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[earlycuntsets]

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[musictherapy611]

The craziest part of Donald Trump's 77-minute loon-a-thon in Phoenix earlier this week came when he rehashed his shtick about the networks turning off live coverage of his speech. Trump seemed to really believe they were shutting the cameras off because "the very dishonest media" was so terrified of his powerful words.

"They're turning those lights off so fast!" he said. "CNN doesn't want its failing viewership to see this!"

Progressives need to fight for their values in a smarter, more inclusive way

Trump is wrong about a lot of things, but it's hard to be more wrong about any one thing than he was about this particular point.

No news director would turn off the feed in the middle of a Trump-meltdown. This presidency has become the ultimate ratings bonanza. Trump couldn't do better numbers if he jumped off Mount Kilimanjaro carrying a Kardashian.

This was confirmed this week by yet another shruggingly honest TV executive – in this case Tony Maddox, head of CNN International. Maddox said CNN is doing business at "record levels." He hinted also that the monster ratings they're getting have taken the sting out of being accused of promoting fake news.

"[Trump] is good for business," Maddox said. "It's a glib thing to say. But our performance has been enhanced during this news period." Maddox, speaking at the Edinburgh TV festival, added that most of the outlets that have been singled out by Trump are doing a swimming business. "If you look at the groups that Trump has primarily targeted: CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Saturday Night Live, Stephen Colbert," he said, "every single one of those has seen a quite remarkable growth in their viewing figures, in their sales figures."

Everyone hisses whenever they hear quotes like these. They recall the infamous line from last year by CBS chief Les Moonves, about how Trump "may not be good for America, but he's damn good for CBS." Moonves was even cheekier than Maddox. He laughed and added, "The money's rolling in, and this is fun. They're not even talking about issues, they're throwing bombs at each other, and I think the advertising reflects that."

For more than two years now, it's been obvious that Donald Trump is a disaster on almost every level except one – he's great for the media business. Most of us who do this work have already gone through the process of working out just how guilty we should or should not feel about this.

Many execs and editors – and Maddox seems to fall into this category – have convinced themselves that the ratings and the money are a kind of cosmic reward for covering Trump responsibly. But deep down, most of us know that's a lie. Donald Trump gets awesome ratings for the same reason Fear Factor made money feeding people rat-hair tortilla chips: nothing sells like a freak show. If a meteor crashes into jello night at the Playboy mansion, it doesn't matter if you send Edward R. Murrow to do the standup. Some things sell themselves.

The Trump presidency is like a diabolical combination of every schlock eyeball-grabbing formula the networks have ever deployed. It's Battle of the Network Stars meets Wrestlemania meets Survivor meets the Kursk disaster. It's got the immediacy of a breaking news crash, with themes of impending doom, conflict, celebrity meltdown, anger, racism, gender war, everything.

Trump even sells on the level of those Outbrain click-addicting photos of plastic surgery failures. With his mystery comb-over and his great rolls of restrained blubber and the infamous tales of violent fights with his ex over a failed scalp-reduction procedure, Trump on top of being Hitler and Hulk Hogan from a ratings perspective is also a physical monster, the world's very own bearded-lady tent.

Trump's monstrousness is ironic, since the image of Trump as the media's very own Frankenstein's monster has been used and re-used in the last years. Many in the business are of the opinion that, having created Trump and let him loose in the village, we in the press now have a responsibility to hunt him down with aggressive investigative reporting, to make the world safe again.

That might indeed be a good idea. But that take also implies that slaying the monster will fix the problem. Are we sure that's true?

Reporters seem to think so, and keep trying to find the magic formula. Just this week, staffers at the Wall Street Journal rebelled against editor-in-chief Gerard Baker. Baker, who has long been accused of being too soft on Trump, blasted his people for going too negative on the president in their coverage of the Arizona speech. He sent around a letter asking staff to "stick to reporting what [Trump] said," rather than "packaging it in exegesis and selective criticism."

