Chilebrown called me last night and wanted to know if I wanted to meet up with Cookiecrumb, Cranky and his wife Peggy at the Marin Farmer’s market Sunday morning. Yes! It was nice getting out that early (7:30) on a Sunday morning, felt good. I nabbed this shot while coming back on the San Rafael bridge, pretty huh?
Yeah, yeah, whatever Biggles. You’ve been pretty much gone for the last week and promised a killer pot of beans that I simmered a rack of baby backs in to, where’s that? HUH !?!
Um, well a week ago, my hand “cancer” came back. 3 or 4 years ago the tendons in my right hand and wrist swell up and cause excruciating pain, 24 hours a day and there’s no way to hold it where it doesn’t hurt. Gets worse about midnight, ibuprofen helps. Cain’t even hold a pen, let alone write with it. I’ve been to an MRI, several specialists, so I won’t die or nothin’. But posting here and basic daily routines take a back seat.
So, that’s what that’s all about. Hope to see you all soon!
Biggles
Category Archives: Deep Thoughts
Flashcard – MIA, or is it?
No it ain’t! Last week my main flashcard went MIA, missing in action. Sure I have a few more, but there were a few posts on there and wasn’t able to do my job here in The Lab. I found it! So, hopefully within a few days I’ll get that together with some words and share my Pot of White Beans simmered with Pork Ribs. But until then, thought I would share this high-roast chicken I made the other day. Salt and a 450 degree oven, ain’t that somethin’? But Biggles, breast meat is always dry and tasteless. Not this time pally boy, it was moist and full of more chickenny flavor than I had expected.
I bought the chicken last week from Omar at Joya de Ceren here in Richmond. I didn’t ask where he got it, but it is surely not from grower you’d find at your local mega mart. Check out that leg and wing meat, it’s lean. This bird was able to get about, flapping an’ runnin’. And you know what? Raw it smells different, has a smell, rich and gamey. Even the fancy Rosie or Rocky Jr.’s don’t have this. And after it’s cooked, far more chickenny flavors. And at a $1.39 a pound for entero pollo? Count me in. Thank you Omar!
Okay, so you have a pot of beans recipe comin’. Guess what’s in the oven? Just now? Am working on a Roast Chicken Chile Verde, all dedicated to Chilebrown of Mad Meat Genius. We’ll see how that turns out, I used no recipe. Since it’s cooked in a clay cooker along with a whole chicken, the liquid proportions are WAY down. In fact, I used less than a cup and am thinking maybe no broth could be the way to go. Plus, I cut up everything in a small dice and whizzed the tomatillos. Everything must be cut small to cook in the allotted hour or so that it takes to cook the chicken. I put a foil lined cookie tray on the bottom of the oven, just in case. I think it’s going to spew some liquid, it’s amazing how much liquid using a clay pot retains.
That’s it for now, roger dodge and over and under.
xo, Biggles
Joya de Ceren
12545 San Pablo Ave
Richmond California
(510) 235-5315
out of my element aw heck out of anyone’s element
Ahhhh, the coming of fall. The sun gets lower in the sky and the crisp breezes begin. The cool, moist smell of the trees’ leaves turning along with the absolutely brilliant colors that come with are only available once a year. The summer pace turns to one of the coming winter months as we plan for the holidays. The skies darken far earlier, the food gets heartier (gravy) and the relatives, cards and local parties arrive with wild abandon. Even the political climate is changing! The holidays go and leave us with a nice easy lean in to the new year. Some vow on the resolutions and some breathe a sigh of relief that 2008 is gone forever.
Now it’s time to set in for the winter and maybe catch a Sunday ball game with snow falling on the aggressive field of play. Even here we’ve had the heater on more than a few times and most certainly all night long to keep us all from getting the chivers. Bring on the winter! I have a huge pot of leftover great northern beans in the fridge to keep me warm. Bring. It. On.
Um, dude, it’s 75 degrees outside and the grass is bright green and full. wtf?
Take note, just because I mentioned I was wearing slippers the other night to catch the moon doesn’t mean I was wearing anything else.
Behold the glory that is The Good Reverend Doctor Biggles !!! All bow (or avert your eyes) and pay homage. It is warm, ask no questions, fire up all grills.
I have spoken.
Biggles
Huge Moon
Hi Everbody!
We’re still alive here at Meathenge Labs, just recouping after the holidays and basically being lazy as gosh. *-SNORE-*
As many of you know, the last few nights have produced an amazing full moon, just as it first popped up on the Eastern horizon. Per usual, I was 20 minutes late and didn’t get the detail I was looking for. Even with a tripod & circular polarizer, feh. Dumb moon picture. It was most spectacular live though, that was amazing and worth the effort. This would be walking out the back door and standing there like a loon with slippers on.
xo, Biggles
Eating Habits of an 8 year old
Observing children’s habits of any kind can be an interesting journey to say the least. Being a parent, I can say I have more than some experience in this arena.
