Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2011
I Know It's Over; Or, hey hey, my my (into the black)
This blog is now officially CLOSED. I will post a link to my new blog, which opens for "business" in the next week or so, after I work out the kinks while @ SXSW 2011. It was fun while it lasted. For everybody who has ever dropped by, thanks. I hope it was a pleasant experience!
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Dixie Chicken.
The most recent issue of the Oxford American is an extravaganza for lovers of Southern writing. They list not only the Best Southern Novels of All Time but also the Best Southern Nonfiction.
Here's the Novels Top 10
Here's the Nonfiction Top 5
A few other serious contenders would include something by C. Vann Woodward from the list The Strange Career of Jim Crow (1955), The Burden of Southern History (1968), Origins of The New South (1951), or Mary Chestnut's Civil War (1982) any of which could be seen as a corrective to Cash. For reportage and because it became even more relevant after Katrina, John M. Barry, Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America (1998). Barry's book really helped me understand the area I had moved to when took my job at Mississippi State. Penn Warren shows up either in I'll Take My Stand: The South and The Agrarian Tradition (1930) or with Cleanth Brooks, Understanding Poetry (1938). Finally one personal quirky favorite would be Gloria Jahoda, The Other Florida (1967). The essay, "Two Hundred Miles from Anywhere Else," remains the best explanation of why my hometown Tallahassee, FL is unlike any other "city in Florida, or in the South" (128).
Little Feat at the Rainbow Theatre London 1977
UPDATE [Saturday, September 5 9:37 AM]
The full Oxford American Lists were released yesterday for Underrated, Novels and Nonfiction. As I expected this is where the real interest in this categorizing/listing project lay. I was pleased to see many of my alternate suggestions there and some just outside the Top 5 or 10. For example if you collate the split votes for C. Vann Woodward across the 4 works I mentioned he gets to 22 and is 6th on that list. I was also leaed that one novel and one nonfiction pick of mine were unique (MacDonald and Edge).
1. Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom! (1938)As I've commented elsewhere, this list is surprisingly conservative in providing a narrowly focused view of one particular version of The South. Sure;y there has been a great novel or two in the last 30 years or even longer since the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964! Later this week the online OA will publish the longer list from 11-50 and that's probably where the more interesting action will be. For now my thoughts. 3 Faulkner's is too much, but he's important enough I don't mind seeing him twice. I'd lose The Sound and the Fury Myself. Penn Warren's mess of about four different novels shoved together is really overrated at 2 here. I'm not convinced Invisible Man really belongs on a list of great Southern novels although I do realize it has the "Tuskegee" section. Personally I'd replace it with another forgotten Harlem Renaissance classic, Jean Toomer's Cane (1923). I'd put something modern in the place of the third Faulkner and perhaps something urban. Maybe a Florida noir by John D. MacDonald—say The Deep Blue Good-by (1964)—or something Appalachian like Ron Rash, Serena (2008) or Sharyn McCrumb, She Walks These Hills (1994). For a quirkier old school selection I'd go with George Washington Cable, The Grandissimes (1880).
2. Robert Penn Warren, All The King's Men (1946)
3. William Faulkner, The Sound and The Fury (1929)
4. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)
5. Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird (1950)
6. Walker Percy, The Moviegoer (1961)
7. William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying (1930)
8. Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)
9. Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood (1952)
10. Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)
1. Agee & Evans, Let US Now Praise Famous Men(1941)Sure this list avoids the former's time-boundedness, but it is still pretty conservative and presents a kind if old fashioned monolithic view of the South. Agee & Evans at number one is a well-earned given as was Absalom, Absalom! I'm glad to see W.J.Cash gte his due rather than being trashed as some kind of racist by ex post facto. holier than thou academics. I'd jettison both 4 and 5 from my top 5. I was at the Harvard lectures which became One Writer's Beginnings. Professor Costello is right that this book represents an idealized and nicer little old lady version of Welty. It was also Harvard University Press's first NY Times bestseller but I'm not sure it rises to the level of greatness. Similarly I think Foote owes his prestige more to his appearance on Ken Burns' miniseries than he does for the impact of his extended history. What do I put in their place? My Mississippi book would be Willie Morris, The Courting of Marcus Dupree (1983), discussed more here. Food being so important to the South, I'd think long and hard about a food book and perhaps go with a book about food rather than one of numerous cookbooks, so John T.Edge, Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South (2000).
