Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Blackberry Sage Kombucha?

I know what you guys are thinking. Man you've sent me so many DM's on Twitter asking me where I am and if I will ever be blogging again. I kept telling you, in time my preciousesseses (or however you would spell that). The reason for the absence? Nothing to do with fondness and hearts. It is all because making kombucha takes so much damn time.

If you've never brewed a batch of kombucha at home (your crazy!) you might not realize all the steps that go into making that fine fermented drink. Let Tender drop some knowledge on ya. If you do know how we do, well...go ahead and skip down to the Disco Fries, they are eagerly awaiting your earlobes. The first thing you have to do when making kombucha is locate a scoby. This is a sort of living jellyfish looking culture that is responsible for the ferment. I looked high and low for one of those things but couldn't find it. Finally, on a whim, I joined my local yard sale group on Facebook and...voila! Scoby at my front door. Next you brew up a gallon of tea, pour a cup of sugar in it and let it sit. Once it hits room temperature, drop the scoby (and some starter liquid from another batch of kombucha) into the tea. Let that thing fester around somewhere between 74 and 78 degrees for upwards of seven days. After seven days you can remove the scoby (and a cup of kombucha). Now it is time to flavor that baby. Find some fruit or herbs (or both) cut them up and drop them in. Let the brew sit for another four days and, finally, you've got some kombucha. Bottle it and drink at your own leisure.

My first batch was flavored with blackberries and sage. As I alluded to earlier, I would pair a brew of blackberries and sage with the Disco Fries new song "My World." While the song is actually about all the effects a lovely relationship has on a person, I could easily replace the hand holding and lip kissing with some bottle sucking and koozie caressing and make this track about kombucha. "My World" is crisp and clean. It bangs and vibes and grooves. It is astringent but warm. Wait am I still talking about "My World" or have I moved on to the kombucha? At this point, weeks deep in both, I don't know where one begins and the other ends.
 

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Transviolet's New Single?

'They've got us in a cage, ruined of grace and senses, and the heart roars like a lion at what they've done to us...'
-Charles Bukowski

This quote by Charles Bukowski isn't the beginning of Transviolet. It comes some time later. In baby terms (because as a father to be I certainly have babies on the mind), this line by Bukowski marks the point where the baby has left the womb and mom (or dad or mom and dad or grandma and grandpa) puts the pen on the paper preparing to imprint this child with an identity.

The members of Transviolet were sitting around the living room with books on mythology and poetry determined to pick a band name. Judah came across the poem 'When The Violets Roar At The Sun' by Bukowski. The line above spoke to vocalist Sarah McTaggert about how the band felt about the world. People's apathy has led to this haphazard way of existing - devoid of reason or purpose. They just sort of fumble around the streets with heads in phones, passively falling into the future without any real stake in it. The band wanted to take back their active role in designing the future. McTaggert suggests "We believe that our generation can learn to live mindfully, and peacefully and evolve, thus 'trans' as in short for 'transcendence'." To sum it up, Transviolet is transcendence into a new, violet awareness. We loved that idea, so it stuck."

So that's the past of Transviolet. The far past. In the much nearer past the band's stellar 2016 has seen them tour the US with Lany and play the Reading & Leeds Festival in support of their self-titled EP which features more kickass tracks than I have thumbs. Last week the band began their trek into the future with their release of "Close." The song features McTaggert's sparkling lyrics about elegance, turbulence, getting close and having those special hands running thru her hair. Basically, as the band tweeted out, it is a song to f*** your friends to. Supporting those lyrics is Transviolet's signature brand of blissful pop instrumentation. That isn't to say it is the same old same old as "Close" seems to coruscate just a bit brighter (and harder) than EP hits "New Bohemia" and "Girls Your Age." And while it hits hard, it doesn't quite have the ubiquitous wall of sound found in "Night Vision."

