Archive for the ‘Considered opinions’ Category
What do you do when you want a coffee but don’t know where to go? Ask someone. I found a new coffee spot I like, French Truck Coffee. It’s a two-block walk from the New Orleans Buddhist Center although there are multiple locations. Boy, I’m glad I asked!
Hello, Again, Dear Readers:
Here’s another post about coffee–good coffee. If you’re like BF and don’t drink it, well, pass it along to someone who does. Especially if they’re heading to New Orleans anytime soon.
Contents
On Strike
Y’all, last week I’d had about enough of it. I told BF I would no longer cook for him, and so far, I haven’t. I made the Citrus Spice Chicken recipe I covered a few years ago, but I shouldn’t have bothered. BF didn’t like it–said it tasted “sour.”
Oh, and to make matters worse, he also wouldn’t try cauliflower rice I’d made with it. I blitzed up a whole, organic cauliflower in a food processor, and cooked it in a big cast iron skillet with butter, olive oil and the Paula Deen House Seasoning I make and keep around–delicious. Nope–wouldn’t touch it, even after telling me, “I’ll try anything you make.” I reminded him of this, and he was undeterred.
He barely ate the Knorr “four cheese risotto” from a package that isn’t a real risotto, because it doesn’t have arborio rice. (I’ve made risotto before.) I called it “cheesy rice,” and the dogs ate most of it.
After that incident, I haven’t cooked anything for him since. Nada. Nuffin’. He ate a bowl of cereal last night, and has cooked food once. Last time he made “red beans and rice,” with red beans from cans, I took a taste and was unimpressed. (I will eat it occasionally, just to be nice, and he puts sausage in it.) When he wasn’t looking, I grabbed that bottle of Tabasco Sriracha Sauce from the pantry, opened it, and went once around the pot. Mixed it in really well. It was about a tablespoon, I think, in that big pot. Now THAT tasted good!
I know, I know. . .but I’m on strike for a while, darnit.
Coffee In The Crescent City
One of the many things I always told people in Houston is that if they were going to New Orleans, don’t go to Starbucks for a coffee if you can help it. Find a local coffee chain–any one will do–and go there. Much as I’m a fan of Starbucks, local chains like PJ’s Coffee and CC’s Coffee (Community Coffee’s retail chain) are even better. (I also discovered that there is a PJ’s in the Conroe Medical Center, north of Houston. That was a surprise.)
Another place is Orleans Coffee, where I’ve ordered delicious flavored decaf coffee from many times while I lived in Texas. (Because decaf chocolate raspberry is hard to find.) They used to have a little cafe in the Quarter, but after Katrina and all that, they now have two cafes, and I don’t know where they are.
Well, I found another one, and I was able to visit again before the April activity.
Arriving Early
When I go to New Orleans for a Buddhist activity, I leave as early as I can, at least 90 minutes before I want to be there. That way, if there’s traffic, or a diversion, I have time. Sometimes I hit Trader Joe’s for non-perishable items before the meeting, then head elsewhere after the meeting.
For the November activity, the E Man told me to do my shopping afterwards this particular Sunday, not before. The Saints were having a game, and some kind of tailgating thing, so it would be better to get there early and shop later.
I get off the freeway at the St. Charles exit, and I’m more than an hour early. Driving a little on St. Charles in a half-ton pickup is a bit of a pain (I miss my Saturn.) So I park it and ask one of the guys outside where to get a coffee. They’re the guys that hang around outside and help with traffic management and getting people inside safely. Since it was looking like rain this particular day, they were armed with umbrellas.
He looks up at his phone and tells me that there’s a shop about a two-block walk from the Buddhist Center via Erato Street. I don’t quite know where I’m going, so I’m walking cautiously in my flats with my purse tightly under my arm. (It’s November, so of course, it’s warm this day in NOLA.)
But it wasn’t that far. I carefully crossed the street twice, and saw this on Magazine Street:
A small building with great coffee
Neat little place. I walked in, and of course, the smell is awesome:
I talked to this man to order my coffee
And I walked around and took a few pictures while I waited because for decaf, they do a pour-over:
Oh, boy!
If you’re hungry, they’ve got you covered with croissants and things:
These look delicious
I did ask about the “Yankee Apple Hand Pies” in the bottom left of that picture and asked if they had many Yankees come in. He didn’t know, and I said, “Well, we can’t get rid of the Yankees in Texas.” No comment. . . .
This is a coffee bag that they framed. Love it!
The burlap bag is just one of the many pieces of coffee-related art on the wall by the counter
I waited a few minutes and had a sip of water from the big jar they put out with cups. But of course, I forgot to get a picture of that. And they also serve lunch or something:
This is their menu, which I’m sure is available every day
This map of where all the coffees come from is interesting. (Yes, that’s me snapping a pic like a tourist.)
They were busy that Sunday, so I had a wait while I watched them go at it behind the counter. When they called my name and handed me that coffee. . .mmmmmm. . .oh, yes, definitely worth it. Freshly roasted coffee, freshly brewed.
