and by "New" (REMIX)

Hehehe (awkward laughter)

I totally did not check out any cd’s from the library and burn them to my home computer . . . that would be illegal . . . don’t do it, kids!!

When it Comes to Getting Bread I Lost the Keys to the Bakery

Sadly, I am not a Bread Wizard (I don’t even think I’m a half-blood). Sunday was my 2nd attempt at bread baking, and, well, you’ll have to see for yourself . . .

Last year, the LOML and I came back from visiting the Bridgers in Chicago (where Stephen grew up) all psyched about baking bread from a Sourdough Starter. I did a bunch of research online and found multiple websites/instructions for making your own bread starter (obviously, I was too proud to get my starter from someone else). I “fed” my starter according to plans and after a week, tried to bake a loaf. I was pretty excited . . . except the bread didn’t rise and the finished product looked (and tasted) like a bagel brick . . .

A month ago, I looked up Mark Bittman’s recipe after JCCVI said I could impress my friends and become a Bread Wizard. This recipe sound good. I already pictured us getting a larger Le Creuset as obviously, this recipe seemed fail-proof, and we’d soon be baking artisanal bread semi-regularly and supplying Chris Hastings with our home-baked goods.

The recipe starts easy enough: Bread, Water, Salt, and Yeast. After combining, covering and leaving alone for 18 hours, the dough was dotted with bubbles. Sweet!! That meant the yeast worked!!

Next the receipt called for folding over the dough once or twice on a floured work surface and then covering with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. I’m not sure how you can fold over really runny dough, but I did my best. As you can see, the dough ran pretty flat, but I still had hope for our bread.

Since this recipe was supposed to fit in a 6-8 quart Le Creuset (and we were working with a 2 qt) I tried to divide the dough in half and let rise separately. After two hours, I saw no noticeable rise. Oh well, I pulled my dough from the cloth towel (WHY could this not have been something else?? parchment paper, plastic wrap, etc.), poured it in the pre-heated dish, and put it in the 450 degree oven.

I will say it had a good crust. I’ll give it that. But it was small. And it was dense. And it kind of tasted like a bagel. As you can see, there were some pockets of air in the bread, but still dense. Very dense.

What did I do wrong?

Will I try this again?

Will any blog-stalkers out there give me bread-baking tips?

** Unbeknownst to me, there is an on-line Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge that just started over at Pinch my Salt. While I don’t have the book, I’ll be following along and may (or probably not) try a loaf or two along the way????

TV ON THE RADIO

I can’t say I was that familiar with their music before the show (I burned a couple cd’s from Stephen and D, and saw them on SNL and the Colbert Report earlier this year), but TV on the Radio put on a ROCKING good time Wednesday night.* This band oozes New York City cool and makes you want to move to Brooklyn and participate in a literary collective or slow food co-op. Kyp Malone also makes you want to grow a very, very large beard.

Any blog post re: this show wouldn't be complete without mentioning the fact that TVOTR played before an intimate crowd of 300 at Bottletree (tickets sold out back in February) whereas they've been accustomed to playing shows to audiences of hundreds (thousands?) more! The sign on the door said no photography or video equipment allowed, so you’ll have to settle for this really blurry/crappy camera pict!

* If you’ve got an extra $.99 on an old iTunes gift card, go ahead and download "Staring at the Sun," last night’s closer!

Fried Oysters and Remoulade

So a few months ago I stumbled upon this post on Friday Oysters. The LOML and I always enjoy a good Fried Oyster appetizer if we’re at a “nice” (Little Savannah, etc.) restaurant, and since reading that post, I’ve been itching to fry up some ourselves (Note: we fried these up about 3 weeks ago)

First, I have to say that the Fish Monger at Whole Foods was very friendly/helpful when I went to buy these oysters, but he didn’t know about how many were in a Pint. I told him, they’d be for about 10 folks, and he said there were “probably a dozen (12) or two (24)” in a pint??? I think in the future, I’m going to double quantities if I’m not sure.

How much time do you need to finish up the audit?

Oh, probably 5 or 10 days.

But I digest. Being overly ambitious, I thought I’d make my own breadcrumbs from a loaf of French bread . . . except when we got back from Publix, I picked up a whole wheat loaf!! I threw in a little corn meal as well, and you could definitely see it in the batter, but I agree with C&L that breadcrumbs were a good choice (and the whole wheat tasted pretty good, too). The blending Wondra flour was worth the investment, and I’m looking forward to battering and frying something else in the near future (Mmmmmm, CFS). I had not heard of this kind of super-fine flour before, but I think it helped with the Crispiness.

