African Spice Paste

This is a spice paste made in Africa using a pepper called Peri-Peri (origin is actually Portuguese), that can be found in a few stores locally in Kansas City, but easily available on the internet.  This recipe is for Chicken Breasts, but is easily adapted to Pork Chops or even Steak.  Use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds (just makes you feel like you are part of the tradition – a spice grinder works just as well).

Ingredients:

8 Peri-Peri Peppers, Dried (the only way you can find them here)

 2 tablespoons coriander seeds

 1 tablespoon cumin seeds

 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

 2 teaspoons sea salt

 5 tablespoons olive oil

 4 large chicken breast halves (or equivalent pork or beef)

1 12- by 12- by 3-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking with medium-hot charcoal. Coarsely grind chiles, spice seeds, garlic, and peppercorns in mortar and pestle, then stir together with salt and oil in a bowl to form a spice paste. Rub paste all over meat.  Oil grill rack, then grill meat ( skin sides down first if using chicken) over coals, turning over occasionally and moving around if flare-ups occur, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes total. Move meat to area with no coals underneath, arranging  so that thicker sides are closest to coals, then cover with inverted roasting pan and grill, turning  over once, until just cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

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Tilapia Tacos

Now that summer is in full swing, those strawberries are begging for new uses.  They are plentiful (at least in the midwest), affordable and beautiful.  Here is an unusual way to take advantage of their availability – enjoy!

Summer Tilapia Tacos with Strawberries, Serranos, and Bok Choy

INGREDIENTS

Cooking spray (preferably olive oil flavored)
1 pound tilapia, boneless and skinless 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
2 serrano chile peppers, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cups chopped bok choy

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a glass baking sheet with cooking spray. Place fish on baking sheet, coat with cooking spray; season with cumin, salt and pepper. Stack tortillas, sprinkle with a few drops of water, and wrap tightly in foil. Cook fish, tortillas until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork but is still moist, and tortillas are hot, 10 to 15 minutes. Saute bok choy until tender.  In a bowl, combine strawberries, serranos, chives, (cilantro to taste if desired), and lemon juice. Flake fish into pieces; unwrap tortillas. Divide fish, strawberry salsa and bok choy evenly among tortillas. Fold and serve.  Serves 4 people.

Too Hot To Cook

FRESH FRUIT CROSTINI – awesome poolside food!

Ingredients:

2 large baguette loaves

1 large cantaloupe

1 large honeydew melon

1 pint strawberries

Butter, Garlic, and Italian Seasoning

Fresh choice of berries (optional)

Goat Cheese (optional)

OK this does a take a  few minutes with the oven on, but 20 minutes later the oven comes off and never comes into play again.

Take standard baguette loaves and slice into 1/4″ slices, brush with garlic butter and italian seasoning and toast in oven for 10 minutes per batch (if you are careful you can get this done in one batch).  Crostini should be lightly browned and allowed to cool completely on racks.

Peel, trim, and seed, and hull, and prepare all fruit.  Cut into thin slices (you will need one slice of each for each crostini).  Sprinkle with a little sugar or splenda if so desired.

Alternate thin slices of fruit so the cantaloupe is on the bottom, the honeydew in the middle, and the thinly sliced strawberry on top – shingling the fruit makes it more attractive.  Garnish plate with fresh berries, or simply sprinkle a few blueberries on top of each crostini.

I top each crostini with a small slice of goat cheese, but that is completely up to you – I think it adds a bit of unusual freshness, and this is ridiculously easy to make without having to go outside!

Most Children Left Behind?

When I was in school, teachers had curriculum to follow, and much of what I was forced to learn I felt at the time was not important. I believe those teachers understood that it was not what I learned but that I learned how to learn. The things I found boring and useless were interesting and fascinating to other students. Those educational interests are what will lead you to different places in your life. You should be able to think for yourself, find the values in what you know and believe, develop self-esteem, and work in an industry where you can always learn, grow, and prosper. This line of thought led me to examine the pros and cons of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It is more complicated than I would have guessed, but I hope to cover many of the salient points of the topic.

