Since this week is the building up to Passover, I have liberation and freedom on my mind. And for some odd reason, when it comes to freedom, right now I’m thinking about Gene Simmons.
Okay, before you stop me and scratch your head or give me a very confused look, I want to explain myself. Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching “Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels” a lot lately – a show I love and is really quite fun (and somehow, has reached its 100th episode without scandal). But if you look at his life and his beliefs, you see that freedom seems to run through his veins.
People would probably call Gene a libertarian, as he believes very much in free market principles (anyone who has seen the show or Gene shelling out for a product can attribute to that) as well as admitting to have socially liberal policies. One joke on the show is that Gene doesn’t believe in marriage, which I don’t know is necessarily a freedom thing.
But I believe that Gene has a better lesson to teach us. He has, so many times, has met the U.S. Troops and talked about how important they are to America. He has brought his children along to show them and to teach them. He understands freedom and what it means, and wants to pass along the message.
His mother was a Holocaust survivor from Hungary, with her brother and her being the sole survivors from the persecution. She moved to Israel, where Gene (or at the time, Chaim Witz) was born. He even wrote on his blog about how great it was that American soldiers liberated his mother’s concentration camp when there really was nothing to gain. As he was raised almost solely by his mother since the age of eight, her struggle for freedom seems to have become a part of his genetic makeup, and something he has understood and kept close to his heart even into adulthood.
I am always amazed by Gene’s support of troops, even those in Israel. In 2006, he recorded a message that was sent to a soldier who was wounded in the Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah. The soldier was a huge Kiss fan, calling Gene his hero. Gene, in his message in both Hebrew and English, said that that soldier was actually his hero instead.
There is a huge joke on his television show that there is nothing that Gene Simmons won’t do to make a buck (and just in case you read this, Gene, YBK could sure use some help!). Yes, he is ambitious, but he realizes that there are more important things in this world than simply money. I believe this is part of the reason why his kids are so normal – instead of simply throwing cash at his children, he lets them see the world and see that there are things more important than them. Perhaps this is why they haven’t had any crazy incidents that end up in the tabloids.
I’m not arguing that Gene is a perfect person – he most certainly is not, and I don’t think he would argue that he is. But he teaches us something important as we approach the holiday of Passover that we should take with us into the holidays: that there is something more important in this world than ourselves. There is family, faith, hope, redemption, love, honor and respect. And there is freedom, which is one of the most important gifts of all.
I hope to one day meet Gene and shake his hand (my friend Josh said he was a very nice guy when he photographed him for the OC Register, and I hope that to be the case). I hope one day to cook for him and his lovely family. But, in the meantime, I am posting what I would probably make for him as a main course if he came over (oh, and it’s a dish that can be made kosher for Passover, too).
BUTTERFLIED BALSAMIC CHICKEN
One chicken or Cornish game hen
1 cup balsamic vinegar (see Kosher Alert!)
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Non-stick cooking spray
Cover a cookie sheet with two sheets of foil and spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (yes, I said 500 degrees).
In order to butterfly the chicken, cut open the back using kitchen shears and remove the backbone. Lay it as flat as possible, pushing it down. Mix balsamic vinegar, garlic, honey and olive oil. Pour over chicken, rubbing it in. Allow it to sit for up to 30 minutes before putting it into the oven. Cook for 30 minutes and serve. The final product will be dark, but it shouldn’t taste burned.
Kosher Alert!: Remember that, although balsamic vinegar is wonderful, it needs special kashering as it comes from grapes. Some brands mix theirs with other types of vinegars, so they’re easier to kasher, but many balsamics are not. This can make it pricy. Many kosher wine brands make their own, though, so make sure to keep a lookout.
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