July 13, 1994
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Page 5
Cooking skills light fires of creativity in world’s kitchens
FRANK
STANFORD
Columnist
E ven though many of us will say
they know how the world and
humankind came about, there is
still a great deal of interesting and
heated debate on the subject. But for me,
the most fascinating and useful aspect of
man’s emergence from the trees was his
discovery of cooking.
Because we know that early humans
ate meat raw, we can only wonder how
the first chef got his job. We now know
cooked foods are longer-lasting, safer from bacteria
and easier to digest than the alternative, but how
were these benefits discovered?
I like to think a bunch of cavemen were sitting
around a big fire one night having a good time and
gnawing on bloody water buffalo carcasses. They
set their leftovers too close to the flame and went
off gallivanting. The cavewomen were supposed to
clean up, but in disgust at the men refused to do so
and went to bed with headaches. The next
morning the frustrated, hungover and hungry
cavemen devoured the shrunken, dried-up, chewy
meat in what I call the first equivalent of a cold
pizza breakfast experiment. All were amazed that
even cold, cooked meat was tastier, created fewer
barfing sprees and made them more regular than
the raw stuff. The men communicated to the
women through hieroglyphics to take time off from
gathering each day and cook the food. Shopping
eventually replaced
gathering, but this
is basically the
history of cooking
up until the ’60s.
Nowadays,
almost all males
and a rapidly
increasing number
of females are
turning to
pre-packaged microwave meals and restaurants
for food. Eating out certainly has become a large
part of most people’s weekly budgets. That’s a
heavy financial bummer unless you own some
kind of eatery.
And why is this a bummer?! Because you’re
missing out on a very recreational, artistic and
utilitarian activity. Cooking will also save you
big dollars while you eat better food. But maybe
you don’t really know how to cook anything? Or,
it’s a pain in the neck and takes too much time?
Nonsense. Most people - especially young adults
- are just plain unskilled in the kitchen. Like
with most stuff we stink at (i.e., math, golf), fear
of failure keeps us from getting better. And guys,
you must also develop an interest. You’ll be glad
you did.
I first became intrigued by the art of cooking as
a serdor in the Corps. In order to live in a manner
as unmilitary as possible, my roommate and I
wood-paneled the entire room and equipped
ourselves with a large and a small refrigerator, a
microwave, an oven, a two-burner stove, a food
processor and a fully functioning wet bar with
liquor cabinet and electrical appliances.
The idea was to bring back as much leftover
food from Duncan as possible to be reheated at our
convenience. Soon we began to get brave and
actually go grocery shopping. A couple of weeks
later I threw a tuxedo on a freshman and sent him
Most people are just plain unskilled in the
kitchen. Eating out has become a large part
of their weekly budgets. Cooking will save
you big dollars while you eat better food.
to invite a couple of girls over for a homemade,
full-course shrimp Creole supper with wine,
candles and a movie. As my pet finches chirped
sweetly to the music, we successfully violated
nearly every housing, Corps and University
regulation that evening. It all happened in Dorm 7
and I shall never forget it.
I was also hooked. When I moved into an
apartment, friends would frequently bring over
groceries and booze to have a little party while I
enjoyed making dinner for everyone. Often, the
dinner lasted the entire evening, and still only cost
about four bucks a person.
I wound up managing one of the best restaurants .
in town and in a year found myself on a yacht in the
Caribbean assisting a real chef from whom I learned
a great deal. When he left, I took over for a few
months. A couple of years later I was able to get a
job as a private chef for a family in Dallas. I lived in ,
their servants’ quarters, did their shopping and
prepared their meals. Somehow I even
pulled off a dinner for 50 teachers and a
lunch for 80 policemen.
What’s so ridiculous is that many of
my peers look upon this skill with
amazement. I never took a class. I don’t
use recipes. I didn’t learn from my
mother. It’s nothing but practice, the
desire to learn and the enjoyment of
creating something your very own. For
every perfect dish I’ve prepared. I’ve learned
from one that would make a roach hurl. It’s trial
and error.
Just go buy some food, throw it in a pot with olive
oil and tomato sauce and start cooking.
P.S. - When your roaches start trusting you
again, you’re getting better.