So, what does one pair with a track like "Close"? It needs to be something that meshes together a number of different flavors in the simplest way possible. More than that, it needs to be something that features the hands-in-the-hair closeness of "Close." That's why I suggest gussying this track up with the Kitchn's Hasselback Sweet Potatoes (pictured above). The key to this dish is the slicing of the sweet potatoes and the brushing of the oil and spices down into the crevices created by the cuts. This allows the flavors to permeate the sweet potatoes in all areas. While following the Kitchn's recipe closely, I did have to make one change. No thyme was found in my pantry so I replaced it with an equal amount of herbes de provence. And, as a good little vegan, I went with oil instead of the brown butter.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well with the New Single From Hazel English?

"I'm Fine" is a beautifully blurry indie-pop track powered by transcendent melodies and caked in layers of Californian sunshine and redolent reverb.
-Hazel English Press Release

Did someone say cake? No? I swear I heard someone mention cake. Right now, while I was just sitting here listening to the new Hazel English single, "I'm Fine." "I'm Fine," like most of Hazel English's tracks, can best be described as sun drenched indie pop with a little bit of lo-fi on the side. Listening to her, I'm reminded a lot of Day Wave. The 25-year-old Oakland-based artist recently announced her debut 12-inch vinyl EP, Never Going Home, on House Anxiety/Marathon Artists. You'll be able to get your hands on it October 7th.

I'd pair this stunning track with some sort of sunshiney vegan cake. This vegan lemon sunshine layer cake seems like it would do just the trick.

Food Pairing 101: What goes well with Beer, Brussels and (Vegan) Bacon?

I woke up this morning with a pounding headache. I replayed last night in my head to see if I could place the source of my pain. Had I eaten Brazil nuts? Snorted lines of fermented cheeses? Did I do shots of vinegar again? Unfortunately I couldn't remember a thing. I stumbled out to my refrigerator and opened it. There, tucked inside the door, was a bottle of Sharkinator White IPA half gone. I pulled out my Untappd App and, there it was, plain as day. I had checked off that I drank a half bottle of Sharkinator (actually I had used it to baste some cauliflower for a burrito but who is keeping score aside from me?). I sought out some hangover cures online, found one that seemed to work with a vegan diet, and by eleven was ready to tackle the day.

The further my hangover drifted into history, the more I felt guilty about wasting half a bottle of beer. I scoured the refrigerator and found some brussels sprouts and vegan bacon. I decided to baste the brussels in a little beer and veggie broth and then toss them into garlic covered vegan bacon. I sprinkled a little Gomassio on to close things out.

So what did I pair with this brussels and beer experience? How about a track that pleads "please take me out dancing this Saturday night, please get me a little drunk, I won't ask why." It's like SLØTFACE's "Take Me Dancing" was written just for me. In reality the track, according to vocalist Haley Shea, is about being free to be yourself regardless of gender. She went on to explain that some people were skeptical about a group of feminists releasing a song about drinking and dancing. SLØTFACE likes partying and drinking and they want people to know that it is okay to make mistakes (you know, maybe drink half a beer too much or pour a little extra in your cauliflower sort of thing). That's why "Take Me Dancing" was written, recorded and released.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Sunshine by Powers?

Despite the fact that it is currently raining outside (as well as all over my Twitter feed) I'm having a hard time seeing anything but coruscating sunshine. Why is there such a difference between my internal and external reality? Because the new single by POWERS, "Sunshine," is pretty much impossible to listen to without feeling buoyant about love, life, politics, health or whatever else was previously dampening your mood. The power of "Sunshine" (Oh, two points for that one) isn't just its "Sunshine is gonna come down, rain down, all over you" chorus. It is also the musical combination of a bright flute, shimmering synths and uplifting piano. When everything is poured in a pan and baked together, these elements feel nostalgic while also seeming brand new (I'd imagine the new Ghostbusters bakes a similar treat).

So what does one pair with a track like this? You need something that is comforting and nostalgic but has had some new life breathed into it. It needs to be something that is radiant, both in style and taste. And above all else, it needs to make you feel so damn good even when the world, and Twitter, rains on your parade. I'm thinking this Lemon Sunshine Layer Cake by Bria Luu will do the trick.
 

Food Pairing 101: What Goes With Eat Fast's Debut EP?

