Christian Chefs Newsletter
June 15, 2000

OUTLINE:
           Greetings
           Christianity in the Kitchen - The Big Bears In Our Lives
           Featured Recipe
           Featured Website - The Cook's Thesaurus
           From the Message Boards

Until Ira returns to the states, our Newsletter will be a bit different than what you're used to. We have several CCF members who have agreed to write articles for the CHRISTIANITY IN THE KITCHEN area and also for the LEARNING SUBJECT OF THE MONTH. Now, please understand that some months we may have only one of the above mentioned articles, other months we may have two. We've also had to move the Job Listings and Contest Area to the Message Boards for the time being.

There ARE a couple of new things! We're adding a section called Hints and Tips. There's got to be millions of them out there. And you probably know quite a few of them. It's always helpful and interesting to learn these, and yes, sometimes even quite surprising. We're hoping you'll write in and share some of your favorites - - - don't assume that everyone already knows the ones you know. I'll get the ball rolling by sharing one of my favorites. The other new thing we're adding is that we're gonna feature ONE item each month from the Message Boards. You never know what it's gonna be....so be sure and read to the bottom of the newsletter!

We get so involved with our busy schedules and stressful situations that we often find ourselves "doing things our way." We forget to put our Lord and His protective power and wisdom into the equation.

So, this old retired Mountain Camp Chef would like to share some bear stories. I served twenty-four years in camps located in high mountain back-country. In other words, BEAR country!

We owned a business where we offered food service to groups renting camp/conference center facilities that did not provide culinary service in the winter months. Then, every summer my family and I would pick one of the camps to spend the summer working in.

I have never worked in a camp without bears around. We've put up wire cages for our trash. We've tried wooden sheds. We've used wooden fencing. Nothing keeps a big black bear out if he wants in!

I was always the last to leave the kitchen at night. I liked to be sure for myself all was "ship-shape" for the next busy day. I would be walking out the last of the trash and heading back to my quarters usually around ten or eleven at night. I would soon become on a first-name basis with that camp's particular bears.

I used our verse from Luke to bolster my courage as I made those lonely walks late at night. I discovered if I spoke gently to my bears and let them know I was there - they NEVER bothered me in the least. I would walk along singing or talking out loud to my Lord, thanking him for giving me the privilege to interact with these wonderful, awesome bears. They are really gentle creatures once they know you are there and mean them no harm.

I recall one night, I was very tired and it was very dark out. I was walking between my quarters' wall and the wooden fence around the trash bins. Well, I was NOT singing or praying out loud and I startled a very large black bear inside the fenced area. He rose up on his hind legs with a growl and stared me straight in the face which was about 12 inches from his. He growled loudly and I was so startled that I nearly fainted. The Lord and I talked to him and assured him he could finish his dinner without interruption from me. He lowered himself to all fours and continued to graze among the trash. Now was our Lord there protecting me? You bet! You better believe I sang and prayed out loud coming back to quarters the rest of that summer at that particular camp. :-)

How often we make mountains out of molehills by our "fears". I have tried to explain to my staff that they had nothing to fear from any of the abundant wildlife as long as they trusted our Lord for protection and then acted on the wisdom He has shown us. A comforting word even calms wildlife.

Try it on your difficult staff members; we all truthfully know we have them. :-) I have always loved using love and calm words when working with difficult team members. This was especially true in the later years when I worked with the Sheriff's Dept.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And the Lord will reward you."
Proverbs 25: 21,22

Written in Love by Chef Diane Boone
Retired Camp/Conference Center/Institutional Cook

If God is speaking to your heart about these things, and you need somebody to talk with, please don't hesitate to e-mail us about your need and somebody from the Fellowship will contact you as soon as possible.

If you have a prayer request or would like to start a theological discussion on this or any other topic please feel free to post it in our Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

French Fried Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/8 cup oil
2 cups water
2 drops yellow food color

Preparation Steps:
1. Mix all ingredients (except the cauliflower and the flour) together in a mixer. Adding 1/2 cup at a time, add 2 1/2 cups flour, mixing well after each addition. Place mixer on high speed and mix about 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Refrigerate overnight. (Cauliflower will be refrigerated overnight also.)
2. Soak cauliflower which has been cut in small pieces or florets for 15 minutes in salted water. Drain. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Dip cauliflower pieces in batter and cook at 350 degrees in deep fat fryer until cauliflower is soft and has a golden brown color, about 7 minutes.
4. Serve with a cheese sauce. (Velveeta melted with a little water in it is fast, easy and delicious!)

Submitted by: cpinson162@aol.com

We encourage and welcome any questions you may have about this article or any other food- or faith-related questions in our Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Have you got questions? Don't know who to turn to for answers to those tough or maybe even embarrassing questions? ChristianAnswers.Net has them! All from God's Word. Not only answers but also ministry tools, resources and games for kids and MUCH more. Check it out:

http://www.christiananswers.net

This may seem a bit simplistic, but you'd be surprised how many people don't know about it. Have you ever gone to the refrigerator for a boiled egg and realized that, uh-oh, I don't know which ones are boiled and which ones are still raw? Well, it's very easy to tell without breaking every egg in the fridge! Simply take the eggs out and lay them on a counter and spin them quickly. The boiled eggs will start out and continue to spin very fast. The raw eggs will start out spinning fast but will immediately begin to slow down because of the centrifugal force of the raw egg inside.

This month, we're featuring a message from a member who is looking for recipes using fresh-squeezed fruit juices. Can you help?

"I am looking for recipes that use fresh-squeezed juices for better all around health and specific healing of the stomach and all-over cleansing for better health. Thank you."
By mulesforever

Permission is granted to circulate this publication via e-mail or in printed form to others providing that no fee is charged and that proper credit has been given to CCF for the part sent.

Donations are sincerely and deeply appreciated and may be sent to the below address. The following link leads to our "Finances" webpage, where you can find how all CCF's finances are handled:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/finances.html

Note: To view our archived newsletters, go HERE

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In His Service,
Carol Pinson, Temporary Editor

Christian Chefs Fellowship
webmaster@ChristianChefs.org
http://www.ChristianChefs.org
Christian Chefs Fellowship
P.O. Box 608
Crestline, CA 92325-0608
USA