HOW COULD I BE SO NEGLIGENT!!!!!!!!!!

The Apartment. The Apartment. THE APARTMENT!!
I was raised watching this film every New Years Eve over take out Chinese or a giant spread of deviled eggs with caviar and other delights my folks would whip up.
I do not think there has been an on screen combo like Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine since and certainly not a film as completely pitch perfect as this Billy Wilder mega classic. (Perhaps Maltese Falcon rivals it in that respect but they are so different.)
It is the quintessential film for this time of year, exploring themes of loneliness, infidelity, cynicism and all those other feelings and behaviors the holidays conjure up..
I cannot believe I overlooked it as it is definitely one of my favorite films of all time. Thankfully Mr. Dave Weaver pointed it out in the comments in time for me to save face.
It usually airs every year but I am putting it in my Netflix queue right now just to be sure I don't miss it!

2009. EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE.

Inspired by the dead pan and hilarious Burgerphone, I want to do a year end recap!
When I worked at Other Music we had to do them every year for the newsletter and usually it was really hard to whittle down to a mere 10 records/events/books/films etc. However, some years it's really hard to find 10 things you like at all never mind would refer to as favorites!
2009 was a major bummer of a year, I feel.

So many legendary people checked out, the economy was/is lousy, the media really pushed the envelope with stuffing crap in our faces until we were sick (reality stars, MJ's death), and sickness (H1N1) until we were paranoid.
Gay Americans were told repeatedly by their government that they were not citizens.
Gourmet Magazine folded.
Bumsville.

In challenging times you have to make your own fun, right?

Here are some things I did enjoy:

Black President


First Anniversary in Charleston, SC

TONY featuring my (now defunct) Supper Club

The new Reigning Sound record

Davilla 666 and the Reinging Sound at Southpaw

Jean On Jean at MonkeyTown

Junior Brown at The Big Apple BBQ

Spaghetti All' Ubriaco

Becoming a subscriber to Oxford American

Reading Plenty Enough Suck to Go Around Cheryl Wagner and
We Have Always Lived In The Castle Shirley Jackson

Being Gardeners! (well, that was mostly Marty but I helped eat a lot of zucchini)

Finally discovering True Blood in all of it's forms (yes, I read the books)

My awkward return to physical fitness was not really enjoyable but at least positive.

Oh! Seeing Paula Deen being photographed with fried chicken at Momofuku was pretty great.

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY MOVIES

What gives me the right to have a holiday movie list? I'm an American. I have a blog! Ha.
These are not the straight up classics, no Jimmy Stewart and no Peter Billingsley (whom by the way in case you were wondering is making movies like this now, shudder..).
I do love those films, but there are many movies that feature the holidays as less of a central character and more of a brief landscape or folks that find themselves in not-quite-the-epitome of holiday circumstances.

Here are my favorites:

Die Hard



Close behind is
Gremlins


Love Bill Murray as a Scrooge for the 80's in Scrooged


Batman Returns-Holidays in Gotham!


Who can forget Edward Scissorhands making it snow in the pastel cul de sac:


Black Christmas(1974) If only for Margot Kidder's acting and Olivia Hussey's outfit.


The Thin Man Okay well maybe there are some classics in here..


We're No Angels Convicts, a deadly snake, Christmas!


What are your favorite holiday movies or movies you watch over the holidays?

SOMEBODY IS UP TO SOMETHING...

What do you think it could be?

HOW RAD ARE THESE

Ornaments?
I found them today at Kmart. And yes, they are MSL!!


It's only Dec 2nd but I am already feeling this month slipping away.
I want to get the most out of it with many festivities.

Such as:

The baking and giving of cookies and other edible treats.














Trying out Craig Claiborn's Eggnog and drinking it on Christmas morning.

Procuring a new party dress

Taking walks to see the lights

THERE GOES MARTHA

Telling it like it is.
I love her.

JOE YORK DOES IT AGAIN

Man, I am a big fan of the films of Joe York! Check out his latest:
Smokes and Ears. To find out more about Joe and his work preserving the legacy of American food, check out the great Southern Foodways Alliance.

IT'S YOUR VOODOO WORKING

PLEASE, PASS THE BISCUITS!!!

As I was sitting here at my desk chastising myself for not having eaten brekkie this am, craving a nice hot buttery biscuit myself, I noticed
the Best Station in the Universe posted 5 different versions of Please Pass the Biscuits on their blog.

My favorite version of that song, as sung by Andre Williams is included in the group. Mr Williams is a legend. A true Detroit-soul-wild-man-hellraiser! You can find out for yourself as there is a documentary on him and he recently wrote a collection of short stories, which are believed to have some base in his life experience. I saw him once in LA and he burned the place up. I first heard of him when I purchased the Daddy Rollin' Stone/Gin 45 put out by Norton. The man sings about the important things in life: biscuits, corn liquor, gin, -humpin, bumpin and thumpin.

