Sunday, January 30, 2011

Where we eat: Bricco painted with Alcoholic Faith Mission and U.S. Royalty

Here I was with punk slogans and pictures all across my jacket sitting in the same restaurant as stuffy lawyers, businessman and the governor spending his last few days in office. Needless to say, Bricco was an experience I don't get to enjoy too often. It is an upscale restaurant in downtown Harrisburg, PA. The restaurant is a collaboration between the Olewine School of Culinary Arts at Harrisburg Area Community College and the Harrisburg Hotel Corporation (which manages the Harrisburg Hilton).

Upon entrance, we were met by a hostess who offered to check our coats. I, having worn my the last six days straight, had become attached and kept mine but J-Fur and her mom and sister all checked theirs. We were seated in the dining room, right in front of the 100+ bottles of wine and in the midst of some colorful paintings. Our waitress took our drink orders. I requested water and was surprised when she said "Would you like our Natura water, either sparkling or not, or would you prefer plan tap water?" It seems that Bricco has their purification on site and they call that water Natura water. It is served in a glass bottle that is reusable. The menu says that it is a way to "promote Earth friendly ideas." So is tap water but I guess upscale needs to have an alternative for all those people that look down their noses at water out of a tap.

Our waitress brought out some bread and olive tapenade to munch on while we ordered. The tapenade combined garlic with olives and capers. A little salty for my taste but better than most tapenades I've had in the past:

Bricco has a number of small cold plates that you can start with called Sputini Freddi and J-Fur's mom and I both decided to get one. She picked a beet salad with local goat cheese and pistachios and I ordered the roasted corn, mushrooms and walnuts. A selection of two of these were six dollars. They were small mounds, beautifully arranged on a rectangle plate, and came with toasted bread. While both Freddi's were good, I liked the corn better. It was not overloaded with sauce or oil, just enough to bring out the flavor of the fresh corn and mushrooms. I plan to make my own version when corn comes back in season:
It came time to order and we all took different approaches. J-Fur's sister went with "Chesapeake Sliders" (crab cakes with lettuce, tomato and remoulade), her mom a Kennet Square Stone Oven Pizza (burrata, carmelized onion and truffle oil), J-Fur a "Soma" Margherita Pizza (mozzarella, tomatoes and basil) and I ordered Fungi Trifolati (stewed local mushrooms with Anson Mills polenta) and Bricco "French Fries" with truffle aioli:
Kennet Square Pizza
Bricco Fries
Fungi Trifolati

I'm not a big fan of brick oven pizza. I prefer pizzas with a thick crust that is not very crisp. I do appreciate the brick oven pizza places usually try different toppings and combinations that you won't find at your typical pizza place. Bricco's pizza was no exception. I ate a slice of J-Fur's and wasn't too impressed (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil will do that to me as well). The Kennet Square Pizza was much better because it had the carmelized onion and truffle oil combo which was top notch. The crust wasn't too crisp but still wasn't my thing. The Fungi Trifolati looked very liquidy when it came out, like a bunch of oil rose to the top, but surprisingly it didn't taste that way. What stood out was the fresh mushrooms that topped the dish. These were hundreds of times better than any I had ever eaten before. It made me want to take up foraging (which I've contemplated since reading Omnivore's Dilemma).

But as good as the polenta and mushrooms were it was the fries that left the best impression. They came out in a metal pedestal cup lined by newspaper print paper. Perfectly golden and inviting, the fries had a beautiful blend of crisp and soft and were neither too greasy or salty. Hands down, they were the best fries I ate all last year. The truffle aioli made me forget ketchup for one hour (which doesn't ever happen with aioli).

The prices, especially for the pizzas, might seem a bit expensive but you probably won't finish everything you order and the taste makes the extra dollars worth it. At the very least, come here and order some fries, look at the paintings and then leave without putting too much of a strain on your wallet.

Bricco is located at 31 South Third Street in Harrisburg, PA.
View Larger Map

Bricco on Urbanspoon

Bricco signified a return to the capital of my home state. That return, coupled with the wall of wine, remind me of Denmark's Alcoholic Faith Mission (posted about here and interviewed here). The band have announced a new EP coming our way in March. To tide everyone over, they released one of the tracks, "Running with Insanity," for free download.


