I am about to embark on an exciting pastry adventure. For a couple of years now, since seeing this post on Chocolate & Zucchini I’ve wanted to make a homemade Galette des Rois, or King’s Cake for the celebration of the Christian holiday Epiphany. I’m finally going to get to make this cake only this time I have to make five of them! But I’m still excited to do it.

This is the kind of thing I love about cooking: the excitement that comes before getting to create something special. My kitchen is ready. The floor is swept, dishes done, counters cleared. I’m ready to pull out the ingredients and go to work mixing and measuring and baking. Then there’s always that nervous moment when you don’t really know how it’s going to turn out until you taste it. But that comes later. For now, to the counter to start the creme d’amande! Of course, I’ll be continually interrupted by my two little ones, but that’s my wonderful life right now. In fact, what I should say is, the rearing of my two precious little lives will be interrupted by exciting bouts of the act of baking.

A side note: before I begin the galette’s I intend to make this Hungarian soup for dinner. The German Graupensuppe I made the other day was so good, I’m sticking with the Europeans on soups during this chilly winter time. I’ll let you know how everything turns out!

I have counted at least three different posts on the Internet from Christian writers that accuse Christians who don’t want to celebrate Halloween of bolting their doors and turning off their lights on the neighborhood (i.e., the world!) and not wanting to be a witness. Apparently we’re too afraid of all the evil that might rub off on us and our children through celebrating this holiday and we retreat to the backs of our homes with the lights off hoping all the little annoying neighborhood kids in their Satanic costumes will go away. People sometimes assume if we’re not participating, we therefore don’t want to ”witness” to a lost and dying world.

 The reason our family doesn’t “celebrate” (not even sure why “celebrate” and “Halloween” go together) is because we’re too cheap! I sincerely think that buying costumes for the kids and candy for the whole neighborhood for what is really, the stupidest of all holidays, is a complete waste of money. It has nothing to do with not wanting to be salt and light to the people around us. I’m just hard pressed to think of a more useless cause for our money to go to than costumes they wear once and leftover candy that I don’t allow our kids to eat anyway. All for what? So the kids have something fun to do? So they don’t feel left out? On a whim today, my husband took our two kids to a pumpkin patch so I could stay home and get some homeschooling work done. They got their face painted, petted some fun animals and bought me some decorative squash to put on the table.  All for under twenty dollars. So it’s not as though our kids don’t have fun. And our four year old daughter plays “dress up” all the time and will get to wear a princess costume next week when she pretends to be Pharoah’s daughter.

So I wish Christians who particpate in Halloween wouldn’t assume that those of us who don’t are too chicken. Too chicken to get involved in an “evil” holiday and too chicken to witness to non Christians. That’s not the case at all. We’re just too cheap.

Here’s what I think is part of the crux of Ms. Bryson’s article:

Consider an ideology like a seed and the disposition of the mind like soil. The particular nature of the seed determines what may become of it. Yet at the same time, the elements of the soil are part and parcel of shaping the manner in which the particular seed grows. A seed in toxic soil can grow into a terrible distortion of the plant it is meant to become. What happens when a radical ideology adheres in a pornography-saturated mind?

I think this is a very important question she raises and definitely something our government agencies should explore. Read the whole thing.

Achingly convicting yet emboldening sermon by R.C. Sproul tonight titled, “Expedience and Extravagance.”

I’ve also read recently a short excerpt of a book called “Loving the Little Years” and the author very wisely says you can’t yearn to minister to orphans in Africa, etc. and not find the joy in taking care of and witnessing to your little ones at home.  That also was convicting to me.  This Sproul sermon makes me think, yes, I need to be bold to the people I encounter, but am I being bold to my own kids at home?  I have found myself afraid of telling Grethe that there are people in our family that aren’t Christians for fear that she’ll one day mention out loud to these family members that we’re praying for them to repent and become Christians and thereby open us all up to persecution. I’m going to stop being afraid of that.  What else is this life about than expending it FOR something?  (Or, Someone?)  Jesus says whoever is ashamed of him and his word, of that person will Jesus be ashamed when he comes. Lord, let that not be me.