Highly recommended!
They Have Multiple Locations
French Truck Coffee has six locations, including two on Magazine Street, with two more coming. They also sell their delicious coffees in local grocery stores like Rouse’s. What? You’re not near a Rouse’s? You can order it, too. They also have a page so you can learn to brew your coffee at home.
The company is all about freshly roasted coffee, as the founder describes here on their web page. Honestly, it’s what Starbucks wishes it could be, or maybe used to be. French Truck Coffee is smooth and delicious. I haven’t bought any in the store yet, but that may happen soon if I can find the decaf.
If you’re planning a trip to the Crescent City, find one of these. You won’t be sorry.
When I went before the April activity. . .there was a big chicken walking around Erato Street. At 9:00 am. A CHICKEN in the middle of the street. I hope the owner found it before someone with a pot did.
On The Way Home
I lost track of The E Man, and so I tried to get into Trader Joe’s. No parking is available! Well, I ended up getting everything I needed across the street at the huge Rouses on Veterans.
As I hopped onto I-10 West, I was just listening to my music and driving. Until I got outside of Kenner, past the airport, on my way to I-55. . .and I saw that I-10 East was backed up. WAY Up. Like, way past the I-55 exit backed up.
Anytime The E Man tells me what to avoid, I generally listen. Boy was he right. Thanks, Dude!
Other Local Coffees
I’ve also been buying this other local brand of ground coffee for every day:
Made in Covington, New Orleans Roast is also available at Rouse’s
More about the company
And of course, the brand that’s also available in Houston:
Both are used in the pot and in the iced coffee maker.
And on a recent morning when we found ourselves with no power, I packed up my laptop and spent most of the day working at the local PJ’s, where they had Internet. Well, they were very nice, and I drank some coffee and had a yogurt parfait.
I’ve done this on many occasions at the Hammond Starbucks, where they are also very nice. Before we had Internet, and BF was sent to another work location, I got on Google Maps and found the closest Starbucks. Most were within 2 miles of his workplace. I drank fresh coffee all day, worked in a new place, and we were both happy.
Additionally, PJ’s also offers military and veterans discounts. So now BF likes PJ’s even more, and he likes some of the tasty things they have there. He still won’t try coffee, but he now sees that there is nothing bad about him going into a coffee shop. They have things even he might even enjoy!
Happy Easter!
This weekend is the “bunny holiday,” also known as Easter. Yes, I know what Easter is really all about, but popular media simply shows us bunnies and chocolate. If there is a chocolate bunny made with sugar-free chocolate, I’ll indulge, but I’m sure my chocolate will be the regular sugar-free stuff. We may go visit BF’s father, maybe not.
The Goddess of the Slow Cooker, Stephanie O’Dea, sent out an email last week offering Easter recipes for the slow cooker. And why not?
For all you Texans, know that HEB will be closed. . .but I think Kroger may be open.
Whatever you do, have a great holiday weekend.
Enjoy!
Frozen pizza: two words I never thought I would agree with. But there are healthier versions of it available now, and I’m very glad I found it.
Hi, again, Dear Readers:
I’m still enjoying the chorizo, but like the sweet potatoes and hummus butter, BF still won’t touch it. Good thing, because then I’d never get any. Friend of the blog AK lives way up in Idaho. When I posted a picture of it on Facebook with some scrambled eggs on top, she replied, “Would you please come visit and bring your culinary skills with you?” Honestly, I haven’t gone anywhere in a while, and still haven’t made it back to visit Houston yet.
Allergy update: the honey and stuff worked for a while, but I’m back to needing nasal spray and tissues. Too much sugar! I’ve purchased some heavier-duty allergen air filters for the HVAC and will be looking for a small, inexpensive air purifier to suck up the pollen and other allergens in here. If it works out, I’ll see about getting bigger one later for the whole house, or a couple for rooms.
In other news, the lovable pussy-cat pit bull is now 75 pounds. I swear, he’ll roll over and purr one of these days.
Contents
An Attempt At Backlinks
I got an email from Joan at TipsBulletin about cleaning and sealing granite, quartz and other countertops. If you’re interested, and you have these kinds of fancy-dancy countertops, here you go. The countertops here are what I would call “vintage Formica,” and is what you find the most in this part of the country.
New Favorite Frozen Pizza
How did we get to this point when Amy approves of frozen pizza? Like the tamales, it was an accident. I was walking through the Rouse’s in Hammond looking for something or other, and literally looked over and found this:
Seriously? With Pepperoni?
Cauliflower crust pizza! Low carb! Healthy! How did I miss this? Immediately, I grabbed one and put it in my basket. Having made one or two “regular” types in my life, I knew how to cook it:
When I took off the plastic, I arranged the slices nicely
Didn’t take long, and I had some lunch. Taste? DELICIOUS! No kidding, and I ended up eating. . .the entire pizza. Admittedly, I was really hungry, and it’s not a HUGE pizza.
