tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149005771528590722024-03-13T19:19:42.790-07:00Spicy Food Guyspicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-67739165828902173302011-10-22T19:12:00.000-07:002011-10-23T08:20:32.380-07:00A Good, Good Life<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>So, no offense to the three regular readers of Spicy Food Guy and his gallant posts about delicious eating, but today is turned over to some guy named "Joe", who wants to write about his 30th high school reunion. Something about another commencement speech. Whatever.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome and good evening, Class of 1981. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was 30 years ago that I last addressed you as a group. Back then, I was one of three students elected by the faculty to give a commencement address. Your friends and family were here. Do you remember that I spoke or what I said? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's OK, neither do I. Something full of arrogance and piss and vinegar. Pretentious, as I recall. Wishful. But I don't remember the details (any of it, actually), and neither do you. I remember the party afterwards, but that one is in the vault. A conversation for another time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, through the magic of the internet, we are all gathered again. Not the cavernous arena we gathered in the last time, but a place like it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look beside you, right and left. First thing we notice is some empty seats. We didn't all make it, here in the land of the living. Some of us have gone on to the Great Mystery. We miss them, those that have passed on. We wish them restful peace. A moment of silence.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So my remarks will begin. A word about our generation.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those in the audience from the Media, I use the word generation loosely. I am addressing the class of 1981, born in '62 or '63, but I am also giving or taking a few years. The classes that graduated 6 or 8 years behind us? They count. Hard to know the specifics of who I call my generation, who doesn't, where the boundaries lay. You media are a pedantic bunch; I will not be held to your labels or standards. That's one of the good things about us, but we will get to that.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is what I know. The Census people, the ones who count stuff, established the back end of the Baby Boomer generation just a year or two before we were born. The Baby Boomer generation boasted Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, both Clintons. Not us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A generation behind us came the internet. Mark Zuckerberg, born in 1984, invented Facebook. We watched the start of Netflix and eBay. But it wasn't us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you weren't paying attention, you'd think we haven't done much. You might call us boring. If the generations from the past 70 years had a party, my generation would be cut off at the door by a velvet rope. "Sorry", the bouncer would say in that furiously unapologetic way that bouncers do, "your name isn't on the list. You can't come in"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think there is some stuff you should know, and you need to listen to me now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Operation Desert Storm, 1991 or so, the first war we had fought as a nation in two decades? We fought in that.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9/11? Hit when we, my generation, were about to upgrade our houses and careers and take our turn at the American Dream. We put that stuff off. Those kids who were shot at in Iraq and Afghanistan the next ten years? Those were our kids.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know the three worst recessions in the past 30 years? One in the early 80's, one in the early 90's, when we were entering the workforce. The third? The really awful recession, the great recession? That happened in 2007, at the height of my generation's earnings years. We were laid off, or, at best, watched our 401Ks fall to half value. Let's face it: when Social Security has to own up and say some poor future US Generation is going to have to take a smack in the face and take out less than they paid in, who do you think it's going to be? I will tell you who it will be: me and my classmates. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me speak tonight to the members of the media who think we might be complaining. Have you heard this from us before? Has the Class of 1981 gone and picketed Congress? No. We have not. Want to know why?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because we are not a complaining generation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We work hard. We love dogs. We love our spouses and kids and our homes. We love Diners and Sports Bars and Cold Beer. We would drive a far piece for really good Ice Cream. We eat hot dogs with mustard during ball games. We sing the baseball anthem during the 7th inning stretch and sing the National Anthem at the beginning of football games. We cheer the band and wave flags. We watch fireworks. We ride roller coasters and scream like babies at the spooky parts of scary movies. We celebrate our life's events at picnic tables at State Parks. We hug our Moms and our daughters on their birthdays. We take our sons fishing and bowling.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And let me tell the media another thing. You praise another generation, the kids in their teens and twenties. You call them generous and tolerant. You go on and on about how they give hours to the community, how they don't discriminate about religion or ethnicity. You marvel about how they accept homosexuality, how big their hearts are.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Class of 1981 has a quiet message for you. Those kids? Those are our kids. You think we are some passive do nothing generation? Who has raised better kids in the past 100 years of our nation's history? Not to be an ass, here at my 2nd commencement speech, but I really do think it is time for the media to shut the hell up. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will get off my soapbox now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30 years ago when I gave you the big speech I didn't know all the stuff I just said. I underestimated our collective character. I simply did not know the size of your hearts.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So more specifically, now I talk to you, Milford Class of 1981.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We start with accountability. The Popular Pretty Girls of the Class of 1981 made the reunion all possible. The Class Officers are charged with delivering our reunions. They elected not to do so. I am certain our Class Officers have very big and important jobs in 2011. They have not delivered a reunion to date. Not in 1991, not in 2001, not 2011. On this I will comment no further.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the Popular Pretty Girls stepped up. They have always stepped up. Remember those big signs on the walls of the high school they worked on for hours to cheer our team on to some victory for some random sport and we thought it was because they were snotty and superficial?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out they had school spirit. Real school spirit. And big hearts and genuine souls. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I missed it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thirty years from when we graduated, the Popular Pretty Girls made sure we had a homecoming. And for us Nerdy Guys, who were deathly afraid of the the Popular Pretty Girls and their ilk?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out the Pretty Popular Girls are nice. Big time nice. And have real class spirit. And good husbands who are funny. And 30 years ago I made a lot of false assumptions that these girls were stuck up and pretentious. I was wrong then. I will not be wrong again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At one point in the evening, one of the Pretty Popular Girls pointed out that if some of us Nerdy Guys had just asked, maybe some dates would have happened back there in '80 or so. I appreciate the gesture, but 30 years clouds judgment. So to you, Pretty Popular Girl who hinted so, I think at prom time you had better options than a 6'2'' 128lb walking stick of bones and skin. Wayyyyyy better options. But thanks for making me think I had it in me at the time. And thanks even more for organizing the evening. And thanks most of all for making me realize what a lovely person you are. I wish I could have said thank you in June of 1981.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then there were the Non-Popular Girls of my class. The Non-Popular Girls were a little plain or a little overweight or a little whatever. And now their souls shine like stars. They volunteer at Hospice or Special Olympics and kings should bow at their feet. Real kings. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes we hung out 30 years ago when it was convenient for me and sometimes I ignored you. I didn't deserve your friendship back then and I probably do not deserve it now. To repeat a phrase I recently used, your hearts are so big you could never be anything but beautiful. If I had a brain in my head in 1981 I would have asked you to Prom. Shame on me for not doing so.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also at our reunion were the Scary Guys. Jocks and fighters who kicked ass and tied guys like me in knots and hung us from the ropes in the gym. Thanks for being normal and funny and not locking us in the bathroom at the reunion. Your hearts are genuine and you are stand up guys and you have rescued a female classmate or two from bad situations. I will always envy you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, to the Nerdy Guys. We know who we are, even if it took us 30 years to dance with a cheerleader. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have done well.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of us tried to be be brave. We jumped out of C130's and called ourselves Paratroopers. Or we worked as DJ's or media producers and made ourselves specialists at what we do. One of us fought Aaron Pryor, Welterweight Champion of the World, for 3 rounds before getting knocked out. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this is the get tough generation. We spit blood and stagger up and say who the hell are you? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But a tough generation is not a mean generation. You could tell from the reunion. We are an affectionate bunch. We are inclined to turn our faces to the sun. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A reunion with the class of 1981 is sort of like going to an autumn fest. The cold air is setting in, but for a moment we turn our heads to a fading sun and soak in the warmth. We linger there, we turn our faces to the west, we breathe in the last of the sunshine.<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our hands is a cup of hot cider is a little shot of something something. We sip it. We grin a bit.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love my class. I love our affection, our hand shakes, our hugs, and our defiance. This is <i>my class</i>. These are my people. I didn't always know how important that was to me. I won't miss it again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to all of you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45w</a><br />
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</span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-30549311987680526442011-06-08T18:08:00.000-07:002011-06-08T18:08:45.251-07:00Chipotle Goat Cheese Scramble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkJqErW67iE/TfAO0vbTWfI/AAAAAAAAAZI/6g5-H8CC1Tc/s1600/goats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkJqErW67iE/TfAO0vbTWfI/AAAAAAAAAZI/6g5-H8CC1Tc/s1600/goats.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Years from now, when the Chipotle Goat Cheese Scramble is an everyday offering on Diner menus all throughout the United States, Spicy Food Guy's three regular readers will say with certainty, "I remember when SFG conjured up that heavenly scramble in his spicy little brain, back in 11, it was."<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Female members of the SFG Family were at the Farmer's Market last week, and they bought local organic eggs, fresh berries, and, get this, some Chipotle Goat Cheese from the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nwpagrowers.com/content/1524">River View Dairy</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sam and Susie Byler, who own the small dairy (45 goats), market their various goat cheeses to high end places like the Pittsburgh Whole Foods and to very intelligent Chefs in the Steel City. The Byler's are goat cheese sages. Mixing chipotle spices with goat cheese? Where'd that come from? Potion class? Maybe the Byler's are Wizards that specialize in goat cheese; that would certainly explain a lot. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Spicy Food Guy Digresses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday morning. SFG wanted breakfast. A random poke through of the Fridge revealed some possibilities: Chipotle goat cheese, organic eggs, applewood smoked bacon, Memphis Mojo Hot Sauce. All of this provided the platform for Spicy Food Guy's epiphany of culinary creativity. Trust SFG when he say's you really, really, really want to try this:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Recipe</b>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two strips of applewood smoked bacon, fried until crispy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two slices of River View Dairy Chipotle Goat Cheese</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two organic eggs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce (SFG <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2007/10/best-hot-sauce-for-eggs.html">prefers Memphis Mojo</a>) to taste. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cube the goat cheese, and place the pieces on a breakfast plate so they cover an area about the size of the palm of your hand.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a frying pan, cook two eggs over easy, being careful not to break the yolks. Place the eggs directly on top of the goat cheese. Crumble the two strips of bacon on top of the eggs. Slather the whole thing with the <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2007/10/best-hot-sauce-for-eggs.html">Memphis Mojo</a> hot sauce or another Scotch Bonnet hot sauce. Note the Scotch Bonnet pepper brings the dish's flavor palette together. Do not substitute.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a deep breath.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a fork, break the yolks, and mix all that stuff together until you have a nice, gooey, yolky scramble. Serve with a slice of toast. Use the toast to mop up all the good parts you can't get on a fork. Then face Pittsburgh and hail Spicy Food Guy because that damn breakfast <i>kicked ass.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace out.