All Sewn Up

When I was in college, I really wanted to get a Tennessee state flag tattoo on my bicep. This was at the height of my Lucero-listening, alt.country DJ-ing, whisky-drinking, untucked, shaggy-haired days (my wife is cringing right now). Well, BIG SHOCKER, this over-analytical, accounting major never went through with it, but I can’t say NOT getting that tattoo was a HUGE REGRET (I’m actually pretty neutral on the idea now).

Fast forward to today when I was reading the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants Tuesday bulletin (NERD ALERT!!). I saw the ASCPA has a new blog, and what did they have a link to, but . . . ACCOUNTING-THEMED GIFTS & APPAREL!

So I start scrolling through the pages when my past and present hit me like a train a comin', that’s rollin' 'round the bend:

Who in their right mind would combine accounting with the classic tattoo stylings of Sailor Jerry??

Should I get this for my office??

If people saw this, would they know I was being ironic??

Measure Me Sunday (week 3)

Alright folks, this is gonna be quick. I hopped on the scale this morning and it read 204.5 lbs aka a 1.5 lb loss!! Woo Whoo!! I was a little nervous, b/c I only made it to the gym twice last week, but I guess all those carrots I’m eating with lunch (instead of chips) worked.

OK, time for bed. I got a early wake-up call b/c I’m driving to EASTABOGA all week for work!

(why am i posting?? this post bores myself . . . )

Measure Me Sunday (week 2)

I guess you’re here for “Measure Me Sunday,” right??? Lemme just say, I thought this was a pretty good week. I got to the gym four times, and I’ve been averaging about 500-ish calories (FEEL THE BURN) on the elliptical/treadmill, so I thought I’d have a chance of pulling some decent numbers this week (Don’t I sound so Biggest Loser). Buuuutttt, there was Mr. Chen’s, and pizza for lunch, at the office, and a bunch of other EXCUSES I could make of why I actually GAINED half a pound as of this morning (yep, I’m at an even 206). Do I feel defeated?? Nope. I think this is just a lesson that I can’t half-ass this thing (literally), if I’m gonna lose some weight.

BUT, guess what I tried this week??????

Yep . . . a SARDINE and AVOCADO SANDWICH!!!!

Ok, I’ll admit the idea of sardines is a little freaky. I mean you open up the tin and they’re in there. Looking like tiny fish.

Even though they still have their tail/fins on, the heads and innards are removed so you can eat them right out of the can. Since this was my first time, I removed the tails, but I don’t think it was necessary.

I decided to try one by itself to shake off any last minute jitters before I ate the ENTIRE contents on one sandwich.

You know what? I think our pre-conceived notions are the freakiest things about sardines. They weren’t that bad at all (they actually reminded me of a cross between canned tuna and smoked salmon). I mean, I don’t think I’d eat them every week, but I could definitely see myself trying them once or twice a month??

After de-tailing, I gave mine a rough chop and placed them on a bed of fresh spinach, with sliced avocado, on whole wheat toast. I read something the other day that called Avocado “Nature’s Mayonnaise” . . . Mmmm, avocado is so good.

Anyways, the sandwich was great. Honestly, you couldn’t even really taste the sardines, but I just felt healthier knowing they were there. And when little pieces of sardine fell out onto the plate, it wasn’t that weird to pick it up and pop ‘em in my mouth.

Here’s to Sardines and all the hobo’s in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure who loved them, too.

Mr. Chen's

I was flipping through this month’s B-Metro magazine (aren’t the cover shots always a little Dave Hill-ish??) last weekend and was pretty psyched about their “10 Spots” for best international cuisine in the Magic City. Always looking for some new and tasty restaurants, I definitely wanted to check out #1, Mr. Chen’s in Hoover (so close to my office!). And after reading some reviews on Yelp, it sounded like Mr. Chen’s was the real deal!

I e-mailed Grant earlier this week to see if he’s ever been, and sure enough, he discovered it a few weeks ago and has already been twice. Well today, with nothing better (1040s? Review notes? Fixed Asset schedules?) to do for lunch, Grant, Bro-Jeezey and I set out for some authentic Chinese cooking (with REAL Asian diners!!)

