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MENU du JOUR:
      Appetizer
      Main Course
           Christianity in the Kitchen - "Christian Liberty"
           Culinary Learning - "New Mexican Posole Christmas"
           CCF Trivia
           Recipes - Posole & Sopapillas
           Recent Job Listings - 4 New
      Dessert
           Recipe Contests (For Professionals Only)
           Hints and Tips
           Featured Website - Answers in Genesis
           Chef to Chef
           A Little Something Extra
           A Merry Heart
      Toothpick

It's Christmas time and half of us are probably in the slow season, while the other half of us are in one of the busiest seasons with companies having Christmas parties and all the rest of the business that comes with the season. Personally I'm part of the busy crowd. Either way I and the rest of the volunteers at CCF pray you all have a merry Christmas and a great holiday season.

Even though Jesus wasn't born on the 25th of December (no shepherds are found on the fields of Bethlehem during the winter as was the case when Jesus was born -- see Luke 2:8), it is appropriate for us to celebrate His coming to the earth once a year, just as we commemorate His death and rejoice in His resurrection every spring. Unfortunately the significance of Christmas has been almost entirely lost and this is true even among Christians. Food, gifts, charity and being together with the family is what we would say "matters the most," but Jesus Himself had another picture in mind:

Jesus was born into this world to die for our sins (Rom 4:25) and through His death, grant us liberty from sin and death (Rom 8:2). He came to liberate us from a lifelong attempt to gain God's favor through a ritualistic adherence to a religious program. Jesus made it very clear in His conversations with and about the Pharisees that carrying unnecessary burdens wasn't the way God had designed a human life to be lived (Luke 11:46). Paul addressed the issue of Christian liberty numerous times in his epistles, but how many Christians are there today that live in true liberty -- free from guilt and condemnation? Nearly two thousand years later we are still allowing heavy burdens to be placed on our backs, and while we moan under the weight that nearly crushes us, we wonder what happened to peace and joy.

The (many times well meaning) people who tell us how we should live our lives in order to be right with God, fail to see that the differences God placed in us naturally causes us to have different convictions in many areas. The Bible is very clear about the areas from where no believer can stray away without dire consequences (e.g., purity) but there are plenty of other areas in a Christian walk that can be tailored to fit a specific person's needs and desires. While it is never a right time to commit adultery, it is always a right time to pray, but the time and place varies from person to person depending on schedules and personalities, just as it did in the Bible. While going to church on a Sunday morning seems to be mandatory for most churches, the Bible is not as strict about it. While one man may consider Sunday to be above all other days, the Bible invites every one to be fully convinced in their own minds whether to make Sunday holier than the rest of the days or esteem every day alike (Rom 14:5). As long as you rest one day of the week and meet regularly with other believers, you do not have an obligation to explain your whereabouts on a Sunday to anyone else (not even to your pastor, if you don't want to). In the same manner, don't let anyone place you in the bondage of having to attend every service of the week in order to be "right with God." You answer to God, not to humans, regardless of how much they would like to be able to control you.

To (attempt to) live in obedience to a bunch of regulations may make a person look holy and humble, but the Bible calls such humility false and it doesn't lead to the desired result: holy living (1 Peter 1:16) If obedience to the Law would have helped make Israel holy and blameless, Jesus would never have had to die on the cross (Rom 8:3). We all know that Jesus died on the cross and yet almost all churches insist on obedience to a similar code of rules and regulations that Israel had. Regulations can never help us defeat the flesh, but Jesus can. And that is why we were never called to live according to a manmade rule book, (Mark 7:8-9) instead we were called to live close to Jesus.

We call the Gospel good news, but going from one kind of bondage to another, as most believers seem to do, is not good news. Yet the Gospel is good news. That is, the Gospel without any additions. After you have formed your life to be in obedience to the absolutes that all believers have to obey (a simple study of the Bible is sufficient, for they are very obvious), then it is your strengths and weaknesses that determine what kind of life you should lead; whether you are able to drink wine with food or whether you aren't able to even taste a drop. Jesus promised us freedom (John 8:36) and an abundant life (John 10:10). Don't let anyone steal those away from you.