If the last month of my life were to be described in food terms, it would probably be that super gooey, oily cheese pizza that gets caught in your throat and causes you to choke. That's what packing and unpacking cars and boxes will do to you. The only good thing about this round the clock loading and unloading is that it forces you to block out all the bullsh** and only focus on the important things in life. One of those important things? Eat Fast's debut EP.

We've already featured two of the four tracks on the EP in previous posts (here and here). The third track, "Stammer," came out when I was elbow deep in packing tape and bubble wrap. I tried to craft a post with my nose but that went nowhere fast (pun only partially intended). The fourth (and final) track, "Fenham Dreadlock,"  hit the internet on the eve of the eve of the eve of the EP's release (tomorrow, May 13th, via Bandcamp, Spotify and iTunes).

What's so good about this EP? For one thing, it rolls off quick. Each track clocks in at three and a half minutes or less. That is just about the perfect pairing for box making (and unmaking). All of the tracks follow a similar pattern. Take some harmonies, roll them in sugar, add some thumping guitars and frazzled guitar riffs, bake for less than three and a half minutes. Your final product? Some fine fuzzy pop brilliance. Think of it as the comfort food of fuzz pop. You always know what you are going to get and it feels perfect every time.

So what should one pair with this EP? Well, it is hot. It is bold and blinding. It turns your saliva bright red. All of that, plus the fact that I have survived on Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, vegan candy bars and chili over the last two weeks, I'd have to pair this album with Martha Stewart's Chili Con Candy.

Check out the new single, "Fenham Dreadlock":


The previous single, "Stammer":

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With "Gone" by Day Wave?

Imagine yourself at an Italian restaurant. I'm not talking the fine dining sort of Italian, more like the greasy red and white checkerboard hole-in-the-wall place. The man behind the counter doesn't even take your order, he just sort of waves you off, and brings out this gigantic calzone. You have no idea exactly what is inside this family sized hot pocket. You think you do, you've eaten enough calzones to know they generally follow some rules with what they put inside, but there's always the chance that this place has taken tradition and turned it on its head.

Day Wave's new single "Gone" is sort of like that calzone. Because Day Wave's name is attached to the track, you might have this idea that the song will be loaded with lo-fi vocals and warm spacey music. But then you hear him start off with the line "You think I'm still the same in every single way, but I changed" and all of a sudden it dawns on you. 2015 is gone. The Day Wave that we fell in love with last year has evolved, albeit slightly, into something new.

"Gone," the first glimpse at Day Wave's new EP Hard to Read (due out March 5th via Grand Jury/Fat Possum) is lusher and more ethereal than some of his previous work. This has a lot to do with how he arranges the synths. The track embraces the warm sunshine in a similar way to it's predecessors, but there is also a bit of darkness, like a calzone baked and placed in the window to cool while a mid-day summer storm approaches on the horizon. Day Wave's dialing back of the lo-fi vocal effect helps him move towards this darkness. His feelings of loneliness and being misunderstood are no longer buried beneath layers and layers of vocal effect and sounds. They are now more out in the open for others to hear.

So what does one pair with an evolving Day Wave and his new, lusher, slightly darkened, summery song? A calzone of course. My calzone of choice would be the spinach and cheese version featured in the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak. The light/dark balance is created by the tofu and spinach that line the inside of the dough. Also in there is a sesame seed based vegan parmesan. Nothing symbolizes being misunderstood quite like sesame seeds that pose as parmesan. The whole wheat dough pays homage to what has come before but it is also slightly new and updated. It also does a nice job of hiding what is inside.

Eat a calzone. Listen to "Gone":

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Day Wave's New Single?

The idea behind Occam's razor, a problem-solving principle attributed to William of Ockham, is the solution with the fewest assumptions is the one that should be selected. Jackson Phillips, the man behind Day Wave, embraces this idea in his most recent single "You Are Who You Are." The song is all about shaving away the layers that surround a person in order to accept them for who they are. This isn't easy to do. There is a tendency for people to want to build, design or influence their fellow man to be the person that they need or the person they think they should be. This is especially true when the flaws of our fellows get in the way of our co-habited relationship. "You Are Who You Are" is Day Wave's reminder that people's flaws are to be embraced, not molded.

