Oswald Rivera

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 82 of 83)

Beam Me Up, Scotty.

This weekend marks another debut of that old, venerable franchise: Star Trek. By that, I mean Star Trek, the movie. Supposedly, this is not a continuation of all (nine) former Star Trek movies. This is a prequal of the original old TV show that aired in the sixties. We get to see the origins of Captain James T. Kirk, pointy eared Science Officer Spock (every one’s favorite character in the original), Dr. “Bones” McCoy, et all. Let me say that as, an old Trekkie, I can’t wait. I grew up with the series when I was a teenager; and I’ve followed its progress though all the movies and every TV incarnation including Star Trek: the Next Generation, to Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and the last TV show, Enterprise. I’m a sucker for the franchise.

The series was the brainchild of Gene Roddenbury, a visionary screenwriter and producer. I’ve enjoyed every Star Trek vehicle and hope someday there’ll be another series. As for the movies, some were great, like the second one, “The Wrath of Khan,” with an aging Ricardo Montalban, as one critic put it, looking like the world’s oldest rock star and trying to conquer the universe. And some of the flics were duds, like the last one, “Nemeses.” The only good thing about that effort was that, finally, Commander Riker and Counselor Troi tied the knot. It also had a cameo with Admiral, then captain, Janeway of the Voyager series.

What fascinated me about Star Trek was its view of the future. It was a world that, in retrospect, was a paradise that from time to time was threatened by Klingons (my favorite villains), the Romulans (cousins of the ultra-logical Vulcans), the Borg, and the Dominion (shape-shifters from a wormhole bordering Deep Space Nine). I yearned that such a world would come to pass; especially in terms of their technology. And, in certain respects, that technology has come full circle. In the original Star Trek they had a thingy called the communicator that allowed them to communicate with their ship orbiting in space. Guess what? We have cell phones that allow us to speak to anyone on the planet via signals that are bounced off satellites orbiting the earth. The show also had sliding doors. Well, duh, go into any supermarket or office tower these days and you have sliding doors letting you in and out. Some things, however, were a bit more obtuse. Think of the transporter room where a human could travel from one place to another instantaneously. In science circles it’s called teleportation. And I won’t even try to explain the mechanics behind that. But the most interesting thing was warp drive. This allowed the starship Enterprise to travel anywhere in the universe. As I understand it, this entails bending of space time. If you can bend space time in front and back of a spaceship, the space-time compression in the back will provide thrust for the spacecraft to move forward at phenomenal speed. Thus you could travel to Mars in, let’s say, twenty minutes rather than years. I don’t think this is going to happen anytime soon.

Still, my favorite thing portrayed in the world of Star Trek was that there was no money. By the 24th century, humankind had developed replicators that could fashion anything out of thin air, be it clothing, food, drink and yes, cash—so no cash was needed, Everyone had a replicator and everyone was as happy as pig in slop. I doubt we’ll ever get that altruistic.

Star Trek was also innovative in another aspect—it aired the first interracial kiss on network TV. Of course at that time you needed a plot to make this acceptable to the viewing public. So the plot went like this: Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and his communications officer Lt. Uhura (Michelle Nichols) have their minds controlled by villainous beings who had the power of telekinesis (they could move objects with their minds). Kirk and Uhura were forced into making out. Back in Spanish Harlem, when our family saw this episode, we roared in approval, we thought it was great. TV was finally affirming something that was happening around us all the time.

So, friends, I’ll be on line with the rest of the lemmings to see the newest installment of this priceless entity. Good or bad, I’m going to enjoy this show. Like everybody else I’ll stuff my face with pseudo popcorn drizzled with pseudo butter and go where on one has gone before (for the 1000th time).

Swine Flu

April 30, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 1 Comment

(Nurses at Walter Reed Army Hospital treating Spanish Influenza epidemic in 1918)

This swine flu thing (also known as H1N1) has left me with an uneasy feeling. And not because of the flu virus itself. Sad to say, influenza epidemics come and go. As recently as 1976 there was an outbreak among 500 soldiers at Fort Dix, N.J. Only one soldier died. Some are are more widespread than others. One of the most dramatic far reaching instances occurred in the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. It was also known as Spanish Influenza or “La Grippe” (it first popped up in Madrid in 1918) and it killed tens of millions worldwide. Of course then there were no vaccines or antibiotics. A far cry from today. No, what bothers me about this one is the incessant, shrill cry in some quarters to assess blame. In times of stress we, as a species, have a habit of blaming “the other” for all our ills. It’s bad enough that our hysteria is being fueled by a 24-hour news cycle of saturation coverage on cable news shows and the Internet. I wonder if we would be so hysterical where this not the case.

There are some commentators who are using this crisis to stoke rabid anti-immigration, specifically against Mexicans. The logic goes like this: this new epidemic has, as far as we know, its epicenter in Mexico. The outbreak began there on March 9th, so claim Government officials. It began in a village called, ironically, La Gloria (“The Glory”). And it quickly spread throughout Mexico where to date, there have been 159 deaths. The flu was transported of the U.S. when a group of students from St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens, traveled to Cancun for spring break. And guess what they brought back with them? Thus far in the U.S. there have been 280 confirmed cases of this flu; and all 49 confirmed cases in New York City have been associated with the outbreak at St. Francis Prep (according to the New York Times).