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-74056021486337602872011-05-28T19:43:00.000-07:002011-05-28T19:43:49.804-07:00Cajun and Kobe in the Arizona Desert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HYD7BQ-Q-A8/TeGiWnrUr3I/AAAAAAAAAZE/8vXtPL_61Lo/s1600/The_phoenician_resort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HYD7BQ-Q-A8/TeGiWnrUr3I/AAAAAAAAAZE/8vXtPL_61Lo/s320/The_phoenician_resort.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For reasons best left unknown to the general public, Spicy Food Guy was out and about in the world. This time SFG was engaged in a quick flyby of <a href="http://www.visitphoenix.com/index.aspx">Phoenix</a>, Arizona, with only a day or so to try out the local cuisine. <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately for Spicy Food Guy, his accommodations were located right across the street from <a href="http://babykayscajunkitchen.com/">Baby Kay's Cajun Kitchen</a>. Let's just say it didn't take long for SFG to determine where he was headed for dinner.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SFG knows how to eat out when he is by himself on the road. Roll up the sleeves. Sit at the bar. Quaff the local microbrew. On draft. Spread out. Eat big. SFG knocked down the <a href="http://babykayscajunkitchen.com/">Cajun Combination</a>, a cup each of seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and chicken and sausage jambalaya. Plus coleslaw. And garlic bread. The gumbo was particularly good: earthy broth and tender chunks of shrimp and other seafood.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The more interesting part of the trip began the next day, when Spicy Food Guy's services were needed at the <a href="http://www.thephoenician.com/">Phoenician</a>, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Phoenician, by any standard, is one of the stateliest and most elegant resorts anywhere in the US. It doesn't just exude wealth, it exudes the look and feel of America's wealthiest. Think the <a href="http://www.greenbrier.com/">Greenbrier</a> in WV, or <a href="http://www.thebreakers.com/">The Breakers</a> in Palm beach, FL.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy read a book once, <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/features/conspiracyoffools/about_the_book.html">Conspiracy of Fools</a>, an accounting of the rise and fall of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron">Enron Corporation</a>. At the height of Enron's power and prestige, the Company had their annual executive offsite at the Phoenician. As Spicy Food Guy surveyed his surroundings, he could just picture <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Skilling">Jeff Skilling</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fastow">Andy Fastow</a> striding across the marble and granite bridges that crisscross the swimming pools. They would be sporting expensive sunglasses and wearing their arrogant infallibility like a tailored suit of Armani armor. With blazing blue skies and a resort that backs up against the stark <a href="http://www.phoenixasap.com/camelback-mountain.html">Camelback Mountain</a>, it is just a given that the Phoenician houses Captains of Industry. SFG swears you can smell corporate deals in the air.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since it was warm outside and SFG lives in a cold place, he elected to eat lunch at the <a href="http://www.thephoenician.com/dining/lounges-casual-dining/lounges-casual-dining#oasis_pool_bar_&_grill">Oasis Pool Bar and Grill</a>. Spicy Food Guy decided to try the Kobe burger because he hadn't had one before and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef">Japanese beef</a> is said to be second to none.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No lie on the Kobe. It's juicy, flavorful, a burger's burger. And poolside at the Phoenician is a damn fine place to try one's first Kobe. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As delicious as the burger was, SFG is simply not a Kobe guy. Or a Phoenician guy. SFG would just as soon knock back a hot dog and brew at a baseball game. Preferably at <a href="http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/ballpark/index.jsp">PNC Park</a>. There are places you go and marvel at the beauty and wealth, and there are cities you live in that slowly capture your heart, and you come to love it there. That's home, baby. Home. </span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-26183179123371479582011-05-08T17:41:00.000-07:002011-05-08T17:41:12.401-07:00A Fabulous Breakfast Sandwich at the Place You Never Go To<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sTZhKsG0FQQ/TccZLMXIvsI/AAAAAAAAAZA/2kkQr3_H9zw/s1600/toms+diner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sTZhKsG0FQQ/TccZLMXIvsI/AAAAAAAAAZA/2kkQr3_H9zw/s320/toms+diner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know that dive restaurant you have driven by 248 times on your way to somewhere else and said to yourself "sometime I need to stop and eat at that place" but you never do? Spicy Food Guy ate there. And you are missing it, because it's pretty good.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy was having lunch. But not just any lunch. The very best kind of lunch. SFG was joined by not only his lovely daughter home from college, but also the boy, who is finishing his freshman year at Mt Lebo High School and just had golfed 20 strokes better than his Dad. On nine holes. He is really good, I suck. I have come to peace with that.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time was not long ago when the three of us ate together all the time. As a divorced Dad who had his kids over every other weekend, the three of us ate out all the time as a matter of course. Eating out removed us from my (then) tiny apartment and gave us some bonding time. Back then our eating out was a matter of convenience, now it's a treasure. I suppose it was a treasure back then, too, but I missed it. SFG supposes that this is the manner of things; we miss the treasures in front of us. A daughter's laugh, a perfectly cooked over easy egg, the boy's smile, laughing. Treasures. SFG sees them much better now, these moments to be savored. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So back to the diner SFG had driven by so many times. <a href="http://www.tomsdinerdormont.com/">Tom's</a>. Great place. Spicy Food Guy had the breakfast sandwich that has gyro meat, egg, and cheese on Italian toast. Tasty! Really good. To the point SFG wondered why he had never seen, much less eaten, one before. The girl had pancakes. The boy wolfed down eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast. The boy is ravenous, all the time. You have to watch your fingers.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here's the thing. Spicy Food Guy has kids he does not deserve. They are wicked smart. The two of them have posted up 24 years of education, with maybe a B or two on 98 report cards. Everything else an "A". Since they came from a broken home, they should have issues, right? Instead, both of them are caring, kind, quick to comfort others, funny, good people to be around. They get lead roles in plays, get elected class officers, they are beloved. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SFG is not. Spicy Food Guy is cantankerous, grumpy, intimidating. Spicy Food Guy caved into peer pressure in high school and made bad decisions that hurt good people (my apologies, PF, wherever you are). SFG still sucks at stuff. SFG doesn't have half the character of his kids, and he is twice and a half their age.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy ponders all this. He is either a fabulous parent beyond measure (unlikely), or random shit has occurred in the universe that has blessed him with the best of children. Or maybe all that is moot and we all just grab a good diner breakfast when we can, because it's all finite. The stars, the laughs, the sunrises, walruses, anxiety-ridden dogs, and bad golf outings. Breathe it in. Embrace what you can. SFG senses his mortality, and he's ok with it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace out. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-12298808213586379322011-04-24T17:04:00.000-07:002011-04-24T17:04:31.827-07:00Hot and Juicy Crawfish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6CxfvMLxcig/TbSwgkNVo3I/AAAAAAAAAY8/gbXx-f2kstY/s1600/crawfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6CxfvMLxcig/TbSwgkNVo3I/AAAAAAAAAY8/gbXx-f2kstY/s320/crawfish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Spicy Food Guy has been out of commission for a while, but a recent trip to our nation's capital drove him out of his retirement. Explanations to follow.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But let's start with one of the best meals, all time, SFG has ever eaten. Crawfish, baby. Two pounds of crawfish. In spicy garlic butter sauce. Served in a plastic bag. With spicy fries. And a couple of Budweisers. At a place called <a href="http://www.hotnjuicycrawfish.com/">Hot & Juicy Crawfish</a> in Washington DC. Spicy melt in your mouth goodness.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spring break, 2011. The first step on our trip from Pittsburgh is the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/summit-diner-somerset">Summit Diner in Somerset PA</a>. SFG gorged on the Scrapyard, a combination of hash browns, scrapple, two eggs sunny side up, and cheddar cheese. Pricetag of something like $4.50. Best value meal ever. The scrapple, which is not easy to find outside PA, was the perfect crunch to mix in the eggs and potatoes. Great start.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another terrific meal was the Applewood Bacon Scramble at the <a href="http://www.opencitydc.com/">Open City Diner</a> just north of downtown DC. Two eggs sunny side up, applewood bacon, and aged white Vermont cheddar cheese all mixed together with grits on the side. Outstanding. Almost as good was a six ounce ribeye steak with three sunny side eggs at the <a href="http://www.woodleycafeonline.com/">Woodley Cafe</a>, right up the street from the Open City Diner. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big time eating because SFG was big time walking. Treasury tour, Ford's Theater, the Smithsonian.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March of 2010, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum opens a new exhibit called <a href="http://humanorigins.si.edu/">Human Origins</a>, a 15,000 square foot space devoted to our beginnings. Spicy Food Guy, a history buff by design, is fascinated by Human Origins. At some point, somewhere, we started cooking with fire. We started painting pictures. We wrote. Sentience. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though it's a busy place, the <a href="http://humanorigins.si.edu/">Human Origin exhibit</a> invites silence, thoughtfulness. Spicy Food Guy ponders; we each get a brief turn on this planet, then we become exhibits. In two thousand years, my life will be a mystery to some kid touring some museum. What will he think of us? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy is not sure, but he can chronicle. He can write down what he sees, what he smells, what he eats. So it's time to take up the blog again. SFG is back.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ate crawfish kid. They are probably extinct in your era.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too bad, because they kicked ass. They were the balls.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace out. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-89209390920857479362010-08-09T19:22:00.000-07:002010-08-09T19:34:47.298-07:00Best BBQ in Nashville and Four Meals with Pork. In a Row.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TGChyfvM9EI/AAAAAAAAAYk/u44Lh1p4JHg/s1600/jacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TGChyfvM9EI/AAAAAAAAAYk/u44Lh1p4JHg/s320/jacks.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy and Great Guy Colleague of Spicy Food Guy (GGCSFG) had a full rack of ribs. <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a <i>side</i>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After BBQ we went out for ice cream. Spicy Food Guy had two dips of Tennessee Fudge in a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cone. It was that kind of trip. But Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, for reasons best left unknown to the American public, Spicy Food Guy was out and about in the world; this time in Nashville, Tennessee.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trip didn't begin as a BBQ orgy, but decadence has a way of gathering momentum. This is especially true when the decadence has to do with ribs, pulled pork, bacon, and Texas sausage. But Spicy Food Guy is getting ahead of himself again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The origin of the BBQ binge took place at the <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/decent-airport-bbq-and-business-travel.html">Brookwood Farms North Carolina BBQ Pit</a> at the Charlotte airport early in the afternoon. During his layover, SFG happily knocked off a pulled pork sandwich with slaw and vinegar based BBQ sauce, baked beans, and a bottle of Budweiser. Pretty sane BBQ consumption at this particular point in the trip.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the party went to Nashville and a couple of locals recommended <a href="http://www.jacksbarbque.com/history.html">Jacks BarBQue</a> as the undisputed favorite among true BBQ enthusiasts. Jacks has won two or three zillion awards, including "<a href="http://www.jacksbarbque.com/awards.html">Best BBQ Sauce on the Planet</a>" in 2004. After tasting all eight or so homemade sauces that Jacks serves on premises, SFG agrees that the sauce is heavily competitive in planetary circles, and it's even in the realm of possibility that when the aliens land, they will want to go to Jacks. But Spicy Food Guy digresses again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SFG and GGCSFG went to Jacks with several other Food Enthusiast Colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (FECSFG). The food at Jack's is served cafeteria style, and the line is long. Orders must be placed quickly.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy decided on the <a href="http://www.jacksbarbque.com/menu.html">three meat platter</a>. $13. Really. SFG picked the pork shoulder, ribs, and Texas sausage. SFG also stuck with slaw and baked beans as tried and true BBQ sides. However, because only two or three ribs came with the three meat platter, Spicy Food Guy fretted that there would be a rib shortage at the table. That's when SFG and GGCSFG decided on the full rack of ribs as a side dish strategy. Brilliant.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this was Spicy Food Guy's tray -- 3 meat platter with beans, slaw, and bread. A plate with a full rack of ribs. Eight little plastic cups of every BBQ sauce that Jacks served. And two beers. Now this may sound a little over the top, but keep in mind SFG shared the ribs with GGCSFG.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The BBQ was fabulous. The Texas sausage was packed with garlic, paprika, and juicy pork fat. The ribs were tender with a great char and smoke ring. The pulled pork was obviously smoked for hours and hours and had that pit-master smoky signature.