Out this week is the debut album for U.S. Royalty, Mirrors. One of the songs on the album is "Equestrian" a folksy pop traipse through the mountains with some "Ohs" and guitar solos thrown in. I've seen them compared to Local Natives and Fleet Foxes but I would disagree (mainly because I don't really like either of them and I do like U.S. Royalty).


Hopefully this will quell the tumblr community.

Carmelized Onion and Gorgonzola Lasagna browned with Adam and the Fish Eyed Poets and Cold War Kids

Last week I was creating a menu based on what we had leftover in the refrigerator. Way in the back, buried behind yogurt and an old cheese stick, was an unopened container of Gorgonzola. I don't buy cheese without a specific intention so I must've planned on using it for something but through the holidays and our trip to Pennsylvania the original intention had long since slipped my mind. What should I do with so much Gorgonzola knowing that whatever I make J-Fur will not partake (as she hates that cheese). Enter this lasagna:

Carmelized Onion and Gorgonzola Lasagna

-olive oil
-3 yellow onions, sliced thinly
-1/2 tsp thyme
-salt
-pepper
-3 zucchini, sliced thinly in half moons
-3 cups spinach
-2 Tbs flour
-2 Tbs butter
-1 1/2 cups skim milk
-5 ounces Gorgonzola
-1/8 tsp nutmeg
-9 no bake lasagna noodles
-Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. Using the same skillet (add more olive oil if necessary), heat the zucchini and spinach until spinach has wilted. Set aside.

4. In a saucepan create a roux with the 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour. Add the milk, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk to create a smooth sauce. Remove from heat and add the Gorgonzola and nutmeg. Stir until everything is well combined and melted.

5. Using an 8x8 glass pan, cover the bottom with some of the cheese sauce. Layer three noodles across the sauce, overlapping when necessary. Top the noodles with 1/2 of the onions and zucchini mixture. Place another layer of three noodles on top. Follow that by the rest of the onions and zucchini mixture. Finish with a third layer of noodles. Cover the top layer completely with Parmesan.

6. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. At this point uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes to give the Parmesan a nice golden color. Let stand for a few minutes. Devour.

*While this lasagna was good fresh, it was even better the following day.

You wanna take a good time and make it great? Then make this dish while experiencing the sounds of Adam and the Fish Eyed Poets. The band hails from Chennai, India and is fueled by the mind of Kishore Krishna. To try and pigeonhole AatFEP into one specific genre or comparison would not do the band justice, as they experiment with many different sounds and genres. Their first album, Snakeism, can be downloaded for free at their bandcamp page and I would highly recommend you experiencing it for yourself. You probably won't like it all but you'll find a gem somewhere. For me it was "Little Monkeys." I really connected with the "jump you stupid bitch why don't you jump" part.


From the more well known side of things comes the Cold War Kids. These guys have been hit and miss with me. I really enjoy some of their tracks (Hospital Beds) while others don't do it for me. The track, "Louder than Ever", does it for me. It is from their new album Mine is Yours which was released earlier this week.


Food Flavored Song of the Day: Coconut Bible by Yuck

The band Yuck, not to be confused with my feelings about coconut, has done some absolutely wonderful songs that have made their way across my MP3 player in the last year (check out "Automatic" and "Georgia"). "Coconut Bible" is another. It is the b side to their "Holing Out" single. If you ask me, the Bible should never be a b-side. This song is no exception.

Yuck is currently on tour and will be making their way through Florida next Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately they will not be visiting Tampa.

Yuck on: Soundcloud Facebook Myspace Blogspot Bandcamp

Coconut Bible by Yuck

There was a coconut desert I made here.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Lemon Turnover Topped with Tart Cherries and Galvanized with Blisses B. and Ruby Coast

It is science fair time for my class. I've seen a variety of different projects from vinegar testing in volcanic explosions to moldy bread to what type of liquid freezes faster. Strangely absent is any batteries involving citrus. Not to worry. After making this puff pastry dessert (and before eating it) I embedded a penny and galvanized nail into the frosting and connected it to a battery. Spot on! I ran my MP3 player for like three seconds. Nah, I'm just joking. I don't like to mix metal with my desserts.

