Pentecost Sunday

The Descent of the Holy Spirit

Anthony Van Dyck
1599 – 1641

The Jewish feast of Pentecost is the day when those persons who had followed the Jewish Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, became the Church. Gathered together for prayer in an "upper room," a "mighty wind" blew, tongues of fire appeared, and these followers began to speak of what they had seen and had heard for these last three years. The uncertainty and timidity were gone.

Jewish pilgrims filled Jerusalem for the Pentecost feast and heard Peter and others proclaiming the way of the Christ in their own languages. In this, the universality of the Christian message and mission is foreshadowed, and the leadership of Peter begun.

From The Acts of the Apostles

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

How to make a milkshake properly.

It's summer time and that means ice cream.

Ice cream means milkshakes. I have made thousands of them. Here's how I do it. If you do it a different way, I don't care. Mine are better. As usual, I will leave the ingredient portions up to you. If you can not figure out the ice cream-to-milk ratio you should not be using a blender.

Incidentals but important:

1. Glasses in freezer first. It is summer time (did I just say that?) that means that everything in the house is a little warmer than in the winter. Milkshakes need cold, so cool off the blender and the glasses.
2. Put ice cream in blender first. Pour milk on top and let it sit for a minute. The ice cream crystallizes some of the milk and gives it a little different texture.
3. True chocolate milkshake lovers choose quality chocolate ice cream for their milkshakes. Hershey's chocolate syrup has little or no chocolate in it and has an artificial taste.
4. My preference is hand-stirred. The difference is in the final texture. Mixers produce an airier milkshake, hand blending, a more crystallized and inconsistent texture.
5. No attempt should be made to trick up the milk shake. It is a simple pleasure. Keep it that way.

My favorite milkshake is the following:

Chocolate Banana Milkshake:
* Chocolate ice cream. 3 big scoops.
* Whole milk. 3/4 cup.
* Soft, ripe banana (preferably cold) or fruit of choice that goes with chocolate, like strawberries and raspberries. Frozen fruits are perfect for milkshakes.
(For weight gain and health: add protein powder and 1 teaspoon all- natural peanut butter)

Another good combination: if peaches are in season, use vanilla ice cream and peaches. Not the yellow, custard-type vanilla, but the vanilla bean type. That's one of my favorites. Make sure the peaches are cold when they go in the blender.

Miscellanea:
* In the summer I put an ice cube in the blender with the other ingredients. In the winter it is not necessary.
* I do not care for whipped cream, or worse, whipped cream with a maraschino cherry. Bad things happen to people who put maraschino cherry's on top of their milkshake.
* I do like to put a hard pretzel with the milkshake. The crunchy texture and salt are good contrasts.
* A one-piece, heavy, ice cream scoop is a good investment. No moving parts but built for hard ice cream scooping. I got one at the dollar store that I have used for years.
* You can't get a good milkshake from soft ice cream. If your freezer does not make the ice cream hard enough so it takes some effort to scoop it you will not make good milkshakes.
* If you are hand-stirring, let the milk and ice cream sit for a minute and it will be easier to stir. If you are using a blender, just pulsate it so that the milk and ice cream don't melt from the friction.

College of St. Thomas More: Congratulations.

I am a few days late on this but --- congratulations to all 10 College of St Thomas More graduates, and to the College for the largest gathering of founders, fellows, students, and friends in a College-owned building. The fact that the building was the new Christ the Teacher chapel is all the better. It was a great day for all of us connected with one of Fort Worth's finest institutions.

Graduates:
Clare B. Wilson, B. A., Summa Cum Laude, Post Falls, Idaho; Valedictorian
Brinton T. Smith, B. A., Summa Cum Laude, Fort Worth, Texas; Salutatorian
Jessica M. Adames, A. A., Sweetwater. Texas
Emily T. Lie, B. A., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Emiliana Chaparro-Ronderos, B. A., Sao Paulo, Brazil
Zuriel M. Bertch, B. A., Cum Laude, Fort Worth, Texas
John W. Heitzenrater II, B. A., Magna Cum Laude, Columbus, Ohio
Bradley R. Hoff, B. A., Huntsville, Texas
Jason J. McAlister, B. A., Dallas, Texas
Nyle P. Reams, B. A., Tyler, Texas

Shula's Grill 347. Thursday Night Jazz.

Guest Post by Rebecca

Tomorrow night launches the first "Thursday Night Live Jazz" at Shula's 347 Grill. Shula's Grill is in the newly renovated Sheraton just north of I30 downtown (formerly, the Ramada). "Newly renovated" understates the actual cost of renovation which was $50 million. It is now a very attractive hotel and restaurant.

