The Virtual Pew Daily: Mike Furches & Hells Kitchen

Today I have a kind of busy day, having to get the article for the day done, (too bad it isn’t every day), have to get ready for an IRS audit next week, having to figure out if we have to take money for selling our house short, (we are actually only loosing about $30,000 here, and now they want us to bring money to pay for the closing), working on plans for 3 radio programs, have more tests for The Virtual Pew Live Radio program today in order to continue getting ready for our first broadcast on Wednesday the 22nd, prepare for a funeral I have to conduct this Saturday, do some MySpace work today, have to put a photo movie together for a funeral this weekend, put some advertising and promo spots together for the radio program, do a movie review, and on and on, and then seeing as how I work at home I have to help get supper made for tonight. Whew! Is that a long sentence or what?

I’m going to focus on the last thing mentioned above, helping get dinner ready. I know some may think one of the least important among those mentioned, and a large number not mentioned, but in some ways it is one of the most enjoyable, and believe me, when a husband has their wife ask them to do something, it becomes rather important. I will say this, cooking is one of the most enjoyable things I will do today.

Here is a little dark secret; I am a pretty good cook. In fact, some say so good that I should consider auditioning for the Hell’s Kitchen program with Chief Ramsey. I don’t think I would win as I do not have enough culinary training, but after this year, seeing my favorite, (until the last episode that is) chief being a short order cook from The Waffle House, I know I could get further along in the competition than some.

Here is my duty for today, find a nice dish to make using fresh beets. Yep, I have to prepare fresh beets, right out of the ground. Now I am aware that right off the bat, some people don’t even like beets, don’t know how anyone else can like beets, but that is part of the challenge I love to face. Finding something a lot of folks don’t like and then finding a way to prepare it in a way they will like. That is what I am doing, making something new, making something fresh, and hoping it comes out so my wife likes it, I like it, and my son at least tries it. I know children are different. Sometimes just getting them to taste a dish is reward enough, if they eat more than a bite or two, then I know I have accomplished something. There have even been times my daughter and son have said, “Papa, this is really good.” Then they not only eat everything on their dish, they ask for more. At that moment, I know that at least on that dish, I cooked something good.

So what do I do with beets? How do I make this dish unique? Today it isn’t that difficult. I am going to make a dish where I will actually mix the beets in with sweet potatoes and onions. Hopefully this gives what I call a good trinity flavor as well as a unique and beautiful color blend. You see, one of the things I have learned is if a dish looks good, more people are willing to give it a try. Sometimes in doing something new, it isn’t just making it taste good; we have to think of ways to make it look good. Then we draw people in, they have some level of curiosity and then, well then, they are willing to give this new thing a punch with a fork, then lift that fork to their mouth, and then take the ultimate plunge, chew on it and see if they like it, amazingly if done with good planning, a lot of work, and thought about the one that is going to be eating the dish, I find myself accomplishing my task more than not. For example by the time I mix in some brown sugar, some olive oil and a few other spices, I will have the dish so wonderful, that I fully expect my son to enjoy the full trinity of flavor tonight and the dish to have no left over effect.

Now some are asking, what in the world does this have to do with the types of things Mike usually talks about? It is really quite simple, are we who call ourselves Christian or follower of Jesus, making our dish, our life, so appealing with so much uniqueness and flavor that others are willing to take a taste of what we are making of our faith in the living out of our life? I hope so; I hope some will look at my relationship with Christ and say, “wow, that looks good, look at the color.” “Man O’ Man, I would sure like to give that a try, can it be as good as it looks?” “I know that I normally don’t like beets (Christians) but this one looks different than the ones I have seen in the past, this one may actually be worth while/” Maybe now you get the point as to what I am trying to say.

Hopefully, at least for you today, this has been another unique life lesson that you can learn from, and take to the place you need to take it.

Have you ever seen Hells Kitchen? If the video appears below double click, if it don't just click on the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G8kCcz45uE