Cooks up nicely but the picture isn’t so good.
What does it taste like? Very tasty, and everything you want a pizza to be.
Our Valentine’s Day
For a handful of reasons, I told BF what I wanted for Valentine’s Day—dinner at home and a nice movie to watch. That means nothing with the words “alien,” “predator,” “blood,” “killer,” etc. I picked out a movie that I thought we could both enjoy: the animated movie called Sgt. Stubby. It tells the story of a little pup that *might have accidentally* joined the US Army in WWI. He actually went to war with his owner and was in France on the front lines. It did involve war, but is “kid-friendly,” so it satisfied BF’s need for that.
Because he was a dog, he had a very high-tuned hearing that could pick up incoming missiles before the humans could. It also helped to save an entire French village from a gas attack. When his owner and French counterpart took shelter in a barn, they realized there was no gas mask for Stubby, so the Frenchman wet a small cloth and put it over his face. He survived just fine, and the people in the village were so happy, they constructed a canine-fitted gas mask for Stubby.
Awwww. . . .
You can read more about this amazing doggie here, and the DVD is widely available.
Dinner For Two
Because Valentine’s Day can be fraught with peril for many who want “the perfect” day/night/whatever, I figured frozen pizza would be right up BF’s alley, and somewhat controllable.
So for me, it was Caulipower. For BF, it was his typical Red Baron:
Yes, this is still BF’s favorite
White flour crust and all, and it cooks up just like he likes it:
BF is happy with this
And I had mine. Together we watched the movie, had some delicious pizza of our choosing, and it went pretty well.
But BF still won’t taste the Caulipower pizza! (He says I haven’t tried to kill him in a while.)
Ingredients
So what’s in these? You can see the ingredient list for the uncured pepperoni version here. Not only is it gluten free, it’s low carb, because it doesn’t have a lot of high-carb ingredients that are common in gluten free products. Remember, there’s gluten free, and there’s “gluten-free.”
There is a whole listing of these products, and you can also buy a box of two plain pizza crusts, which friend of the blog MJ in Houston buys frequently.
I don’t know how I missed this. . .but I’m glad I found them, finally. Right up there with frozen tamales, although I’m more apt to eat one of these than fool with a few tamales.
Haven’t Tried It Yet
I’ve seen and heard about cauliflower pizzas for a while, and Ree Drummond has used several recipes on her show. You can find these recipes here, on The Food Network’s site.
It is a bit of trouble, and a tad messy, but that never stopped me before. I’ll have to try it one of these days for myself, BF optional.
Why haven’t I done this before? I dunno. . .I like cauliflower, and all, but it’s one of those things I just haven’t gotten around to trying yet. It’s not like I have a lot of taste testers here. . .and BF is a fussbudget about it. He also doesn’t like cauliflower, but I’m thinking he never had *good* cauliflower, either. Guess I need to break out one of those frozen crusts from the freezer and make him a pizza waffle again soon.
More Flour Foibles
As if there wasn’t enough reasons to quit eating white flour, here’s more on the subject from the Living Traditionally blog. Anya has some interesting information on a lot of health subjects, including the dreaded soy. She also talks a lot about wheatgrass and collagen, but also has some generally good health information about a lot of everyday things.
A Third Option
A week later, I was walking around our local Walmart, breaking a 12-month personal boycott, and found another cauliflower crust pizza:
What’s this stuff?
It was a little more than the Caulipower, and it looked like it was bigger.
Looks to be the same
Well, the box was. So I bought it, and anticipated a delicious lunch. “Anticipate” being the operative word here. Looks good, with more pepperoni on top:
Just like the other type, sort of
Into the toaster oven with it, and when it came out, I cut it with BF’s round pizza knife into 8 (or was it 10?) slices:
And let it cool a little, since there’s nothing worse than a burn from hot pizza, folks. But this pizza burned, even when following the directions on the box, which were similar to the Caulipower.
Not so RealGood
Verdict: C-. It’s OK, but it’s not really very good. Tasted like the Chef Boyardee variety my Mom used to make in the 1970’s. If you’re suddenly thinking, “hey, I remember those!” You can actually still buy them, no kidding. But it just tastes like a cheap imitation of Caulipower Pizzas. Had I not tried the Caulipower, I might have liked the RealGood better. But I don’t. Only if you’re in need of a pizza and can’t get anything else should you try this one.
Ready For Healthy?
I’ve bought Caulipower locally at both Walmart and Rouse’s, and I’m sure they’re available at HEB, Kroger and other big grocery stores. There’s a locator on their website, so you should be able to find it easily.
If you’ve not tried the Caulipower version yet, I highly recommend it. (If you try the other version, you’re on your own there.)
Happy Dining!
Hi, again, Dear Readers:
Once again, other stuff has got the best of me, and I haven’t posted since November. My apologies, because I’ve had some delicious things to tell you about. They’re in the draft folder, as usual. Coffee, tamales, and a tale of two frozen pizzas. No kidding.
