Summer is busy. Vacations, barbecues, birthdays, weddings, rodeos and swimming holes take up a lot of time! Not that I'm complaining, because I LOVE summer, but family dinner has been a bit of a phantom in the last few months and I've really missed it.
I got done with the gym a bit early yesterday and didn't have anything else on the agenda so I decided to call Ted. Best decision of the day! He said they were around and I made my way over. Not only did I get to see Ted and Johnnie (Happy Birthday Johnnie, I hope you have a great day and I can't wait to hear how lunch was!!!), but Morgan, Chelsey and Copper dog were also enjoying a cocktail in the kitchen when I arrived.
Ted poured me a mango & hooch and we all headed out to the deck to enjoy the shortening days of summer. In true family tradition, there was plenty to talk about. Morgan and Chelsey got a new place that sounds perfect. Moving day is the 9th and hopefully they will be hosting a family dinner shortly thereafter. Johnnie is planning a yard sale this Sunday, so if you are in Greenlake, go find some treasures. We had a bee buzzing around the table and Ted shared a story about a curious wasp that flew into his shorts on a camping trip. And then, thankfully, flew back out without causing any damage other than a minute of straight fear.
So after some catching up, we decided it was time for the food. Ted had put the smoker to work over the week and we reaped the benefits. My plate filled with green salad, brown rice, smoked pulled pork with barbecue sauce, smoked salmon and cheesy bread. YUM. And to compliment the meal, we opened a bottle of sparkling rose. Summer!
The food was awesome and the conversations continued as we chowed down. The sun moved from behind a tree and gave us just enough warmth to finish the meal. As the plates were cleared, the blankets (and requisite hooch towel) came out and we all wrapped up. There's something to say for being out on the deck, it just feels right. And we all know that come October (like my wishful thinking) it may be a little too wet to enjoy the fresh air.
Johnnie made a peach pie with the farmers peaches, so we continued on the eating path with a slice and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She said the crust was too 'Mother Earth' i.e. whole wheat, but none of us seemed to mind as we finished off the baked treat.
By the time I got home last night, I was feeling like I hit the jackpot. Impromptu family dinner kicked ass compared to whatever I would have thrown together after the gym. I guess one good thing about the impending change of season is that hopefully our weekly meals will pick back up!
PS: my camera decided to stay in Alaska, so no pictures for now.
Showing posts with label smoker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smoker. Show all posts
Friday, August 31, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Eat my words
Wednesday was our second to last Family Dinner with Grandpa in the house and when Ted asked what he wanted, he said chicken. In my head I said UGHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO I hate chicken. Even though I've had amazing chicken cooked by uncle Ted, my first reaction to the word chicken is ALWAYS blech what a waste of time. Chicken shmicken.
Of course, I said nothing aloud because a free meal is a free meal and Ted has never disappointed at family dinner. But internally, I was thinking, 'chicken, really? WTF!?!'. So When I got to the house on Wednesday, I was excited to see what else we were having with dinner. the first smell to hit me was the sweet, tangy aroma that could only be German Potato Salad and sure enough, this great recipe was cooking away on the stovetop.
Morgan and Ted were sitting at the nook and Grandpa and Eddie were out on the deck. I noticed a big tray covered with foil and got the faint smokey scent of something having been on the smoker. It smelled good as my stomach growled in anticipation of dinner. Hitting the gym before hand is good, but makes the waiting tough sometimes! To curb my appetite, Ted made me a cocktail. Always good on an empty stomach. Hooch + mango + lime = delish.
Grandpa and Eddie migrated in from the deck, because while it is warmer now, it's still not WARM at 6pm yet. Behind them came Jessie, Mark and Charlie, and that rounded out our group for the night. As the resident salad tosser, when Ted got out the big yellow bowl and bottle of dressing, I knew we were close to show time. Everyone migrated to the table and I caught Ted slicing up the chicken. As much as I don't like to admit when I've made a quick judgement, that chicken smelled and looked about as good as a chicken can smell and look. Golden, crispy skin over the perfect pink tint of smoked perfection. UGH! Chicken! I think I'm going to like it!
As people settled and plates filled, we settled into some nice conversations. There is lots of bike racing, camping, marathon training and general outdoor love going on for the group right now. And of course, we talked about food. Particularly oh the chicken was absolutely perfectly cooked. Even the white meat was flavorful and moist, for lack of a better word. you know what I dislike more that (most) chicken, the word moist. ANYWAYS, I have to give it up to Grandpa, good call on the chicken. It was the B-O-M-B. We also had the german potato salad, a green salad and baguette. Oh! As if the chicken needed any more flavor, Ted made barbecue sauce, too!
