Wings and things...

There are a few variations, but generally it is believed that Teressa Bellissimo, an owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo was faced with fixing something for hungry late arriving parties, and only finding some chicken wings in the pantry, deep fried and sauced them, and thus the ubiquitous “Chicken Wings” were born. They were probably aided in popularity and attention by the Buffalo Bills string of Super Bowl appearances. Anyway, they are now part of our (snack) culture, a must in sports bars, and even giving rise to chain restaurants (the premier of which inserted “wild” in the middle). There are now festivals and competitions, and I believe that Bobby Flay has done a “throw down” with somebody, with the result that they have achieved somewhat a cult status in our society. Recipes abound, arguments about sauces and so forth.  I suppose restaurants love them, since instead of being headed for the stockpot or trash, they are now a menu selection. I would rather imagine there’s a pretty good margin there.

But that’s not why were discussing them. I was listening to the radio the other night and there came on the air a commercial from the McIlhenny folks which announced their new Sauce. It was Buffalo Sauce. Somewhere in there they mentioned that it had “that Buffalo flavor”.... Whoa! What, exactly, does that mean? It tastes like Bison? I wasn’t aware that there was a “Buffalo” flavor. And then I was in a local supermarket the other day, and found myself in the dairy aisle and was idly looking at the chip dips (an admitted weakness of mine). And, alongside the Ranch and French onion, was a tub of “Buffalo Dip”. I have no idea what that would be like.
I suppose it means that like more and more food items especially associated with football and bowls (chili, gumbo, nachos, dips, salsas, etc.) it means that it would take the enamel off your toilet. I won’t go into the rant (you’ve heard it before) on why something like that is perceived good if it is so hot/spicy it will blowyour head off and sear your taste buds to the point of useless. The quality is synonymous with its Scoville rating. Why not just set out a bowl of capsaicin and be done with it..

And since we’re talking somewhat about dips and sauces, here’s just a little sidelight. MFO was in the store the other day and was trying to find our sort of favorite dip: Bacon Horseradish (which I usually punch up a bit for use). Anyway there was none on the shelf but she spied a tub of "Guacamole Dip" and grabbed that. So when we settled down to cocktails we opened it (after noting the word: style (in one point transparent font) between the words "Guacamole" and "Dip". Our first surprise was that peeling off the lid revealed a substance which bore a close resemblance to pond scum. About the same color, and the consistency was slick and greasy. None the less, we scooped out some got the chips and sat down. Our first taste had us looking at each other with a mouthful. It was awful. I can’t describe it well enough but it didn’t seem to bear any resemblance to its namesake. Almost medicinal.  It went straight from the serving bowl to the trash, followed by the rest of the stuff. Next trip we got some “real” Guac from the produce aisle where it resides in those little pouches next to the bottled salad dressings. And don’t jump me for using word “real” I know it’s processed and everything, but it does have a fairly nice flavor reminiscent of Avocado.

More monikers:

And further, since we’re throwing around names of foods, here’s another. MFO brought home a little tub of those small (maybe golf ball size) chocolate covered donuts. Do you know what they are called? “Gems”. I have seen the term used on those little vending machine packages of lined up powdered donuts also. Wonder where that term came from? I am not going to go to Google to solve that riddle.


Road Warrioress

Tomorrow morning MFO will saddle up the MOMSTER and point it back to Wisconsin. Papers to sign, lawyers to see, stuff to document, inventories to create, and effects to dispose of. Her Brother (MFOB) is arriving from Arizona to help with the process, so with all the siblings in one place, I (think realistically) figured I would be more of a distraction than help and so am staying home….. alone.

I suppose neither of us will have much of a reason to

DFD

Footnote: I swear that I am not making this up.. After doing the little thingie about hoisting the Christmas tree in the garage, something kept bugging me. I always second guess myself and it finally dawned on me that the darn thing resembled a Narwahl. Damn, I thought, I should have said that!! (“rare brown nosed river Narwahl” or something). So I was pleased and gratified that an alert reader had the same thought and sent it along as a comment!! What a great readership you are!!

The Thing in the Garage...

What can this be? Some (bad) "artsy" picture? a
Or maybe a trapped animal? A chrysalis? What might hatch?  Is there somebody in there?