Lemme just say, it was AMAZING-NESS!! If anybody ever wants to go, I am totally game.

Steamed Buns and Pan-fried Dumplings

Basil Squid and Mapo Tofu

The over-whelming favorite, Eggplant with Pork Basil in Hot Pot

And the coolest part about lunch?? At the end of our meal, one of the waitresses came around and said “You all really know good things to order” (like we were legit Chinese food connoisseurs)


PS – For “Americanized” Chinese food, I don’t think you can beat Chan Lee’s (downtown in the Harbert Center). When I worked downtown, that place was the jam!

Measure Me Sunday

A couple* weeks ago, I had planned on posting my own “Measure Me Sunday” where I would track my progress at the gym and healthy (healthier) eating habits. Weeeelllllllllll, I never posted those initial measurements, and since then haven’t really made any progress, so I never followed through with it. Sorry.

After NOLA (and some encouraging word from the LOML), I feel like this past week has been really good on the healthy lifestyle front. As of today, I’m 205.5 lbs, which is 1 pound less then my original weigh-in last month, but I’ve probably lost closer to 5 this week, if you count what I weighed in at last Sunday (from all those crappy (albeit, delicious) calories in NOLA). It’s pretty tempting to want to hop on the scale every day, but going forward, I’m going to try and only weigh-in once a week. Since I’m not rocking p90x, I don’t think I’m going to measure (neck, chest, gut, etc.) every week, but I might do a monthly progress report.

Oh yeah, why else I’m posting?

Everyone knows music can get you PUMPED up when getting your sweat on. I made a “Work-out Mix” when I signed up for Planet Fitness and here are some songs that have helped me “Push it to the Limit” (port of Miami) on the treadmill and elliptical (I’ll admit to air drumming while listening to some of these). If you’re looking for some new tunes to GET YOU IN THE ZONE, I’d recommend any (though, some may have explicit content!!)

“Thrash Unreal” (Against Me!) – I wore my AM! shirt the other day. I could tell the Sleeve Monsters were frightened

“D.O.A.” (Jay Reatard) – 68 seconds of sweaty rock

“I’m So Hood – REMIX” (DJ Khaled, etc.) – you’d be surprised how much Rap and Hip-Hop improves your cardio (and AUDITING!)

“Brooklyn Go Hard” (Jay-Z) – I listened to this song a lot last year

“Swagga Like Us” (T.I.) – Can’t wear skinny jeans

“Stay Positive” (Hold Steady) – Title should be self-explanatory. Great song when finishing up your work-out.

“Superimposed” (the Glass) – If I was ever going to film a car chase scene in a French film, I’d want this as the background music. I don’t know why.

“Search and Destroy” (Iggy Pop & the Stooges) – Get your ass the hell off my boat


“Freedom” (Rage Against the Machine) – the verses are a little dull, but the intro/chorus guitar riff is sweet

“Blood and Thunder” (Mastodon) – Roooooooooooar, literary references!!!!

“The Wolf is Loose” (Mastodon) – this song would scare the baby

“Walk” (Pantera) – I wish I played football in high school, just so I could listen to this song before the Friday Night Lights.

“Creeping Death” (Metallica) – some good ole fashioned 80’s thrash metal

“Holier than Thou” (Metallica) – my favourite track off the Black Album.

“Broken, Beat & Scarred” (Metallica) – 46 year-old James Hetfield could be hard to take seriously, but this song is good stuff.

I’ve got a whole lot more songs on the playlist, but we’ll save those for another day (?)

* has anyone else gotten into discussion/debate about the word “couple” when describing any amount other than two?? I’ve always used the word “couple” to describe anywhere from 2 to 4 (maybe even 5) objects/items. My sweet, dear wife likes to point out there are 2 people in a couple, and therefore “couple” shouldn’t be used to describe any other amount. I really should be saying a “few” . . .

Are You There April 16th? It's Me TMF’H

Sorry I haven’t been too bloggy lately. It’s been kinda busy around TMF’H, what with corporate deadlines, catching up from the weekend, trying to get my gym on, and taking in all of the little munchkin’s newfound laughter/giggles/smiles :)

Speaking of NOLA, it was a success!! Sure I completely negated any progress (?) I’ve made at planet fitness, but we ate a lot of tasty food, like this:

Cochon De’lait Po-Boy (w/ Creole-Slaw). It’s basically baby (suckling pig) pulled pork. I did not feel guilty eating this.