In a country of 300+ million we have 280 confirmed cases. Health officials state, because of the nature of the disease, it’s bound to get worse. What’s interesting is that most of the cases associated with St. Francis Preparatory school have been of a mild form (unlike Mexico). In the U.S., thus far, there’s been one death, a toddler in Texas. Those are the facts and the statistics. And we all hope that this crisis can be handled and it will pass. However, there are those who will use any crisis for their own agendas. There have been calls to seal the border with Mexico, curb all immigration, prevent all those foreigners from coming here to infect our shores; and, in some cases, the crisis is used as another example of our lax immigration policy. If we didn’t have the Mexicans here we wouldn’t have the flu. Admittedly, there is a lot of anxiety in the country right now. That’s understandable. We are all concerned with our health and particularly those of our children, especially when as Fox News proclaimed on Wednesday “swine flu plagues the nation.” But, please, let’s keep a level head, least we descend into that abyss of recrimination and prejudice that seems to flare up at times like these.

It’s an old story, the idea of blaming “the other.” It’s as old as history itself. During the 1840’s and 50’s upright Protestant Americans considered the then Irish immigrants arriving in this country to be a sick, filthy bunch who would bring all the ailments of the old world with them. Add to that, heaven forbid, they were Catholics. There have always been scapegoats During the “Black Death” or the bubonic plague that infected Medieval Europe, where a third of the population died, it was the Jews and witches who were blamed for causing the plague. The plague had become a full-fledged pandemic by 1328 and, in the case of the Jews, rumors spread that they had caused the disease by deliberately poisoning wells. Hundred of Jewish communities were destroyed by violence in the Iberian Peninsula and in Germany, even though then Pope Clement VI issued a declaration stating that the Jews were not responsible for the plague. In the case of witches, it was women who were accused of consorting with the devil to bring about the blight. Hundreds were burned at the stake. It didn’t matter. The plague continued on its deadly rampage decimating whole towns and cities.

Hopefully, this time around, we won’t come to that pass. From the White House on down there is a concerted effort to curtail this disease and halt its spread. Yes, everything must be done to safeguard our health and our safety. But let’s keep in mind that no one group is responsible for the ills of a nation. We’ve had SARS and Hong Kong flu and Avian flu and Legionnaire’s Disease, you name it. No one group has been responsible for that. It’s the nature of the beast that new viruses keep popping up and new countermeasures have to be developed. It’s not the wrath of God or punishment for our lax and immoral ways or just retribution for whatever. It’s simply the way life is in the early 21st century. Instead of blaming “the other,” perhaps we should be more understanding of what “the other” is going through.

Kung Fu Wine

April 22, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 1 Comment

It had to happen. It just had to happen, and it wasn’t even on my radar—until a friend informed me about it. There’s a wine from Washington State called “Kung Fu Girl.” That’s right: Kung Fu Girl. And I am doubly dumbfounded about this since I am into fine wines (and not so fine wines) and of course, Kung Fu which (as I’ve mentioned on this blog ad nauseum) I’ve practiced for 35+years. The fact that this wine has been around, I think, since 2006 and I didn’t know about it, leaves me feeling quite asinine (I could use another adjective but this is a family blog).

The wine in question is a white wine, a Riesling (more about that later) made by winemaker Charles Smith of the famed K-Vintners; and it comes from the Columbia Valley in Washington. As per its name, it’s a wine tailored for Asian dishes. Why the label (and a beautiful label it is) Kung Fu Girl? Well, as wine master Mr. Smith states in his ad—“because Riesling and Girls kick ass!” He adds that “. . .the reason we love this wine actually has more to do with another aspect of Kung Fu: balance. This comes from a single vineyard comprised of fragmented basalt and caliche soils. Great acidity, minerality and girl-next-door kiss of sweetness.” I like that last part. Mainly because wife, Holly, loves Riesling—it’s the only wine she can take–essentially because she prefers sweet and semi-sweet wines. I, on the other hand, prefer dry wines (my favorite dry white being Pinot Grigio). But I do like a well balanced, juicy Riesling—which this one is reputed to be.

I guess it was only a matter of time before the martial arts would be paired up with wine ads. But I’m intrigued and happy that Mr. Smith picked the tag of Kung Fu. I don’t know whether Mr. Smith has ever dabbled in the art or not, but he is a legendary wine maker who, like most people on the cutting edge, pushes the envelope somewhat. Apparently he’s on a mission to bring Washington State Rieslings to the fore, and I wish him well. And from the raves I’ve seen on-line, he has succeeded. Cork’d gave the 2006 Kung Fu Girl Riesling an average rating of 89.0/100, which is pretty good. The reviewer from The Wine Cask Blog hailed it as “one of the best Rieslings I have had in years from any country including Germany!” High praise indeed. Gary Vaynerchuk featured the 2007 Kung Fu Girl Riesling, along with Charles Smith as guest, on his popular Wine Library TV, The Thunder Show Episode #549 (https://tv.winelibrary.Com/). Mr. Smith stated, among other things, that the mild climate and long growing season in Washington State produces this really exceptional wine. Mr. Vaynerchuk also gave it an 88/89 type rating.

The fact that, according to its followers, this wine pairs well with Asian cooking also peaked my interest. Chinese food has been one of the passions in my family since I can remember. From my boyhood on we would make that weekend trek to Chinatown and gorge ourselves on baby spare ribs, fry rice, lo-mein, steamed sea bass, egg rolls, all that good stuff. Of course then it was all mainly Cantonese cuisine with an American bent. Actually, it was American Chinese food. A secret: fried rice, egg foo young, chop suey and, yes, fortune cookies, are all American inventions. It wasn’t until later in my adulthood when Shechuan and Hunan restaurants started opening up in Chinatown that I really began to appreciate the variety and multiplicity of Chinese cuisine. Add to that, the Thai, Burmese, and Vietnamese places that followed so that today there’s a cornucopia of fine Asian cuisine in the city, not just the Cantonese fare of yesteryear.