Lemon Turnover Topped with Tart Cherries

-1 puff pastry sheet
-juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
-1 cup confectioners sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-4 ounces neufchatel cheese, softened
-1/8 cup butter, melted
-15 ounces tart cherry pie filling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lay the puff pastry flat, on a lightly floured surface, and allow to thaw.

3. Mix the lemon zest and juice with the sugar, vanilla, neufchatel cheese and butter in a mixer bowl. Turn the mixer on low and mix icing until it has a smooth consistency.

4. Roll the puff pastry out. Make it as thin as possible. Spread the icing over the entire puff pastry. Roll into a log, pinching the ends closed. Bake for 45 minutes.

5. Warm the cherry pie filling while simultaneously cooling the pastry (allow the pastry to cool twenty minutes). Slice and put the cherries on top.

Production of this pastry was accompanied by the free sounds of Blisses B and Ruby Coast. Blisses B is a quartet based in San Francisco that fuses aspects of indie, Americana, psychedelia and rock. They make me think of a group of ruffians that brought their surfboards to a roller rink and created a pile up during the slow skate. Blisses B sophomore album, Thirty Days Sixty Years was released back in November and you can download it for free from their soundcloud page (or listen to it all below):


Ruby Coast's debut is a little slower and denser than Blisses B. It is also more willing to hide under your bed. But...it is no less free. Again, grab it all at soundcloud and then spread the word to your Lutheran friends.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Blazing Tots Crafted with Peter, Bjorn and John and I'm From Barcelona

Randy: Napoleon, give me some of your tots.
Napoleon Dynamite: No, go find your own.
Randy: Come on. Give me some of your tots.
Napoleon Dynamite: No. I'm freakin' starved. I didn't get to eat anything today.

A swift kick to the pants pocket follows and Napoleon's tots are crushed creating a mashed mess.

This scenario, played out on the big screen in Napoleon Dynamite, was performed using Ore-Ida Tater Tots or some other brand that holds together nicely and is perfectly cut. If this scene was made using my version of tots, well, the hands on the set would have had a much bigger mess to clean up. My tots certainly don't look perfect, took forever to make and aren't healthy for you. But they tasted really good.

Blazing Tots (adapted from Saveur.com)

-3 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
-4 cups water
-5 3/4 Tbs. flour
-1 Tbs. onion powder
-1 Tbs. garlic powder
-salt and pepper (to taste)
-peanut oil for frying

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a food processor pulse the potatoes and water until potatoes are tiny slivers (1/8 inch thick). Drain the potatoes in a strainer and shake out as much water as possible. Place potatoes on a plate and squeeze dry using a towel.

2. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the top. Bake for five minutes.

3. Transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining flour, onion powder and garlic powder.

4. Divide the potato mixture into four separate piles. Working with one pile at a time, place the mixture in the middle of a slightly wet piece of plastic wrap. Mold the pile into a log and roll tightly in the plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for one and a half hours. Repeat with the other three logs.

5. After an hour, pull the potato logs out and begin slicing. Using a dutch oven, whose bottom is covered with oil, fry the slices about three minutes on each side (don't worry about the potatoes holding together, we will form them into their shapes when they cool). Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place, in a mound, on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all the potato logs have been fried.

6. Pick out about a tablespoon of potato from the mound, squeeze out any excess oil and mold into a tater tot shape (or ball). Place on a cookie rack that is fitted inside a baking sheet. Repeat until all the potatoes have been shaped into balls. Return to the freezer for twenty minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place more peanut oil in the dutch oven and bring the temperature to around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the tots from the freezer and place in the dutch oven (be careful of splattering oil). Fry the tots until a golden brown color. Place on a baking sheet. Continue frying until all tots are browned and on the baking sheet.

8. Bake the tots in the oven for about 12 minutes or until warmed the whole way through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Smother with ketchup (and mustard if you're into that like I am). Inhale.

Welcome back Peter, Bjorn and John and I'm From Barcelona. Two of my favorite Swedish Indie poppers are returning this year with albums. Peter, Bjorn and John's album, Gimme Some, is due out in March. "Breaker Breaker" is a short, fast ditty that will be part of that release.