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After dinner, SFG and FECSFG waddled over to the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/whiskey-bent-saloon-nashville-2">Whiskey Bent Saloon</a> (of course it was called the Whiskey Bent Saloon, complete with an up and coming country music singer, and our table was made out of a real wagon wheel. Really). After digesting dinner and listening to music, SFG and FECSFG decided to head off to an old fashioned corner shop called <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mikes-ice-cream-fountain-nashville">Mike's Ice Cream Fountain</a>. That's where the Tennessee Fudge ice cream in a chocolate chip cookie cone moment occurred. And yes, it was as tasty as it sounds. Creamy. Big ol' chunks of chocolate fudge. A cookie cone that tasted like, well, a cookie.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy knows what you are thinking; "Surely it ended there, SFG, surely you didn't eat again for many, many days".</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's called breakfast and it took place the next morning. Spicy Food Guy selected the <a href="http://www.wafflehouse.com/welcome/menu">Waffle House</a>. Best breakfast at the Waffle House? The <a href="http://www.wafflehouse.com/welcome/images/stories/elements/FY10-OP13_ClassicMeals_no-p.jpg">Breakfast All-Star Special</a>. A waffle. Two eggs. Three strips of bacon. Hash browns (Spicy Food Guy had his hash browns "smothered and covered", that is, grilled with onions and topped with a slice of processed American cheese. Generally the best hash browns on the planet). Toast. Coffee. SFG added orange juice. A stick-to-your-ribs breakfast.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ate every bite. The force is strong in Spicy Food Guy, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_(Star_Wars)">midichlorians</a> were hungry.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And maybe, perhaps, that would have ended the pork orgy. But Spicy Food Guy had to fly back through the Charlotte airport. Hit the BBQ Pit on the flip side. Pulled pork again, slaw again, beans again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then, and only then, did Spicy Food Guy decide he was full.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Totally true story. Peace out, BBQ fans. I am one of you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-67020717151478916532010-08-08T13:34:00.000-07:002010-08-08T13:34:11.539-07:00Best Spicy Breakfast Sandwich in Pittsburgh, Perhaps Anywhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TF8PHhlABZI/AAAAAAAAAYc/XA9xsspftmU/s1600/GabnEatExt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TF8PHhlABZI/AAAAAAAAAYc/XA9xsspftmU/s320/GabnEatExt.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy was home for a few days when he was tipped off about Gab and Eat by some local, in-the-know diner types (LITKDT).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Go there", urged LITKDT, they have the best burgers in the 'Burgh. They're Balls!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">OK, they didn't really say the burgers were balls, it's just that SFG loves the expression so, and it seemed to fit in the story. And LITKDT aren't the only Gab and Eat advocates. Several 'Burgh bloggers have hailed Gab and Eat as the "<a href="http://burghfeeding.blogspot.com/2010/03/gab-n-eat-best-diner-in-pittsburgh.html">best diner in the 'Burgh</a>". Where there is advocacy there is substance, at least when it comes to hole-in-the-wall-diners. The same cannot be said about the Republican party, but Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So off Spicy Food Guy went to the Gab and Eat, though he passed by it a few times because he blinked. Or sneezed. It doesn't take much to miss the ol' Gab and Eat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, SFG had every intention of ordering one of the Gab and Eat burgers. It was a mission.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Until he spotted the John Boy on the menu. <a href="http://www.campusfood.com/restaurant.asp?campusid=15&mlid=271463">The John Boy</a>. Hot homemade sausage, egg, cheese, peppers and onions, all on Italian toast. Not just any Italian toast -- but Mancini's Italian toast. <a href="http://www.mancinisbakery.com/">Mancini's</a>, the makers of fabulous bread and perhaps the best pepperoni rolls in the region (that's a whole other blog post).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let Spicy Food Guy say this about the John Boy: it's spicy, it's cheesy gooey, it plays the egg and sausage perfectly together, it's the best bread ever, it's one of the best breakfast sandwiches in the free world, and tops anything in North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If the John Boy could talk it would say "I have been called the breakfast sandwich of my generation among those who have tasted me" in a similar sort of way Will Ferrell called himself the songbird of his generation in the movie "<a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/stepbrothers/">Stepbrothers</a>".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You should see Stepbrothers because it is hysterical. You should eat the John Boy at Gab and Eat because it's a one of a kind Pittsburgh breakfast sandwich. So says Spicy Food Guy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Peace out.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-52585420066031924242010-08-05T18:35:00.000-07:002010-08-05T18:35:52.971-07:00Baked Beans for Breakfast is Balls and Other UK Food Observations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TFtWzPca4rI/AAAAAAAAAYU/o-9AKtiGNo8/s1600/about_image4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TFtWzPca4rI/AAAAAAAAAYU/o-9AKtiGNo8/s320/about_image4.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let Spicy Food Guy begin by saying the highlight of his trip to the UK had to be when Esteemed Colleague of Spicy Food Guy (ECSFG) complimented a particularly flavorful curry by stating:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh that's Balls."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy delights in this succinct and apt descriptor. In fact, SFG earnestly awaits the evening, sometime in the near future, when a snooty wine sommelier pours a sliver of some fine merlot so that SFG can perform the ritualistic taste test.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's Balls," Spicy Food Guy will state authoritatively to the sommelier, "we'll all take some." And then Spicy Food Guy will whirl back to the table and re-start the dinner conversation before the sommelier can manage a stuttered response. And in his head, Spicy Food Guy will chuckle deeply.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, for reasons best left unknown to the American public, Spicy Food Guy was out and about in the world; this time London, England. Specifically, SFG was rather trapped in a hotel close to terminal 4 of Heathrow airport.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now SFG has been to London perhaps a dozen times, and as the tourist lore goes, the food is nothing to write a blog post about. The exceptions are curry houses and baked beans for breakfast.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The English have a thing for baked beans, and beans are officially a part of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_breakfast">"full English breakfast"</a>. SFG thinks the English are on to something here. Baked beans mixed in with some fried eggs and pieces of bacon is a great combination of flavor and texture. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's balls. When you think about it, beans and bacon and eggs is a better combo than grilled burgers and beans. It's not better than pulled pork and beans, but the egg combo is right up there in terms of a natural fit.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this whole baked bean thing is not what SFG is here to discuss. Spicy Food Guy is here to discuss curry houses and steering wheels.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the story begins when SFG and about six Esteemed Colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (ECSSFG, because it's plural) decided to go out for some curry one evening so as to have at least one decent dinner during our stay in London. Some of the ECSSFG also decided that a few pints at the pub would be an excellent precursor to the Indian dinner.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, spirits were high and the mood light when the van showed up to cart SFG and ECSSFG to the restaurant. Much to the delight of the rest of us, one ECSSFG decided to use this van ride to vent in a typical American style:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Look," half looped ECSSFG postured to the driver, "the automobile was invented in <i>America, </i>right? The automobile was first manufactured in <i>America, </i>right?" </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The driver did not respond.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"So," ECSSFG continued, ignoring the driver's silence, "what on earth <i>possessed </i>you to move the steering wheel to the other side of the car?" </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could tell ECSSFG was genuine in his inquiry, and t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he driver let a small smile escape (which is the British equivalent of a hearty laugh).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In any case, SFG and ECSSFG made it safely to <a href="http://www.achari.co.uk/about_achari.html">"Achari, Flavour of India"</a>, the locally recommended curry house.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the curry was fabulous, as it always is in London. SFG and ECSSFG decided to order a half dozen or so appetizers and a half dozen entrees and just split them all up. SFG loved the fried onion bhajees as an appetizer (as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhajji">wiki says</a>, think potato fritters). Additionally, SFG forcefully argued that one of the entrees should be a spicy <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2007/12/best-way-to-improve-lamb-vindaloo.html">lamb vindaloo</a>, despite the hesitant misgivings of ECSSFG. The lamb vindaloo ultimately inspired the "that's balls" comment, so Spicy Food Guy felt extremely vindicated.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The curry sauces were packed with flavor, with tastes of tumeric, garlic, ginger, and mustard. The meats were tender, the beer cold, the staff proud, the company fine. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable UK evening.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next morning, Spicy Food Guy had baked beans for breakfast. Sometimes everything goes right.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baked-beans-Breakfast-Ruth-Chew/dp/B000CP2J8E">"Baked Beans for Breakfast"</a>, by Ruth Chew, was one of SFG's favorite childhood books. Coincidence, or a higher level of order that sustains balance in the universe? SFG thinks its all just one big mystery. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-52832553723384639502010-07-22T17:49:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:49:47.406-07:00Best Cajun Appetizer Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TEjcSNOTexI/AAAAAAAAAYE/sk98fV82ezg/s1600/dee+felice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TEjcSNOTexI/AAAAAAAAAYE/sk98fV82ezg/s320/dee+felice.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, for reasons best left unknown to the American Public, Spicy Food Guy was out and about in the world; this time in Covington Kentucky. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From a food perspective, the trip didn't look all that promising at first. SFG rode in a small airplane, ate airport food, drank airport beer, stayed in an airport hotel, you get the drift.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So imagine Spicy Food Guy's delightful reaction to being guided to <a href="http://www.deefelicecafe.com/deefelicecafe.com/Main.html">Dee Felice Cafe</a>, a homey and authentic cajun restaurant that seems to have been tossed into the middle of Northern Kentucky via some <a href="http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/W/wormhole.html">wormhole</a> in the New Orlean's space time continuum. It's a cozy little space with friendly staff, lots of window seating, and a little stage to accommodate live jazz from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Spicy Food Guy liked the place immediately.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then came the two appetizers, both of which Spicy Food Guy rates right up there with the best of any appetizers he has consumed as part of his lifetime habit of eating food. Appetizer one, <a href="http://www.deefelicecafe.com/deefelicecafe.com/Apps_%26_Salads.html">Ricardo's Ravioli</a>, was a deep fried ricotta and jalapeño ravioli that was covered in a jalapeño and crawfish cream sauce. The other was a <a href="http://www.deefelicecafe.com/deefelicecafe.com/Apps_%26_Salads.html">grilled portabella mushroom</a> with chicken and slathered with a fresh leek cream sauce. Both appetizers were fabulous, the ravioli in particular was captivating. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy can't put his finger on what exactly amped up his attraction to the ravioli, but it had a lot to do with there being a lot more substance to the dish than meets the eye. First seen, the appetizer looks like something directly out of a swanky Manhattan "Froo Froo" Restaurant; kind of spoiled and pretentious and only to be consumed by uptight foodies and restaurant critics. But, as it turns out, the ravioli has a real country and southern comfort flavor that is both simple (from the cream and pasta) and complex (from the crawfish and jalapeño) at the same time. And, best of all, a nice streak of spice and heat runs through the entire dish, adding a sort of seduction element to the whole appetizer. At it's essence, the ravioli represents everything Spicy Food Guy celebrates and loves when it comes to food. It captured SFG's heart, forever.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So don't miss this place if you are in the Cincinnati area. And send SFG some ravioli on your way out the door. Spicy Food Guy misses it. Really. </span></span></span></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-80409428344348084702010-06-25T13:55:00.000-07:002010-06-25T14:43:09.498-07:00Pennsylvania Pilots Wine in Grocery Stores (30 Years After Everyone Else)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TCUSiZ2IhII/AAAAAAAAAXs/QhY3kM242as/s1600/0111_winebiz_6_7349149.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TCUSiZ2IhII/AAAAAAAAAXs/QhY3kM242as/s320/0111_winebiz_6_7349149.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy is highly amused by the following news story from an article entitled "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>State pops the cork on wine kiosks</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" in today's Pittsburgh Post Gazette:</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board began a pilot program of wine-vending kiosks inside two Harrisburg area supermarkets on Wednesday. I</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>f all goes well, similar kiosks may start popping up in Western Pennsylvania in August, said PLCB spokeswoman Stacey Witalec."