I spent a lot of time with "You Are Who You Are" while I was preparing for the surprise 50th birthday party for my friend (and co-worker) Ga South. The track seemed like a fabulous accompaniment to the day as it focuses on a number of characteristics that make Ga South the woman she is. She doesn't mince words and isn't blinded by the narratives that people draft about themselves. She sees people only for what they are or what she perceives them to be. Ga South doesn't try to pretend that someone can change their stripes. Everything is grounded in some sort of reality. Her outlook is one that is refreshing in because of how foreign it is. I don't share that same view point. I'm an idealist. I give, and keep giving, people the benefit of the doubt over and over and over again.

So what does one pair with America's new birthday song? Considering that we celebrated Ga South's birthday at the Local House Public House & Provisions, I'd say a crispy, dairy free Fried Green Tomato Sandwich is in order. I'd go with this golden winner.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Maple Baked Beans & Cornbread Casserole

My problem with cornbread has always been that, despite its decent taste, it is just too dry for me to deal with. Even a cornbread that is promoted to be "the moistest cornbread ever!!!!!" still clunks my mouth up so much that a gallon of water is necessary to break the back-up. It's so bad that I've been known to, in the middle of a raving frat party, utter the phrase "the cornbread's drano" right before shotgunning a forty of water. Hey, when the frat boy's stop cheering and fist bumping me, I'll stop shouting it.

So let's imagine a world where the water has run dry. Ignore the obvious catastrophic issues for a few seconds and just think about my cornbread problem. What would I do? In the past, I would give cornbread up and make my way to the world of banana bread or baguettes. But now, thank's to Fettle Vegan's Maple Baked Beans & Cornbread Casserole, I have a solution that allows me to continue enjoying cornbread in a world without water (hey, you're still ignoring catastrophe right?). It's called bake the cornbread right into a baked bean casserole. The liquid of the beans envelopes the corn bread and offers a nice wet contrast to the cornbread's dry exterior. Think of it as like a lubri...uh, never mind. J-Fur told me to stop mixing sex and food metaphors. She says it is unappetizing. I say, what does she know. I could do that all day long.

So what pairs nicely with this world of wet and dry? I'll go with Transviolet's new single "New Bohemia." This single is the follow up to their killer "Girls Your Age" and "Bloodstream." In "New Bohemia" Transviolet delve into a mindset that suggests individuals have the power to change the world as long as they let go of the prejudices and stereotypes that keep everyone divided. Our current generation has the power to eliminate negative forces like racism, sexism and homophobia. We can also choose to put an end to war, police brutality, violence, destruction of our environment and dry cornbread (that was my addition). In order to do this, we must speak up. Everyday we wake up, we decide what the world looks like. We create our own reality through the choices we make. Everyone is wonderfully different but we all strive for the same thing. We all want to be loved. We all want to be human. We have the ability to paint that canvas any color we like.

And we can also make it as wet as we want.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Little Wolves' New Single?

At the root of it "Alone" by Little Wolves is a song that captures the mixed bag of emotions that come with a breakup. On one hand, there is this feeling that you will never find love again, that you are inadequate and destined to remain cold and alone forever. At the same time, you realize that this sounds like the absolute worst hand that the world has ever dealt you. The quick fix is calls to you, suggesting that you just do what ever it takes to make things right and bring that lover back home. Even if the relationship wasn't good or the rocky ending isn't something that can be easily undone, there is still a desire to try. No one hates losing. No one likes the end.

You're probably thinking, why would I want to listen to a song that conjures up some of the worst experiences I've ever gone through? Why not just avoid the losing and ending if that is an option? Mainly because Little Wolves approach is to lose, end and hit those painful nerves with a magical smile on their face. "Alone" is cheery, its airy. Turn down the lyrics and you'd probably find yourself gliding through your day oblivious to the pain and torture happening around you. Musically, "Alone" is a great escape. And that is the brilliance of it. Escape with the pain. Emote while avoiding. It isn't often that a band is able to adequately capture the soaring and the ending in one three minute span of time. Little Wolves accomplished just this.