I had lunch yesterday at Shula's 347 and walked through the hotel as well. As a restaurant, I would put Shula's in the Charleston's category. Casual atmosphere, quality food. Steaks, seafood, salads, sandwiches. We had the grilled shrimp as an appetizer and it was delicious -- and the shrimp were jumbo as advertised. It is reasonably priced for the "casual dining" category. I liked it a lot.

The Thursday Night Jazz is a new event for the restaurant and something they seemed very excited about. The Freddie Jones Jazz Band will perform for the first three weeks. Food and drink specials will be offered and there is no cover charge.

One final Suggestion. If you arrive before 6:30 take a walk through the renovated Water Gardens. It is worth a visit.

But definitely consider the Jazz night at Shula's.

Other musical groups in the initial line up alternating with Freddie Jones include:

• Adonis Rose Quintet
• Texas Gypsies
• Breggett Rideau
• Rachella Parks.

For more information on Shula's. http://www.donshula.com

(They tell me there is Trolley service from Downtown South to Sundance Square. If you have used it, please let me know how it is.)

Fort Worth Blogs . . . New and Retiring.

I read most of the Fort Worth blogs. Actually, I read every local weblog that has anything thoughtful to say, and which has a lower than 5% f-word-to-whole-word ratio.

We have some good ones and have recently lost one of our better ones, that being, West and Clear. West and Clear and Fortworthology work together and have been the best two on Fort Worth news, especially commercial development.

Others locally written blogs that I read, include:

Caravan of Dreams: has frequent comments on the local and Texas-wide music scene. Also, read his blog profile. It is the best I have read.

The Ravelled Sleave: features good writing in the context of a passion for knitting.

Thoughts to blog: Jake is a programmer for drop.io and knows more of what is going on in technology, Web 2.0, Ruby programming, and just about anything web related than any one I know. Plus, he posts restaurant reviews here, on Food & Fort Worth.

Words and Phrases: a new discovery for me written by a Fort Worth blogger and intended for the more contemplative reader.

The Whited Sepulchre: Also, good writing and enjoyable to read from a very bright guy with whom I almost agree. For the libertarian and general political rabble rouser in all of us.

The WickeDeli: The Wicke's are starting a Deli that I hope is downtown somewhere. Their blog keeps you up-to-date on the progress.

Fort Worth Hole in the Wall. Good reviews of local restaurants.

DFW.com: Lots of good information. Doesn't have the personality of a single-writer blog but the information is there and helpful.

That's not all of the Fort Worth blogs I read but it is a few I haven't mentioned in a while.

On Hiatus: Long Horn Lucy, Little Lizzie, and Cowtown and Coolage.

A Better Egg McMuffin?

I have not one shred of evidence to prove the belief that: happier chickens produce better, tastier and healthier eggs.

But if McDonald's follows through with the proposed study to see how egg suppliers can give the chickens a better life we may all find out. The study's actual purpose if to see if producers can maintain production in a cage-free environment. A secondary consequence will be better eggs, I believe, and I'm all for it.

By the way, the average space that an egg producing chicken gets is 70 square inches.

How many eggs does McDonald's use per day?
1. 80,000
2. 220,000
3. 520,000

The full report: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business

Blogging for Dollars . . .

A Sunday Reflection

I have read that some people start blogs to make money. I didn't. Thankfully.

I did do a search on the subject of "blogging and money" and found a plethora, yes a plethora, of make money now websites, with the requisite pictures: the sports car, the beach road, and all things jiggling that come with both. All I had to do was buy the $39.95 report (today only).

I didn't pony up the 39 bucks so I guess I'm stuck with what I have: Google ads revenue of $54 in two years. Or 7 cents a day.

I do believe that most of us, especially yours truly, are better off in Aristotle's Golden Mean. Enough money, respect, and pleasure to keep us modestly comfortable -- but not indulgently comfortable. Everyone needs a little failure, a little discomfort, and a rejection or two to keep us on the straight and narrow. Part of the trick in a good life is knowing when to accept the pain, and indeed, when to embrace it.

One final disclosure. The $54 is still "in potentia," I don't get the check from Google until I reach $100.

At the current rate, that's 2011. Until then, I'm still working for food . . . that I cook.

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Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Abraham Lincoln

How to Cook Barbecue Beef Ribs (at home)

Well, there they go again.

Just one day after Food and Fort Worth does a widely reviewed post on barbecue, and I notice that some website called, what was it, oh yea, . . . the New York Times . . . copy the idea and do an article on Texas-style barbecue beef ribs. Post robbers.

Actually, their's is a very detailed explanation on how to cook ribs at home. Excellent piece.

I have said it before and I will say it again. The New York Times website is an easily accessed, easy to read, and usable newspaper website for food lovers. If they are a 10 the Star Telegram website is a 1. I hate to admit that but I think it is true.

Here's the ribs link: http://www.nytimes.com

Photo from New York Times

Fort Worth's Best Barbecue

I like my beef barbecue smoked, sliced, served on a fresh bun, and topped with just a touch of sauce. For sides, I choose pinto beans with a jalapeno and potato salad. Good barbecue is an art that few master because to do it right you need time, the right temperature, moisture and the right smoke. In Fort Worth we are fortunate to have some masters: Angelo's, Railhead, Cousins, Colters, etc.

Cousins received a little national recognition this week when it was announced that Good Morning America considers it in the top 4 nationwide. The GMA Best Barbecue segment will be aired on May 23.*

Who has the best sliced beef sandwich in Fort Worth? You tell me.

Cousins Barbeque: http://www.cousinsbbq.com

Fort Worth Business Press: http://www.fwbusinesspress.com

On Being Serious. Or Not.

Steve Martin as the Pink Panther.

For some reason it hit me the other day that the congenitally serious person kind of bugs me. I am not referring to the rare person not blessed with a sense of humor, but to the person who refuses a sense of humor. As if humor was below his or her station in life.

I have never had that problem. As a matter of fact, my sister once told me that the male species, as a rule, hits the age of 15 and stops. I had to identify. The oddest things get me sometimes. Many years ago and late at night, my wife told me her uncle's name was Cuthbert. We laughed so hard we cried. It's really not that funny, but at the moment the currently out-of-circulation name tickled us and wouldn't let go.

Laughter is human. Uniquely human. Maybe even necessary to one's sense of humanness. Sometimes when we are laughing with friends or family we know that things are good, and a very few times in life, we know that things are almost perfectly good; and we want time to stop at that moment of enjoyment, but it doesn't.

I know we live in dire times of serious problems, and that our eternal destiny is no laughing matter, and that our problems are serious, but, well . . .

Take the word obfuscate. It is funny to me, no matter what is going wrong; but only seeing the definition, the literal, the univocal, makes us less human.

And that is not funny.

Summer's Coming. It's Time for the Watermelon Keg.

I had some watermelon over the weekend and it reminded of one of my favorite posts:
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Only in America: A guy is having a summer backyard bash and wants a vodka-infused watermelon. Pretty normal so far. But some weird light bulb pops up over his head and tells him to turn the watermelon into a cocktail keg. After 2 days of trial and error, he did. And it works. Watermelon-juice, vodka, and watermelon server with spout . . god, I love this country.

Want to see how he did it? I did.

http://blog.evite.com/evite/2007/09/end-of-summer-b.html

Random thoughts on three words . . .

I can't say the word, particularly.

I am envious of anyone who can pronounce it with ease. I say, par-tik'-ur-lee. When I attempt to say it correctly I fumble on the "u-ler-ly" part. Okay, this isn't earth shaking news -- but stick with me here, it gets even more meaningless. For instance...

Vestibule. It's a funny word, I think it's the"bule" part. I mention this because I was in an old theater last night and noticed a wall sign with an arrow pointing forward and the word Vestibule. My recollection of it goes back to around 6 years of age when I was told to stand in one before first Holy Communion. It is not a word we see these days, so after seeing it last night, I decided to look it up.

Vestibule or Vestibulum can have the following meanings, each primarily based upon a common origin, from early 17th century French, derived from Latin vestibulum, "entrance court".

I wonder if it has any connection to the Vestel virgins of ancient Rome. Etymologists and Wikipedians may reply.

Stimulus is a word we see and hear everywhere today. And I'm really tired of it. Banks are getting it, car companies are hoping for it, AIG abused it, the President supports it and Congress enacted it. You and I are yet to see the effects of it and if I had a dollar for everytime I have read it, I wouldn't need it.

Cartoons by Michael Ramirez at ibdeditorials.com

And the Winner is . . .

Fwtacoma was 6 for 6. Perfect.

If fwtacoma tells me the answers were given without any research, and sends me his or her email I will gladly send the prize.

The highest ranked fast food restaurants, in the correct order.

1. In-N-Out Burger, Irvine, Calif., 60%
2. Chick-fil-A, Atlanta, 55%
3. Panera Bread, St. Louis, 54%
4. Chipotle, Denver, 52%
5. Pei Wei, Scottsdale, Ariz., 51%
6. Qdoba, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 49%

Why am I suspicious?

Kimbell Acquires Earliest Michelangelo.

The Torment St Anthony

Michelangelo

Another reason to love Fort Worth? I think so. The Kimbell Art Museum is as good as they get, and considering the size of our city, you just can't ask for much more.

Here's a summary of the story pulled from the Fort Worth Business Press. Link following.

Long held in private hands, apart from isolated showings during the 19th and 20th centuries, The Torment of St. Anthony has been hailed, by turns, as both a prototypical Michelangelo and as a work of questionable pedigree. The consensus today holds with Michelangelo.

A 2008 Sotheby’s auction in London offered the painting in a preliminary range of $200,000-$300,000. Once the acceptance of authenticity had spread, a bidding frenzy surged to approximately $2 million, paid by a New York-based dealer named Adam Williams. Williams cinched the authenticity further with a regimen of X-ray examinations, which revealed alterations that can only belong to a primary-source work-in-progress.

The painting will settle into a permanent home at Fort Worth’s Kimbell following a showing during the summer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=10198
.

Which Fast Food Restaurant Has Highest Customer Satisfaction Ranking?

The following is 6 of the top ten regional fast food restaurants with the highest rankings in customer satisfaction. (The other four of the ten are not commonly known franchises.)

I have placed the names in alphabetical order. Can you number them 1 - 6 according to the customer satisfaction ranking?

Chick-fil-A, Atlanta

Chipotle, Denver

In-N-Out Burger, Irvine, Calif.

Panera Bread, St. Louis

Pei Wei, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Qdoba, Wheat Ridge, Colo.

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Comments?

I'll send the winner a $10 gift certificate to Starbucks if said winner promises not to cheat by doing a web search .

A Sunday Reflection . . .

Saint Jude / Patron of Lost Causes

I have become a committed TV watcher. By that I mean for the first time since childhood I am planning life around what is on the television that night. I'm too old to be embarrassed by it, but at the same time, I am not proud of it either.

It is to be expected I suppose. For the last thirty years or so, if I haven't been working, I have been at a little league game, or performance, or recital of some kind or other, or hitting ground balls in the front yard; all things I enjoyed, by the way (okay, and the occasional night out with the boys). But now with only one son living at home, and he on his own, my wife and I have evenings free and have begun to waste said evenings watching regular prime-time television.

I have never been so normal. I like it. I think.

American Idol. . . 24 . . . Boston Legal. . . Life. . . Office. . . I'm hooked. They, or it, has got me. How do I loose myself from this enjoyable grip?

"For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."*

I admit, in the hierarchy of evils, excessive television watching is at the low end of bad, nevertheless, goodness is a habit achieved at the expense of the other law working in me. There is some self-denial in any good act, some thing to which I must say "no" as I am saying "yes" to the Good. Some remote to put down and some book to pick up.

At least it seems to me. I say this knowing that two opposing but commonly accepted views are always pulling at me, that the real evil is in believing in the existence of the Good (Nietzsche), or that Faith is perfection of the world and not the redemption of the world (nearly every religious broadcast). I'll oppose those notions, remote in hand or not, because I believe the Great Philosopher who said that virtue is the habit of doing good. There is just no explaining that away.

Which is why I like Boston Legal, it neither denies depravity or promotes the angelic.

That's Tuesday and Wednesday night, 8 - 11pm. In case you were wondering.

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* Saint Paul's epistle to the Romans

The Last Man-Room Standing . . .

I walked into a tobacco store today.

My purpose was to buy Stephen his favorite pipe tobacco and Andrew and Brinton a nice cigar. The store is not in Fort Worth so its name and location will be withheld just in case they are doing something illegal -- which I hope they are.*

A tobacco store is a manly place. Lots of shelves with cigar boxes, tobacco, imported cigarettes, and all the paraphernalia that accompanies such products. No bric-a-brac, candles, and frilly things. Just wood shelving, glass cases, product, and smoke.

As I was browsing, I thought that this may be the last store in America in which I feel comfortable. And I don't smoke. But most everyone else was smoking, pipes, cigars, even cigarettes -- I had time-warped to 1950 -- and with every puff these patrons were living in a pleasure-filled oblivion to the shouting other side. I liked it.

Behind one counter a middle aged man was selling fountain pens that he had made. Beautiful things they were. I tried one. We talked. I said, thank you. He said, anytime. A sales-man, a fountain pen, and a smoke filled room. I had stepped back into time and I did n0t want to leave.