</i></span><i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Let's make sure Spicy Food Guy has this straight: Pennsylvania is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">piloting, in two whole locations, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">an adult beverage grocery distribution strategy that has been fully rolled out in the other 49 states for the past three decades? Now, is this front page news because the media perceives the strategy as progressive, or because they view it as embarrassing? </span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Spicy Food Guy can just envision next week's headline:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<i>Pennsylvania embarks on an ambitious 15 year development plan to sell beer in convenience stores".</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Please someone help.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></i>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-25614540523639970892010-06-22T18:52:00.000-07:002010-06-25T14:32:39.628-07:00Refried Beans, Jalapeño Peppers, and How to Eat at All-Inclusive Resorts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TCFT3BdDiyI/AAAAAAAAAXk/bipCLyr2cR4/s1600/OccidentalGrandXcaret_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TCFT3BdDiyI/AAAAAAAAAXk/bipCLyr2cR4/s320/OccidentalGrandXcaret_lg.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I bet I can eat refried beans and jalapeño peppers for 12 straight meals."</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So did Spicy Food Guy toss out his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNyl6gXLMLQ">"Cool Hand Luke" challenge</a> to his family members, all of whom rolled their eyes and went back to enjoying the sun and warmth of the Riviera Maya.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As it turns out, Spicy Food Guy rather enjoyed the refried beans and jalapeño pepper challenge, though it became the bane of existence for those who had to share the same bathroom as SFG<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy and his family were enjoying some quality time at the <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2010/06/10-food-tips-for-new-graduates.html">Occidental Grand Xcaret</a> a couple months back. In prior years, the SFG family had vacationed at the <a href="http://www.grandsirenisrivieramaya.com/">Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya</a>. All-Inclusive Resorts are hit and miss establishments when it comes to food. A quick perusal of Tripadvisor.com will show <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150812-d260444-Reviews-Occidental_Grand_Xcaret-Playa_del_Carmen_Yucatan_Peninsula.html">reviews</a> that range anywhere from "the resort had the most fabulous food ever and I gained 10 pounds" to "I couldn't find a single dish that wasn't undercooked and my husband ended up in the hospital with food poisoning." But given that SFG has some experience in these types of resorts, he thought he'd provide some guidance to those vacationers that might be headed down for their first visit.<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But first some setup; most of the food service offerings in all inclusive resorts work in the same general manner. A grand buffet anchors most of the meals, the selection is huge, and you can eat there with no reservations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most evenings the grand buffet has a specific theme, such as seafood, Mexican, or Italian. In addition to the buffet, most resorts offer pool side lunch cafe's where you can get standard lunch fare -- tacos, burgers, pizza, hot dogs, nachos, that sort of thing. Finally, all the resorts will have anywhere from two to five standalone dinner restaurants that require reservations and have some sort of dress code. The restaurants range anywhere from Japanese to Mediterranean to Steakhouses. Finally, most places offer some limited version of room service. <br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how in the hell do you decide where to go and what to eat? As I said, Spicy Food Guy is here to help.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 1</b> -- <i>Go big on breakfast.</i> First, it doesn't take much to prepare a fairly elegant breakfast, and most resorts do a terrific job of setting up a nice brunch-like atmosphere. A good omelet, prepared in front of you with your ingredients of choice, is always a great way to start the day. And because most resorts are located in sunny warm environments, there is almost always a broad selection of fresh fruit. The kids can enjoy cereal, scrambled eggs, or french toast. Spicy Food Guy generally steers away from bacon and sausages, mostly because they always appear to be undercooked. Plus, making breakfast the big meal of the day gives you at least a remote chance of burning off some calories before day's end. <br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 2 </b>-- <i>Go local.</i> Shockingly, the best food in most Mexican resorts is, well, Mexican. It's what they know. The pica de gallo is always fresh and delicious. The refried beans are outstanding. <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/simply-delicioso-with-ingrid-hoffmann/mexican-pulled-pork-tinga-pueblana-recipe/index.html">Tinga Pueblana</a>, Mexican pulled pork, practically melts in your mouth. It always cracks Spicy Food Guy to read a tripadvisor.com review that says "We were really disappointed</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with the food at the Italian restaurant in the resort". Really? You were? Spicy Food Guy is always soooo tempted to leave a comment like "No shit, bright eyes, Italy was located on another damn continent last time I checked. Of course the Italian food sucks in Mexico. Dumbass." But SFG never writes this, he just thinks it.<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 3</b> -- <i>Lunch 1 and Lunch 2.</i> This is a food strategy that was developed by Independent Thinking Stepdaughter of SFG (ITSOSFG). Most of the poolside lunch cafe's are open from about 11:30 to 2:30, and they are jam packed from 12:15 to about 1:30. So ITSOSFG came up with the brilliant idea of having a smallish lunch around 11:30 when the crowds were light and the food had just been set out, and then repeating the process at about 2:00. Lunch 1 and lunch 2. Helps stop binge eating, you get a quiet lunch, and really fast service. Brilliant.<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 4</b> -- <i>Avoid shellfish. </i>Admittedly, this is kind of a no-brainer. The chances of getting food poisoning from shellfish, especially when served raw, is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/sep/11/shellfish-poisoning-odds-fat-duck">well documented</a> and known. Now Spicy Food Guy loves oysters, but he is not about to risk a spending a sunny day in the Riviera Maya vomiting in his bathroom. Just stay away from the shellfish.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 5 </b>-- <i>Straight from the bottle. </i>We all know American and European tummies don't always handle Mexican water very well. So avoid it. Drink water from water bottles. Drink beer or soda poured from a bottle. And is there anything finer than the thoughtful, well timed tequila shot? Spicy Food Guy thinks not.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Food Guy hopes you enjoy your trip, and he highly recommends the jalapeño peppers and refried beans. Peace out, Amigos.</span><br />
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</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-29653055767027145452010-06-21T17:57:00.000-07:002010-06-22T17:17:22.815-07:0010 Food Tips for New Graduates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TB_x7dd9xOI/AAAAAAAAAXc/miBp1lq0A74/s1600/ramen-noodles2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/TB_x7dd9xOI/AAAAAAAAAXc/miBp1lq0A74/s320/ramen-noodles2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip 1: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Throw out the Ramen noodles</i>. All of them. In the trash. Now. Nothing says "cheap college student who has no idea how to cook" more than a case of Ramen noodles. So get rid of them. Case closed.<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Spicy Food Guy once lived in a college apartment, adorned with paper plates, 47 pizza delivery boxes stacked in the living room corner, and a fridge full of beer and a gallon jug of ketchup.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Spicy Food Guy has since grown up, and he is here to help.</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">You have just received your diploma, you are fortunate enough to have landed a real job. A real apartment. Real world. How to navigate the grown-up world of food? Here are nine more tips:</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip 2:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> <i>Learn how to cook an elegant breakfast.</i> You spent four years eating Coco Puffs and cold pizza for breakfast. Excellent while it lasted. A couple of things: 1) breakfast is the easiest meal to learn how to cook well, and 2) if you have a guest for breakfast, chances are it is a very important guest. So fry eggs. Better yet, make an omelette with fresh peppers, onions, mushrooms, and local cheese. Know how to flip it. Sizzle up some bacon. Slice up some toast. Pour orange juice into a pitcher and put it on the dining room table. Put some flowers in a vase. Win the morning, win his/her heart.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip 3: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Do not skimp on the basics. </i>Folger's coffee and store brand ice cream may have worked on the quad, but in the real world they send a very distinct signal -- "this kid is broke". Time to upgrade. Fresh roasted coffee beans. <a href="http://www.benjerry.com/">Ben and Jerry's</a> ice cream. Throw out your cheap beer, put a six pack of <a href="http://www.carlsberg.com/">Carlsberg</a> in the fridge. Demonstrate you have an income. </span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tip 4: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Learn how to navigate a classy restaurant. </i>Admittedly, this takes some time and experience, and we have all come from different backgrounds, but Spicy Food Guy is here with the basics: 1) The female guest follows the Maitre D' to the table, 2) the female guests order first, 3) no one eats until everyone is served (please, no matter what circumstances, no matter how much everyone else says to go ahead, do not eat, <i>ever</i>, until everyone is served). Also, dining utensils are used, in order, from the outside in. If you are unsure of which fork or spoon or glass to use, wait and watch someone else first. Better yet, defer to the server. Ask which entree the chef prefers, ask what the best wine pairing is, treat your server as if they are the resident food and wine expert (which they are), and they will almost always reward you with fabulous service. Trust Spicy Food Guy on this one.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 5: </b><i>Salt and Pepper do not a spice cabinet make. </i>Fresh basil. Onion powder. Garlic salt. Oregano. Thyme. Cayenne pepper. A stocked pantry makes you look worldly, and makes your dishes taste better. Experiment on burgers, eggs, pasta, and chicken on the evenings you eat alone. Find your signature.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 6:</b> <i>Man the Grill.</i> Any yahoo can cook up burgers and dogs on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon. You can do better. Learn the basics of charcoal vs gas grilling vs a smoker. Figure out when to use direct or indirect heat. Grill up some salmon on a cedar plank. Serve up a succulent beer can chicken. Be in demand at the cul-de-sac party. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 8: </b><i>Have a signature dish. </i>Spicy Food Guy can whip up some from-scratch Gumbo that breaks hearts. Really. It is just that good, but it wasn't always that way. Took a bunch of years for SFG to get it right. Put this on your bucket list: take several years and learn to prepare a dish that is fucking unparalleled among its peer set. When SFG serves up his gumbo, he expects folks to respond "holy shit this is <i>really </i>good". SFG is rarely disappointed. Find your gumbo, discover your soul, win his/her heart.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 9: </b><i>Take him/her/them to Brunch. </i>Brunch kicks ass. It's on a Sunday, the pace is slow, the price is inexpensive, and the food is rarely bad. You can really get to know someone over a long sit down brunch. If your parents are in town, take them to the fanciest brunch in the region. At most you are out $75, and you get a quality conversation with your Mom and Dad. As a first date, a fancy brunch can't be beat. There is time to linger, time to chat. Mrs. SFG found out as much at the Grand Concourse in Pittsburgh in 2001. Enough said.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip 10: </b><i>On a cold winter morning, bake cookies. </i>If they don't come running, the warm gooiness is yours to hog alone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But they will come running.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So says Spicy Food Guy. Peace out.</span><br />
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</i></span></span></b></span></span></b>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-51716409419524882672010-03-16T17:41:00.000-07:002010-03-16T17:41:59.639-07:00Flatulence and Sushi in New Jersey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S6AZw6LxnkI/AAAAAAAAAXU/sfisFfQJisE/s1600-h/IMGP0104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S6AZw6LxnkI/AAAAAAAAAXU/sfisFfQJisE/s320/IMGP0104.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, so Spicy Food Guy, for reasons best left unknown to the American public, traveled from New York City to northern New Jersey late last week to wrap up some unfinished business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For lodging, SFG elected to stay at a nondescript Marriott. And to get his daily workout in, Spicy Food Guy elected to work out in the Marriott fitness center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That's when the trouble began.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">First, SFG is obligated to point out that the Marriott fitness center is not a fitness center, <em>per se.</em> Rather, it is a converted hotel room or suite that can comfortably hold about six people. And that's about how many were there that fateful day last week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Early in the morning, SFG decided to do some ab crunches. Bad idea. Halfway into the set, SFG experienced some, how should we say this? <a href="http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/gas-flatulence?utm_medium=ask&utm_source=smart&utm_campaign=article&utm_term=Gas&ask_return=Gas+-+Flatulence">Flatulence</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Or rather, for Spicy Food Guy it was more like:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Flat-a-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-ulence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you get SFG's drift. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Everyone froze for like three seconds. What to do? There really is no appropriate response in this situation, either for the flatulence producer or the startled innocent bystanders who are deciding whether to flee or fight through it, so to speak.