Uncle D with a Nephew and a Niece

Uncle Dylan with Luca and Sophia today on the occasion of their sister's first birthday. Happy Birthday, Daisy Julia Comolli!

Killing Messengers

It is tragic that so many wonderful satirists and journalists were slaughtered by primitive evangelists today in France. That the killers were self-declared Muslims is one thing, but they could have been any other kind of religious extremists through the ages, especially Christians.

This is why I want nothing to do with any religious beliefs. Nothing. As a journalist, I have slowly come to hate primitive human religions, all of them.

I love truth, honesty, decency, kindness, goodness in all forms. I care about people -- all people.

Religion is a divisive force. It is always us vs. them.

For me, there is no god. There never was, is not and never will be.

*That* is my belief system. My pleas to all you who consider yourself "religious" is a simple one. Stop trying to convert others and stop killing people in your god's name. That might be a good start to living a spiritual life.

-30-

Dad's Spaghetti

For years people have asked me why their kids like my spaghetti dinners but not theirs. I do not know why. But here is how I prepare the dish.

Philosophy: When I was a kid, spaghetti tasted boring. It often came out of a can. Spaghetti does not have to be boring.

Ingredients:

Arrabbiata sauce. (Why? Because it is a bit spicy. Let's start departing from boring.)
Meat: Ground turkey. (Why not beef or pork? Turkey is blander and more conducive to spicing.)
Fresh basil. (Lots.)
Fresh garlic.
Onions.
Ground basil.
Ground cumin.
Olive oil.
Canola oil.
Angel hair pasta or penne pasta.
One egg.
Black pepper.
Parmeson cheese, grated.

I always start by cooking the sliced onion and sliced garlic in olive oil. I slice them in little pieces of white and yellow. When they grow transparent, I transfer them to a bowl. I also cut up a lot of fresh basil and cook half of it late in the process of softening up the onion and garlic. The other half I save.

Meanwhile I am boiling a big pot of water with drops of Canola oil for cooking the pasta.

In the fry pan I now add the ground turkey. Since this meat has a rather delicate (bland) favor, i start adding things -- fresh basil, the fried onions and garlic, dried basil and cumin, sometimes a dash of soy sauce, sometimes an egg (depends on how dry the dish seems), some pepper, and on some occasions, Pico de Gallo.

But usually not. Pico de Gallo should be used conservatively.

When you see that the meat is 75% cooked, add the sauce and the other ingredients and allow them to cook together on lower heat for a while. What our objective is here is for everything to blend together into a smooth taste. That smooth taset is the secret to spaghetti and why traditionally it always seems to taste better as leftovers.

I strive to make it as good the first time, but honestly, I seldom succeed.

As for the pasta, be careful not to overcook. Angle hair takes 4 minutes. Penne a bit longer. Drain it and then (here's a secret) let it cook a bit longer in the residue of water that remains in the pan after you've strained it plus a liberal dose of olive oil to coat all the pasta and make sure it isn't sticking together in clumps.

When you serve my spaghetti, add Parmeson cheese, shredded. Side dishes that I strongly recommend include sourdough bread, toasted with butter, pickles (Cornichons, preferably), brussel sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower.