Sally forth with the grace of meat on your breath all the days of your life.
Rev. Dr. Biggles PhM
No Grill? No worries. A meaty weekend in Calistoga.
Jeffrey and I have known each other now for about 22 years. We email and talk once in a while, meat up from time to time and reminisce when visiting Jack. This last weekend was Jeffrey’s turn to host a meal, he was hesitant. See, all he has is a little gas grill. He knew it came dreadfully short of adequate and mentioned something about picking up a weber kettle.
Nice offer, but those rigs are $130 and up. There must be a better (less expensive) way. Come with me on a little adventure wherein Biggles totally kicks a gas grill’s ASS with a hole in the ground.
Even Memorial Day can’t stand up to The 4th for grilling
Yop yop, it’s coming up on the busiest grill day of the year. Some of us have been at it for mumfs already and probably won’t gain much from this post. However, if this isn’t you and you’re considering inviting friends over for an afternoon of merry & meat, it’s time to start getting ready, foo.
bug dude on sunflower leaf girl
Last night at sundown I headed out to catch the last few rays of the sun as it slid down over the Richmond skyline (old houses and power lines). The pumpkins and maters are coming along nicely, the latter reaching nearly 6 feet wide and 4.5 feet up. I figured I’d set my sights on the volunteer sunflower plants that found their way through the flax & chile pepper plants.
Sitting my cuttoffs squarly on the hay & dirt, I pulled my knees up to prop the camera and sat for a while. This is when it all changes. You don’t have to concentrate on standing, crouching or thinking about falling over. The angle of view can change dramatically, I’m 6 foot 2 inches. At this point the tomato plants are over my head, the coyote brush is now clearly a tree. It’s rich, oily perfume falls down I suppose, cause it’s pungent down here. The ground is kinda warm from the day’s sun. The wind is getting brisk and the little leafs wave back.
When peace starts to creep up from behind, the bright yellow/green finches return to their seed sacks. Slowly I turned, brought the camera to my eye bone and carefully snapped off a few rounds at this little bug dood. When you least expect it, it all comes back. Ain’t that cool?
xo, Biggles
Did Primordial Chefs Feed Our Giant Brains?
Here’s a bitchen article sent to us by our good friend Mr. Heckert. It seems as though, about the time humans started campfires, their brains doubled in size. I suppose it was however long after that when we figured out how to distill grain that it deflated down to size. Ah well, what you gonna do?
Here’s the article by David Ewing Duncan,
Did Primordial Chefs Feed Our Giant Brains?
Vietnam Rules !!!
Have you ever found yourself at a point where you don’t feel like cooking? Feel as though computers, pots, pans come at too high a price? It happens to everyone from time to time.
This afternoon, after work I was helping Ed and his brother Stephen bring in a new washer/dryer combo rig. It’s what guys do best, move heavy things. We quaffed a few beers and towards the end, Unky Steve offered up some Vietnamese egg role rigs. They had been made semi-recently by a co-worker and he had quite a stash.
My first reaction was, “Damned, something I’ll have to cook. I don’t want that.”
Then I kicked myself and said, “You IDIOT !!! It’s deep frying, you suck at it and it’d be a great time to put some time in. Practice my boy, practice.” So, off I ran with 2 of those baggies you see.
I paid careful attention to muh cast iron dutch oven, oil level, heat and such. Got me up to 374 degrees or so. I figured they’d all sink and fill with oil, just most of my other deep fried adventures had ended up. Nope, I timed, played and watched bubbles exit. I found that at 4 minutes, they were good to go.
It was so much fun listening to the prickly oil, keeping them moving about to distribute even oil heat and watch them brown. One by one they came out and damed if they didn’t suck. The oil content in the food was nonexistent, the quality of the little darlings was perfect. Meat to crunchy veg, tight roll, and flavors melded. This dear woman had constructed something I couldn’t screw up! I’m so excited I’m going to keep the oil and do some frying this weekend.
Yup, I ate them all. Such a refreshing treat, thank you!
Biggles
Happy Father’s Day – Put your hopes, dreams and wishes in the drink!
Cheers !!!
This is far more evil that it was meant to be. But so be it, kinda nice actually. Not sure how the fish feel about it …
Bug on Pumpkin Leaf
Hi Everbody!
I wanted to stop by and apologize for the complete Lack. The boys are now out of school and am looking forward to some actual cooking. And by that I mean, you get to share in our meals.
The garden is alive this year and doing exceptionally well. As you can see the volunteer pumpkins are coming right along. The tomato plants are 4′ across, 4′ high and climbing, jeez. I have time to water and snap a few shots for fun.
xo, Rev. Dr. Biggles PhM
ps-
Knife Sharpening Class With Eric E. Weiss
So you can dice up your onion and slice down your carrots now with ease. Celery goes fine, stuffed with creamy cheese. But dammit man, the thought of sharpening those knives has always made you weak in the knees.
I owe you a dollar for having to read that …
Ahem. Well, suffer no longer my good friend. Mr. Weiss is here and he’s got a class coming up this coming Monday evening. Click on that image above, he got a wonderful write-up in the San Francisco Magazine recently. Cool, eh?
There’s only a few spaces left, so hurry and sign up quick. It’s only 60 bux!