To go along with these ambitious oyster appetizers, I also wanted to make my own remoulade. I couldn’t really find a recipe on the interweb I liked, so I winged it and threw this little beauty together. I would have loved to throw in some chopped capers, but didn’t have any in the fridge :( All in all, I thought it was pretty authentic and tasted good with the Oysters.

TMF’H Remoulade
1.25 C Mayo
.5 C Sour Cream
Lemon Juice (.5)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
.25 C Ketchup
10 shakes Tabasco/Texas Pete’s
Chives

Directions: Combine/Mix, Chill, Serve

We took these to our church’s Small Group as an appetizer and I thought they turned out well . . . BUT, our kitchen/house smelled like Captain D’s for a solid 36 hours afterwards!!!

I Will Possess Your Blog

Catching up on the ole blog (blah, blah, blah) . . .

Went to Death Cab for Cutie last Tuesday night. Scored a photo pass and took some close-up picts. Still waiting for Zooey Deschanel to confirm my Facebook friendship request . . . You know the drill . . . head over to BHAM.FM for more

PS – In case you were wondering what else I do besides cook, go to concerts, and take pictures of both, I’ve got two more shows to look forward to (this month):

Wednesday (5/13/09) – TV ON THE RADIO
Monday (5/18/09) – COLDLPAY (with the LOML)

Pork Barrel Spending

The LOML and I met our friends for drinks (don’t we sound so cosmopolitan?) Friday Night at the new Dram Whiskey Bar in Mountain Brook Village. The Menu/Drink list was pretty impressive (pricey, but impressive) and I ordered the Smokehouse (Bacon-infused Early Times, Honey, and a Bacon Garnish) . . .

Although I couldn’t taste any sweetness/honey, you could definitely detect a smokey bacon scent in the bourbon. Looks like someone in Mountain Brook has been watching Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives????

Check out Bhamsandwich for some other thoughts/photos on Dram/AVO.

The Avett Brothers Should Be Your New Favorite Band

The Avett Brothers were SWEET!!!

Go buy their records!! Go see them live!! Go to BHAM.FM to see some other picts and thoughts from the show!!

Déjà Risotto

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but Gourmet and Cooking Light both ran pretty similar recipes in this month’s issue(s): Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus (though Cooking Light did put a Greek spin on it with Feta). Since we had some leftover Asparagus and Risotto, I thought it was a sign we should try it out.

I par-boiled the Asparagus first then shocked them in an ice water bath. Then I added chicken stock to the “asparagus water” to use as the base of the risotto. My shrimp also took a while longer to cook than the recipe said they would (I thought the residual heat from the risotto would cook them through in 3 minutes, but it took closer to 8 or 9).

I roasted some Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic as a side. We had a little herb planter on our deck last summer, and were really surprised when the Chives, Oregano and Rosemary started growing back a few weeks ago. So I thought I’d be a green, “slow food,” organic farming foodie and use our Oregano in these (I also put our Chives in the risotto). I roasted them at 450 for 25-30 minutes (shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so) and they were really good!

PS – just want to thank all the commenters out there! Not sure if taking the blog private for a few weeks hurt “my traffic”, but I’m glad y’all have stuck with me. To all your lurkers, don’t be afraid to come out of the shadows and post your thoughts, I already know who most of you are!

WILCO

I went to WILCO last night at Sloss Furnaces. It was AWESOME!!!

They played over 2 hours and really worked the crowd (they won a Grammy the last time they were in town, so I guess they're fans of the Magic City). AND Jeff Tweedy referred to the folks from UAT as "Tusca-losers"!!! In ya face, Saban!!!

I didn't take my camera, so you'll have to settle for this REALLY crappy phone pict. I'm glad I didn't because I found out after the fact that Sloss was turning away anyone with a SLR . . .

This was my 2nd time to see a show at Sloss, but I'm going back this Saturday for the Avett Brothers!!!

Welcome to City Wok, Would You like some City Beef?

How did I celebrate the end of Busy Season (and our office closing on Friday)??

Korean food at Seoul Restaurant with Grantham!!

AND

A trip to the “International Market” around the corner from our house!!

For lunch, Grant had Korean BBQ’ed beef and I ordered some other type of Korean stir-fryed beef. In keeping with true heterosexual, food-blogging tradition (No Homo!), we traded plates half-way through and also broke out our camera phones to capture the meal! Lunch also came with various pickled vegetable appetizers. I’ve never had kimchi, and even though it gets a bad rap (rep? wrap?), I thought it was pretty good.

From the looks of the outside, you’d expect sketchy cock fighting inside the International Market. I don’t know if I’d trust the “fresh produce”, but I’d go back the next time we’re making stir-fry. Here’s the aisle with every brand of Soy, Hosin, Fish, Sirachi, etc. sauce you’d ever need!!