Frank Stanford is a graduate philosophy student
... One giant leap for mankind’
Space exploration opens doors to understanding unknowns of universe
ANAS
BEN-MUSA
Guest Columnist
F ootprints in
the dust — a
mark of
conquest, of
succeeding and of
traveling “where no
one has gone
before.” But these
particular
footprints are not
on earthen dust. Mankind had to travel over 4 million
miles to plant them. A place of “magnificent desolation,” as
one explorer, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, described it.
Poignant words that reveal how America and the world
are still in awe and fear of this barren satellite, a symbol of
the unknown - the new frontier.
And this new frontier, the solar system, is only a minute
part of an infinitely vast galaxy and universe. Yet, we have
little knowledge of our own solar system, much less the
Milky Way galaxy or the cosmos beyond.
20, 196
Armstrong
takes
manual
control
of Eagle
On final approach looking out
his windows, Armstrong sees
that the computer-chosen
landing site is a large crater
covered with large rocks.
He takes control and
picks a new
landing site.
Armstrong’s
new flight
path
The 86-inch probes on three of the lunar lander’s
footpads touch down, flashing a green light on
instrument panel; engines are shut off.
But 25 years ago, one country decided to explore past the
boundaries of our world. Eventually, more than a dozen of
those explorers traveled to a desolate chunk of rock called the
moon that had been circling this planet for billions of years.
Looking back, historians wonder and ponder the reasons for
such a tremendous endeavor. Some believe in the idealistic
notion - “because it’s there” - while others realize that
competition, the Cold War, fueled the space race.
That race that evolved over 500 years ago in Spain,
when a man named Christopher Columbus asked Queen
Isabella to fund an expedition to the Far East. The journey
was risky. Some officials at the time considered it suicidal.
But, the thought of profitable new trade routes was too
tempting. Spain desperately needed to fill its treasury after
a long and arduous war against Muslim invaders.
To be the first European kingdom to establish these
routes meant exorbitant wealth. Spain, like the United
States, decided it wanted to be first. Trade routes were not
the reason for America’s decisions in the ’60s, but being
“out there” meant that Americans would be the first to.
study our universe, the first to exploit and harness
anything we learned and the first to look down on our
world from outer space and say, “We did it.”
“In the eyes of the world, first in space means first,
period: second in space is second in everything,” said
Lyndon Johnson, vice president at the time.
And we did it ... not once, but six times. The first
mission to the Moon was Apollo 11 in 1969 and the last was
■
Being "out there" meant that Americans
would be the first to study our universe
and the first to look down on our world
from outer space and say, "We did it."
Apollo 17 in 1972. Over the course of a decade, the United
States spent over $25 billion dollars to accomplish a goal
President Kennedy had set out in his first year of office: “...
landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to
Earth. No single space project will be more important to
mankind or more important for the long-range exploration
of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to
accomplish.”
Our goals for space exploration have changed today, but
the expense hasn’t. Which makes it so much harder to
convince the nation of the necessity of space exploration.
The race has changed again. It’s not about being first
anymore, or being the best. Rather, it’s embracing and
accepting what we don’t know. We have the ability to to
learn and understand the universe and the small part we
play in it.
Begin to realize the infinite possibilities. It is a time, as
Buzz Aldrin said, “To renew our commitment to the
exploration of the solar system, a challenge that can bind
nations, inspire the young, advance science and ultimately
end our confinement to one vulnerable world.”
Let us make this commitment for one simple reason:
“It’s there.”
Anas Ben-Musa is a senior journalism major
Mail
Call
Orientation leaders'
efforts deserve praise
For quite some time I have admired
the success of the orientation programs
at Texas A&M. Students become familiar
with the University, traditions and meet
their new fellow Aggies. The Orientation
Leader Program at A&M is by far one of
the most outstanding in the state. This
Past week four of A&M’s Orientation
Leaders came to Texas A&M University
at Galveston to help with our orientation.
The impact they had on our new students
and orientation leaders was tremendous.
I really appreciate Bonnie Bejarano-
Sanders for sending Aisha, Chris, Jaqui
and Sandra. They did a fantastic job!
To all of the OLs, I want you to know
what a tremendous role you play in the
lives of our new students.
Thank you. Gig ’em.
