Today we welcome Meathead to the table. Surely you remember the first time we kinda reviewed Smokey's Seafood Gumbo a year and a half ago? Well, the box has new art, let's see what Meathead thought about this lovely workaday lunch.Take it away Meathead!
Piggies
And for all the little piggies life is getting worse,
Always having dirt to play around in.
Have you seen the bigger piggies in their starched white shirts?
You will find the bigger piggies stirring up the dirt,
Always have clean shirts to play around in.
In their styes with all their backing they don’t care what goes on around,
In their eyes there’s something lacking,
What they need’s a damn good whacking.
Everywhere there’s lots of piggies living piggie lives,
You can see them out for dinner with their piggie wives,
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon.
Thank you Amelia, thank you John & Paul.
Biggles
It wasn't too many years ago when I met Amelia Ray. She was introduced to me through a mutual friend, as it turned out a fan of Meathenge already. Such a small world we live in, eh? She was, and still is, an accomplished musician (she has paying gigs, hoser). Check out her bio and site, she's got talent (the good kind) oozing our her ear holes.
Now we turn to page 2 and she's put up a food blog. And cause she's got creativity, she came up with a pretty fricken unique idea. She interviews people via telephone from her home in Spain and has them do a recipe and cook a dish this way. You can see where this is going, huh?
Page 3 is where we find our plucky hero with a silly headset on using Skype to braise a pork roast in milk. I'd never used Skype before, Mama set it up for me. It uses a broadband connection to connect you to anyone around the world so you can talk for free. It's a lot like using a 1940's radio and transmitter. Or like I remember telephoning my grandparents in Kansas. You had to wait a moment for your voice to reach them or you'll talk over them and get all screwed up. Alright, so anyway it was my turn on Food Operator.
Please be kind, this was my nearly my first time using Skype and I was as nervous as hell. I accidentally talked over Amelia at every turn and only had minimal prep. It's how I am with studying. I have to say though, she knows what she's doing and after listening to the production and editing, I am impressed. Thank you Amelia and surely F.O. will be nothing but fun and high adventure.
Go now: Dr. Biggles' Arrosto Di Maiale Al Latte
Biggles
Sugo History v1.0: I believe this is Sugo's second version on containers, neat eh? And you thought you'd seen all the uses for a mason jar.
The Fatted Calf newsletter rolled in this morning. Certainly I was happy to see it, wasn't expecting what I spied, no sir.
I've had a love affair with Sugo di Carne since its inception many years ago. Its weekly savory love was something I quickly became dependant upon. And it wasn't until it disapeared and I wrote Ode to Sugo di Carne that I realized what it truly meant to me. It was over the weeks I realized what a seething, gaping hole it left in my heart. Spackle can only go so far for a broken heart.
So, when the newsletter was read by my eyeballs, they teared up ever so gently. My throat tightened and my tummy did a little squiggle. Sugo di Carne is BACK !!!
Here we find Sugo's first plasticky type container. You would have purchased it this way probably 3 years ago. Gives you shivers down the spine, don't it? Ain't baby Sugo cute? Yes you are, you're the cutest little thing! Yes you are. Boo boo boo boo boo, boo boo.
Wanna see what it looks like simmered for 35 minutes with a large can of fancy 'maters over pasta?
I can't speak for everyone, but this takes my breath away. The rich, yet tangy sauce with perfect fat content that brings said flavors to each and every taste bud. This is the kind of love Sugo has to offer.
Honestly, I don't know anything about the rest of the menu for this Coming Saturday at the Farmer's Market in Berkeley and San Francisco. And I don't care. Sugo, little buddy, it's great to see you back and in good health. Cheers!
Biggles
Hey, were you the one with that dull ass knife over the holiday whacking repeatedly in to your roasted meat hunks making a complete mess out of it? Sure your knife skills may be that of a rabid beaver, but it could very well be it's time to get a new edge on those old rigs. Ya know, you should sharpen them at least twice a year, depending on use.
I can hear you now, "But Biggles, I use that steely thing at least once a month!"
That "steely thing" should be used each time you use your knife and only realigns the hairs on the existing edge. This edge goes away over time and needs to be made new again. Haven't you always wondered how these surreal & magical people do this to our beloved knives?
Wonder no more my friend! For Eric E. Weiss is here to shead light in to where we only dreamed of going. That's right, he's going to show you how to sharpen your own knives. This coming February 12th, starting at 6:30 to 8:30pm in Emeryville, Eric will go in to great detail about all things sharp and how to keep them that way. The cost is only $55.00 bux.