I’m so thankful to be a Christian.  Hope and peace at the loss of a child at any stage is only found in Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior.

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It Was Not Wicked for the Lord to Take Our Son

Part of the reason I couldn’t put the book down was simply the topic. I have always been very interested in why the African American church is the way that it is. Thabiti (correctly, in my opinion) assesses the current state of the black church in this way, “[Today's African American church has] become less critical theologically and increasingly more concerned with social, political and educational agendas.  As a consequence of theological drift and erosion, the black church now stands in danger of losing its relevance and power… In effect, cultural concerns captured the church and supplanted the biblical faithfulness that once characterized it.  It has lost the law and the gospel, and stands in danger of lapsing into spiritual rigor mortis.”  (p. 18)

Once Anyabwile establishes the current state of the African American church he then systematically goes through important periods of American history detailing theologically how the church came to be the way that it is, and that is the most engaging and interesting part of the book. You learn in each chapter how the black church over the centuries viewed revelation, God, man, Jesus Christ, salvation, and the Holy Spirit. Each doctrine is examined during a certain time period coinciding with the African American experience with evangelical Christianity, and it was the Early Slavery Era through Abolition Era (1600-1865) that I found the most interesting and where I learned the most.

For example, one burning question for me and I’m sure for many African Americans is how did the slaves that were Christians view their slavery? More than that, how did  they become Christians in the first place?  One would think a slave would vehemently reject every attempt by their owners to assimilate them into the white American culture including rejecting the “white man’s” religion.  That was not the case among some Southern and Northern slaves. Educated black men such as Jupiter Hammon and Lemuel Haynes consistently extolled the sovereignty of God over all creation and in the affairs of men including the evil of slavery.

For Haynes and his generation…the problem of God’s justice and righteousness was not a merely philosophical one. They looked squarely into the actual gross evil of race-based chattel slavery and witnessed the tissue-splitting brutality of the lash…. Astonishingly, that generation of writers and thinkers concluded – in contradiction to the view that made God a disappointed observer of human events and evils like slavery—that God indeed was both sovereign and just.  They saw even in his hard providences beneficence consistent with his character, and therefore an ultimate good for African people as they endured untold and seemingly unending horrors. p.72 (Emphasis mine.)

Other African Americans such as the famous abolitionist and former slave, Olaudah Equiano agreed that God was not only sovereign over slavery but ordained it as a way for black people to be exposed to the blessings of Christianity.  The only possible explanation for that perspective, in my opinion, is the Holy Spirit.  It’s not natural for a person to attribute an evil practice to their own ultimate good. As Thabiti writes, “slavery had not shackled their pursuit of God.”

After reading the section on James Cone and his Black Liberation Theology (chapter four, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”) I no longer wondered if this way of thinking or viewing the world was wrong.  At times, after hearing about Black Liberation Theology I thought maybe I was missing out on something as a black person.  After reading this section I now know this system of thought is wrong and I can rest easy in my outright rejection of it.

One of my favorite chapters is the Afterward.  Mr. Anyabwile re-centers our focus and puts it where it should be: on the Bible, on God, on the Gospel and on the Church.  In one of my favorite paragraphs of any book anywhere Thabiti gives us the Gospel that should be being preached in black (even all) churches everywhere:

God the Father sent God the Son to live the perfect life of worship and obedience to God that we could not and would not live.  Jesus volunteered to both live that life and pay the penalty of death that we owed for our sin.  He suffered on Calvary’s cross, died a criminal’s death as a substitutionary propitiation and atonement for our sins.  Three days later, he was raised from the dead victorious over sin, death and the grave. Now, all who repent of their sins and believe on Jesus will be saved from the just penalty of their sins, justified before God and given a new life with God.

I wrote “the Gospel!” and “wonderful” next to this paragraph in the book.