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

Celebrating culinarily the holiday of Christmas, these are some of my culinary traditions. I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and have memories and recipes that made Christmas special to me and I pray for you also. It's all about Jesus -- and food-wise it's all about Posole! (pronounced poh-soh-leh with the accent on the soh)

Posole means many things. It means the corn that is the basis of a dish by the same name, a meal steeped in Native American History in that area. It was prepared to celebrate feasts and festivals. How appropriate that it be used for the major reason to celebrate. The dish has a personal meaning for me and for many in New Mexico where I am from. For me this meal and Christmas went hand-in-hand (or mouth)! --- hehe! These are my recipes and memories -- and forgive me if I go on; for such a simple dish, it has lots of love and attention that goes into it, and as you all know, it's all in the details. Our God is a God of details -- Amen!

The dish is also part of the traditions I grew up with called Noche Buena, in another Hispanic tradition known as Parrandas. Basically it is visiting, caroling and just spreading the joy; and it is the time to deliver gifts and cards and...have a bowl of Posole!

Also it is a time for enacting the Posada -- the recreation of Mary and Joseph looking for room at the inn. The enactors roam from house to house, being rejected along the way, looking for someone to say "I have room," a reminder that you never know who is bringing Jesus to your door. Open it and share the joy. So people come to your house and visit for a short time. Some of us were outside making and setting up the Luminarias (little brown paper bags top edge folded neatly -- we tore a few but we got those to take our school lunches in), filled part way with sand and lit with a votive candle, like the maids waiting for the Master, keeping their lamps filled and lit, waiting in anticipation. We also kept watch to re-light or re-candle a luminaria. I love the story that they were to light the path to your house -- that the Christ Child would find his way to your house, so keep your lamps lit!

I will scale it for 12; the 12 days of Christmas, the 12 Apostles, the time when I was 12 and received girls underwear from my forgetful aunt.

Mis en place: Cold weather, and the childlike excitement of preparing to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

1 lb. (450 g) dried posole corn
It's not hominy, but you can use hominy -- dried, canned or frozen. But use the dried, prepared as you would dried beans; sorted and cleaned. Cover the posole with water and soak overnight. Bring the water and posole to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the kernels "pop." (It takes a couple of hours.) Add more water if necessary. It's a wonderful thing, really. (Part of the Posole experience is the cooking of the dish all day and reveling in the aromas and warmth; like the warmth you feel being loved by our Lord.)

3 lb. (1.4 kg) diced pork (lean cuts of shoulder or butt. Cut as you would for stew if you use a bone-in cut, leave the bone in the stew. I do have to mention the true traditional Posole has pork skin also as an ingredient. If you use a picnic or shoulder with the skin on, do not discard -- trim fat off and cut into pieces large enough to pick around and add with the meat when cooking.)

2 to 4 Tbsp (30-60 ml) lard (I know, I know -- saturated fat, but this is the traditional medium for braising the pork, onions, and garlic. Keeping the meat lean puts you in control of the fat -- and once a year? Go for it! But seriously, oil is fine (olive, veg, -- not 10-W30).

2 large sweet onions, large dice
4-5-6 cloves garlic, chopped (to taste -- I love garlic)
2 T (30 ml) dried Mexican oregano, whole preferably. Crush the spice by hand as you add it to the pot.
Red New Mexican chile pods

OK, here's the deal. Buy at least 12 oz (340 g) of Red New Mexican chile pods (there are about 16 pods per 6 oz/170 g bag). Trust me -- once you start using this product, anything else pales in comparison. Only New Mexico chiles taste like New Mexico chiles -- and you always need plenty on hand anyway! Most larger towns have a Mexican market around and most of those have New Mexican Chili pods. Be adventurous.

Here is the method of prep:
Take the dried red chile pods, remove stems. Rinse and dry chile pods. Remove seeds, if desired. Place chile pods on a cookie sheet in a 250' F (120' C) oven for approximately 10 minutes. Turn chile pods several times to avoid scorching (the chile pods will turn a deeper red). This is a good thing to be doing as the posole/hominy is cooking. The toasted chile pods will be used for preparing Chile Molido (Red Chile Powder), Chile Caribe (Chile reduction), and Chile Colorado (Basic Red Chile Sauce). You'll love and need them all! I've posted some recipes for y'all in the message boards (link at end of article).

Varied amounts and variety of chile will determine the degree of hotness. I like it mild for those folk who want the flavor but not the heat. The Chili Caribe is for them. Needless to say, all this prep makes for a very aromatic kitchen and house. OH yeah!