In the old days, the only beverage served with Asian food was either tea, beer, or a wine called Wan Fu white that used to be sold in some Chinese restaurants. I remember Wan Fu. It was supposed to accompany what were then called “Oriental dishes.” Even then I considered it a bit sweet for my taste. It was only later on that I discovered that Wan Fu wasn’t Chinese at all. In fact, it was a semi-dry white Burgundy from France. Go figure. Further experimentation got me into the realm of drinking Gewurstraminer (Guh-verts-trah-mee-ner) with Asian dishes. This is a dry, spicy wine that can either hail from Germany (the Rheinpfalz area) or Alsace (which for a long time had been a disputed part of Germany until 1945 when it became French). I still like Gewuzstraminer with Asian food but, again, it’s all relative. Holly likes Riesling with everything. Back in my youth I once knew a lady who preferred Mogen David Heavy Malaga Red with every meal. Where wine is concerned, I believe, there should be no hard and fast rules. Every palette should decide for itself. But it’s good to know that now there’s another alternative to Asian food—Kung Fu Girl Riesling.

It’s the more amazing that Charles Smith has decided to stake his calling on the Riesling grape variety. A few years back, Riesling was the province of German and Alsatian vintners. In the last few decades this has changed with Riesling being cultivated in California, Australia, New Zealand and a host of other countries. In the U.S., California is no longer the only player. Oregon and Washington, among others, have gotten into the act.

I discovered Riesling in my young manhood; and the Rieslings I recalled from that time were different from what you get today. To my unformed palette, the Rieslings back then where perceptibly sweeter. Now, I’m talking about the 1960s and 70s. The wines were pale yellow in color, or yellow to golden yellow, fruity, and some even with a note of honey in them, and low alcohol content. This changed as wines with a dry finish became so increasingly popular that even German vintners began making dry wines. Still, from what I gather, most Washington Riesling is made in the traditional German style. That is, light and fruity, with high acidity to balance the sugar, but with a much higher alcohol content, sometimes over 13% alcohol. Austrian and Alsatian Rieslings are somewhat dryer. Some of them have almost no residual sugar. My preference is for the Austrian or Alsatian type. Still, that doesn’t mean a Washington Riesling can’t be great. We decided to give it the ultimate test and see how it would pair up with an Asian dish. In this case, Northern (Peking-Style) deep-fried bean curd, along with steamed chicken and white rice. The bean curd recipe is from my second cookbook, The Pharaoh’s Feast (Avalon Books). To make the steam chicken is easy enough: take one fryer chicken (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds), washed and cut up in generous bite-sized pieces, place it in a bowl and rub it all over with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and dried oregano. Let it stand for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then place in a wok, medium-sized skillet or pan. Fill about 1/3 full with water, bring it to a boil, cover and let simmer 25-30 minutes until pieces are tender. If you want to follow the more traditional Asian mode then use a mixture of 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil for the marinade. In either case, if you desire a more spicy dish, add 3 to 4 drops Tabasco or chili sauce to the mix.

I must say that in our informal tasting (Holly was the official Riesling judge), I was pleasantly surprised. To begin with, the wine came with a screw cap. There has been an issue of sorts in the wine world as of late concerning screw caps on wine bottles. Traditionalists state that this is heresy. The corked bottle is sacrosanct. Truth is that, to a wine maker, bottle caps are more efficient, less time consuming and less expensive than traditional corks. I have discovered that bottle caps on white wines ensure a longer storage time in the fridge. This is no scientific experiment; just my observation. Although there is a certain romance to maneuvering that corkscrew, pulling out the cork, and listening to that pop! As to the wine in question, it was soft, subtle, with plenty of aromas—peach, pear, lime— you name it. This fruit like aromatics was also noted on the Wine Library segment where Mr. Vaynerchuk declared the wine had a hint of sweetness and heavy on apple flavors. As to its marvelous color, Holly thought it looked like summer: bright and golden. She described it as early morning sun without the heat. And it had a cool taste, not overwhelming. Lightness is how she summed it up. her final allegory is “that there is something about it like spring. Something youthful.” This echoes what Charles Smith himself said on Wine Library TV. He also confirmed it was a melowy wine, floral, and reminiscent of spring flowers. So Holly wasn’t too off the mark. I found that it had good balance, not too sweet, not too dry, and not as intense as I expected. My experience with fine German Rieslings is that, to compensate for the sweetness, they have a lively acidity and their flavor is usually intense. Not with this one. It had a light, crisp finish that left a lingering aftertaste with just a little hint of dryness. All in all, a superb wine for spring or summer.

The one caveat I have is that the wine store where I purchased the bottle, in Manhattan, it was $19.95 retail. In the web sites I perused in Washington State the price ranged from $12.99 to $14. Cork’d blog gave the 2006 a retail price of $14.99. Gary Vaynerchuk gave it a retail range of $12-$13. In these trying economic times, one has to save wherever one can. But where good wine is concerned, it sure as hell is difficult to do that in New York State.

Finally, this all leaves me to consider that this wine thing could be the beginning of a new trend. If there’s Kung Fu wine, then why not Kung Fu beer? or gin? or whisky? Who knows, someday you might even have a Kung Fu laxative. the possibilities are endless.