He also has a song about Bacon Fat:


which I JUST REALIZED(!) references one of my favorite songs of all time, the Gary U.S. Bonds burner, I Wanta Holler ( but the town's to small) which I beg you to check out here:


Man, I love it when things just come together full circle, much like a good biscuit.

WHAT A MILF! THE M STANDS FOR MARTHA

Look what I came across when I Googled: "Martha Stewart model".
Martha was such a beauty Queen before she was an OMNI-media Queen. Of course I have nothing but respect for Ms, Stewart.
Female knew how to get paid and she still does! I love the one with the live stock- foreshadowing!

WE WANNA DO BAD THINGS WITH YOU

I had a fantastic weekend full of family and food..... and finally the finale
of season 2 of True Blood!!!!

I don't believe I have breached my obsession with that television show here yet. It's not just the show either. I'm....reading....the books. I'm on book 5. I don't know what has happened to me! I just can't get enough of that stuff.
Before you dismiss me as another vampire freak, hear me out. Let's look at some facts here:

• I have a major love for the South.
• I'm in a Southern Evangelical Vampire band.
• Our record, well, our 7 inch is called " Six Feet Under The Mason Dixon Line"

Are you getting these hints I am dropping? Obviously this HBO show was made for me.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, if you are into organ drenched Su'thn' vampire hell raising rock and roll then we, Direct From Hollywood Cemetery are the band for YOU.
So, don't get caught in your coffin this Halloween!
This is the last time we will rise from the dead to play the sinister soul stirring rock and roll musics.
Come out to Bruar Falls and let us do bad things with y'all!


DIRECT FROM HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY AND OUR SPECIAL GUESTS: STUPID PARTY and WEIRD FANTASY BAND
DOORS: 930pm
$5 W COSTUME
$8 W/OUT
DRINK SPECIALS!!!!!!!!!!!

I'M A WINNER AT FOOD52!!!!!!

I don't mean to brag but I am just so EXCITED!!!!!!
I was just informed by THE AMANDA HESSER of the New York Times that my recipe will be in a forthcoming book celebrating home cooks and their recipes. I am, of course estatic, as she is one of my favorite food writers. Check out her latest article on Worcestershire Sauce.
Her site, Food 52 that she operates with Merrill Stubbs seeks to honor home cooks.
From the site: "Every week we'll hold recipe contests. After a year - 52 weeks - Harper Studio will publish the winning recipes in a beautiful cookbook."
Aaaaaaaaaaaand my little recipe for Coconut Gelato will be featured in that book!
Isn't that THE MOST!?!?
I am especially thrilled because this project, heralding home cooks who make food everyday to share with family and friends, is a subject I am passionate about. I was raised eating dinner at the table, complete with a salad every night. It was there that I learned how important sharing meals is. I have tremendous respect for unsung cooks, in homes, diners or in shacks at the side of the road who make real food every day for their communities. I'll let Amanda and Merrill share their thoughts on the subject:
* If you cook, your family will eat dinner together.
* If you cook, you will naturally have a more sustainable household.
* If you cook, you’ll set a lifelong example for your children.
* If you cook, you’ll understand what goes into food and will eat more healthily.
* If you cook, you’ll make your home an important place in your life.
* If you cook, you’ll make others happy.
* If you cook, people will remember you.


I could not agree more!!

p.s. If I have not annoyed you to high heaven by now with my gushing, grant me one last thing. Amanda herself tested my recipe! Eeeeeeeek!!!

p.p.s.
Sign up to food52!

RVA, BOILED PEANUTS, THOMAS JEFFERSON AND ME

***Behold, one of my favorite "suicide food" signs in RVA


October has been jam packed with stuff and none of it relaxing. This has been the routine; BIRTH! SCHOOL! WORK! DEATH!
HA, just kidding, late 80's alternative rock jokes aside, it has felt very tedious and a bit like work::gym::sleep- over and over for a few weeks now. I have to make time for the fall (mostly food related) activities I look forward to. Oh well. What can you do? That's life in the big city. Speaking of cities, my favorite city was featured today in the New York Times!
Finally, the kind of recognition that will (hopefully) make folks stop looking at me all crazy when I say I wanna live down there. Or maybe not....Speaking of cities, that uh are rich with history of our fledgling nation, check out this class at ICE I plan on taking!!

Our third president was an avid gastronome and gardener. Jefferson took detailed notes on the foods he encountered during the course of his European travels, maintained an active kitchen garden, and was a noted oenophile. In this class, based on Jefferson’s cooking journals, Amelia Simmons’ 1796 book American Cookery and Mary Randolph’s 1824 Virginia Housewife, you will prepare a Thanksgiving feast that includes Catfish Soup; Capon Stuffed with Oysters and Parsley Butter; Sage Roasted Duck with Lemon Pickle and Onion Sauce; Tavern Biscuits; Root Vegetable Chartreuse; Braised Cabbage; Indian Meal Pudding; Potato Cake; Cranberry Tart in Royal Pastry; and Sweet Potato Pie.

