a Buddhist.”

If Frederick Buechner could say this then he was never truly born again.

Huston Smith, a renowned scholar of world religions and
a child of missionaries to China, shares in one of his books
about his first meeting with the Dalai Lama. “No one I know
who has been in his presence has failed to be impressed,”
Smith affectionately writes. “...But the way he impressed me
was almost the reverse of my expectations...For it was not as
if he wore a halo...Almost the opposite; from the moment he
clasped my hand with a firmness...it was his directness, his
utter unpretentiousness, his total objectivity, that astonished.
I do not believe that before or since I have been in the presence
of someone who was as completely himself.”

The late Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk whose life and
writings have deeply impacted Christians across the globe,
developed a genuine interest in Buddhism in the later part of
his life. Among other things, he was attracted to Buddhism’s
long and persevering traditions of compassion and nonviolence
and its indictment of ego-centered thought, reminding
him of the goal of Christ’s humility. Merton initiated some of
the first Christian-Buddhist dialogues. In turn, as a result of the
witness of his life, the Dalai Lama said of Merton, “This was
the first time I have been struck by such a feeling of spirituality
by anyone who professed Christianity. As a result of meeting
with him, my attitude toward Christianity was much changed.”

Buddhism?  Non-violent?  I beg to differ.  In India thousands have been persecuted and killed for converting to Christianity even right now as I type this.  (Note:  for anyone that is an unbeliever reading this:  Roman Catholicism is not Christian (never was and never will be) so don't tell me that 'Christians' have killed more people throughout history than any other religion - just because they use the name of Jesus does not make the RCC, Christian - instead they have blasphemed His name throughout history).

How can the lotus—Buddhism’s symbol of spiritual life
—encounter the cross? First, it is important to remember
that in exploring other faiths, we can grow deeper roots in
our own faith; moving out to meet others in the midst of
their spiritual experiences allows us to return “home” to our
own faith’s depth and heritage in a transformed way. A true
understanding of Christian faith entails receiving as well
as sharing.

Did this Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler actually read the bible or is it gathering dust on his esoteric bookshelf?  He has no clue what he is talking about. I think he should do us all a favour and remove the Rev. title from his name.

Christ himself walks the Buddhist road, and surely we will
find him there when we ourselves venture out. Karl Reichelt,
a Norwegian who operated a unique ministry serving
Buddhist monks in China and Hong Kong in the 1920s,
believed that Buddhism found its fulfillment and ultimate
revelation in Jesus. In order to present a Christ that walked
within Buddhism, Reichelt modeled his Tao Fong Shan
Christian Center on Buddhist monasteries, adapted Buddhist
symbols to Christianity, and developed a liturgy based on
Buddhist worship structure. He also adopted the style of a
Buddhist monk, and his Christian witness focused on building
on every area of affinity with Buddhism that he could.
Consequently, his approach was far-reaching—to temples,
monasteries, and lay Buddhist societies. However, his deepest
influence was on the individual Buddhist monks who passed
through his center. This is powerfully illustrated in the story
of the Buddhist abbot who became a follower of Christ,
a man Reichelt wrote about in The Transformed Abbot
(Lutterworth Press, 1954). As a Christian, Reichelt was well
ahead of his time in his perspective on other faiths.

Christ himself walks the Buddhist road?  That will be the day.  If 'Christ' followed in a demon's footsteps then who is 'Christs' father?  Oh I keep forgetting we are talking about two different 'Christs' here...so yes, then I suppose he is correct.

On a trip in Southeast Asia some years ago, I met two
Buddhist monks. They were studying sacred scriptures in a
Buddhist monastery at the time, and among their texts was
the New Testament. On their own, without any “Christian”
influence, they came to a belief that this Christ they were
reading about was truth embodied and decided to become his
followers. Reading on into the Book of Acts, they realized that
new followers of Christ were “put into water” (baptized).
Believing that to be an important initiation rite for Christ
followers, they went into the nearest town and stopped at the
first place they saw the word “Christ”—which happened to
be a church. They knocked on the door and told the priest
they had come to be baptized. The priest was, of course, taken
aback to see two Buddhist monks asking to be baptized.

Nevertheless, after hearing their story, he baptized them.
Today those two men continue to live as Buddhist monks,
albeit monks who follow Christ, wearing their incandescent
saffron robes and shaven heads and going from monastery to
monastery telling other Buddhist monks about Jesus.