If you've ever had barbecue at a Bratrude house, you know that we are a bit specific when it comes to the all important barbecue sauce. No bottle of pre-made will do with this group. It's homemade or nothing. And we've all come to our own recipe from Grandma Corinne's basic recipe. On Wednesday, Ted added a hint of vanilla. Tasty!
Now, usually at this point there's a little time for clearing dinner and plating dessert, but when Jessie walked in with a beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie, we knew there would be no dilly dallying. Grandpa made sure we got pictures of the dessert before slicing in and you will be drooling as soon as I post those. Topped with a little vanilla ice cream, we were all convinced that a big piece was necessary. So good. So worth the uncomfortable expansion of my stomach.
We've got one more family dinner with Grandpa in the hood and I hear there's rumor of salmon. Now salmon is something that I get VERY excited about. But I have to eat my words because that was the best damn chicken I've ever had and now I know that I'd request it too.
Of course, I said nothing aloud because a free meal is a free meal and Ted has never disappointed at family dinner. But internally, I was thinking, 'chicken, really? WTF!?!'. So When I got to the house on Wednesday, I was excited to see what else we were having with dinner. the first smell to hit me was the sweet, tangy aroma that could only be German Potato Salad and sure enough, this great recipe was cooking away on the stovetop.
Morgan and Ted were sitting at the nook and Grandpa and Eddie were out on the deck. I noticed a big tray covered with foil and got the faint smokey scent of something having been on the smoker. It smelled good as my stomach growled in anticipation of dinner. Hitting the gym before hand is good, but makes the waiting tough sometimes! To curb my appetite, Ted made me a cocktail. Always good on an empty stomach. Hooch + mango + lime = delish.
Grandpa and Eddie migrated in from the deck, because while it is warmer now, it's still not WARM at 6pm yet. Behind them came Jessie, Mark and Charlie, and that rounded out our group for the night. As the resident salad tosser, when Ted got out the big yellow bowl and bottle of dressing, I knew we were close to show time. Everyone migrated to the table and I caught Ted slicing up the chicken. As much as I don't like to admit when I've made a quick judgement, that chicken smelled and looked about as good as a chicken can smell and look. Golden, crispy skin over the perfect pink tint of smoked perfection. UGH! Chicken! I think I'm going to like it!
As people settled and plates filled, we settled into some nice conversations. There is lots of bike racing, camping, marathon training and general outdoor love going on for the group right now. And of course, we talked about food. Particularly oh the chicken was absolutely perfectly cooked. Even the white meat was flavorful and moist, for lack of a better word. you know what I dislike more that (most) chicken, the word moist. ANYWAYS, I have to give it up to Grandpa, good call on the chicken. It was the B-O-M-B. We also had the german potato salad, a green salad and baguette. Oh! As if the chicken needed any more flavor, Ted made barbecue sauce, too!
If you've ever had barbecue at a Bratrude house, you know that we are a bit specific when it comes to the all important barbecue sauce. No bottle of pre-made will do with this group. It's homemade or nothing. And we've all come to our own recipe from Grandma Corinne's basic recipe. On Wednesday, Ted added a hint of vanilla. Tasty!
Now, usually at this point there's a little time for clearing dinner and plating dessert, but when Jessie walked in with a beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie, we knew there would be no dilly dallying. Grandpa made sure we got pictures of the dessert before slicing in and you will be drooling as soon as I post those. Topped with a little vanilla ice cream, we were all convinced that a big piece was necessary. So good. So worth the uncomfortable expansion of my stomach.
We've got one more family dinner with Grandpa in the hood and I hear there's rumor of salmon. Now salmon is something that I get VERY excited about. But I have to eat my words because that was the best damn chicken I've ever had and now I know that I'd request it too.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Eddie is the ultimate hipster
Not only was he sporting Ray-bans and a flannel, but he brought a sixer of flat top, steel can Churchkey Pilsner to the party. Complete with it's own opener, the packaging is great and the beer tastes good! As Eddie cracked open a can, I learned about the different types of beer cans Ted and Eddie experienced back in the day. At the same time, Ted mixed me a Ginger Lemonade Hooch cocktail. I was double fisted within the first 10 minutes! They really know how to hook a girl up.