Lemme know if you wanna buddy up and cook like a Virginia Housewife. Sadly, they are leaving out Mr. Jefferson's recipe for vanilla ice cream:















Last but not least in this blathering and barely cohesive post, I want to have a peanut boil! If this weather quits jumping the gun on winter. Think of it a nice fall day, peanuts boiling away, mulled wine or cider..sweaters. My backyard holds plenty and the more the merrier with chilly weather..what do you say? Where can a city girl find green goobers?

GAWKTOBER

In the true spirit of OCTOBER I am trying to cram in lots of creeptastic literature, film and what-all-else into my month.
We have finally joined the legion of True Blood fans, with half of the first season down and I must say it's got under my skin PDQ. Last night I was on the edge of the couch, leering forward, sipping whiskey, eyes agape, gawking at these twisted characters, with pure glee.

Speaking of twisted characters!

If you have not yet, you must read WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson.
Merricat Blackwood is such a twisted character. I am sad I had never encountered her before now, she should be widely known and referenced in song and pop culture. A girl of eighteen, but stunted developmentally, (though it's unclear as to why and is gradually revealed) she is obsessive and suffers delusions.
Her reality is severely distorted and you soon realize it, but despite being a devious narrator her behavior moves the story forward so you follow along even as she unravels.
Another thing about this book, food and eating is a major theme.
They eat together three times a day and have a basement full of generations of canned and preserved food that Merricat describes like this:
All the Blackwood women had taken the food that came from the ground and preserved it, and the deeply colored rows of jellies and pickles and bottled vegetables and fruit, maroon and amber and dark rich green stood side by side in our cellar and would stand there forever, a poem by the Blackwood women. Each year Constance and Uncle Julian and I had jam or preserves or pickle that Constance had made, but we never touched what belonged to the others; Constance said it would kill us if we ate it."

Merricat also observes "We eat the year away. We eat the Summer and the Spring and Fall."

Perfect reading for the season! Trust me this is a creeper from the word go and you will love it. I plan on getting my hands on The Haunting of Hill House next.
If you have any suggestions for gothic goodies please send them my way!

OCTOBER IS MY FAVORITE MONTH

It's October. Finally.
I love October so much.
First of all just look at the word October.


It's so pleasing to the eye.

OCTOBER

It is also the start of my favorite time of year, the Fall. Summer and Spring are great but Fall is such a cozy time and the opportunities for celebrations are rampant. I am all about celebrations.
Which brings me to this photo. With almost 15 years of Martha Stewart magazines holding court in my living room, I have a lot of inspiration for gatherings. There are so many reasons to throw an Autumn party.
Such as:
Halloween OF COURSE
Fall Suppers
Pumpkin Carving
Fall birthdays
Friendsgiving
Casserole Pot Lucks
Mulled Wine or Cider making or...Cider Donut making!
Pie party!
I will be concocting some rad Fall get-togethers in the very near future... so be ready friends.

GOODBYE GOURMET

This weekend was like a Siskel and Ebert film review: one thumb up, one thumb down. On Saturday we ran pointless errands and got soaked in a downpour On Sun we went to Atlantic Antic which had old buses and lots of delicious food, friends and frivolity. Then we had band practice! That's right Direct From Hollywood Cemetery are playing one last show this Halloween. It promises to be a wild time if you are interested in faux evangelical horror rock.

In craptacular news, I just heard today that Gourmet magazine is being shut down by Conde Nast. Having grown up with that magazine in my house and been a loyal subscriber myself for many years, I have to say I am really saddened and kind of pissed! Bon Appetit gets to stay- what gives? I am glad I have all my back issues to keep me company when I check my mailbox and find it missing. In the last few years of it's publication, they really embraced their readers (thanks to Ruth Reichl and the internet) and rose to a level of journalism that is usually not found in food magazines.
I will miss it severely and will now have to find new annual holiday presents for quite a few people. I never thought I would see the end of Gourmet.

TRUTHFULLY

I have listened to this song like 5 times a day for the past two weeks.

PAULA DEEN AT MOMOFUKU

By the way, I saw Paula Deen at Momofuku last Mon. She was being photographed with The Momofuku fried chicken as far as I could tell. I wanted to hug her and get a picture with her so BADLY. But I tried to keep it cool. I regret it deeply as I am not sure you know, but I LOVE HER.
(sobs)

FOODIOT? FORGET IT!!