Wow! Maybe it’s a secret weapon!!

Read On....

When we remodeled the digs, and opted for the “wall of windows” design, it resulted in our great room having a rather tall ceiling (~28 feet). So things had to be on sort of a grand scale to fit the spaces. Eventually we got around to considering a Christmas tree, and of course a mere 8 or 9 footer would look like a sprout (not to mention many $ and a mess), so MFO went to Frontgate, and for very many more dollars we got a faux one, complete with hundreds of lights. While maybe not the tallest available (as in the White House tree) it did more or less make a nice presentation (with our famous clock).

Never mind that it is “up” in an empty house for the preponderance of time we’re in St. Louis and Wisconsin every year (another story which we won’t go into…..anymore), but when we return it has to live someplace. So, for a few years, we struggled getting it up and down stairs to the basement, “umbrella”- ing it through doors, and so forth. Much effort for not much display time (that story again). So, MFO consulted our trusty contractor and they all came up with a scheme to keep it in the garage.

And they graciously volunteered to construct same. So one day they showed up. As usual, an "easy job" didn't turn out that way (and I swore NOT to show any photos to protect their privacy). Anyway after a few false starts and several trips to Lowes for heavier tackle and “stuff”, the tree was nestling in its little sling of deer fence. It’s not a bad solution, just looks funny.

And yes, it is a messy garage, but by gosh, both cars can fit inside, defyingthea common practice in Southern Maryland. Normally John Deere would sit under the cradle, but it is currently having its winter spa treatment at Carroll’s Equipment.

So last Saturday night some friends volunteered to come over and help with the (now) traditional “hoisting of the tree”. We also hoisted glasses and forks, a pleasant evening.

And there it will rest, waiting for next year’s journey to be displayed to the ghosts..

DFD

Back to foodie stuff tomorrow..wherein we will consider Buffalo's and Gems..(PS there is some big football game next weekend)

Charlie, Charlie

Yesterday, I finally was able to join a couple of friends (who I used to work with) for lunch. We try to meet occasionally and catch up, but schedules are sometimes hard to mesh.. Finally we worked it, and were able to meet at Charlie’s Deli  (I guess they still use “Deli"). I hadn’t visited there since last August, shortly after they re-opened. At that time, I remember remarking that if you didn’t know they had been closed for the previous year or so, you wouldn’t notice any difference.

Pretty much the same could be said for this visit and my initial one. There are still table numbers under the glass on the table, bric-a-brac, ice cream bar, and menu. I think I would say that maybe the service has improved, I didn’t get the “I’m” speech although I was the third to arrive. I didn’t keep count, but there were numerous “You guys” directed at not only our table but generally throughout the dining space although many tables were mixed gender. This time I wasn’t forced to order by number, I guess by now they know that number 17 is a Reuben. Anyway, we ordered a “white board” crab cake sandwich, the “Fish and Chips”, and I went with the reliable old Tuna Melt. Mild fumbling around finding and deciding on the sides (pick only one); we had two potato salads and the chips (which in this case were actual potato chips, not fries)..

Conversation on the various flying machines we have worked on passed the time, and eventually the food came out. It was later than you might have wished, but it is fun talking. Although delivered to the table by the same server that took our order, she still had to offer each dish waiting for its owner to fess up, but she did manage to get the last one correct (think about it for a moment). Between bun, cake, lettuce, and tomato the crab cake sandwich wound up being about five inches tall, as did the fish. Thankfully, the tuna melt was encased in grilled whole wheat, with the requisite melted cheddar cheese.  However, one bite revealed there was also tomato and bacon also in there. Hey! A quick reference to the menu confirmed it was made exactly as described. Although not traditional, bacon can’t hurt anything, but I yanked the pale winter white tomato. The tuna was a little creamier than I like but wasn’t bad. The potato salad, served in a little cup was dense and fairly mustardy, with sizable chunks of potato, making it a bit tough to eat. It's hard to cut something in a cup, so I didn't finish mine.

Finally, the check hits the table with no totals, just itemized as ordered leaving it to the group to go to the cash register to sort out who owes what with another round of “I had the…”. I don’t quarrel too much with that approach as usually the lunch crowd is assemblages of individuals who pay their own way.

