It’s Monday again, and that means the beginning of another work week. I did not want to get up this morning, but Isabella had other ideas. I ignored her for a while but eventually got up. I was awake and couldn’t fall back to sleep, so why not just get up, feed her, and make my own breakfast.
There isn’t much scheduled for this week at work. I have a five minute presentation on Wednesday, but otherwise, for now my week is pretty open. The last few weeks have been busier than usual, so it will be nice to have a slower week.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
—Joshua 1:9
Let’s face it, the world can be a scary place. Fear is the main driving force behind many of the world’s problems, and the fear that manifests as hate is the worst kind of fear. In 1 John 4:18, John writes “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” The LGBTQ+ community faces hate every day. Homophobia has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear, and may sometimes be related to religious beliefs. While homophobia has been around since antiquity, the term itself has only been around since the 1960s. Just as with homophobia, racism and other negative attitudes often come from fear and insecurity. What makes homophobia and other forms of hate scary for those on the receiving end is that the fear associated with hatred is often illogical.
People with fear that manifests into hate are, in their minds, like a trapped animal who is absolutely desperate to escape and will be ready to fight viciously. Fear and hated are also derived from ignorance. People do not want to understand those who are different from them. They are insecure in their own self-worth and therefore lash out against others. Fear is a powerful thing, but Christ tells us that fear is devoid of faith. However, faith can be strengthened with courage. Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”
The fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark tells the story of Jesus teaching near the sea. It contains the Parable of the Sower in which Jesus talks about how the seeds of truth in the gospels will grow in the right hands, but he says in the wrong hands it can grow into hatred. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells of a farmer who sows seed indiscriminately. Some seed falls on the path (wayside) with no soil, some on rocky ground with little soil, some on soil which contains thorns, and some on good soil. In the first case, the seed is taken away; in the second and third soils, the seed fails to produce a crop; but when it falls on good soil, it grows and yields thirty-, sixty-, or a hundred-fold. In Mark 4:15, Jesus says, “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.” When the teachings of Christ are used to harm others, they spread hatred, which causes people to turn away from God, which is exactly what Satan wants.
Later in day, after Jesus taught these parables by the sea, He and His disciples took a boat to cross the sea, but a great storm arose. Jesus is asleep during the storm and seems unworried. In Mark 4:38, his disciples wake him and ask, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” The passage continues in Mark 4-39-40 to say that after they had woken Jesus, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’” Fear is a lack of faith in God. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
The hate manifested by fear uses religion to cause harm and often drives people away from God. However, if instead of being turned away from religion because of hate, courage and faith can motivate us to combat the hatred that is present in all religions. As God says in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God gives us hope that we can one day conquer the hatred in the world. The ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism believes that at the end of time, the great battle between good and evil will end with the triumph of good. Christianity believes the same thing, but we believe that good wins the battle against evil every day as our faith and love for God grows within us. Our faith and love in God gives us the courage to love others and to work to make the world a better place.
All I really have to say today is: THANK GOODNESS IT’S FRIDAY! I am so ready for the weekend, not because I have plans, but because I don’t have any plans. I just want to relax and read all weekend. I’m back to working from home on Fridays. The last few weeks, I’ve had to change my work from home day, but thankfully, that’s not the case today. I have one virtual meeting and a conference call today, but otherwise, I can just take it easy.
I know that Olive Garden does not have the best reputation in the restaurant industry, and their food only has a passing relationship with Italian cuisine. The last time I went to an Olive Garden, the food was not only inedible, but nearly everything we ordered was “out of stock.” It was not a pleasant night, because I went with a good friend of mine, and we were going to see the movie Bros afterwards. We only went to Olive Garden out of a sense of nostalgia. At one time, I thought their food was good, but then I went to Italy and have eaten at some great Italian restaurants here in the U.S., and my opinion changed dramatically.
Anyway, there is one thing on Olive Garden’s menu that is a favorite of mine: their Zuppa Toscano. The “Tuscan Soup” is a sausage, kale, and potato soup, that is delicious when it is made correctly. The salad and breadsticks were always good, but the Zuppa Toscano was always the best thing on the menu. By the way, that last time I had it at Olive Garden, it was watery and tasteless. Luckily, I found a wonderful copycat recipe. Some of the copycat recipes you can find online are a pretty good approximation of the original dish.
The recipe below is, in my opinion, even better than what Olive Garden serves. Some people don’t like kale, and I will admit that I am not a huge fan, but it has the perfect consistency for this soup. I would not use anything as a substitute because while kale wilts in the soup, it has a better consistency and does not add a bitter taste like some greens would. Even if you don’t like kale, give it a try. I think you will be glad you did.
I don’t make this recipe very often, and usually only in the winter. I tend to eat too much of it when I make it, so it’s best to limit myself. I’m actually planning on having some leftover Zuppa Toscano for lunch today. The link for this copycat recipe in on Delish; however, the recipe is now behind a paywall. Below is the version that I have found to be the best.
Zuppa Toscana
Prep Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 45 minutes Servings: 4
Ingredients
• 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed * • 1 large onion, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth ** • 2-3 cups of russet or red potatoes peeled, sliced, and cut into bite sized pieces *** • 1 bunch curly kale, leaves stripped and chopped • 3/4 c. heavy cream • 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped • 1/4 freshly grated Parmesan, for serving **** • French bread or a crusty rustic bread for serving, if desired (it’s delicious for dipping in the soup)
Preparation Steps
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook sausage, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
3. Add onion to pot and let cook until soft, 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add chicken broth and potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, 23 to 25 minutes.
6. Stir in kale and let cook until leaves are tender and bright green, 3 minutes, then stir in heavy cream, sausage, and bacon and simmer 5 minutes more.
7. Season with pepper, garnish with Parmesan, and serve.
Notes:
* I buy the Italian sausage with the casing already removed. It saves time, and I find the casing disgusting anyway. Also, the hot Italian sausage adds the right amount of heat that is needed to make this soup very tasty. I have tried mild Italian sausage, and the soup was just bland. If you think the hot Italian sausage will be too much heat for you, I suggest using half hot and half mild Italian sausage.
** Make sure that you use low-sodium chicken broth. If you use unsalted chicken broth, the soup will be somewhat bland, and if you use regular chicken broth, it will be too salty. Using the low-sodium chick broth allows you to add the amount of salt you desire.
*** I actually use two 15 oz cans sliced potatoes. It is up to you whether you drain the potatoes or not. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. If I don’t drain them, it adds a thicker consistency to the soup. The canned potatoes stay together better than fresh potatoes. If you cook the potatoes fresh, the red will stay together better than the russet, but they too will begin falling apart. If not using the canned potatoes, a waxy potato works best. Canned potatoes do not need to cook for 23-25 minutes because they are already cooked and just need to be warmed up, but I cook them for 25 minutes anyway to allow for the chicken broth to reduce a little.
**** Because this recipe calls for low-sodium chicken broth, the parmesan adds the perfect amount of additional saltiness to the soup. It also adds a wonderful additional layer of flavor to the soup.
Additional Note:
If you want to make a large batch and freeze the soup, the canned potatoes do not become as mealy as the fresh potatoes when they are frozen. If you decide to make a large batch and freeze this soup, take out the amount of soup you’d like to freeze before adding the cream. If you add the cream and then try to freeze it, it will not freeze correctly. As a coworker of mine recently said, cream does strange things in the freezer.
Joe
The Closet Professor 