PROS: If all tests are carefully designed to be consistent with the learning expected in every classroom, there should be a distinct connection between curriculum, assessment, activities in the classroom, and most importantly, cognitive learning.
2.) Common standards are important because it is difficult to compare grades across schools and teachers because of local “norms”. A level playing field in education would be the ideal situation – unfortunately this situation does not exist.
3.) Decades of study now show that the quality of teachers’ tests are very weak compared with rigorously developed long-term tests.
4.) One reason the American educational system is failing is because there have not been high stakes for failure. A number of studies have indicated a strong positive relation between high stakes consequences and performance on assessments.

CONS: Standardized tests oversimplify knowledge and do not test higher-order thinking skills. SAT scores between the 1970s and 1980s declined. Why? More students decided to attend college than ever before and they took the SAT tests. This does not indicate a scoring decline, but rather a skewing of the numbers. In fact, SAT scores have been on an upward trend from the early 1990s through the 2000s.
2.) Standardized tests do not take into account the interaction between teachers and their students in the complex social system in todays classrooms. The largest single factor in the problem with our education system appears to be the instability of both families and communities.
3.) Important learning outcomes are simply not measured by standards testing. Standardized tests measure little more than socioeconomic status – administrators and teachers should not be held responsible for scores reflecting what has happened to their charges before. These tests fail to differentiate instruction for different kinds of children, and condemn low-achieving students to learning in an unproductive and boring system.
4.) High-stakes accountability systems create negative consequences: higher dropout rates and lower retention skills, not to mention unethical test preparation/teaching to the test.

My point is simply that the cons outweigh the pros by a very large margin. It is time for No Child Left Behind to go away or change drastically. Maybe this time our teachers and educators can work together to devise a better model for a system. Politicians are obviously not where we should look for this type of direction. One of the principal authors of “No Child Left Behind” was Margaret Spellings, who served in many capacities under George Bush, mostly in the field of education. Ms Spellings has never worked in a school system, and has no formal training in education. In fact, she appears to have less qualifications than I have discussing this very topic.

FOR CLAYTON HUNTER – Sodium Free BBQ

A great friend recently had open heart surgery to remove something he accidentally placed on his aorta. He has been instructed to remove salt from his diet, with the added stipulation that he increase his protein (meat) intake. I am an avid smoker (not just cigars, but bbq items as well). One of my biggest complaints and challenges have always been the amount of salt in both prepared products and most recipes found published. And so with my good buddy in mind, I set out to create a recipe for a salt free dry rub. it is a little bit on the spicy side (the way I like it), but can easily be toned down to suit your taste. Enjoy and live well – less bloated – and maybe even a little longer.

Salt Free Meat Rub

Just mix all ingredients well and rub into Brisket or Pork (probably works well on Turkey, Chicken, Lamb – whatever.)
6 Tbls. Smoked Spanish Paprika
9 Tbls. Granulated Suger
9 Tbls. Dark Brown Sugar
3 Tbls. Toasted Cumin Seeds
3 Tbls. Chili Powder
3 Tbls. Chipotle Powder
3 Tbls. Fresh Ground Pepper
3 Tbls. Cayenne Pepper
3 Tbls. Onion Powder
3 Tbls. Garlic Powder
2 Cups Salt Free Italian Seasoning
6 Tbls. Ground Jalapeno Powder

Makes enough for two flats of brisket and 6 pork tenderloins.

Serrano Raspberry Jelly

4 pounds Raspberries, carefully sorted, unrinsed
1 1/2 pounds Sugar
8 Red Serrano Peppers, chopped

1. Place the berries and peppers in a large, heavy stockpot and place them over medium heat. Cook, shaking the pan, until the mixture begins to boil, which will take 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the heat and put them through a food mill, to extract the juice. You should have about 1/2 gallon of juice. You can choose to cheat (and make the recipe year round) using whole cranberry juice from a bottle – just assure the main ingredient is not water, and if there is a lot of sugar in the processed product, you will want to cut down the amount of sugar you use in the recipe).