2. Richard Wright, Black Boy(1945)
3. W.J. Cash, The Mind of The South (1941)
4. Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings (1984)
5. Shelby Foote, The Civil War: A Narrative (1958-1974)
A few other serious contenders would include something by C. Vann Woodward from the list The Strange Career of Jim Crow (1955), The Burden of Southern History (1968), Origins of The New South (1951), or Mary Chestnut's Civil War (1982) any of which could be seen as a corrective to Cash. For reportage and because it became even more relevant after Katrina, John M. Barry, Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America (1998). Barry's book really helped me understand the area I had moved to when took my job at Mississippi State. Penn Warren shows up either in I'll Take My Stand: The South and The Agrarian Tradition (1930) or with Cleanth Brooks, Understanding Poetry (1938). Finally one personal quirky favorite would be Gloria Jahoda, The Other Florida (1967). The essay, "Two Hundred Miles from Anywhere Else," remains the best explanation of why my hometown Tallahassee, FL is unlike any other "city in Florida, or in the South" (128).
Little Feat at the Rainbow Theatre London 1977
UPDATE [Saturday, September 5 9:37 AM]
The full Oxford American Lists were released yesterday for Underrated, Novels and Nonfiction. As I expected this is where the real interest in this categorizing/listing project lay. I was pleased to see many of my alternate suggestions there and some just outside the Top 5 or 10. For example if you collate the split votes for C. Vann Woodward across the 4 works I mentioned he gets to 22 and is 6th on that list. I was also leaed that one novel and one nonfiction pick of mine were unique (MacDonald and Edge).
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Man called aerodynamics: GBV (i).
Anybody who really knows me understands it was only a matter of time before the GBV You Tube entry sprung up. They also probably realized it would be a multiple parter. I dedicate Part 1 to my Facebook friend Doug Gillard: he of the endless riffs!
Doug was in a lot of bands before GBV, lastly Cobra Verde, for whom he wrote a little ditty made famous by Pollard & co.
"I am A Tree"
Tallahassee native that I am this clip, filmed at the Cow Haus as it was in 2002, gives me great joy! At a 40 Watt show, Doug accepted my copy of Mag Earwhig! to get signed by the entire band to send to my friend who had just moved to Dayton, OH to be a Department Chair. Ask yourself one question: why was the lead guitarist for international "rock stars" wandering around a club freely available to his fans? Yeah, Doug is a mensch!
"Redmen and Their Wives"
Speaking of the 40 Watt, I only ever heard this track live once on the Electrifying Conclusion tour in Athens, GA.
"Back to the Lake"
Amoeba in-houses rule whether Hollywood or Haight!
Speak Kindly of Bob's best solo album, the one with Doug Gillard!
GBV is done, but occasionally this will happen:
I haven't done nearly full justice really to the genius of Doug Gillard, but you get a real taste of him here. All I can say is the club will always be open, when DG is in town!
I close with 2 rare pictures I took myself.
The first features DG in full flight at the legendary Last Place on Earth show in Memphis.
We shall never forget the other guys: Farley and Tobias. They were way cool too. Here they hang out at The Nick after Ice Storm 2000 with Gordon before GBV's set!
More Pollard madness tomorrow . . .
Doug was in a lot of bands before GBV, lastly Cobra Verde, for whom he wrote a little ditty made famous by Pollard & co.
"I am A Tree"
Tallahassee native that I am this clip, filmed at the Cow Haus as it was in 2002, gives me great joy! At a 40 Watt show, Doug accepted my copy of Mag Earwhig! to get signed by the entire band to send to my friend who had just moved to Dayton, OH to be a Department Chair. Ask yourself one question: why was the lead guitarist for international "rock stars" wandering around a club freely available to his fans? Yeah, Doug is a mensch!
"Redmen and Their Wives"
Speaking of the 40 Watt, I only ever heard this track live once on the Electrifying Conclusion tour in Athens, GA.
"Back to the Lake"
Amoeba in-houses rule whether Hollywood or Haight!
Speak Kindly of Bob's best solo album, the one with Doug Gillard!
GBV is done, but occasionally this will happen:
I haven't done nearly full justice really to the genius of Doug Gillard, but you get a real taste of him here. All I can say is the club will always be open, when DG is in town!
I close with 2 rare pictures I took myself.
The first features DG in full flight at the legendary Last Place on Earth show in Memphis.