Our dysfunctional weather means that the grass, trees, and other things think it’s spring and they’re blooming. The allergies are choking people around here, and I can’t seem to find the right “thing” to control the sniffling and sneezing. We’ve gone through a large amount of tissues, and my desk trash can fills up quick. Wunderground says it’s grass pollen, so that would make sense with the grass turning green and the weeds and stuff flowering. I don’t remember the tree pollen in Houston being this bad, even when it coated the cars with yellow “snow.”
The Blog Lives On
The good news is that I paid the bill for the domain and hosting for another year. Woo hoo! Maybe I can publish six posts this year.
I did mention in a chat conversation with my hosting company that I couldn’t believe so many people were that bored that they tried to hack into this blog. The response was that it’s bot systems that try to get in. There is no user called “admin” on this site, so they can try a million passwords and it won’t work. I knew how to do that a long time ago.
The irony is that I’m learning more about SEO, and how to make this blog findable! With useful, keyword-rich content! And frequent publishing, of course.
I’ve bought another website for my copywriting side, but I haven’t gotten around to finishing setting it up. I started it. . .much like a few of my sewing projects.
Speaking Of Sewing
We haven’t had the freezing cold that we had last winter, nor any snow. But I was ready for it!
I found this pattern, Simplicity 8738, and fell in love with it. Version B is very easy (version A is just longer), it has five pieces, and stitches together easily. I couldn’t find any sweater knit locally, and the last time I went to a Joann Fabrics in New Orleans, the clerk wasn’t very helpful. So online I went, and bought some lovely sweater knits, including two southwestern patterns. It only needs two yards, and I’ve made six of these casual tops. They’re comfortable, large and boxy, and work well with jeans.
If you decide to make one, make sure to include the little “thumb portals” in the end of the sleeves. You’ll thank me later. (I’m thinking of you, Aunt Ruth.)
Tasty Sweet Potatoes!
I do have a delicious recipe to share, and I just made it this evening.
Last year I was gifted a free one-year subscription to Bon Appetit magazine because Sur la Table was giving them away with a purchase over a certain amount. I don’t really get to read the magazines as I would like, but I did manage to flip through the March issue (featured: Korean Comfort Foods) and find something that I wanted to try.
This evening, I made these Sweet Potatoes with Tahini Butter, and they are very, very good. They’re also gluten free (check the labels on the tahini) and low carb (I think.)
Sweet Potatoes With Tahini Butter (picture from Bon Appetit magazine’s website)
I had all the ingredients on hand (but we’re now nearly out of butter.) While it took a good bit of time, the results were very much worth it. It’s also true that you think the butter and tahini won’t mix with the liquids, but you have to keep at it. Once it started to smooth out, I just began whisking it with the fork until all the liquid was perfectly emulsified into the butter and tahini. Then I used a small spatula to smear it over the hot potatoes, just like putting soft cream cheese on a bagel. Then I sprinkled them with toasted sesame seeds. It’s SO good. I’ll be eating this all weekend.
What did BF think of it? Well. . .I’m kind of upset with him this evening (long story.) I didn’t cook dinner, we had plenty of leftovers. Ordinarily I would have pestered him to try the sweet potatoes, but that’s not what I did. This time, I let him know that they were “not made for you,” and that he wouldn’t like it. In other words, I don’t care if he didn’t like the looks of them. I know he wouldn’t like them because of the quarter-cup of lime juice in the tahini butter.
BF doesn’t like anything tart or acid, like limes, lemons, or any kind of vinegar, and I’ve found that out the hard way. I’ve made one or two things with a small amount of balsamic vinegar for him, but it’s not a strong taste, it blends into the background. He was warned that they weren’t suitable for his tastes. As far as I know, he didn’t touch anything. If he had, I’m sure I would have heard about it.
When I read the recipe, I was thinking about when I would make it, or half of it. This evening, I just decided to go for it, including toasting some sesame seeds. It’s an unusual taste, and the lime juice taste does stand out, but doesn’t overpower. If I ever make it again, I might try cutting down the lime juice to half. When I make hummus, I add half the amount of lemon or lime juice, because it’s too strong for me and ruins the taste.
As For Writing
I’m still working primarily with lawyers, but as I get better with SEO, that could change. I wrote this piece on blogging and the First Amendment not long after my last blog post in response to an inquiry about a couple of previous postings that, apparently, didn’t sit well with someone who happened to read about herself, but not by name or any personally identifiable information (PII.) Approximately three people knew her identity, including herself. Well, I’m protected by the First Amendment, thanks very much, and by the case of Obsidian vs. Cox, 2011, from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Ninth Circuit ruled that bloggers are, indeed, journalists, and are entitled to the same protective provisions as journalists who work for a news organization. One of my lawyer clients, who I’d mentioned this to, said that as long as you don’t post something untrue, you’re good. Well, I didn’t, and everything I publish is true to the best of my knowledge. But the research to find the case law led me to suggest the post to a different client, and the project manager assigned it. So, girlie, if you’re reading this, yes, I do know what I’m talking about, and I can have lawyers back me up on it. Irony alert: a simple phone call asking, “hey, can we talk about this?” would have yielded a completely different ending. But, whatever.