2. Place the juice and the sugar in the stockpot and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is boiling gently. Skim off any impurities (there aren’t likely to be many), and cook until the mixture falls thickly from the spoon, which should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and seal according to the jar manufacturer’s instructions.

This is great on cream cheese, served over pork or chicken, or my personal favorite – peanut butter and raspberry pepper jelly sandwiches.

And don’t forget this is perfect KCRiverFest celebration food. It just feels like Fourth of July food (red and hot as a firecracker)- and since KCRiverFest is actually celebrated this year on the 2nd and 3rd of July – you are free to use this great concoction with your family on the actual Fourth of July this year! Had to find some kind of a plug for the KCRiverFest event somewhere in here – it’s right around the corner!

Do The Math

Harold Camping promised I would not need to write a blog this week, or any week hereafter. I never spoke with Harold directly, but he assured me (and his followers) that the world would end on May 21st, 2011. He painstakingly mapped out the timing for the end of the world using the calendar (admittedly the calendar used by Noah and the Gregorians – not the Julian Calendar which the rest of the world sans Aztecs use). His math skills are a little suspect – if you pick seemingly random numbers to make your point, you can probably prove or disprove anything. For instance:

Mr. Camping’s solution is to simply take the Holy Numbers (more about these later) 5, 10, and 17. Multiply each of these numbers consecutively times themselves twice and you will find the number 722,500. The estimated date of the crucifiction according to Camping is April 1, AD33 (April Fools Day?) If you add 722,500 days to the crucifiction date, you come to May 21, 2011 – Voila – the end of the world! The math checks out – how he came up with 6:00 PM is conjecture – none of the disciples had functioning watches, therefore the bible is relatively mum on exact times. But we are not finished with numbers yet.

Roughly 2% of the earth’s population is scheduled to be “raptured” into heaven – the remaining 98% will remain for “tribulation”, a five month conciliation period during which God will accept no excuses and everybody goes to hell in a handbasket literally and figuratively. According to Mr. Camping, God is waiving the rules and will no longer sit in judgment for 5 months, but will instead clean up the whole mess on October 21, 2011. I am siding with God on this one – let’s just get it over with.

On May 21, 1988, God finished using the Churches and Congregations of the world (again according to Camping). He says the bible also dictates that the great tribulation will occur exactly 23 years after this bold move by God – precisely May 21, 2011. Would this brilliant use of mathematics have fared well in the 5th grade? I think not – it is just too simple.

Finally, here is where the Holy Numbers were found. According to Noah’s calendar, the flood started on May – hence the magic number 5. It also occured on the 17th of the month – hence the second magic number. We must assume that the number 10 is a holy number because there is not an explanation for it’s existence in the formula. Much of this formula is an assumption – the numbers really don’t matter – insert your own – create your formula for determining the end of the world. Then please call me so I will know when I need to post my next blog – I hate scheduling things to be published after earths’ expiration date has passed.

Meetings Spur Economic Growth*

*This is a copy of an article by Jason Hensel from February 3, 2011. It is very informative and a different way of looking at how travel affects business. I have not had the opportunity to say thanks to Jason, so this is my way of doing so. Thanks Jason!