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Spicy Food Guy, however, was in the midst of silent prayer:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Please Lord," implored SFG, "let this be the light-misty-morning aroma. Please don't be the rare and dreaded rotting-dead-mammal cloud of poison."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Of course it was the dead mammals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In business parlance, there was no upside here for SFG. Time to crawl away and die of mortal embarrassment. But Spicy Food Guy did not die of mortal embarrassment. Instead, he decided to go out for sushi with some colleagues.</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">(Pause here. SFG recognizes the inherent awkwardness in the above transition from gym flatulence to sushi, but the gym thing was funny, and Spicy Food Guy needed to weave it in the story somehow.)</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now to establish context, Spicy Food Guy is a reasonably seasoned sushi eater. SFG has eaten a lot of good sushi in a lot of places, east coast to west coast. So let it be known here that SFG found the <a href="http://www.sushilounge.com/morristown/">Sushi Lounge</a> in <a href="http://www.morristown-nj.org/">Morristown NJ</a> to be among the finest sushi dinners he has ever had anywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG knows your response. It weirds him out, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Let's say you are a fan of sushi. Let's say you are a fan of Chilean Sea Bass. The Sushi Lounge has combined the best of both into the <a href="http://www.sushilounge.com/morristown/index.php?p=menu">Chilean Sea Bass Roll</a>, marinated in a yuzu and soy glaze and as fabulous a sushi roll that SFG has ever put into his mouth. There is also a Tempura Sea Bass Roll. The flaky tenderness of the sea bass combines with the crunch of the tempura so that the whole roll is a culinary explosion of texture and taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG and his colleagues also enjoyed the Lobster Crunch Roll, which combines lobster, crab, wasabi, toasted almonds, and endamame. Who thought of this? They should win an award. Several awards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And what of the Baja Roll? Soft shell crab and shrimp tempura, guacamole, roasted red peppers and served with a mustard dressing. Does SFG really need to explain how delicious this was?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So pleasantly surprised, Spicy Food Guy filled his belly with some of the most interesting and tasty sushi rolls he has ever had. And the atmosphere of the Sushi Lounge is both light yet intimate, so it has a quirkiness that lends itself to good company and conversation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Go to the Sushi Lounge. Stay at the Marriott.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Spicy Food Guy will see you in the gym.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-78994983824975604942010-03-15T17:36:00.000-07:002010-03-15T17:45:39.480-07:00Tasty BBQ in Times Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S57IJCIkKZI/AAAAAAAAAXM/xTxJR80O324/s1600-h/virgils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S57IJCIkKZI/AAAAAAAAAXM/xTxJR80O324/s320/virgils.jpg" vt="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, for reasons best left unknown to the American public, Spicy Food Guy found himself on the road again last week. Destination for this trip? <a href="http://timessquare.nyctourist.com/">Times Square</a>, baby!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Spicy Food Guy is a huge fan of Times Square, largely because it allows him to participate in radically disparate activities in a very confined geographic area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Typical evening outing for SFG and his buddies in Times Square:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Go to an Irish Pub for a quick 'lube and oil change, if you get SFG's drift.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Amble over to <a href="http://www.espnzone.com/NewYork/">ESPN Zone</a> to watch multiple sports games on multiple huge screens. Sip on a beer and munch on some wings while yelling random animated coaching tips for said sports teams on said screens.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Stop by the <a href="http://www.mymms.com/service/locations.asp">M&M Store</a> (of course there's one!) and buy a gift for the family.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Go back to Irish Pub.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Go to a random diner (open 24 hours) and eat eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Go to hotel and sleep.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Arial;">A hundred bucks says there is no other place in the world where SFG can do all that within 2 city blocks. You gotta love the Big Apple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But Spicy Food Guy digresses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On this particular trip, SFG was in the mood for some good old fashioned BBQ and Southern Comfort foods, so off he went to <a href="http://www.virgilsbbq.com/index.php">Virgil's BBQ</a> on the corner of 44th and Broadway. Spicy Food Guy was arriving at Virgil's after an hour or two at ESPN Zone, so he was ready to chow down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And chow down SFG did. SFG ordered <a href="http://www.virgilsbbq.com/menus/dining.php">two meats</a>, memphis ribs and a texas sausage link. The ribs had a fabulous smoke ring and a really nice dry rub crust on the outside. The outside char was offset by the tender and delicious pink meat on the inside. The sausage link had garlic and chile pepper spices and was a juicy mix of pork meat and fat. And the condiments! Three or four different bbq sauces, several hot sauces, mustard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">To make sure SFG had some daily servings of "vegetables", he ordered baked beans (with big chunks of maplewood bacon) and cheese grits. The cheese grits were creamy, not lumpy, and served steaming hot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As an indication of how much he enjoyed the meal, SFG texted the Boy (SFG's son) with the following message (true story):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Buuuurrrrrrrrrrp"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Elegant prose. Brought to you by Spicy Food Guy. And next time you make it to the Big Apple, get to Virgil's. Go hungry. Stay late.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Peace out.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-42711218903114488982010-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:002010-01-31T15:42:59.968-08:00Breakfast With The Boy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S2YDxjmOcZI/AAAAAAAAAXE/oNOEWnbuarw/s1600-h/Dorstop-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S2YDxjmOcZI/AAAAAAAAAXE/oNOEWnbuarw/s320/Dorstop-1.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9:00am on a Saturday morning, Spicy Food Guy and his only son (hereafter referred to affectionately as "the boy", with the keen knowledge that the label is only appropriate for maybe another year or two) are eating a couple of <a href="http://www.dor-stoprestaurant.com/">egg combos</a> at the <a href="http://www.dor-stoprestaurant.com/">Dor-Stop</a>, one of our favorite restaurants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG and the boy are here following an early morning recreation 7th/8th grade boys basketball game. SFG coaches. The boy rebounds so well SFG is thinking of giving him the title "Chairman of the Boards".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's been a great morning. The boy's team was losing by 12 at half to a team that had no weapons except one future NBA star. SFG made a half time adjustment on defense; switched from man-to-man to a <a href="http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/2007/12/uscs-triangle-and-2-almost-beats.html">three man triangle zone</a> with the 4th kid following the ball and the boy following future NBA star wherever he went. The boy, whose true sport is wrestling and looking at a 18 to 20 win season, was able to muscle the future star around, get him frustrated, and the boy's team went on a 18-4 run to win the game. SFG envisions himself the <a href="http://www.allthingsbillbelichick.com/">Bill Belichick</a> of the boy's hoops rec league.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But basketball is not the primary topic here at the Dor-Stop. The boy is in 8th grade, and the topic is high school. The start is 7 short months away, and the boy is assessing his options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But first, some background about the boy. Two things, actually.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">First, the boy is blessed by what is best called natural gracefulness. In athletics, the boy is liquid smooth. Pure jump shot, sweet golf swing, a natural bowling throw; he is a quick, strong, balanced wrestler. This natural athleticism both delights and pisses off the Boy's Sister and yours truly. SFG, who received no athletic genes, has a golf swing that looks like an angry person trying to behead a groundhog who has just stuck his head out of a hole. The boy's natural gracefulness goes beyond athletics. He is a natural comedian with a sharp mind and quick wit. He learns effortlessly. Until he got braces, he was first chair trumpet. He is beloved by his peers and teachers. In short, he is popular and athletic like his Grandfather, intelligent and entertaining like his Sister. SFG's job, apparently, was to serve as a gene carrier from one talented generation to another. There are worse jobs, SFG supposes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Point two about the boy; until very recently when he shot up out of nowhere, he was always in the 10th to 20th percentile for height and weight. And he has a late August birthday, one of the youngest in his class. The net of this was from grades 1 to 6 he was a head shorter than anyone else in his class. Because of this circumstance, the boy learned the tough lessons of realistic expectations. He got cut from a school basketball team because of his size (a move the middle school coach now profoundly regrets), and the boy turned to wrestling where he could compete against kids his own size. Because of realistic expectations, the boy understands his role on any team he is on. Someday he will come to understand just how valued that skill is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But today we are talking about high school, and he is talking about his options. Right now he is signed up for all Honor's classes. Should he stick with that? Or maybe back out of Honors English? In wrestling, he can try out for varsity, where he will learn a lot but get his ass kicked, or he can wrestle JV or even down at the middle school team, where he will dominate his opponents but limit his development. He is thinking about the Marching Band, but if his putting gets better he may have a shot on the 9th grade golf team. The Theater Instructors are practically drooling for him to get involved with school plays. His Sister had her share of lead roles when she was in high school and the boy is equally talented. So many options. Hard to choose. He is being thoughtful. A recurring statement is that high school team commitments take a lot of time and effort. SFG, who occasionally does the right parenting thing, shuts up and listens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On the inside, SFG is abundantly proud of the boy, but he is also jealous of the boy's powerful youth and limitless potential. The boy is entering a time in his life when the horizon grows wide, the forks in the road become more delineated, the decisions are his to make, and his choices will lead to great adventure, ripping heartbreak, and fabulous victories that are beyond measure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG twirls the eggs on his fork and wryly wonders why his two biological children seem to have so much more class, maturity, and character than SFG ever had at their respective ages. They are better and more interesting people than he was. SFG is not quite certain whether this is an indictment against his own character, a case of first class parenting success, or this is just the way of things. Maybe a combination of all three, sort of like SFG's <a href="http://www.dor-stoprestaurant.com/">egg combo</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And a word to Mt Lebanon High School. Watch out and button down the hatches; the boy is almost upon you. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-60843916114673463602010-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:002010-01-24T14:47:06.774-08:00Chicago Part III: A Train Ride to the Gold Coast<div align="right" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S1y-rYVlV_I/AAAAAAAAAW0/yGvkVTdkg1M/s1600-h/gold+coast+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" mt="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S1y-rYVlV_I/AAAAAAAAAW0/yGvkVTdkg1M/s400/gold+coast+2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, not to Australia. Something better.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It all started at 7:00am CST, when Spicy Food Guy's cell phone rang in his hotel room.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Good Morning!" chirped Fabulous Administrative Assistant of Spicy Food Guy (FAASFG), "Your flight back to Pittsburgh is cancelled. Almost all flights are cancelled. I re-booked you on the one remaining American Eagle flight that departs O'Hare at 1:15!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Urgh", replied SFG, who not only had been fast asleep, but had a rather <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/chicago-part-ii-escape-to-portillos.html">extended evening</a> the night before involving an Irish pub and Portillo's hot dogs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Wake up, sleepyhead!" chirped FAASFG, "Call me if you can't get home!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">FAASFG is a peach. Really.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So SFG lumbered over to the hotel window and pushed back the curtains. It was snowing, in technical meteorological terms, to beat the band. Time to get the hell out of Chicago.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG cleaned himself up and went down to the lobby to join forces with Fun and Favorite Colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (FFCSFG).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"The hotel staff is recommending we take the train to O'Hare because the roads are so bad," said one FFCSFG helpfully, "and the train station is only a block and a half away!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So off SFG and FFCSFG tromped in the heavy snowfall to find the entrance to the train station. SFG found an entrance, but only for train pass holders. A very helpful sign instructed that the "main entrance is one and a half blocks east".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Beg pardon?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There, standing in the heavy snowfall, SFG and FFCSFG discovered to our chagrin that not one of us had brought a compass to our business trip there in downtown Chicago. Imagine.