A Poetic Synthesis

January 30, 2020

“When, taking all factors into account,
anything can be proved to be impossible,
that usually means that it will be done in some different manner
and employing a new and unforeseen technique.”
~ Arthur C. Clarke

 

The year 2020 sure has had an intense beginning. Personally, I was planning to start out the year somewhat quietly, hoping to catch my breath for a bit after 2019. Judging from conversations with friends and family, it seems I’m not the only one feeling the need create some space for healing.

That’s why the the announcement of the publication of KSTechnique: Healing the World One Person at a Time, by Rabbi Jordania Goldberg, couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Jordania is a long-time friend, counselor and fellow traveler. Her illuminative and inspiring book will introduce you to KSTechnique^® (KST), which stands for Kabbalah Somatic Technique. Based on the ancient practice of Kabbalah and rooted in the Tree of Life, it is a comprehensive healing modality that, “teaches how each part of our body and mind has its own wisdom to share with us by offering a reflected portion of our greater innate wisdom – a microcosm of the macrocosm.”

Having been privileged to assist in the completion of this book as a content editor, as well as studying the modality as an addition to my own practice, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in the mystical as well as the practical aspects of healing. In his description of the book, Daniel C. Matt, author of  The Essential Kabbalah, God and the Big Bang, as well as the multi-volume annotated translation, The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, put it beautifully:

“One of the most significant features of Kabbalah is how it integrates the physical and spiritual aspects of reality. In her groundbreaking work, Rabbi Jordania Goldberg has applied this unitive Kabbalistic principle to holistic healing. This book demonstrates how a modern healer can draw upon ancient mystical teachings and modern science, blending the two into an effective therapeutic system.”

Whether you or a friend are studying or already practicing another healing modality, or if you are just a layperson interested in expanding your knowledge and awareness of an ancient philosophy and ways in which its tools might be utilized for good in the modern world, check out the info at KSTechnique.com and see if it resonates with you. You might be inspired to help heal the world, one person at a time.

“Thought is all light, and publishes itself to the universe.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, Address to the Literary Societies of Dartmouth College (July 24, 1838)

~~~~~~~~~

Whether you’re planning a spread for Super Bowl Sunday or the Oscars, this secret technique for achieving Oven-Baked Crispy Maple Hot Wings will make you a winner.

Oven-Baked Crispy Maple Hot Wings
These wings really do come out of the oven crispy and full of flavor, as if you fried them. The secret is the addition of baking powder to the spice rub (note: not baking soda). Because the rub is also full of flavor, they’re delicious even without the sauce, so if you’re not a fan of the “hot” part of hot wings, leave the sauce part out. If you do like your wings hot and saucy, this recipe adds a touch of maple flavor to the mix.

 

For 2 & 1/2 lbs of wing sections, you will need*:

*If you’re making 1 lb of wings, use half the rub and save the other half in the jar you made it in for a future batch. For 5 lbs of wings, double the Spice Rub recipe and Toss Sauce amounts.

Secret Ingredient Spice Rub:
Add to a jar and shake to mix thoroughly:
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons baking powder (aluminum-free)

Note: the wings are yummy even without the sauce, so if you just want crispy, tasty, slightly spicy wings, you can leave it off.

Maple Hot Wings Toss Sauce
(easy to halve or double for less or more wings):
1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup real maple syrup
(you can substitute brown sugar, turbinado sugar or coconut sugar)

 

Preheat your oven to 420°F

Mix the spice rub ingredients thoroughly in a jar (in a pinch you could use a plastic zip bag for this). Sprinkle and toss wings in a large bowl using 1/2 of the mix at a time, until the surfaces of each wing are evenly coated.

Place wings inside a large baking pan lined first with foil, followed by a sheet of oven paper that’s been scrunched up and then laid flat over the foil.

Bake the wings for 20 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and turn each of the wings. They will look kind of white and chalky at this point, so don’t worry. Bake the turned wings for another 20 minutes. Take them out again and turn a 3rd time. At this point there will be some chicken fat on the oven paper beneath each wing. Use your tongs to dab any remaining dry parts into the fat, as the fat will help the dry spice rub to disappear and the wings to evenly crisp. Cook this third round for 15 minutes more, or until brown and crisp. I checked mine at 15 minutes and they looked pretty nice, but I turned them all one more time for good measure and cooked them 5 minutes more to perfection. They were so good I left some of them plain, without the sauce, so my guests could have a choice.

During this last 15 minutes or so of cooking, you can mix up your toss sauce:

Combine Maple Hot Wings Toss Sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low, stirring to blend. Turn off heat. Add warm sauce to a large bowl.

When wings are crisp and done, remove from oven and toss the wings, hot from the oven, into the bowl with the sauce. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low oven until serving.

 

Posted in Uncategorized |