A Veteran's Day Message

THANK YOU


Anything else I say would be superfluous.

32 Years Ago Today

The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times.

Resquiat im Pacem:

Michael E. Armagost
37
Third Mate
Iron River, Wisconsin

Fred J. Beetcher
56
Porter
Superior, Wisconsin

Thomas D. Bentsen
23
Oiler
St. Joseph, Michigan

Edward F. Bindon
47
First Asst. Engineer
Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Thomas D. Borgeson
41
Maintenance Man
Duluth, Minnesota

Oliver J. Champeau
41
Third Asst. Engineer
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Nolan S. Church
55
Porter
Silver Bay, Minnesota

Ransom E. Cundy
53
Watchman
Superior, Wisconsin

Thomas E. Edwards
50
Second Asst. Engineer
Oregon, Ohio

Russell G. Haskell
40
Second Asst. Engineer
Millbury, Ohio

George J. Holl
60
Chief Engineer
Cabot, Pennsylvania

Bruce L. Hudson
22
Deck Hand
North Olmsted, Ohio

Allen G. Kalmon
43
Second Cook
Washburn, Wisconsin

Gordon F. MacLellan
30
Wiper
Clearwater, Florida

Joseph W. Mazes
59
Special Maintenance Man
Ashland, Wisconsin

John H. McCarthy
62
First Mate
Bay Village, Ohio

Ernest M. McSorley
63
Captain
Toledo, Ohio

Eugene W. O'Brien
50
Wheelsman
Toledo, Ohio

Karl A. Peckol
20
Watchman
Ashtabula, Ohio

John J. Poviach
59
Wheelsman
Bradenton, Florida

James A. Pratt
44
Second Mate
Lakewood, Ohio

Robert C. Rafferty
62
Steward
Toledo, Ohio

Paul M. Riippa
22
Deck Hand
Ashtabula, Ohio

John D. Simmons
63
Wheelsman
Ashland, Wisconsin

William J. Spengler
59
Watchman
Toledo, Ohio

Mark A. Thomas
21
Deck Hand
Richmond Heights, Ohio

Ralph G. Walton
58
Oiler
Fremont, Ohio

David E. Weiss
22
Cadet
Agoura, California

Blaine H. Wilhelm
52
Oiler
Moquah, Wisconsin

Go watch this version of the song.

A tip of the Toque to Ken at It Comes in Pints?

Musical Geography Trivia of the Day (Week? Month? Eon?)

If you've been stranded in the combat zone, where have you walked?

Well Hung

My latest special project at school, posted especially for the Baconphiles among us:


Handmade pancetta

Sucks to be U, Dub.

Oregon 55
Washington 34

The Dawgs made it close in the third quarter, but once the Ducks got their offense back on track, they rolled. Except for a couple drives in the third quarter where their own miscues stopped them, the pretty much scored at will in the second half. 465 yards rushing (a school record), 661 yards overall. Here's a telling stat: 3 Ducks ran for over 100 yards, and one of them was the Quarterback. Oregon has defeated UDub and Wazzoo, now all that's left is to beat the Beavs and we own the Northwest. But in the meantime, we have three big games coming up with implications for our postseason - USC next week, ASU the week after that, and UCLA in four weeks -- the three teams tied with us or with better records in the PAC-10. Win all of those and we could be looking at a Rose Bowl berth, if not a shot at the BCS.

Things Unsaid

I did something tonight I haven't done in... well, since The Lad was born. I shed tears of joy.

It happened as I was recounting something that happened at school today. This week in our Garde Manger class, we've been covering charcuterie, smoking and curing meats, confits and rillettes. This has carried over into our restaurant lab (we operate a restaurant on campus) where we have been featuring a lot of the products we made in Garde Manger on our menu. I mentioned to Chef Clive that I had a recipe for smoked fish that I inherited from my great-grandfather, and he had me go ahead and try it on some salmon we had on hand. I brined and smoked it today, and wrapped it up to refrigerate until next Wednesday, when I plan to serve it as the lunch special -- I'm going to make smoked salmon reubens, an idea I got from work this summer. But before I put it away, I set some aside for the rest of my classmates to sample.