NORTHERN (PEKING-STYLE) DEEP-FRIED BEAN CURD

1-pound container fresh bean curd, preferably extra firm, washed, patted dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons cornstarch (more or less as needed)

Peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying

3 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon chili sauce

1. Sprinkle the bean curd evenly with the cornstarch.
2. Heat the oil over high heat in a wok or deep skillet. Add the bean curd and fry until golden brown. Depending on the side of the wok or skillet, you may have to do this in batches. Remove the bean curd with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili sauce.
4. There are two ways to serve the bean curd (or tofu as it is known in Japanese): either place the tofu in a bowl and drizzle the soy sauce mixture over it, then stir, making sure the bean curd is evenly coated with the sauce; or just use the sauce as dip separately. Either way, serve with white rice or noodles.
Yield: 4 servings

Cecilia and Juliana from invisible people.tv

April 21, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Cecilia and Juliana from invisible people on Vimeo.
The invisiblepeople.tv site emailed me the post noted below. Its timeliness is that it addresses the question of the ever growing homeless population during these trying economic times. I’ll say no more. The post speaks for itself. To get more information on it and details relating to homelessness in general I suggest you check out their blog at https://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/

Forget everything you’ve ever thought about homeless.

It’s not always a guy with a cardboard sign begging for money. Not everyone has a shopping cart. It goes far beyond tent cities. The reality is that families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. The average homeless person is nine years old and in the third grade.
Meet Cecilia and her daughter Juliana, just one of many families without a home in America. I met them at the Prado Day Center in San Luis Obispo. Like most folks without a home, Cecilia never planned to be homeless. But for the past two years she has been living with her three year old daughter and nine year old son in a homeless shelter.

As a mom, Cecilia does her best to stay positive. But this doesn’t mean that raising a family without a home is easy. Each morning, Cecilia and her children must vacate the evening-only shelter. Her older son heads off to school. Cecilia and Juliana head to the day center, where they must wait to shower and spend the day. At 3 p.m. the day center closes, so they head to the park before returning to the evening shelter where they must two house in line to get a bed.

If this story effects you like it does me, please don’t let it end here. Forward it to a friend, blog about it, scream real loud – do something! Cecilia and Juliana are the new face of homelessness. And if you ask me, children should never be homeless.

Homelessness: The Plague Continues

April 14, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Thus far my postings have focused on two of my prime interests: cooking and martial arts. What I call my two avocations since I write cookbooks and have been involved in the martial arts for over 35 years. Well, today I’m going on a different tangent. No pithy comments or recipes.

Recently, I was referred to an on-line site, invisiblepeople.tv. I found the site fascinating. What invisiblepeople.tv does is give homelessness a name and a face. It chronicles what being homeless is like in America today. The reason it peaked my interest is that my second novel, The Proud and the Immortal (Polar Bear and Company) focuses on this very topic. When I began work on the book my concern was not homelessness as such. I just wanted to tell a stark and vivid story of individuals trying to survive in late 20th century America. The book tells the story of a community of homeless individuals who lived, for a time, in the abandoned Amtrak tunnels beneath New York City. They formed a society in microcosm with its own rules and by-laws. My aim was not to romanticize or categorize homelessness, but rather described how it was, living in the tunnels, and how they endured. They weren’t saints, nor angels, nor villains, just people trying to persevere like their counterparts who lived topside in the neighborhoods above the tunnels.

(photo credit: Diane Lemieux)

I encountered these people one summer long ago when I was strolling around Riverside Park on the West Side of Manhattan. I noticed there were two groups that stuck to their turf on the huge rotunda in the park. One group was younger, more boisterous, and they indulged in smoking crack openly. The other group was older and more reserved. From their appearance they seemed down and out, and obviously homeless, but the younger ones did not mess with them. It seemed these people had a structure. I struck up a conversation with one of them, and that’s when I discovered they lived in the tunnels. Eventually I gained their confidence enough so that they showed me where they lived. It was another world, almost like a parallel universe. And once you overcame the heat, and the smell, you realized that it was another home to them. For some, the only real home they ever had.

I hung out with them for about two months, visiting them when I could, and gathering enough information to form the basis of my novel. I came to realize that they, beyond the grueling surroundings, the uncertainties and constraints of living underground, harbored the same hopes and dreams as anyone else. They were just trying to get by, albeit in a squalid environment. Their stories fascinated me. And from it I weaved the characters that would eventually populate my novel. I consider it my best work.

The tunnels are long gone, but homelessness is not. Given the current financial crisis and long-lived recession, it probably has gotten worse. That’s no surprise. According to a U.S. Conference of Mayors report, hunger and homelessness are on the rise in the U.S., especially in our cities. The report revealed that, on average, cities reported a 12 percent increase in homelessness from 2007 to 2008, with 16 cities citing an increase in the number of homeless families. And, of course, poverty, unemployment and the lack of affordable housing are cited as the top three causes of homelessness and hunger in the surveyed cities.

Another report, this one by the National Center on Family Homelessness cited that 1 in 50 children in America are homeless each year. They summarize that, on a yearly basis, 1.5 million of our nation’s children go to sleep without a home.

