Dr. Gary Parker

Cardiff, Wales / July 2008 / Dr. Gary Parker, Africa Mercy Chief Medical Officer and maxillofacial surgeon, presented the opening lecture at the British Association of Oral and Maxillo Facial Surgeons annual scientific meeting in Cardiff, Wales, earlier this month

Dr. Gary was also interviewed for the BBC Radio Wales program "All Things Considered" this week (Sunday 20 July at 8.30am, repeated on Wednesday 23 July at 6.30pm), by Roy Jenkins.

The broadcast is available online for the remainder of this week:

Podcast  (download it and play it on your computer or iPod/mp3 player)

Dr. Gary is the most humble man I have ever met and has restored the lives of many by doing life-changing surgery. This is a great interview because you really get a glimpse of how kind and wonderful he is. He is really like this even in an emergency. Enjoy. (by Stephanie)

Dr. Gary at Community Meeting

Dr. Gary and Don Stephens

Dr. Gary is in surgery

Focaccia

Focaccia (pronounced [foˈkatːʃa] foe-CAT-cha) is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with onions, herbs or other foodstuffs, related to pizza, but not considered to be the same. The word is derived from the Latin focus meaning “centre” and also “fireplace” -- the fireplace being in the centre of the house -- and this is a bread baked in the hearth. In English, it is sometimes redundantly referred to as focaccia bread.
It is typically rolled out or pressed by hand into a thick layer of dough and then baked in a stone-bottom or hearth oven. Bakers often puncture the bread with a knife to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread. Also common is the practice of dotting the bread. This creates multiple wells in the bread by using a finger or the handle of a utensil to poke the unbaked dough. As a way to preserve moisture in the bread, olive oil is then spread over the dough, by hand or with a brush prior to rising and baking.
Focaccia can be used as a side to many meals, as a base for pizza or as sandwich bread.  (parts excerpted from Wiki-Pedia)

Here is my version used as a 'side' bread (like Spaghetti Bolognese last Monday night on the ship) or making incredibly delicious sandwiches.
Some of you (friends, families, catering clients...) have tasted my focaccia before.

I mix herbs in the flour when making the dough.  What you see on top of the focaccia is a butter, extra virgin olive oil, herb, and chopped garlic mixture that was applied before and once after baking in the oven.

I usually add the herbs and garlic to the butter and olive oil before heating everything together in a pot or in the microwave just to allow the 'essence' of the herbs and garlic to infuse into the butter and olive oil mixture.

The most common herbs I use for focaccia are oregano, basil, and rosemary.  But don't limit yourself, a bit of tarragon or fresh thyme...the possibilities are endlessly delicious!

Blogging Exhaustion

Last month I (tyrone) wrote the following post on my other blog the AFM menu...

Its days like today that make me feel like packing in this blog (AFM menu).

The big boss man (my boss) is gone for an LOA. But that really doesn’t change a whole lot for me…work goes on, people keep eating. Its just that I have another blog that is more of a joint venture with my wife (tyroneandstephanie.com) where we both post thoughts and opinions on our days whether they be personal or work related. So I find myself split wanting to post this material over at the other blog because really thats what I do…but then I think, no, I need to have different new material. Wait. I don’t have anything new. Or - Wait, I don’t have time to post new material to each blog.

What also fuels these thoughts is the decision for our organization to start putting everything on a ‘navigator’ of sorts, so our organization is connected worldwide (using confluence) where now everyone looks at that for my weekly menu. Except of course for you outside folks that cannot ’see’ our international ‘confluence‘ website.

We also use it to update the FAQS (frequently asked questions) or just to share internal information about our departments that are not open for the general public.

SO these things really defeat the purpose of 50% of this blog now, and another percentage of it can be carried by my other blog (you know Rants, Raves, Reviews, and general knowledge of my day to day).

Yes, I am sure as some of you know it takes time and effort to keep more than one blog rolling with fresh material. I’ll keep you posted.

So in case you are confused, I shut down AFM menu and I imported all my posts from the AFM menu to this blog, tyrone and stephanie, so now I will just continue to post my 'mind' and relative other life or culinary adventures.  It just makes it so much easier for me and I can keep Stephanie from taking over!

You will find a lot of new posts here that came from the AFM menu blog, and probably pictures too...and I also kept the menu page in case you still want to see what's for dinner. (in the PAGES links)

rest

Baby Greg went to meet Jesus last night at 6:45pm. He has fought a long, hard battle here on the Africa Mercy. He had his surgery about 5 weeks ago and has had good days and bad days, but he kept trying. He had a very hard time breathing and he would kick and flail is noodle like limbs. But last night he had enough and without drama he left this world and went to be with Jesus, to rest.... finally.

Marion is Baby Greg's Mama. She used to live with her parents until her dad kicked her mom out of their house and married another woman. The new wife made Marion and her siblings move out of the house. Their community came to talk to the father and he agreed to let them move back in and he paid for them to go to school.

Marion got pregnant and her dad was furious. He said some very powerful words that are believed to be a curse. He told her that she will never hold her own children in her arms. She gave birth to twins but they both died. Marion got pregnant again and had beautiful Baby Greg, but he had a large mass on on his neck and now he rests in the arms of Jesus.

When I saw Marion she was obviously wrecked to the core of her being, All I could think of was You are not alone.

In John 14 in the Message Jesus says it so eloquently . "I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left- felling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught. " You are not alone.

You Are Not Alone

Sometimes you get so weary

You run to forget

Keep yourself so busy

Anything to cover up that

Sometimes life just don't make sense

And the reason for your running

Is a longing to be known

Someone who says your life is worth it

Someone captured by your heart

Someone you gave up on long ago

You are not alone

You are not alone

His love is all around

And He holds you even now

You are not alone

He will not leave you orphaned

That's a promise He has made

When others leave you empty

When the world has left you broken

Still He will not walk away

So come and lay down all your questions

Lay down your striving to be free

He has loved you since you've breathed

He will love you for forever

Really what more do you need

--Kate Hurley

Get your swirl on!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread, delicious with coffee...toasted and spread with real butter.

It takes a coating of cinnamon and sugar (I like 2/3 brown to 1/3 white sugar) to the flattened dough, a triple fold over on to itself...then smash it flat (I don't use the rolling pin, just my hands) and then another coating of the cinnamon & sugar, then just protocol the dough up like you were making cinnamon rolls.  And roll it as tight as you can get it before dropping it into the bread pan.

When folding and rolling use thin coats of cinnamon & sugar with no butter to get great looking (& tasting) results without your bread 'separating' while slicing after you are done cooling it from baking in the oven.