January 2005 Archives

MmMMmmmmmMMmmm, bacon.

The weather around here has been pretty darned wet the last few days and it doesn't look to clear up anytime soon. Our little house gets even smaller this time of year, smaallll. Last weekend I picked up some of Fatted Calf's Mortadella, bordelaise sausage (new favorite) & some duck demi glace. Such a treat on these nasty nasty days. The wafty sizzles of bright happy sausages coming from the kitchen make the days quite a bit brighter. The creamy warmth of a piece of sausage lolling about in your mouth brings a wide grin each time. The spine tingling thrill of opening the carefully wrapped gifts and gazing upon the glistenny meat loves is just too much to bear. You must leave your hovel and sally forth and git yerself some. Even if it's cold, even if it's raining and especially if it's snowing out. Who wants to be snowed in without fresh sausage? Not I. You go.
Go on, read their newsletter and see what's coming up for this Saturday's Farmer's Market and next Tuesdays.

If you're a fan of the Henge, then you probably hang out at a multitude of other food blogs as well. This means you've run in to all kinds of contests and awards: some hosted by major players; some hosted by some of us little people. These include themed cooking get togethers and all kinds of fun stuff. Well, it's time for Meathenge to step up to the plate and host a contest!

Over the years we've all probably had pets. Some owners are dog people, some like cats. I've have mostly cats and oddly enough, birds. I do like dogs though, don't get me wrong. I just don't feel the houses I've been in would be large enough for a dog, let alone the time I have to give. I remember when I was really a small boy, maybe 10 years old or so, I had rats. And later on, hamsters. I liked them enough, but as with all pets they require time, effort & a clean cage. In the last five years I've been lucky to live in the same house, not like the last 22 years. This means I get to see the seasons change, the plants grow and my birds play. But more importantly I've been able to spend time in the garden growing vegetables, flowers and so forth. All due to the lowly red worm. That beautiful red worm that makes the soil so rich and healthy. So, you know where I stand in regards to our bretheren.

Marcel & Henri's - Pate De Campagne ain't fit for my worms. I'm tossing this crap in to the garbage. Tightly sealed so it doesn't give the Gulls problems. Remember, I like birds.

Xo Xo

Yes Jan, there's skin on that chicken. You bet.

It's still winter, just in case you were wondering. The trees are bare, the sun is going down too early and the days are only warm enough to wear only one sweater outside (I'm in California). Everyone has been spending too darned much time in the house, our little noses are pressed tight to the windows longing for the spring. There's a few things one can do to lift the spirits. One of which would be to spend a morning at the local Farmer's market, that helps. Especially if you're able to pick up a package of Taylor's Bordelaise sausage and fresh bacon. Another thing one could do is to fire up the grill. I did both and by Saturday afternoon I was feeling a bit better.

Today was my first Farmer's Market in a few weeks and I have to say it felt really good getting back in to the swing of things. My little boy and I did a few walks up and down, pinching, poking and surveying the good stuff. All of it. Thankfully Taylor brought back some sun from Mexico, yeah.
There's nothing to this post other than a meat inspired photograph and wonderful food. I had planned on giving this Mortadella to Steve, he loves the Mortadella. But I knew, within a few moments, it was mine and mine alone. Warm toast and mortadella, nothing finer.

Xo Xo

Last night's roast chicky. Extra Virgin olive oil, tiny bit of curry over all with some rubbed sage and rosemary in the roasted vegetables underneath with rich red wine butter sauce.

Bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon, bacon bacon bacon. Bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon. WITH BACON !!!

I also noticed the Bordelaise sausage listed, hooyah !! That's a special treat. It don't happen that often, grab it while you cans. A very delicate wonderfully rich sausage that sports about 10% more fat than you'll find in most.

Between the bacon and bordelaise you have your weekend SET.

Bordelaise this week could be fingers, not coils.

I pulled this from my archives, check that sucker out! Ian is wily in the ways of sausage fu. Yum.

Check out what else is going on for Saturday:

Over the past year or so Blue Bottle Coffee has been growing. And coming this January 23rd at 315 Linden St., between Hayes and Fell, off of Gough, Blue Bottle Coffee opens it's first kiosk.

This meal was a spur of the moment decision. A few days ago my uncle sent me some recipe for a 3 Cheese Potato Gratin. The vision was dancing in my head all that day and by late afternoon I found myself at the grocery store picking up all that was required. First I had to find a hunk of meat that might go with taters. I decided on a pork loin, no bone. Didn't have a choice, if I did I would choose bone-in. Off we go!

As simple as it is, a beef roast during the week brings a warm felt slab of love to the dinner table. We don't have it as often as you'd think, maybe once a month. So I don't get a lot of chance to fuss with different preparations. And since this one was during the week, keeping it simple was a must. Simple, rich, beefy that disapears off the plate too darned fast. Good thing I bought a whole roast.

This last week found me at a food blog I hadn't visited before, Kitchen Monkey. I like the name of the blog and he's got a picture of a chimp on his banner, I'll read.
He's got a post on there about making his own noodles for a Ramen Soup thing with tender bits of meat & vegies & egg. I wasn't interested in the soup, but making my own pasta needed to be done. You see, Mama purchased a pasta machine years ago and never really got to using it. It's cold here, been raining a lot, what the hell else do I have to do?

Joe Bob sends us another wonderful treat from Denver. Hooboy it looks good, darned good.