I got to spend an hour or so with the guys - Grandpa, Ted and Eddie - before anyone else showed up. They were kind enough to listen to me vent about the oddness that is being a short-timer. Tomorrow is my last day of work at the diabetes study before I move on to a brain research gig and this last week has been a challenging one for me. If you know me at all, you know that I hate wasting time and that's what the last few days feel like, but I guess that's how it goes. So, thanks guys for giving me cocktails and letting me bitch!
Ok, back to the good stuff. People trickled in around 6:30pm - Jessie, Mark and Charlie arrived first. Shortly thereafter Morgan and Chelsey made their way into the kitchen. Ted pulled FOUR brined and smoked chickens off the grill and side dishes made their way to the table. Nate, his girlfriend (Ahh! I'm spacing your name!!!!) and Moto had perfect timing, knocking on the door just as we were settling into our chairs.
So what started as a small foursome turned into a full table of finger-licking good chicken, tomato marinade, pasta salad, brown rice, wine, 10 people and two happy dogs. Jessie informed us that it is ok to eat chicken with your fingers, according to a friend of her's who has and extensive knowledge of etiquette. Not that anyone was concerned about breaking rules, but it's nice to know where we stand.
After dinner, Mark presented us with his Thesis: One of each cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream HAHAHHAHA Mark is finishing up his grad school thesis, so the slip of the tongue made everyone laugh. At least we know he is thinking about it! Jessie made the cookies - GF oatmeal peanut butter, some with chocolate, some without. Charlie did a test run of them last night, coming to Jessie with crumbs on her mouth and a guilty look that only a lab can make. We all agreed with Charlie that the cookies were great. Grandpa gave the thumbs up.
Topics discussed included electric cars and motorcycles, craigslist, pinterest, travel and food, bike racing, segmented sleep, phone apps that monitor sleep patterns, horse racing and betting strategies, camping, Suncadia, The Brick (of course), Obama's support of gay marriage and Dan Savage's response, hooch, the Lake City Elks Lodge, Dog Fiction, and on and on. We were a chatty bunch. OOh! That reminds me! The term 'chatty Cathy' came up and Grandpa asked if anyone knew the origins. Let me google..."Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010." Well, now we know.
Isn't it incredible what we learn at Family Dinner? I feel smarter by the sip. I took a couple photos, will post them soon.
I got to spend an hour or so with the guys - Grandpa, Ted and Eddie - before anyone else showed up. They were kind enough to listen to me vent about the oddness that is being a short-timer. Tomorrow is my last day of work at the diabetes study before I move on to a brain research gig and this last week has been a challenging one for me. If you know me at all, you know that I hate wasting time and that's what the last few days feel like, but I guess that's how it goes. So, thanks guys for giving me cocktails and letting me bitch!
Ok, back to the good stuff. People trickled in around 6:30pm - Jessie, Mark and Charlie arrived first. Shortly thereafter Morgan and Chelsey made their way into the kitchen. Ted pulled FOUR brined and smoked chickens off the grill and side dishes made their way to the table. Nate, his girlfriend (Ahh! I'm spacing your name!!!!) and Moto had perfect timing, knocking on the door just as we were settling into our chairs.
So what started as a small foursome turned into a full table of finger-licking good chicken, tomato marinade, pasta salad, brown rice, wine, 10 people and two happy dogs. Jessie informed us that it is ok to eat chicken with your fingers, according to a friend of her's who has and extensive knowledge of etiquette. Not that anyone was concerned about breaking rules, but it's nice to know where we stand.
After dinner, Mark presented us with his Thesis: One of each cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream HAHAHHAHA Mark is finishing up his grad school thesis, so the slip of the tongue made everyone laugh. At least we know he is thinking about it! Jessie made the cookies - GF oatmeal peanut butter, some with chocolate, some without. Charlie did a test run of them last night, coming to Jessie with crumbs on her mouth and a guilty look that only a lab can make. We all agreed with Charlie that the cookies were great. Grandpa gave the thumbs up.
Topics discussed included electric cars and motorcycles, craigslist, pinterest, travel and food, bike racing, segmented sleep, phone apps that monitor sleep patterns, horse racing and betting strategies, camping, Suncadia, The Brick (of course), Obama's support of gay marriage and Dan Savage's response, hooch, the Lake City Elks Lodge, Dog Fiction, and on and on. We were a chatty bunch. OOh! That reminds me! The term 'chatty Cathy' came up and Grandpa asked if anyone knew the origins. Let me google..."Chatty Cathy is a doll manufactured by the Mattel toy company from 1959 to 1965. The doll was first released in stores and appeared in television commercials beginning in 1960. Chatty Cathy celebrated her 50th birthday in 2010." Well, now we know.