I find it very disturbing that a new term has been coined to describe people who talk about regular, blue collar, delivery, fast food, and standard American fare as "Foodiots". The term goes on to include folks who obsess over upscale food as well. There have always been food enthusiasts and people who want to talk about food whether they ate it at a greasy spoon, in a pal's backyard or at Per Se. It's just that now, (and they do touch on this in the article) they have a 24/7 global mouth piece for it. The author mentions Facebook as a misused tool for the food fanatic and goes on to say "what we eat has become a dominant, and perhaps obnoxious, part of our everyday cultural discourse."

Guilty as charged. I post pictures of memorable meals or food I have made that I am proud of or that I find interesting. In fact as a perfect example of my point a high school pal noted upon first encountering my page
"I see you are still very into food".
Exactly! We have always been here it's just now we can IM you about where we ate lunch. We can text message you an image from the restaurant we just had the best Ramen of our lives. We can post pictures on our blogs from a fried fish place that's been in town for 30 years and where the hush puppies multiply like popcorn kernels.

I am utterly offended as well, by the idea that the only meals worth mentioning are those that take place on white table cloths. The article sights a man whose fried food fetish irritates his co workers. Any behavior like is described in that example would be irritating at an office. Why is issue taken with the fact that it's fried food? My point is, it's not the subject matter here, it's the delivery. Would it be less annoying if he printed out Michelin guides and forced them on people?

While it's true the U.S. is experiencing a heightened overall interest in food as pop culture thanks to food on TV, chefs becoming celebs, dramatic and entertaining (tho not to me) reality shows and the like- it's not a new obsession. Gourmet first started publishing in 1941 and is still (for the time being) in print. My family talked about food at home everyday. I have always looked forward to hearing about and sharing food experiences with friends and family. Food is our culture. I don't care if it's butter on bread or Oysters and Pearls To find it "very bourgeois" that people dedicate time and energy (and even pixels) to discussing it is insulting.

NYC STREET FOOD

This is what I will miss if we ever make it out of here......

BIG GAY ICE CREAM! WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE ?????

Two weeks ago in the middle of a two week stretch of dieting, (I know I know- lame) I caved majorly and went to see Mr. Doug Quint at the Big Gay Ice Cream truck. I could not resist after hearing the list of toppings he was bragging about on his twitter. It was the Thanksgiving Sundae that lured me to his truck, but thankfully for my hips, I settled for a simple vanilla twist with the most luxurious addition of banana cocoa syrup.
He has that Thanksgiving sundae again this week! resistance..getting...weaker.......ah!
He is up for a Vendy, so check him out before he is too famous and the line is off the hook long.

PURPLE BASIL EATER

My CSA this week had purple basil! Which I have never purchased or seen before. On the web there are many suggestions to make basil vinegar with it, but being the pesto freak that I am, I had other plans.
It was very fragrant and went wonderfully with pistachios...

IF THERE IS ANYWHERE ELSE I SHALL BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR YOU

Not sure if you are aware but I am sort of morbid on the inside. Ask Marty, he will tell you. Anyway, trolling on this neat-o blog I found this letter that Winston Churchill wrote to his wife in 1915 when he returned to the Army. It was to be given to her in the event of his death.
It breaks my heart. Obviously she never saw it.

Transcript

Do not grieve for me too much. I am a spirit confident of my rights. Death is only an incident & not the most important which happens to us in this state of being. On the whole, especially since I met you my darling I have been happy, & you have taught me how noble a woman's heart can be. If there is anywhere else I shall be on the look out for you. Meanwhile look forward, feel free, rejoice in life, cherish the children, guard my memory. God bless you.

Good bye.

W.

If we had to sit down and write a letter like that to our loved ones today, what would we put?

I FORGOT THE BOILED PEANUTS!!!

Ages ago in 1995, I had read about boiled peanuts while perusing an issue of Martha Stewart. In the back pages, was an ad for The Lee Bros Boiled Peanut Catalog. I promptly ordered a handmade catalog and though I still have it today, I never ordered from it.
The Lee Bros are pretty famous for their catalog and books and they regularly contribute to MSL as well.
When we were staying in Folly Beach, our lovely hosts showed up one evening, with a small zip lock bag and presented it to me. Inside were the most delicious, salty, subtly spiced delectable treats- Boiled Peanuts! What took me so long!? I think although I was excited to try them all those years ago, it took getting down to South Carolina myself. They were fresh and tasty and I devoured them. Hence, no photographic evidence!
The truth is, we were in South Carolina so briefly ( plus, we were there during the week and did not have the chance to try everything we'd read about prior to going)that there was not enough time to taste all the regional foods I had my sights on. I am already planning our next excursion, hopefully before the year is out, to go down to both of the Carolinas and eat my fill.

*the photo is from a gas station at South Of The Border, that sold "boilded peanuts"

LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN CHARLESTON!!

A new Pimento cheese, called Palmetto, in honor of the Palmetto State. I got it at Piggly Wiggly and it was pretty good! The Pimento Cheese with Soul!

