Following Sunday worship, members of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a South of the Border fiesta and a game of Mexican Train.  

 Fellowship within a church is a vital part of Christianity.  “It builds a community that loves, ministers and supports each other as family and friends,” said Co Pastor, Dr. Debbie Chisolm.  

Central is the oldest continuously operating protestant church in Dallas, but it keeps the spirit of fellowship youthful and new.

At the Cinco de Mayo celebration members and guests enjoyed a buffet of chips, salsas, tamales, guacamole, fruits, dips and a variety of pan dolce. 

In keeping with the festive-Mexican theme, door prizes included a pillow (hand-embroidered in San Miquel de Allende and donated by local company Dolce Sueños) and a silver cross studded with Milagros— little miracles.

Located at 4711 Westside Dr. in Dallas, Central also reaches out to the community through its dog park and garden and other community activities like the Friday family film night on the church lawn and the new “Sit and Fit” exercise class that begins May 13.

For more information about life at Central, visit www.cccdt.org or listen to WRR 101.1 FM on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.  :

“The Diviners,” a play by Jim Leonard, Jr., opened April 5 at the Contemporary Theater of Dallas.

The story takes place in the fictional town of Zion, Indiana during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

It begins and ends with elegies spoken by two of the townspeople describing what happened the day of Buddy's final tragedy.

Buddy Layman, (played by Brandon Kinard) is now 17 years old. He nearly drowned in the river when he was a small boy. The accident did take the life of his mother, who was trying to save him —  leaving Buddy not only motherless but mentally challenged and guilt ridden, as such a tragedy often does.

Buddy is childlike, uncontrollable and deathly afraid of water, but he has a sweet spirit and he is loved by his father Ferris Layman (played by Greg Holt), his sister Jennie Mae Layman (played by Zoe Kerr) and the townsfolk of Zion.

Buddy’s fear of water has resulted in his ability to find water with a divining rod, a tremendous gift to the drought-besieged farm community where he lives.

When a disillusioned preacher from Kentucky, C. C. Showers, (played by Daylon Walton) comes to town looking for work, Buddy’s father gives him a job in his garage. A strong bond develops between Buddy and the preacher precipitating a chain of events; sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic.

I had the opportunity to see the play Friday night with my two sisters (one is an actress) and two of my friends, a retired college drama professor and a current college drama teacher.

I would say that put me in the company of the “theater circle.”

I thought the play was beautiful and moving and I enjoyed every scene and sound, from the storyline to the acting to the old-time hymns that were sung acapella throughout the play.

In addition to sharing my thoughts about the play, I asked for input from those who accompanied me to the performance.

“I was mesmerized by Luella’s (played by Marianne Galloway) account of the preacher lifting her off the road after her bike accident. I wanted to get even closer to the stage to hear that story,” my sister, Terry Gwynne, said. (We were already on the front row.)

 Gwynne also felt the final scene was well crafted. “The commotion on the shore (available only when the preacher came out of the water for a breath) put the audience right under the water with him,” she said. 

 Michael Raines, teacher of drama and English at Eastfield Community College referred to experiencing “The Diviners” as a blessing itself.  He was moved by the irony of the preacher who had lost his faith and the ‘divining boy’ and how they complemented one another.

 Ed DeLatte, retired professor of drama at The University of North Texas and current director of “Westside Players” said the “The Diviners” develops our consciousness.  “In a sense, we are all diviners,” he said.

 “This play helps us understand the true purpose in life. It is about good intentioned people who are flawed — like all of us,” DeLatte said. 

 “Turn the earth to the earth like a child to his mother.  And we think a the boy and we call it a blessin’. We turn to each other and we call it a blessin’.”~from “The Diviners.”

 The Contemporary Theater of Dallas is located in an old church at 5601 Sears St. Being inside the theater is interesting on its own.  Combine that with award-winning entertainment and you have a great theater experience.

 “The Diviners,” directed by René Moreno will run through April 27. For ticket and performance information contact the theater at 214-828-0094, or purchase online.

On April 7, the Lakewood book club, The Book Trotters, visited New York City through the humor and wit of the late Nora Ephron.  

Having loved her romances, like “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “Harry Met Sally,” the book club turned to “I Feel Bad About My Neck" for their March read. The book is a composite of  stories about being a woman, life, aging and everything in between..

Ephron had experienced her share of heartbreak with infidelity and failed marriages, was not particularly happy about aging, and she died at the young age (by today’s standards) of 71.  But she loved her kids, her last husband, Nick, realizing her dream to become a journalist and she loved New York.

When she got her job at The New York Post she wrote, “I have never been happier.  I have achieved my life’s ambition and I am only 22 year’s old.”

Born on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, many of her stories took place in New York City and her passion for its landmarks came through in her writing. 

Book Trotter Debbie Simurda chose the selection and she handed out several of the writer’s favorite recipes.  The group enjoyed her crab dip and “take out” chicken salad.  One of Ephron’s favorite things about the City was the convenience of having everything right there in your neighborhood.     

A spring tea party honoring the most senior members of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was hosted by Senior Co-Pastor, Dr. Debbie Chisolm, and the Disciples Women’s Ministries on March 22. 

Guests of honor were Alice Adams, Marybess Grisham, Anna King, Jessie Rodgers and Gloria Shouse.

Some of the honorees attending the tea— now residing in various East Dallas senior communities— are no longer able to be present at Sunday worship services on a regular basis, due to health and mobility limitations.  The tea was a way for the congregation to spend some special time with those members.  Elders provided them transportation to and from the church for the occasion.