So now we have two Buddhist Christians - can you believe it?  Many will, because they 'presume' that if someone read the New Testament, and got baptised that they must be Christian - that's all the evidence they need.  All these two Buddhists are doing is worshipping a 'man' by the name of Jesus Christ as another god.  Sounds a lot like Sadhu Sundar Singh.  http://discerningtheworld.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/sadhu-sundar-singh-hindu-mystic-in-sheeps-clothing/

In thinking about the cross and the lotus, Christians need
to remember that genuine spirituality, such as that exhibited
by these two Buddhist monks, is often the most important
point of contact with those from other faiths. Whenever this
exists in someone, it affirms their being on the path toward
spiritual progress and development and therefore potentially
toward an openness to examining the way of Christ. And
from my own observation, God more often than not seems to
work through irregular channels to bring this about. Just as the
beauty of the lotus flower emerges from dark and muddy
roots, God communicates in paradoxical ways to individuals
in what may seem like the most unlikely places.

The Buddhist scriptures proclaim, “It is a Buddha-making
universe”—meaning that the nature of reality itself is to
enlighten and set free the whole creation, down to the last
grain of sand. And for followers of Christ, we see the ultimate
purpose of God as enabling all people to fully reflect the
“image of God” in which they were created.

Christ flowing in Hindu channels

India is a fascinating place—steeped in religion and all things
spiritual. It is a wonderful place to talk about the person and
teachings of Christ. In the last decade the Western world has
seen a resurgence of interest in the spirituality of India—from
the many Indian gurus that have come to the West and attracted
substantial followings, to the Dalit mass conversions in
India from Hinduism to Buddhism and, in smaller numbers,
to Christian faith.

It is within this context that many Indian followers of
Christ are living reminders that following the way of Christ
among those of other faiths requires genuinely respecting them.
St. Paul’s experience in Athens is a helpful starting point. He did
not criticize the Athenians for their enthusiastic polytheism.
Instead, he began by praising them for their religious and spiritual
zeal; consequently, they responded with an openness to
listen to, and consider, his beliefs.

It seems Paul-Gordon Chandler  (I have remove his Rev. title for him) likes to take things completely out of context - but then again it's nothing new;  whether it be an unbeliever trying to justify their conscience or a 'prophet' from the New Apolostic Reformation trying to persuade the congregation to follow an angel - there is no difference.

Anyhow, the fact of the matter is that Paul spoke to the Athenians the way he did because the Athenians  were 'thinkers', they liked 'new ideas' and Paul knew that he had to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them in that manner. 

So he pointed out an altar with the inscription 'to an unknown god' and basically said to them,   'I know who that 'unknown god' is, it's the one and only living God whose son is Jesus Christ, who died on a cross and was raised from the dead that you may be saved, and you need to REPENT of your sins for worshipping other gods(idols).'

Paul didn't say, "WOW! By golly, I know who that unknown god is -  it's 'Christ'!  Do you guys mind chiseling a new inscription to say, 'Christ'?  Nah I didn't think you would mind.  Gosh your guys should be soooo happy that I solved that mystery, it must have been driving you nuts praying to a god who refused to tell you who he was.  No, no you don't have to destroy the other alters, keep them -  remember - all gods lead to the same god;  'Christ' is just another 'road' in the same direction."

In his excellent book, Christianity Rediscovered (25th anniversary
edition, Orbis, 2003), Vincent Donovan, a Catholic
priest who worked with the Masai in Kenya, says to the Masai,
“Everyone knows how devout you Masai are, the faith you
have, your beautiful worship of God. You have known God
and he has loved you....” His approach to the Masai reminds
us all that God has created this world and is already present
and working within God’s creation. And as Christians, it is
critical to never assume we are taking God with us, but rather
to discover “the God who is already present” and share how
we have come to understand that God more fully through
the person of Jesus Christ—just as St. Paul explained to the
Athenians that this “unknown god” whom they worshipped,
whose shrine had been built hundreds of years earlier, is
actually knowable and is the God of creation.

Donovan, like St. Paul, uses the imagery of the national
god of the Masai as really being the high God of all creation.
God always goes ahead of us, and is both already there and
being experienced. The role of followers of Christ is never
to bring in an opposing God, bigger and better, but rather
to share that the existing God may be beautifully experienced
through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

In regard to Hinduism, Sadhu Sundar Singh, the mystic
and Sikh follower of Christ in the early 1900s, had an interesting
personal perspective. “Hinduism has been digging
channels,” he wrote. “Christ is the water to flow through these
channels...there are many beautiful things in Hinduism; but
the fullest light is from Jesus Christ.”
As Christians living among those of other faiths, our goal
should be to respect the other and to learn about that faith,
studying its holy books, and, when appropriate and/or asked,
to share about how we have understood and experienced God
ourselves in the person and teachings of Christ.

Oh looky, there's Sundar Singh's comment.  Imagine that.  And Todd 'the deceiver' Bentley says he saw a vision from God in which he saw Sundar Singh 'meditating'.   So much for the New Apostolic Reformation being Christian. 