I’ll write what I want, thanks very much.
Until Next Time
I’ve got a number of projects working, in addition to making sure we have clean clothes, washed dishes and dinner, so blogging. . .I’m trying. And WordPress just changed the interface, so now it’s even more tedious to post and add pictures. GRRRRR. . .I’ll get there.
Try the sweet potatoes this weekend.
Enjoy!
Happy Saturday, Dear Readers:
My apologies for not posting in so long. We haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth. Yet.
I’ve been working it every day, primarily in the legal genre, although I do get client work that isn’t. It’s interesting, researching different subjects, but it does take time. And then there’s the house.
The famous countertop dishwasher is still doing great, and I brag about it regularly. It still runs like a dream, and is a big help in keeping the kitchen from becoming a nightmare.
I’ve actually got a couple more additions to tell you about soon, as well as some cookbook reviews. I bought and returned one cookbook because it was supposed to be “clean” but really wasn’t.
And then there’s BF, who has been reluctantly tasting some new things I’ve made recently. But mostly he goes around telling people that I’m trying to do him in. Still. Or again, I’m never sure. A couple of weeks ago, I was on the phone with his sister-in-law, answering her questions about blogging. BF was heard over the phone telling her, “she has tried to kill me, multiple times!” He rattled off a few dishes that he tells everyone about, like Overnight Oatmeal. The SIL was laughing on the other end.
Tonight we were invited to Big H’s place for pizza. No, it wasn’t gluten free. No, I didn’t indulge. My stomach was bothering me, and I wasn’t interested. But Big H is pretty proud of the brick pizza oven he constructed by hand in the rear of his property. Rightfully so, because it’s lovely but unfinished. It’s thoroughly functional, though:
That does remind me of my fireplace in Houston. I really do miss it. I’m gunning for BF to get us a digital fireplace heater that we can keep in the living room and pretend it’s a wood-burning model. The GER calls that sort of thing a “fake-me-out fireplace.” I wouldn’t mind, just a small one.
BF gobbled up some homemade pizza and I had some Tums. Oh, well.
The garden is still not dug yet, but we’ve had a cold spring, so I’m afraid of putting the tomato plants out too early. I’m cloning basil again, so I hope to have plenty again this year, much to BF’s chagrin. I’ve got seeds galore, some of which came with me from the Genoa Friendship Garden.
I’m hoping to get far enough ahead this week to write a couple of blog posts, but it depends on how the week goes. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for sticking with me. We’re still around.
Enjoy!
Happy New Year, and Welcome to HeatCageKitchen: Automotive Edition! There’s some delicious barbecue in Central Louisiana, and BF and I were cordially invited to have some.
Happy 2018, Dear Readers:
Welcome to another edition of “What Are These Two Lug Nuts Up To Now?”
No, I promise not to mention you-know-what that me and BF are supposed to be getting in shape for. Haven’t been able to carve out exercise time just yet. Need to do that soon–it’s February! I’d be riding my bike now if I hadn’t hurt my back this week. . .standing up from a seated position. No kidding. It’s getting better now.
So, does your office coffee look like this? Mine does.
Office coffee, Amy Style
I posted that on Facebook the other day, and a former coworker was actually jealous. He worked with me at Boeing and now lives in the Seattle area.
I’ve got a short break in client work, so I thought I should try and finish a blog post. Irony: I know from writing blog posts for digital marketing agencies that in order to get rankings in Google and other search engines, you need to regularly publish useful and relevant content. Yes, I can do that. . .soon. Besides, I’ve already paid for the domain name for another year (It’s not expensive.)
Let’s get started.
Contents
- Vegan Beef Jerky
- The Christmas Kittens
- The New Year’s Eve Barbecue
- Road Selfies
- The Shop
- Meet Alvin Calhoun
- “Barbecue sauce is for when you have something to hide.”
- How He Does It
- Don’t Miss The Barbecue
- There Were Other Things Besides Barbecue
- And then, FRIED TURKEY
- And Of Course, Cars
- Mr. Earl’s Gift To His Father
- A Pretty Good Saturday
- Coming Soon
Vegan Beef Jerky
You’re probably thinking, “what’s this foolishness?” Like I did when I saw this stuff in Whole Foods recently:
Are you kidding me?
This is not a joke:
Nothin’ but love? No kidding–sounds like a whole lot of nothing. Yuck!
If you think that’s healthy. . .no, seriously, it’s not. And it isn’t cheap, either.
Seriously?
