Food.

2 odd local food notes:

1st, Rizzo's French dip has closed apparently, when the owners skipped town. Their ad is not fake. But it should be:

And then second, the BBC reports the story of the Washington Tater Man....

From The Rolo-Dex.

Best recipe ever.

Next time you throw a party for your friendly friends....

Turkey Time, Expounded.

Oh Thanksgiving, how I love ye.

I went down to Olympia, not in the dart, due to the ice still covering my street (it rained last night, so it's gone now) and my dad already had the turkey going. Hanging out with family, drinking whiskey (Basil-Hayden) and cider (Rockridge Orchards), playing games, and relaxation.

Dinner was up at 3pm, with the full array of traditional items, with gravy I was especially proud of, since it was made at work with much craft-skill and love. Chicken demi-glace, simmered with 4 carcasses of roasted chickens, some shiitake mushrooms and bay leaves for a background accent, and time. Then I turned that into a velouté and pored it over the roasted chicken thigh meat I had reserved on the side....that's how you do it....

And as a side talking point, mostly for the cooking types: I have been morally wrestling with the idea that a meat stock should just be a reduction of that animal's essence. Why add mirepoix, and other traditional ingredients? Should you add some? I added shiitakes because they would help with the umami....what about that? Do I need to roast all my bones or can I blanch it? I am getting into moral questions concerning the basis of traditional western cookery.....I love this about food: there are many ways to get to the end, and you find the way that works best (not necessarily for you, because that's called a shortcut) and makes you content.

New.

I drew some alligator pictures a while back, with the intention of using them here. I wanted to do something, but I got burned out- I am not used to staring at a computer for this long straight! So, this is temporary.....

RoundUp, The Freezing.

It has snowed. Snow. Real powder. It's cold out, under freezing, windy, serious. Winter. At the beginning of this month we hit 76°F. WTF.

Anyways, I made Sauerbraten recently, taking pictures to explain to y'all how it's done. I was incomplete, but I will explain:

1. Sear your well seasoned brisket (but you should decide to make this a couple days before, so it can marinate....)

2. Brown your carrots and onions in the same pan you did the meat in, turned down a little.

3. Bring some beef stock up to a boil, on the side. Bubbly!

4. Drink some "glacier fresh" beer.

5. Open 4 Copa di Vino (my friend Meg works for them- I got 4 cases!) and deglaze your pan.

6. Add some bay, coriander, thyme, caraway seed, black pepper and garlic.

This is where I stopped taking pics. Put this veg mix from above into a braising vessel with the seared meat, and the boiling stock. Cover well, and cook in a 325° F oven for 4 hours. Pull the meat out, and take the rest of the liquid and thicken it with gingersnap cookies. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Then, eat with a warm potato/kraut/sour cream and some kohlrabi, sunchoke and mizuna salad. Enjoy more glacier fresh beer....

And now for snowy pictures....

The Dart sucks in snow, fyi....no traction....

Still some fall colors.

Dart Vs. Me.

I am off today, with a bento lunch planned, as well as a cooking assignment for myself. I have yet to determine what that will mean, but I am doing something of note today. I will attempt to remind myself to document for various purposes, including learning on your part (perhaps....).

I recently wrestled with a moral dilemma: To Dart or Not To Dart.

I have my old car, and it needed a lot of work (nearly 1 grand) for stuff. That's how out of neglect it was. After so much time driving my brother's more modern car, with all its safety and comforts, I had once again thought about a new vehicle for myself. But a 2nd car? I can NOT sell the Dart (there would be an uproar- and there's a 45th birthday party for you to attend next summer!) And so how much do I pay for a new car? I have a car paid for outright? But the new one will be less of a hassle! But my current car literally starts up every time, no questions asked, so is a thousand a year worth it? "Of course" was the final verdict- it is. I would pay that much for another car anyways.....but then I left with this: The Dart is really a greater Seattle car. I don't much like driving it to Olympia even....so I back at the start....

(And then there's this: Not bragging, but I do have enough/make enough to make this a moot point if I wanted, but it's being saved for the restaurant you will get to eat at one day. I save lots for that....enough where these things are choices....)

Wild Vs. Wild.

Just woke up and am listening to the Avett Brothers while I have my coffee drank.

Was jolted into boyhood by this though: a bison being chased by a grizzly.

Pretty cool,eh? Now back to coffee and morning time.

Hallo-win.

Well now. We're in November already. Really? If I am to experience winter, I would be ok if it consisted of our weather today. It was tortuous knowing it was almost 70 degrees out, fully sunny, and there I was making meatballs and potato cakes and hot sauce and plum-upside down cake. Ok, it could've been far worse....

Halloween (the party night of Saturday) was mucho fun. Went to a house party, with warm gravy in a clearance-quality gravy boat, and danced up a storm. Note to all: gravy-boat-and-whiskey-drank-holding-while-dancing is really, REALLY hard. There's no flow, no balance. So I put the gravy down, drank my scotch and water up, and then got down (but not next to the gravy).

Sunday was actually Halloween, and the quality of that evening is truly debatable, but I will say this: my body turns wine into headaches. And a makeshift costume is not a costume. You just look like an idiot....

I have already proclaimed my costume next year. I do this many years (see Macho Man for a decade) and (so far) they never come to pass. But! I promise, PROMISE next year's getup will be epic, and I will pull no punches for it. I will not say what it is, but for the last Halloween of my 20's, I will go big....