Bringing the Salaam of Christ to Islam

Salaam is the Arabic word for peace, and I profoundly believe
that a peaceful approach to the Islamic world is Christ’s way
forward. I grew up and have spent most of my life in the
Muslim world, so I am encouraged by the many Christians in
the West who are openly and genuinely interested in learning
about Islam and seeking to understand Muslims.

Well your profound belief is profoundly incorrectly for Jesus said in Matthew 10:3;  "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." 

At the same time I am disturbed to see a wave of Western
Christians who demonize Islam, with supposed experts popping
up to lend their views but only creating a fear that results
in many viewing Islam as an enemy and vice versa. There is
a quickly growing discord between Christians and Muslims,
with many Christians portraying Islam as “the last great
enemy to be conquered.” The images are often militant, from
capturing Islamic strongholds to reclaiming the land. While
this kind of discourse is usually meant to denote the spiritual
realm, the images they project of Islam, particularly of its
relations with Christianity, are often unbalanced, one-sided,
and can even be mythical, presenting Muslims as dangerous
people. The oft-held idea of conversions taking place by the
sword from the Middle Ages on is, for example, an inaccurate
depiction much propagated in anti-Islamic literature.

Satan is truly cunning, here Chandler speaks about Christians capturing strongholds and reclaiming the land as a bad thing.   But what he fails to realise is that the New Wave of Christianity is actually on his side for they are capturing strongholds and reclaiming land under the same 'Christ'.   So what's your problem Paul-Gordon Chandler?  I thought 'Christ' is the be all and end all of all faiths?  Now you say it's not?  Are you saying there are indeed two different Christs?  The one 'Christ' is for all faiths intermingled and the other is not.  Hmmmm...busted!

My experience of living among Muslims is that the majority
do not see themselves in any holy war against the West;
they are peace-loving and incredibly hospitable, gentle, and
faithful friends. With global politics what they are, there has
never been a greater need for us to recognize what we have in
common with Muslims and build on those commonalities.
St. John of Damascus, one of the greatest theologians of
the seventh century, can serve as an initial guide. Born
just after the death of Mohammad, he grew up a Syrian
Christian in the Islamic Arab court of Damascus, where his
Christian father was chancellor. As an adult he was an intimate
friend of the Caliph, for whom he worked as finance minister.
 
This relationship made him one of the very first Arab
Christians capable of acting as a bridge between Christianity
and Islam. In old age, he became a monk and wrote the first ever
Christian treatise on Islam. While he did not agree with
all of Islam’s theological tenets, he nevertheless applauded the
way Islam moved the Arabs away from idolatry and polytheism
and wrote with admiration of its single-minded emphasis on
worshipping the “one true God.”

Sorry I am laughing so much that I forgot what I wanted to say

Students of history know that a kinship between Muslims
and Christians has existed over the centuries. Indeed, during
Islam’s expansion in the Middle East following Mohammad’s
death, many Eastern Christians welcomed the Arab Muslim
armies as liberators, as they were oppressed by the Byzantine
Christian West.

When spending time among Christians in the Middle East,
we become aware of how much of the early Eastern Orthodox
Christian tradition formed the foundation for the basic practices
of Islam. The Muslim form of prayer, with prostrations
and bowing, comes from the ancient Syrian Orthodox
Christian tradition and is still practiced today. The month-long
fast of Ramadan is an Islamization of Christian Lent, and some
Eastern Orthodox churches still practice an all-day fast. The
architecture of the earliest minarets—square instead of round
—came from the church towers in Byzantine Syria. The same
could be said about their pilgrimage, creed, and prayer five times
a day facing their holy city—all having Christian origins.

Correction, they were oppressed by the Roman Catholic Byzantine west.  Roman Catholicism is NOT Christian.  And because Roman Catholicism is not Christian it's very easy to compare certain traditions in the Catholic faith to those practiced in the Muslim faith.  In fact the Virgin Mary is mentioned in the Koran no less than 34 times, Muslims have a prayer rosary as well and many Muslims flock to the shrine of Fatima in Portugal and Lebanon.

The Virgin Mary in the Koran

"Among the persons of Sacred History mentioned in the Koran, the Virgin Mary occupies an important position on the historical and dogmatic plane. In addition to being the object of as many as thirty-four direct or indirect references, Mary also gives Sura XIX its name and is its central figure as the mother of Jesus. The characteristic note of references to the Virgin in the Koran and, to an even greater extent, in Islamic tradition, can be seen both in the information about her genealogy and her childhood"  http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/marykran.htm

Beads of Praise

"The word "rosary" is derived from the Latin rosarium which denotes a religious exercise in which prayers are recited and counted on a string of beads or a knotted cord. And while in our minds rosaries are perceived as a facet of the Muslim faith, the practise itself is widespread: Jews, Christians and Muslims all use rosaries, as do other members of other philosophies and faiths such as Hinduism and Buddhism."  http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/627/fe2.htm

