MadHatter Tea Party

Just went and saw Alice In Wonderland starring Johnny Depp as the MadHatter. Ironically, across the U.S. today, tea partiers are rallying on my, and I'm sure your favorite day, TAX day.

I can't help but draw parallels to the emotinally disturbed Mad Hatter who rebels against an unjust queen to help restore to power the unjustly removed former queen who is also her sister. In today's Charlotte Observer a tea party protester wearing a hat with the sticker "I'll keep my guns, freedom, and money" is pictured. An administrator at Central Piedmont Community College states, "Republicans have shirked their responsibility to defend conservatism and follow the guidelines of the Constitution." Another protester exclaims "They're taking my country away from me and pretty soon it will be not just socialist but outright communist" The "Don't Tread on Me" flag is flying at high staff on the lawn of the old Charlotte City Hall today. It reminds me of the studious rabbit drinking tea out of the floral tea cup with a gaping hole for a bottom. Seeing that it's hopeless, the rabbit parties on with the charade that everything in his county and his teacup is under control.

I'm forced to ask myself in the great words of George Carlin during his last performance 6 months before his death from a heart attack, "...What in the HELL does "I'm proud to be an American" mean?!" I know the protesters are intelligent enough to know how to read and be informed, but why are there gaps in their seemingly concrete, rock hard logic of what's right and what's wrong for America?

Keep in mind that our Founding Fathers were smoking alot of the hemp that was being used in the Colonial sails of our shipping vessels and drinking large amounts of ale while writing THE DOCUMENT quoted with the same reverence and bad context of the King James Bible. Let's face it, the Fathers had to be a little bit off their rockers to take on the most powerful Naval force of the world with ragtag, ill-equipped but well-meaning farmers, teenagers, family men, and the financial support of a French monarchy that was starving its own people. It was recently discovered that Ben Franklin was dissecting corpses illegally in his London home to further understand the human body. These guys were Out There and they possessed genius.

So like the Mad Hatter, I'm forced to say "It's alright, I will sacrifice my needs for the good of the country and toss my hat in the air as the minature Alice on her magical carriage lands into a brave new world with new government, new ideas, and plenty of half-crazed citizens drunk on their ideals and patriotism." Is Alice the real Alice? Is America the America in our imaginations or the real world?

Born In Berkeley Burgers

Born in Berkeley Burgers (winning Beef Burger)Recipe courtesy Camilla Saulsbury, Nacogdoches, Texas

Show: Food Network ChallengeEpisode: Build A Better Burger III


Ingredients
For the patties:
2 pounds ground chuck
3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/2 cup grated onion
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
For the Lemon-Grilled Fennel:
3 medium-sized lemons, preferably Meyer lemons
4 medium-sized fennel bulbs, tops removed, sliced into rings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (recommended: Colavita)
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 slices thick-cut black pepper bacon or regular thick-cut bacon
For the Arugula-Fig Topping:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (recommended: Colavita)
Salt
6 fresh figs, stemmed and sliced lengthwise
3 cups pre-washed bagged baby arugula, roughly torn
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
3/4 pound aged Teleme cheese (semi-soft cheese made in northern California), sliced thinly (Camembert or Brie may be substituted)
6 good-quality hamburger buns, split
Directions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

For the patties:
Combine the chuck, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt in a large bowl, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 patties to fit the bun size. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the fennel:
Grate 2 teaspoons zest from the lemons. Juice the lemons to yield 2 tablespoons juice. Put the fennel rings in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the lemon juice, oil, and salt. Put the fennel in a grill basket and grill, shaking the basket occasionally, until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the fennel to a sheet of foil, sprinkle with the lemon zest, and wrap to keep warm.

Heat a large, heavy nonstick fire-proof skillet on the grill. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Wrap in foil to keep warm.

For the topping:
Drain off the bacon fat from the skillet, wipe out the skillet with paper towels, and set the skillet back on the grill. Add the walnuts to the skillet and toast until golden and fragrant; set aside.

Whisk the vinegar with the oil in a small bowl and season with salt, to taste. Combine the figs, arugula, and toasted walnuts in a medium bowl. Toss with just enough dressing to coat.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Place the cheese slices on the patties during the last 3 minutes of grilling. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble the burgers, place equal portions of the warm grilled fennel on each bun bottom, followed by a cheese-topped patty, 2 bacon slices, and an equal portion of the fig-arugula topping. Add the bun tops and serve.