The Draft started around 9 am Saturday morning, and I pulled the (lucky) 13th spot (I selected Ryan Howard in the first round). Stephen actually got the party started around 7:30 am Saturday morning with the theme from Ghostbusters, and Stew started making Bloody Mary’s. You can see our (impressive) draft board in the background.

And what trip to Nawlins would be complete without a trip (or two) to Harrah’s Casino. As an ardent supporter of Crown Financial Ministries/Dave Ramsey/basic personal finance, I’m not a big fan of gambling (maybe if I watched 21 again??) but I was able to enjoy watching my buddies gamble without the hassle of losing $200 in ten minutes! PS – I’m not “casting judgment” on anyone who gambles, I’m personally just not “good” at it and therefore don’t like throwing my money away. If you’re able to “bring down the house” more power to ya!!

A Boy Named Shu*

The other day I stumbled upon this article on Alton Brown’s (semi) recent weight loss (also featured on a recent episode of Good Eats). Basically he lost 50 pounds by eating Sardine and Avocado sandwiches . . . ok, not really, but he did explain 4 basic lists (food groups) and how often you should eat them (he does NOT consider this a diet).

Consume daily:
Fruits, Whole Grains, Leafy Greens, Nuts, Carrots, and Green Tea

At least 3 times a week:
Oily fish, Yogurt, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes, and Avocado

No more than 1 time a week:
Red Meat, Pasta, Dessert, and Alcohol

Foods to avoid:
Fast Food, Soda, Processed meals (TV dinners), Canned Soups (salt), and "Diet" anything

Seems pretty logical, right?? Obviously, I need to cut down on the Red Meat, Pasta & Dessert category, but I think the LOML and I get some good items from the first two groups. Well, this article has inspired me to up my Green Tea (ancrient Chinese secret say . . . sorry) and Oily Fish intake.

So far I’m on Day 3 of green tea, and it’s not that bad (it’s actually kinda bland). We’ve got the Kirkland variety here at the office (free) and I’ve been drinking it straight (no lemon, sugar, etc. – I’m sure that would be blasphemous in hard-core green tea circles). Hopefully, whatever (proven and unproven) health benefits from drinking this stuff will be worth it.

As far as oily fish goes, I’ve seen a couple of recipe posts in the last couple months that piqued my interest. The first time I had sardines (freshly caught and grilled) was in 5 Terre, Italy, and the last time was on a pizza at Bettola. From doing a search on-line, quality and taste can vary pretty widely, but I’m looking forward to trying some out sooner than later (I have a feeling the LOML will pass).

Yes, I realize the irony in posting this the night before I head out on a weekend full of Jambalaya, Crawfish/Oysters, Dixie Beer, and Bourbon.

* obscure work-related reference

I sell Biscuits and Gravy all over the Southland

I was so jacked when my high school’s 10 Year Reunion STD (save-the-date) post card came in the mail last week!!! Seriously, it’s gonna be awesome!!!

This past weekend, our dear friends Jonathan, Heather & Jackson (with Cohen in the oven) came to visit us (actually the baby) and we had a great time (and ate a lot of great food)!! As you can see, Harden also shares my excitement for the upcoming Reunion.

BTW, how sweet was John Cusack’s “come-back” in the late 90’s?? High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank are two of my favourite movies (watched repeatedly during college), and how could you flip the channel when Con Air comes on TNT??? (other than Nick Cage’s horrendous South Alabama accent)

Put... the bunny... back... in the box.

PS – Happy Birthday (month) to the LOML :)

(Clever Title re: Links)

Thought I’d share some note-worthy sites I’ve stumbled upon the last week or so:

The War Eagle Reader - OK, I’ve actually visited TWER before, but since they scored an interview with Brian regarding LUCERO’s first-ever show in Auburn, they deserve some link-cred. Also, check out the Vintage Auburn posts (HT: Zandura101)

FreeThinkBham’s "Hipster’s Guide to Birmingham" – I have no interest in “progressive action and info”, but this Guide seems pretty spot-on (I doubt I’d even qualify as a young professional or “executive” hipster though). I’ve only been to Urban Standard for lunch once, but it was tasty (HT: BhamTerminal).