Isn't it incredible what we learn at Family Dinner? I feel smarter by the sip. I took a couple photos, will post them soon.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Springtime Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a serious deal in our family. A couple weeks ago we figured out that half-Thanksgiving is on 5/22/2012 and decided we should do a turkey feast to celebrate. Back in January Ted did a smoked turkey and people fell in love. But in talking about tradition, Ted hasn't seemed ready to switch things up in November and trade the oven method for the smoker method when it comes to the bird.
It was decided that at half-Thanksgiving we could do the smoked version and at Thanksgiving we (and by we I mean Ted, our excellent cook) would keep with the also-delicious oven action. Awesome! Thanksgiving twice a year!!!
So when the head-count email came around on Monday and stated that Mark would be in town and a smoked turkey was on the menu, I was overtaken by the sense that I am a lucky, lucky lady. Thanksgiving three times a year!!!
Turns out in addition to Mark, who has been at school in Eugene and only been able to make a couple family dinners, we also had Steve and Walker join us for their first Wednesday night feast. Walker is about the cutest two-and-a-half-year-old around. When I showed up he was rocking corduroy Toms and a couple strands of golden mardi gras beads he found somewhere in Ted and Johnnie's house earlier that day.
Ted and Grandpa were on kid duty all afternoon and it sounded like they had quite the time throwing rocks into Green Lake, chasing ducks and doing other dude things. Walker knows how to work a room and added a fun vibe to the evening's affairs.
In addition to cooking, Ted was also making drinks and there were lots of options on the table. I started with a classic Rapture Hooch Gimlet and followed that with my new favorite drink, the Ginger Hooch Lemon Drop. YUM.
As Ted sliced up the turkey he had brined for a day and smoked for six hours, we took everything else to the table and got situated. Chairs were filled by Grandpa, Mark, Jessie, Steve, Walker, Eddie, Ted and me. Plates were filled by smoked turkey (lots of dark meat in my case), sauteed cabbage in butter, brown rice, baguette and green salad.
Everything was delicious! And the glass (or two) of robust red wine didn't hurt, either. Eddie and I got into a good conversation about traveling in Arizona with the intention of seeing the wildflowers in bloom. I think we are all in desperate need of spring weather right now. 80 degrees in Chicago yesterday? Something strange is going on...
Jessie made us another great dessert that she was a little apprehensive about. We've got some dietary restrictions in the bunch - gluten, dairy - and she accommodated until we put a scoop of ice cream on top. She made us a restriction-friendly pumpkin cheesecake! It looked beautiful and tasted really good, even though it was made with tofu and no cream cheese. I think she could have sold it as regular cheesecake and gotten away with it. No one was complaining; we were too busy licking our plates.
And the surprise of the night? I remembered my camera! But I haven't uploaded pics yet, so you are just going to have to wait to see the mouth-watering, golden-brown smoked turkey until tonight when I have a chance to post them!
And now I'm going to eat some leftovers.
It was decided that at half-Thanksgiving we could do the smoked version and at Thanksgiving we (and by we I mean Ted, our excellent cook) would keep with the also-delicious oven action. Awesome! Thanksgiving twice a year!!!
So when the head-count email came around on Monday and stated that Mark would be in town and a smoked turkey was on the menu, I was overtaken by the sense that I am a lucky, lucky lady. Thanksgiving three times a year!!!
Turns out in addition to Mark, who has been at school in Eugene and only been able to make a couple family dinners, we also had Steve and Walker join us for their first Wednesday night feast. Walker is about the cutest two-and-a-half-year-old around. When I showed up he was rocking corduroy Toms and a couple strands of golden mardi gras beads he found somewhere in Ted and Johnnie's house earlier that day.
Ted and Grandpa were on kid duty all afternoon and it sounded like they had quite the time throwing rocks into Green Lake, chasing ducks and doing other dude things. Walker knows how to work a room and added a fun vibe to the evening's affairs.
In addition to cooking, Ted was also making drinks and there were lots of options on the table. I started with a classic Rapture Hooch Gimlet and followed that with my new favorite drink, the Ginger Hooch Lemon Drop. YUM.