We shall never forget the other guys: Farley and Tobias. They were way cool too. Here they hang out at The Nick after Ice Storm 2000 with Gordon before GBV's set!
More Pollard madness tomorrow . . .
A night in tunisia.
The Mediterannean patio-fest small dinner party was a memorable evening, in spite of the patio-lessness. Just too muggy. We started with some skewers to gnosh on:
I set up dinner as serve yourself stytle buffet in the dining room. What you don't see here is the Moroccan black olive loaf bread on the table.
Our Main course proved a cultural hybrid: Marella Pasta from Apulia married with a Catalan Red Pepper Sauce and Gulf Shrimp.
The salad was a colorful marinated affair including roasted red pepper slices, green, orange, and yellow bell pepper slices, Vidalia onion slices, quartered artichoke hearts, various olives, tomatoes of all shapes, sizes and hues, and mango slices with a lime ginger garlic homemade vinaigrette:
Not to brag, but it was pretty good and a nice culmination for the weekend de cuisine.
I set up dinner as serve yourself stytle buffet in the dining room. What you don't see here is the Moroccan black olive loaf bread on the table.
Our Main course proved a cultural hybrid: Marella Pasta from Apulia married with a Catalan Red Pepper Sauce and Gulf Shrimp.
The salad was a colorful marinated affair including roasted red pepper slices, green, orange, and yellow bell pepper slices, Vidalia onion slices, quartered artichoke hearts, various olives, tomatoes of all shapes, sizes and hues, and mango slices with a lime ginger garlic homemade vinaigrette:
Not to brag, but it was pretty good and a nice culmination for the weekend de cuisine.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
The end has no end.
The Strokes' song title seems an appropriate sentiment for this ongoing weekend de cuisine. Last night was a little grill out followed by a DVD in the music room. Tonight pre-"Thursday Night is Poker Night Event #8," I have a potluck supper from 5:30-7:00 three houses down the hill on Edgewood. Here's what I made.
Basically a faux Mediterranean marinated salad with lemon ginger garlic vinaigrette and optional garlic and herb feta cheese crumbles.
Essentially I cut up three different size, type and shade tomatoes (well no cut to cherry), a Vidalia onion, a mango, a red and green bell pepper and then added pitted black olives and quartered artichoke hearts. Seasoned the salad and drenched it with fresh lime juice. Then I marinated with the aforementioned homemade vinaigrette. We'll see how it turned out in about an hour.
Tomorrow I have the Starshine benefit for SAAC Cook-off at the State Theatre. I'm sorta pulling for Vicki Leach because of this, but Ty Thames, Jay Yates or J.J. winning would be great too. Saturday I'm doing a Mediterranean inflected pasta feed on the back patio with a focus on Catalan-cuisine, though no El Bulli foamy pyrotechnics I fear.
Off to sharpen my 7" Santoku . . .
Basically a faux Mediterranean marinated salad with lemon ginger garlic vinaigrette and optional garlic and herb feta cheese crumbles.
Essentially I cut up three different size, type and shade tomatoes (well no cut to cherry), a Vidalia onion, a mango, a red and green bell pepper and then added pitted black olives and quartered artichoke hearts. Seasoned the salad and drenched it with fresh lime juice. Then I marinated with the aforementioned homemade vinaigrette. We'll see how it turned out in about an hour.
Tomorrow I have the Starshine benefit for SAAC Cook-off at the State Theatre. I'm sorta pulling for Vicki Leach because of this, but Ty Thames, Jay Yates or J.J. winning would be great too. Saturday I'm doing a Mediterranean inflected pasta feed on the back patio with a focus on Catalan-cuisine, though no El Bulli foamy pyrotechnics I fear.
Off to sharpen my 7" Santoku . . .
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mellow down easy.
This afternoon took Gracie to another favorite dog park at the other end of Town Lake, Red Bud Isle. Here's a brief photographic essay sans comment.
The Tom Miller Dam marks the boundary between Lake Austin and Town Lake.
The Tom Miller Dam marks the boundary between Lake Austin and Town Lake.
Bengali in platforms.
One of Austin's best restaurants in a historic adobe building downtown.
The mango lassi not only tasted great it was beautiful as well.
Look at this spread; all for under $40!
I collect beer mats. This is a new fave!
The mango lassi not only tasted great it was beautiful as well.
Look at this spread; all for under $40!
I collect beer mats. This is a new fave!
House at pooh corner.