A Trip Down South - I'm no fashionista (J. Crew and “Banana” never look good on “husky” fellas like myself), but this blog is pretty good stuff (apparently there’s a whole ‘nother world of male sartorial blogs out there). I did subscribe to GQ once, but it’s been a solid year since I purchased something from Brooks Brothers.

The Selvedge Yard - Stephen sent me this blog which seems to celebrate all things classy (classic) and manly (Reminds me of EDSBS’s Digital Viking: Guide to Spicy Living). The old school (60’s and 70’s) pictures are pretty sweet.

Archie McPhee – Yes, I’m a dork. I bought a Seth Godin action figure. This website is AWESOME and flipping through the catalogue, I could easily blow $100. Reminds of the magic shop in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. PS – I think you know what to get me for April 16th??

I and Love and You

One of the best parts of my day is rocking our sweet baby girl to sleep. We have a couple different playlists on my iPhone and she really likes the Avett Brothers (BTW, how sweet is having a speaker in the iPhone? It’s like having a portable baby boom-box). Anyways, we’ve been listening to them since we were at the hospital, and we both like our special music bonding time . . .

I love my wife. I love my daughter. Life is good . . .

Hope you and yours had a Happy Valentine’s Day!

GTL

After running out of too many excuses/delays on my part, and being inspired by Chad’s recent P90x success, I finally decided to get off my arse this week and sign up for a gym membership.

That’s right folks, 1997 140lb Cross Country TMF’H is BACK!!!!!!! (Ok, maybe I’ll settle for 2002ish, 185lb TMF’H)

Unfortunately, the sleeve monster has been pretty hungry in Hoover, so I’ve seen my fair share of meat heads getting their pump on. Yes, I know it’s ironic that I’m (out-of-shape) the one casting judgment on these (in-shape) folks even though we’re in a “Judgment Free Zone”??? I just want to know when it became cool to wear muscle tees when you’re working out?? Do chicks dig muscle tees???

Anyways, the gym is a great place to wear t-shirts not otherwise suitable for a young professional father like myself.

Today I wore my Yard Dog (Folk Art Gallery) t-shirt I picked up in Austin four years ago. PS - If anybody is looking for really nice 30th or 35th Birthday ideas, a Jon Langford print would be pretty sweet!!

It’s a pretty cool shirt, but today I realized someone else at the gym might mistake it for a TapouT t-shirt!!?!?! I mean from across the room, the logo is definitely a similar shape (and I’m sure the black t-shirt doesn’t help). Let me be clear, if I EVER even think about wearing TapouT (or Affliction) apparel, you have complete authority to punch me in the face.

Linchpin

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned I had a “few” books on my reading list, and last Sunday, I was able to check Linchpin off that list. Now, I’ve got to tell you something.

Seth Godin has completely blown my mind.

Seriously, this book was entertaining, inspiring, and a (relatively) quick read. (It’s difficult to summarize 240 pages into one post, but) Seth basically explains how the world (economy) has changed, and the only way to succeed in this new environment is to be indispensible (a linchpin). The last 250 years, we’ve lived in a “factory” society (it makes no difference if the factory makes cars, food, health care, or tax returns), and according to Seth, the American Dream was:

Keep your head down
Follow instructions
Show up on time
Work hard
Suck it up
. . . and you’ll be rewarded.

As we’ve seen the last decade (what with bankruptcies, lay-offs, economic uncertainty, etc.), this path is no longer a guarantee to a comfortable life. The new American dream is:

Be remarkable
Be generous
Create art
Make judgment calls
Connect people and ideas
. . . and we have no choice but to reward you.

But Seth isn’t necessarily imploring you to create art with a paint brush or a musical instrument. We are all artists, because "art, at least as I define it, is the intentional act of using your humanity to create a change in another person."

No one said being a linchpin would be easy. We’re pre-disposed (our “lizard brain”) to fight this notion of standing out and being remarkable. It’s much easy to just “do your job” and collect a paycheck. But if you want to be successful (aka happy), you can’t give in to this resistance.