Unfortunately, the folks at International Market don’t take credit cards, so be sure to bring Cash or Check the next time you need salted cuttle fish.

Baked Sausage Pasta Party

So, we had my mom and sister in town for Easter (two weekends ago), and made a “Baked Pasta with Spicy Tomato and Sausage Sauce.” It’s from a cookbook the Mrs. got a year or two ago called Seriously Simple (I think they sold it at Anthropologie?).

It’s a pretty simple recipe and starts off by browning some Italian Sausage in a Dutch oven (or trusty Le Creuset). The recipe said to keep on cookin’ with the rendered sausage fat (flavor!), but I went ahead and drained it. Looking back, I’m thinking this would have been tastier with the grease. I mean, if I was gonna eat an Italian Sausage on a bun, I wouldn’t drain it first, right?

After you brown the sausage, you basically add Onion, Garlic, Pesto and Marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Then you throw in baby spinach, cooked Penne/Rigatoni, and diced Mozzarella or Smoked Gouda cheese (next time I’d shred it). Have any of you (ones of readers) ever bought Smoked Gouda cheese?? It smells like Summer Sausage which is AWESOME!!

You top it with Parmigiano/Reggiano and throw it in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes or so. This recipe makes a ton of food, so we ended up freezing a smaller (loaf pan) portion for us later.

My CPA's got a Beard like a Billy Goat

Things I won’t Miss about Busy Season

Working until 10 pm

Required Saturdays

Spending more waking time with my office plant (it came back to life), than my wife

Tax checklists

Review notes (these are year-round, just multiplied during Busy Season)

Things I will Miss about Busy Season

Dippin’ Dots (unlimited in our office kitchen from March 30th until April 15th)

Thisiswhyyourefat.com

Iron Chef Results

Ten days later, and I’m finally posting the pictures and results from IRON CHEF BRIDGERS/LEE (errr, ARGYLE)! As mentioned earlier, the secret ingredient was Lamb. Stephen had a butcher in Sylacauga (Sylvest Farms?) process the various lamb cuts, as I’m sure our wives would never look at us or a helpless baby lamb again if we had to SLAUGHTER it ourselves.

There were three teams (Mark, Murray and Stephen) competing and each team was to prepare three different courses, with the assistance of their Sous Chef (David, Mary and myself).

First, I have to give props to Team Mark for coming out, guns a blazing with the Lamb Tartare. Very aggressive, and while I think this may get rave reviews at Highland’s, I think it was a little too haute cuisine for our group! Great presentation!

Team Murray (the Winner) was OUTSTANDING and some of the best food I’ve ever tasted! Of course, I am a sucker for (good) ethnic cuisine, and when they started adding ingredients (curry, ginger paste, coriander, mint, etc.) to their Moroccan/Indian-inspired dishes, I knew we’d be in trouble. Here is their Lamb Shish Kebab stuffed tomatoes. I could eat this for a week straight!

Our theme was “Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner” and we prepared:

Eggs Benedict with Lamb Sausage on Rosemary Biscuit with Pan Fried Apples. It was my first time using a meat grinder attachment on a Kitchen Aid, and I think I want one now. Side Note: I ordered Creole Shrimp Eggs Benedict for brunch yesterday, and noticed the yolk was not runny . . . a sure sign it had been prepared beforehand. Still tasty, just an observation!

Lamb BLT (Atkins friendly, no bread . . . no picture). We grilled Lamb Sirloin, and served with a sweet (as in cool, not sugary) Tomato Terrine Stephen made the night before, and Arugula and Pancetta. So I guess it should’ve been called a P.A.L.T.

Braised Lamb with Risotto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cracker. We weren’t (grammar?) sure how braising Lamb for only 90 minutes would turn out, but I think it was a hit (and surprisingly tender).

Here is everyone hearing the results. Stephen and I came in 2nd, but I think Team Mark should have at least earned a tie. Until next time . . .

A la cuisine!

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

We've got less than one week til freedom (aka 4/16) !!!!!! I know, I know, you want to hear about Iron Chef, right??? I've got some picts to post (thanks, Kim!) but first I have to say:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE 21!!!!

Ok, I've got another M-1 calling my name, but here's a teaser pict of Steve-O and I, before we battled last Friday!

Wake up, Wake Up, Wake Up, It’s the First of tha Month

You know what I did when I woke up this morning (at 6 am)??

Poached 14 eggs for tonight’s IRON CHEF BRIDGERS/LEE!!!

That’s right; tonight I have the privilege and honour of serving as Sous Chef to Stephen “Big Dog” Bridgers as he takes on his In-laws (Father and Brother) in BATTLE LAMB!! Since we’re only allowed 2 hours to cook, prepping some of the ingredients in advance was allowed. After a quick skim through the Joy of Cooking, I found out you can poach eggs up to 24 hours in advance if you keep them in an ice water bath and gently reheat before serving (probably how most restaurants prepare all those Eggs Benedict for Sunday brunch).