Lady of Fatima 'unvelieved' in Lebanon

"In September of 2003, an enthronement of an image of Our Lady of Fatima took place in the Shrine of Harissa, Lebanon. «Voz da Fátima» wrote down the observation of a witness, according to whom "it was truly impressing to see so many pilgrims, even Muslims, praying at the feet of Our Lady".  http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/migrants/pom2005_97-suppl/rc_pc_migrants_pom97_gomes.html

If Christians from sixth-century Byzantium were to return
today, they would find much more that was familiar in the
practices of Muslims than in a contemporary American
evangelical church. Most Western Christians have lost the
understanding that our faith is Middle Eastern in origin, and
thereby lose out on their rich historical heritage.
What we so critically need today is to build upon any
kinship and proximity between Christians and Muslims.
What Muslims need from Western Christians is love. We must
be involved today in an effort not to conquer them, but to
show them the love of Christ through goodwill, appreciation,
and friendship. As my friend Christine Mallouhi says, now is
the time to “wage peace” on Muslims. For they, like us, are
made in God’s image.

They don't have to return, there are millions of Catholics today who can one day relay the message to them in Hell sorry I meant Purgatory.

Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler is the rector of the Church of St. John
the Baptist/Maadi in Cairo, Egypt. Raised in Senegal and a graduate
of Wheaton College, Chandler was president of the Christian relief
agency Partners International and US CEO of the International
Bible Society. He is the author of God’s Global Mosaic (IVP, 2000)
and Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road (Cowley Publications
/Rowman & Littlefield, 2007). A version of the Islam section of this
article appeared in the Anglican Digest (2004).

I find it very funny that Paul-Gordon Chandler was the US CEO of the International Bible Society, yet never actually understood the Bible.  He is a great example of how someone can 'study' the Bible and yet have no clue for he never accepted Jesus Christ as his saviour, he never repented and he definitely does not have the Holy Spirit in him.  For it he did, he would have understood the Bible and he would NEVER entertain the notion of 'all religions lead to one God'.   Neo-Apostles & Prophets do you hear that?  A truly Born Again Christian will NEVER entertain the notion of ecumenism. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The moral of the story is, make sure you are following Jesus Christ and not the cosmic, universal 'Christ'.  Your salvation depends on weighing and testing ALL scripture spewed out by these Wolves in Sheep's clothing - your Pastor could very well be one of them.  Don't take his word for it, take Jesus' words instead.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=6307889972154088676&hl=it]

..a questo ragazzo francese sembra gli sia proprio piaciuta!!! :) :)

Harissa 

Ingredienti:

• 3 spicchi d’aglio
• 1 cucchiaio di semi di carvi
• 1 cucchiaio di coriandolo in polvere
• menta
• olio extravergine d’oliva q.b.
• 250gr di peperoncini rossi piccanti
• sale
• 1/2 cucchiaino di cumino
• 1 limone

Preparazione:

 L'harissa è un condimento, o meglio, una salsa tipica della cucina nordafricana ed in particolare di quella tunisina. Nei diversi paesi gli ingredienti secondari possono variare, ma i componenti fondamentali rimangono sempre peperoncino, aglio ed olio.

L'harissa piccante può essere usata in mille modi ed è sempre eccezionale!!! Eccone alcuni certificatamente sperimentati (da me;) )..

Schiacciata con la forchetta con un po' di tonno diventa insuperabile e resa un po' più liquida, sciogliendola nell'acqua di cottura della pasta, diventa un ottimo condimento per gli spaghetti! Spalmata su delle fettine di pane arrostito le trasforma in bruschette dal sapore hot.. Si può usuare per insaporire le uova, formaggi stagionati e verdure arrostite... insomma, l'inventiva culinaria qui aiuta molto!!!

In 2 parole...

Gnam Gnam!!!

.

IL CONSIGLIO DELL’ESPERTA: le merguez…per me le merguez sono state una vera rivelazione! Sono moolto piccanti ma davvero buonissime..soprattutto alla piastra..mmm, una bontà!!

Gnam Gnam!!

Come iniziare, se non con il piatto tipico nazionale?

Il cous cous è un piatto di origine berbera, conosciuto addirittura prima dell’arrivo delle popolazioni arabe.
Naturalmente, essendo un piatto base e di uso comune, esistono innumerevoli versioni regionali e familiari del couscous, ma la cottura avviene sempre a vapore sopra una speciale casseruola, la cuscussiera, contenente uno stufato o del brodo preparato con carne di agnello o di pollo, con diverse e variabili verdure ed immancabili spezie.

