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
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
Been sitting here for a minute or 19 writing down witty paragraphs that kinda rambled around like a 3 legged duck on acid. After removing said paragraphs I’m happy to report I’m glad to see 2006 fade and lead us to another year, 2007 (It’s sequential don’t ya know).
Happy New Year to you all! Meathrenge rules.
xo, Biggles
While Biggles is off-planet for the moment, his good friend George steps in with General Tsou’s Chicken. George and I go way, way, way back to the late 1980’s. He’s always been colorful character. Someone who maintained an operating computer retail storefront in an abandoned building to a guy who bought a shiny, metallic purple Thunderbird (the Purple Penetrator). We’ve kept in contact over the years and he’s always had some tasty skills in the kitchen. I’ve offered to post a recipe of his anytime. Today is that day … take it away George!
The last few days have been a little unsettling and the catalyst was this antique jar of bay leaves Creepy E found upstairs.
But Biggles, they’re just bay leaves. Why get all torqued out over a jar of old bay leaves?
Excellent question, let me say this about that. I live and grew up in the San Franciso Bay Area. California Bay Laurel trees are all over the damned place. And I’ll bet Berkeley wins the trophy for most trees of all. It’s “common knowledge” that these are most certainly not the leaves you find in the bay leaf jars at the market. These bay laurel leaves are exceptionally strong, oily and can very quickly ruin your stew. It’s irreversible and you’re better off with a nice Mediterranean version. Or so I thought.
At some point in its history Spice Islands (based in San Francisco) decided to dry and sell the buggers. To me, it’s kinda like selling bags of sand at the beach. For around here anyways.
What do you think of California Bay Laurel leaves in your food? I’ve never seen them for sale, here or anywhere. Have you?
Biggles
There’s an aspect to blogging that authors get to enjoy, while readers most certainly miss out on. As a reader of a blog, you probably have your RSS thingy all set up and know when a new post has rolled in, off you go. But what about those posts in the past? The ones I did over 3 years ago, what about those?
“Why do I care Biggles? I read them already.”
Yes, maybe you did. However, months and years later the comments are still rolling in. There are a small handful of posts here that get fresh comments weekly, years later. My point is, I recently received a comment from nearly the first post I did here, it’s about carrots. This guy John stops by and says the carrots get wiggly cause they took on moisture. Fair enough, but his web site lists a carrot museum?
I just HAD to go see this, this, this, Carrot Museeeeyum.
I’m not going to go on about it, suffice it to say this is very well written and researched web site. As meat minded as I am, I do enjoy carrots. They’re wonderful in a slow simmered pot roast and invigorating juiced up on a Sunday morning. Go have a gander, it’s worth your time.
World Carrot Museum
Biggles
ps –
Tybo says, “Ahhhh, moisture moisture moisture !!!”