Whether you’re a parent or not, you’ve surely caught yourself saying, “If/When this happens, my child will be this way.” Such as, “My girl won’t act like that about video games or sugar.” This usually comes from someone who either doesn’t have children, or is only a year or two in. “We’re going to be vegan, no television or refined sugar!”
After many years on this planet I’ve learned that vegan babies wind up dead. And children that are completely left out of our culture, wind up out of control later on in life for those things that they were kept away from. This happens time and time again, it only takes observation and nothing else.
The best I’ve been able to do is lead by example and put in front of them the best I can. Let them work out their own path, with moderation. Here we find Tiny E’s dinner plate, he wanted the center of the pork chop, some rice and a few beans. Since he didn’t want to finish his beans, he offered to eat 2 bananas. I can live with that.
For his effort, he got to have a wine goblet filled with jello he made 2 nights ago.
For me, this is success to the greatest degree. I love my life, and what I’ve done to it.
xo, Biggles
Happy New Year – 2009 Sheet Yeah !!!
Yeah baby, happy new year!
Sure for many reasons, but happy for me for a few other reasons. While the holiday’s are great and all, it feels better to have all that in the past. Life is tough enough to do day by day, but to add that stuff on top of it can make it traumatic at best.
That being said, we did okay here. No disasters. Later 2008, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
And sorry for being gone for so long, I spent the entire New Years week on the sofa hacking up small furry animals. I didn’t get a good night’s sleep for over a week and it was getting a bit much. But yesterday it all cleared up and am feeling far better. Thank you Western Medicine, you rock. You know, there’s a reason why people all over the world are clambering for it.
What’s in store this coming year? What resolutions have I made? I don’t know and none. Resolutions are worthless to me. If I want to do something, I do it. I don’t need no damned resolution to cloud my ambitions, it’s my nature. I do have reviews I’m sorely late on, I’m a naughty reviewer. Sorry to everyone to sent me something to review and it hasn’t hit yet.
Where do we go after bacon and smoked pork ribs? I don’t know, only the future holds the answer.
Cheers to you all and thank you for your support over the year, it’s been GREAT.
xo, Biggles
ps – The photograph to the right there was taken with my old D200 and a far older Manual Focus 50 mm f1.2 lens. That my or may not be of any interest to you, but f1.2 is one wide open aperture. Its light gathering, and lack of depth of field ability is stunning to say the least. Not bad for a 25 year old lens, eh?
move your camera in the air, like you just don’t care
Well, I’m pretty well set for the 2 dinners I’m hosting in the coming days, Thursday & Friday. Since the boys are here, it’s all about the gravy for tomorrow, that means turkey. Yeah, we had a turkey for Thanksgiving, but that’s okay. It’s all about the gravy.
For Friday, I have two racks of loin ribs & a tri-tip beef roast destined for the smoker. What else? Does anything after that matter? Pheh.
To each and every one of you, may warm & happy goodness be yours.
Biggles
ps – That’s an ornamental pear tree I shot while moving my camera to the right, with an up & down motion at f8, with a circular polarizer. And at a low ISO, it gave me a long enough exposure time to paint it for you. Cause that’s what that is, a painting. Get it?
Tree Drip
Hi!
Frozen windshields & behind!
Last night it got down to 28 and the previous night the same. It rarely gets below 40 here in Richmond and deicing a windshield isn’t something we do on a regular basis during the winter. I do know better than to dump warm water on it though, we just sat there with the defroster going until it sluffed off. Cool, eh?
And, I’m so boned! I still have a small handful of books I was supposed to review before the coming holiday. Man, Tiny E and I just got the tree last afternoon! GAH !!! Sorry everyone, I’m late.
Biggles
hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil
Alright, so I knew I was going to be late in to work this morning because I had to wait for the phone guy. Tiny E showed up sick on Sunday and knew Monday would be at home, okay. Z and I got up and were ready to hit the road at 6:45 and I decided to clean my glasses, like I do every morning.
Ping! Why do I have my glasses in my left hand and a lens in my right?
Sigh, no driving for Biggles this dark and early morning. Fine, I’ll just cruise the net. No, the screen was a complete waist of time. Okay, I’ll just watch tv! No, even with a 36″ tube that didn’t work either. Dammit! See, I’m nearly legally blind in my left eye and my right isn’t much better, glasses bring me back to ‘normal’, at least my vision anyway. Do I have a spare? Sure, at work!
The sun came up and wore my prescription sunglasses to go get them, yay. No yay, the prescription is so old I’m nearly typing this by silhouettes of the letters. Grrrrr. And speaking of prescription, the phone number of the place where I buy my specs has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Phlesbsbsbsbsttt !
Mondays, right?
What didn’t suck? Last night’s supper, that’s what. I procured me a top sirloin beef steak from Ted the Rancher (Highland Hills Farm) at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. Ted’s herd is the true organic, grass fed, heritage breed situation. Usually I find grass fed beef not to my liking, the grain does give a distinctive flavor that I adore.