COUS COUS (in breve) = semolino particolare di grano servito con carne o pesce, ceci e verdure e ammorbidito con il brodo succolento formatosi con la cottura delle verdure.  

IL CONSIGLIO DELL’ESPERTA (che sarei io!!): il cous cous è una vera delizia!! Lo conosciamo bene anche qui in Italia (soprattutto nel Meridione, dove lo si cucina in un modo molto simile)..l'unica avvertenza che posso consigliare è quella di chiedere prima quanto piccante sia!!!

Gnam Gnam!!

I make couscous frequently. It's one of our favorite meals. It can be vegetarian or carnivorous, depending on what's at hand. One can make bountiful substitutions and it still tastes good. In fact, every time I make it it's a new dish. The bright colors and root-veggie goodness are fantastic pick-me-ups in the dreary PNW late-winter, like little chunks of sun we're promised will come again.

Last year, after we bought our fixer-upper house, a cute little post-WWII cottage with great bones but needing a major face lift, I discovered that the worthless previous owners had been cooking on a stove that had caught on fire. The wires connecting the burners were frazzled and burnt. The electrician advised not using the stove, wisely, so I waited for a couple of months until we could afford to convert to gas and buy a new unit.

This was the middle of a cold winter, so, with trepidation, I bought a slow cooker for my winter stews. The crock pot was a major feature of my childhood. We had crock pot meals all year 'round, at least twice a week. Sometimes the reek of sauerkraut and kielbasa would be so bad that I'd get a headache, because there's nothing quite like cooking sauerkraut all day long, even if you live in a large two-story house. I still associate crock pot smells with nausea. It's so deeply ingrained in me that I actually felt a bit sick when the odor of my couscous permeated the house. Ah, le temps perdu. Proust had his madeleines, I get crock pot meals.

Anyhoo. The couscous turned out pretty well, and I'm far more sensitive now to those with compromised kitchens. For those of you who are similarly compromised, or if you just like the crock pot, the adjusted recipe follows.

I'll have to admit that I like couscous better on my new stove, so I give notes that allow you to cook this recipe on the stove, as well. Lately, I've been forgoing the meat and simplifying the spices to only cinnamon, salt, red pepper flakes and cumin. We also had a version adding ground lamb and green beans that was good. See? Flexible as can be.

Slow Cookin' Couscous Stew

Note:  I usually cook this stew on the stove, so you can easily modify it for stovetop cooking by browning the beef and onions, then adding stock/water and seasonings.  The root vegetables should be added after about an hour (if you're using chuck beef) and the other vegetables near the end of cooking (about two hours or so).

2 lbs. cubed beef chuck (or pork shoulder, or lamb, or chicken thighs...)
1 large onion, chopped

Seasonings: 1 T. cinnamon, 2 t. salt, 1 t. coriander, 1/2 t. turmeric, 1 t. cumin, 1 t. allspice, 1 t. onion powder, ground pepper.

At least 3 root vegetables, 1 each, cut into largish (2-inch) chunks. I use turnip, rutabaga, yam, white potato, winter squash, leeks, carrot, parsnip. Cabbage works too, cut into 3-4 inch wedges, but it isn't very pretty because the wedges fall apart. Russet potatoes and sweet potatoes will dissolve and make broth thicker, which is fine, but may be disappointing if you want chunks.

1 andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 can chick peas, drained
1 cup large raisins (white ones if you can get them)
3-4 dried red hot peppers

1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch long fingers
1 red pepper
1 green pepper (Retrogrouch likes these -- I'd rather use roasted pasilla peppers I keep in the freezer or nothing at all)

harissa

about 4 cups chicken stock or water

In a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, layer beef, onion, seasonings, root vegetables, sausage, chick peas and raisins, in that order. Don't mix. Add enough chicken stock or water to cover most of the vegetables (about 1/2 full?). Cook on high for first hour or so, then cook on low for 5-6 hours.

In last hour of cooking, mix in zucchini, red pepper and green pepper, plus a spoonful of harissa and some chopped preserved lemon, if you have some. Taste for salt and heat. Serve with couscous. If you want to be fancy, mix couscous with cilantro and chick peas. Makes a huge pot.

We had a cold snap in New York a few weeks ago — you know, the kind where it feels like the wind is demanding satisfaction from you. What made it worse, though, was the teasing intimation of spring that came right before it, a few days of sunny, cloudless skies and light-jacket weather.

I felt had, personally. Especially on the first day of the snap, when I underdressed pretty woefully for the weather. I hunched and shivered all day, downing mugfuls of tea at work and depressively thinking back to winter. That night, a quintet of us had plans to cook at R's again. I was tasked with finding something that pleased everyone, which I decided meant that I'd find something that pleased me and then coax the rest of them into agreeing.