Back to the Posole! Hehe... Brown the LEAN meat in the oil. (Note: If you use fatty pork you may want to drain all but a couple tablespoons of oil.) Add the onions and cook until they begin to caramelize. Deglaze the pan with some of the hominy liquid. Add the hominy and liquid to all the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer all afternoon and evening. Add more water if necessary and continue to simmer until the pork is very tender and begins to fall apart. The Posole pot is always on the stove for the duration of the serving. Usually, folks go to the pot and dish themselves up a bowl or soup plate.

Now, the table. It is a big part of it. The table has an abundance of condiments to personalize your Posole. The list is as endless as you want it. Some traditional basics are:
-1 bunch cilantro
-Lime wedges and salsa(s)
-1 bunch scallions
*NOTE These days, because of concerns about Hepatitis A in Mexican produce, you may want to eliminate or substitute leeks, or be SURE of your source of green onions.
-Some radishes
-A little very finely shredded cabbage
-Some green chiles (Anaheim, Pasillas, or even some Jalapenos)
*Green chile prep -- These are to be toasted either in the oven or grill, or over a flame or on a cast iron pan. Place into Ziplock bag or place in a bowl and cover with PVC and let rest until cooled to handle. This will make the peeling and de-stemming easier. Be very careful to wear gloves AND avoid skin contact. The stems, when removed, take out most of the seeds. This is also your base for any good Chile Verde recipe.
-These are chopped and set out in bowls along with the Chili Colorado and Chile Caribe.

Now folks can fix up their posole in a multitude of ways. As you will find, the basic can be made to look spectacular.

Serve with Sopapillas (recipe below). They are awesome baking powder breads that are fried -- they puff up when fried and are ... well...just try them. They are as versatile as tortillas in many ways, plus you have desert options.

So when you make this, it can be as simple as the soup or as complex as a banquet for lots of visitors. Have hot drinks like cocoa (heat milk with a couple cinnamon sticks set aside and add good unsweetened cocoas and sweeten with brown sugar) or even mix it with other traditions and serve with eggnog. (The best is home made, of course!)

If it's not your tradition, just make it as we make all things -- something that glorifies God and gives honor to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. It is a special way to celebrate His birthday (no matter what day it actually was). Let Jesus be the reason...and nothing else. Invite friends and strangers in to share the joy of Jesus and let them know this is not just a once or twice a year festival -- it's an everyday celebration of new birth, resurrection, and new creation.

I thank God for His great Gift of His Son. There is unimaginable pride and the seasonal opportunities BOUND for opening up and witnessing for Him. I pray y'all have an awesome holiday full of fruit -- and then let's take the fruits and follow up with them. We all say it every year but I pray as we grow closer to Him, we gather a larger and larger family so that when we meet, it's an unspeakably tumultuous God-extravaganza! We are a Royal Priesthood -- let's BE the celebrants God wants us to be. Let's invite some folks over to just have a blast about the Lord and party 'til you praise! Share food and the Good News! There are a few more recipes that will be posted.

The recipe for Sopapillas can be found in the recipes section of the newsletter below.

Questions about this article or any other culinary related subject can be asked via the "Culinary Q&A" Section of the Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

What is the Greek soup made with chicken broth, egg yolks, lemon juice, and rice?

E-mail your answer to "trivia@ChristianChefs.org" with "Trivia Answer" in the subject column. Also, please tell us what brief title(s) ("Sous Chef," "Dallas, Texas," or whatever - see examples below) you would prefer for your name being listed in the next newsletter, as well as how difficult you found the question (so we can improve future trivia questions).

Question:
Who in the Bible lived to be the oldest? And how old was he?
A) Noah
B) Methuselah
C) Adam
D) Shem
E) Mahalalel

Additional information found/submitted on the subject:
A) Noah - 950
B) Methuselah - 969
C) Adam - 930
D) Shem - 602
E) Mahalalel - 895

The first people to answer this question correctly:
1. Mark Rea
2. Phil Bettencourt, Administrative Coordinator, Alia Corporation/McDonald's, Merced, California
3. Tony DiRenzo, Rounds Cook 1 Augusta National Golf Club
4. Leo Griego, Nashville Rescue Mission
5. Corine, Effingham IL

Recipe for Posole by Leo Griego is combined with the above culinary learning article.

Sopapillas are an awesome baking powder bread that are fried -- they puff up when fried and if you are not familiar with baking or pastry, this will be a very pleasant, easy experience. Enjoy!

If you want a sweet treat, get some honey -- preferably a good desert sage honey, and add to it a generous pinch of that Chili Molido you created making the posole. Mix, and keep it for the Sopapillas.