LIBBY'S SEAFOOD DANVILLE,VA

Oh how I loved you, fish sammie from Libby Hill...sigh

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #23

Look at those beauty queens I got from the garden!! I am really bummed you were not here to partake...oh well there are new ones growing so get yer butt home! I used them and some shallots and olives to make a very satisfying and velvety sauce for some whole grain pasta I found in the bakehouse. Then I watched Bones.

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #22

Tapas!! Schnick came over and we had mussels, cheese, olives, baba ganoush, shishito padron peppers- it was a FEAST. But look at the beer FESTINA PECHE!!! I found it right down the street!

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #21

You would have loved this. I took the patty pans from the fridge and some rogue peppers (some hot, some not) that were bunkering down there in the crisper with them, seasoned them and fried them up with lots of garlic and oil and then added toasted bread cubes to it.
Crisper Fry Up. I guess.
It was damn good.
Tomorrow night is Pimentos de Padron and Shishito peppers- Tapas style.

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #20

Eggplant and Olive Pizza. With Bulgarian Feta and Onions. It was a bit dry.

FOLLY BEACH, SC

MY REFRIGERATOR

For no good reason.

BACK FROM VACAY IN BODY

But not in mind. More on these subjects, soon.

GOING SOUTH

We are going on vacation!

Here is what I will NOT be missing:

The Subway.

That "future" fish transit painting on the L and F trains with the aliens and saxophonist.

Hearing phrases like "moving forward" and "shoot me an email".

Here is what I am looking forward to:

Regional foods!

Beach Sand!

Driving in the car with Marty with the radio on.


Speaking of Marty, this trip is to commemorate our first anniversary. We sort of have a plan but also are sort of flying by the seats of our little pants, which I guess is how we do things, and that works for us.
I found these pictures of us waaaay back in my email account.
They are from 2004, when I first met him. It is so wild to think that we ended up marrying each other!
What a couple of kooks we were, a mere few years ago. Lots of shenanigans.
Ask anyone, they'll tell ya. It took us a while to get our act together, that is for sure!
I am thrilled and feel so very lucky that we did.
We'll send ya a postcard!

OFF TOPIC

This is not usually something I would post about but it is our FIRST ANNIVERSARY (woo!woo!) this Saturday and I found myself browsing some wedding blogs.

This wedding and this photographer specifically, was too good not to share.

A TALE OF ONE MAYO

The first time I had Duke's Mayo, I knew I could finally add mayo to the long list of condiments I am obsessed with. I had been searching for a favorite mayo, and being a Northerner by birth I had never heard of the "Secret of Great Southern Cooks" in the cheery yellow jar.
It was Duke's mayo that brought me to the genius work of Amy C Evans (Whom I now am internet buddies with, Hi Amy!). But that's not all!
Long story short, trolling for Duke's info on the web, I found this painting Amy did and fell in love with it. When I learned it was unavailable I mentioned it to Marty who secretly commissioned our good pal artist J.T. Yost to make a Duke's painting, which Marty then presented to me for last Valentine's Day. It turns out the folk's at Duke's saw J.T.'s painting on the web. J.T. who is a passionate vegan with no use for Duke's, explained the whole scenario and I came home from work today to this lovely swag from Sauer's!!!
THANKS DUKE'S!!!

BAND ON THE RUN

I have not been cooking lately. Marty has been recording and I have been going to the gym a bunch and sometimes afterward, I just don't feel like eating. The most notable exceptions this past week were: last night's dinner which was Whole Wheat Pizza with onion slathered Swiss Chard and a sparse covering of Pecorino and Sunday night's solo dinner on the couch, where I recreated my favorite sandwich of all time, from 'wichcraft. I am well aware of what 'things' I will be missing, when and IF I ever get out of this city. Almost all of them are food related.

This last chunk of week has been spent waiting for the rain to begin or stop, running out to socialize in between and eating on the fly.
Today I noticed "the bull" (Marty's gear case for touring) sitting on the floor in the living room. It had countless set lists taped up to it's interior and so I took a picture of it.
Even though a lot of my experience in a touring band is spotted with unpleasant memories of obligation, seeing the bull there made me wish I was city hopping and collecting set lists in a special place.

RAINY DAYS AND FUNDAYS

This past week had busy nights and lollygag days. On Thursday TLRx were supposed to play along the Hudson with Extra Golden and Radio 4. As you can see from the video, Mother Nature had different plans. Due to the nasty weather they had to axe the opening acts. There was a quick break in storming however allowing for TLRx to take the stage. Punk rock vs. nature, again. We also had a lovely time on top of a roof in Brooklyn. I made handpies. It's summertime.