I’ve never cooked with an Organic brown egg before and they kinda remind me of Jurassic Park . . .

Anyways, hopefully someone will be capturing the heat of the battle whilst we’re cooking tonight, and if so, I’ll post the results and pictures next week.

PS - Sorry you have to settle for crummy camera phone picts . . . Didn't have time to break out the DSLR this morning . . .

I'm thinking Po' Boys

If there is one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s trying food and/or restaurants that have been featured in magazines (preferably “foodie” magazines, not US Weekly, etc.)

This past Saturday I flew down to NOLA to catch the tail end of our Fantasy Baseball League’s Live Draft/Man-Weekend. Aside from hanging out with a bunch of close dude friends (and staying at Stewart’s sweet house), the highlight of the weekend was trying a Roast Beef po’ boy at Parasol’s Restaurant & Bar. Sound familiar?? This month’s issue of Gourmet magazine did a feature on “the Best Roast Beef Sandwich on Earth” . . . Parasol’s was the first place they wrote about.*

First, I’ve got to thank Stew and everyone else again for going back to Parasol’s Saturday night for dinner (everyone went on Friday whilst I was at home, anticipating another Saturday morning at the office). Per Stew suggestion, I went halvsies on the Roast Beef and fried Oyster Po’ boys with Whaley which was a delicious idea. Truth be told, the fried Oyster Po’ Boy was a better sandwich. I guess I pictured more of a “deli” style roast beef sandwich (like what Arby’s in Heaven will be like) as opposed to the pot-roast variety Parasol’s served up. Don’t get me wrong, it was a tasty sandwich, and I’d recommend it just for the experience, but I’ll be ordering another fried Oyster (or Shrimp!) Po’ Boy next time I’m there . . .

* A few months ago, we were reading up on Garden & Gun’s “100 Southern Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die” . . .  Parasol’s Roast Beef Po' boy was on their list as well!

How to Read a Book

I have a problem starting books and not finishing them. I know this isn’t anything unique about myself and probably happens to a good bit of the American population, but in the last year or so I’ve started (then stopped, about half-way through):

• The Intelligent Investor (excellent analysis/commentary, but very dense and technical)
  
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I read the first three straight, and I guess burned out)
  
• Blood Meridian (Southern literature done hard to read)
  
• The Tipping Point (I will say I started this during Busy Season 2k9, and I’m actually close to finishing)
  

One author I really like and who I’ve actually finished two of his books (the Blind Side and Liar’s Poker) is Michael Lewis. This afternoon, I read an article he wrote last December (2008) on the End of the Wall Street Boom (a follow up of sorts to 1990’s Liar’s Poker). If you have a spare 20 minutes or so (I’m actually waiting on client information at the moment) and want some interesting perspective on the “sub-prime mortgage meltdown” and how that affected our global financial markets, I’d highly recommend it.*

Speaking of Michael Lewis (and Malcolm Gladwell), the LOML went to a local book store yesterday and picked me up Moneyball and Blink. Sadly, this bookseller just announced they are closing their doors, but lucky for you and me that means EVERYTHING IS 50% OFF!!

* If you didn’t see Jon Stewart interview Jim Kramer last week on the Daily Show, I’d also highly recommend you check it out!! Seriously, it is AWESOME!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

aka we're past the Corporate deadline, so let's drink beer at work this afternoon!

I'm also going to Workplay tonight with Jay to catch a screening of Skiptracers. Oh, April 15th is so close, I can almost taste it!

Scarier than an equity account that won't roll :O

Wow, you go and take your Blog private and then don’t even post anything exciting and/or interesting for a week (notice how presumptuous I am, to assume you think I am exciting and/or interesting).

Let’s just say it’s been a LONG week (I think this is our fourth straight 60 hour week) and the Corporate deadline is Monday. What have I been up to besides clearing review notes and tracking down missing information from clients??

Listening to a lot of rap on Pandora.com (Kanye, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, etc.)

Listening to Mastodon and AM! cover ZZ Top and the Replacements from Warner Brothers’ 50^th Anniversary compilation

Wishing I had time to watch Zack Arias critique photographers’ online portfolios/websites

Wishing I was up in NYC to participate in the Great Annual Foodie Photo Scavenger Hunt (I think this would be a sweet idea for the Magic City as well)

Counting down the days til April 16^th

if this Blog's a Rockin' . . .

I think I'm taking TMF'H private (for the immediate future) here shortly. 

Don't be scared. I'm sure it will be up and open to the Public again soon . . .