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So while SFG and FFCSFG stood there blinking in the snow, looking up at the skyscrapers to see if any of them had a big sign saying "East: that way" with a big arrow pointing the way east, fate intervened in the person of Loud Homeless Guy with Toilet Paper in His Pocket (LHGTPIHP). "YOU GUYS LOOKING FOR THE ENTRANCE TO THE TRAIN STATION?" semi-shrieked LHGTPIHP. "FOLLOW ME I KNOW THE WAY!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And he did. So for the low low price of a couple of bucks, SFG and FFCSFG got a personal escort to the train station.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So after saying good-bye to LHGTPIPH, taking a men's room smelling elevator down three levels, and making only a couple of wrong turns, SFG and FFCSFG finally plopped themselves in some seats on a train headed to O'Hare. Adventure over.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Riggggghhhhht.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Twelve short minutes into the ride, deep underground, the train stops. Complete stop. No power. A sound like a car engine failing to turn over rings through the train about three times.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"I've lived in Chicago for 10 years," offered one passenger, "and this has never happened." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Of course not.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Several minutes go by. Then over the loudspeakers:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Attention passengers, we have an advanced problem with the train."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What?????</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG thought the word advanced a quite interesting choice of adjectives. "Actually", announced SFG to his fellow passengers, "I think there is a quite <em>basic </em>problem with the train."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This got no laughs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So everyone sat in silence for a few minutes. Then a new development: in the car ahead of us, and then in our car, someone starts pounding on the train doors. <em>From the outside.</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"What do you think that is?" asked one passenger a little fearfully, breaking the silence in the train.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"This is the part," chimed in a cheerful SFG, "when the vampires attack!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This actually got a lot of laughs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, about five minutes later, the train starts up again. Then this announcement:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"Ladies and gentlemen, do not stand near the doors. The train is going 50 miles per hour. If you stand near the doors, you will fall out and die."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What????</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This was about the time SFG started really, really hoping that his flight home would not be cancelled.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, SFG and FFCSFG arrived at O'Hare. After finding the terminal, doing the security dance, and finding out the flight home was only delayed a couple of hours, it was time to eat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.goldcoastdogs.net/">Gold Coast Hot Dogs</a>, baby. That's what the occasion called for. Another world famous chili cheese dog, the second one in as many days. And it was delicious -- steamy poppyseed bun, snappy hot dog casing, great chili and high calorie mega-transfat melted cheese. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG loved it, and now there are two hot dog places in Chicago that SFG loves. SFG looks forward to consuming a few more.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Maybe this summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-52009213151664084252010-01-17T15:07:00.000-08:002010-01-17T15:07:28.903-08:00Chicago Part II -- Escape to Portillos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S1OEy2yYQ1I/AAAAAAAAAWs/0eKvrwNGhHw/s1600-h/portillos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S1OEy2yYQ1I/AAAAAAAAAWs/0eKvrwNGhHw/s400/portillos.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.portillos.com/portillos/">Portillo's</a> was not the planned dinner destination. And while it didn't take a prison escape to get there, some stealth was indeed involved.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But Spicy Food Guy gets ahead of himself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG and 12 fun and favorite colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (FFCSFG) were in Chicago to debate if <a href="http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/anakinskywalker/">Anakin Skywalker</a> should enter jedi training and ultimately bring balance to the universe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not really.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hosting SFG and FFCSFG were trendy Chicago based colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (TCBCSFG) and they announced the morning of the meeting that dinner that evening would be "<a href="http://frascapizzeria.com/inspiration.asp">A wine bar and pizza/pasta place</a>".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Multiple alarm buzzers went off in SFG's head. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">By law, any pizza consumed in Chicago must be deep dish. It has to have meat. It has to weigh 35 pounds. One time several years ago, SFG was in Chicago for an informal meeting that was in walking distance from SFG's hotel. SFG stopped at <a href="http://www.giordanos.com/">Giordano's</a> world famous deep dish pizza place and picked up a big old pizza for his lunch (SFG intended to share). When SFG got to the building where the meeting was, the lobby guard assumed SFG was a pizza delivery guy. True story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But Spicy Food Guy sooooo digresses.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG quickly ascertained that any pizza associated with a wine bar was unlikely to be deep dish. In fact, this wine bar pizza place sounded like it was going to be one of those downtown trendy froo froo restaurant places.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Bingo.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, in all fairness, TCBCSFG were tickled with their decision, and TCBCSFG are smart, nice, passionate people and SFG really likes them. SFG was determined to make the best of it. But when SFG walked in, he immediately noted the following:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1) The servers were dressed all in black.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2) The tables were packed tightly together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3) The wineglasses were oversized.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Indeed this was a trendy froo froo downtown place. SFG enjoyed the wine, the company, the roasted artichokes, and the pizza (not all of it; the young woman seated next to SFG had a pizza with a topping that can only be described as a baby greens salad). So it was fine as trendy downtown spots go, but SFG yearned for more.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">That's about when the plotting began.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As it turned out, the FFCSFG seated next to SFG had grown up in Chicago, and swore he could not leave town until he had eaten an Italian Beef Sandwich from <a href="http://www.portillos.com/portillos/">Portillo's</a>, a famous hot dog and sandwich place that is a big favorite of Chicago natives.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And there was a <a href="http://www.portillos.com/portillos/">Portillo's</a> location not just two blocks away.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"We're going there after this dinner", SFG whispered to FFCSFG, "alert the others".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So very quietly the word spread, and a total of four FFCSFGs agreed to the plan. They all happened to be male.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So as dessert was wrapping up, SFG and the four FFCSFGs stood up to quietly slip out. A particularly astute TCBCSFG saw the exchange of glances and very wrongly assumed SFG and pals were headed to a strip club. A strip club? When there are chili cheese dogs to be had? Surely TCBCSFG jested, but still, some clarification was required and SFG had to come clean on the evening's plot. So good-bye's were said, and SFG and the four FFCSFGs stepped outside.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cold.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Really, really cold. Brutal cold. Chicago lake wind cold. We made it a block before SFG announced "We can't stay out here, we must take refuge in this Irish pub we are standing next to."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So refuge was taken. For 40 minutes or so. And when SFG and FFCSFGs had each had a couple of pints of refuge, it was time to soldier on the last half block or so to Portillo's.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And what can SFG say about Portillo's? Only that it's hot Italian sausage is fabulous beyond measure, that SFG wolfed down the chili cheese dog inside about three minutes, that the Maxwell Street style polish sausage has terrific flavor. Is SFG saying he had one of each? SFG takes the fifth, and seconds and thirds. At least while he is dining at Portillos.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Chicago native FFCSFG had his Italian beef sandwich fix, and he insisted we all taste the tamales. While the tamales weren't bad, the hot itailian sausage was voted best in class by SFG and a couple of non-native FFCSFGs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So that's the tale of two restaurants. And Portillo's is now a must stop eatery when SFG hits Chicago. Go there.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-36707198506058028162010-01-11T18:27:00.000-08:002010-01-11T18:29:52.297-08:00Part I -- Chicago in Winter is "Hot as a Mutha"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S0vPDolQ0qI/AAAAAAAAAWk/J59SJSPgS-w/s1600-h/habanero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S0vPDolQ0qI/AAAAAAAAAWk/J59SJSPgS-w/s320/habanero.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Question:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Why was Spicy Food Guy's decision to consume two deep fried habanero peppers at dinner in Chicago last week so similar to (then) President Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2002?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Answer:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In our anxiousness to attack, neither of us really thought through how painful the exit strategy would be.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But Spicy Food Guy is getting ahead of himself.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As usual, for reasons best left unknown to the American public, Spicy Food Guy found himself in the Windy City last week. Fortunately for SFG, he was joined by 12 Fun and Favorite Colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (FFCSFG). And <em>very</em> fortunately for FFCSFG, they were wise enough to allow SFG to select the dinner venue.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So off we went to <a href="http://www.heavenonseven.com/">Heaven on Seven</a>, one of SFG's all time favorite restaurants. Anywhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And because SFG and FFCSFG made a nice baker's dozen at the dinner table, sharing appetizers and entrees was the strategy of the evening.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It began deliciously and innocently enough: fried green tomatoes, grilled andouille sausage on sweet potato polenta (which tasted angelic, given we were in Heaven), fried oysters, crab cakes. Then, somewhere into about beer two, SFG decided to order up a "<a href="http://www.heavenonseven.com/PDFs/Rush_Carryout.pdf">Hot as a Mutha</a>", which is a deep fried whole habanero pepper served in a bed of mango salsa.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG found the fried pepper to have a great texture, with the softness of the pepper offsetting the crunch of the batter. And like most habanero's, the pepper had sweet fruity overtones. And it was hot as fiery hell blazes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So Spicy Food Guy felt very strongly that FFCSFG had to have a piece of this action. So he ordered another.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With various degrees of bravado, enthusiasm (or total lack thereof), and trepidation did FFCSFG approach their slices of the fried habanero. Some actually enjoyed it and have the potential to become real chileheads. Others of FFCSFG acted as if their tongues had been seared by living fire (this was especially true of the one FFCSFG who happens to have the physique of a pro wrestler). Some hid under the table. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Soon enough the commotion settled and everyone had a fabulous meal. As a reward for the habanero's, SFG and FFCSFG ended the meal with slices of chocolate peanut butter pie and <a href="http://www.heavenonseven.com/PDFs/Rush_Carryout.pdf">mississippi mud pie</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here is what Spicy Food Guy has to say about these desserts -- you want this. You really, really want this.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So declares SFG.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-17161834112423732832010-01-01T16:28:00.001-08:002010-01-01T18:56:03.743-08:00Food and Books -- A Year in Review<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/Sz6UnvJxbiI/AAAAAAAAAWc/hKevDSdUTFQ/s1600-h/twhthr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421934411793919522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/Sz6UnvJxbiI/AAAAAAAAAWc/hKevDSdUTFQ/s400/twhthr.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mostly, it was a year to hunker down.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Wiped out 401K, endless worry about layoffs, a year of nervousness. Not surprisingly, Spicy Food Guy's 2009 food and brain diet reflected his circumstances. Lots of <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/roasted-red-pepper-soup-for-wintry-day.html">soups</a>, lots of <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-spicy-soup-for-snow-day.html">stews</a>, foods that are warm and comforting.</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">On the reading side, lots of science fiction and fantasy, places to escape. And plenty of American history, especially the trying times, seeking to understand, attempting to find perspective.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Like Tim Egan's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Hard-Time-Survived-American/dp/0618773479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262397687&sr=8-1">The Worst Hard Time</a>", a fascinating account of the dust bowl at the time of the great depression. Also Stephen Ambrose's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Courage-Meriwether-Jefferson-American/dp/0684826976/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262397956&sr=1-3">Undaunted Courage</a>", an in-depth look at the tragic character of Meriwhether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition, as well as "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/D-Day-June-1944-Climatic-Battle/dp/0743449746/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262397956&sr=1-10">D-Day</a>" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Soldiers-Normandy-Beaches-Surrender/dp/0684848015/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262397956&sr=1-4">Citizen Soldiers</a>", two fascinating non-fictional accounts of World War II.