Reporters fought back by (apparently) leaking the memo to the rival New York Times. This followed an incident in which a transcript of Baker's recent interview with Trump was leaked to Politico earlier this month. In it, Baker mentions being glad to have seen Ivanka Trump in Southampton, and small-talks with Trump about travel and golf. The implication here is that it's improper or unseemly for a newspaper editor to have a chummy relationship with this kind of a president.

And it is, sometimes. Reporters who should be challenging presidents and candidates are pretty much always cheating the public when they turn interviews into mutual back rub sessions.

In the wake of Charlottesville, Donald Trump clings to the only constituency he has left

But these intramural ethical wars within our business may just be deflections that keep us from facing bigger problems – like, for instance, the fact that we have been systematically making the entire country more stupid for decades.

We learned long ago in this business that dumber and more alarmist always beats complex and nuanced. Big headlines, cartoonish morality, scary criminals at home and foreign menaces abroad, they all sell. We decimated attention spans, rewarded hot-takers over thinkers, and created in audiences powerful addictions to conflict, vitriol, fear, self-righteousness, and race and gender resentment.

There isn't a news executive alive low enough to deny that we use xenophobia and racism to sell ads. Black people on TV for decades were almost always shirtless and chased by cops, and the "rock-throwing Arab" photo was a staple of international news sections even before 9/11. And when all else fails in the media world, just show more cleavage somewhere, and ratings go up, every time.

Donald Trump didn't just take advantage of these conditions. He was created in part by them. What's left of Trump's mind is like a parody of the average American media consumer: credulous, self-centered, manic, sex-obsessed, unfocused, and glued to stories that appeal to his sense of outrage and victimhood.

We've created a generation of people like this: anger addicts who can't read past the first page of a book. This is why the howls of outrage from within the ranks of the news media about Trump's election ring a little bit false. What the hell did we expect would happen? Who did we think would rise to prominence in our rage-filled, hyper-stimulated media environment? Sensitive geniuses?

We spent years selling the lowest common denominator. Now the lowest common denominator is president. How can it be anything but self-deception to pretend this is an innocent coincidence?

[unwritrecipes]

Half Baked Harvest’s Al Pastor-Style Beef Enchiladas-Famous Fridays

A few months ago, I proudly proclaimed us an “enchilada house”. After years of believing that they were restaurant-only food, we all decided that my homemade ones were actually better than the ones at our favorite Mexican spot (read: we can now stuff our faces silly with enchiladas at home whenever I’m not too lazy to make them!!) That’s why I’m so excited today to add another enchilada recipe to the repertoire:  these incredibly tasty and unique Al Pastor-Style Beef Enchiladas, courtesy of The Half-Baked Harvest Cookbook by Tieghan Gerard. TGIFF!! (Thank God It’s Famous Fridays)

If you’re looking for a cookbook filled with comfort recipes that will make you want to get into the kitchen and turn out home-cooked meals that are anything but ordinary, Half Baked Harvest has got you covered. The author Tieghan, who also writes a really popular blog, loves to put creative spins on ordinary dishes and manages to take gorgeous, mouth-watering photos of all those creative spins, which means that you’ll be drooling as you leaf through this very fun and accessible book!  There are so many recipes I’ve been itching to try, like Fajita Steak Salad topped with spicy, crispy sweet potato fries, Salted Brioche Cinnamon Rolls, Wild Rice and Havarti-Stuffed Acorn Squash and PB & J Grilled Cheese to name a few. And I know they’re all going to be great because this off-the-beaten path Al Pastor-Style Enchiladas was virtually inhaled by my home judges!!

Let me gush about them a little bit—the enchiladas, not the judges (though I’m perfectly capable of gushing over them now and then too!) First off, do you know what Al Pastor-Style means?  Generally, it involves pork that is marinated and cooked with onions, chiles and pineapple so that there’s that sweet/spicy thing going on. Here, we’re using ground beef which is a little bit unusual but makes the cooking of the filling, so easy and so, so delicious!!

Also, you generally see Al Pastor associated with tacos and burritos—here it finds new heights mixed together with a quick-to-whip -up, homemade red enchilada sauce—yeah, you could use a ready made jar of it, but you really shouldn’t—I think it’s what helps to make these so special. One bite and you’ll  be left wondering why Al Pastor enchiladas haven’t been a major part of your life!!

