HUNGRY GERALD

HG has been a happy boy these last days chomping down on some authentic, down-home barbecue. It all started with the joyous Super Bowl party in front of pal David F.’s giant TV screen. David’s son-in-law, Jonathan, has an avocation as a barbecue caterer. The party was the gluttonous recipient of his skills. Armed with tequila and beer, HG had a lavish plate of pulled pork, chicken thighs and drumsticks – all smokily delicious. (Philadelphia’s triumph was the sweet dessert). Brought home a doggy bag of pulled pork for another happy BBQ meal. Yesterday, HG/BSK had to be in Albuquerque for some errands. BSK touted Rudy’s Barbecue and Country Store as equal (almost) to HG’s BBQ fave, Tyler’s in Amarillo, Texas. As always, BSK was right. Rudy’s is spacious (eat in or take out) and efficient. The long waiting line is handled with a swift assembly line precision. The food is great. HG/BSK ordered juicy brisket (outstanding), meaty pork ribs, baby back ribs, jalapeño sausage, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad. An hour after the order HG/BSK were at their dinner table exhaling happy sighs between bite. Yes, folks, there’s more to Albuquerque than “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.”

Yes, HG has consumed lots of sauerkraut through the years. Have loved the choucroute at Paris brasseries topped with delicious pork products, accompanied by boiled potatoes and enhanced by sharp mustard. Cold beer has been the beverage, of course. However, the very best sauerkraut, bar none, is cooked by BSK. Here’s how BSK prepared it for dinner last night. A jar of kraut was rinsed. Sliced onion and apple gently sauteed in a sauce pan with olive oil. This was added to the warming kraut with a dash of olive oil and a pour of dry white wine. The result was magical. Layers of flavor. The topping was browned beer bratwurst and veal bratwurst. Keen’s English Mustard, Maille Dijon Mustard, Prince Edward Island mustard pickles, dill pickles on the table. Lots of Sierra Nevada IPA. Great cold weather meal. At one point, a beer bratwurst slipped off BSK’s serving fork. Toby, The Wonder Dog, snatched the morsel out of mid-air, devouring the tasty food in seconds. This resulted in a very minimal breakfast for the greedy boy next day.

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt are professors of government at Harvard and authors of “How Democracies Die.” They point out that the extreme polarization of the two American parties, Republicans and Democrats, is not “A traditional conservative-liberal divide. People don’t loathe each other over taxes or health care.” In a New York Times article (Sunday, Jan. 28), the professors state “the roots of today’s polarization is racial and cultural.” Decades ago, both parties were predominantly white and worshiped a Christian God. “Advances in civil rights, immigration and the migration of Christian conservatives to the Republican Party have given rise to two fundamentally different parties: one that is ethnically diverse and increasingly secular and one that is overwhelmingly white and predominantly Christian.” America’s “once dominant” white Christians are in decline. Year by year, America becomes more multi-cultural and multi-racial. The Republican white Christians are furiously fighting back and damaging (if not destroying) the American democracy. The Mexican Wall and the immigration battle are part of their effort to block blacks, browns, Asians, muslims, Hispanics from entering the United States. In HG’s opinion, armed conflict has not begun but Americans are nonetheless engaged in a civil war. The outcome is in doubt.