I'm spending the week of July 15th-22nd visiting my Stanford pal Isaac and staying at his place on Blanco @ 9th just around the corner from Waterloo Records, Book People, and The Whole Foods flagship store, while his wife Janine and his daughter Madison are visiting family in the Netherlands.
My upstairs lair above the converted "garage", also known as Janine's home office work, where her famous Jane Austen book is coming to its final fruition.
What the garage was converted into.
The central core of the main 1893 Victorian farmhouse cottage.
Various shots of the house and garage's exteriors. Yes . . . it has a white picket fence.
My upstairs lair above the converted "garage", also known as Janine's home office work, where her famous Jane Austen book is coming to its final fruition.
What the garage was converted into.
The central core of the main 1893 Victorian farmhouse cottage.
Various shots of the house and garage's exteriors. Yes . . . it has a white picket fence.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
She's about a mover.
Texas Monthly's No. 1 Texas song.
Saturday
Rather than sleeping in we got up at 7 and took a 4.2 round mile walk from Blanco along the Lady Bird Trail around Town Lake stopping at Auditorium Shores for Gacie to go off-leash, swim, and play with some other dogs. We interrupted out homeward journey at the foot of Blanco to grab a quick breakie at Sweetish Hill: Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea, Cherry Empenada, and Ham & Swiss Bialy which we shared.
Then it was on to Central Market to do both long-term grocery shopping preparing for Madison and Janine's return from Holland as well as short-term shopping preparing for tonight's dinner with visitor Molly Schwartzburg, a curator at the Harry Ransom Humanities Center and like me with an AB from Harvard and a PhD in English from Stanford. I focused on doing some amazing bacon wrapped huge seas scallops and my secret marinade sauce (it involves soy, chili, teriyaki and Worcestershire sauces plus various secret herbs and spices). Isaac did nice potato frittata and some baked Halibut filets.
We also stopped by Karavel, and I got a new pair of running/training New Balances to replace the ones I got on my last Austin sojourn over July 4th 2006.
Sunday
We had a Mexican breakfast at Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop on the Eastside. Isaac went with three increasingly larger tacos: chorizo & egg, carne guisada, y Miga con todo. I had a small Taco with carne guisada and a Huevos Ranchero plate with scramble degss plus some water. After a car tour around the UT campus, we stopped by Blanco and then drove up to Mount Bonnell. Point of information: I made it a point of saying I was going to climb Moutn Bonnell this trip and I did because in 2006 on a downward spiral health-wise I just couldn't get up those steps to the summit. 8 months later I was hospitalized for a week with what was ultiately diagnosed as CHF. Thought I'm not at the body type weight I want to get to eventually. I am far healthier now with good blood pressure and choloesterol levels!
Texas knows how to tell a funny historical story.
Looking back 2/3 up the climb.
The top of Mount Bonell and views
Isaac with a bored Gracie.
GE bringing Mississippi Blues to the Austin highlands.
On the way home, we stopped at Austin's music central and minded the gap!
I picked up a fascinating 2008 local release: athens v sparta, the history of the peloponnesian war. Then home and a lazy afternoon watching the British Open slip away from Tom Watson . . . sigh! But congrats to first time major-winner, Stewart Cink! Then I folded my laundry and completed submitting a Sound Affects blog entry, Musical Genius and Its Discontents (I): American-style, to PopMatters, which considers the "2nd Acts" of oky Erickson, Brian Wilson, Sly Stone, and Shuggie Otis. I'll work on part 2 concerning the British later tonight and tomorrow.
Indian food 2nite . . .
Saturday
Rather than sleeping in we got up at 7 and took a 4.2 round mile walk from Blanco along the Lady Bird Trail around Town Lake stopping at Auditorium Shores for Gacie to go off-leash, swim, and play with some other dogs. We interrupted out homeward journey at the foot of Blanco to grab a quick breakie at Sweetish Hill: Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea, Cherry Empenada, and Ham & Swiss Bialy which we shared.
Then it was on to Central Market to do both long-term grocery shopping preparing for Madison and Janine's return from Holland as well as short-term shopping preparing for tonight's dinner with visitor Molly Schwartzburg, a curator at the Harry Ransom Humanities Center and like me with an AB from Harvard and a PhD in English from Stanford. I focused on doing some amazing bacon wrapped huge seas scallops and my secret marinade sauce (it involves soy, chili, teriyaki and Worcestershire sauces plus various secret herbs and spices). Isaac did nice potato frittata and some baked Halibut filets.