For a bunch of soybeans and sugar for people who eat “nothing with a face,” but it’s made to TASTE like something with a face. (Remember last year the “beef-free beef broth” I found in the same Whole Foods?) It’s similar to this product from my favorite snack company Epic, which is also available in Whole Foods, and about the same price with actual MEAT. But this “vegan jerky” has no beef in it. What’s the point of fake-me-out “beef jerky” made with soybeans?
If you’re vegan, why are you going to mess with something that tastes like something you don’t eat? Makes no sense, but, well, supply and demand and all that. Apparently the company makes several types, too. Here’s a picture from their Instagram page via their website that says “Happy Science Fiction Day.” Oh, the IRONY.
I’m still allergic to soy. Just say no and save your money for real food. Yuck.
The Christmas Kittens
Christmas was relatively low-key for us, just like Thanksgiving. We were alone, and we went to visit BF’s daughter, her partner and their son, then to his Dad’s place up the road. BF will have another grandson in March, which we were notified of about October, I think. His Dad was thrilled that we went up to that little room upstairs and cleared out all of BF’s old rubbish, and burned a garbage bag full of old bills from 10 years ago. Mr. C. said it was the best Christmas present ever.
At the kids’ place, someone dumped off two very tiny, helpless kittens a few days earlier. These two millennials were going to leave them to starve out in the cold. She’s pregnant, they have dogs, so. . .on the way out, I scooped them up and brought them home with us. They made themselves comfortable immediately after they had some food and water.
Sweet little angels
These two were just all over the place:
They hadn’t yet learned to use a keyboard, thank heavens.
It subjected me to an adverse environment:
How am I supposed to work under these conditions?
The full-grown cat was VERY unhappy to have these interlopers. I never intended to keep them, of course, just to make sure they didn’t meet a terrible fate outside. These two weighed about as much as a sandwich, and they’d been outside in the cold on their own for a few days without their mother or shelter, fed once or twice. BF understood, and didn’t mind me taking them home for a rescue.
The pit bull puppy wanted to play with them, and they put him in his place with some hissing and swatting.
Standoff!
I kept putting the little fur balls on the other side of this “doggie gate” BF built to keep the dogs in the living room. I wanted them to stay back there so that they’d be safe. But they’re so tiny that they just kept walking right through the slats.
They tried to make nice with the big cat, but Tabbicat wasn’t having any of it. A week of keeping them separated with a makeshift litterbox in my office was all we could take, but we endured. Tabbicat whizzed in a corner, then moved on to BF’s living room chair, multiple times. I think we got the smell out, but BF still isn’t sitting in it. There may be a slipcover in its future.
Only the big cat minded. Because Tabbicat is very, very bonded with BF (he should announce their engagement) he didn’t mess with the kittens when they climbed up his chair and onto his chest. I had to peel them off BF, so that their scent didn’t mix with his.
I attempted to contact several local animal rescues, and only one responded. The lady from the one I got to met me at the Hammond Starbucks that Friday and I sadly handed them over. (I was crying on the drive down there.) She noticed that they were very docile, and they should be adopted pretty easily. I told her that if I ever found out she was involved in dog fighting I would hunt her DOWN. She laughed at me. I knew they were going to have a better life, and I wished them well, told them to be happy in their new homes.
It would have been nice to have adorable kittens a little longer. But we know we did the right thing by them.
The New Year’s Eve Barbecue
I’ve probably mentioned this before, BF is a car guy. He’s not only a mechanic, he also builds race engines. Additionally, he also knows people in the genre, and he’s been to a number of events where he’s met lots of people. This is similar to my going to AWAI Bootcamp and other conferences where I’ve met people that I’ve kept in touch with over the years.
But on this day, we drove a couple of hours to a small town near Lafayette, Louisiana, for Mr. Earl Schexnyder’s annual get-together for all his “race guy” friends. Well, OK, there were women too, but the majority of the race people were guys. Us gals were there as dates and to see what they get up to. Fortunately, BF doesn’t drink, smoke or anything like that. And I was there as a food blogger, taking pictures and nibbling like the rest of them. Oh, boy, did I nibble–just like at Bootcamp.
BF has known this man for many years, meeting him at an annual event called Drag Week. However, due to his work schedule, BF has never been able to go on New Year’s Eve. This year, he put in for a vacation day, since Mr. Earl decided to schedule his annual cookout for the 30th of December. It fell on a Saturday, so we got up early, took care of things, and hit the road.
Road Selfies
Do you like this one?
Or this one? (BF liked this one better.)
Mr. Earl has been doing this annual cookout for many years, and enjoys inviting the people in that he has worked with and knows from his business. While he’s doing gumbo, he’s not the only cook.
Now you’re cooking with gas!
This was the chicken they added to the Gumbo. Please note that I have no idea what “Slap Ya Mama” is like, nor do I condone such violence.
Dropped right into the pot.
And rice to go with the gumbo:
Any idea how old this is?