I could go on forever summarizing statistics and numbers, but who the hell cares? They’re just that: numbers and statistics. It has been said that when one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when hundreds die it’s a statistic. Nevertheless the plague is here and its coming home. We’ve got record foreclosures on homes, unemployment is heading toward double digits, and the economy is tanking. There are those who would never have dreamed of becoming homeless and are now facing it as a real possibility. It’s safe to say that a lot of us are just a paycheck away from being on the streets. That’s why I call homelessness a plague, a pestilence of epidemic proportions. Problem is, that for most of us, it’s the unseen plague. Oh, yes, you’ve seen them on the streets, the “bag people” as they were once called, the mentally unbalanced man or woman who can’t cope, the homeless veteran who left his brains back in the Mekong Delta or the Persian Gulf, or the average joe who just fell on hard times. What’s amazing is that this is not a new phenomenon. It’s been with us for quite a while. In 1547, the British parliament passed a law that subjected vagrants and vagabonds to two years of servitude and branding with a “V” as a penalty. After the American Civil War, a large number of men went on the road and formed that subculture known as “hobos.” At one time, when I was a young man, the Bowery in New York was synonymous with homeless men and women. Today it’s ringed with high-priced luxury condominiums. The Great Depression of the 1930’s caused a marked increase in poverty and homelessness. But modern homelessness as we know it, is something new and pervasive. To my mind, one of the major incentives was the infamous Community Mental Health Act of 1963. What happened was this: long term psychiatric patients were released from state hospitals and were supposed to be sent to community health treatment centers for follow-up treatment. It didn’t work out that way. The majority of community mental health centers were never funded. The released patients found themselves on the street. Add to that the lack of affordable housing, the reduction in SROs (single room occupancy) and you had an increasing number of jobless and impoverished adults, children and teenagers roaming the streets. Given these circumstances, some groups, like the “Mole People” I write about in my novel, literally went underground and formed their own mini-communities. And, I would guess, now even those communities are gone.

So, what to do? More learned minds than mine have tackled the question. And no clear solution has been given. Although the problem has found its advocates, as it should. There are venues out there that are addressing this problem even as we speak. One of the sites I discovered while researching for this post, is Change.org. It is one of the leading sites for social change; and among its causes and issues is how to end homelessness. They have featured posts on such topics as the roots of contemporary homelessness, things you should know about homelessness and actions you can take to end same. All well and good but, my friends, more is needed. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, there are an estimated 3.5 million homeless people in the U.S. Imagine that, the strongest, richest country on the planet, and that’s what we show to the world. It’s obscene. It’s criminal. It’s not a question of the haves and have-nots, it’s a question of the haves and those who have nothing. As one who has lived on both sides of the equation, I can tell you from experience, it’s not easy promulgating the kind of change that is needed. We don’t care. If we are doing well (at least those of us who still are in this economy) to us the homeless are, by and large, the nameless few. We see them on the street and we just pass them by, we avert our eyes, or, if we respond, it’s with the usual epithet: “Go get a job, buddy!” Yeah, well try and get a good paying job in this economy—at least one that will put a home over your head when all you see around you are forced evictions and mortgage foreclosures. According to one of the posts I saw on-line, it’s official: LA is the capital of homelessness. How long before New York or Houston or San Francisco, or Duluth or Toledo join that list?

So the next time you pass some homeless, destitute person on the street, look into their face, and you will see all of us.

Everyone is Kung Fu Fighting: The Blog Post

April 2, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 2 Comments

(photo credit: Federico Delvai)

In this month’s issue of Vanity Fair there is an interview with Gisele Bundchen (who is on the cover), a Brazilian supermodel well known in the fashion industry. Ms. Bundchen, aside from being a top fashion model, champions such worthy causes as AIDS awareness and preservation of the environment. And this is all to her credit. The interview denotes how she became a fashion model, her demanding work schedule, and how she maintains her equilibrium. The interview makes note of her passion for the martial arts, particularly, Kung-Fu. It states that she has taken up the art with a vengeance, how she practices constantly, and “there’s no day off.” It mentions she even trains Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day.

As a practitioner of Shaolin Kung-Fu for some 35+ years, I can understand the fascination, especially among those of us with an artistic bent. In our school, The Chinese Kung-Fu Wu-Su Association, numerous artists study with us. By that I mean actors, musicians, performers, dancers and, yes, even models. We’ve also had stunt-men and stunt-women join our ranks. What I’ve discovered is that the martial arts, because of its intense physical and mental concentration is a viable training tool for those in the arts. It keeps one in shape, and keeps one balanced. The aerobic training methods we use in our school is perfect for anyone—and not just a performer—to keep their well being.

When our school began back in 1967, Kung-Fu was just about unknown in the Continental U.S. There were Karate schools and Judo dojos but this thing, Kung-Fu, was considered something somewhat esoteric. It wasn’t until the Bruce Lee craze in the ’70s that it started coming into its own. In fact, my first exposure to it as a teenager was in the old Green Hornet TV series in which a young Bruce Lee portrayed Cato, the Green Hornet’s sidekick, and who was adept at “Gung Fu”—whatever that was. I didn’t get into training until I came back from Vietnam and was looking for a Karate school to supplement the training I had in the Marine Corps. I kind of fell into it. I came to the school, liked what I saw, and started taking classes. At that time we didn’t have many “artistic types” taking lessons. Admittedly, the school was geared toward those from a certain urban environment who just wanted to learn how to fight. Thankfully, that mindset has changed over the years so that today, apart from the usual self-defense, we also teach breathing, concentration and meditative techniques in order to insure maximum well-being, both externally and internally. And those in the performing arts find this beneficial, as witness the rigorous training of Ms. Bundchen.

