Irreverance.
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WEAVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!
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Little known fact…
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Becoming a Character
My dearest Alex (our wonderful fantasy IT person),
You recently left me a note in the cyber-æther wondering how one becomes main character in real life like the “really cool main characters in books and songs and games.”
A really interesting question, I must say, one of the best in a while (one of the only in a while, too, but still interesting).
First off, let me point out an important feature of life: you are the main character of your life. I am the main character in my life. In other people’s stories, we are sometimes just background characters, sometimes important characters, and sometimes just really fabulous cameos. But we are always the main character in our own stories, and mostly we are important characters in a few other people’s as well.
Main character, I fear, has more to do with the plot than anything we can control.
Stories–whether books or movies or songs or games–are very important. By telling them and being told them, we understand what good or “cool” characters might be. By getting to know Roland, or Atticus Finch, or King Théoden, or Link we understand what it means to be courageous just a little better. By watching Odysseus, or Br’er Rabbit, or Hans Solo, or Sherlock, we learn what a clever character looks like. For whimsy, there’s the Doctor, or you can just listen to the stories your uncles & great-uncles tell.
Telling our own stories is also how we try to make sense of all the things that have happened to us, and try to understand them as all having happened to the same character.
Clearly, we all have a little bit of a hero, or a really cool character in us, the question is how to become that cool character?
No easy way.
You have to write your own character like an author, story-teller, bard, or game designer would.
You have to have a rough idea of who you are, and who you want to be (please don’t become somebody who would have used “whom” in that sentence). This doesn’t mean you have to become a different person than you are, but rather it means becoming the person you are more clearly. Choosing something that really isn’t you is not only inauthentic; in the long run, it is painful. Find the things in yourself that have the potential to be a really cool character, and try to become those.
The disadvantage of being young is that you are so many 
different characters, but none of them completely. However, these different parts of you, these passions and gifts (as well as demons and weaknesses) all wibbly-wobbly inside you give you some choice as to who you are to become. A word of warning, though: remember that old wives’ tale about not making a face because it might freeze that way? It is true of character; if you act like a sleazy, unpleasant, tiresome, selfish, lazy character enough–even just to try it on–you will become that character.
Please remember, the best stories show, not tell. The story-teller doesn’t tell you that a character is kind; the story-teller lets you glimpse the character doing kind things. This means that character is built by actions. Who you are is a mixture of your feelings and your actions. Courage is not a feeling–fear is a feeling. Courage is an action taken in spite of fear. Love, of course, is both a feeling and an action.
So choose the character you can be–naturally and authentically–and compose and act out your life in a way that creates that really cool main character. As the character develops, it will come more naturally, although it’s possible it will never be easy.
But you will be quite a character.
On-going Issues
The Bistro is still having on-going issues, 
especially in the kitchen.
Mousey, Peirce & I are considering investing in a food truck.
However, in spite of the on-going issues, an issue will be going on the blog shortly.
Closed for Construction
Due to an electrical fire, we are closing Robert’s Philosophy Bistro while we do some repairs. Nobody was hurt in the fire.
Dr Bear
50th Entree: Who is Who
Welcome back to the Philosophy Bistro!
If my count is correct, this is the 50th of the official Entrées….
Technically, this is the 156th. There were also 32 recipes,
16 very thought-provoking articles by Brando,
12 audio-files (pardon the pun), 5 or 6 by Wode, one by Anno,
8 reruns, and then all the jokes & cartoons……
Thank you, Peirce.
As I was saying, this is the 50th of the official Entrées produced at Robert’s Philosophy Bistro. Before heading into the next 50, I thought I would take some time for basic introductions.
Robert’s Philosophy Bistro is a clean, comfortably lighted place to enjoy fine food, fine drink, good company and good conversation. In addition to our food specials, there are weekly special entrées which are ideas: ideas we hope amuse or prompt your ideas, or which can be taken home, pondered over, adapted and served new–like the weekly recipes. Most of these are philosophical in nature, but our notion of philosophy is rather broad.
Our bistro is mostly imaginary, but is currently located at 241 East Main Street in Johnson City, Tennessee; if you have suggestions for relocating, we are always up for a road-trip. Like most restaurants, it is a non-profit generating community group that would love to actually generate income. If you have any ideas (or any money) feel free to offer suggestions (or donations).
If you cannot afford a donation, please leave a question. I mean that. I try to answer any of the interesting questions I can get, and tend to run low on new ideas from time to time.
If you cannot afford a question, help yourself to one of ours. We have plenty.
Please also let us know who you are by leaving a not in our Guest Book.
The cast of characters is a fluctuating group of ragamuffins, ne’er-do-wells, pirates and characters, all with colorful personalities and back-stories–the same as most restaurant kitchens. Our food is phenomenal–although we will serve noumenal take-away–and a good deal of the staff is phenomenological.
As of this writing they include the following:
I
am your host, Dr Bear.