WELL DONE

Last Friday was my wonderful sweet friend Molly's final project at Natural Gourmet Institute. I have been closely following (read: constantly Instant Messaging while I should be working) Molly's progress over the past year at the Institute. I strongly encouraged her to attend and though it has been quite the workload on top of her already "crazy busy" life and very difficult to juggle school, full time work, artist management, and all the other myriad events that make up being Molly, you can see by the pics below that it was completely worth it.
































At the dinner, Molly's signature sauce, Romesco was a highlight in the main course. This was further established when during the Q and A session afterward the first query from a satisfied diner was
"How do I make that Romesco sauce- it's incredible!"
My heart swelled up to burst with pride at that moment and as I gazed at Molly across the room her face confirmed our sentiments.

Here is Molly's recipe, as she first emailed it to me, almost two years ago:

Romesco sauce
4-5 piquillo peppers (from a jar, you can find them at most stores)
1 tomato (can seed and peel, but I throw the whole thing in)
10-12 toasted blanched almonds
1 slice bread toasted (if you use French bread, cut most of the crust off)
4 cloves garlic
salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
water if it needs to be made mild

in a food processor or blender combine all ingredients except olive oil. While it's blending on low, stream in olive oil.

You can add and subtract ingredients to your own taste of course. The streaming is the best method but if you just throw the oil in, it's fine too.

M xx

IN MY ATOMIC GARDEN

Just to keep you posted on how our first attempt at gardening is going.

These pics below, were taken May 10th, June 16th and then the last, just this morning. I feel like we were really lucky regarding the rain. It did not drown anything as we are on a subtle slope. The squash is partying out of bounds. I have heard it needs a shelf. We are looking into that. For now, we just try to convince it to not strangle the tomatoes surrounding it. The zucchini are looking very healthy.
The cukes are almost ready to be picked and the carrots will soon be as well.
I'm most excited about the tomatoes, of course.
Stay tuned,

TACO MACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE

I am a taco machine. I am addicted to tacos (and ice cream, and pizza, and....)
I recently went to check out the new taco place on Smith Street, Oaxaca. The place is cute, brightly colored and cheery. The service was a bit slow but they are just trying to get into it, you know. I got the pescado and the frijoles rolled taco (enchilada). The pescado taco was chilled and delicious but very skimpy. The rolled taco on the other hand...HOT DAMN. Stoked to have tacos within walking distance!

LET ME STAND NEXT TO YOUR FIRE

We made our own fire- works when at our 4th of July BBQ and Ice Cream Social Marty was getting the grill started up for round 2-and KABOOM- Fireball!!!! It was okay just dramatic and yes his beard is still in tact!
So many friends came! Our tiny backyard was filled with bodies eatin', socializin'and making merry. We had Pimento Cheese deviled eggs, Horchata, Burgers, Dogs, SO MANY DELICIOUS SALADS, grilled corn, and of course ICE CREAM!
More pics are at Flickr. Hope you had a great Fourth!!!

DINNER EVERYWHERE

Had two really great dinners that used up some of CSA this week. Tues night was solo din din as SOMEONE had to go see Transformers.
I took a wilting bushel of Kale and made Kale Pesto for gnocchi. It was great except I should have blanched and shocked and then proccesed. The ice bath is a veggies bff, when will I learn this?!
The next night, Marty took over and we used up the Swiss Chard from the CSA and our OWN GREEN BEANS THAT WE GREW OUR OWN SELVES, in lead laden soil no doubt. We had a Chard, Green Bean and Tempeh stir fry with peanut sauce using my favorite Peanut Butter in the land, Koeze Cream Nut. Try that peanut butter and I swear you will abandon whatever PB you now use in an instant. It is glorious. While Marty cooked, I concocted Ice Cream bases for this weekend........more on that coming up!

DON'T NEGLECT PISTACHIOS

I'm having an Ice Cream Social/BBQ this Saturday. I have some ideas for flavors and plan on making some sort of grand centerpiece dessert. I got to thinking about retro ice cream desserts and delved into my cookbooks and old Martha's to see what I could drum up. In my collection I found, "Ice Cream World of Baskin Robbins" published in 1975. The graphics are super feel good and the book is broken up by month using the signs of the Zodiac as jump off points to recipes such as Taurus Banana Split (for the hedonistic bull). February features Lemon Gingerbread Lincoln Log and in May there is a Kentucky Derby Day Sundae featuring Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and Bourbon. There is even a recipe for ice cream tacos! Which features almond and chocolate ice cream (okay, makes sense) and then sort of nose dives with the suggestion to use real taco shells. Eep. Not sure I would be into that. Even though the subject is something as timeless as ice cream, the recipes really reflect the time period. Shrimp and sherbet anyone?
1975 was the year I was born. Man, who knew it was all pistachios and daiquiris.