Don’t get me wrong. You don’t have to be a supermodel to acquire the bug. Anyone in relatively good health can pursue whatever martial arts they desire for whatever purpose they desire (hopefully to improve themselves). That’s the beauty of martial arts, be it Kung-Fu, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Capoeira, Tae Kwon Do, and even boxing: the only person you’re competing against is yourself. I’ve discovered that if you take your time at it, maintain good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle, the rewards will be enormous.
Ms. Bundchen (or Mrs. Tom Brady), in her interview, talks about maintaining that healthy outlook, especially in terms of diet and nutrition. She reveals that, what works for her, is to have several small meals a day, rather than having two or three heavy meals daily. Even if you only have one big meal a day, the body has a tendency to store fat, so it’s best to regulate your caloric intake with small portions regularly. Of course, it does take discipline to maintain any kind of dietary regimen (ask anyone who’s ever dieted). Again, Kung-Fu, and the martial arts in general, instill this discipline. Figure it this way: just keep yourself active, even if its taking daily brisk walks.

Following this health kick, below is a simple salad recipe that is nutritious and beneficial. Usually my recipes run the gamut, from steamed to deep-fried. My cultural heritage is such that it embodies all methods of cooking, some more healthier than others. Like all else, one has to learn how to pick and choose from what is given on your plate. I like to think that most of us choose the healthier alternative—although once in a blue moon it’s just impossible to resist that chocolate sundae or blueberry cheesecake. A treat, now and then, doesn’t hurt. But, again, only as a treat.

The recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Avalon Books).

TOMATO-PEPPER SALAD
(Ensalada de Tomate y Pimiento)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into slender wedges
1/4 cup black pitted olives, sliced in half
1/4 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1. Heat oil in a large skillet and add bell peppers and garlic. Stir-fry over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes and saute 3 minutes.

3. Stir in olives and oregano. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes more.

4. Sprinkle with parsley and served.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Friends, that’s it for now and, please let me know what you think. I would especially like to hear from those who have had personal experience with the issues I’m covering. So all you martial artists out there, and cooks and chefs, and personal trainers, or anyone who has anything to say, be it tips, praise or critique, just drop me an e-mail at mroswaldrivera@gmail.com All comments are welcomed.

And (as they use to say in the old Bob and Ray Show), hang by your thumbs and write if you get work.

The Plantain Wars

March 30, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 2 Comments

In my first posting I included a recipe for fried plantains, or tostones. Actually, it was my first recipe on this blog. Other recipes have followed. As noted, in my other avocation, I teach martial arts at the Chinese Kung-Fu Wu-Su Association (www.kingfu-wusu.com). Well, one of my fellows at the association, 2nd Degree Instructor Tyree Grant, and a rising star within the Association, commented to me yesterday on the recipe. He wasn’t too enthused about it. Not that it wasn’t a good recipe, only that he had expected a recipe on sweet plantains, to which he and his family are partial. And this brought up one of the age-old arguments that has befuddled Caribbean cuisine. Think of other controversies regarding food: like the argument over creamy peanut butter as opposed to chunky style (I prefer the chunky version); or white rice over brown rice which is supposedly more nutritious (I still prefer white rice simply because I was brought up with it); or home fries vs. french fries (I prefer home fries); or even whether red wine should always be served with meat. I have found delicious reds (gamay, bardolino, valpolicella, etc.) that go well with fish. So there.
It all depends on individual preference. No one is right, and no one is wrong. I, myself, prefer green plantains in the tostones mold. In my family, when I was growing up in Spanish Harlem, we only had sweet plantains for breakfast, with eggs, sausages and ham. Green plantains were served for lunch and dinner. In the Caribbean islands, from my experience, that is still the norm. I cannot speak for Central and Latin America, although I know plantains are also prepared in their cuisine.
See, this is the way it goes. A plantain is a tropical perennial herb (Musa paradisiaca) which renders an edible, bananalike fruit. But it is not a banana. The plantain (Platano in Spanish) comes out in its raw state as a bright green color. As it ripens it turns yellowish; and when it’s really ripe and on the verge of rotting, it becomes a dark, almost black in texture. Aficionados of ripe plantains like it because it’s sweet. Fried green plantains don’t have a sweet taste. I cannot explain the flavor; simply that it’s an acquired taste. But once you had a tostone, with a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil, you’ll come back for more. That’s guaranteed. On my last trip to Puerto Rico I noticed that some restaurants started serving tostones with french dressing. What’s that all about? It’s like in France where they serve french fries with mayonnaise. I guess the more adventurous culinary cultures, with time, modify almost any dish.
Let me state that plantains today can be found most anywhere. Most supermarkets do carry them. I have found plantains even in the north country of Vermont. Traditionally, any Hispanic or ethnic market carries them.
Anyway, for all you iconoclasts (I love them $20 words) below is a recipe for sweet ripe plantains (Platanos Amarillos). It’s simple, no-nonsense, and tasty (if you like sweet stuff). So, Tyree, my brother-in-training, here’s the recipe I promised to you and to all those who savor platanos. And just to show that I can be magnanimous (another $20 word) and hold no grudges, I’ve included two ways of making ripe plantains. One involves boiling for the more health conscious; and the other is the traditional fried method.

PLANTANOS AMARILLOS (Sweet Ripe Plantains)

Method I:
3 ripe plantains

1. Take 3 ripe plantains and cut in half crosswise at a slant.
2. Boil in water (combined with 1 tablespoon salt) until tender (about 4-5 minutes).
3. Drain and let cool. Cut a slit along the length of the halves and peel. Cut into diagonal slices 1 to 2 inches thick and serve.
Yield: 12 to 15 pieces.