So what does one pair with a joint joyful and painful reminder? How about this Espresso Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Frosting by Unconventional Baker. The spread is like a vegan version of Nutella with a coffee twist. It pays homage to comfort foods like cake frosting and chocolate which pair nicely with a break-up. This is the emote part. The espresso, meanwhile, relates to those soaring and joyful moments that allow you to block out everything but what is right in front of you. This is the avoidance.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Day Wave's Brand New Cover?

Back in 1980 Joy Division, led by frontman Ian Curtis, recorded a live version of the single "Ceremony" during their final concert at Birmingham University. The song was released as part of the band's Still album. The Birmingham University show was the band's last one because a little over two weeks later, on the eve of their first North American tour, Curtis hung himself. The remaining members of Joy Division proceeded to rename themselves as New Order. New Order's first single was a re-recording of "Ceremony".

Since that time "Ceremony" has been covered by a number of bands and artists including Radiohead, Galaxie 500, Xiu Xiu, Ian McCulloch, The Morning Benders and Chromatics. The latest cover, hot of the presses and new to the world today, is Jackson Philips' (aka Day Wave) version.

Philips plays the track pretty close to the original. While he does crank up the dream a bit in his version, its not enough to really make the casual listener notice the difference. The big veering comes courtesy of his accent. Philips' American accent differs greatly from both Ian Curtis' and Bernard Sumner's (New Order singer on their version of "Ceremony") British sound. 

"Ceremony", despite how Day Wave delivers it (slightly less tragic), feels like it is a tragic song. Knowing the story behind it, makes it so. Pairing wise, "Ceremony" needs a tragic dish. My suggestion is the somber, yet completely delicious, vegan funeral potato dish. Enjoy it on a sunny, happy day. Don't wait until it is a necessity, I can assure you it won't be nearly as delicious at that time.
 

Food Pairing 101: What Goes With Banners' New Single?

One of the greatest people to ever walk the earth was my friend HS. She was absolutely amazed at everything the world had to offer, be it the colors of a peacock feather or the landscape that stretched out beneath her feet. Twelve years ago, as she was exploring a waterfall in Indonesia, a flash flood came and swept her away. Her body was found about a mile from where she disappeared. HS was real, one of the few people who stood by her convictions and maintained her youthful innocence no matter what happened around her. She was still in awe about what her future had in store for her. That's what made her death the hardest one that I've ever been involved with.

I start this post with that little story because I see a lot of HS in the track "Shine a Light" by BANNERS. For one, I imagine HS standing over that waterfall examining the brilliance that stretched before her, a brilliance that would ultimately lead to her tragic death. She was probably ecstatic, smiling, embracing the serenity of it all. "Shine a Light" plays out the same way. There is reason to be ecstatic and smile while enjoying the peaceful serenity that hovers right at the heart of the song. But there is also a subtle sense of foreboding, like something unknown and dangerous is about to rear its head and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. BANNERS creates this bag of mixed emotions with an opening of sparse piano, vocal harmonizing and solo lyrics that fall in and out of falsetto. That's the calming, the serenity. Then the percussion starts. Soft at first, then louder and louder until, before you know it, the danger is clear and present.

Another reason the track reminds me of HS comes from Banners explanation. He talks about the song being about "feeling lost at sea" and "searching for a beacon of light." He goes on to say "it's a song to the person that offers salvation while the storm is raging around you." HS played a large role in this during my high school and college years. When the storm pounded me, I'd go to her farm in the middle of nowhere and find myself in a completely different world. I'd stay there, waiting it out, until the storm had passed. HS wasn't the only one to offer shelter, she was an accomplice to something bigger, something that still remains in the present. Because of that, because of all she provided and all she was, I will forever hold her friendship near.




So what does one pair with this track? HS, J-Fur and I were always hitting up the milkshake shacks in town, so a shake would be my pairing of choice. I'd go with this one, although HS never would've touched it. She was a farm girl through and through and took her milkshakes with full fat, full sugar and full dairy.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Portobello Fajitas?