With ERIC E. WEISS
MONDAY, June 18, 2007
6:30pm – 8:30pm $60.
Paulding &Company, A Creative Kitchen
1410 D 62nd. St. Emeryville, 94608
Class details/registration at
Paulding & Co.
510-594-1104
Happy Birthday Meathenge !!! You’re this many, IIII.
Hey Biggles. Where you at son? poke poke
Hey Biggles, you dere? Whut? Hey dumbass, you do remember you have a food related web site you’re responsible for, don’t you? Where? Keeripes man, Meathenge. Oh yeah. I was wondering why it went quiet a few weeks ago. The amount of time I have available to do such things comes to about 30 minutes from time to time. I use this smidge for watching such mind numbing movies as McBain. It’s a Vietnam War era movie wherein Christopher Walken plays Chuck Norris. No really. And I should have used the word rotting for numbing.
Even through my total lack of time for to make Meathenge shine, we’ve come to our 4th birthday here! That’s right, it’s been a tad over 4 years since Meathenge hit the streets. Pretty darned cool, huh? That’s 28 in Blog Years.
I’ve made friends I can easily say will be around for a lifetime. Got some photographs published along with some recipes and even mentions in newspapers from afar. Meathenge has top rankings in google for quite a few topics, such as our beloved Andreas Viestad. Adjusting old gas ranges has turned in to a weekly discussion and the topic was posted about 2 years ago! That Caja China roasting box post I did was one of the first on the net. The only site that was of any help was Babalu. Today? It’s everywhere, even the food network. Great fun!
Without your cheers with hardly any jeers I’ve had a great time and hope to continue on in to the glistenny future. Summer is coming am looking forward to a little more time for recipes, pictures & fun. Hang tight, we’re not going away. No how, no way.
xo, Rev. Biggles
ps – That’s right, I can now bless your meat.
Ith Pretty
Brush, brush, brush your way to a thinner new you! Appetite Control Toothpaste
It says there, “The World’s First! Appetite Control Toothpaste.
What the hell ?!?! My first thought was, “Do we really need this?” And then, I figured, “Of course we do, look! It’s right there!” And yet it’s already on the clearance isle. Har har har.
I’ve been here at the keyboard over the last few minutes. Wrote down a few paragraphs, then erased paragraphs. This is so pathetic ol’ Biggles is rant free. All I can figure is that someone was looking out for the tweakers. Now speed freaks can have good teeth too. Cause you know that’s the only idiot that’d consider it. So, the next time you see some unbathed, shaky, wild eyed creature with a toothbrush in their hip pocket, check their smile. You’ll have the 411 and you saw it first at Meathenge.
xo, Biggles
Friends of the ‘Henge. Or, Dang, the internet is actually good for something!
Look what showed up on my doorstep? All packed tight with dry ice, shipped next day air an junk. It’s full of cured pork products !!!
A few years ago a commenter showed up on the Meathenge train. Seemed to be a laid back kind of guy, got smarts about him, and some minutes a day to read my ramblin’s. Times rolled along, he came and went, leaving comments behind him as he pleased. Sometimes it was just a hello and a few times it was to ruffle some feathers, even if he din’t mean to. Apologies all around and off we went.
Restaurante El Tazumal #2 – Richmond, CA
I believe the words appropriate for my feelings for El Tazumal #2 are, In Love.
I don’t consider myself a worldly type of guy, I’m okay with that. But if I had to judge a country by their people, El Salvador is right at the top. The restaurant & grocery next door are family run, the shopkeeper is always there. Not only are you greeted with smiles, but if nearly any type of conversation ensues, he’ll ask you would like to see pictures of his country? And it isn’t pronounced, el salvador. Throw out your hands and chest and exclaim, EL SAL VA DOR !!! Pound on that last “dor” there. The twinkle in his eyes is very apparent as he pulls out a ragged coffee table book and flips through it. “Here is MY country!” And continues, with huge amounts of pride, to show you around. His voice drops and as he says that politicallly, “It’s not so good.” All I was looking for was a simple lunch and I feel as though I should run home and pack my bags and visit, EL SAL VA DOR !!! In Love.
Planet ZoZo….in Carrizozo New Mexico – Real food/coffee found in travels.
Generic pretty photograph I took the other evening at sundown. Click on the image, can you see the spider web on the left?
This is about as live as you’re going to find for a food blog restaurant review. Joe Bob & Jlee are on the road at this very minute, no really. And apparently are in Carrizozo New Mexico.
I have a sneaking suspicion the images won’t arrive until after their road trip, but was instructed to get this up immediately. Here’s Joe Bob:
We finally found real food and real coffee
on our trip to Big Bend Texas. In Carrizozo
NM of all places. Open for only two weeks,
Planet ZoZo is doing a great business.
Open M-Th 6am-6pm, and F/S 6am-9pm for dinner too.
Chefs Dinner, three or so choices on Friday
and Saturday nights. Vegan friendly but meat
is served. Coffee beans by Ruidoso Roastery
in Ruidoso NM, just down the road 45 minutes.
Fresh beans within hours. Chef, pastry chef,
other employees too. An oasis in the vast desert of NM
113 Central Carrizozo, NM 88301
505-648-5637
Full story and pics to follow upon return to Denver.
Post this now on ‘henge please.
thanks
Joe Bob