These are spicy but not in a steam-out-of-your-ears way and the generous amount of melted cheese and pineapple chunks in the filling, as well as in the sauce you cook the meat in, goes a long way to achieving a blissful balance. Even a spice scaredy-cat like me can handle them and keep going back for more!!

So... pick up a copy of Half Baked Harvest and have a great and delicious summer weekend—think we’re going to keep it fairly low key and maybe cook up a few goodies if we get the chance. I’ve yet to make anything with peaches this summer and it’s almost the middle of August! Yikes! Got to get going on that front. Laters, alligators!!

Half Baked Harvest’s Al Pastor-Style Beef Enchiladas-Famous Fridays

Makes 6 generous servings (you could definitely stretch this to 8 if you’re not feeding a bunch of teenagers) 

Prep Time for Enchilada Sauce:  10 minutes, plus another 20 minutes of hands-free cooking; Prep Time for Enchiladas:  30 minutes; Bake Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Enchilada Red Sauce

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½ tablespoons chili powder

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped (use 2 if you want a lot of heat)

½ teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

For the Enchiladas

2 garlic cloves, peeled  

2 tablespoons chili powder  

½ teaspoon paprika  

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo (use 2 if you like things very hot) 

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

2 generous cups fresh pineapple chunks

1 pound ground beef

1 sweet onion, cut in half and into thin half-moon slices  

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced  

1 large handful fresh parsley, chopped and divided (you could sub in an equal amount of fresh cilantro here too)  

1 ½ cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese  

1 ½ cups freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup homemade red enchilada sauce (see above) or an equal amount of store bought  

18 corn tortillas

The Recipe

1.  For the Enchilada sauce:  Place the oil and flour in a medium saucepan and whisk together over medium heat for a couple of minutes, until the mixture looks lightly golden. Add in the tomato paste, chili powder, chipotle pepper, garlic powder and salt and cook for 1 minute, stirring until the mixture is thick. Slowly whisk in the broth until the mixture is smooth. 

2.  Lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. If not using right away, let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month. This recipe makes more than you will likely need for the enchiladas unless you like a lot of sauce.

3.  For the enchiladas:  Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a lasagne-sized baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

4.  Place the garlic cloves, chili powder, paprika, chipotle, pineapple juice, vinegar and 1 cup of the pineapple chunks into a blender or food processor and blend together until smooth. Set aside.

5.  In a large skillet, brown the beef and onions over medium-high heat, cooking for about 10 minutes and using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps. Lower the heat and add half the the pineapple sauce mixture, the rest of the pineapple and the jalapeño. Let simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until the sauce has reduced and coats the beef. Stir in ¾ of the parsley or cilantro and half the shredded cheeses and remove from the heat. 

6.  Pour a generous amount of the red enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. One at a time, place a generous dollop of the beef mixture onto a tortilla and roll it up, placing it seam-side down in the pan. Wedge the tortillas close to each and don’t worry if a little of the filling escapes. Pour the remaining pineapple sauce mixture over the top and more enchilada sauce too if you like. Sprinkle the remaining cheese across the top. 

7.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is hot. Sprinkle the remaining parsley or cilantro across the top and serve. 

8.  If you like, you can make and assemble the entire dish up to Step 7 early in the day, cover and chill it and then pop it in the oven before dinner. You may just need to tack on a few extra minutes if the casserole is cold. 

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook by Tieghan Gerard. I tinkered a lot with the spices and proportions. 

[behungryforever]

5 Spanish Restaurants In Delhi To Paella Up Your Meal

5 Spanish Restaurants In Delhi To Paella Up Your Meal

Often romanticized with Flamenco and Gerard Piqué, there is a lot more to Spain than what meets the eye and palate. Especially when it comes to their food. It’s not all churros and tortillas that comprise a Spanish mo19re, there is so much more to stuff your face with! Here are 5 places where you can do just that!

  Sevilla – The Claridges

The Claridges, 12, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Road,…