Tuesday, February 7, 2017

A Bowl of Soup, and more, plus a public alert

or more properly Soup-er Bowl!

And so it was.  I hope you enjoyed the festivities.  Did you have a party?  Attend one?  I usually publish a few guidelines for a super bowl watching event, but things got away from me this year..  so I guess I’ll have to frame it as a quiz to see how you rated. 

For some reason which escapes me, it seems that Cajun or Mexican style dishes have gotten themselves to be a traditional accompaniment to the game.  Did you have Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice, Étouffée, Chili, Nachos, Tacos, and maybe Enchiladas?  And also over the years it has become common to see how much heat you can build into the dish.. Glistening forehead a must. 

Shrimp are a given, preferably with Remoulade sauce.

Doritos (a great sponsor of the Game) are common, as are various dips (seven layer, black bean, taco, horseradish, etc.)  A cheese tray is always appreciated; best are the ones that come from the super market and have cubes and some sort of tepid cold cuts. Bruschetta would be right on the border..  And snacks in general must have something the color of orange.

I am (as alert readers know) a big fan of harmony when it comes to food, so an event like the Super Bowl, the pinnacle of smash mouth violence, battle of the three hundred pounders, trash talking, silly celebrations, in your face behavior call for food like the above.   No Foie Gras, watercress sandwiches, dainty coquettes, just vein clogging, artery filling stuff.  And if somebody (with apologies) mentions “Vegan” they should be immediately ejected from the party site.   Now I am sure there are people who host a (for want of a better term) “gourmet” Super Bowl event, but they would be better off sponsoring a figure skating party, or maybe a ballet performance.   Football is football, dammit.

And then we get to consider what beverages should be offered.  Of course the immediate answer is: beer.   Budweiser, Miller, Coors, good old American suds (and even their (gasp again) "light" versions.   However, these days, that will probably have to be modified due to the explosion of so-called “craft beers”.  We could spend a whole column on what exactly defines a “craft” beer, since some of the big boy breweries now offer their mass produced and marketed versions.  Anyway, some of those are good and a good companion to that kind of food (I would prefer a Stout, since I'm not really a "hop head").  It goes without saying that anything with a fruit (blueberry, grapefruit, or the sissy Blue Moon) mentioned on the label doesn’t count.   And, being a wine guy, there would be a few wines that are appropriate perhaps, something with a lot of body, high alcohol content, and preferably Red.   Like maybe an Old Vines Zin, a monster Cab,  some Rhones might work..

Our menu kind of broke some of my rules, but generally fit.  The crock pots contain Ro-Tel/Velveeta dip, and ‘Lil smokies, followed by MFO's (soon to be famous) Chili and garlic bread...



As to the game itself, it turned out to be a historical contest.  I know many people who threw in the towel at the end of the third quarter, figuring the outcome was not in doubt.   Although I didn’t have much rooting interest either way, I do feel kind of sorry for the Atlanta bunch, that is going to hurt for a while.  As a quick aside, I listened a bit to “Mike and Mike” this morning, and they had a debate going as to whether one/a team would rather be in the game and lose that way (historical comeback), or just not be there at all.  Golic said that he would give his whole career just to be in a Super Bowl regardless of the outcome..

Jessie (no james)

Had a couple of quick reports of lunches at Jessie’s Kitchen,



one of the “new” eateries in Leonardtown in the renovated Winegardner used car facility - along with the BBQ place.  


 somehow, I think the juxtaposition of "Urban" and "Bar-B-Que" is kind of an oxymoron

Anyway, MFO met a friend at Jessie’s the other day for lunch and thought it was quite acceptable.  She had a wrap, and was pleased.   I was out in Leonardtown earlier today and so took a swing by the place and ducked in a moment to see if I could get a carry out menu. Didn’t presume to take the trusty ELPH inside, but it looked kind of casual with a community type table down the center and some booths (?) along each wall..  According to MFO, they do come and take your order.

They are on Facebook if you want to take a look, they term themselves as  “Asian Fusion”, an (IMHO) an all too overused designation.  There are a few terms on the menu that might have you reaching for your cell phone unless you’re a big Asian food buff


Bulgogi?  Korean grilled marinated beef;  Gyoza?  Japanese pan fried dumplings; Shiumai? Cantonese dumplings with varied fillings; so kind of a tour of the pacific rim…  By the way, those definitions are kind of classic, so really don’t know how Jessie handles them..  and a couple of surprises… under soup (upper right):  TO FU; under Sandwiches: Cuban Reuben:  (direct quote:) Sauerkraut &? Swiss Cheese with A Russian Dressing  Not sure what would come on the plate…Ham?  Pork? Pickles? Mustard?

Anyway, at one time I thought this was a regional chain, but now I’m not so sure.

Public Announcement:  Direct attack on the Feeder!!!

As alert (and even not so alert) readers know, my closing tag line for years has been an admonishment to wear something commensurate with the food you’re about to take, especially the evening meal, shortened to an acronym.

Well there is a local theater company putting on a performance of a play called (Gasp!)




These signs are all over the county, in direct opposition to the Feeder’s crusade.  Just planting the wrong seed in the minds of the locals,  sigh.   So, I will attempt to right this abhorrent collection of words to be a more civilized


In actuality, DDFD is a “two-act play by French playwright Marc Camoletti, , who wrote the farce Boeing-Boeing” – another parallel with the feeder.  After a six year run in Europe, it opened on Broadway in 2012, and now is opening in Southern Maryland, in Port Tobacco..  If you go, you just might see the Feeder outside in white robes with one of those “The End is Near!” type signs and on it will of course be


DFD

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