I'm not going to sit here and make excuses about retreats, in-law visits and outlaw visits, non stop raining, trips to Capital Tacos, being locked in an office building with seven brains as my only means of escape, canvas buttons, flooded balconies, gigantic baked potatoes, culminating runs, Taco Bus, Burger 21, tortilla chips, blueberry muffins and Cappy's Pizza. I'll simply go on record as saying I didn't do an ounce of experimenting in the kitchen last week. In fact, if it wouldn't have been for these Portobello Fajitas, my kitchen time would've been nil.

These fajitas, which are based on the Poblano and Portobello Fajitas dished out at Minimalist Baker, came to be because I had an overabundance of flour tortillas in my pantry. For a few moments I contemplated going all authentic west coast and buying a matching set of corn ones to do these fajitas but then I figured Steven wouldn't be Yelping my kitchen so that was unnecessary. The only modification I made to Dana's version was to leave out all the spice. No jalapeños, no poblanos. J-Fur is total white washer when it comes to things of the heated kind. I upped the number of bell peppers (from 2 to 3) to keep the pepper to mushroom ratio in tact. I loved the inclusion of steak sauce for the mushrooms (make sure the sauce is vegan) because it reminded me a lot of the brilliant portobellos that Capital Tacos serves up on their Simon Pure. 

So Liv from Mystic Sons tells me that instead of traveling to some exotic country on her holiday break she prefers to "stay-cation" in London and press out a new Nadia Nair track. I guess I can relate, my entire vacation has been full of me completing various "labors of love." Nadia dished out one of my favorite tracks last year ("Beautiful Poetry") so I was all in on checking out her new one "Hardships." The song delivers lyrics in choppy broken bits reminiscent of the radio tracks that M.I.A has dished out. These are what stay front and center throughout. The production plays the minimalistic role, sort of Lorde-like in that sense. "Hardships" sees Nadia in her finest, genre bending form. She isn't afraid to experiment with styles and sonic fields to separate herself from the "It's all been done before" crowd. She's not really a pop artist or a psychedelic one. She doesn't do just world music or electronic. Nadia's tracks remind me of the center circle on the Trivial Pursuit board. Here,  anything goes. 

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Chicken Fried Seitan?

On the surface, Lamesa may seem like just another hole-in-the-wall county seat in Texas. It is home to about 10,000 residents, boosts an economy driven by cattle and cotton and houses a prison named after a former Texas governor. But taking a spade and slamming it just a little deeper into the dirt causes one to find out that Lamesa is about much more than just cotton, cattle and prisons. That much more is chicken fried steak.


According to the town (and echoed by H.C.R 134 which was signed into law by the Texas House of Representatives in April 2011) two kids, one dressed as a clown and one wearing pink cowboy boots, somehow played a role in creating Lamesa’s legendary flour battered steak. I don’t know how it all fits together, mostly because the author of the original story has come out and declared it a yarn, but thank god it does.

A few weeks back, on a rainy day, I decided to skip a trip to the pool and hang in my kitchen to pay tribute to Lamesa. I battered a bunch of seitan, smothered it in gravy, and repeatedly said that “Everything is bigger and better in Texas.” I followed the amazing trail that was forged by Vegan Aide over at the Weekly Vegan Menu, who has since relocated to Zsu's Vegan Pantry. My only complaint was that the trail she forged was just a little too creamy for my taste. I know, I know, that is the authentic Lamesa way but for me it wasn’t the best. I would’ve enjoyed the dish much better had I gone with this vegan gravy (which I was in the process of doing before I ran out of nutritional yeast).

So what does one pair this little taste of Texas history with? How about a band whose name just screams Texas, a state that acts as the final frontier between the US and Mexico. That would be hotly tipped Hull newcomers FRONTEERS. This foursome, collectively, has just 76 years to their name. But what they lack in experience they make up for in fun. The four joined forces after bonding over girls, music and soccer near the tail end of 2014. The time for the debut has now arrived. It's the aptly titled "Youth":

 

(The food portion of this post was originally written on September 9, 2011. An updated version with music was written today.)

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With the Jet Age's New Single?