There’s so much more to this book, but for the list-oriented people like myself, to be indispensable you must:

Provide a unique interface between members of your organization
Deliver unique creativity
Manage a situation or organization of great complexity
Lead customers
Inspire staff
Provide deep domain knowledge
Posses a unique talent

But what inspired me to tell you about how completely mind-blowing this book is??

I’ve been following Seth’s blog for about a year. In December he gave his readers a chance to get a preview copy of Linchpin a few weeks before it was released. Pretty sweet, huh?? All Seth asked in return was to make a donation ($30 minimum) to the Acumen Fund and share your thoughts on the book if you so feel led. In 49 hours, he raised over $108k. When I received my copy in early January he included a note thanking me for the donation and said there would be another surprise a few weeks later (aka now).

Like I said, I finished this book Sunday and I feel like I’ve been telling people about it since. Monday I even mentioned it to our Training Coordinator and said it would be a great book to deliver a training session on (I told him I’d be happy to help, of course). This is the kind of book you want to buy for all your co-workers, friends, and family.

Well, today I get home from work and see a random package from Barnes & Noble addressed to me??? (Did the LOML pre-order me The Big Short???). I opened it up and inside was another note from Seth. He said an important part of being indispensible is generosity, and he wanted to give me a SECOND COPY of Linchpin to share with a friend. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?

Seth, you’re a gentleman and a scholar, and you’ve got a new convert in your tribe. Thank you for writing this book.

PS – the Tuna Tartare Burger I had for lunch today at FLIP Burger also completely blew my mind.

Jay Reatard

I've always* been really proud of the local music that's come out of Memphis. Besides the obvious (Lucero), I could easily put albums by the Glass, Reigning Sound, Pawtuckets, Corey B, Snowglobe and even Augustine (one LP wonder!) among my favorite records.**

A few weeks ago, the Memphis (errr, global) hipster community was rocked when Jay Reatard passed away at the age of 29. I'm gonna be honest. I had never listened to any of his music. I remember seeing the Final Solultions and Lost Sounds mentioned in the Memphis Flyer from time to time, but I can't claim that I'm some Reatard super-fan (I did watch p4k's A>D>D interview with him last fall though). I always thought the coolest thing about him, was the bass player in his band went to my high school ("boring rich kids") and escorted my sister for Spirit Court six (?) years ago.

Well, today I've been streaming (FOR FREE) a good bit of his stuff on his website (and myspace) and I'll say it's pretty good. Nothing helps you tie down a Statement of Cash Flows like crazy, lo-fi, jangly noise pop (with a touch of faux British accent!). But seriously, he put some good stuff out there, and you should at least check out his (major, errr Matador) indie label debut, Watch Me Fall.

* Accidental Mersh notwithstanding

** I know it'd really impress you if I said I liked the Oblivians, too.

It’s (Now) Easy Eating Green

For anybody who is interested, today I received an e-mail letting me know that Snow’s Bend Farm will be accepting new applications to join their CSA starting this Friday!! Wooo Whoooo!!! I am pumped!!

What is a CSA you ask??? Rachel Zoe Insler (via the AG) gave a pretty good run-down last fall, but basically, if you live in or around Birmingham, Snow’s Bend will provide (and even deliver!) fresh, farmed fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. all year long (ok, about 40 weeks long) for a (very reasonable) flat fee!

And since we learned in Food Inc. that all commercialized/industrialized food is sending us straight to Hell in a Corn-fed Hand Basket, a CSA like Snow’s Bend will help us do a better job of eating fresh and in season!

I Never Learned to Read

As if we don’t have enough things going on right now, my dear wife pointed out to me the other night that I’m currently “reading” A LOT of books (I had just received my preview copy of Linchpin by Seth Godin). I think I just get excited about starting a new book, and before I know it, there is a stack of four of five books on our bedside table. I guess this post is to call myself out (and hold myself accountable) that I will have all of these (non-cookbooks) finished by July 1st.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters – The LOML gave me this for Christmas, and although the beginning was kind of a downer, I think it will have some good points/perspective.

