#yourcupoftea

What goes good with Village Tea?

Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) sugar

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 ounce(s) semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

4 ounce(s) (about 1 cup) salted shelled pistachios, ground to a paste in a food processor

1 large egg white

1/8 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

Pinch of coarse salt

6 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon(s) vegetable shortening

Slivered, unsalted, shelled pistachios (optional), for garnish

Directions

1.    Make filling: Bring 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved; set aside.

2.    Put egg yolks in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk by hand until yolks are warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Fit mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix yolks on medium speed; pour in sugar syrup. Raise speed to high; mix until mixture is cool and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; drizzle in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

3.    Make cookies: Put pistachio paste and rest of sugar in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in the egg white, vanilla, and salt.

4.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a small (about 1/4 inch) plain round tip (such as Ateco #10). Pipe 1-inch rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch apart.

5.    Bake cookies until firm and golden around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer on parchment to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

6.    Place cookies, bottom sides up, on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Spread 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate filling on bottom of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Freeze 1 hour.

7.    Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add shortening; stir until combined. Let cool, stirring, until mixture is lukewarm.

As an extension to the previous post on religion, I wanted to post this essay on myth. Both of the essays I have posted are from the same religious studies class and I received 10/9 on both. I may or may not have been the only person in her class to score a 10 on one or more essays. Enough of my unnecessary and obnoxious bragging though--I don't mean to be that guy. Anyway, being that religion is considered myth, it is important to understand the influence and importance of myth in our everyday world. Enjoy!

"Old myths, old gods, old heroes have never died. They are only sleeping at the bottom of our mind, waiting for our call. We have need for them. They represent the wisdom of our race.”This quote by Stanley Kunitz, an American Poet, provides a striking representation of myth; one that seems to be repeated over and over again by many others. By simply performing a quote search on myth, it is evident that myth truly is a powerful thing in the human race, both in the past and now.

Myth is tricky to define, but at its core, it is a story that is revered as sacred in which a hero goes through some journey in order to explain some sort of natural phenomena or social custom. Within a myth, the hero triumphs over evil and, within the process, usually ends up venturing to the underworld. This characteristic is exemplified by the Greek story of Orpheus and his descent to the underworld in order to save his wife, Eurydice. Like all other myths, the story of Orpheus also explains a natural process, in this case it’s the finite process of death—Orpheus ultimately fails to save his wife from the underworld, thus losing her forever. It is in this way of wisdom and understanding that myths are, as Kunitz says, “needed” by us. Myth is a narration of all human life; it gives us enlightenment and hope.

Today, everyone has heard all the classic examples of myth deep within Greek and Roman mythology, such as Hercules and Sisyphus.  However, the modern world has replaced anecdotists, such as Homer, with film as the new form of the oral epic. Myths can be found in almost every great film that has been made since film has been around, from Casablanca to the more recent blockbuster, Inception.

Ranked number 2 as AFI’s top 100 films and an Academy favorite, Casablanca is an example of a narrative with a subtle but effective presence of myth. The films use of many archetypes reaches a Homeric depth it itself, but it is the focus of sacrifice for the greater good that really resonates with the audiences and mirrors such Greek bards as Theseus and the Minotaur. On top of that, simple events that prevent Rick (Humphrey Bogart) from returning to the US establish an Oedipus-Complex which is resolved by an understanding within the character. Jumping forward 68 years, Christopher Nolan’s Inception also has remnants of myth. This is especially evident in the films epic finale. The hero, Cobb, ventures into limbo, which reflects the notion of the “heart of darkness” or underworld, in order to save not only a key member of his team, but ultimately himself and his memory of his wife.  Casablanca and Inception are but 2 instances of myth.

The examples of myth and movies are ever abundant and can be seen in such film spectacles as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.  By simply paying attention to the critical and mass acclaim that these films receive, and the following of fans they have, it is clear that myths are important for us—this makes it more evident that myth is immortal.

What do you think? Agree with me? Disagree with me? How has myth influenced you? Also, I have plenty more journals from my class. Should I post more or just leave it at this?