Only a few of them had a chance to do so before our other instructor, Chef Chris, stopped by. I decided to offer him a sample, and handed him the ingredient bowl with the salmon and a tasting spoon. He proceeded to eat the entire thing. He then handed the bowl back to me to take to the dish pit, and said, "That's pretty good."

That's all he said. No raving about it, no details about what was good about it, just "That's pretty good".

But the thing is, that'sthe first time he's commented on anything I've cooked without offering suggestions for improvement. I know why he does it -- he wants us to continue to imporve, he wants us to learn and grow and do our best and build on what we've learned. But after a while the constant critique weighs on you, it gets painful to offer something that you've put your efforts and soul into, only to be told what you've done wrong.

But not this time. It was pretty good. Not great, not amazing, not awesome or "Oh my LORD!", but pretty good -- good enough to not mention how it fell short. And that was huge. I've heard of being damned with faint praise, but this time, I was elevated with it.

It felt good to be good. Even just pretty good.

Since You Asked

Over the past few monhs, my posting has become sparser and sparser, and when I DO post, I get fewer responses to the contents of my psot than the, "Oh, THERE you are!" comments.

Most people have assumed that I've stopped posting because I'm busier than before. Nothing could be further from the truth -- even with work, my summer schedule has been easier than my school schedule.

The truth is I've been too damned depressed to post much. My life sucks, and a lot of what I've had to say in the past rings hollow to me. My marriage is a wreck, for reasons that I prefer not to discuss -- suffice it to say neither of us is innocent. I'm not sure I want to stay, but I have nowhere else to go.

I totalled our only car on Wednesday, and the insurance payoff will mostly go to the bank who holds our lien. Our credit is a shambles -- my own damned fault, so financing another is a joke. To top it off, I was 45 minutes from home and an hour or so from Portland when it happened, and was on my way up to PDX to pick TFR and my son from the airport.

Because of the new job, I had to stay here while my wife and son spent 2 weeks in Florida on her parents' dime, going to Walt Disney World, the Everglades, the beach, drinks by the pool.... I stayed here, worked, and ate frozen pizza. I don't cook goutmet for just myself.

And oh, yeah, that job? I lost it yesterday. The fall school schedule came out, I start Monday, and the schedule straddles the day, precluding me from working a morning OR evening shift. They told me to come back when I graduate, but until then, they can't use me.

So I'm sorry if my mind hasn't been as much on politics or musical geography or anything else. Right now I'm just trying to keep myself from dwelling on the fact that thanks to an insurance policy, I'm worth more dead than alive.

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

What is quiet, and where is cold?

Big OUR House

Well, the Ducks MAY score again, but I'm guessing they'll mercifully just run the last 2 minutes off the clock and the final will be Oregon 39, Michigan 7. Two missed field goals kept U of O out of the 40's.

twice withing the last few years, the Ducks have HOSTED storied football programs (Michigan in 2003, Oklahoma) for the first time in the history of Autzen stadium, and twice Oregon won close shockers. This year was the first scheduled payback game -- Oregon went to Ann Arbor, and would have to face the Wolverines on their home turf. No squeakers, no lucky first half followed by hanging on for dear life, no winning on a bad call by the officials.

It didn't matter. The outcome was the same, and in fact, was even less in question. Michigan led once, in the first quarter, when they went up 7-3, but after that the Oregon defense started forcing turnovers and the Offense, led by a finally-matured Dennis Dixon, exploited them. This game was over at halftime.

Which is unfortunate, because there's an interesting side-rivalry that has been created in the Oregon-Michigan matchups: The battle of the crowd noise. Michigan's home stadium, nicknamed the "Big House", seats over 100,000, while Autzen Stadium, home of the Ducks, seats a little over half that. Yet even Michigan players and coaches were stunned four years ago at the crowd noise at Autzen, purported to be the loudest by decibel level of any college football stadium in America. But the Big house has a rep for noise too, and it was going to be interesting to see the contrast. The problem is, the Ducks took the Michigan crowd out of this one early, and the Big House sounded like the Public Library.

The Ducks are 2-0 now, and they're looking a lot better than people here were hoping for. Last week's win against Houston was sloppy, but today they looked sharp, and executed the Spread Offense perfectly, thinning Michigan out and then running Dixon on them. It could be a good year.

Mighty Oregon!