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/search/label/gumbo">Gumbo</a> and jambalaya were often on the menu at SFG's house, all full of roasted chicken, garlic and jalapeno sausage, and shrimp. Served with bismati rice. Filling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">On the fantasy side, a couple of very good trilogies. Joe Abercrombie writes sort of like a dark Tolkien with "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Itself-First-Law-Book/dp/159102594X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398143&sr=1-3">The Blade Itself</a>", "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Before-They-Are-Hanged-First/dp/1591026415/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398143&sr=1-2">Before They are Hanged</a>", and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Argument-Kings-First-Law/dp/1591026903/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398143&sr=1-4">The Last Argument of Kings</a>". </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Brent Weeks may have penned the year's best three book fantasy series with "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Way-Shadows-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033677/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398268&sr=1-4">The Way of Shadows</a>", "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Edge-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033650/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398268&sr=1-3">Shadow's Edge</a>", and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Shadows-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033669/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398268&sr=1-1">Beyond the Shadows</a>". SFG's favorite written line of the year comes from the last book:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><em>"Perhaps it's just the way the greatest magic works: justice and mercy entwined. It's a mystery, Kylar. A mystery on a par with the question of why is there life at all? If you wish to answer the mystery by positing a God, you can, or you can say that it just is -- and either way, be glad for it, for it is a gift. Or a most fortunate accident."</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Diners were a favorite of the SFG family this year, whether at home or on the road. The kids loved the <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/diner-daughter-and-deliberations.html">Dor-Stop</a> here at home, and the <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/08/crab-cakes-and-eggs-at-richmonds-river.html">Richmond River City Diner</a> got rave reviews as well.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Spicy Food Guy discovered a favorite new Science Fiction author when he found Robert Charles Wilson. In quick succession, SFG knocked off "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Robert-Charles-Wilson/dp/076534825X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398541&sr=1-4">Spin</a>", "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Axis-Robert-Charles-Wilson/dp/0765348268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398541&sr=1-1">Axis</a>" (the two go together), "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Lake-Robert-Charles-Wilson/dp/0765341603/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398541&sr=1-5">Blind Lake</a>", and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chronoliths-Robert-Charles-Wilson/dp/0812545249/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398541&sr=1-10">The Chronoliths</a>". Similar to Wilson is Joe Haldeman, with interesting reads "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Joe-Haldeman/dp/0441008763/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398697&sr=1-11">The Coming</a>", "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Time-Machine-Joe-Haldeman/dp/0441016162/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398697&sr=1-7">The Accidental Time Machine</a>", and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Camouflage-Joe-Haldeman/dp/0441012523/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398697&sr=1-1">Camouflage</a>".</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">After burning out a bit on Science Fiction, SFG sobered up to some American History with Michael Shaara's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Angels-Michael-Shaara/dp/034540727X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398825&sr=1-1">The Killer Angels</a>", a breathtaking semi-fictional account of the Civil War battle of Gettysburg. After getting hooked on Angels, SFG followed up with a rash of Jeff Shaara (son of Michael) works, including "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Rebellion-Novel-American-Revolution/dp/0345427548/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398870&sr=1-7">Rise to Rebellion</a>" and "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glorious-Cause-Jeff-Shaara/dp/0345427580/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398870&sr=1-6">A Glorious Cause</a>", a fabulous two part fictional account of the revolutionary war. SFG also took in Shaara's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Generals-Jeff-Shaara/dp/0345422473/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262398870&sr=1-11">Gods and Generals</a>", which brings Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson to life in a way no history textbook ever has.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">For a quick trip back to fantasy, SFG slogged his way through the four part, 3,000+ pages of Tad Williams "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/City-Golden-Shadow-Otherland-1/dp/0886777631/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399029&sr=1-6">The Otherworld</a>" series. It's only for the patient and brave of heart, but SFG really enjoyed it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Pizza was big for SFG and his family in 2009. We discovered <a href="http://www.harrys-pizza.com/">Harry's</a>, a fantastic pizza joint in the south hills of Pittsburgh, and of course SFG enjoyed the spicy pizza at Mt Lebanon's <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/01/spicy-pizza-done-right-way.html">Il Pizzaiolo</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Being a bit burnt out on Science Fiction and American History, SFG enjoyed a delightful read with Pat Conroy's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/South-Broad-Pat-Conroy/dp/038541305X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399240&sr=1-1">South of Broad</a>". He followed up with a collection of essays by Malcolm Gladwell in "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Dog-Saw-Other-Adventures/dp/0316075841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399276&sr=1-1">What the Dog Saw</a>". A birthday gift brought Laurence Bergreen's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-Venice-Xanadu-Vintage/dp/1400078806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399314&sr=1-1">Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu</a>", and followed up with Bergreen's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-World-Terrifying-Circumnavigation/dp/006093638X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399314&sr=1-3">Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe</a>". The latter was particularly vivid, especially the contrast of the Pacific part of the journey against the Atlantic leg. Plus, SFG had forgotten that Magellan died on the voyage, so that part was kind of like a non-fictional historical surprise.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Ice Cream was another source of comfort to SFG and his loved ones this past year, and the find of the year had to be the <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/02/best-ice-cream-shop-in-pennsylvania.html">Sarris's Ice Cream Shop</a> in Cannonsburg PA. The Family of Spicy Food Guy made that road trip at least a half a dozen times in 2009.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Back to Amercan History, SFG got a great peek of some great old characters with John Meacham's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Lion-Andrew-Jackson-Notable/dp/0812973461/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399466&sr=1-1">American Lion</a>," an entertaining account of Andy Jackson. Another good humorous biography was Walter Isaacson's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Franklin-American-Walter-Isaacson/dp/B0012WXAPC/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399505&sr=1-11">Benjamin Franklin</a>", and one of the best reads of the year was the richly detailed story of Lincoln's cabinet, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0684824906/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262399546&sr=1-1">A Team of Rivals</a>".</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Finally, big old meat entree's played well in 2009, with steak at <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/08/arthurs-tavern-is-carnivores-dream.html">Arthur's</a>, ribs at <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/03/excellent-ribs-at-jaspers.html">Jasper's</a> and <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-brothers-bbq-in-presto-pa-is-hidden.html">Two Brothers</a>, roasted pork sandwiches at <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/02/spicy-food-guy-takes-on-reading-station.html">Dinics</a>, and bone-in bison at <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/bone-in-bison-in-rhode-island-and.html">Mills Tavern</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">But fortunately for you, dear reader, Spicy Food Guy was able to resolve once and for all whether <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/08/sfg-answers-red-chile-sauce-versus.html">red or green chile sauce is best for huevos rancheros</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Have a great 2010. May your table be full and your reading list fascinating. Peace out.</span></p><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-35664944686864643432009-12-30T12:56:00.000-08:002009-12-30T13:21:57.859-08:00Two Brothers BBQ in Presto PA is a Hidden Gem<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/Szu-1B_CC_I/AAAAAAAAAWU/Lf2s8w0Zi7g/s1600-h/two+brothers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421136394745678834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/Szu-1B_CC_I/AAAAAAAAAWU/Lf2s8w0Zi7g/s400/two+brothers.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Three signs that a BBQ joint will serve excellent food:</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">1) It's a trailer</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">2) Cash only</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">3) It shares a parking lot with a beer store</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.2brosbbq.com/">Two Brothers BBQ</a> in Presto Pennsylvania (motto: "We let the Kindergarten Class name the town"), right outside Pittsburgh, shares all of the above qualities.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">In addition with sharing a parking lot with a beer store, Two Brothers is also directly across the street from a fire department. So when you really sit down and think about it, Two Brothers has the best and most strategic location of any BBQ joint anywhere in the free world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">But Spicy Food Guy soooooo digresses.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Three more reasons to make the trek to Two Brothers: <a href="http://www.2brosbbq.com/downloads/takeoutMenu.pdf">baby back ribs, pulled pork, and BBQ nachos</a>. All excellent, smoky, juicy, tender. SFG usually orders a full rack of ribs, a pound of pulled pork, a container of cole slaw, and sides of cornbread cake and mac & cheese. Not all for himself, of course, for all the non-vegetarian family members of SFG (5 out of 6).</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">The one problem Spicy Food Guy has with Two Brothers is that the pungent smell wafting around the parking lot makes SFG's middle aged tummy growl like a pride of lions. But if you can get through that and a maddening drive home with BBQ smells attacking all your senses, the reward is ample and just.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Two Brothers, you want this. So says Spicy Food Guy. </span></p>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-56291765732468447542009-12-29T18:35:00.000-08:002010-01-25T18:14:11.725-08:00All American Soup -- Cheesy, Hearty, Delicous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S15PbrKhN9I/AAAAAAAAAW8/wGJl8H30wRI/s1600-h/American-Flag-Wall-Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" mt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/S15PbrKhN9I/AAAAAAAAAW8/wGJl8H30wRI/s320/American-Flag-Wall-Art.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: arial;">OK, first of all, Spicy Food Guy acknowledges he is in the midst of a soup creation frenzy. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Recently, SFG picked up a copy of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/365-Easy-Soup-Recipes-Delicious/dp/1597690295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262139831&sr=8-1">365 Easy Soup Recipes</a>" at the Half Price Books Store and decided to give one of the recipes, All American Soup, a little spin.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Because SFG is revealing the recipe without the express and written consent of <a href="http://www.cookbookresources.com/">Cookbook Resources LLC</a>, SFG fully expects that lawsuits will fly, financial institutions will fall, and the balance of the universe may fall out of alignment.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nonetheless:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Start by sauteing an onion and the strips of 3 chicken breasts in a favorite saucepan. SFG had no chicken, so he subsituted 2 turkey breasts instead. Also, SFG added 3 to 4 cloves of garlic (off recipe). He also added a cup of chopped celery (off recipe). Set aside.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In a great big pot, put in about 4 cups of chicken stock, 1 10oz can of tomatoes with green chiles, and 3 cubed russet potatoes. SFG subbed in Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russet potatoes for the flavor factor. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Add the turkey/chicken, onion, celery, and garlic to the big pot. Boil all that stuff up until the potatoes are nice and soft.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next add a can of creamy celery soup, a can of milk, and a teaspoon of basil and a teaspoon of salt. Off recipe, SFG added a teaspoon of onion powder and a teaspoon of garlic powder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">SFG added about 6 oz of Velveeta, and about 6 oz of sharp cheddar (off recipe). Finally, stir in a half cup of sour cream. Spicy Food Guy let all that get happy for another 30 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After ladling into bowls, SFG garnished with bacon bits and garlic flavored dried fried onions.