I suspect in the panoply of casual lunch options available locally, Charlie’s is as good as any. Just another place to go.  Convenient.
P&S

As mentioned yesterday (?) I have procured a little Canon point and shoot which I will try to keep with me to capture not only plates but “stuff” that attracts my eye. Nowadays there is no paper user manual, so I had to go on line to find a copy to educate myself about it. It about the size of your cell phone. I was astonished at the capability of the little thing. There are several “auto” functions that will do amazing things for you. For instance, get this: (and I am not making this up) you can enter “Smile Detection Mode”. After setting it up, you point the camera at a face, and when the CAMERA detects a smile, it will shoot the picture. Or, there is a “Best Image Selection” feature, which when set, will take five shots of a group of people, then the CAMERA determines which is “best” and saves only one. Wonder what would happen if I shoot a picture of a group of restaurants? And remember the “self timer” feature that is fairly common these days where you trip the shutter and run to get into the shot, (or almost into the shot which is usually my fate).? Well, you now have the option of the “wink timer”. Activate the feature, put somebody’s face in the little white “frame”, press the shutter button, leisurely join the group, have the person in the frame wink, and Poof! You get the picture. How do they do this stuff?

Anyway it will be fun to learn about the little device. Maybe it will tell me how to

DFD

Bits and Pieces...

A few random (almost trivial) nitnoids to help pass your Wednesday morning…

On your doorstep…

I finally decided to get a “point and shoot” camera for documenting selected dishes and locations when dining out.  As reported in earlier editions, I am still reluctant to haul out a device and take a shot of something at a table, but sometimes it’s warranted.  I am fairly inept using the phone, and hauling the DSLR is stupid.  Anyway, I settled on another Canon device (ELPH 310 HS).  So, late last Thursday afternoon I logged on to B&H Photo (my “go to” place for camera gear) and pulled the trigger.  Long story short (get it?), it was on the doorstep by four o’clock on Monday.   How do they do that?  It always amazes me.

Our national song…

Sunday, I settled in to watch the Ravens/Pats game on TV.  For years, Rozanne Barr and Christine Aguilera stood alone in the “Worst National Anthem Performance” club, but there is a new member and maybe a new president.  That idiot Steven Tyler (of American Idol infamy) probably took the prize as the worst rendition of the National Anthem ever.  Once again, it’s “all about me”.  Never mind that people go to war and sacrifice their lives for our country, and many take pride in our Anthem, but, no, let’s just see how goofy and “cute” I can be, screech a few times, passing it off as "singing" while adorned in my sequined scarf.  A real shame.  

Order In…

Apparently there is a chance that one of these days you can go into a Starbuck’s and order a “Grande extra cold, low foam, double hopped, brewsky”.   Reports are that selected stores will begin selling beer and wine during the afternoon “lull” time.  One store in Seattle has been pioneering it and they must be sufficiently happy with the results that they are expanding to twenty five more locations in selected locations.  Speaking of which it was noted in the little blurb I was reading that there are over ten thousand stores in the US..

Passing…

In the “nothing is forever” department it has been confirmed that Scheibles, another of our (few remaining) iconic St. Mary’s County waterfront “crab houses”, will die/change.  It has been acquired by Parkway Hospitality Management (Our multi-talented team of diverse hospitality professionals cater and customize our service to each individual property’s unique needs), who are going to transform it into a “…larger resort. The marina will be used for charter fishing and other water activities”. And they are “…are truly excited to develop the resort at Scheibles”.  I’m sure they are. We have a unique heritage of such places in our lovely county, and one by one, they are made into a bunch of slick, modern, tasteless, buildings.  Like Evan’s for example.  I don’t know if there are any changes made yet, but you should make a point of experiencing places like this before they are all gone.  Long Live Courtney’s!!