I kept thinking about a small can of harissa I'd picked up at Fairway — in no small part due to the can's appealingly retro design, if I'm being honest — and how it might work in dinner. That would be so delicious and comforting, I mused, all that smoky Aleppo chili powder and coriander flavor coating winter vegetables and thick, fat-striped chunks of meat. (I'm not being precious here. As B can attest, this is actually how I talk and think about food, sad as it may seem.)

Feeling quite the bloodhound, I then found an old recipe (from ancient 1999!) in The New York Times Magazine by Molly O'Neill for lamb stew with squash and preserved lemon.

Unfortunately, I didn't have preserved lemons on hand. Neither did R. I gnashed my teeth for a while, recognizing how important preserved lemons were to the taste of the dish, and then decided to compromise. I'd roast the lemons on low heat after spackling them in an opaque crust of salt, and dice them finely before using them in the dish with their pulp. If the dish wasn't delicious (and even if it was), I'd preserve my own lemons to teach myself a thing or two about jumping the gun.

The stew was totally delicious, though.

Still, I feel the need to post the recipe as originally devised — preserved lemons are such a common ingredient in Moroccan cuisine, and as such, their bright, "primary" flavor is integral to the dish. I'll just have to make a batch of my own citrons confits like I promised, won't I?

Lamb Stew With Squash and Preserved Lemon
From The New York Times Magazine, Mar. 7, 1999

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lean shoulder of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons harissa sauce (recipe follows), plus more for serving
4 cups peeled, uncooked butternut squash in 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 preserved lemon, rind and pulp finely diced, plus additional pulp from 1 preserved lemon
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint for garnish
Cooked couscous or bulgur for serving.

Directions
Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large kettle set over medium-high heat and cook the lamb, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is soft. Add the harissa sauce and cook another 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, until the lamb is tender, about 45 minutes. Add the squash, tomatoes, chickpeas and water to almost cover the ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the preserved lemon and raisins and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, garnish with mint and serve with couscous or bulgur and more harissa on the side.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Harissa Sauce
[Note: I used canned harissa, which was fine, but I've made my own before, and I think everyone should. It's a snap to make, and tastes so much finer. Most importantly, it is fantastic with fries]

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper (see note)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Let sit at least an hour before serving with lamb stew.

Now, on to the complainin'.

New Moroccan restaurant = good. The owner of Adam'$ Place running it = not $o good. When I look at a menu and see uninteresting dishes I can easily make at home with a few trendy geegaw garnishes and buzzwords ensuring price points that exclude academics from any more than an occasional evening out, I don't have any interest in the place. Adam's Place makes that mistake, and thus misses the opportunity to grab the market share for the university community.

But if the food is unusual, we'll part with our coins. Moroccan food is always expensive, so that will keep the crowd in the economic bracket they seem to want, but I'm excited that the new restaurant is unusual enough to make US see the need to go out to eat there. I just really, really, really hope that the folks in charge will make good on their promise in the Register-Guard that it will aim to be authentic Moroccan, and not a mishmash of Middle Eastern cuisine "inspired" by the strong flavors of that huge, diverse area.

In any case, it will drum up an interest in Middle Eastern cooking, so I hope that Pomegranates will become more well-known and patronized in Eugene. So I'd advise you to get in on the action early. On March 15, at 6:00 pm, Ms. Lenox-Sharifi will be offering a Persian New Year (Na Rooz) cooking class at the fabulous kitchen in our local kitchen superstore, Hartwick's. Call Hartwick's at (541) 686-0126 for reservations. Classes fill up quickly and the price is great, so don't hesitate if you're interested.

At the market, I purchased Mustapha's Moroccan harissa, highly recommended by Ms. Lenox-Sharifi, who also gave me her recipe for Carrot and Harissa Purée. This harissa is unusual in that it contains preserved lemons, and it isn't nearly as spicy as other packaged harissas I've tried (e.g., the stuff in the tube they sell at Newman's and Marché Provisions). If you try the recipe below and have a different harissa, please be sure to taste for spiciness and adjust accordingly.

Moroccan Carrot Purée with Harissa

(adapted from Julie Lenox-Sharifi's recipe)

I hate carrots. They are one of the only foods that I actively dislike, and the only vegetable. I've searched long and hard for a carrot recipe that I like. This is it. I can't get enough of this stuff. The carrots are bright and spunky, their natural sweetness counteracted by the lemon and chile in the harissa, and made smooth by the olive oil base. I used half a bag of old, leftover grocery store carrots, but I'm sure it would be even more brilliant with fresh garden carrots, especially the varieties good for roasting, such as Atomic Red.

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch slices

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling on carrots before roasting

1 T. Mustapha's Moroccan harissa (or substitute 1 t. other harissa plus 1 t. chopped preserved lemons or 1 t. lemon juice plus some zest), or to taste

1/4 t. cumin

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place carrots and garlic in baking dish, and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast until you see some dark brown spots, about 30 minutes depending on the water content in the carrots.