Kitchen Confidential – Robbie just finished this and mailed it to me. I started it yesterday, and I really think I’m going to want to quit my job and go work at some dive in Williamsburg after finishing it.

What the Dog Saw – A great book to start and stop. A collection of Gladwell’s stories that have previously appeared in the New Yorker over the last 10 years. "The Black Swan" was really interesting.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames – Another great book to leave and return to. Don’t ask me why, but I brought three books with us to the hospital, and this was the only one I actually touched. Sedaris’ dry observations make me LOLz.

Parenting By the Book – Go download his presentation @ St. Peter’s if you don’t have time to read this.

Linchpin – Godin is so hot right now. If only I could think of some multi-million dollar backed start-up, I’d go hear him speak and have him consult me during one of his VIP break-out sessions.

And then there are my new cookbooks (Merry Christmas to me!!)

Asian Bites – I’m a little hesitant to introduce some of these spicy foods to my little muchkin (and wife), but there are some really good looking “bites” in here.

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics – After flipping through, I realized I’ve already made a few of these recipes over the last year or so. And it looks like Ina is cooking a number of these on Food Network right now. Good stuff.

Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook – We tried their Elton Stephens’ Chocolate Soufflé on New Year’s and now I can’t wait to visit the Farmer’s Market after April 15th. Eating Local and Organic is also so hot (and hot) right now.

Frank Stitt’s Southern Table – Sure it’s over five years old, but like Chris Hastings’ Hot & Hot cookbook, Frank makes me want to A) become an artisanal/organic food purveyor for chefs like him or B) ask Frank (or Chris) for a job on his line.

I'm in Love with a Girl (Big Star)

I guess you figured out that the LOML and I had our little bundle of joy last week. Today actually marks the week anniversary (oh gosh, am I going to turn into one of those people that keeps track of week, month, etc. anniversaries??) since we welcomed our sweet little angel into the world.

Lately, I’ve really debated on what direction I want to take That Much Further ‘Ham. Do you want family/parenting stories?? Do you want cooking/food-related posts?? Do you want my thoughts on the current socio-political environment?? (Hint: no one, including myself, does) Well, to answer my rhetorical question question/dilemma, I’ll just say I want to keep posting even though this little munchkin is occupying most of our thoughts, emotions and attention:

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the Mrs. and I are so abundantly blessed in all aspects of our lives, and one area that we won’t have to worry about for these next few months is MEALS!! Our wonderful community group at church has scheduled to bring us dinner three nights a week, BUT that means YOU the reader won’t be able to “enjoy” as many cooking/food related posts (since we won’t be cooking ourselves dinner as often). Busy Season started this week anyway, so it’s not like I could dedicate that much free time to cooking in the first place, but I just wanted to put that out there.

Baby Got Back

Sorry we haven't talked since Sunday . . . been trying to catch up on our sleep.

Bloggist

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve taken a sort of renewed interest in photography these last two years. I mean, I was a Yearbook photographer in high school (impressive, I know), but it really wasn’t until I read an article in USA Today, back in April 2008, about some site called “Strobist” that I started to seriously pick the hobby back up.*

After browsing around, it’s pretty easy to develop a case of G.A.S., but I’ve tried to space my purchases out over the last year or so. Well, this past week I purchased another pretty cool photo gadget, so I thought I’d show you some of my stuff.

First, here is my strobe (Nikon SB-26) attached to my lighting stand using an umbrella adapter. I’ve never tried any other external flash/strobe, but I am really pleased with the SB-26 (and since it has Strobist’s seal-of-approval, I won’t have any trouble trading it in, should I ever decide to do so). The LOML actually got me the lighting stand last year for Valentine’s, but it wasn’t until I (semi-recently) purchased the umbrella adapter, that I was able to use it for anything.

Next, are my new CyberSync Trigger Transmitter and Receivers I received this week. These handy little guys let me fire my flash remotely up to 350 feet away, and now my flash won’t be limited to my Nikon’s hot shoe. PRETTY COOL!! (PS – these were purchased with some of my Birthday/Christmas funds . . . Thanks, everybody!!!)