Lexicon…

As alert readers know (all too well), there are certain words and phrases in food settings that drive the Feeder nuts.  You Guys; Hon; Dearie; Workin on that; Taking care of you; the list goes on.  And now I am forced to add another: the word “Yummy”.  You might remember that I nearly throttled a woman near me at a cooking class one time after she repeatedly squealed the word every time a dish was set in front of her.  I think she may have even used it with the ice water.  To me, after somebody has worked hard to prepare a dish (like say, seared foie gras with white truffle oil) for your pleasure uttering “Yummy!” (unless you’re eight years old) demeans the dish.   As you know, I appreciate harmony in all things, and coupling silly phrases with serious food just is not. 

And here, tucked at the bottom as usual, is the continual reminder to

DFD

What to do.... what to do....

A busy end of the week prevented any cyber activity until this (Sunday) morning (while waiting for kickoffs), so some catching up…

Thursday was taken by a regular morning meeting, a visit to my friendly local dermatologist to have something scraped, and an afternoon review of the “flutter course” I’m developing for the Flight Test University on base. Then Friday morning I attended an “off site” for one of the community organizations I belong to, followed by another smaller meeting. Retirement, what retirement?

Anyway, so it was with some relief that yesterday MFO and I attended the annual “Bruncheon” hosted by the Friends of the Library (book sale people) down at St. Georges Episcopal Church in Valley Lee.

It’s a pretty little church with a pleasing cemetery (kind of an oxymoron, but it is peaceful).

The brunch is held in the church hall, and the food is cooked by what I usually report as “church ladies”, but in this case it turns out that it was mostly the "church gentleman". It's in a classic chruch hall, smaller than some, but seven or so tables were set while along the back wall was the table waiting for the food:

People generally milled around and chatted for a while since of course everybody knows everybody, but eventually we were seated. Welcoming remarks were followed by a blessing of the food and day by the Priest. After this the “chef/church gentleman" was introduced, and he thanked all for coming, and then described dish by dish what would be served on the table. Pride in your work. While this was going on, the food table was populated.

There were a couple of eggish casseroles, veggie casseroles, steamed potatoes, some stewed apples, and meat which consisted of roast pork

And, as far as I was concerned the Pièce de résistance, the forcemeats

Reader quiz one: what is the meat on the left?; Reader quiz two: what is obvious about the meat on the right? If you answered “scrapple” and “handmade” you get an A. It is rare that you get a chance to have scrapple anymore (Linda’s in the Park serves it), and handmade sausage patties you don’t see very often. Not just an offload from the Sysco truck. They take the time to make the stuff by hand. So after an initial trip down the food line you might end up with a plate like this:

As we consumed the food, of course there was table talk, and I was pleased to learn two of the people at ours had children attending Johnson and Wales University. A positive sign. Anyway, we finally finished the dishes (sausage was good, and I’m still developing Scrapple appreciation), and were served a house (or in this case, church) made dessert:

After most everybody had reached their capacity, the program was started. We were treated to a talk by Christina Allen, a talented nationally known artist, who is also a resident of the County. She recently wrote a children’s book called “A Micro Chip on my Shoulder” a true story of how she raised a little (Heritage Breed) turkey poult from infancy to adult. The little bird suffered an injury when just born, and she raised it by hand. The book is illustrated with her wonderful paintings.

The book recounts how she did that, but also carries messages for adults. The book has won national honors. Christina is a fascinating woman, with boundless energy and a passion for self sustaining living and preservation of the environment. Her homestead (not a farm, she points out), is pretty much completely sustainable for them. Between the turkeys, gardens, and a small herd of sheep, she makes almost everything they eat and use. Fabrics, soaps, foodstuffs, you name it. She is a real local treasure (in the land of nothing to do and nobody to know).

So it was a great couple of hours, sustained by great, non-mass produced food, friends willing to work to raise money for our local libraries, and hearing from one of our great citizens. By the way, the Friends of the Library are always looking for volunteers. Get involved if you have nothing to do!! And, although it was Saturday mid day, we did take care to

DFB

Quick foodie postscript: One of the ladies we see at most of these events cornered me during the meeting, and said, “you’re a food person, I have a question for you”. Okay, shoot. “Where can you get real cheese around here?” I had no good answer for her. I have heard that one of the local farmers makes goat cheese, but don’t know much more. Sigh.. internet, trips up the road, occasionally in one of the local gourmet shops, but now that Woodburn’s has left, nothing regular.. it's a shame. Morbier, Humbolt Fog, sigh....