I'm From Barcelona's new album, Forever Today, will be out on April 19th. I wasn't a huge fan of their last studio album (2008's Who Killed Harry Houdini?) because it was so dark and lost a lot of the band's sunshine appeal. "Get in Line" the first single off Forever Today seems to recapture that sunshine. Hopefully the remainder of the album can follow suit. Thanks to One Thirty BPM for the link.


On a sad note, I won't be able to buy either of these albums at Vinyl Fever since they will be closing their doors in early February and the store has already sold most of it's good stuff.

Food Flavored Song of the Day: Breadcrumb Trail by Buried Beds

There was one time, when I was a kid, that my mother had tired of my antics and she ordered my father to walk me into the woods and leave me there. My father obliged. As he grabbed me and began dragging me out the door I frantically looked for a slice of bread to foil their plan Hansel and Gretel style. We were all out of bread. The only thing I saw within my reach was a container of breadcrumbs. I grabbed it. The breadcrumb trail was difficult to find in the woods so I spent about a year working my way back home. Upon seeing me, slightly skinnier and with longer hair, both of my parents burst into tears and loudly exclaimed that they were glad I had "passed their test."

DCF was never notified and I forgave them.


Monday, January 17, 2011

Barbecue Stuck Pot Rice and Potato Burritos Crispied with The Goddamn Rattlesnake and Chetreo

Danny Briere, a diminutive man by NHL standards, didn't score a goal last night for the first time in six games. I tried to think of a streak that I was on that could match his goal scoring prowess. It didn't take me long to realize that I had eaten tortillas at five straight meals. There was that burrito on Friday night, then these burritos on Saturday afternoon and evening and again on Sunday afternoon, which was followed by this on Sunday night. Thank god he got held scoreless against the Rangers because I am out of tortillas and not wanting to shop today.

Barbecue Stuck Pot Rice and Potato Burritos (adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman)

-2 cups brown rice
-2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise
-black pepper and salt (to taste)
-1 onion, diced
-1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 Tbs.
-1/4 cup water
-barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays Vidalia Onion)
-tortillas

1. Bring a pot of water with salt in it to a boil. Add the brown rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook the rice for fifteen minutes, untouched. Drain, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Using the same pot add the olive oil and onion and cook for two minutes.

3. Place the remaining olive oil in a dutch oven. Layer the sliced potatoes across the bottom. Top with half of the rice, the onions and then the rest of the rice. Dump in the water, cover with the lid and heat on medium heat until you hear the water spattering (five minutes). Lower the heat and cook for 45 minutes.

4. Dump the contents of the Dutch oven onto a big plate. Scrap the potatoes off of the bottom. Add more salt and pepper (if necessary). Warm the tortillas and divide the potato and rice mixture evenly amongst the tortillas. Top with barbecue sauce, stir to combine and roll the burrito. Devour it.

*I also added pickles to the concoction and really enjoyed it.

Most of my long runs take place on a road that heavily shrouded in forest. I often times have visions of gators, wild pigs, coral snakes or rattlers jumping into my path and making me decide do I get gored/poisoned or jump in front of a car. I hope that is a decision I never have to make. The Goddamn Rattlesnake is a country sounding band from New York led by J. Rattlesnake (of Acid Tiger fame). Perhaps The Goddamn Rattlesnake is his version of a power ballad. "Slow Down Romeo" comes from the bands Stay Sweet album. You can hear it/buy it at soundcloud. Thanks for BrooklynVegan for the heads up with these guys.


For years Hot Topic has made a living off of video game attire and the connection some people felt towards early Nintendo, Atari and Sega gaming systems. Edgar Wright's movie Scott Pilgrim vs the World comes along and takes the video game influence to a whole new level. I guess it only makes sense that someone should pick up on making music about their love of video games. That is where Chetreo comes in. Chetreo, aka Niklas Dahlstrand, is a Swedish musician whose lyrics evoke video game worlds of the past. "The Boy Without a Fairy" deals with Zelda; name dropping things such as Epona, Hyrule, Ocarina and Ganondorf. You can download Chetreo's entire debut, A Year of Change, for free here.