Nominally, I am in charge, as well as serving as maître d’hôtel, Master of Ceremonies, menu planner, and, of course, referee. By nature I am a gentleman, a philosopher and a raconteur, but occasionally I am also practical. Over the course of the last year, I have discovered I am also a bit of an idealist, and much more optimistic than I anticipated. I may be fictional, but bear a strong resemblance to at least one non-fictional person.
This is not accidental.
Dr Bear tends to say things like this:
In case you were wondering: yes, I really am a doctor. Years ago I earned a PhD, and my areas of research were originally German Enlightenment Philosophy and its critics, and then Social Practices & Cross-cultural understanding. May I bring you some more bread?
Wode Toad is the chef.
It is also quite possible that he really is in charge. He is as complex, as mysterious, and as dangerous as a Sriracha Haggis. If forced to suffer fools, he will be sure to return the suffering with interest. His cooking is even faster than his wit, which is saying something. He is a classics scholar with a knack for high stakes investments, so he cooks here and advises us on whiskeys.
He serves as the pessimistic, direct, and occasionally nihilistic counter-weight to Dr Bear’s optimism and courtesy.
He says things like:
Lately, Wode has also disappeared, and I haven’t seen him for a week or so.
He said something about travelling; he also talked about warmer places.
Probably back to Mexico or South Africa, then. If he was going back to Argentina, he would have told Peirce, and, of course, he cannot go back to Eastern Asia, or even Oceana, because of “the incident.”
Next is Brando, the sous-chef.
Like Dr Bear, he is an underemployed philosopher and social theorist. He is down to earth but full of whimsy, continental but a Kentucky gentleman, very smart but very kind. The name of the Bistro was his idea. He writes wonderful entrées under his own byline. Although Dr Bear and he try to insert formal philosophy when they can, life seems to intervene.
He seems to be involved in a long-term experiment that consists in raising two lovely young girls, but then again, they might be involved in an experiment that consists in raising him. We hope it is the former, since the chances of the girls turning out OK is substantially more promising.
He is currently on a sabbatical from the Bistro, devoting more time to the girls, and writing a novel.
Brando says things like:
Since I am currently two staff members short, the shinobi has stepped up to the plate to fill the gap. I haven’t really seen much of her (Mousy occasionally likes to sneak up on her, offer her pastry & chat with her), but she is fast and hard-working, and she never complains.
Peirce is the dishwasher, although he has also had to step up and step into the kitchen. He is a proud citizen of the United Kingdom, being from one of its territories. There are bits of the war with Argentina he would prefer to forget, but he seems happy enough with his work and his library. He is a voracious and omnivorous reader reading almost everything he can get his hands on, and will write book reviews for us if I can get him to stop reading.
I once ask a friend who is a Café manager if I would get into trouble having a penguin living in my walk-in cooler, but as I was saying it, I realized how ridiculous it sounded, and how illegal our kitchen is anyway.
Peirce says things like:
The newest member of our staff is our pastry cook and baker, Anno Mouse.
He goes by Mousy. He is probably the quietest of the Bistro staff, but this doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t have anything to say. Mousy is the introvert at the Wonderland Tea Party that is our kitchen. Mousy is more of a dreamer, and inclined to listen to others when they need to be listened to, and to believe the best of all creatures. He is a hopeless romantic, and cripplingly sentimental. He tends to read fantasy, and is more interested in psychology than in philosophy.
He does have a temper for bullies, and for people who would take away rights, animal or other.
Mousy tends to say things like:
On occasion, we have a our fantasy IT person Alex drop by, but even in fantasy’s it is hard to schedule somebody to work on your computer.
All of us here at the Bistro believe in food and good, wide-ranging conversations, and we hope our readers & guests do to. I would like to say we believe in each other as well, but there is a rumor that at least one of us is fictional.
Of course, there is also a rumor that the bistro itself does not exist.
If it didn’t, would you be here?
Would that make the rest of us dis-fictional?
Drop by again, anytime.
.PS: Visit us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhilosophyBistro, or e-mail us at DrBear@philosophybistro.com. 
….and remember the Dr Bear motto:
Toasted Chickpeas, Peppers & Grits.
I know; it doesn’t sound like much of a thrill, but I was trying to come up with an alternative to Savannah style shrimp & grits–realizing that it’s the peppers & onions & cheesy grits that really make that dish. I could call it Broiled Vegatables & Garbanzos on Cheese Grits & Arugula with a Basalmic Tap Broiled Vegetables & Roasted Chick Peas on Cheese Grits & Arugula with a Basalmic & Olive Tapenade Drizzle, but that seems a bit long..
The roasted chickpeas (garbanzos) can also be used for other dishes, or in salads, 
etc. Other similar things could be substituted (I considered my Sriracha & Garlic toasted soybeans, but that seemed too crunchy).
Warning: this is a very vague recipe. Experiment with it, or improvise. If you prefer hotter peppers, by all means use hotter peppers. If you are vegan, skip the cheese & butter or find a substitute. No recipe at the Bistro is ever carved in stone.