Read on, foo.
A week ago Pat Fusco, a dining buddy and internet cohort, emailed me asking to use my mackNcheese photograph for an upcoming article she was preparing. I said, "Well, okay."
It was then she mentioned hesitantly that the article was about funerals and was that still okay?
Okay, let's see if I got this right. We get to combine Food, Photography & Graveyards? How could this possibly not be the most fantastic thing ever ?!? I felt as though I was walking 3 feet ... under the ground.
Enough, let's get to the goodies. Here's Pacific Sun's website. Here's the article without the pretty image I did. And bless the Powers that Be, they put the paper in PDF format. It may take a few minutes to download, then scroll down until you see the macky cheese picture and the title of Food & Drink. Bask in my awesomeness. Oh, and a hearty cheers to Pat for thinking of Biggles in her time of need!
Cheers,
Biggles
waHOOOO !!! Oh yeah, who doesn't like hot wings, raise your hands? Biggles scans the multitudes and all he's able to disinguish is the sound of smacking of many lips. That's right, I've confirmed it. Everyone loves hot wings. Surely you have a recipe or two you could whip up to go play? You have until the Superbowl to get busy!
First Annual Hot Sauce Blog Wing Off
Or if you'd like to visit Nick's site at the beginning? Hot Sauce Blog
Biggles
Such a nice introduction to a new year. It's been icy cold in the mornings, the excitement of the holidays has past (thank goodness) and the new year is ... well new. A great time to sit back, relax and see what happens next.
Uh, that would be in invite from Chilebrown to an afternoon of fresh pizza made in his new wood fired oven. It's a gift from his wife Ms. Goofy, nice huh? Interested to see more? If not, click through anyways ya foo.
Whull, this turned out a heck of a lot better than I figured. I had planned on doing a basic pan seared porky chop dinner that would finish in the oven. Something with browny pork goodness that was quick and darned tasty. Well, as quick as you could slice a jalapeno pepper I decided to finish the chops in milk, in the oven. An unexected surprise indeed!
Been having this tangly urge for real macky cheese. The creamy, cheesy and just a little sparky roasted dish. You know the one, yup. I was perusing Kevin's Seriously Good and read that he and Cookiecrumb of I'm Mad and I Eat had partnered up for some cooking. The dish? You guessed it, macky cheese. I was in and yesterday was the deadline. I'm a day late and 2 pounds fatter. Oh well, what can you do?
Yesterday I was invited to a nice lunch at Cookiecrumb and Cranky's place. Surely you remember? I'm Mad and I Eat? Yes, those two.
They were hosting and all I had to do was show up. Uh, huh. Yup, invite a hillbilly and he doesn't have to bring anything?
Early Wednesday morning I realized I had a tritip and Chilebrown's home made Chile Verde Sausage in my fridge. They needed cooking, so I brought them with me as I hit the road. And this is where the above image steps in. I can't remember ever buying in to that whole "New Years Resolution" thing. I never thought it was a good idea. I figure, do your best and move forward each year. Simple enough and makes beings such as myself happy enough to actually live through.
As I was revving my dusty old Dodge truck out of the toll plaza on the bridge I began to review the year and think that maybe I did have a few things in 2007 I'd like to add. 65mph rounded out the speedo as I mushed it in to 5th gear and figured 83 was a good velocity to attain. And it hit me, CROSS MORE BRIDGES !!!
As the last 18 seconds counted down on the bridge, I grabbed my rig and slapped this shot in to that memory card thingy. I never thought anything would be in focus, let alone be worth posting. In the upper right is a slice of San Quentin prison and in the mirror of my creaky machine is the reflection of the San Rafael Bridge that joins with Richmond. After the bridge, I downshifted said creaky machine at 70mph in to 4th and coaxed my fuel injected V8 in to light speed. Ya know, I realize it's irresponsible and all. But the sound a V8 mated with a manual transmission makes, no, gives me the weak knees. Plus I only commute a total of 12 minutes a day, I can justify such things.
Our lunch together was a much needed respit and a mutually happy place to be on a Wednesday afternoon. Our spice collection, herb collection, hot sauce collection, knife collection, pan collection and roaster collection had a lot in common. We'd make some fancy comment and both come up with the same answer. So nice and even with a together that had nothing left behind.
If I had to start another damned new year and make some positive comment about the future, 2007 is at the top of of my list.
xo, Biggles