Where we eat: The Lime squeezed by Mekenzie Zimmerman and Alex Winston

There have been many celebrations over my five years in Tampa that have taken place at the Lime, anything from birthdays and wedding showers to academic ones such as completing a qualifying exam or thesis. It wasn't a celebration that took J-Fur and I back there yesterday, unless you count getting my haircut as a party worthy event. It also wasn't the Jets/Patriots game that just happened to be an unfortunate part of the experience. It was simply that J-Fur had a desire for yucca fries and a black bean burrito at the exact same time that we drove by the only place we know that serves them.

Despite our many visits to the Lime, a Latina fusion bar and restaurant in Tampa, we hadn't been there in two years because they closed the Tampa Palms location and we don't make it to South Tampa at dinner time too often. When we entered yesterday everything seemed the same as other visits (disregarding the shouting football fans). It wasn't until we received the menu from the waitress that we noticed a difference. It was much smaller than our previous trip and there and no yucca fries on it. J-Fur immediately voiced her disappointment, though I held out hope. I mean Red Robin removed the garlic fries from their actual menu but still had them; it was like an unspoken secret or a secret club. I hoped that was what was going on here.

I inquired about the yucca fries when the waitress came to take our orders. After correcting my pronunciation she asked how long it had been since we had been there. I figured this meant that yucca fries hadn't been on the menu at any point during her employment. Instead of leaving, which I was tempted to do since yucca fries were what had drawn us; I made do with regular fries and a rice and bean burrito. J-Fur ordered a tostado salad (pictured at the top) that included refried beans, mixed greens, roasted corn, mango salsa, olives, queso and avocado tomatillo vinaigrette.

These burritos were different than the ones we used to order. The old ones would come out with a design on top of guacamole, queso and a red sauce. These burritos were sliced in half with the sauces in small plastic containers. One of the things that I have always loved about the Lime is that their burritos are crispy, like they have been fried. I have never been able to mimic this in my own kitchen and I think that is one of my goals for this year. The taste of the burritos was like a fusion of rice and beans and a Philly cheese steak (because of the Fajita vegetables they put inside). It was better than most bar food but, aside from the crispy burrito, it was something I could do at home.

J-Fur's tostado salad was really good. I feared that the mango salsa would be too overpowering and sweet, but it was minimal. The tostado crumbled under the weight of all the liquid, sort of like a chip and salsa reaction, and I loved that. It was my favorite part of the whole meal.

We weren't offered a dessert menu, perhaps because they don't have desserts anymore. That would be a sad thing too as the Lime used to have an amazing cinnamon churro topped with vanilla bean ice cream.

In the end, I think this was our last visit to the Lime. While the food is better than your typical bar fare, there are too many other restaurants in the area that offer better vegetarian selections. For meat eaters, football fans or beer drinkers, the Lime is probably a great place to socialize and people watch while enjoying the Tampa weather through the open windows at the front.

The Lime is located at 915 South Howard Street in Tampa

Lime on Urbanspoon

My disappointment at the Lime led to an afternoon of subdued music. First there was Mekenzie Zimmerman and her song "Running Away." This song matches the sweet harmonies of Mekenzie's voice with lyrics of anger at those who have failed her. It was something that I never ever would've listened to in the past. But I did and I like it. Mekenzie's debut EP, Introspective, is out now.


The second was a song that I've already twittered and facebooked about but I couldn't avoid putting it on here as well. Alex Winston creates a spacey upbeat jam called "Sister Wife" which is about...well having a sister wife. It comes from a mini LP with the same name that is due out February 14th (Valentine's Day Gift?). You can pre-order a signed copy here.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Birth and Death of Tofu Menudo, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers, Tyevk and Tally Ho!

It took just twenty minutes after work for me to go from an accidental baby shower to an unexpected death. It is amazing how closely related these two major events always seem to be for me. I guess life is like a department store, where there is an entrance there's bound to be an exit close by. In Mexico, a dish that may accompany gatherings of the birth and death kind is a stew called menudo. Traditionally the stew is made with beef stomach (tripe) but I have a habit of trying to take the grossest meat meals and turn them vegetarian and that is exactly what I did. I have no idea if my version resembles the original in anyway, having never heard of it before I made it, but I had some awesome help from this guy. The allure of this soup is that it contains a megaton of hominy.