A new study by a Michigan State University (MSU) sociologist professor shows a great value of meetings: economic development.
Conventional wisdom holds that job growth attracts people to urban areas. But according to a study in the Journal of Urban Affairs, MSU’s Zachary Neal found the opposite to be true. Bringing the people in first—specifically, airline passengers traveling on business—leads to a fairly significant increase in jobs, he says.
“The findings indicate that people come first, then the jobs,” Neal said. “It’s just the opposite of an ‘If you build it, they will come’ sort of an approach.”
For the study, Neal examined the number of business air-travel passengers in major U.S. cities during a 15-year period (1993-2008). Business passengers destined for a city and not just passing through are a key to job growth, he says.
Attracting business travelers to the host city for meetings and other business activities by offering an easily accessible airport and other amenities such as hotels and conference centers is one of the best ways to create new jobs, he says. These business travelers bring with them new ideas and potential investment, which creates a positive climate for innovation and job growth. In the study, Neal analyzed all permanent non-farm jobs.
Neal says the finding does not contradict more direct job-creation strategies, including the construction of office and retail spaces, which can often lead to new jobs in the area. He noted that such approaches are unlikely to attract business travelers and others to the area. Thus, the study clarifies the relationship between the two main ways cities can grow: by attracting new people and by attracting new jobs. Attracting new people to a city leads to job growth, but job growth does not attract new people, he says.
According to the study, municipalities with the greatest potential to convert business passengers into new jobs were largely “sunbelt” cities such as Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, Houston and Riverside, Calif. Those with the least potential were mostly East Coast or Midwestern cities such as Boston, Pittsburgh and Detroit.
Neal added that business airline traffic is far more important for a city’s economic vitality than population size—a finding he established in an earlier study and reaffirmed with the current research.
“One might expect to see a bump up in jobs first, and then a year or two later an increase in business passenger traffic,” Neal said. “But we saw just the opposite. There was a bump up in business traffic, and then about a year later, a bump up in jobs. The business passengers were coming before the jobs did, rather than after.”
(Story materials provided by the University of Michigan.)

Crayons to CAD

EventPros has enjoyed the opportunity to assist with NICE (National Institute of Construction Excellence) on their combination iBuild and Crayons to CAD program for the past 8 years. Crayons to CAD is an interactive, standards-based, middle school grade specific curriculum sponsored by NICE. It launches students into understanding the building environment as they construct “green” schools or new baseball fields or parks and community centers. Math, science, engineering, communication and technology are heavily embedded in the interactive, project-oriented program. The experience culminated this year at Bartle Hall at the annual showcase on April 28th, 2011. As usual, it was a tremendous success.

Coordinated almost entirely by volunteers, and planned over the course of many months, this process allows thousands of young adults to experience hands-on life experiences in the Building Trades. Sponsored by great organizations such as The Builders Association, MODOT, JE Dunn, (to name only a small few) and all of the Trade Unions; this event is a festival of concrete, painting, road safety, construction, architecture, and most importantly, education.

There are many different focuses within the various organizations, and the students have multiple chances to learn about the wide variety of skills necessary to be successful in the Construction Industry. The Crayons to CAD portion of the event is a project based learning program where students from 6th through 8th grades compete in designing, constructing, and building their project from “found” materials. The dome of a new stadium might be the lid from a Dairy Queen cup; the grasses and trees are made from so many different creative forms of materials that it is impossible to describe. The projects are extremely creative, and the future of new buildings – the buildings that will be utilized by our great-grandchildren – are being envisioned and created by these students on their baby steps towards excellence in these various fields.

We are very proud to be associated with this organization and the group of people that put so much sweat equity into the project. Hats off to NICE, The Builders Association, all of the Judges and Volunteers who make this venture both an amazing experience to watch, but offers us the ability to see where the future of Construction could be heading. Even bigger kudos to the students who are learning how to improve both their lives and ours – here’s to a great future!

National Teachers Day

Having been married for over 30 years to a teacher, and being surrounded by educators all the time, I have to admit a great deal of prejudice in their value. I probably rank somewhere in the top 10 worst students in the history of the world. I am a decent learner, but for some reason I have to learn things the hard way. This is something I do not think any of my teachers found very amusing. I owe so much to these people who stuck with me when I would have voted in favor of euthanesia if I had been in their position and had any opportunity to make that choice. Which is just one of the reasons we need to honor National Teachers Day.

National Teacher Day is today, May 3, 2011. Here is a very brief history of how this day became a reality:
The origins of National Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

NEA, along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan.) Local, lobbied Congress to create a national day to celebrate teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day for that year only.

NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985, when the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May.

Teachers don’t normally ask for much – pay attention, follow instructions, do your homework, etc. – the usual stuff. They don’t earn nearly what they are worth. Great teachers make great schools; great schools make great students; great students make great communities – and great communities are where we live. There is nothing more valuable than the process where this all begins.

So take a minute today to say “thank you” – maybe even give them a hug – our future is in their hands. Happy Teacher Day!