Silver Linings Meal Plan.. Potatoes Lyonnaise, Drunken Mussels Linguine & Spicy Bayou Chicken Linguine .

Creamy Drunken Mussels Linguine, Shallots & Spinach 

Spicy Bayou Linguine With Cipolline Onions, & Asparagus 

Is there a silver lining for everything? I mean, is there really a way to see the positive in every circumstance, tragedy, and challenge that comes your way? The easy answer is Yes but is that what We really think? I doubt it greatly! In my lifetime I have had more than my share of pitfalls but here I am. While I owe my resilience to a great many things and people, for this article I will only hit on a certain group of philosophies that have helped me not only through the tough times but have given great perspective on my place in the world in all times.

I have never in my lifetime felt sorry for a single soul! Sounds like I'm cruel but pay close attention to the explanation and you will see my point. There's a huge difference between feeling sorry for and having empathy for a person. If I am able to place myself in someone else's shoes I can truly have empathy for things that they are going through and maybe even the things that have brought them to that exact station in life at that time. Feeling sorry for someone to me means something entirely different. It carries the weight or idea that I am in a better station in life and therefore can look down on and have pity for them. I ascertain that feeling sorry for pushes my heart further away from ever really identifying anyone else's situation or hardship and therefore places me in more of a judgmental position than that of understanding or helpfulness.

Good & Evil are each a part of a condition, the human condition. As humans we are capable of incredible feats, look at the Golden Gate Bridge, watch Pay It Forward, listen to Mozart. There's no limit to the good that we have shared with the world. At the same time think of the tragedies that have happened as a result of a particular person or ideal. The one thing that each situation has at the core is the human aspect. I have always maintained that as humans we are just as capable of doing evil as we are good. I am always amazed when I hear people de-humanize an act as if some monster was just let loose in the hills and here we are (the civilized human/non-monsters) left to wonder how or why. In my heart and on the surface I believe that if we understand one truth it would be that there are no monsters just us humans that are capable of doing monstrous things. As humans there seems to be a need to separate ourselves from the savages in an effort to make us feel different from them. The real question is who in the hell am I to deem someone else as savage and myself as other than or noble.

Winning is not about the score on the scoreboard but actually about your own personal perspective. When I was young I was undersized for my age, a real pip-squeak of sorts. As a result I had more than a lion's share of being picked on for a while. One day this kid that was much bigger than me smacked me on the back of my neck really hard. Before I could even process what had happened I hit him in his stomach and knocked him out cold. Sure my neck hurt, I thought to myself, but did he really deserve death (I really thought I had killed him)? While the teacher came over to see if the boy was ok, the teacher's aid came over to console me because she had seen the whole thing and knew that I felt really bad about the situation. What I found out was that my conscience would not allow me to settle with over reactions. Even if retribution was warranted was it worth it. When I know that I have done the wrong thing or something against my moral code it eats me up inside. I actually win situations by being true to myself, sometimes that means speaking up, other times it means walking away. It can even mean confrontation but in a productive way.

I won't spoil the movie by telling you much about it but if you've seen it then you should know that I have touched on plenty from it already. The only thing that I will add is that a 5 out of 10 is an excellent score when placed in a perspective that makes it so. The tie in is this;  I don't expect you to master a recipe on the blog in one take but feel good about the fact you are trying something new and tapping into your creative spot and know that you will get better once your perspective changes.........


On the menu today : Potatoes Lyonnaise, Creamy Drunken Mussels Linguine w/ Roasted Shallots & Spinach, Mushrooms  & Spicy Bayou Chicken Linguine..

• Yukon Gold Potatoes (10 each)
• Yellow Onions (2 each)
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Olive Oil (1 Tbs)
• Butter (1 tsp)
• Salt & Pepper (T T)

Start off by slicing the potatoes thin. Julienne the onions and mince the garlic. Preheat an oven to 425 and place the oil and butter in a saute pan before adding the potatoes in a singled and circular fashion being sure that they are overlapping. Season liberally and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until done. Once done simply place a large plate down over the pan and flip as shown below. 

Drunken Mussels Linguine 

For the Drunken Mussels we will need the following:

• Steamed and Shelled Mussels (1-2 lbs)
• Tomatoes (2 ea)
• Shallots (3 ea)
• Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Spinach (13 oz)
• Heavy Cream (1 cup)
• White Wine (1/2 cup)
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 
• Parsley (1 tsp)
• Linguine (12 Oz)
• Parmigiano Reggiano (garnish)

You can purchase steamed mussels in most grocery stores so it shouldn't be a problem. Start by adding the wine to a pot and cooking down to half. Next add the cream and again reduce to half. Now start julienning the shallots and garlic and then cook the pasta, once done set aside. In a heated saute pan, cook the shallots until brown and then add the spinach. Add the garlic last and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the mussels and combine with the cooked linguine then set aside. Finally dice and seed the tomatoes and combine all of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper as needed and garnish with the Parmigiano Cheese.  

For the Spicy Bayou Chicken Linguine we need the following:

• Chicken Breast (1-2 ea)
• Linguine (12 oz)
• Heavy Cream (1.5 Cup)
• Tarragon (3 Tbs) 
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Asparagus (12 each)
• Tomatoes (4 each)
• Oyster Mushrooms (8 oz)
• Salt & Pepper (TT)
• Cipolline Onions (8 each)
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
• Chili Flakes (TT)

Start off by roasting the onions in an oven preheated to 400 for 20 minutes. I found that leaving the onions un-peeled made for a better taste and softer mouthfeel. Next  grill the chicken breast and cook until done. Allow the chicken to cool, then slice and refrigerate for later use. Next cook the linguine add the chicken and lightly oil and refrigerate for later use. Cut the asparagus and mushrooms and then saute until browned adding the garlic last and cooking until caramelized before finally adding the diced tomatoes. Add the cream and reduce to half then add the chili flakes. Combine with the chicken, pasta and other ingredients and serve adding salt and pepper as needed. 

Spicy Bayou Chicken Linguine W/ Cipolline Onions