For years I have been meaning to stop in at the famous Kapre Fried Chicken on Welton Street down in Five Points. Then when I did, turns out they have been shut for some time. The guys next door in the shoe repair store said if I wanted fried chicken just go across the street. Across the street turns out to be Welton Street Café. This is it's 4th or 5th local in about 17 years. They know how to do fried chicken. I had the dinner with 2 sides and iced tea. Man was it worth it....$10.95. Of course I got the okra, red beans and rice and corn bread.

This entry submitted by Joe Bob of Denver. Some day I will be able to taste the fabled green chili from Denver, some day.

Each fall there is a mountain bike festival in Fruita, CO. Each year a bunch of bike geeks from Quality in MN come through Denver on their way there. They stop in a Wakeman's house for a party too. The basic theme is Tamales from La Casita in Denver. Then there's the Mopars.....besides the bicycles and bike talk is the car thing. Tamales, green chile and cars. Toss in some pierced tattooed borderline sociopaths and you have a great time. Hopefully an annual event now.

Joe Bob, our reporter from Denver Colorado, checks in with this awsome man and his custom pits.

Down the street you'll find Jordan's Custom Made Bar-B-Que Grills and Smokers. Joe Jordan has been building his custom rigs for about 20 years now. I saw the sign and had to stop in.

This semi-new local restaurant, Wailiki Hawaiian BBQ, has sparked easily the most heated discussion amoung our immediate circle of friends & family. Apparently my sister and her husband, Mr. & Mrs. Meathead visited this place a month ago and were served nearly inedible food. The food I received was worth returning to. My co-worker EarAche wasn't impressed with the one in Hercules, the L&L Hawaiian BBQ . Why do these two restaurants have identical menus? Why are there no vegetables? Except for the strands of cabbage under the fried food? I've never been to Hawaii and it took a few days to sort things out. For those of you concerned, it's called Plate Lunch.

Artsy fartsy shot alert! Yup, it's cold & wet outside and we've been inside too darned long. I'm ready to take photographs of someting other than family & food, even if it is a stick.

Equipment used: Nikon D70 on tripod sportin' a AF D 60mm 2.8 micro lens wide open with a kiss of flash.

Ya know, after what Fatted Calf produced throughout the holidays I thought for sure we'd see Taylor at the stall on Sunday looking bruised and haggered from no sleep, with maybe two packages of sausage left. I'm really impressed at the list for this coming Saturday. Especially using some fancy Chanterelles for the pork crepinettes, neat eh? Something else to consider, you really should stop by and pickup a little jar of Duck Demi Glace or the Glace de Viande, two wonderful meat stocks. Adding a dollup of one will make your couscous dish quite special indeed, gravies improve beyond your expectations. Too nice to pass up. You go see, on Saturday.

Xo Xo

Last night started out innocently enough. It's Tuesday night, family is hungry, time to start cooking. The last few times I've been using a tortilla press to make Flat Burgers for the kids. I know many of you have probably done this more than a few times over the years, but I thought it was worth a mention here. See, usually when one makes burgers, they puff up a bit in the center, then don't get browned on the edges. Plus, since they aren't uniform one part is over cooked and the other is just right. Then, if you do have children you're probably not paying real attention and over cook them anyways. Yeah so, if you make them about a 1/4" thick, they cook entirely in about 3 minutes. Big time score. Alright, so I figured I'd do the flat burgers. And since Z loves mashed potatoes, I'd do that as well. Besides I'm a big fan of the spud myself, no problem. I hadn't planned on making gravy, but after watching the taters loll around in the hot water, they spoke to me. "Make gravy for me, if you love me. If you love me you'll make gravy." Who am I to not listen to a spud?

Not too long ago I stumbled upon Karen's food blog, Let's Play Restaurant! She's a bit fresh at this whole thing of blogging and I have to say, getting something up worth viewing on a month to month basis ain't easy. What caught my eye initially was a split pea soup recipe that included lard. Yum, lard. Anyway, she and her husband have been forced in to a completely different diet. She admitted that over the years her pot roasts have alwasy really come out dry and basically inedible. I offered some help in that department, being simmered meat and all. Yeah well, she gave it a try and posted it up. The results aren't in yet, but it sounds as though everything will be FINE. Go see Biggles' Pot Roast.

Prelude: I prepared the following food at work today, not my normal place of cheffin'. Probably a better day at work than most, eh?

On March 15th 2004 a special young lad by the name of John Bell paid us a visit here at Meathenge from Mobile Alabama. He's known for quite a handful of things, one of which being Southern Fried Chicken. I want to get this straight and clear right now. I'm not making Emeril's chicken, nor am I making chicken that you make. I WANNA MAKE WHAT JOHN BELL MAKES !!! And after 3 posts on Meahenge, I have yet to accomplish this. If you go check out March 15th's entry you'll get to SEE what his craggy lava crunch chicken looks like. And what it tastes like? You'll just have to imagine.

Sometime late last week I came home and noticed a foodie magazine on the table. The name was Bon Appetit, I heard of it before. Never actually 'looked' at one. The theme of this issue was and still is, "What's Hot, What's Not & What's Next", keeeripes. Whatever. Plus there was something about a Pan-Asian menu, not sure what that is all about. Probably something tasty, but full of vegetables no doubt. First page is a car ad, then an ad for a Celebrity Cruise. Neither of which anyone I know can afford, so I continue. I find Bon Appetit is from Los Angeles, what do they know about anything? Botox!!! That ad is on page 113.
Mama notices me flipping at the magazine and says there's a really nice sounding chicken recipe on page 111 that she'd like to try. I nod and say it really looks like a nice rag and we should definately give it a try!