Some 90 miles from home, we passed all manner of vehicles, including at least a dozen with Texas plates on them. Through areas with nothing and little areas with lots of mobile homes, we ran the gamut of Louisiana. I talked him into taking me to Trader Joe’s in Baton Rouge on the way home. We had three week-long freezes, twice with snow, and I wanted to make sure that I was stocked up with chocolate almond milk. No way am I giving up my yeast-free hot chocolate for anybody!
The Shop
Remember, this is an auto repair shop, not a professional kitchen.
Food on the lift!
Hungry men ready for gumbo, barbecue, and anything else that was tasty
It’s a social event, of course, and a nice marketing thing, too. Think of it as the mechanic’s version of a cocktail party, and everyone enjoys themselves.
A friendly crowd
So, some of the things we saw when we walked in:
Isn’t it pretty?
It was the first thing I saw, and it was a white cake with all that frosting. I didn’t touch it, honest. But what I did touch, multiple times, was this:
BF stayed away from this, I think it confused him. It looked like 7 Layer Dip, but I didn’t ask. I was too busy nibbling at it. And I couldn’t keep my paws out of these, either:
They tasted better than they looked. I couldn’t stop.
Being garage guys, you know there are:
Donuts!
And of course, cars, cars, and more cars. With guys talking about cars. But we’ll get to that later, OK?
But let’s talk about something really important to a Texan, native or naturalized. Barbecue.
Meet Alvin Calhoun
Now, I’ve always enjoyed barbecue. I make my own barbecue sauce (when BF isn’t home so I don’t have to listen to it.) I believe that Texas has the best barbecue, but that’s an 18-year prejudice. I’m not saying Louisiana can’t have good barbecue–but that stuff BF likes in Hammond has absolutely no taste to it. It looks like dog food, and tastes like it could be (not that I’ve sampled dog food myself.) On this occasion, BF was telling the truth, and we met some nice people, too.
In this little town on the other side of Lafayette, in an auto repair shop, on a slightly cool, and cloudy day, was the best barbecue I’ve had in a very long time. BF kept telling me about this man with a long history of doing all kinds of things, including car stuff, and now he does barbecue, too. Everyone loves his barbecue. When you have it, BF says, “It’s a life-changing event!” I was about to find out.
This is the very nice and very avid barbecue guru, Alvin Calhoun:
The man, the myth, the legend!
In all seriousness, you’ll notice this man is in a wheelchair. I won’t go into the specifics, but yes, he’s in a wheelchair, and he’s creating barbecue. Delicious barbecue. As in, you wish you hadn’t eaten all that other stuff before you had this delicious barbecue. Because now you’re going to need a wheelbarrow to get back into the truck to go home. His barbecue has won awards, beating out New Orleans’ own Brennan family. That should tell you something.
Now, all my Texas readers are thinking, “what does he use in his barbecue sauce?” Well, my Lone Star friends, Mr. Calhoun has a different opinion of barbecue sauce. Much as I like barbecue sauce, he said something I wasn’t expecting.
“Barbecue sauce is for when you have something to hide.”
No kidding. I wasn’t expecting that.
Waiting for the baby back ribs
Mr. Calhoun is from North Louisiana, but now makes his home in the Baton Rouge area. He was taught by a friend how to barbecue. His approach was to think about how primitive man found himself with a feral hog on a fire, and finding out it was delicious.
That’s not actually a screwdriver. . . .
How He Does It
Mr. Calhoun uses a dry rub, the ingredients of which are secret. I wouldn’t be crass enough to ask what’s in it, and he wouldn’t tell you anyway. But he’s always cooking, and he’s known far and wide by folks who appreciate it.
The temperature at which the barbecue is cooking
While these were cooking, we had a nice chat:
Still cooking
Of course, Mr. Calhoun has some great help, too, and I offered to bring him water or whatever he needed while he was tending the grill pits. We all had a nice time talking about stuff, but for some reason, he thought I was a food critic. We’re all “food critics” to a certain extent, but no, I’m a food blogger. I just write about stuff. Admittedly, since 2012, I’ve mentioned a few things to avoid (like Splenda and Aspartame.) But barbecue from Alvin Calhoun’s barbecue pits is not in that group. Do not avoid this man’s cookery.
So, after a while, he asked around for a plastic knife. What the heck? Because it’s ready when you can cut it with a plastic knife.
The Moment Of Truth
He offered me the first piece.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Alvin Calhoun makes some really incredible, delicious barbecue. Two thumbs up, and if I had more, they’d be up too. Hot from the grill, but not pepper hot, but not overly sweet, either, like some barbecue can be. A great flavor with a hint of sweet, a hint of spice, but *not* the kind that whacks you upside your head and has you begging for a fire extinguisher.
And did I mention the husband and wife who drove in from San Antonio to meet Mr. Calhoun and visit everyone? We talked about HEB and other great Texas stuff. To which BF said, “and nobody cares but you.”
Don’t Miss The Barbecue
If ever you are invited anywhere this man is cooking, DO NOT eat anything else until after you have some barbecue, because you will, indeed, regret doing so. As I often say, I speak from experience.