"It's been another shitty year in America, another year where I get to really wonder what the hell I've gotten my kids into."
-Eric Tischler

DC band the Jet Age is prepping for the release of their brand new album Destroy, Rebuild. The album, according to songwriter, lead singer and guitarist Eric Tischler, deals with relationships, the band and the state of our country. It addresses people and their struggle to find a way home. The politicized nature of the lyrics shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Eric was in the process of writing during an extremely polarizing time in America. Consider that in the past year an extremely negative batch of midterm elections were held, there was the disturbing 24/7 news cycle that surrounded Ferguson and their police force, there was the death of Eric Garner and the riots in Baltimore. On a more personal level, during that same time frame, Eric watched some of the couples around him "go down in flames".

Considering that this was the context that the album's lyrics were written in, one might think that the Jet Age's first single from the album "Don't Make a Sound" would be a melancholic affair, one that weighs the listener down under an ocean of dispiriting gloom. In reality the single offers hope. It turns to face the blue skies and realizes that as bad as things are, there are reasons for hope. There is a chance that things will be better. For Eric, that possibility exists at home. He says that the flip side of "all this depressing crap" is that it has given him a renewed appreciation "for the ways in which my wife and kids provide a port in the storm."

The track:

So what kind of recipe would this track work best with? I think it would work with any recipe that can be shared with friends, family or loved ones. I'm not just talking the end result either, for it to really work it needs to be a recipe that is collaborative from beginning to end. My recent adventure with a recipe that fit this criteria was the Blueberry Walnut Lavender Scones from Thug Kitchen. My two-year-old daughter and I spent a rainy afternoon crafting these together in the kitchen. It was fun watching her stir the dry ingredients, stare in amazement as the liquid was poured into a well in the center, and pinch off pieces of the dough after the lavender was added. For that hour or so all the depressing crap that exists in the world melted into a batter of walnuts, lavender and blueberries.

Food Pairing 101: What Goes Well With Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff?

After my essay, entitled To Egg or Not To Egg: Attempting Veganism While Living Amongst Sponge Dock Workers, won first prize in the coveted Extra Wide No Egg Pasta Ribbons Write Off competition I walked away with a cool million. Dollars? Hell no, a cool million bags of Extra Wide No Egg Pasta Ribbons. I needed some ideas about what to do with all these packages. I brainstormed a hundred and one different ways I could incorporate these ribbons into my diet (don't worry, I also plan to turn that list into an award winning essay) and tried about eighty-five before I burnt out on Extra Wide No Egg Pasta Ribbons. Take it from me, the first eighty-four bags go down pretty easy. After that, not so much. But I still had three pantries and a storage unit filled with these Pasta Ribbons and I needed some additional motivation. So, I took to the internet to see what kind of things other people have been doing. Somewhere amongst all the children's yoga mats made from pasta ribbons and tempeh ragu, I found an excellent answer. One Green Planet suggested I try out some mushroom stroganoff.

Now I wasn't sure what I was going to get. I hadn't eaten stroganoff since the days of my mom whipping it out of a box and onto a plate. It was never one of my favorite meals. But I was utterly excited when lunch rolled around for three straight days (that's how long the leftovers lasted) because I liked their version that much. I did make a few slight mods. First, I'm not into the cream thing so I removed the sour cream (traditionalists, avert your eyes!). I also took out the lemon juice because everything I've been putting lemon juice in lately has not been hitting the spot. Because there was no lemon juice to counteract the vinegar, I also removed that too. Three ingredients removed? Nothing substituted? You know what, it sounds a lot worse than it actually is. This dish was fabulous even without those three ingredients.

I'd pair this dish with a coming of age story. One in which the main character comes to recognize that there is no gold in the dirt. Others may tell you that where you are living is a paradise but when you are being tempted and exploited and torn down, it is hard to believe them. This is the type of scenario that plays out in MIAMIGO's new track "Come of Age".

Food Pairing 101: What Goes With an Artichoke Sunflower Burger?