As Ted sliced up the turkey he had brined for a day and smoked for six hours, we took everything else to the table and got situated. Chairs were filled by Grandpa, Mark, Jessie, Steve, Walker, Eddie, Ted and me. Plates were filled by smoked turkey (lots of dark meat in my case), sauteed cabbage in butter, brown rice, baguette and green salad.
Everything was delicious! And the glass (or two) of robust red wine didn't hurt, either. Eddie and I got into a good conversation about traveling in Arizona with the intention of seeing the wildflowers in bloom. I think we are all in desperate need of spring weather right now. 80 degrees in Chicago yesterday? Something strange is going on...
Jessie made us another great dessert that she was a little apprehensive about. We've got some dietary restrictions in the bunch - gluten, dairy - and she accommodated until we put a scoop of ice cream on top. She made us a restriction-friendly pumpkin cheesecake! It looked beautiful and tasted really good, even though it was made with tofu and no cream cheese. I think she could have sold it as regular cheesecake and gotten away with it. No one was complaining; we were too busy licking our plates.
And the surprise of the night? I remembered my camera! But I haven't uploaded pics yet, so you are just going to have to wait to see the mouth-watering, golden-brown smoked turkey until tonight when I have a chance to post them!
And now I'm going to eat some leftovers.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Well I was at the first one
What's the first thing you do when you wake up on Saturday morning? I know I'm not alone in grabbing my phone, checking the time/gmail/facebook and then turning over to try and get a few more it's the weekend and I can sleep in moments before cursing my internal clock and making my way to the shower to start the day (man, I feel old).
Grandpa insisted on a round of Happy Birthday and afterwards I asked how long he and Ted thought it had been since they had celebrated Ted's birthday together. They both paused for a minute and Grandpa finally responded, "Well, I was at the first one!"
But when I got an email stating "The gentleman in the picture below has offered to make flaming Hooch Mai tais and Kahlua pulled pork sandwiches on Wednesday. Who's in?" all bets for a little more sleep were off. The laughter and excitement took over and my day had begun.
Turns out Ted's birthday was Tuesday so family dinner this week had the requisite tropical theme. As always, it was awesome. As Matt and I pulled up to the house, I could see Grandpa sitting in the nook but something was off. Walking in the door, Charlie dog greeted us and I soon figured out what was different. The lights in the kitchen were down because of the flickering blue flames making their way around the room!
A round of hugs for all lead me to the Birthday Guy, who promptly handed me a flaming hooch mai tai - slice of fresh pineapple expertly placed on the rim of the glass. Hawaii in Green Lake woo hoo!!! Seth and Lisa were the wild cards of the night, with the rest of the usual crowd - Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Morgan, Chelsey, Jessie, Eddie, Charlie dog, Matt and I - in attendance.
As the food and wine made it's way to the table, so did the people and pretty soon we all had full plates and glasses in front of us. "I'm kind of drunk!" came from one end of the table and lead to a round of cheers for another great evening. Flaming Hooch Mai Tais are fabulous.
The menu for the night was Kahlua pulled pork sandwiches, green salad and spaghetti squash with a heavy emphasis on the pork. Ted and Grandpa got 10 pounds of pork shoulder for the meal. Did you know that pork shoulder is actually pork butt and it is called pork shoulder because pigs use their shoulders to 'butt' into things? You can thank Seth for that tidbit. Some day you will totally win bar trivia night with that.
So Ted brined the pork for 18 hours and then smoked it for 6. And the real labor of love came in the pulling, which took him 45 minutes to complete. IT WAS SO GOOD. The Kahlua barbecue sauce was sweet and hot and the perfect complement to the smoked meat. Are you dying for a picture yet? I forgot my camera again!!!!! And I even said it out loud so as not to forget...
Lucky for you, Seth pulled out his phone and got the shot. Let the mouthwatering begin.
There were lots of conversations going on over these delicious plates. Jessie got famous last week as the poster girl in an ad campaign for a yoga studio. Post the pic please, Jess!!! Eddie is a connoisseur of silent films, who knew? Everyone who has seen The Artist has liked it. Why did the Oscars decide to have 10 nominees for Best Picture? We could only name 5 in the running and there are some movie-goers in the crowd.