Method II:
3 ripe plantains
Vegetable oil for frying (can use extra virgin olive oil, if desired)

1. Peel 3 ripe plantains. Cut into diagonal slices about 1/2-inch thick and 3 inches long.
2. Deep-fry in hot oil until slightly browned and tender (about 3-4 minutes). Drain on paper towels.
Yield: 12-18 pieces.

Friends, that’s it for now. So, until the next time, hang by your thumbs and write if you get work (with credits to Bob and Ray).

The Donna Hanover Interview on Food TV, 1994

March 25, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In 1994, right after the publication of my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America, I sat down with Donna Hanover of Food TV to discuss the book. That video is now available for your viewing. In it I try to explain, overall, what constitutes Puerto Rican cuisine here and in the island while also trying to explain the concept of Nuyorican, or a New York born and bred Puerto Rican. Nuyorican is a term used, not too complimentary, in the island of Puerto Rico, to define a native who comes from the mainland, predominantly the east coast. Here in America we have taken the term as a badge of honor and pride. Just because one is Nuyorican doesn’t mean one has any less pride in his heritage than one who comes from the island. We partake of a culture and enjoy a cuisine that combines elements of traditional Puerto Rican cooking with infusions of new ideas and new ways of doing things inspired by the urban ewnvironment of the mainland. It means that we grow, within ourselves, our culture, and our cuisine.
Below is a simple recipe from that cookbook: domplines, or dumplings. The dumplings go well with any meal, but they are especially good with ham and eggs.

DOMPLINES

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine flower, baking powder and shortening in a glass bowl.
2. Add salt to water and add to flour, a bit at a time, while mixing with a wooden spoon until it forms a doughy consistency.
3. Remove this dough to a lightly floured surface and knead continuously with hands until soft.
4. Form kneaded dough into a horseshoe shape and set aside.
5. Fill a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet halfway with vegetable oil. Heat until oil is very hot. Break off a small piece of dough and shape into a round patty. Drop into skillet and stir-fry until golden (about 5 minutes). Repeat until dough is all gone. Remove and drain on absorbent paper towels.
Yield: about 20 dumplings.

For for the sake of full disclosure, I should add that I have been involved in the martial arts for 35+ years. I am an instructor at the Chinese Kung-Fu Wu-Su Association (www.kungfu-wusu.com). I know, you’re thinking, someone who likes to cook and enjoys listening to classical music is also a martial artist? Yup. It’s true. We are all the sum of different parts. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because I am on Facebook (no surprise there). And my Facebook page is currently displaying videos showing some of the techniques we practice at the Association. One is a high level technique known as the nail bed. I am not even going to try to explain it. Some may find it esoteric and other worldly. It’s not. It’s something that any determined healthy individual can do given the proper training and discipline.
The other video is knife fighting. We do teach knife techniques at the Association. In that one I take on our premier knife person, Dr. Norman Lanes, in a one-on-one situation, and try to hold my own (barely). So, for those of you interested in the martial arts or want to see some enjoyable videos (of real action—not cinematic) check out my Facebook page.
Until the next time (with credits to Bob and Ray), hang by your thumbs and write if you get work.

The Pharaoh Feast

March 20, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

My second cookbook, The Pharaoh’s Feast (Avalon Books), had a simple premise: how cooking had evolved throughout recorded history. It featured 100 simple recipes, from the biblical mess of pottage (or lentil soup) noted in the first book of Moses, to the fusion cooking style of today. The book was also published in England under the title, Feasting with the Ancestors Sutton Publishing).

The book was a labor of love that combined two of my favorite topics, history and cooking. What I sought to do was recreate some of food history’s highlights detailing the cooking styles of their era. What was it like to have a meal in ancient Egypt, or Classical Greece or the Manchu Dynasty in China, or the caliphate in the Arab world? For that matter, what was it that people cooked and ate in the depressing times of the Middle Ages? You would be surprised to learn.

Food and meals have influenced our history in extraordinary ways. For instance, ever wondered what Cleopatra served Mark Antony on that barge on the Nile River that got him so overwhelmed that he immediately threw in his lot with her against his own native Rome? I’m sure there were some snails involved since, at the time, they were considered an aphrodisiac. And what did Jesus Christ and his disciples have on that famous last supper? Which was in reality a Passover Seder that he and his followers, being good devout Jews, were commemorating. And how did pizza get invented? That’s a story in itself. But some claim that it originated in Ancient Judea in the first century of the Common Era when the Roman 10th legion was stationed there. Figure that one out. That is tale for another time that I will explore comprehensively in a future posting.

To give you a taste of what I mean, below is recipe hailing from the time of Imperial Rome.

The Romans, as my fellows back on the block would say today, are a trip. They’re a contradiction. They ruled an empire stretching from the sands of Arabia to the moors of Scotland. They gave the world a system of laws, and an excellence in art, literature and architecture. But they were also bastards when they felt it was needed. The same society that gave us the works of Tacitus, Cicero and Virgil, also gave us spectacles of mass slaughter in the Coliseum where thousands were killed in gladiatorial contests or innocent victims ravaged by beasts, and all for the enjoyment of the populace (read that: mob). As the scholar-statesman Abba Eban once noted: The Romans believed in peace with a vengeance.