This Memorial Day I learned exactly how one of those corporate meat packing plants must feel when they see some random body part on the ground and decide to use it in their product (waste not, want not). As I planned out my veggie burger of the day, I went to my pantry and just started grabbing ingredients. Rice? Sure, let's give it a try. Artichokes? Why the hell not! Sunflowers? Uh...a little weird...but, okay, let's do it. By the time these little burgers were solidfying in the freezer, I had gone through the same sort of thought process with no less than five ingredients. When it was all said and done I had crafted a burger that held together pretty well and tasted of artichokes, sunflowers and a slight wallop of vinegar (it looked like this with creole mustard instead of Dijon, no parsley brief stint in the polar region of my freezer) . Oddly addictive. Like I couldn't eat just one. 

What does one pair a burger like this with? Might I suggest the Happy Hollows's "Astrid." Like the burger, it is made up of a number of different parts that when ground together in the meat grinder of your ear serve to make a fabulous, oddly addictive, product. Perhaps no part of the song represents this better than the chorus.This is where you've got a batch of lovely "whohoos" coming to the forefront while Sarah Negahdari's vinegary rumblings swirl through the background. All the while Matt Fry's guitar and Charlie Mahoney's bass and synths bind and propel, making sure that this isn't the part where it all falls apart.

Food Pairing 101: What goes well with the Burger 21 Chili Cheese Dog (veggie style)

A few weeks back I did a tasting at Burger 21 (here) in West Chase. While I devoured veggie burgers and shakes the meat eaters were treated to sliders and hot dogs. The first thing I noticed when they brought out the hot dogs was the bread. They weren't your typical hot dog buns. These dogs were wrapped in what Burger 21 dubbed "Lobster Rolls." Laymen might call it "Texas Toast." Naturally my curiosity got the best of me and I had to replicate it at home. I chose the restaurant's Chili Cheese Dog as my test subject.

Start with the Texas toast (which is a thick slice of Italian bread slathered in garlic and Earth Balance and grilled). Then layer, in order, the vegetarian hot dog, chili, onions and cheese. You may also want to include jalapenos though I skipped them. The dog was a mess, a good mess, but a mess just the same.

While I made the Texas toast and put this dog together I was looking for music that knows what it is like to fuse two worlds together (dance and punk perhaps?). I was also looking for something that sounds like "a wasted sugar high, like eating boxes of Pixy Stix and chugging Colt 45's while listening to your high school record collection on shuffle and fingering your then girlfriend...what the f##k was her name?" That meant I only had one option. Digit Dealer.

Digit Dealer is a Brooklyn/Queens band made up of Austin, Arv and Sean. One an art school student from Brooklyn. One an Indian kid from Queens. And one a dude that had the other two singing as his phone's ringtone. Together they have joined forces to create undeniably catchy dance punk music that I can't stop listening too. Digit Dealer is prepping for the release of their new album Bad Field Trip on August 19th. They are celebrating with a release party that also features Lionshare, Wolf Couture (which is Ninjasonik's old DJ, DJ Teenwolf, and his new band) and Sludgehammer. "Homoeroticism in the Fall Out Boy Canon" is the fourth track on Bad Field Trip.

Digit Dealer-Homoeroticism in the Fall Out Boy Canon by write.click.cook.listen

The rest of the album:

Digit Dealer on: Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Bandcamp, Youtube

Food Pairing 101: What goes well with Pumpkin Ice Cream?

I've seen the posts by people around me...pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips (go JH), pumpkin bars (way to carve that baby CM) and pumpkin cakes and I can't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy. Baking, at this time, doesn't quite make sense in this Jekyll and Hyde climate that is Florida. One day it's chilly and it seems that Autumn has been ushered in and it is time to fire up the old oven and get to producing all those gems I've been sitting on. The next day sweat pours from my face like those long days that dot the summer calendar and I want nothing to do with said oven. So, I found a happy medium thanks to David Lebovitz. It is a recipe that fuses the best of the summer (ice cream) and falls finest (pumpkin). You can find David Lebovitz's pumpkin ice cream recipe here. I made no modifications to it. The pumpkin ice cream also marked the first time I used my new freezer proof ice cream storage container and I must say, I am quite happy (although when frozen, it can be a real ear ringer to open). Life in summer/fall land is good.

A combo that goes well with pumpkin ice cream is Crystal Castles and Robert Smith. I'm not a big fan of the two apart but when they join forces, it is something I can freeze my ice cream to.



Next on my radar...this, Refinery style.