As we moved into sweets mode, the table was cleared. Empty plates were replaced with a bunch of bottles of different liquors, liqueurs, brandies and ports and little glasses for those who opted to imbibe. Next, dessert plates made their way around the table. Jessie made pineapple upside down cake and Lisa made plum crisp. Each plate carried a slice of both with a healthy dollop (thanks Kate for that Midwest jargon) of homemade whipped cream.
I wish I had a picture of this round for you, but we were all too thoroughly involved in what was on the table to even mention taking a photo. You're just going to have to take my word for it, it was all delicious.
Grandpa insisted on a round of Happy Birthday and afterwards I asked how long he and Ted thought it had been since they had celebrated Ted's birthday together. They both paused for a minute and Grandpa finally responded, "Well, I was at the first one!"
Thursday, February 23, 2012
OMeGa-3 Night
Last night was an OMG dinner for me. And apparently it's one of Grandpa's most requested meals, so I'm glad to know he's consistently suggesting this one.
For starters we had an array of smoked delights: scallops, salmon, halibut and salmon collars with crusty bread and a soft, pungent cheese. Ted made me one of my favorite cocktails, a fresh-squeezed greyhound (that's grapefruit and vodka), but I had to remind myself to drink it. Once I sat down by the apps (yes, I sat down specifically by the apps), the blinders went on and I honed in on all the tasty bites of OMeGa-3 bliss.
As I took liberally to the hors d'oeuvres, the smell of garlic filled the kitchen. My motto is that you can never have too much garlic (thanks dad) and when it comes to PAN-FRIED OYSTERS (!!!!!!!!!!!), that sentiment holds true. Two cast-iron skillets simmered away as the butter, grape seed oil, garlic and oysters bubbled to perfection.
Seriously, guys. FAVORITE MEAL of all time. I could do this one every day and die a happy, happy lady.
Anyways, back to it. As the oysters finished up, we migrated to the table and laissez les bon temps roulez. With all the Mardi Gras chatter on Facebook on Tuesday, I was having a serious po-boy craving and last night's dinner was about as close as I could get without hunting down the Where Ya At Matt New Orleans food truck.
Crusty bread + pan-fried oyster + hot sauce = Family dinner po-boy
Accoutrements included a big green salad, brown rice and a couple bottles of white wine. We had a small group this week with Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Jessie, Eddie, Matt and I so the conversation was lively and the full group was chatting over the candlelight.
Hot topics included, but were not limited to Oregon hot springs, gossip for 10-year-olds, proper work attire, how not to cry at a staff meeting, Charlie dog's ability to sniff out the park while in the car and a few blocks away and the virtues of being lucky vs being good, particularly in relation to gambling.
Jess had a busy week so our self-proclaimed Dessertie was in charge of picking out a sweet treat. Lucky for us Grandpa went to Larsen's Bakery and got two Kringles - Apricot and Raspberry. If you are like me and didn't know what a Kringle was, here you go:
In conclusion, I'm pretty sure I went way over my caloric budget yesterday, but in doing so I got a healthy dose of Omega-3s, zinc, iron, laughter, love and hooch.
For starters we had an array of smoked delights: scallops, salmon, halibut and salmon collars with crusty bread and a soft, pungent cheese. Ted made me one of my favorite cocktails, a fresh-squeezed greyhound (that's grapefruit and vodka), but I had to remind myself to drink it. Once I sat down by the apps (yes, I sat down specifically by the apps), the blinders went on and I honed in on all the tasty bites of OMeGa-3 bliss.
As I took liberally to the hors d'oeuvres, the smell of garlic filled the kitchen. My motto is that you can never have too much garlic (thanks dad) and when it comes to PAN-FRIED OYSTERS (!!!!!!!!!!!), that sentiment holds true. Two cast-iron skillets simmered away as the butter, grape seed oil, garlic and oysters bubbled to perfection.
Seriously, guys. FAVORITE MEAL of all time. I could do this one every day and die a happy, happy lady.
Anyways, back to it. As the oysters finished up, we migrated to the table and laissez les bon temps roulez. With all the Mardi Gras chatter on Facebook on Tuesday, I was having a serious po-boy craving and last night's dinner was about as close as I could get without hunting down the Where Ya At Matt New Orleans food truck.
Crusty bread + pan-fried oyster + hot sauce = Family dinner po-boy
Accoutrements included a big green salad, brown rice and a couple bottles of white wine. We had a small group this week with Grandpa, Ted, Johnnie, Jessie, Eddie, Matt and I so the conversation was lively and the full group was chatting over the candlelight.
