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| Unrest in Charlottesville Va |
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| General Robert E Lee |
Earlier this year it was decided by the City Council of Charlottesville, Va. that one of the statues of Confederate General Robert E. Lee should be removed from Lee Park.
As General Lee was the commander of the southern army during the American Civil War, many of the white residents of the city were against this decision because General Lee symbolized their identity and the rights they enjoyed for many centuries and which they refused to lose.
So they agreed to have a rally to oppose this decision. Although the neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan compose a very small percentage of the population, they joined the rally, bearing clubs, shields, chemicals and lighted torches. Some were even armed with "pistols and long-handed guns". shouting slogans such as "our blood our soil", "You will not replace us" "Jews will not replace us".
The mayor of Charlottesville called it "a cowardly, parade of hatred, bigotry, racism and intolerance.
About 30 counter-protesters composed of "anti-fascist groups, local residents, church groups, civil right leaders and by-passers" formed a barricade across the street. And the protesters rammed into their opponents with clubs and chemical irritants and the counter-protesters, naturally, retaliated so there was absolute chaos.
The next day, there were violent clashes on the streets of the city. A car driven by a white nationalist, slammed through a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Hayer and injuring 19 more. Why is there so much animosity and fanaticism in this beautiful, university city? It seems like civil war.
President Trump addressing the nation condemned the violence "on many sides" saying "we must love and cherish each other, and cherish our history and our future together".
The president's remarks were criticized on both sides. The majority feels that Trump should condemn the white nationalist group by name.
Hundreds gathered, peacefully, for an impromptu vigil a few days after the atrocious and very sad events in Charlottesville Va.
I'm giving you below a few recipes for typical, delicious southern food.
CORN CHOWDER
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6-8 rashers bacon, chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and squashed
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 stalks celery threaded and finely sliced
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 1/4 litre (5 cups) tasty hot vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups fresh or tinned corn kernels
250 ml (1 cup) evaporated milk or cream
Beurre Manie
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp soft butter
(Mix well together into a smooth paste)
Brown the bacon until crisp and transfer it to a plate. Stir in the onion and garlic and saute for five minutes.
Stir in the potatoes, celery and fresh corn kernels (if using tinned corn add it later) and pour in the hot stock, sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook very gently until the potatoes are tender.
Add the tinned corn and evaporated milk. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, stir in the beurre manie and simmer, over very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent the soup from sticking at the bottom of the saucepan. Taste and season accordingly.
Serve garnished with the crispy bacon pieces.
ROAST CHICKEN BREAST
An easy and healthy dish.
4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned and marinated for 30 minutes in
1 liter (4 cups) butter milk mixed with
1 tsp salt
3 cups dried breadcrumbs or more, mixed with
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) melted butter
Preheat oven to190 C (375 F).
Pour the melted butter into a roasting tin large enough to hold the chicken pieces side by side, but slightly separated.
Remove the chicken from the butter milk. Dip each chicken piece, one at a time, in seasoned crumbs coat both sides lavishly, and place in the roasting tin. Bake for 35-40 minutes, turning over after 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve the chicken sliced with a lovely green salad.
SOUTHERN CHOCOLATE DESSERT
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| Chocolate Cake Garnished with Strawberries |
A moist chocolate cake with a lovely icing.
Cake:
120 g (4 oz) chocolate chopped melted in
250 ml (1 cup) hot strong coffee until smooth and shiny
4 eggs
125 ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil
125 ml (1/2 cup) yogurt
Vanilla
250 g (1/2 lb) icing sugar
195 g (1 1/2 cup) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 large pinch of salt
Icing:
250 ml (1 cup) double cream
120 g (4 oz) butter
66.6 g (1/3 cup) sugar
A pinch of salt
500 g (1 lb) semisweet chocolate. chopped
62.5 g (1/4 cup) hot strong coffee
Vanilla
Prepare the icing before the cake. Warm the first four ingredients over low heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth and shiny. Add the coffee and the vanilla and stir to combine. Allow the icing to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, until spreadable, about two hours.
Preheat oven to 170 C (325 F). And line the bottom of a cake tin with baking parchment and butter the sides generously. In a medium bowl sift icing sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl mix the eggs, sunflower oil, yogurt and vanilla until well combined and stir the melted chocolate until we combined.
Finally, sift in the flour mixture in three portions, mixing very well after each addition and making sure that the flour is completely incorporated into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin, for around half an hour. Run a flexible knife around the edge of the tin and reverse on a wire rack. Do not remove the paper lining until the cake is completely cold.
When the cake and the icing are completely cold, slice the cake in half and spread one layer with about 1/3 of the icing. Cover with the second layer of cake and spread the top and the sides of the cake attractively with the remain chocolate icing and garnish with fruit.
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