I highly recommend this book.  It’s lucidly written, immensely informative and spot on as far as filling out the author’s thesis and goal.  It’s also desperately needed.  It hasn’t been a conscious decision, but one of the reasons I do not attend an all-black church is because a large majority of all-black churches have really bad theology and I don’t have time for that. I don’t have time to sit under preaching about “social justice” or about being “multicultural” as a church. I have one life and two kids that need a bold and zealous faith passed on to them.  Let me sit under preaching on the Lord’s Day that will exalt Christ with sound doctrine and equip me to go out and speak the same to anyone and everyone.

We had a very fun and interesting small group of people over just yesterday and I made curry with pork and shrimp and veggies with a small (but rather uninteresting) salad and then the most wonderful tart.

Fine Cooking magazine has a wonderful section called “Cooking Without Recipes” where they let you pick from a wide array of ingredients and you basically make your own dish.  They provide the base.  Last month it was meatloaf and they had at least six different versions you could make or interchange the ingredients and create your own.  This month is was curry so I chose pork, shrimp, asparagus, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms with a red Thai Curry paste.  It was very good although I would’ve loved it with a lot more kick, but you can’t get a four year old (much less an 11 month old) to eat “kick”, so it was pretty mild.  But still very yummy!

The tart!  What can I say? I’ve been eyeballing it in one of my cookbooks for over a year but never made it.  I made it Saturday night and it was very good!  The only glitch was I was making it at 11:30 at night so I didn’t let the caramel cool for as long as it should have.  The recipe says cool 40 minutes but I think it could’ve used much more – even a couple of hours.  Other than the caramel being softer than I would have liked, it was perfect.  I added rum to the crust and couldn’t taste it.  Next time we’ll kick that up a notch as well.    You should try this tart!  I got it from my cookbook, Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen by Chlotilde Dusoulier.

I’ve made this type of Thai curry twice now and at first I served it with good vanilla ice cream (Haagen Dazs) because that’s what web sites recommended with curry.  We also served it both times with a good Reisling.  Both the ice cream and the wine were good compliments to the meal.

I love entertaining and I’m always trying to perfect my skills as a hostess, so this article is perfect for me.  It helped me come to a conclusion: if I can control the number of guests, I’ll only entertain for six or maximum, eight people.  I just have to admit that I’m better at that number than at ten or fourteen or (as when my husbands side of the family gets together, twenty!)  There have been a few times where I couldn’t control the number of guests – the number just kept growing -  but for the most part, six or eight is what I can handle best.

I agree pretty much with all her answers except the one about casual or elegant dinners.  I like going all out once in a while; especially at Easter or Christmas.  I think it’s a lot of fun for the host and the guests (and kids) to bring out the fine dishes and cook things that take a lot of love and effort for your guests.  However, there have been lots of times I’ve overdone it and stressed myself out way too much, which Clotilde addresses as well.

I want to try the Salt-Crusted Chicken she mentions but the pasta dish sounds a little boring and a little too casual for me.  I’m not opposed to serving pasta for company but I would fancy it up a bit – maybe make the pasta myself and add morels or some really good vegetables and good olives and a salad with some really good wine.

Oh, the other little tidbit I disagree with is if you’re on a budget, go vegetarian.  NOT!  I never go vegetarian.  If you want to cut back the cost of hosting a dinner, everybody knows you just cut out any alcohol.  Sure there are great meatless dishes (like Cippino Stew) that can be served but I live in Minnesota.  There aren’t many vegetarians in my neck of the woods because it’s so flippin’ cold here – we need the extra bulk just to keep us warm!  In seven years of marriage and seven years of hosting brunches, lunches and dinners I can’t say that one of them has been without meat.

Other than that, it’s a great interview. 

By the way, I have Clotilde’s first book, Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen and it’s good.  The recipes I’ve tried have come out very well.

The Interview: Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate & Zucchini

Chocolate & Zucchini is one of my favorite blogs and has been for years. It is not just that it is beautifully, generously written and full of great ideas about things to cook but it has so much soul. Paris-based Clotilde Dusoulier’s love of life and food, her curiosity about the world comes through in every post. I truly believe that reading her blog has made me a better cook. Her books are fantastic, too. If you haven’t yet checked them out, you’re in for a treat: Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris, is a must if you are going to Paris (well, really even if you’re only day-dreaming about a trip), and I love her first book, Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen.