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

WITHOUT THE AID OF A SEARCH ENGINE:

If you want to ride, you gotta ride it like you're flyin'.

Three questions:

1) What is it?

2) What are two descriptions of it?

3) Where does it go?

Extra Credit:

Name three artists who sang about it.

UPDATE:

One week, no winner, so:

1) The Rock Island Line

2) It is a mighty good road; It is the road to ride

3) Down to New Orleans

Extra Credit:

It's been recorded by quite a few artists, but the more well-known would include Lead Belly, Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, and the Brothers Four.

Any resemblace to a gospel tune is strictly coincidental.

The Heat is On

(Sticky to the top through Saturday)

One of the minor frustrations stemming from my financial situation this summer has been the inability to afford a brisket to barbecue. It used to be a cheap cut of meat, but people have "discovered" it, and its cost is rising faster than a San Diego Condo.

Well, a friend of mine, a local reader of this blog who shall remain anonymous (per their request), has generously donated a brisket to me. It's not as big as the ones I get from the store, but it's of an obviously higher quality -- this person's source for meat rocks.

So last night, I started marinating it. Friday I'll pull it, apply the rub, let is rest overnight, and get to smoking on Saturday. I thought I'd update you all along the way.

Last night, I put the brisket in a stock pot, and added to that:

1 medium yellow onion, small dice
10 cloves garlic, peeled
cracked pepper to taste (lots)
5 sprigs rosemary
1 bottle minus one glass red wine (I used an Oregon wine from Girardet, Grand Rouge, it's patterned after a Cotes du Rhone.)
1 six-pack 5 4 bottles porter (I used MacTarnahan's Black Watch, Black Butte is also good)
32 oz. berry juice (a blend of cranberry, Strawberry, Blackberry, and Raspberry)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce

So it definitely has a Northwest twist to it.

UPDATE: Friday Aug 03

Stage two is now under way. This afternoon I removed the brisket from the marinade. The outer layer of the whole thing went from the bright cherry red of meat to the purple-red of the wine. It's beautiful, but most of that will disappear into the smoke ring tomorrow.

The brisket I've patted dry, and applied a dry rub -- 5 parts turbinado sugar, 2 parts kosher salt, with a mix of herbs and spices: white pepper, paprika, ground sundried tomato, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, mustard powder, ground rosemary, ground oregano, ground cumin, ground sage.

I've strained the marinade, setting aside the rosemary twigs separately from the onions and garlic. I have plans for all of that stuff tomorrow.

UPDATE: Saturday Aug 04

At 9:30 this morning I fired up the smoker. While the charcoal was getting ready, I put the leftover marinade in a baking pan and placed it on the lower rack, to let it come up to temp with the smoker. Meanwhile, I removed the brisket from the fridge and let it rest, adding a little more dry rub to the top. When the smoker reached 275, I set the brisket on the top rack over the pan with the marinade. The rosemary from the marinade went in the firebox, along with alder and apple for the smoke sources. Throughout the day I'll be adding more of all three, though the rosemary will now be fresh, not that from the marinade.

1:30 PM

I just committed what is probably some form of heresy for Texans and true believers in their style of cooking brisket, but I discovered it a while back, and it really takes my brisket to another level: Setting the brisket to the side, I've lifted the drip pan up to the top rack, and have set the brisket into it. For the remainder of the time cooking it, it shall be braised (the sumberged bottom side) AND smoked (the exposed topside).

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

If even her smile looks like a frown, where has she seen her share of devils?

Will Food for Work

I've been keeping my mouth shut about some personal news, both good and bad, but I can finally let the cat out of the bag:

I've been frustrated for some time by my job. I like the people I've been working for, but the work never turned full time. It's not their fault -- El Vaquero is predominantly a dinner restaurant, with some lunch business and no breakfast, and daycare demands have kept me limited to morning hours -- hence the pastry position.

But a while back, I got called in for an interview at another restaurant here in town. The restaurant in question is in an excellent location, has a great reputation, and best of all, it's in a hotel, so they have a lot more flexibility in the hours they have to offer. I met with the Chef de Cuisine of the restaurant (who graduated from the culinary program I'm attending), then the Executive Chef of the entire facility (restaurant and banquet/catering), and yesterday, with their HR director.