Let carrots cool to warm, then process them with harissa, cumin, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pour in 1/3 cup of olive oil as you process. Adjust seasonings. Serve at room temperature on slices of baguette, crackers, pita bread. Also would work well as a side dish or as a stuffing.

Yield: about 2 cups.

Pour ceux qui prennent en cours, voici la 3eme partie de la soirée "la Nuit Saudades", avec le discours de Sophie Magalhaes, présidente de l'association Saudades, les bénévoles, les partenaires, et l'arrivée du groupe La Harissa !
A cause des soucis techniques, j'ai du tricoté un peu avec les rushs utilisables mais cela donne un bon aperçu de la prestation, surtout qu'un 3eme rappel est à venir dans la 4eme partie !

Vous pouvez aussi voir ou revoir la 2eme partie et la première, le collage, la bande annonce, des peintures... et aussi l'interview exclusive du groupe la Harissa.

Après quelques préparatifs mouvementés légèrement paniqués, voici nos charmantes organisatrices de l'association Saudades, pendant la prestation de Ramiro Manuel Da Costa, de EmoSons, et le défilé de prêt-à-porter "Saudades" dont le créateur était venu de Lyon.

Au prochain épisode, l'équipe fera-t-elle un triomphe sur scène ? Le groupe la Harissa arrivera-t-il à l'heure ? Restez à l'écoute !

Voici l'association Saudades en pleine préparation de sa soirée consacrée à la culture portugaise ciblée jeunes qui a eu lieu à l'école Ernest Renan. Cette premiere vidéo montre les coulisses, la préparation, les balances de EmoSons, de la Harissa... Du stress, de la panique, des retards, bref, le temps presse ! On aperçoit aussi Fanny Bullaert, adjointe au Maire, venue saluer l'équipe (avec Pierre Dubois).

Et enfin, le public arrive... nous suivons les premiers installés à table pendant les musiques de DJ Antonio.

- Les filles seront-elles prêtes pour le discours d'ouverture ? Les convives seront-ils tous servis à temps ? Verra-t-on la Harissa sur scène ? Ne manquez pas la suite au prochain épisode !

Rencontre exclusive avec le groupe de rap portugais "La Harissa" qui se produira la semaine prochaine à Roubaix à la salle Ernest Renan lors de la soirée de l'association Saudades dont leBlog2Roubaix est partenaire. La Harissa est LE groupe que les jeunes lusodescendants écoutent. Ils préparent leur 5eme album.

Blok Pataco et Sirando évoquent leur parcours, leur influences, le rap français, la communauté portugaise en France, les clichés, et leur prochain album à paraitre. Ils expriment aussi peut-être un sentiment que certains nouveaux français peuvent connaitre, sans langue de bois.

L'interview est réalisée juste avant leur prestation en Belgique.

* le concert à Roubaix du 1er décembre est pratiquement complet

I love lamb its definitely one of my favourite meats , using a shoulder of lamb and slow cooking gives a lot of tasty tender meat that that can go in the freezer .Though the lamb stays in generous chunks it falls apart at the touch of a fork and melts in the mouth

Slow Roasted Lamb

Whole Shoulder of Lamb
1 Bulb of Garlic finely chopped
3 Medium Sized Onions
2 Tins of Tomatoes
slosh of red wine
salt and pepper to season

Place the shoulder of lamb in a cast iron pan
Add the garlic onions tomatoes and red wine don't worry if it doesn't cover the meat
Bake with the lid on a 180degc for one and a half hours
Leave to cool in the oven overnight
In the morning remove the layer of fat from the top of the pan and bones from the meat

The lamb can then go into the freezer in portions , and be slowly heated through when required .Suggestions with seasonal vegetables , with tomatoes and fresh herbs , with lentils or pulses .

This Saturday after some fun walk picking mushrooms I reheated a generous portion with a tin of plum tomatoes tablespoon of harissa and handfuls of chopped fresh parsley it just needed 30 minutes in a high oven

I didn't want a really heavy accompaniment but did have some flat bread not home-made I am afraid so made the salad below which was really tasty and helped me motor through the flat leaf parsley

Green Bean and Chick Pea Salad with Tahini and Lemon Dressing

Two Handfuls of Green Beans _ steamed
One Tin of Chick Peas
2 tablespooons of tahini
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
a hanfuld of chopped flat leaf parsley
juice of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients together and serve

Powered by ScribeFire.

