About me... more than you wanted to know...

So this is a food-blog kinda thing.... I suppose I should talk about how that connects with me?

Okay, so I'm a foodie... sorta.   Many moons ago, in a former lifetime, I had cable TV that included the Food Network.  On the Food Network, I found Emeril Lagasse.  BAM.... I was hooked.  Get it?  BAM!.  Oh... never mind.

Anyway, back at the ranch, I've been cooking since I was 6 years old, if my mother was to be believed.   Eggs, I heard it was. She said other things too, so who knows what really happened?

I like flavor.   I'd leave it at that, but I just can't.

Flavor is.... life.  I'm not talking about 'How hot a pepper can you survive'.  I'm talking about the right flavors at the right time in the right way.

A dirty water hot dog slathered with mustard and relish may not be 'Good Eats' in a 3-star restaurant.  On the other hand, move the dog to a street cart in front of Lancaster center square, and suddenly that meat-treat could be ambrosia.  COULD be.... if it's that good.  Like close-your-eyes and live in that moment good.

Any salad is improved when STEAK is added!

Yes, I'll swing through McBarf and grab a cheeseburger and fries on occasion, mostly when I've been bad and need to be punished.  I'll even eat a can of Chef Boyo's best ravioli for lunch, cold from the can.  There's a big difference between Fuel and Fooooood.....

Fuel makes the man-puppet dance.  Fooood makes the man-puppet's life worth living.

Making Chili is a favorite of mine.  Like a good beef stew, Chili is all about layering in flavors till it's just right.  A bit of this, a sploosh of that, maybe add some beer or chocolate.... and it becomes an experience rather than a meal.

Corn bread, an example.  I love the Jiffy corn bread mix.  Add an egg and milk, give it a stir, dump in hot cast iron, and abracadabra, Bob's your uncle.  On the other hand..... let that milk be *Buttermilk* instead. Now, whisk the egg in, and add some red pepper flakes (Just a pinch).  Add a few drops of Crystal hot sauce. Give it a while (20 min) for the red pepper to bloom. Now fold in the Jiffy mix, and let it stand (this is important) for 20 minutes while the cast iron pan heats in the 400 degree oven.  Pull the pan from the oven (With a potholder, you knucklehead), drop in a whole stick of butter (Trust me on this), and let it melt till it begins to brown a bit.  Swish it while it melts. Ploop in the corn bread mix, and return the pan to the oven.  Start testing for done at 25 minutes or so, pulling from the heat just before it's 100% completely done.  Let it sit in the hot pan for another 5 minutes, and then turn out on a plate.

Ribbbbbbbssssss, my precious!

See what I did there?  Using slight changes in ingredients and technique, the flavor explodes from 'corn bread' into 'OMG this is the best corn bread I've ever had OMG'.  The red pepper flakes counter the sweetness of the mix, while the Buttermilk and butter make the corn bread stunningly rich. Dropping in a hot buttered cast iron pan gives a perfect crunchy crust to the bread.

There's my corn bread secret... you're welcome.

That's to illustrate how I feel about good food.  Prepare it with care and love, and it's a whole new world of fantastic hedonistic experience.  

I feel the same about good whiskey, good beer, and some wines too.

So why the food blog?   It's like this... Herself and I are doing this stuff all the time anyway. We go out to eat, we take pictures of the food, we comment on the restaurant, we try to divine the ingredients, etc.  Now we are just doing it in front of you.  Don't you feel special?

Steaks on the grill!  Rubbed with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, with a pinch of garlic powder. Have the steaks warmed to room temperature, so they cook fast and retain their tasty juices.

There's nothing like a good BLT, where the bacon is crispy, and the tomatoes are fresh picked, and Duke's mayonnaise is used, and the bread is fresh and toasted just right......