We also stopped by Karavel, and I got a new pair of running/training New Balances to replace the ones I got on my last Austin sojourn over July 4th 2006.
Sunday
We had a Mexican breakfast at Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop on the Eastside. Isaac went with three increasingly larger tacos: chorizo & egg, carne guisada, y Miga con todo. I had a small Taco with carne guisada and a Huevos Ranchero plate with scramble degss plus some water. After a car tour around the UT campus, we stopped by Blanco and then drove up to Mount Bonnell. Point of information: I made it a point of saying I was going to climb Moutn Bonnell this trip and I did because in 2006 on a downward spiral health-wise I just couldn't get up those steps to the summit. 8 months later I was hospitalized for a week with what was ultiately diagnosed as CHF. Thought I'm not at the body type weight I want to get to eventually. I am far healthier now with good blood pressure and choloesterol levels!
Texas knows how to tell a funny historical story.
Looking back 2/3 up the climb.
The top of Mount Bonell and views
Isaac with a bored Gracie.
GE bringing Mississippi Blues to the Austin highlands.
On the way home, we stopped at Austin's music central and minded the gap!
I picked up a fascinating 2008 local release: athens v sparta, the history of the peloponnesian war. Then home and a lazy afternoon watching the British Open slip away from Tom Watson . . . sigh! But congrats to first time major-winner, Stewart Cink! Then I folded my laundry and completed submitting a Sound Affects blog entry, Musical Genius and Its Discontents (I): American-style, to PopMatters, which considers the "2nd Acts" of oky Erickson, Brian Wilson, Sly Stone, and Shuggie Otis. I'll work on part 2 concerning the British later tonight and tomorrow.
Indian food 2nite . . .
Friday, July 17, 2009
T for texas.
Fantastic meal last night a game decision by Issac. We walked 3 blocks down the hill to his local Cafe Josie where Blanco meets 6th street. I had the Green chile polenta with a starter of Crab bisque finished with a corn salsa. Isaac had the specila Mahi Mahi with a baby spinach salad. We started with scallops au gratin, another special, to share and closed sharing the Venezuelan Chocolate pot. Our next meal out will be at The ClayPit, either Friday or Saturday evening, my treat this time!
Made myself breakfast this morning to go along with my PG tips tea. Yougurt Curry Scrambled eggs with Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper plus Nature's Own OatNut Toast with unsalted European-style butter from the Whole Foods flagship store, which is five blocks away.
Spent the day at home working except for a quick trip to Fry's for the necessary mini 5 pin plug to usb plug for downloading my snaps from the digital camera and to WalMart for some Scalpicin and shaving cream as I ran out this morning. We have a full weekend ahead, so i don't expect to blog again before Sunday evening.
Made myself breakfast this morning to go along with my PG tips tea. Yougurt Curry Scrambled eggs with Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper plus Nature's Own OatNut Toast with unsalted European-style butter from the Whole Foods flagship store, which is five blocks away.
Spent the day at home working except for a quick trip to Fry's for the necessary mini 5 pin plug to usb plug for downloading my snaps from the digital camera and to WalMart for some Scalpicin and shaving cream as I ran out this morning. We have a full weekend ahead, so i don't expect to blog again before Sunday evening.
Friday, July 03, 2009
The gambler.
Hold 'em
So I like to play poker, almost any variety. Have done so since college at least, though I have friends who played "seriously" in high school. But I really only began playing regularly once I became a Faculty member at Mississippi State, first in a Monthly faculty low stakes game with a lot of luck games like night baseball. As the TV poker craze took off. I joined a second game, originally composed of folks who worked at Boardtown Corp. which was then bought out by TuCows.com. The game started at P's north-side apartment, but has since removed to his south-side digs on Peach St. It's also transmogrified into a bi-weekly affair. It's always been a winner-take-all tournament with a $5 buy for chips and unlimited rebuys until the 5th betting round. If we have nine players, second place gets their buy returned.The fun thing about a recurring game like this is you can get a sense of your growth as a poker player plus learn how to read other folk's hands as you accumulate more and more information about the playing and betting styles of each individual player over time. Plus how else a you have this much fun for an evening on a mere $5!
Fold 'em
Here's an insider's view of the world of TNIPN (Thusday Night IS Poker Night) #6: The "Red White and Blue" edition at the Peach Street Poker room. Here the chip buys are being prepared on the table.