Tofu Menudo (adapted from chanfles.com/comida)
(printable version)

-6 Hungarian Wax Peppers
-4 Poblano Peppers
-olive oil
-1/4 onion
-3 cloves garlic
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-water
-4 cans (15 oz) Hominy
-pepper and salt (to taste)
-bay leaf
-veggie broth (or bouillon cube)
-1 block of tofu cut into squares
-lime
-shredded cabbage
-sliced onion

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the peppers into fourths, discarding the seeds and veins. Place in a single file on a baking sheet. Cover with olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. When the peppers are done add, along with the garlic and onion, to the boiling water. Remove the water from heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.

3. With a slotted spoon remove the peppers, onions and garlic and place in a food processor. Add some of the water (I added about 1/2 a cup). Process the mixture until relatively smooth.

4. Pour the vegetable oil into a large pot over medium heat. Using a metal strainer, strain the processed peppers into the pot. Discard the chunks.

5. Add water to the oil and peppers. I added about six cups. Add the bouillon cube (if you are using veggie broth you may want to add slightly less water) salt, pepper and bay leaf. Let broth simmer for about ten minutes.

6. Add the cubed tofu and hominy. Continue to heat the soup, stirring every so often, for fifteen minutes.

7. Spoon the soup into bowls and top with the onion, cabbage and lime. (Feel free to add other toppings that you desire: cheese, cilantro, tortillas, etc.)

Most of the time I can't depend on Spin for much (though it is still fun to read). By the time a band has been featured in the magazine they are pretty much all over the blog word. But in December's issue, past all the year end awards and dull stuff like that, laid an album review of Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers, a band that hadn't, to my knowledge, been blogged out yet. The album, titled Teenage and Torture, features an ode to razors that can't be passed on. You will be able to catch these guys at SXSW in March, hopefully "Venus Shaver" is on their set list.

Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers-Venus Shaver

Tyevk is return to my punk roots. "4312" is fast, disgusting and horrible to listen to. Imagine, as Alan Cross (of Explore Music.com) suggested, a sound like "the Ramones played through an AM radio with a broken speaker." Can it get anymore perfect than that? Tyevk is currently touring, including a date on January 20th at the New World Brewery in Ybor City.

Find more artists like Tyevk at Myspace Music

A few months ago a guy from Russia sent me an email, introduced me to the Cheese People, promised to be in touch and then disappeared. I thought my pipeline had dried up. Then along came another email, this one from David MacFadyen a Professor in the department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and the University of California. He directed me towards his blog which specializes in all types of music from Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine. I have his blog, Far From Moscow, to thank for my introduction to Tally Ho! Hopefully this marks the beginning of a new pipeline.

Find more artists like Tally Ho! at Myspace Music


And of course:

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Philly's Phinest: Michael Vick, Soft Pretzels and Vegan Agave Mustard tackled by Middle Brother, Le Fever and Evols

(image from NFLnewsworld.com)

The day has finally arrived, it is playoff football time for Philadelphia fans. I will be chowing down on pretzel sticks and vegan agave sweetened mustard as I watch Michael Vick do his thing.

Before I move on to the recipe, I'd like to say a little bit about Michael Vick and my feelings about him. Even before he was an Eagle, I liked to watch highlights of the things he could do on the football field. It was extraordinary how he could single handedly win football games. But that is Vick as an athlete. Vick as a man is a completely separate issue. It is one rife in race, socioeconomic status, animal rights and friendship. Michael Vick did a despicable thing, in my eyes, when he wreaked havoc on the lives of defenseless animals. But, having worked with people who fight animals as sport, I realize that it is something that they were raised on. Vick saw his first fight at the age of 7. Kids in that age range are impressionable and when they see their friends and family members doing something, they will take it up as a form of mimicry. Vick had ample opportunity, as he got older and made some money, to turn away from that world. He choose not to. But would we have done anything different. If it was such a big part of our childhood, friendships and family relationships? I can say I would've but I can't be sure. I'm not, and wasn't ever, in that situation. So I'm willing, as long as he keeps himself out of any sort of trouble in the future, to continue to be open-minded about Michael Vick (whether he is an Eagle or not). Would I ever buy his jersey? No. Would I ever want to hang out with the guy? No. But if he is indeed a changed man, and I probably won't know that until he dies, I at least won't speak out against him.