Ingredients:
4 cups (950 ml) all purpose flour
4 tablespoons (60 ml) shortening
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) warm water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
Shortening or other frying medium (Hey, at least I didn't use the *L* word...hehe)

Procedure:
-Combine dry ingredients; mix well.
-Cut in shortening. (I like using my hands -- almost like a coarse, pie crust consistency.) Make a well. Add WARM water, (my Grandmother's recipe actually) work into a dough. Knead 'til smooth (it won't take long). Cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
-If you are using professional equipment, heat your fryer to 375' F (190' C). If you are using a stovetop method, just remember they are cooked over a medium high to high heat so be careful -- use a thermometer!
-OK, now take your dough and cut it into 8ths. Shape into balls and roll out into about 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) rounds. When you roll, you want a thickness of about 1/8 inch (30 mm). It's thin, but puffs up big! And you don't need much flour on your rolling surface. It is a moist, very workable dough.
-Cut into wedges and drop into fryer, turning as necessary. They will puff immediately. Turn and fry 'til golden. Here your donut-turning skills will help! If yours doesn't puff up or not too well, try rolling them thinner before you start the next batch. Keep the dough covered as you are working.
-Drain on paper towels or a rack on a cookie sheet.
-By all means, serve as warm as possible -- and don't forget the hot honey!

We prefer to list recipes from Christian Chefs rather than from other sources, so if you have any good recipes of your own, please post them in the "Recipes" section of the Message Boards.� Please include an introduction to the recipe with your personal comments of the stories that make them special, and if your recipe is chosen, it will be listed in our website forever and in our next newsletter.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

More information on each of the below Job Listings, such as the job's timeline, responsibilities, pay, and how to contact the employer on each of these, can be found within the Employment area of our website (link below). There you can also find jobs that have been posted in previous months that haven't yet been filled and you can also post any job openings you have to be listed there and in this newsletter for FREE!
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/employment.html

Name = Camp Deerpark
Location = Westbrookville, New York (USA)
Position = Food Service Director

Name = Cascade Restaurant
Location = Lutsen, Minnesota (USA)
Position = Breakfast Cook

Name = Alpine Camp and Conference Center
Location = Blue Jay, California (USA)
Positions = Head Cook and Dining Room Supervisor

Name = Adanac Christian Camp
Location = Yarra Junction, Victoria (Australia)
Positions = Catering Manager and Cooks

Please note: Contest Listing(s) below are for PROFESSIONALS ONLY in the culinary industry. There are many more contests available for nonprofessionals as well, some of them ongoing or being repeated on a monthly basis. If you're interested in those, here's one excellent website to check out:
http://www.recipecontests.com

All contests listed above are provided by the company listed, NOT by CCF. For additional information on each contest, please contact the designated company for that specific listing. Enjoy!

Pour water into mold and then drain before pouring in mixture to be chilled. Will come out of the mold easier.

If you know of any great hints or tips, please post them in the "Hints and Tips" area of the Message Boards. Of the ones posted there, one will be featured here in our newsletter.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Answers in Genesis is a Christian apologetics ministry that equips the church to uphold the authority of the Bible from the very first verse. The thousands of articles and media programs on this site answer questions about creation/evolution, dinosaurs, and much more.

"How am I supposed to answer students' queries regarding God's existence. They are asking me for proofs to prove that God does exist." -angel_liz68

If you're searching for particular instructions or cooking techniques or maybe have a special need, you can post these on our message boards. If you've done that and are still in need, please e-mail us and let us know so that we may highlight that need in this section of our next newsletter.

What do we mean by this expression, "the sovereignty of God?" We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. He is the Most High, doing according to his will, so that none can stay his hand, defeat his counsels, or thwart his purpose.
Arthur Pink

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Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. -1 Cor 10:31 ESV

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Christian Chefs Newsletter
December 2003

><> ><> ><> ><> CHRISTIANITY IN THE KITCHEN <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> CULINARY LEARNING <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> TRIVIA <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> RECIPE <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> RECENT JOB LISTINGS <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> RECIPE CONTESTS <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> HINTS AND TIPS <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> FEATURED WEBSITE <>< <>< <>< <><
Answers in Genesis

><> ><> ><> ><> CHEF TO CHEF <>< <>< <>< <><
"Proving the validity of God's existence"

><> ><> ><> ><> A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA <>< <>< <>< <><

><> ><> ><> ><> A MERRY HEART <>< <>< <>< <><

Christian Chefs Newsletter December 2003