Pulled it from the fridge Sunday, let it sit out for an hour with a kosher salt rub.
The cast iron griddle with grills up, super heated. Rub bacon fat all over steak.
Grill hard until done, a rare medium will do nicely, thank you very much. Wow, and double wow. I really have to admit Ted’s top sirloin was absolutely divine. I’m going to do this again soon, I can hardly wait. I apologize for any illnormal writings or editing of the pictures. I had to do it based upon feel and silhouettes, I can’t see worth a pinch of moon poo.
Biggles
Meathenge featured on The Perfect Pantry
I can’t remember when I started reading Lydia’s The Perfect Pantry. It wasn’t too terribly long ago, I don’t think. Not only does she know what she’s talking about, able to lay it down well, but she’s fun. So many attempt to write well about what they know, but it’s no fun. I like fun, fun is good.
On a regular basis, she’s got this thing she does. Readers send in their pantries to share, I’m #45 in that game. I wasn’t going to participate because my pantry lacks pretty much everything. But what the heck, eh?
Here’s a direct link to Other People’s Pantries #45 featuring my wonderful pantry.
Biggles
Saturday Fires
Just do it.
And then? I did it.
Blam! Just like that.
Sing Ob La Di Ob La Da !
Last evening I found myself taking out the trash, it’s what I do, and saw this. Um, do you have any idea how fast I moved to get my camera? Nope, faster than that. And, I’ve had this song in my head for a few days, maybe this will help to change muh tunes.
These are exactly the colors that I saw with my eyeballs, zactly.
Everyone knows this tune, pull it up in your head and sing along! Ready? Go!
Desmond has a barrow in the market place
Molly is the singer in a band
Desmond says to Molly girl I like your face
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on
Desmond takes a trolly to the jewellers store
Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
And as he gives it to her she begins to sing
In a couple of years they have built
A home sweet home
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones
Happy ever after in the market place
Molly lets the children lend a hand
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she’s a singer with the band
And if you want some fun, take obladi blada
Lyrics by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Recorded by The Beatles and sung in my head by me
Biggles
Sunday Sunset – Ith pretty
Ya know, I took this Sunday evening, last night. Was kinda shocked it came out so crazy vivid, so decided to post it! I had some sort of little poem to delight, and then? AND THEN ??? My goddam internet connection died.
Oh man did that suck, I was quite displeased. I mean, what the hell good is a computer without an internet in it? So, all I have to share at this point is the stunning sunset grabbed with my old D200 with a 70-300 VR.
Happy bloody Monday,
Biggles
Your friend in meat, happy friday everyone!
Dang, where’d that week go? Yeah, I dunno either. I haven’t spent much time in the kitchen, nor at the grill. Sure tore it up last weekend though! Here’s Saturday at Chilebrown’s celebrating his new sauce, The Good Reverend Dr. Biggles’ Bucktooth Revenge BBQ sauce.
Oddly enough, I meant to stop by last Friday too. Creepy E gifted me an older electric skillet and I did up some pork chops! Here’s last week’s Friday in Meat that you never saw.
And, to make the pot that much sweeter, this just in from a Meathenge fan, Snowbuggie.
The Pig
In England once there lived a big
And wonderfully clever pig.
To everybody it was plain
That Piggy had a massive brain.
He worked out sums inside his head,
There was no book he hadn’t read.
He knew what made an airplane fly,
He knew how engines worked and why.
He knew all this, but in the end
One question drove him round the bend:
He simply couldn’t puzzle out
What LIFE was really all about.
What was the reason for his birth?
Why was he placed upon this earth?
His giant brain went round and round.
Alas, no answer could be found.
Till suddenly one wondrous night.
All in a flash he saw the light.
He jumped up like a ballet dancer
And yelled, “By gum, I’ve got the answer!”
“They want my bacon slice by slice
“To sell at a tremendous price!
“They want my tender juicy chops
“To put in all the butcher’s shops!
“They want my pork to make a roast”
And that’s the part’ll cost the most!”
They want my sausages in strings!
“They even want my chitterlings!
“The butcher’s shop! The carving knife!
“That is the reason for my life!”
Such thoughts as these are not designed
To give a pig great piece of mind.
Next morning, in comes Farmer Bland,
A pail of pigswill in his hand,
And piggy with a mighty roar,
Bashes the farmer to the floor…
Now comes the rather grizzly bit
So let’s not make too much of it,
Except that you must understand
That Piggy did eat Farmer Bland,
He ate him up from head to toe,
Chewing the pieces nice and slow.
It took an hour to reach the feet,
Because there was so much to eat,
And when he finished, Pig, of course,
Felt absolutely no remorse.
Slowly he scratched his brainy head
And with a little smile he said,
“I had a fairly powerful hunch
“That he might have me for his lunch.
“And so, because I feared the worst,
“I thought I’d better eat him first.”
The Pig by Roald Dahl
xo, Biggles