Earl Dombroski wrote:

Whoa.  This post took the longest to respond to because I was
flabbergasted.

I have to discuss the process - I have to.

I had no idea, connection to Renaissance alchemist, Pyramids, and theft
of Atlantean recipes.

I began to do research and found myself locked into an endless loop of
confusion.  Naturally, I suspected an Illuminati plot, but couldn't
find one.

So, I did what I always do when I'm perplexed - I turned to a friend -
and immediately saw Ser Pink (who has captured my heart) post about the
rich kneaded texture of the Tao, especially pertinent because I am,
obviously, a Taoist.  Meditating on her words, I was led, inextricably,
to the folded bread dough of the monk's prayer - the pretzel.  It was
only logical that this was food for my thought.

Connecting that to Pretzel Logic, I decided it was time to get out of
my head and feel for the lost clew - by listening to Steely Dan's
Pretzel Logic.  I found the case, but inside was Tom Petty and the
Heartbreaker's Greatest Hits.  Which led me to look for George
Thoroughgood and the Delaware Destroyers because I love any band with a
good name - and those guys rock.

But I couldn't find George at all, nor Tom, so I have a mixup of CDs.
I did rediscover some Tangerine Dream, and so at this point, I have to
share one of my cooking secrets.

I make one hell of a crab boil - a good boil (crab, crayfish) being the
only thing to compare to the Zen of barbeque.  And one night, friends
invited themselves over and insisted I cook.  And I unconditionally
offered to make any dishes to go with it upon request.  My lover asked
for artichokes - and everyone agreed.  Now, how the hell does one
balance the bitterness of the artichoke with the sweetness of drawn
butter and boiled crab?  Unthinkable - but I'd given my word and
couldn't refuse.

In case you don't know it, here's a great recipe for artichokes.  Take
some bread crumbs, good spiced ones.  You can make your own, but when
you're pinched for time, I recommend Progresso Italian spiced.  Cut the
stalk off the bottom of the artichoke, so you have a flat surface for
it to rest on the steamer plate.  Now - this is the good part - take a
cleaver, and chop the top off so you give it a flat top.  Run under
cold water and pull the flower gently open - rough leaves only, leave
the delicate ones around the heart intact.  Make a little mountain of
bread crumbs, and push the artichoke (you're holding it upside down
now) into the dry bread crumbs, filling the voids between the petals
with dry spiced bread crumbs.  Steam.  The bread absorbs the water and
cooks the petal flesh, while infusing the spice flavors in the
artichoke.

You can imagine such a recipe for artichokes is delicious, but even
more at odds with the crab!

The solution:  make a thin glaze of fresh-squeezed tangerine juice and
dark brown sugar.  A dash of ginger oil or sesame oil - just a dash -
makes a good moderator for the glaze.  Add a little water so it flows,
not thick, but thin.  After the artichokes are ready, pour the
tangerine glaze over the tops and let it sensuously run though and - if
it wants - out of the artichoke.  Continue to steam for 3 minutes -
serve with crab legs (add paprika, onions, garlic, basil and oregano to
the water and let mixture steam the crab), with drawn butter and lemon.
 Provide a gentle reprise by serving tangerine sections for a dessert.

Which led me to conclude that good puzzles can be solved with music.
So I put on a Decade of Steely Dan, to capture some pretzel logic as
well as to remind me of my inner Bodhisattva.

I think I have you all to thank, including the Anonymous Guy, for my
epiphany.  It was a puzzle.  Just like my artichoke and crab puzzle.  A
code.  A code solves puzzles.

A DaVinci code.

Clearly, DaVinci was originally an Atlantean who found the secret of
time travel and thus escaped the Fall of Atlantis.  In fact, he was the
self-same Egyptian thief - because DaVinci was an Egyptian priest -
with the duty of accepting food as offerings to the gods, and therefore
smuggled out the lost recipes.

And in the same spirit, because we are separated and I can't cook for
you, I offer you neutopian gods the food of this post.

And the recipe looks like a fried eyeball because it's hieroglyphic and
you're holding it upside down!  <sheesh!>

Pearl

"Cooking, baby, cooking since 1992."

Very nice post, Pearl ... Odd that my day should end as it began with
art, since you have artfully reciped the heart of an artichoke.  Just
wondering ... do you sing opera while you cook?  Naked with only a
chef's apron on ... singing ... almost any damn thing ...? Hmmm <space
warping, twisting> ...hmmmm... folding the lip-soft dough
......ffffffffffffffffffffffffffff so it seems Hermes can deliver ....