Edward B. Williams
Class of ’89
Homosexual acts pose
threats to health, spirit
Is there some correlation between
homosexuals trying to gain acceptance
in the military and at Texas A&M
University? Do homosexuals care
about the safety and health of soldiers
and students - or do they want to re
cruit and prey upon them?
Acceptance in the U.S. military and
a university with a military history
would be major steps in gaining accep
tance for their lifestyle.
Research at the University of Indi
ana showed a high correlation of
promiscuous sex with suicide, illicit
drug use and other criminal activity.
It is no wonder that homosexuals and
bisexuals are more prone to suicide
and drugs!
Their most defining practices,
sodomy and sadomasochism, are
harmful to the body and degrading to
the soul.
The rectum is not a strong enough
muscle to withstand intercourse; the
intestine is designed for absorbing nu
trients, not sperm and pathogens; and
eating feces and urine are unsanitary
means of contracting disease.
A high rate of promiscuity among
homosexuals and bisexuals corre
sponds with a high rate of infection
with AIDS, HIV, hepatitis and dis
eases that constitute Gay Bowel Syn
drome.
According to numerous physicians,
including Montieth and Day, homosex
ual behavior is a sexual addiction, is
unhealthy and should remain illegal.
The majority of our Texas legislators
agreed and retained the Texas statute
against sodomy.
Do our military personnel and uni
versity students need to have an ille
gal and unhealthy lifestyle pushed
upon them and the institutions of
which they are a part? No - the result
will be death.
To paraphrase an old saying, “Now
is the time for all good men (and
women) to come to the aid of their
country,” return to abstinence until
(heterosexual) marriage, fidelity in
marriage, stand up for right, and
against wrong.
Susie Carter, microbiologist
Austin
The Battalion encour
ages letters to the editor
and will print as many as
space allows. Letters
must be 300 words or
less and include the au
thor's name, class, and
phone number.
We reserve the right
to edit letters for length.
style, and accuracy.
Address letters to:
The Battalion - Marl Call
013 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX
77843-1111
Fax: (409) 845-2647
The Battalion
Editorial Board
Mark Evans, Editor in chief
William Harrison, Managing editor
Jay Robbins, Opinion editor
Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect
the views of trie editorial board. They do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of other
Battalion staff members, the Texas A&M
student body, regents, administration, faculty
or staff.
Columns, guest columns, cartoons and
letters express the opinions of the authors.
Contact the opinion editor for information
on submitting guest columns.
T^DITORJAL
Alcohol purchases
Indictments obscure failures in A&M policy
co,
The most unfortunate victims of
the recent crop of indictments
against Texas A&M officials seem to
be the defendants accused of tamper
ing with government documents by
describing alcohol purchases as “food
and beverages.”
Reports in The Battalion today
seem to show that those employees
were singled out - inadvertently or
not - from among many Uni
versity officials who have
followed the same
practice for decades.
A large part of
the fault for
this problem
must lie with
University
policy, which
does not
provide
guidelines
for a proper
way to
process bills
for alcoholic
beverages.
The result
ing confusion
was complicated
by the behavior of
the University’s fiscal
office. A Texas A&M Sys
tem internal audit found evidence
that the fiscal office regularly
processed and paid undetailed “food
and beverages” charges, and only re
fused payment on vouchers and re
ceipts including the word “alcohol.”
Unfortunately, and apparently
unknown to many University em
ployees, making such changes on
state documents violates the law.
Employees attempting to seek
guidance from the University admin
istration to make alcohol purchases
were referred to other departments
that had already discovered how to
“dealing with” the dilemma.
This contradictory unwritten rule
encouraged the employees to change
the documents in order to be reim
bursed. While it is true that
individuals are responsi
ble for their own ac
tions, the fiscal de
partment must
take responsi
bility for the
u
monetary
policies of
this univer-
sity.
As long as
employees
are left to
decide how
to imple
ment undocu
mented poli
cies, Texas
A&M can expect
legal and ethical
scandals that ques
tion its institutional in
tegrity. It is not any em
ployee’s place to play fill-in-the-
blanks with A&M policy or state law.
Hopefully, Texas A&M will show
enough foresight to plan for future
delicate, bureaucratic procedures
like alcohol purchases. The Universi
ty and the System form a huge fi
nancial organization and cannot be
run like a backwoods country store.
1876-
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Page 3
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