And, here is my umbrella. If you read David Hobby’s original thoughts on photo umbrellas, you can see he (originally) preferred silver, reflective umbrellas (shown), to the shoot-through, white variety. Two years later, and it looks like he actually would recommend the white variety, but there are obviously pros and cons to both.

* If you interested in learning more about off-camera flash, you REALLY need to check out Strobist. There is actually A TON of resources out there for the aspiring photog, and I’ve also recently discovered ProPhotoLife’s youtube video series (the intro music is pretty cheese, but I thought the info was very useful). Oh yeah, one last plug I’ll make is Zack Arias. He’s based out of ATL and will definitely inspire you to GOYA!

Bambino Watch

I think we’re in the final week!! Last night the LOML and I went with some of our friends to Lovoy’s Italian restaurant. Supposedly, if a (pregnant) woman orders the lasagna (near her due date), it will induce labor shortly thereafter. We actually went a few weeks ago (on the 29th or 30th?), but our waitress said it wouldn’t work that early (and she said it’s worked on every woman who’s worked there).

24(ish) hours later, and still no baby, so I’m not sure how much I believe it. Last night, our waitress did say the LOML needed to finish the entire meal for it to work, but since she took some of it home (garlic bread is so filling), I guess she’s disqualified.

Fresh Mozzarella, Unbound

A few months ago, after Gourmet announced it was shutting its doors, a new food blog popped up to celebrate the legendary (and influential) magazine. Since I missed the deadline for December, I was determined to submit something for January. Ironically (sadly), I had only been a subscriber since December 2008, but since I kept all my old issues, I turned to the January 2009 issue for inspirado.* (to find out what exactly I’m talking about, click here)

Why did I pick one of the most difficult recipes in this issue?? I don’t know . . . Is it because I like a challenge? Maybe it’s my Italian heritage?? Too much Schnookie and DJ Pauly D?? Whatever the situation was, I spent a good portion of Sunday afternoon trying my hand at HOMEMADE MOZZARELLA!

Fresh mozzarella only has 3 ingredients: Milk, Citric Acid, and Rennet. After calling every grocery in BHM (and a few kitchen supply stores), the only place I found that carried this elusive Rennet was WHOLE FOODS. A pack of 8 tablets was about $1.50 and the Citric Acid (in the hippie herb/supplements section) was around $5. The Rennet also came with a handy little recipe guide that had more recipes for homemade cheeses (so folksy!).

The Gourmet instructions/recipe seemed time consuming, but not overly difficult. You basically combine Milk and Citric Acid, Heat, add Rennet/Water, Heat, Stir Curds, Drain in Cheesecloth, and then form Curds into Mozzarella. To quote Tom Petty “The Waiting is the Hardest Part.”

I thought the first hour went pretty well. Looking back, I probably stirred my milk too often, but I did start to see some curds form. After the first hour was up, I stirred in the warm water and Rennet mixture, and waited for the magic to happen . . . and waited . . . and waited. Another hour went by, and I never achieved the “stiffened milk mixture.” I mean, I achieved a few more curds, but nothing firm.

I might not have achieved mozzarella curd perfection, but I decided to strain what little I had and drain them in the cheese cloth. If you had seen the pictures in Gourmet, it looks like you would get about a basketball sized portion of curds from 1 gallon of milk. I got about a tennis ball’s worth. Maybe.

After hanging around for about three hours, the curds did lose some moisture, and even looked to be compacted into a little mozzarella ball shape. But this final step is where the curd really becomes mozzarella.

You’re supposed to ladle hot salted water on top of the milk curds, and let it slowly melt into a gooey mixture, which you’re then able to form into mozzarella balls (before suspending the process in cold water). I’m sure my curds weren’t robust enough in the first place, but when I placed them in warm/hot water, they just seemed to dissolve. And I definitely couldn’t form them into a ball.

After a minute or two, I ended up draining the curds and wrapping them in saran wrap to shape into some type of ball. The consistency was about the same as really soft, milky cream cheese, but not exactly what I had hoped for.

Looking back, I don’t think it was a complete loss. I bet my “cheese” would be half-way decent on pizza, but I’ll definitely try this again. What else am I gonna do with all this rennet and citric acid???

* For January 2009’s Pancetta & Pea Risotto I made last year, click here.