So to make a long story... well, not short, but at least to keep it from being any longer, I got the job! I'll be making slightly more than I was before, I'll be working full time, I'll be eligible for benefits. And best of all, I'll be doing prep work -- the first step on the road to the line!

I gave my two weeks notice yesterday, and the Executive Chef at El Vaquero gave me permission to switch right away. I'm grateful for the chance they gave me there, and I have no ill feelings towards the restaurant or the management or staff there, but this new place is a better fit for ME, not just in terms of the hours and position but also in terms of the featured cuisine. This new place serves Northwest Cuisine, with an emphasis on Oregon ingredients and the use of sustainable, local products. The Executive Chef recognizes how blessed we are to live in a region and a state with an abundance of fresh, tasty foods.

I'm not going to mention the new place by name, I think that was a mistake when I mentioned El Vaquero by name. But I'm sure my local readers have narrowed the identity down to a select few. Regardless, be happy for me -- things are looking up.

Killer "B"eans

So for the reunion cookout on Sunday, the reunion committee provided burgers, dogs, and pop, and we were asked to bring a side dish to share. Since I spent most of the day Saturday preparing to drive south for the reunion, and we were leaving early on Sunday, I opted for somehting I could cook in the crockpot on Saturday, forget it while doing chores, fridge it before leaving, then reheat Sunday morning. My choice? Killer "B"eans: Brian B's Blackberry, Bacon, and Beer Barbecue Baked Beans. Into the pot went:

1 small yellow onion, small dice
1 package bacon, small dice
4 15 oz cans of pinot beans, rinsed
1 12 oz bottle Smucker's blackberry syrup
1 12 oz bottle MacTarnahan's Black Watch Porter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
hot sauce to taste
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

They cooked on high for 3 hours, then reheated the next morning, and they were delicious. TFR says they'd be better if the bacon were pre-cooked, but I thought they were good as is.

Always a Trojan

Well, it's done. My twentieth high school reunion, that is. The festivities were this past weekend -- Saturday night we had a buffet dinner, just the classmates and spouses; Sunday afternoon we all got together for a family cookout.

For a group of people pushing 40, I was amazed at how many of us had small kids -- The Lad, at 2 1/2, was nowhere hear the youngest, and one classmate had to decline to attend because she had a baby just months ago. The crowd at the bar on Saturday was small compared to the popularity of the playground on Sunday.

It was also intesting to observe the changes: the people who hadn't aged a day; the people who looked 50; the people who despite the aging were immediately identifiable, and the people whose name tags were my only hope. Time is fickle. I remember an episode of the original Star Trk in which the characters aged at a phenomenal rate, I always found it amusing to watch that episode as a rerun after the movies came out. Saturday and to a lesser extend Sunday were the same way -- people don't always age according to our expecttons. The years dole out both grace and harshness, sometimes in the same face, but always in portions specific to the individual.

And time changes us in ways other than our physical appearance. Our experiences, our opportunities, our choices -- each of us took a different path to reach the Moose Lodge this past Saturday. For some of us the road is longer than others, or harder, or more indirect, and we are all at different places in our lives, but we were all in one place that night, and it felt good.

It felt good because for a few hours each day, that place was the same place. We were equals, we were back together in one place in one time: classmates, friends, peers. Whether we work at the local pizza joint or are a corporate attorney -- and yes, the careers did span that wide a gap -- we were old friends, all glad to see each other, all helping each other remember our youth.

Sunday we all sort of drifted off. The farther away we lived, the earlier we left. But there wasn't any melancholy on my behalf, no sentimental sadness. All I felt was a gladness to be reminded that despite all that has changed, I still belong, I'm still a part of a group with a shared experience -- Douglas High School, Class of '87.

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

Baby, you and me were never meant to be,
just maybe think of me once in a while.
Where am I?

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

If you come lookin' for a job, but get no offers, what DO you get?

Quote of the Week

A tip of the toque to Bill Steigerwald via Tim Blair via Ken at It Comes in Pints?

"...NBC's [Live Earth] concert-highlights show Saturday night drew only 2.75 million -- which means more Americans watched Peru and Argentina play soccer on Spanish-language Univision."

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

If you took them out with a well-aimed clout, what were you often heard to say?

Our Borders are Juuuuuuuuuust Fiiiiiiiiine....

Yeah, right.