Hot topics included, but were not limited to Oregon hot springs, gossip for 10-year-olds, proper work attire, how not to cry at a staff meeting, Charlie dog's ability to sniff out the park while in the car and a few blocks away and the virtues of being lucky vs being good, particularly in relation to gambling.
Jess had a busy week so our self-proclaimed Dessertie was in charge of picking out a sweet treat. Lucky for us Grandpa went to Larsen's Bakery and got two Kringles - Apricot and Raspberry. If you are like me and didn't know what a Kringle was, here you go:
The Kringle Story
The Larsen’s Kringle is made in the original Danish way, where the pastry is made out of layers of flaky, buttery crust, enclosing a filling of almond paste and raisins, then topped with sugar and sliced almonds and finally twisted into the traditional pretzel shape.
The Kringle was brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers who were hired to replace Danish Bakers during a strike. Danish bakers were on strike as they wished to be paid in money rather then bed and board. When the Austrians left, they also left behind, the methods of rolling butter between the layers of dough, then letting it rest before shaping and baking.
Danish bakers who immigrated to America brought the Kringle with them, where it has become a favorite pastry. Larsen's Bakery has become renowned for their version of this culinary treat.
In conclusion, I'm pretty sure I went way over my caloric budget yesterday, but in doing so I got a healthy dose of Omega-3s, zinc, iron, laughter, love and hooch.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Pork, Be Inspired
Thirteen pounds of brined and smoked pork is definitely something to be inspired by. Turns out the new tagline for the delicious protein holds true. But before we could discover the wonders of the formerly known other white meat, we started with cocktails and goat cheese/garlic/roasted red pepper bruschetta.
We had some new blood in attendance; Nate the neighbor and John & Mary, longtime friends of the family. It's always exciting to see how the conversation goes with newbies in the mix. We heard about things ranging from 48 hours of no sleep classifying you as clinically insane, a recommendation to go see Young Adult, coincidentally starring a character who makes his own brand of firewater, and how a same-sex couple finds a proper specimen for making a baby (and can now marry in WA if they so choose!!!!!!!!!).
As dishes filled the dining table, so did the hungry bellies. Jess, John, Mary, Nate, Grandpa Pres, Ted, Eddie, Matt and I (Johnnie came in late after a training at work) found our seats and began dishing out the goods. Sauteed bok choy, brown rice, a mixed greens salad and fresh bread stood as filler for the aromatic and soon to be mouth-watering smoked pork chops that took center stage on my plate and I'm sure most others.
The conversation rolled along as the food disappeared bite by bite. Somehow we got on the topic of airline travel and John told a funny story about witnessing a couple debating over whether to give up their seats and get free tickets. He saw it as a simple decision to give up the seats/catch another flight making their arrival time change by an hour/get vouchers to anywhere. She disagreed, stating that she'd already called her mom to pick them up and didn't want the hassle. What would you do?
We wrapped up the meal with a slice of cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream for Jessie's kitchen. But it wasn't just any cake and ice cream on our plates. It was Grandma Corrine's Applesauce Cake from the Blue Binder! Ted said he didn't remember the cake by name, but after taking a bite he was back in mom's kitchen as the flavors sparked the memory of her baking. Grandpa joked that he should remember, but he didn't. When it comes to dessert, he's happy however it gets placed in front of him. Yum.
Morgan unexpectedly stopped in and after a nibble of pork and some catching-up, took off with a couple pounds of pork and a bunch of it's-almost-your-birthday cake. Happy Birthday Morgan!
After an 11-hour day, Johnnie joined in the mix. Before she sat down to a plate, she gave me a box of basement goodies for Brad & Vanessa. This sparked a conversation about our love of The Brick. It was actually the second mention of the oldest bar in the state that night, insert story about Ted, Eddie and Mildew's younger days of campin' and drinkin' here...Anyway, Johnnie had the brilliant idea of planning a Roslyn adventure to camp at Salmon la Sac and go drinking at The Brick. It is now here on record. It will happen!
We had some new blood in attendance; Nate the neighbor and John & Mary, longtime friends of the family. It's always exciting to see how the conversation goes with newbies in the mix. We heard about things ranging from 48 hours of no sleep classifying you as clinically insane, a recommendation to go see Young Adult, coincidentally starring a character who makes his own brand of firewater, and how a same-sex couple finds a proper specimen for making a baby (and can now marry in WA if they so choose!!!!!!!!!).