YUM.
Thank you, Mr. Calhoun. Everything they said was true.
There Were Other Things Besides Barbecue
Ok, so, BF reminded me that it wasn’t really a “barbecue.” Mr. Earl’s was a cookout that had barbecue on the side. Well, it really was on the side–since it needed to be outside, Mr. Calhoun and his equipment was parked under the car port at Mr. Earl’s house on the other side of the parking lot. And of course, doing barbecue with pits, there’s the whole smoke thing, so he needed to be outside with it.
There was gumbo, cooked by Mr. Earl himself:
Now you’re cooking with gas!
I didn’t have any, because I’m not a gumbo fan, but BF was all over it.
And then, FRIED TURKEY
Fried turkey
Let me preface this by saying that frying an entire turkey in a vat of hot oil can be a very dangerous thing. Stories abound about the *wrong* way to fry a turkey. Fortunately, we witnessed nothing like that.
Baton Rouge General Hospital has a series of ads about their different medical services, and this one involves the potential dangers of fried turkey. It’s short, but funny.
So, what I was told by Mr. Bill Doucette was that they injected the turkey with something that I can’t remember–something that’s made for that purpose. (The “Cajun Injector” kind of thing.)
Turkey goes into the pot
They used peanut oil (I think) because of the high smoke point:
Bubble, bubble, toil & trouble. . . .
It doesn’t take long, either, something like a half hour, maybe. Remember that to roast a 22-pound turkey in the oven, you’re looking at about four hours.
When it comes out, it looks like this:
Done!
And they let me try it. Honest, it’s nothing like the brined turkey I like to make, but it is indeed good. A different flavor than the brined/roast version. I might try to do this one day, but. . .not until we have at least two or three new fire extinguishers available. And the undisciplined dogs are completely away from everything.
And Of Course, Cars
If the GER had been with us, he would have been licking his chops over not only the barbecue, gumbo and donuts, he would have been salivating all over these cars. Alas, my friend, I offer you the pictures I managed to get off my phone.
Every other day of the year, Mr. Earl runs an auto shop called Schexnayder Racing (this is his Facebook page.) We went in the ultra-reliable White Knight, but others were in, shall we say, much more aesthetic vehicles than we were. Then again, the White Knight is a truck, not a race car, just like Mr. Earl doesn’t run a restaurant.
Right this way, Miss O’Donnell. . .
This ancient vehicle is a mid-1930’s Pontiac, so says BF. Someone actually drove this to Mr. Earl’s place, no kidding.
This is a closeup of the hood
Yes, you can drive it on the roads, it’s legal
But something tells me it’s not completely finished.
Maybe one day
Pop the hood:
Under the hood of this classic
This is ACTUALLY what Mr. Earl does the rest of the year.
There were other project cars in various stages of completion, too.
This lovely old thing was LOUD!
All these cars, all while there was cooking and barbecue going on.
Now this one was particularly interesting:
Isn’t it a beauty?
These are the chutes that deploy at the end of the race to stop the car, but it also has brakes.
We saw some amazing vehicles. But I didn’t get to ride in anything but The White Knight.
Mr. Earl’s Gift To His Father
The other big event was this car being unveiled:
The Gift
The elder Mr. Schexnayder had a house fire a while back, and lost literally everything, including his race car. His family, including Mr. Earl, got together and found another car just like it, and have been sneaking around behind his back to have it not only restored, but to make it exactly like the car he lost in the fire. They had a heck of a time with it, but they found one, in Texas somewhere. It’s not finished yet.
That’s the elder Mr. Earl with the plaid shirt on
When they were ready to take it out of the truck, BF leaned over to me and said, “You’re about to see a grown man cry.”
The car isn’t quite finished yet, but the elder Mr. Schexnayder was quite happy with his gift.
Before we left, I looked across the street and saw this:
The view from Mr. Earl’s shop parking lot.
How’d you like to drive this one?
Well, hello there.
A Pretty Good Saturday
It was a long, but very enjoyable Saturday for us, and I ended up driving home after we left Baton Rouge and Trader Joe’s. BF took a nap, and I streamed some music on my phone (that he didn’t like.)
Many thanks to Mr. Earl of Schexnayder Racing for the great food and the great time we all had. It was great to meet everyone, and BF was quite happy to see people he hasn’t seen in a while.
And of course, to Mr. Alvin Calhoun, Louisiana’s Barbecue Master. I’m serious–if you ever have the opportunity, do make the effort to see Mr. Calhoun and sample his wonderful barbecue. He’s a really nice man and we really enjoyed spending time with him.
Coming Soon
I’ve bought some new things in the last few months, and I’m not finished. No, I’m not buying lots of “trinkets,” as BF puts it, but I can contribute to the household and cover things BF can’t. But right after the barbecue, I bought something we needed around here, and next time, I’ll unveil the new “baby” that’s in the kitchen.
Meantime, Happy New Year, and Happy Cooking!