We use a tournament computer program which keeps track of which round we're on, the amounts for big and small blinds, counts down the 20 minutes per round, and alerts if with 1 minute to go.
Pre-flop players checking their 2 holes cards.
After four rounds, we color up as blinds have rise above usefulness of our white 5 cent chips. For each you get 1 blue quarter chip, You get one extra blue for final 5s from 1-5. Note the neat stack of whites below ans the dealer grabbing some blue chips . . .
with which he replaces the withdrawn white chips.
My play last night: good early—I was the first to bust somebody on an all-in, but it was early so they rebought and ultimately outlasted me though with $10 as opposed to $5 invested up front. No glory this week for fils, but père was the big winner.
So I like to play poker, almost any variety. Have done so since college at least, though I have friends who played "seriously" in high school. But I really only began playing regularly once I became a Faculty member at Mississippi State, first in a Monthly faculty low stakes game with a lot of luck games like night baseball. As the TV poker craze took off. I joined a second game, originally composed of folks who worked at Boardtown Corp. which was then bought out by TuCows.com. The game started at P's north-side apartment, but has since removed to his south-side digs on Peach St. It's also transmogrified into a bi-weekly affair. It's always been a winner-take-all tournament with a $5 buy for chips and unlimited rebuys until the 5th betting round. If we have nine players, second place gets their buy returned.The fun thing about a recurring game like this is you can get a sense of your growth as a poker player plus learn how to read other folk's hands as you accumulate more and more information about the playing and betting styles of each individual player over time. Plus how else a you have this much fun for an evening on a mere $5!
Fold 'em
Here's an insider's view of the world of TNIPN (Thusday Night IS Poker Night) #6: The "Red White and Blue" edition at the Peach Street Poker room. Here the chip buys are being prepared on the table.
We use a tournament computer program which keeps track of which round we're on, the amounts for big and small blinds, counts down the 20 minutes per round, and alerts if with 1 minute to go.
Pre-flop players checking their 2 holes cards.
After four rounds, we color up as blinds have rise above usefulness of our white 5 cent chips. For each you get 1 blue quarter chip, You get one extra blue for final 5s from 1-5. Note the neat stack of whites below ans the dealer grabbing some blue chips . . .
with which he replaces the withdrawn white chips.
My play last night: good early—I was the first to bust somebody on an all-in, but it was early so they rebought and ultimately outlasted me though with $10 as opposed to $5 invested up front. No glory this week for fils, but père was the big winner.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Slightly south of the border (reprise).
Thanks to my next-door neighbor who graciously shared her fresh and piquant Basil earlier 2nite which got the mental juices flowin'!
I created Mexi-terrean Pollo Peasant Pesto Pasta a la Provençal
Microwave Tysons Fajita chicken boil Lemon Pepper Linguine 2 minutes to al dente, saute diced Vidalia onions in Olio Santo Roasted Garlic Olive Oil. Add fresh pesto and fajita chicken and saute another minute or two. Assemble in a pot. Season with sea salt, red pepper flakes, oregano flakes and herbs de Provence. Serve with Pinot Grigio and San Pelligrino. The peasant life sure can be good.
An homage to Francesca who a decade ago shared her >native expertise in all things pasta and because she, Tom, and the kids just had a great weekend away from Liguria in Provence and to Susan who gave me my pasta stuff and the cookbook which taught me not to oversauce ala Américain!
Plain and simple and yes delish, if I do say so myself.
I created Mexi-terrean Pollo Peasant Pesto Pasta a la Provençal
Microwave Tysons Fajita chicken boil Lemon Pepper Linguine 2 minutes to al dente, saute diced Vidalia onions in Olio Santo Roasted Garlic Olive Oil. Add fresh pesto and fajita chicken and saute another minute or two. Assemble in a pot. Season with sea salt, red pepper flakes, oregano flakes and herbs de Provence. Serve with Pinot Grigio and San Pelligrino. The peasant life sure can be good.
An homage to Francesca who a decade ago shared her >native expertise in all things pasta and because she, Tom, and the kids just had a great weekend away from Liguria in Provence and to Susan who gave me my pasta stuff and the cookbook which taught me not to oversauce ala Américain!
Plain and simple and yes delish, if I do say so myself.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The yummi yummi yummi song.
As promised, My 3 Favorite Cookbooks
The Obvious One
A very special gift from Donna. You can't take THAT away from me now! Can you?
I generally think it's the best broad spectrum introductory cookbook currently available—sorry Rombauer clan.
The Other Two Quirky Picks
Harvey Steiman's California Kitchen
Great no-nonsense advice from KCBS radio personality. Favorite recipe Harvey's "OJ Fish"
Susan Bradley Pacific Northwest Palate
A great early proponents of seasonal cooking from one of the few areas that offers wildly variant foodstuffs throughout the calendar year. favorite recipe is a surprisingly easy Salmon in Parchment with Walla Walla Corn, Tomatoes and Rice
Steaming in parchment ona grill is really healthy. Plus its such a show-offy presentation to plop the thing down on a plate and the snip it open with kitchen shears. Trust me she'll be impressed, guys.
No scans of the latter 2 because like spawning salmon they have returned to their roots or at least Lake Oswego, OR. I suspect after the move in is complete JK Landrum will put them in a box and send 'em back! having harvested their roe . . .
Lagniappe: Best Single Topic Cookbook
Another gift from one of my oldest friends: Susan P. Morgan! I still also have the glass pasta container and white plastic pasta ladle that came with it one Christmas as below.
Note the Caribbean bus hanger was also courtesy of Susan on another day.
The Obvious One
A very special gift from Donna. You can't take THAT away from me now! Can you?
I generally think it's the best broad spectrum introductory cookbook currently available—sorry Rombauer clan.
The Other Two Quirky Picks
Harvey Steiman's California Kitchen
Great no-nonsense advice from KCBS radio personality. Favorite recipe Harvey's "OJ Fish"
Susan Bradley Pacific Northwest Palate
A great early proponents of seasonal cooking from one of the few areas that offers wildly variant foodstuffs throughout the calendar year. favorite recipe is a surprisingly easy Salmon in Parchment with Walla Walla Corn, Tomatoes and Rice
Steaming in parchment ona grill is really healthy. Plus its such a show-offy presentation to plop the thing down on a plate and the snip it open with kitchen shears. Trust me she'll be impressed, guys.
No scans of the latter 2 because like spawning salmon they have returned to their roots or at least Lake Oswego, OR. I suspect after the move in is complete JK Landrum will put them in a box and send 'em back! having harvested their roe . . .
Lagniappe: Best Single Topic Cookbook
Another gift from one of my oldest friends: Susan P. Morgan! I still also have the glass pasta container and white plastic pasta ladle that came with it one Christmas as below.
Note the Caribbean bus hanger was also courtesy of Susan on another day.
Rat in mi kitchen.
So yeah I am kinda an über geeky Foodie despite a lack of any real training. Training Schmaining I do declare! I did get Alton Brown on my "Which Food Network Star are You?" quiz. I did take 2 one day hands-on classes at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS: Thai Dinner Party and Basic Knife Skills. I watched every episode of Cooking at the Academy on KQED and Tape thrice! Greatest Cooking Show ever. Brilliant and simple conceit: each show does a menu based around one "la technique." So yeah they buggin' on Pepin. My favorite: "Sauteeing" & Red Snapper Franciscan over Leeks with Mushroom Potatoes. 1st complete meal I ever cooked for Mom. Score!
Despite what Julia Reed claims, many Southerners really do enjoy eating out and count those meals amongst their most favorite ever, as we don't have household help any longer (it no longer being the 1960s and all) and really don't believe that frozen tomato juice is all that. Snap! Thus,
My Five Most Memorable Meals
1) August 21, 1977 (the summer of punk)
My Father had a second sabbatical and a Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship to do research at the Max Planck Institüt in Freiburg-im-Briesgau, Germany.
For my mother's birthday we splurged at Auberge d'Ille in Illehausern, France, just over the Rhine and ostensible border. The only 3 star Michelin in Alsace/Lorraine at the time. No vino for me a rising high school frosh, but WHAT A MEAL and what a beautiful setting. Between courses I wandered the grounds beside the little brook; still the most amazing setting for a restaurant I have ever experienced. And believe me I've been to a lot of restaurants in my 45 years. This would be a TOP meal regardless of the food for the setting alone. That the food was basically as perfect as man and woman can make it assures this meal will never be supplanted from #1 on this list, despite whatever Thomas Keller pulls off next!
2) 11 June 1994 The night before I was hooded at Stanford
Fleur de Lys, San Francisco with my parents, my treat. FYI Genius chef Hubert Keller was the patisserie chef at Auberege d'Ille back in 1977, as he grew up there; kinda alpha and omega ain't it. Forget his Vegas digs; the pink tented room is still the bomb, even after the fire.
3) Any meal I ever had at the late lamented and far too short-lived Alain Rondelli off Clement.
And yes Jean-Luc was the greatest maître d' I have ever met. On my second visit there with grad school cohortmate Jeffery Erickson, he remembered our names, gave us the same window table, and brought our pre-dinner drink orders without so much as asking what we wanted. Plus his wine pairing suggestions were always so challengingly unique yet delicious. Not every Parisian is an asshole.
4) Any and Every Hot Fresh Lobster Roll at pretty much any roadside stand on the Atlantic between Boston and Portland, Maine
It's way way cheaper, wicked easier to eat, and there's a lot more lobster meat! D'Oh!
5) BBQ from Morris BBQ and Steakhouse, 16th Section Road, Oktibbeha County, MS!
Every pictures tells a story and these are mine.
Honorable Mention: A memorably late evening at Chez Panisse with my Harvard Noho "roommate", Chuck Forbes. Yeah we were late for the second seating, which meant we got a kitchen tour after dinner because no one else was around and they knew we appreciated the cuisine!
Next time My 3 favorite cookbooks ever. No, this well worn classic doesn't break into our Top 3, but I do live in Starkville and I will honor the amazing legacy of Mr. CC.
In the future, for better or worse, two photographic essays on recent meal preparations.
This post is dedicated to my new friend, John T. Edge. Someday we'll be together at Taylor Grocery in catfish and hush puppy heaven. It WILL be a doozie, I do declare.
Despite what Julia Reed claims, many Southerners really do enjoy eating out and count those meals amongst their most favorite ever, as we don't have household help any longer (it no longer being the 1960s and all) and really don't believe that frozen tomato juice is all that. Snap! Thus,
My Five Most Memorable Meals
1) August 21, 1977 (the summer of punk)
My Father had a second sabbatical and a Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship to do research at the Max Planck Institüt in Freiburg-im-Briesgau, Germany.
For my mother's birthday we splurged at Auberge d'Ille in Illehausern, France, just over the Rhine and ostensible border. The only 3 star Michelin in Alsace/Lorraine at the time. No vino for me a rising high school frosh, but WHAT A MEAL and what a beautiful setting. Between courses I wandered the grounds beside the little brook; still the most amazing setting for a restaurant I have ever experienced. And believe me I've been to a lot of restaurants in my 45 years. This would be a TOP meal regardless of the food for the setting alone. That the food was basically as perfect as man and woman can make it assures this meal will never be supplanted from #1 on this list, despite whatever Thomas Keller pulls off next!
2) 11 June 1994 The night before I was hooded at Stanford
Fleur de Lys, San Francisco with my parents, my treat. FYI Genius chef Hubert Keller was the patisserie chef at Auberege d'Ille back in 1977, as he grew up there; kinda alpha and omega ain't it. Forget his Vegas digs; the pink tented room is still the bomb, even after the fire.
3) Any meal I ever had at the late lamented and far too short-lived Alain Rondelli off Clement.
And yes Jean-Luc was the greatest maître d' I have ever met. On my second visit there with grad school cohortmate Jeffery Erickson, he remembered our names, gave us the same window table, and brought our pre-dinner drink orders without so much as asking what we wanted. Plus his wine pairing suggestions were always so challengingly unique yet delicious. Not every Parisian is an asshole.
4) Any and Every Hot Fresh Lobster Roll at pretty much any roadside stand on the Atlantic between Boston and Portland, Maine
It's way way cheaper, wicked easier to eat, and there's a lot more lobster meat! D'Oh!
5) BBQ from Morris BBQ and Steakhouse, 16th Section Road, Oktibbeha County, MS!
Every pictures tells a story and these are mine.
Honorable Mention: A memorably late evening at Chez Panisse with my Harvard Noho "roommate", Chuck Forbes. Yeah we were late for the second seating, which meant we got a kitchen tour after dinner because no one else was around and they knew we appreciated the cuisine!
Next time My 3 favorite cookbooks ever. No, this well worn classic doesn't break into our Top 3, but I do live in Starkville and I will honor the amazing legacy of Mr. CC.
In the future, for better or worse, two photographic essays on recent meal preparations. This post is dedicated to my new friend, John T. Edge. Someday we'll be together at Taylor Grocery in catfish and hush puppy heaven. It WILL be a doozie, I do declare.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
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