Now on to the game (and pretzels).




One song that accompanied the soft pretzel production experience was "Winter Joy" by Evols. "Winter Joy" is murky and ethereal, two things that remind me of winter (or at least the Pennsylvania version of it). The song comes from a self titled full length which you can hear in its entirety here. Thanks to I Guess I'm Floating for the track.


Middle Brother is a "supergroup" of sorts, although I am not a big fan of that description. Basically the band includes Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), John McCauley (Deer Tick) and Matthew Vazquez (The Delta Spirit). "Me Me Me" is a rollicking, high energy piano pounding song that has a slight bit of "Great Balls of Fire" in it. It is from the bands upcoming self titled release (March 1st via Partisan Records).


I don't know much about Le Fever. I know they are from Sweden, they use a brilliant combination of male and female vocals and they are the type of music I would hope to hear at a Lutheran Block Party. "This is the Last Time" addresses one of my huge problems, crying on the dance floor. I can't help it.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Food Flavored Song of the Day: Grown for a Minute (Freestyle Friday) by e-dubble

(photo by J-Fur)

A few years back a good friend of mine from high school was having major stomach problems. After moving around from doctor to doctor she found out that she was suffering from Celiac disease. This was a big deal for her because pasta was one of her favorite meals.

Before her diagnosis, Celiac disease was unfamiliar to me. Twenty-six years and I had never met someone who suffered from it. It took five more years before I heard the disease mentioned in a song.

e-dubble's (first mentioned here) newest freestyle Friday piece, "Grown for a Minute," features the line "I ain't got the dough like I'm gluten free, no Celiacs because I love the wheat." e-dubble then proceeds to mention more foods and food products in the next thirty seconds than I've ever heard in verse before.

Sounds like this song was meant for write.click.cook.listen.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Merging Cinnamon Applesauce with Telekinesis and Seaweed

As I left work on Wednesday, before the school shut down for winter break, I was reminded that all electricity would be turned off. This meant one last visit to the team refrigerator. There was a lot of vegetarian food in the freezer, from when my co-worker's son gave up on his vegetarian diet and she donated it to me, and a bag of apples in the fridge. I took the vegetarian freezer items without hesitation but stopped at the bag of apples. Pre-bagged apples are not nearly as good as those that you bag yourself. Probably because they travel longer distances and one bad one can ruin it for all the rest. But the worst crime to me isn't eating food that doesn't taste good but wasting food. So I grabbed the bag figuring I'd find something to do with them later.

It took a drive to Pennsylvania and lots of eating out and people cooking meals for me (Lisa has the same problem when she goes home for the holidays) but I eventually figured out what I was going to do with them. I would make applesauce. After all, as Oso Negro said on his Facebook page, it was one of the easiest things he had ever done. I was limited with what I could put in the applesauce to only what my brother and his wife had in their house. Here is the simple recipe that I came up with, one that I hope to experiment with more this year.



Cinnamon Applesauce
(printable version)

-10 McIntosh apples, cored, peeled and sliced
-1/4 cup sugar
-2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 cup of water

1. Combine the sliced apples, sugar and water in a medium pot. Heat, stirring occasionally, for twenty minutes or until the apples have softened.

2. Stir vigorously to make sure that there are no large apple chunks remaining.

3. Mix in the cinnamon and stir.

4. Chill for thirty minutes (or eat warm if you desire).

*This applesauce was had a super strong cinnamon taste. If you aren't a fan you might want to greatly reduce it.

With the exception of a seven year hiatus, Seaweed has been making indie rock music since I was in elementary school (1989). The original band members, Clint Werner, Aaron Stauffer, Wade Neal, John Atkins and Bob Bulgrien, meet in high school in Tacoma. Despite the hiatus and some difficulty with record labels the band never lost their ability to make catchy rock anthems. "Thru the Window," courtesy of current label Merge, has been climbing through my mind the past few weeks and was great for making applesauce.

