OK, the title is not quite accurate, but I’m a sucker for alliteration. The school in question is NOT a madrassa. It is a public, secular school.

As you may know, in NYC there are these things called New Visions High Schools – they are small schools with at least one comunity partner – non-profit (like FoodChange), city agency (like FDNY), or institution (like Brooklyn Botanic Gardens). These schools are cool because there is a higher staff to student ratio, and staff over at the community partner may have more time for fundraising and advocacy than the overworked school staff. And, it provides students the opportunity to learn in-depth about a particular topic from “experts.”

Last year plans got underway for a new New Visions school called Khalil Gibran International Academy, which planned to graduate every student bilungual in Arabic and English and with the general understanding that being Arab is not the same as being a terrorist. Its community partner will be the Arab American Family Support Center and curricula on conflict resolution and diversity will be run by the Tannenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.

So clearly this could not happen smoothly or without protest. The other day one of the founders and intended principal was forced to resign. An editorial from NY Daily News gives more details:

Officially, Almontaser resigned this month in the wake of a furor over the fact that she didn’t condemn the word “intifadeh” on a T-shirt. But Almontaser didn’t defend Palestinian violence against Israelis, as her critics claim. She simply tried to offer a wider context for a word most Americans associate only with terrorist violence.

That’s called education; but because she is an Arab and a Muslim, her statements were subject to greater scrutiny and suspicion.

It was mostly this editorial that prompted me to write this post today – I thought that more people should at least be aware of what’s going on. But further searches just led me to Campus Watch, which I haven’t thought about since my time in undergrad as a Middle-Eastern Studies Major. This group is on the lookout for terrorist apologists or fomenters all over the country. So they said that the fact that supporters of the school held a community meeting in a mosque proves that the school will be a madrassa.

 OK, so if a community meeting is held in a Christian Church it’s good community organizing – using an already vital neighborhood institution to draw people in who go out of their way to be part of an intentional community. At a mosque, it’s gotta be clear evidence of a desire to brainwash and prosthelitize? No. That is clearly a bigoted assumption.

If you have occasion to be talking about this or talking to some elected officials of yours, let them know that this school should be supported as the necessity to build understanding and tolerance obviously exists, and it should get the same support and scrutiny that any other new NYC DOE school would.

What kind of sauces are you basting the contents of your grill this summer with? Beer? Apple Juice? The liquefied remains of two certain blonde sisters recently featured in this here blog?

So many questions, yet so little chimichurri. Yes, chimichurri. Its that bright and herby green sauce from Argentina that miraculously finds its way on beautiful beef and other grilled delights from Patagonia to St. Petersburg…..truly something you should consider when firing up the ol’ BBQ this weekend.

Here are the pros about chimi- its super easy to make within minutes, can and should be used as a marinade, and must be used to directly baste while the subject of the grilling session is cooking!

The cons? There are none in the world of cooking with fire, so make your list and head on over to the market!

You will need the following for one serving (good for about 1-4 people) :

1 bunch parsley
1 small clove garlic
1/4 green onion
1 tbsp fresh oregano
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp vinegar (red/white wine vinegar preferably)
1 Jalapeno
Lotsa Olive Oil (yes, “lotsa” is a scientific term)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Food Processor / Blender / Insane Skill with Knives

Stuff everything in the blender except the olive oil and salt/pepper. Blend or pulse while pouring in the olive oil at a steady drizzle until you have the right consistency which is creamy goodness. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Too much garlic and/or onion and the sauce will suck. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

You can marinate beef, chicken fish or vegetables in this stuff, and then baste while the food is grilling. Or any combination thereof! Enjoy, Brooklyn.

If you don’t stick your hands in it, there ain’t no love…

What kind of sauces are you basting the contents of your grill this summer with? Beer? Apple Juice? The liquefied remains of two certain blonde sisters recently featured in this here blog?

So many questions, yet so little chimichurri. Yes, chimichurri. Its that bright and herby green sauce from Argentina that miraculously finds its way on beautiful beef and other grilled delights from Patagonia to St. Petersburg…..truly something you should consider when firing up the ol’ BBQ this weekend.

Here are the pros about chimi- its super easy to make within minutes, can and should be used as a marinade, and must be used to directly baste while the subject of the grilling session is cooking!

The cons? There are none in the world of cooking with fire, so make your list and head on over to the market!

You will need the following for one serving (good for about 1-4 people) :

1 bunch parsley
1 small clove garlic
1/4 green onion
1 tbsp fresh oregano
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp vinegar (red/white wine vinegar preferably)
1 Jalapeno
Lotsa Olive Oil (yes, “lotsa” is a scientific term)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Food Processor / Blender / Insane Skill with Knives

Stuff everything in the blender except the olive oil and salt/pepper. Blend or pulse while pouring in the olive oil at a steady drizzle until you have the right consistency which is creamy goodness. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Too much garlic and/or onion and the sauce will suck. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

You can marinate beef, chicken fish or vegetables in this stuff, and then baste while the food is grilling. Or any combination thereof! Enjoy, Brooklyn.

If you don’t stick your hands in it, there ain’t no love…

Or A First Cooking Installment for the Brooklyn Skeptic

Pasta is a damn satisfying thing if you take 3 hours to make a five meat ragu, but when you’re looking for a quick homespun meal, its pretty sweet how fast you can get an authentic, gourmet-looking Italian creation together.

I was watching Lidia Bastianich on public access and saw the technique at work. So I decided to blatantly rip it off and bring it to you here. However, I will say that WLIW21 NY public access is a pretty dope channel when they air “Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way” and “Lidia’s Italy.” Too bad the Food Network prefer hiring a bunch of jackasses instead of keeping the real cooks around (you’re cool, Mario).

A Quick Taste of Italy at Home

Serves 2-3 people (I don’t know how hungry you are damnit! Estimate!)

Pick up on your way home:

• A box of any kind of pasta you want (preferably not enriched)

• Canned San Marzano tomatoes from Italy (or cheaper brands if you wish)

And now at your option, here are some suggestions for a main topping:

• Capers, Anchovies, both of the latter, good quality canned tuna, shredded chicken breast or thighs, diced sausage, any cheese, whatever you have on hand!

• Of course, you have garlic, olive oil and oregano in your pantry. Dice up a nice big clove of garlic.

Alright, get a pot of water boiling. As much as you can, like a gallon. Now salt the living hell out of it with kosher salt.

Meanwhile, get out a large saute pan and put in a generous amount of olive oil. When piping hot, add garlic. Cook it carefully not to burn it and when you feel its about to get brown turn that heat down.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water.

Get those canned tomatoes in a bowl (having drained some of the excess water) and crush them with your hand. Really get in there and love it up. Now drop them tomatoes in the saute pan. Add in some oregano. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Now add the capers if you have them and the pre-cooked main topping you want.

Drain pasta. Drop into the saute pan and finish and let simmer couple minutes till perfect.

Make sure you do a nice job with the garnishing! (Parsley, parmesan, pepper, truffles, drugs…etc.)

I have a preference for capers and anchovies with some parmiggiano reggiano. Si si.