The menu included traditional “tea” fare — scones with jam and clotted cream, consommé, assorted finger sandwiches and sweets.

Musical entertainment was provided by pianists, Carolyn Shinn and David Aston, violinist, Rosie Ninesling and soloist, Colleen Oates.

Guests of honor received a corsage of cymbidium orchard and baby’s breath upon arrival, and each went home with a “potted plant of spring flowers” made especially for them by children who attended Central’s Winter Bible School.

The spring tea honoring senior members will be a new tradition at Central.

Central Christian Church is located at 4711 Westside Dr. just off Mockingbird Lane.  It is home to a dog park (voted best in Dallas by Dallas Observer) and the Acres Community Garden named in honor of Central member Ebby Halliday Acres and her late husband, Maurice Acres.   The garden is the largest contributor of fresh produce to North Dallas Shared Ministries during the growing season.

Worship services are broadcast on WRR (101.1) at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. 

Central Christian Church is the oldest continuously operating protestant church in Dallas, but it is young at heart.  Come and see!

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching and Dallasites all around becoming Irish for the weekend, my friend Laura (knowing that I love to cook and consider myself somewhat of a knowledgeable “foodie”) asked me if Irish stew is made from beef or lamb.

"Lamb,” I assured her, confident with my response.

However, the closer we get to St. Patrick’s Day, “everything Irish” becomes more and more prominent.  Grocery stores begin advertising corned beef and cabbage and displaying end cases of green beer.

In my Lower Greenville neighborhood, restaurants and bars begin planning for the crowds of leprechauns that will create a sea of green on Greenville Avenue during the annual street party.

With all of this “Irish” influence, I started questioning if the traditional Irish stew was really made from lamb or the more popular beef we find on menus today.

To get an answer, I asked the source— the restaurants that serve Irish fare.

 I discovered that while Dubliner on Greenville Avenue and Malarkeys on Trinity Mills serves up a bowl of beef, Trinity Hall Irish Pub in Mockingbird Station ladles a dish of lamb.

All three restaurants are equally proud of their Irish stew, each considering their dish to be both delicious and traditional. 

Now, I’m even more confused.  In need of help, I decided to phone a friend—a friend in Boston.

After all, the first St. Patrick's Day Celebration in America is believed to have been held in Boston in 1737. Today the South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade is the second largest parade in the country. Boston, with its large Irish population, has numerous Irish Pubs and restaurants catering to both tourists and locals.

Emmets Pub and Restaurant on Boston’s Beacon Hill boasts, “You could be in Ireland in here.” Customer testimonials reflect, “This is one of the few places I have come across with born and bred Irish owners.”

With that reference for documentation, I called Emmets and spoke with General Manager Oran McGonagle.  When I asked if the stew at Emmets was made with beef or lamb, he said, “Irish stew is made with beef.  Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb.”

“Is the stew traditionally made from beef?” I asked.

“Irish Stew is a stewed beef. The cheapest cut of beef, but nonetheless— beef.  Our stew here is made with beef, and my mother makes her stew with beef,” he said. 

Remembering Mother Machree, I questioned McGonagle no more.

 So what’s the beef?

The beef is that I still did not know my answer, for sure, but that it was starting to look like I was wrong. Lamb was not the traditional meat in Irish stew.  However, still not totally convinced, I hunted on, digging into the history of this one pot meal from Ireland. 

I discovered that the original stew, "ballymaloe” or “Stobhach Gaelach,” (as it is called in Gaelic) is a traditional stew made from lamb or mutton.  Mutton was most often used because it comes from less tender sheep (those over a year old), is fattier and has a stronger flavor.  Potatoes, onions, parsley and, sometimes, parsnips and carrots were added to the stew pot.    

If the traditional Irish stew was made with mutton or lamb, why is it served more often today with beef? (Even the world famous Guinness Storehouse in Dublin is using beef in place of lamb in their famous Irish stew.)

Many Americans prefer the more familiar taste of beef over that of lamb. But besides a taste preference, when the Irish people began immigrating to the United States, fleeing from the ravages of starvation caused by the potato famine, they naturally brought along their wonderful hearty food traditions.   Lamb was not as plentiful in America as it was in Ireland, so they adapted their recipes to include the local offerings.

That all makes sense.  Today, beef or lamb is a personal preference, but one thing is for sure—eating Irish stew is a St. Patrick’s Day tradition.

Following are two recipes, one using beef and one using lamb, for Irish stew that you can serve on St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Stew With Lamb

Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb mutton or lamb cutlets (bone removed) cut into 2"/5cm chunks

2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

1 cup onion, roughly chopped

1 cup leeks, cleaned and finely sliced

1 cup carrots, roughly chopped

1½ pints dark beef stock

2 or 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 350F

In a large frying pan heat half the oil to hot but not smoking. Add half the lamb pieces and brown all over. Remove the lamb and place in a casserole, cover with a half of the potatoes, onions, leeks and carrots.

Add the remaining oil to the frying pan, heat again, then add the remaining lamb and brown all over. Add to the casserole and cover with the remaining vegetables.

Add the stock, cover with a tight fitting lid, cook in the oven for 1 hour. Add the cabbage (if using) replace the lid and cook for another hour. Check from time to time to make sure the stock isn't reducing too much, if it is add a little boiling water. The meat and vegetables should always be covered by liquid. If the sauce is too runny at the end, cook a little longer with the lid removed. Season with salt and pepper.

Beef and Irish Stout Stew

Cook Time: 2 – 3 hours

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper

2 large onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups Irish stout beer (such as Guinness®)

2 cups chopped carrot

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.

Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.