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Everybody ate like hungry dogs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Soup's on at SFG's house.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-70634830949731942152009-12-28T17:35:00.000-08:002009-12-28T18:22:20.773-08:00Roasted Red Pepper Soup for a Wintry Day<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/SzlevUijbgI/AAAAAAAAAV8/XMgZlzu1O_0/s1600-h/giada2.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420467793577602562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 304px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/SzlevUijbgI/AAAAAAAAAV8/XMgZlzu1O_0/s400/giada2.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">On a recent snowy and icy <a href="http://www.visitpittsburgh.com/">Pittsburgh</a> December day, Spicy Food Guy cooked up a terrific roasted red pepper soup from a <a href="http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/">Giada De Laurentis</a> recipe on <a href="http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/">Foodnetwork.com</a>.<br /><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">SFG is attaching her picture here so we can all be reminded of sandy beaches and warm sunshine.<br /><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Riiiiiiiight.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">To get her full recipe, click on this link:<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/creamy-red-pepper-soup-recipe/index.html">Roasted Red Pepper Soup at Foodnetwork.com</a>.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Now here are some additional hints from your local neighborhood Spicy Food Guy:<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Double the garlic, add a can of tomato paste; these additions will add a nice depth of flavor. Also, add a teaspoon of onion powder and a half teaspoon of garlic powder. Instead of a regular blender, puree the soup with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_blender">immersion hand blender</a>. Why? Because it's a way funner kitchen toy than a blender. The hand blender is basically the kitchen equivalent of a <a href="http://www.vibrator.com/">vibrator</a>, so using it brings a naughty sort of sexual connotation not often found in soup preparation.<br /><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">But Spicy Food Guy sooooo digresses.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Spring for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascarpone">mascarpone cheese</a> (as the recipe calls for) because it has the correct consistency and flavor to marry with the pureed soup.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">The soup is excellent, but not as hearty as SFG's version of <a href="http://spicyfoodguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-spicy-soup-for-snow-day.html">creamy chicken green chile soup</a>. Serve the red pepper soup with warm garlic bread. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Fabulous for a winter day.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Word">Word out</a>, spicy fans.</span></div>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-85050217848814708432009-12-06T10:19:00.000-08:002009-12-29T18:27:20.686-08:00Best Green Chile Soup for a Snow Day<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/Szq588fDPCI/AAAAAAAAAWE/bE61dF4QXQ8/s1600-h/sandralee3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420849558173465634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 346px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/Szq588fDPCI/AAAAAAAAAWE/bE61dF4QXQ8/s400/sandralee3.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:Arial;">Spicy Food Guy woke up to the first dusting of snow in the 'burgh this weekend, so it was time for some hot and hearty soup. </span><br /><div><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The day called for something creamy and spicy at the same time, so SFG elected to prepare a creamy green chile soup. To see the original recipe as it is written at Foodnetwork.com, click on this link below.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/creamy-green-chile-soup-recipe/index.html">Creamy Green Chile Soup</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Credit to Sandra Lee (pictured here for sheer bibliography purposes -- riiiiiiiiight) for supplying the recipe to <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/">Foodnetwork.com</a>, but SFG deemed it in need of some extra punch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sandra's recipe calls for a teaspoon of crushed garlic. SFG increased that by at least threefold, maybe four. The recipe suggests three cans of diced green chilies, so SFG added one. Then Spicy Food Guy added a couple of chopped up fresh jalapenos. SFG would have thrown in a couple of habaneros, but Kids of Spicy Food Guy (KOSFG) planned on eating the soup, so SFG reigned himself in a bit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Instead of the <a href="http://texas-chef.blogspot.com/2006/09/about-mexican-crema-by-request.html">Mexican Crema</a>, SFG used a clever substitution of cheddar and jalepeno sour cream dip.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Nowhere at all does Sandra's recipe call for a rotisserie chicken, but Spicy Food Guy thought the addition of pulled breast meat from a roasted chicken would take the soup from appetizer status to winter entree worthy. SFG was correct.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Finally, SFG used corn that had been grilled on the cob over the summer and then frozen for just this purpose. And next time, SFG suspects he will add additional flavor to the dish by roasting fresh peppers as opposed to using canned chilies.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Creamy green chile soup is everything you want in winter -- hearty, hot, spicy, fattening, and delicious. So says Spicy Food Guy.</span></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></p></div>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-11979096448267250202009-12-02T16:55:00.000-08:002009-12-02T17:58:22.958-08:00Bone-In Bison in Rhode Island and an Apology to Munch<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/SxcM0KE-v1I/AAAAAAAAAVs/P5ccSoj_BYE/s1600-h/mills+tavern.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410807567506915154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/SxcM0KE-v1I/AAAAAAAAAVs/P5ccSoj_BYE/s400/mills+tavern.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;">We interrupt this blog entry for the following announcement.<br /><br /></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">Spicy Food Guy had an "Oh Shit" moment this week when <a href="http://www.myspace.com/munch_pg//">Munch</a> posted a comment on SFG's recent blog entry. As my 3 regular readers probably know, Munch is a REAL food writer for a REAL newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.<br /><br /></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">Now Munch's comment was nice and helpful enough, but SFG sensed an underlying recalcitrance toward SFG that is wholly deserved.<br /><br /></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">See, when SFG started this blog a couple of years back, he copied Munch's literary device of referring to himself and his friends in the 3rd person and using initials. For example, Third Rate Food Blogger Fan of Munch would be designated as TRFBFOM in Munch's column. SFG should have published a disclosure about this when he began his blog, but frankly, SFG never thought anybody would ever give his blog any meaningful attention.<br /><br /></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;">So anyway, Munch, I apologize for not having acknowledged how I copied your literary device. To correct this, I have added a permanent disclosure box to the left of my posts and below the blog labels. Let me know if this disclosure brings justice to your Munchly heart. And, also, if you don't mind me asking, what the hell do you think of my blog?<br /><br /></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">OK, SFG has soooo digressed from the subject at hand, which is bone-in bison.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">But first, let's start by stating that for reasons best left unknown to the American public, Spicy Food Guy found himself in Providence, Rhode Island (<em>Note to Munch, this "best left unknown" thing is an oft repeated phrase in SFG's blog. You''ll be happy to know I made it up).<br /><br /></em></span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">So anyway, SFG and a group of Very Polite and Gracefull Colleagues of Spicy Food Guy (VPAGCOSFG) went to dinner at the ultra-swanky, superbly elegant, and rather arrogant (really) <a href="http://www.millstavernrestaurant.com/History.html">Mills Tavern</a>. Mills Tavern has won a ton of <a href="http://www.millstavernrestaurant.com/Accolades.html">awards and accolades</a>, and the waiter's state, with very real confidence, that "the lamb will be the best lamb you have ever tasted". He said that. Really.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Now, on this particular evening, the entree in discussion between the waiter and VPAGCOSFG was the <a href="http://www.millstavernrestaurant.com/Menu.aspx">wood grilled 28oz bone-in bison tomahawk rib chop glazed in peppadew ketchup</a>. The waiter insisted it was an experience not to be missed, that, cooked medium rare, the bison chop would be one of the most succulent culinary experiences of our collective lifetimes. VPAGCOSFG were concerned about the serving size -- 28 ounces -- it seemed like too much.<br /><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">So the waiter said, with a straight face, and SFG swears he is not making this up:<br /><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">"The bone itself weighs about nine ounces."<br /><br /></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">VPAGCOSFG nodded thoughtfully and graciously. Spicy Food Guy gurgled a sort of high pitched choke. Because, in his boyishly immature soul, SFG was shrieking hysterically.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">"The BONE weighs nine OUNCES", silently shrieked Spicy Food Guy, the operative word being silently, "That's what SHE SAID. Maybe for YOU, little man! Maybe you need a NEW BONE!" SFG was convulsing.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">"Are you OK?" VPAGCOSFG asked politely.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">"Ummmpphh,huhhuhhuh," SFG answered, desperately trying to keep the lid on.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">In the end, SFG and VPAGCOSFG agreed to order the mixed shellfish platter, bison, the lamb, the venison, and just kind of split it up so that everybody could try everything.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">Let it be said Mills Tavern has earned the right to be arrogant. The roasted lamb, encrusted in horseradish and mustard, served on a bed of goat cheese mashed potatoes, was indeed some of the best lamb SFG has ever tasted. The bison was rich and delicious, and SFG Noted that one of the VPAGCOSFGs didn't share as much of the bison as SFG had anticipated. The venison was spectacular. For sides, the group had pan roasted mushrooms, mac & cheese, and old fashioned baked beans.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">All in all, Spicy Food Guy considered Mills Tavern one of his finer dining experiences, an experience that could almost make SFG a Foodie. A real Foodie. Like my buddy Munch.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div></div>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-514900577152859072.post-82395781189217165382009-11-29T16:56:00.000-08:002009-11-29T18:05:31.443-08:00The Best Hot Sauce for Italian Food<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/SxMZPYjYwGI/AAAAAAAAAVk/4TOPpHZb0OQ/s1600/pasta%20sauce.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409695329481703522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 347px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 346px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jtntiiiaoGE/SxMZPYjYwGI/AAAAAAAAAVk/4TOPpHZb0OQ/s400/pasta%2520sauce.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Even the most ardent of Chileheads hesitates to juice up a classic Italian dish like a fabulous lasagna or a great veal parmesan with hot sauce. Often, the hot sauce fights the oregano, basil, or rich tomato base of the dish. Trust Spicy Food Guy when he says cayenne and scotch bonnet pepper based hot sauces simply don't work.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Likewise, a strong garlic hot sauce can simply over flavor an Italian dish, and a sauce that is too hot overpowers and masks the Italian flavor.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Spicy Food Guy has searched the nooks and crannies of the hot sauce world looking for the elixir that can both enhance and add heat to a great plate of spaghetti.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">So pleased as punch was Spicy Food Guy when he discovered "Sheriff Jim Taylor's All Natural Garlic and Herb Hot Sauce" that professes to "add zest to any Italian dish." And Spicy Food Guy is here to testify that Sheriff Jim Taylor tells no lies: his hot sauce is indeed the perfect complement to a penne and bolognese entree. Not overly hot, nice touches of garlic and basil and oregano without being overbearing. It has a slight saltiness and vinegar that really works with marinara.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">But there are some mysteries.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">First, just who was Sheriff Taylor and what was his role in hot sauce development? We know from the bottle that "<em>Sheriff Jim Taylor was the true and real sheriff of Surry County North Carolina in the 1960s and 1970s and lived in Mount Airy, North Carolina."</em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">That's it. That's all we know. There are no references to how the Sheriff of Surry County came to be associated with a hot sauce, either on the label or on the Internet. Did he wake one night in the midst of an epiphany filled dream and yell "Tabasco peppers with Italian herbs, that's the secret to the elixir?" Spicy Food Guy does not know. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Second mystery? Sheriff Taylor's hot sauces are not widely available. Google searches turn up only "<a href="http://www.rusticbarn.com/index.html">The Rustic Barn</a>" as the venue to order Sheriff Taylor's products. And even more mysterious, the Garlic and Herb hot sauce is not one of the products available to order.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Which brings Spicy Food Guy to his third and final mystery: just how in the hell did SFG end up with this particular hot sauce in his collection? Spicy Food Guy has no earthly idea. Did he get it in a North Carolina airport? Possibly. Or at Zestfest 2007 or 2008? Maybe. But he doesn't really know. Not at all.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Spicy Food Guy suspects it was smuggled into his collection by Elves. It is the season, after all. And Spicy Food Guy has been soooo nice as of late. And full. Lasagna with Sheriff Jim Taylor Hot Sauce. You heard it here.</span>spicyfoodguy'shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02426761511178215589noreply@blogger.com15