Curious about her take on the art of the dinner party, recently I asked her some questions…

What do you think is the ideal number for a dinner party?

Four to six. Four feels intimate, like a family meal, but six gives me the chance to introduce friends who might not know one another, which I love to do. And it’s not more effort to cook for six than four, so it feels like more bang for my buck. Anything over six feels a bit much in terms of logistics and conversation. I’ve done it, but it’s not my preference.

What are some of your favorite, tried and true, dishes for a dinner party?

There have been many repeats of this salt-crusted chicken lately, with a green salad and perfect roasted potatoes. In general, I like to serve slow-cooked dishes, such as a tagine or a braised lamb shoulder, as you can make them ahead and they’re very flexible. I hardly ever serve a first course, but I always make some sort of a dip/spread that I serve with bread and cut vegetables with pre-dinner drinks.What do you think are some of the best, inexpensive foods to serve at a dinner if you are on a budget?

If you’re on a budget, going vegetarian is a sound strategy, and I like to make a meat-free version of petits farcis (mixed stuffed vegetables) with a grain-based stuffing. I also think a simple pasta dish (such as this one) with good parmesan can make for a fantastic dinner.

Some people say that what guests remember most about the food at a dinner party is desert. What are some of your favorite deserts to serve?

My favorite dinner party dessert is a seasonal fruit tart: you can make it a few hours in advance, and it feels like an indulgence, but isn’t too heavy or rich. Even after a good meal, everyone can find room for a slice of strawberry or apple tart.

When are you happiest at a dinner party?

My favorite moment is probably the apéro (short for apéritif), when guests have just arrived and we’re all chatting around pre-dinner drink and nibbles, and we still have the entire evening ahead of us.

What is your favorite kind of dinner party to host: more on the formal side or casual get-togethers?

I only do casual get-togethers. My guests are always friends or family members, so even if I prepare things with care, the vibe is always casual with plenty of room for conversation, music and laughter.

What do you think are common mistakes we all, as hosts, make?

I think the most important and most common mistake to avoid is overdoing it: simplicity equals elegance in my book, and it’s not fun for anyone if the host is stressed and/or exhausted. I am a lot more admirative of someone who seems to effortlessly and confidently produce a simple meal, than with someone who tries too hard to impress, and I definitely strive to belong to the first category.

How do you develop a menu for a dinner party? Do you work around a main dish, a theme, a flavor motif?

I generally have a few ideas floating around in my brain of dishes I’ve recently read about, tasted, or imagined, so I’ll usually pick one of those, without doing a test run because who has time for that. Then I’ll build the rest of the menu around that dish, incorporating seasonal produce, and ingredients that I have on hand, as I’m always trying to make optimal use of my pantry items. I don’t really worry about a theme, but I make sure that there is an overall harmony and balance.

Are there any must-have ingredients to make a dinner party work?

I think a lot depends on the host(s) feeling relaxed, confident, and simply happy to spend time with their guests. Also, subtle conversation-steering skills are precious: I feel it’s the host’s responsibility to be attentive to each person around the table, and to make sure everyone is involved in the general conversation, and has been given the opportunity to talk about themselves a bit (if they want to, that is).

Clotilde has also worked to update the classic of French cookery, first published in 1932, I Know How to Cook, Je Sais Cuisiner.

From Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson

I love the challenge of managing an ever more efficient home.  But I also love that I’ve chosen to do a couple things that take me outside of the home, and I think the three things that take me outside the home are a good use of my time: I do some part time modeling (good extra money), I attend Bible Study Fellowship with my two kids, and something I will begin in the fall that I’m very excited about, I will be teaching a Challenge A class within a homeschooling network called Classical Conversations.

As the quote above states and I agree, that a woman is free to work outside the home.  I would just suggest that 1) the home remains her priority and 2) what she chooses to do outside the home is a good use of her time and talents and brings glory to God in some way.  In addition, her husband should be approving and supportive of her choices outside the home as well – don’t forget him!