IN A GADDA DA VIDDA

Wherein rock and gardening meet. Last night we went off to see Marty's pals Birds of Avalon. They were heavy and fantastic. Due to my lack of ability to read instructions I took sort of pathetic photos that do not give any justice to just how great they were.
PBRs were consumed. I awoke this morning to find.....SLUGS. I think they are babies, it's like Children of the Corn. The slugs are running around back there like they inhabit the garden of some teetotalers! Well I have news for them. There is a bottle of beer in the fridge and it has whatever is the slug emblem equivalent to a skull and cross bones. They have neither obviously so who knows what that could be. Also, some of the leaves on our beans and squash plants have decay. I did spray them with a soapy solution that works fantastic and keeping tiny bugs off tomatoes. I feel like maybe I over sprayed? I need find that Hot Pepper Wax stuff and put an end to the free for all slug fest. I am off to New York City Garden for guidance. The knowledge there RUNS DEEP.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WEEK! WTF!

TERRIBLE WEEK

This week has been pretty gosh darn awful. I try to get my head around it by thinking well, if we don't have really awful times, how do we know it when we are deliriously happy. But that is some B.S.
In honor of Sky Saxon and the others who dearly departed this week.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GELATO

I make ice cream at home pretty frequently. THIS IS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
This is the best ice cream I have ever made, ever. This is GELATO. Vanilla Honey Gelato. Every time I have shared it with someone, they take it casually like one accepts anything a host offers in polite society, BUT THEN- in mid speech, they exclaim with wonder, how glorious this concoction is. It just has....layers.

6 egg yolks
2 cups milk ( I used reduced fat non homogenized from Milk Thistle Farms, yes I said reduced fat and it still came out rich like Daddy Warbucks)
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean split with seeds scraped out
2 tblsp honey

In a saucepan combine egg yolks and sugar until thick and fluffy.
Add milk on low to med heat stirring constantly.
Add vanilla bean and seeds pods and all.
Keep an eye on that heat.
When the mixture is glossy and coats the back of your spoon it can be strained into a new container and set to cool.
Refrigerate.
After the mixture is completely cool, put it into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
When the mixture starts to look like soft serve, add the honey.

Now here is where personal preference comes into play. When it was time to take my gelato out of the maker, it was still quite soft. I put it in the freezer for about two hours. This length of time in the freezer achieved the most blissful density and texture. After 24 hours in the freezer it developed a slight but noticeable iciness, which was kind of nice.
Next up, FULL FAT milk.

BREAKFAST WITHOUT YOU

An amazing thing has occurred while you have been away. I learned to properly poach eggs! Thanks to Schnick, who tipped me off to the whirlpool/simmer method. I was feeling so inspired that I even got out the mandoline (or as I like to refer to it, 'the instrument of terror').
Even though you remain the breakfast master of the house, I know you would have approved of this brekkie.

CUMPLEANOS FELIZ

This is Molly Nueman. If you have not heard of her she is a total badass. She inspires me like every 5 seconds. After a gigantic career in music she is now embarking on a new food related (!) endeavor. Lucky for all of us! Her tortilla de patata is mindblowing.
Last night we whooped it up in honor of her birthday.
I went home (many Singapore Slings later) feeling so lucky to have her in my life.
Love you girl.

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #19

You leave North Brooklyn for a bit and lo and behold-TACO TRUCK at Union Pool. I guess it's been there awhile, but well you know how we do....
ANYWAY, The Las Palabras show was wonderful. The tacos from EL Diablo Taco truck (Texan ex pat, so you know they are good) were delicious and tangy. The weather was chilly but good friends warm you right up, I find.

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #18

We made Swiss Chard and Tempeh tacos and then busted out some strawberry hand pies! We pulled a radish from the garden! Our first harvest! That was pretty exciting. You can see Schnick modeling it for you. I decided to leave the rest(including the weeds!) till you get back. I don't know where weeds begin and certain unidentifiable plants end. I don't wanna pull out something you were looking forward to. I have not seen any slugs but there were some very sluggish worms and centipede looking things roaming around. The birds have been okay, I think that maybe they are eating (or drugging?) the creatures I mentioned instead of the tomatoes, so that's cool. The zucchini looks unstoppable.

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #17

Last night's dinner was sort of crazypants. It started with one Pacifico . Then at the suggestion of a wildly bearded man at the Union Square Farmers Market, I took a handful of loopy garlic scapes and roasted them in a 400 degree oven after bathing them in salt and oil. Then I ate them, every one of them, stretching them out before me and chomping till I got to the crispy whisps of their ends (I don't have to tell you I was sitting on the couch watching King of The Hill as I did this).
Afterward I still had a bit of a hankering, so I popped a small bag of popcorn and slathered it in THAT ( amazing Greek olive oil from Christophile) olive oil and a healthy shake of Nutritional Yeast.
Like I said crazypants.

TEARING IT UP

This is too good not to share. Junior Brown is STILL hotter than a pistol!

TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY

In the words of Ice Cube, "today was a good day". I woke up, had some breakfast, drank some coffee and went straight to the Big Apple BBQ. It was there I had a killer Pimento Cheese from Jim and Nick's Bar-B-Q, met a fabulous woman , listened to John T Edge and Dale and John Reed talk about North Carolina BBQ history, and finally as if all of that was not blissful enough- watched Junior Brown play for an hour and a half!!!!!

DINNER WITHOUT YOU #16

So while you are at Bonnaroo with all the Hippies and the Widespread Panic fans, bringing home the bacon, I am here trying to feed myself. This is what I came up with tonight. Poached egg on goat cheese topped Pumpernickel Rye bread over lightly sauteed lambs quarters with a side of beet.
You are gonna love Lambs Quarters.

VIRGINIA RECAP

We had a time oh what a time. First we hit up Danville to see Marty's kin. His nephew had just graduated and let me photograph his High School ring. It was awesome. I ate at the Golden Corral. Which aside from one dismal visit to Shoney's for brekkie once was my first experience at a Buffet restaurant. It was salty but I did my best, they had real food there actually so it was easy to make a nice little plate for myself. Complete with grits, which I adore. While we were there we saw The Hangover, which was terrific. You should go see it if you like fun at all. The usher told us as he took our tickets, " I hope you guys are wearing diapers". I will leave it at that. We got to RVA just in time for an impromptu BBQ where I met new RVA folks and drank too much wine. Shenanigans ensued. One of the things I love about Richmond is that even though it's a small city there are always new peeps to meet. They get a lot of that "moved-away-and-now-I-am-back" kind of dweller (HINT HINT MARTY) so I tend to meet new old residents frequently. TedRx were in town so we all went out to catch some of the rock. What else happened? I ate like a king baby. Got graciously driven around in a car without AC. I met a guy who built a tiny house on wheels in Jackson Ward. I had a great time. Lots more pics here

AND NOW A QUICK TACO BREAK

Lately all I have heard about from the universe (as it pertains to Richmond) is tacos. Particularly Nate's Taco Truck tacos. This past weekend I was in Richmond, and I was gonna hunt down these tacos. Fortunately it was easy! It was also delicious. Super, super delicious. You know how I feel about Tacos. I would not throw around that word delicious if I did not mean it. And I mean it, from the bottom of my... taco loving being. The menu had many options, all under $4. I went with one black bean in a flour tortilla (because that is a taste sensation I cannot resist) and one calabacita in a corn tortilla. They were both fantastic but the calabacitas was off the hook. I may have been in a euphoric hallucinatory state but I swear I saw pine nuts in there! Clearly whoever Nate is (that is not him pictured) he and that fellow down there in that truck, are one with the taco gods.

SWEET VIRGINIA

A long time ago I found myself the member of a band of southern gentlemen. These guys, plus one "Bawl'mr"-ean and I went on a mini tour to DC, where I had been, and Bawlmer, where I had been and then to a place I had never been. Richmond, VA. I had driven up and down I-95 my whole life but somehow we never stopped in Richmond, Virginia. We always plowed through to VA Beach or North Carolina instead. So I was excited to check out a Southern city I knew nothing about, with a crew of ex pats to show me the place. I will never forget seeing the Arthur Ashe statue for the first time. The guys said it was absurd but did not tell me why. It is supposed to represent athleticism and learning but instead, due to the gazer's perspective, it looks as though he is beating children away from the books he holds with his tennis racket. (You have to see it to believe it- and that is just one part of the controversial monument). Anyway, beyond Monument Avenue there was this amazing place. Beautiful, historical and tragic all at once, it's character is very complicated. Like a flawed heroine in a period piece, Richmond is full of contradiction, frustration, and allure. I fell for it straight away and since then, I have an attachment to it that I can't fully explain. (It may have to do with having lived in NYC for almost 15 years now!)
Being a real Northerner, born in NYC, raised in MA, one would think I would have deep affinities for those two of the original 13 colonies. Perhaps my love for VA harks to a cross generational unrequited quest of Sir Walter Raleigh (a supposed ancestor of us Langs).
It may not hold it's own against some aspects of cities I have been to (or live in) but that doesn't matter to me. It makes up for it in very subtle ways. The people I have met there make me more fond of the South than I already was. I have had some really wonderful and recklessly fun times there. It always fills me with hope and ambition when I visit. I guess I am just burned out on the greatest city in the world.
Pics from my latest wonderful visit are forthcoming.

RIP KOKO AND CARRADINE

First I heard this morning about David Carradine. Then through my lovely Interweb pal Amy, I got the sad news about Koko Taylor.

Click here to hear my favorite Koko Taylor song, which we put on our wedding mix. It's called Insane Asylum, with Willie Dixon.