Zutaten (für 1 große Portion):

3 Tomaten
1/2 Gurke
1 Paprika
1 ungespritzte Zitrone (zerlegt in 1 TL fein gehackte Zitronenschale und Zitronensaft+Fruchtfleisch)
1 Bund Petersilie (glatt!!!)
1/2 Bund Minze (ziemlich dominant, kann durchaus reduziert werden)
1 cup Couscous
2 gehackte Chilischoten (können auch weggelassen werden)
Olivenöl
1 TL Harissa
Salz
Pfeffer

Zubereitung:

1. Tomaten, Gurke, Paprika kleinschneiden und in einer Schüssel mit Chilis, Zitronenschale, Salz und Pfeffer vermischen.
2. Zitronensaft, Olivenöl, Harissa und Salz und Pfeffer zu einem Dressing vermischen und über dieTomaten-Gurken-Paprika-Mischung geben. Gut vermischen und etwas ziehen lassen.
3. Couscous zubereiten: Couscous in eine Schüssel geben und mit etwas heißer Brühe* übergießen, etwa so viel, dass ein 1/2 cm Flüssigkeit über dem Couscous steht. 3 bis 5 Minuten ziehen lassen. Auf der Packung steht meist 5 Minuten, ich mag Couscous gern mit etwas Biss, also sind 3 Minuten auch völlig in Ordnung.
4. Während der Couscous zieht, Kräuter hacken und mit dem Salat vermengen.
5. Fertigen Couscous mit dem Salat vermischen und gleich aufessen.

*Noch einfacher: Heißes Wasser über Couscous + Instantbrühe-Krümel kippen. Bitte Brühe ohne Glutamat verwenden!

• Groentenmix naar eigen keus (ik doe: courgette, aubergine, kikkererwten (blikje 400g), 4 paprika's van verschillende kleuren, tomaten)
• 1 tl. Harissa (Pas op dit is HEET!!!)
• 1 tl. Karwijzaad, gemalen (wordt ook wel kummel genoemd)
• 1 tl. Paprikapoeder, rood (Ik gebruik altijd 'edelsüß')
• 4-5 el. olijfolie
• 2 teentjes knoflook
• 1 dl water
• 3 el. citroensap
• couscous (ik gebruik altijd volkoren, te koop bij de natuurwinkel).
• kippenbouillon

Bereiding:

Maak de couscous klaar volgens de aanwijzingen op de verpakking. Ik gebruik in plaats van water kippenbouillon om over de couscous te gieten, vind ik lekkerder. Terwijl de couscous water opzuigt kun je in een wok (of braadpan) de olijfolie verhitten en daarin de knoflook fruiten. Daarna voeg je 1 tl. harissa, het karwijzaad en de paprikapoeder toe en roer je het goed door elkaar. Na een minuutje ofzo kun je alle gesneden groenten in de pan kieperen. Dat laat je 5 minuten roerbakken totdat het bijna gaar is. Vervolgens voeg je de water en de citroensap toe.

Ondertussen kijk je hoe het met de couscous gaat, als het al rul geworden is (als het goed is wel) dan kun je het even goed omscheppen. Na 2 minuutjes doorwarmen zullen de groenten wel klaar zijn en kun je het serveren met de couscous. Eventueel kun je nog harissa naar smaak toevoegen, mocht je het te laf vinden, ik heb hier een vrij voorzichtige hoeveelheid neergezet, al naar gelang iemands smaak kun je de 'dosis' verhogen...

Eet smakelijk!

The Boys

Our Lady of Harissa

The Maronite Cathedral

Beirut, taken from the cable car on the way back down to Jounieh

• Mixed vegetables to choice (mine is: courgette or zucchini, chickpeas one pound can, bell peppers of different colours and tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon Harissa (Careful, this is HOT!!)
• 1 teaspoon Caraway seeds, ground
• 1 teaspoon Paprika (Mine is called 'edelsüß', but it's no problem to use a hotter variety)
• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 decilitre / 3.5 liquid ounces water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• couscous (I use whole wheat couscous, available at Whole Foods).
• chicken stock

Preparation:

Prepare the couscous by following the directions on the package. I used chicken stock to make it, instead of hot water, because it is more tasty. While the couscous is sucking water, use a frying pan or wok to prepare the vegetables. Heat the olive oil to start and shortly fry the pressed garlic for about a minute. Add 1 teaspoon harissa and the caraway and the paprika while mixing thoroughly. After a minute of stir-frying add all precut vegetables. Stir fry for about 5 minutes. After that's done, add water and lemon juice.

Check the couscous, it should be done by now. Mix it a bit with a fork or a spoon. It's also possible to add some spices and harissa to the couscous. The vegetables should be ready by now and are ready to serve with the couscous. I used careful amounts of spices, so if you like it hot, you can add more spices to the couscous. Pre-taste it too see if it's to your liking.

It's a nice meal to have on a hot day, since it's easy and fast to prepare and easy to digest.