At check out, the friendly girl who took my money was smoking a cigarette, and smiling, but not at me; at the fact, I assume, that she was a check out girl and smoking a cigarette. She took my payment and boxed my gifts, and all this with cigarette in hand, arm bent, fingers extended, like a movie star -- puffing on her cigarette. I could have kissed her I was so giddy with rebellious admiration.

I browsed a while longer and finally had to go, and as I stepped onto Walnut Street I saw a young man in tight black jeans and spiked black hair.

Bummer . . . . .
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* Editors note: Some readers misconstrued the meaning here. I am not implying that the establishment personnel were smoking funny tobacco. I do not mean that kind of illegal, I mean the smoking inside a public building kind of illegal. Man, you guys must have a guilty conscience or something.

photo by: trialsanderrors

Yucatan Taco. No lo entiendo.

Am I right in thinking that the Yucatan Peninsula is in Mexico?

Maybe the Yucatan Taco folks could take a little visit someday, because that is the poorest excuse for Mexican food I have had in a long time.

And it is expensive as well.

I ordered the ground sirloin taco. Three bucks. The only drier beef I had that week was at Dutch's hamburgers. The Yucatan taco meat was ground, and maybe it was sirloin, but it was as tasteless as cardboard. And the mound of lettuce in the middle of the taco, I guess that's to make it look pretty? And the sauce? Was that queso or yellow mayonaisse?

I also ordered guacamole with chips. I don't expect handmade quac but when you are charging $5 for a small dollop I expect better than the tube variety. It was god-awful. Seriously.

My wife had the nachos. It looked kind of cool -- if you like a mountain of chips and shredded lettuce, but it too was ladled with what appeared to be queso. About half way through the mound we gave up looking for anything worth eating.

Now, if Yucatan is just a bar that serves food as a side item. No problemo. Very cool place to drink a beer and hang out. But I think it is a restaurant and it is just bad food. And 3 bucks for a bad taco is just bad ridiculous.

Sorry. Not going back. For the food, anyway.

Starbucks' Clover Brewing System

A silver bullet for Starbucks, Inc?

My son spent a few days in Seattle and stayed just a block from the original Starbucks coffee shop. He visited Store 1 and tried a cup of coffee brewed from their new Clover brewing machines. His opinion: excellent and possibly the best cup of coffee he has ever had.

According to the store personnel Starbucks is testing the concept with 75 "Clovers" installed in the USA. I think, Starbucks hopes the "Clover" will help them recover some lost ground. And they need it.

Pikes Place is a bust, the stores are looking a little tired and out-of-date, McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts are pulling some customers away, and the economy is not helping.

If the Clover brewing system is as good as people say it is, a roll out could help. I say could, because Starbucks has to address this bigger image problem. They have to maintain the "coolness" that comes with drinking the coffee. Try that when you have 10,000 stores all needing to stay up to date.

My suggestions: appeal to your base like Apple did in the 90's. Clean up the menu, simplify ordering, make it a coffee shop again, not a JC Penney's that sells coffee, cut the daily cost of wi-fi, get rid of Pike's Place, improve and simplify the food, and rollout Clover.

Piece o' (coffee) cake . . .
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So the question is: do we have one of the 75 in the area?

Here's a video of the new Clover machine in operation.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles

Dutch's Hamburgers -- Stttrrrike two.

I went to Dutch's Hamburgers today. I had heard that my first impression of their hamburger was wrong, that Dutch's had a hamburger that could be ranked with the best: Tommy's, Kinkaid's, Freds.

Well sorry folks, but I'll stick with the first impression and here's way: a good hamburger is juicy and tasty. Dutch's is neither.

On this my second visit to Dutch's, I received what is supposed to be a premium hamburger ($6.00 with no cheese) and it was pre-cooked, dry and almost tasteless. Hey Dutch, they've got this new seasoning out, it's called salt.

I mean this sincerely -- I would rather eat a hamburger at McDonald's, Wendys, or Whataburger. I think they taste better.

Regular readers know that I rarely criticize restaurants, but I am criticizing Dutch's because they are charging a premium price and delivering poor quality and all they need to do to improve is to deliver a freshly cooked burger. Stop pre-cooking!

And by the way, screw the "great onion rings" talk. I go to a place like Dutch's for the hamburger, the side dishes are secondary.

My hamburger was bone dry. Period. End of debate. I'm not going back.

News Flash: Food & Fort Worth Now Using Blue Humor to Attract Younger Audience. FCC Investigating. Evidence Below: