A Study In Earth Tones

Supper, Friday Oct 19, 2018: catfish; cabbage; 

sweet 'taters.

We had a good haul of sweet potatoes from the garden. Thankfully we both like them a lot.

I wasn't kidding.

If I'm going to get the fryer out I might as well go all out. No reason to fry just one thing right? Thankfully just sliced and fried is one of our favorite ways to eat them. Don't fry them at the same temp as regular fries. Oil that hot will caramelize the sugars too much. I have found that 350 is good. I drop them twice. The first time is to mostly cook them through. I pull them out of the oil and let them rest above the oil in the basket. They actually finish cooking there, but they are a soggy greasy mass. Just before serving I drop them the second time for a minute or two. Time depends on how fast they are browning. 

The cabbage looks a little funny. It's home canned from Alexis' mother. That's what it looks like when you don't add preservatives. 

A Bowl Of Gooey Love

Breakfast, Friday October 19: breakfast bowl (refried roasted yukons and sweet potatoes, onion, cheddar, egg).

Potatoes are one of the few foods that can easily be repurposed (and actually taste good or even improve). Mashed potatoes find new life in potato pancakes. Roasted potatoes turn into home fries. Leftover bakers can become mashed and 'tater skins.

After he left the service my father managed a corporate restaurant for a few years before he became ill and subsequently disabled. The store had bakers on the menu as a side. Of course you can't just whip up a baked potato. (Yes I know about microwaves and yes they do a decent job but there is a noticeable difference in moisture, evenness, and texture, especially in the skin.) So at the end of the night there were at least a few 'taters left over. Since home fries weren't on the menu they went in the trash. My father intercepted some every couple of nights and brought them home. We ate a lot of potatoes.

Anyhoo, here I retasked some roasted yukons and sweet potatoes in a skillet with a little onion, salt, and pepper. Some of the sweets got really brown. they look burnt in the photo. They aren't. Top with cheese and a couple of runny eggs that you can break to let the yolk coat that browned starchy yumness. Super combo. A dollop of sour cream might improve it, but I didn't have any. We had to rough it.

'Dem Bones, 'Dem Bones. . .

Thursday October 17, 2018 St Louis cut ribs; roasted new potatoes; sauted eggplant 

with tomatoes.

Growing up, ribs were not a thing in our house. Most certainly not pork ribs. Mostly this was because they were not a part of either of my parents culture. Another factor might have been my mother's general aversion to animal protein that was too reminiscent of the source. (Anyone notice that protein should be spelled protien? Think about it, "Einstein," the "i" sound has the spelling "ei" the "i" is after the "e." "Relief," the "e" follows the "i." So "proteeen" should be "protien" right?) 

Come to think of it I don't think I ever saw my mother pick up a piece of chicken and eat it off the bone. We ate plenty of chicken. She ate steak well done. Fish was filets. Head on? Not in a million years. 

So I developed my love of ribs as an adult. Better late than never. 

(Protein is from the Greek proteios, first or primary. It is a reflection of the desire by nineteenth century chemists to find the "life force," that which is primary for life. The enzymatic properties inherent in many proteins appear directed. English is a mess.)

There's No Place Like Home

Breakfast, Friday Sep 21, 2018: eggs with salsa and mushrooms; fried squash; 

pineapple tidbits.

Just another "put it together with whatever you have on hand" meal. Why put mushrooms in salsa eggs? 'Cause they were going to go bad soon. The tidbits were leftover from a recipe that did not use the whole can. Of course Alexis put that hot BBQ sauce on everything.

  

We had been traveling for a conference and were happy to be home. We were in Louisville KY. There is some good food to be found there. Yeah, there's the bourbon thing, and we did see some distilleries, but we also found some really good food. I had one of the best reubens ever at a pub on Main. We also had some Louisville style pizza. Kinda like Chicago style but with the cheese on top.

So here is why I like St Louis cut ribs

So here is why I like St Louis cut ribs. Back ribs are nice and all. They are more tender than St Louis. They are less fatty. Tenderness doesn't matter so much when you are going to slow smoke. Side ribs make up for the fattiness with some pretty big slabs of meat. There is another benefit. St Louis cut usually has a substantial piece from the side of the belly. I usually trim some of this off to make seasoning meat, for beans and greens and such. (Cut the meat into pieces no more than a few inches a side. Coat liberally with rub. Layer in kosher salt. Lots of kosher salt. Cover and leave on the counter for a few days. Remove, shake off the excess salt, leave a thin coat. Bag and refrigerate.) 

Sometimes you get a pleasant surprise. A pig that didn't skip crunches. One of the racks in the two pack had a couple of inches of this.

So what did I do? I sliced it up. I'm not set up for cold smoking and curing so I sliced it then tossed it with some rub. Oughta be tasty. BTW the seasoning meat is in the background.

Here's a trimmed slab ready for the fridge overnight. Tomorrow it becomes.

T B C. . .

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things. . .

Supper, Thursday May 16: bagel sammich (smoked sausage, gouda, cheddar, rosemary and olive oil bagel); mixed fruit with yogurt.

Alexis' shift has changed so that she works 9 to 9. Those are weird hours. It's a little strained trying to work meals in. We have decided that unless she is running late that we will have breakfast together. I will pack her a lunch. We will have something relatively light for a late dinner. Maybe a snack in the late afternoon if either of us is getting hangry. 

I like fruit. Alexis not so much. She's OK with strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple. She eats the pineapple with scorpion chile bbq sauce. Huh? She barely tolerates the rest except melon. Nope, no melon. Oh yeah, the favorite things: sausage; cheese; bagels.

I learned a trick recently though. Those "water enhancer" drops are a great way to flavor plain yogurt. the large tubs of plain yogurt are a lot cheaper than the small serving size cups. Plus you aren't adding sugar. Of course if you have a thing about artificial sweeteners. . .

Oh Boy Do I Have Some Catching Up To Do

Breakfast Monday May 13: mixed fruit; shrimp sauteed in butter, scramble (eggs, cheddar, baby bellas, ramps).

Ramps you ask, what are ramps. They are a type of wild onion with a small bulb and broad tender leaves. They are also notoriously odiferous. They smell like a combination of a very strong onion with garlic. They are not for the unsophisticated palate. In our part of the country they are available in the spring. They can be found at farmers and tailgate markets for a few dollars a bunch. They can be used in place of garlic or onions or as a centerpiece to a dish. I like to use the whole plant. The leaves are very tender. 

Diner beware: If you eat too many, you will smell like them. Seriously. I think it comes out from your pores. 

Not Alexis, But Gotta Share. . .

Friday, September 07, 2018 Reuben and Tots

This is a bad photo. Sorry, dark bar and I wasn't considering this for a post. 

We went to a patient conference on my disability in Louisville KY. Of course we hit a few distilleries on the journey as it is close enough for us to drive there. The previous 2 years the locations were San Diego and New Orleans. Not road trip-able for me. When we attend this annual event we plan a little extra time to see a little bit of whatever city the conference is in. Louisville is a happening place. We found some great food very near the conference on "Wiskey Row" (Road? I don't remember.) 

Anyhoo, I bring this all up because I really like a good reuben, and as the joke goes lots of places serve up something that is definitely not like a good reuben. The reuben is my hot sandwich bellwether, meaning I judge an establishment by their reuben. The sandwich I had that day at a pub on wiskey row was one of the best I have ever had. The kraut was grilled and there was just enough dressing. The bread did not turn to mush. I believe the meat was cooked in house. It was not the oversalted precooked affair. 

Didn't hurt that they had Tots as an option. 

Oh, yeah, that is Willford, my companion manatee.