As dishes filled the dining table, so did the hungry bellies. Jess, John, Mary, Nate, Grandpa Pres, Ted, Eddie, Matt and I (Johnnie came in late after a training at work) found our seats and began dishing out the goods. Sauteed bok choy, brown rice, a mixed greens salad and fresh bread stood as filler for the aromatic and soon to be mouth-watering smoked pork chops that took center stage on my plate and I'm sure most others.
The conversation rolled along as the food disappeared bite by bite. Somehow we got on the topic of airline travel and John told a funny story about witnessing a couple debating over whether to give up their seats and get free tickets. He saw it as a simple decision to give up the seats/catch another flight making their arrival time change by an hour/get vouchers to anywhere. She disagreed, stating that she'd already called her mom to pick them up and didn't want the hassle. What would you do?
We wrapped up the meal with a slice of cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream for Jessie's kitchen. But it wasn't just any cake and ice cream on our plates. It was Grandma Corrine's Applesauce Cake from the Blue Binder! Ted said he didn't remember the cake by name, but after taking a bite he was back in mom's kitchen as the flavors sparked the memory of her baking. Grandpa joked that he should remember, but he didn't. When it comes to dessert, he's happy however it gets placed in front of him. Yum.
Morgan unexpectedly stopped in and after a nibble of pork and some catching-up, took off with a couple pounds of pork and a bunch of it's-almost-your-birthday cake. Happy Birthday Morgan!
After an 11-hour day, Johnnie joined in the mix. Before she sat down to a plate, she gave me a box of basement goodies for Brad & Vanessa. This sparked a conversation about our love of The Brick. It was actually the second mention of the oldest bar in the state that night, insert story about Ted, Eddie and Mildew's younger days of campin' and drinkin' here...Anyway, Johnnie had the brilliant idea of planning a Roslyn adventure to camp at Salmon la Sac and go drinking at The Brick. It is now here on record. It will happen!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
1-25-2012 I'm a dessertie
Last night's dinner was another one for the books! As people arrived, they were greeted by the fragrant smell of the smoker hard at work. The drink-of-the-day was a tasty Sea Breeze - fresh squeezed grapefruit, cran and vodka. The appetizer was toasted baguette with goat cheese, kalamata olives and roasted red peppers and was both aromatic and delicious. Eddie pointed out that it smelled like a pizzeria!
After a solid happy hour, Grandpa Pres, Mel, Jess, Eddie, Ted, Johnnie, Morgan, Chelsey and I got seated around the table in anticipation of the main event - Smoked Turkey. You could smell it from the street, so we were all excited for our first bites. Based on the moments of silence, I think everyone agreed the turkey was fantastic. Chelsey even said it was her favorite meal yet.
We also had broccoli diablo (muy caliente), Grandma Corrine's German potato salad, a fresh green salad and some rustic bread to accompany the protein. Conversation wrapped around food (of course), bike racing, the crazy weather of the past couple weeks, the famous blue binder cookbook, and how to make pear brandy.
But I think the best line of the night was after we had indulged in another great dessert of pear crisp with ice cream made by Jess. I had mentioned that someone should write a blog post and we started talking about being foodies. Grandpa had not heard the term before, but after a quick explanation, he proclaimed that he was definitely a dessertie. If you are related to Famous, you can thank him for your sweet tooth.
What's a favorite line you've heard from Grandpa lately? And Grandpa, what's your favorite dessert?
After a solid happy hour, Grandpa Pres, Mel, Jess, Eddie, Ted, Johnnie, Morgan, Chelsey and I got seated around the table in anticipation of the main event - Smoked Turkey. You could smell it from the street, so we were all excited for our first bites. Based on the moments of silence, I think everyone agreed the turkey was fantastic. Chelsey even said it was her favorite meal yet.
We also had broccoli diablo (muy caliente), Grandma Corrine's German potato salad, a fresh green salad and some rustic bread to accompany the protein. Conversation wrapped around food (of course), bike racing, the crazy weather of the past couple weeks, the famous blue binder cookbook, and how to make pear brandy.
But I think the best line of the night was after we had indulged in another great dessert of pear crisp with ice cream made by Jess. I had mentioned that someone should write a blog post and we started talking about being foodies. Grandpa had not heard the term before, but after a quick explanation, he proclaimed that he was definitely a dessertie. If you are related to Famous, you can thank him for your sweet tooth.
What's a favorite line you've heard from Grandpa lately? And Grandpa, what's your favorite dessert?
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