Ingredients:
- 1 can Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
- Butter & Spices to taste
- ! cup Grits.
- 2 cups Water
- ! cup heavy Cream
- 4-6 oz. Cheese (I used Boar’s Head Swiss)
- Olive Oil or Butter
- Several different colored Sweet Peppers to taste
- Red Onion to taste
- Several carrots, shaved into longish strips
- some sliced Purple Cabbage (optional)
- 1 clove Garlic
- Arugula
- Balsamic Vinegar, Tapenade, Pesto or Sriracha for drizzle.
Part the First: Roasting the Chickpeas
Step 1, Prepare ye the way: Pre-heat the oven to 375. Drain & rinse a can of Garbanzo beans, then dry them somewhat. You can lay them out on a towel or paper towel, or come up with something more creative.
Step 2, toast! Spread the beans evenly on a dry iron skillet and place in the oven. Let toast for 20 minutes, or until the beans start to become crunchy.
Step 3, and toast some more: Take the beans out, add some butter & spices, roll them about, and return them to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Part the Second: Cheese Grits
Step 4, Bubble, bubble, toil & trouble: In a medium to large pan, bring 2 1/2 cups of Water to a boil. Add the heavy cream & heat. Stir in the grits gradually, either stirring or whisking until it begins to bubble. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or so.
Part the Third: Roasting the rest
Step 5, more preparing: Clean & slice the vegetables into long strips or slices.
Step 6, Yum! Cheese! Add the Cheese and some more butter (possibly salt, depending on the cheese) to the grits, and stir)
Step 7, broiling: About 10 or 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, add the peppers, onions, etc to the chickpeas, drizzle with olive oil, toss, and place under a broiler. Remove every few minutes and toss again, repeating until it starts to brown but is still firm. On the last toss, add the clove of garlic, minced.
Step 8, Share & Enjoy! It is plated by putting down a bed of Arugula, spooning a generous helping of grits on that, then arranging the roasted mixture on that, or by putting in a serving bowl in a similar manner. You may drizzle if you want.
It is also good left over.
A tea addenda, if you please.
I would like to point out that although sharing a pot of tea with fine company is always lovely, tea is also a wonderful solitary drink. Sometimes, I find that I simply need a cup to tea to myself. I enjoy sitting quietly with a warm cup in my paws, or pressed warm against my chin.
It can be a time to watch the rain or to look at the sunlight. It can be a relaxing time to listen to baroque string music or quiet folk music. It is a wonderful time to read or to doodle. It is a sweet quiet time to cast out your thoughts into daydreams, or to gather then back in and try to make sense of them.
Coffee is for what you have to go out and do for other people; tea is something you do for yourself.
The best kind of friend is the one you can sit and drink tea with and not have to say a word.
Making Tea
In its simplest form, tea is an infusion in hot water of dried leaves from a bush originating in Asia whose formal name is Camellia Sinensis,
tea to closer friends. Technically. tea is only a beverage made from this plant, but other herbal infusions are referred to as tea by analogy.
The simplest way is to oil a kettle of cold water, add to a mug, and add a tea bag. You allow this to brew or steep for 3-5 minutes, take the bag out and enjoy.
A more thorough preparation isn’t difficult, but is more time-consuming. Each step is simple and easy, but there are steps, and that makes it more of a ritual than a recipe.
Don’t make tea in advance. Have all the ingredients ready, but make it when you are to serve it. It should be fresh.
Put fresh, cold water in the kettle, the wait for the boil. It can come to a boil, but is better if it is only just there.
Take the teapot you intend to use, and pour hot water into it to warm it up. Swish it around a bit and pour it into the sink; this can either be as a cleansing votive offering, or just a way of stinging the trolls who live in your U-joint.
Measure the loose-leaf tea you have chosen into the now warm teapot. The standard is a teaspoon for each guest and an extra one. I prefer strong tea, so I add a heaping teaspoon of tea leaves for each guest, and an extra one in case Mousey or Wode Toad come to visit.
Add in the hot water (it should have boiled, but should not be boiling), cover, and allow the tea to steep at least 3 minutes, since I like strong tea I would say longer, but you should experiment: too soon is too weak, too late becomes bitter, or acquires a tinny, unpleasant edge.
Pour for your guests first, and then for yourself, laying a tea strainer over each cup as you pour.
Tea can be served a variety of ways.
There are choices of sweeteners, such as sugar, sugar cubes, rock sugar–either dissolved in the tea or in the mouth as you drink, honey, or even a little bit of jam.
There are choices of add-ins, including the standard milk of the British Isles and former colonies. This can be cold or warmed. It really does taste different if you put the milk in first. Americans tend to like a little lemon. Another interesting add in from Germany is a Tablespoon (or more) of rum.
Most of all, take your time, enjoy the tea, and enjoy your company.