Seaweed-Thru the Window

Another Merge band that made the applesauce experience greater was Telekinesis. The band, which is masterminded by Michael Benjamin Lerner, is preparing for their second full length 12 Desperate Straight Lines which will be available February 15th. "Car Crash" is the sixth track on the album which you can pre-order here. Thanks to Consequence of Sound for the link.

Telekinesis-Car Crash

Monday, January 3, 2011

2 For 1: Pear Sandwiches and Paully Moonbeam

As a child I viewed sandwiches as status symbols. In my middle class household we dined on sandwiches that consisted of meat, cheese, bread and a condiment. I considered these to be standard fare. Top a sandwich with two different cheeses, meats or condiments and you were deemed "hoity toity." Less meant you were poor and needed me to take pity on you. That's why Tea, who lived up the street from my family, woke up every Christmas with a pack of bubblegum in his mailbox. Because rumor had it that he ate ketchup sandwiches every afternoon.

These two sandwiches would've made the younger me look away in disgust. Not just because they are "hoity toity" but also because they have pears on them. There was no room for fruit on my sandwich as a status symbol board.


Grilled Cheese with Agave Sweetened Pears (inspired by the Independent)
(printable version)

-1/2 cup walnut pieces
-2 Asian Pears, peeled and sliced
-agave nectar
-4 ounces sliced gouda cheese
-8 slices of Rye bread

1. Place the walnuts and Asian Pears in a saucepan. Cover the pears lightly with agave nectar (I didn't measure an amount, I just squeezed agave nectar until each pear had some on). Heat the pears and walnuts, over medium heat, for about three minutes. Stir throughout to mix the pears, walnuts and agave nectar.

2. Place two slices of rye bread on a flat pan. Cover each slice with gouda. Place the pears and walnuts on top of the cheese (enough to cover the bread) and then top with a second slice of rye. Cook the sandwiches until the cheese is melted and bread is browned (about six minutes per side). Repeat until all the ingredients are gone.

*Note: I topped the sandwiches with arugula but J-Fur didn't really like the taste of the arugula. I've also seen pear grilled cheeses that include rosemary, honey or red onions so play around to find one that suits you.


Pecan Pate and Pears Sandwiches with Arugula (modified slightly Vegetarian Times, October)
(printable version)

for the pate:
-1 cup pecan meal (ground pecans)
-1 1/2 cups cooked Cannellini beans
-2 Tbs. lime juice
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 tsp. olive oil

for the sandwiches:
-8 slices whole grain bread
-4 roasted red peppers, halved
-2 Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced
-2 cups arugula

1. To make the pate: place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. To make the sandwiches: spread eight slices of bread on the counter. Cover four with 3 tablespoons of pecan pate and half of a roasted red pepper. Top the other four slices with 1/2 cup of arugula and four slices of Bartlett pears. Match one slice of pear bread with one slice of pepper bread and enjoy.

As dreams of pear sandwiches rushed through my head, the sexy sounds of Paully Moonbeam flooded my ears. Normally I offer a short bio of the bands I present but Paully has a bio that is too perfect for me to mess with. So straight from his fingers:
Paully participated in musical outfits from the age of 5 onwards, most notably the Two Day Bead Band, which began at a folk rock party in Plymouth, Michigan and ended a few months later. In youth, Paully absorbed big band jazz from the radio and vinyl. At clubs he absorbed Miami Freestyle and house, along the lines of Company B and Will To Power.

Recognizing that a solo artist would never break up, he pursued composition with the guarantee of iron clad cohesion. Aiming to capture grooves that facilitate revelous revolution and revelations of dance, dining and driving, he created a catalog of tunes in several known genres and a few with definitions yet refined. It is his hope that a revelous revolution might yield movement accompanied by fruits of his labor and that a bridge would be constructed to spite monopoly power and to further engage international interactions that bring people from afar much closer. Commencing with The Flood, might Paully's music build a bridge and bubble over.
Paully is currently searching for someone who would like to create a dance for his newest song "The Flood" (which was recorded in Detroit). Just let him know when you are done if you choose to accept the challenge. Along with "The Flood" I've posted an older piece "Disco Baby."

Paully Moonbeam-The Flood


Here is a food flavored song Paully Moonbeam style. It is called "Hot Ramen" and it was "noodled" a while back.