I think I mentioned one of his books and I love them. His fiction work is really amazing because he does a wonderful job of blending fact and fiction into a very well written and suspenseful story.
Getting back to democracy and dictatorship I would have to say that in Iraq having a dictatorship was definitely more efficient, maybe even better in a perverse way. Saddam was a horrible person but he kept a form of "peace" in the area. Now without his power of fear the citizens are waging war on each other. I suppose it is better if they choose to kill each other than be killed by him, our presence isn't really helping because they do not want us there so they try to kill us, in turn killing more innocents. I think it is a situation far more complicated than, sending more troops or taking the troops out.
My favorite Ice Cream recipes, identical instruction, just different ingredients. Mint Chip 3 cups half-and-half 1 cup heavy cream 8 large egg yolks 9 ounces sugar 1 teaspoon peppermint oil 3 ounces chocolate-mint candies, coarsely chopped
Place the half-and-half and the heavy cream into a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the peppermint oil and stir to combine. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until it reaches 40 degrees F or below.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker; add the chopped candies and process according to the manufacturers directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve as is …