This contradiction is also reflected in their cooking. During the first centuries of the Roman Republic the diet was quite plain. This mainly consisted of wheat, olive, pork and fish; and, of course, wine, which was the main libation. Once Rome became an empire, all this changed. New tastes and new foodstuffs altered the social environment, at least for the upper crust. Some of the food became extremely exotic, and weird. Picture such things as dormice seasoned with honey, peacock’s brain boiled in its own feathers, sow’s womb stuffed with sea-unchins—you get the idea. Yes, you could say this was an example of profligacy and vice on the part of Roman society. But I’m sure not all Romans ate like this. You certainly wouldn’t if you belonged to what was termed, the “lower orders.”

The recipe given shows that even Romans could adhere to simplicity in their cooking. This recipe is credited to Apicius, and his work, On Cookery , or De Re Coquinaria. Apicius is a character. Although the recipe is simple, he was not. He was a patrician accustomed to a high standard of living, and is said to have poisoned himself when he discovered he had only a mere ten million sesterces left in the bank. Figure that ten million sesterces is equivalent to just under three-quarters of a ton of gold bullion. Apicius felt that such a paltry sum was not enough for a man of his infinite tastes.

By today’s standard’s, some his recipes are off the wall. I doubt many would enjoy cooking parrots, jellyfish, porpoises, and lark’s tongues But this one is just right. Easy, tasty, and good as a an appetizer.

ARTICHOKES, OIL, AND MINCED EGGS

16 artichoke hearts (canned are okay)

4 eggs, hard boiled and finely chopped

1/3 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)

1/3 cup nuoc man fish sauce*

1. Wash the artichoke hearts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange the artichoke hearts on a serving platter.

2. Sprinkle chopped eggs atop the artichokes.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and fish sauce.

Yield: 4 servings.

note: nouc man fish sauce can be found in any store selling Thai, Korean, or Chinese products, or any Asian market.

Update: on my last posting, the recipe was for plantains. If you enjoy Caribbean cooking, check it out (I haven’t deleted that posting yet).

So, as they use to say on the Bob and Ray show (old timers will know what I’m talking about), “Until next time, hang by your thumbs and write if you get work.”

Ooops!

March 12, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 1 Comment

Damn!

This is frustrating! I was just stating facts about my latest books, then I must have pressed a wrong button or something, and the freakin’ thing is posted without me having finished my spiel or even spell checking the damn thing.

So I’m just going to continue as if nothing had occurred (I hate these fandangled machines!) Let me elaborate: I still do most of my writing on a 1942 Royal portable typewriter. Thank the gods for things that last.

So here goes.

As noted before, my last cookbook, The Pharaoh’s Feast, has also been published in the United Kingdom under the title, Feasting with the Ancestors. The publisher is Sutton Publishing.

The novel I’ve just completed, The Centurion, is something else entirely. It’s a historical novel about ancient Rome and Christianity. Two tumultuous topics. Where Christianity is concerned, the Romans were the bad guys. This story is told from the Roman—the bad guy’s point of view—as a perceived alien religion threatens the current social and political order. Look at it this way, a true pagan society would have been shocked and mortified when something like the Gospels made its way into their lives. They would have considered it exotic, foreign, even atheistic since these newcomers did not believe in the pantheon of the gods. This is not a religious work, far from it. It’s a rousing tale of wars, assassinations, upheavals and family rivalries. So, any publisher out there interested in something like this, just let me know.

In terms of my two novels, the first one, titled: Fire and Rain, is an account of a prison camp, a brig, during the Vietnam War, where American soldiers accused of various crimes were interned. My second novel, The Proud and the Immortal, is a tale of a homeless community that lived under the old abandoned Amtrak tunnels in New York City. It is a study of a society in microcosm. I make no judgments as to the people living there. I just tell their tale.

Finally, below is a recipe from my first cookbook: Puerto Rican Cuisine in America. I am of Puerto Rican descent. And true to my forebears, I love to eat, drink and socialize. I am a fairly good cook who, as a lad, learned to cook while watching my mother prepared great home meals. Oh, by the way, in terms of full disclosure, I’ve also dabbled in the martial arts for over 30 years.

The dish is Tostones—fried green plantains. Plantains are a staple in the Caribbean and Latin America. You can find them in almost any greengrocer or super market these days. Some gourmands prefer them with Russian or blue cheese dressing. That’s a new innovation. When I was coming up in the world, we just ate them with a little salt sprinkled over.

3 green plantains

4 cups water

2 tablespoons salt

Vegetable oil for frying

1. To remove skins from plantains, cut tips at both ends, cut a slit along the length of the plantain and peel off. To facilitate easier handling, some cooks dip plantains in hot water for 5 minutes and then remove the skin. Once plantains are peeled, cut into diagonal slices about 1-inch thick. reserve peels: typically the unbroken skin of the plantain is used for flattening the tostones.

2. Combine water and salt in a bowl and soak plantain slices for 30 minutes. Drain well.

3. Fill a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet halfway with vegetable oil. Heat oil until over moderate heat until very hot. Deep fry for 5 to 7 minutes.

4. remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

5. Place a plantain slice between two plantain peels, envelope fashion, and pound flat with the palm of the hand. repeat until all slices are pressed. return plantain slices to skillet and cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes longer). Drain on absorbent paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Yield: 12 to 18 tostones

If you’re interested in seeing more recipes (or getting information on any of my other books) you are free to peruse my website at http//oswaldrivera.com

My webguy says you can also hook in directly into my website from the blog page.

Either way, hope to hear from you soon.

As they use to say in the old Bob and Ray show (old timers will remember this): Until next time, hang by your thumbs, and write if you get work.

Author, Warrior, and Teacher