Oysters, not so Southern Style

Stacey found a restaurant on line, it’s in NYC and we were going in a couple days. When ever we go to NYC Stacey goes online and looks for all kind of things to do. She always comes up with good places to eat. This time she searched “cheap eats”, one of the places that popped up was Kuma. It was described as tapas style plates with Asian flavors.

So we went there and really enjoyed. Then a few months later we were in NYC and decided to go again. This time we would try some new dishes. And so it went and things were good, but we thought we needed one more dish, so we ordered a Oyster omelet. The menu had some weird name of something that was on the omelet. Our waitron told us it was Bonito Flakes. Oh we said, fish flakes, OK we’ll give it a try.

Well we had no idea and I bet they love serving this dish to people that talk like us. That would be slow and with a drawl.

The plated landed on the table as if it was a spaceship that was alive. We were just sitting there staring at the dish and I thought for sure it was alive. The waitron came by and we ask, what the hell? She informed us that is what fish flakes do when sprinkled on top of a very hot plate of food. The flakes danced as if they were a small nation raising their arms and crying out for help.
It was in a small casserole dish straight from the oven. It looked alien. It was scary. It even smelled bad. I’ll try it I said and I did and it was strong. I don’t know of anyone born in America who enjoys dried fish flakes. It was like eating the strongest, most rotten fish flavor ever. So I tried another bite. Same results, duh. So Stacey tried some and spit it out, across the table, landing on a photo hanging on the wall. It wasn’t a really good piece of art, so the chewed up oyster with fish flakes kinda helped it. So then Stacey scraped the Bonito flakes away and tried another bite, because other then the stench of death this dish looked pretty good. She did the same thing and it landed in the same place, totally changing a still life painting of fruit on a table into something that looked like a boat on a river.

I wonder if anyone ever cleaned that painting.

Southern Chill

So last Friday we’re gonna go down to the deep south, Mobile, Alabama. We want to see a Mardi Gras Parade. I HATE BEING AN ADULT!

We both need to work. Stacey has her regular tax project from hell to complete by Jan. 31. I’m trying to finish this job for Alons Bakery. It’s going ok, but we got started about a month later then Alon had planned and now it’ crunch time. So we decide to go Friday night and miss the first real parade of the season, we will catch two parades Saturday night. We are also gonna work on the float and paint the kitchen down there, gonna paint it red.

Bullshit! None of that happened. We did go Friday night. It was cold and we were to late to see the parade. Next day, to cold to work on Fish float. Later that night to cold for either Staceys’ or my folks to join us for the parade. We’re going, me, Stacey and our traveling dog George.

So after 2 really big martinis with Marion, I’m ready. So George, Stacey and I drive down to Broad st. cause it is cold again. We are standing at the barricades when along comes the parade. First it’s the Budweiser horses and George don’t like it. Then the drums and George don’t like it. So George and I go over to the little wall at the CVS, thinking this might be a good spot. WRONG. George wants none of it and he decides to take off towards the house, I fall down, he runs over me, actually he runs on me like I’m a thread mill. I got his leash and I’m on my back in the middle of the sidewalk. George is on top of me trying to run, on my stomach, but he’s going nowhere, just running on me. I’m waiting for either Stacey to come help or the cops to come arrest me for public dog abuse. Neither, it’s so cold the cops are in their car and Stacey is at the barricades with her hands in the air yelling at the guys riding the float.

New Years in the South

I was gonna write about this a while back, but………..

A friend invited us over for New Years Eve. He had invited another couple, we’re all good friends. He thought we could all bring a little tapas style plate and a wine to match it. He was right. Between the three of us - we kicked ass. Now I’m gonna try and tell you about it. I might forget some of the wine’s that were enjoyed as I was consuming martinis as if I had a cab reserved for 1 A.M.

That’s right.

So where was I? What the hell was I thinking?

I guess I wasn’t.

Stacey and I put together a Anti Pasta platter, of sorts. All the usual suspects and a little more. Four cheeses - a Roquefort, a triple cream that I think was Brie, and a cheese that had fruit in it, fig and orange. I liked it, some did not. We also had another I can’t rem, yes I can, it was cheddar made with Guinness Beer. This is a very good cheese and it is not expensive, seek it out. We had lots more on our Anti Pasta platter, but it would take to long. So I move on………

I’m walking through Alon’s Bakery on the last day of the 2007, time truly flies. I’m putting this Anti Pasta platter together. My phone rings and it’s our host for tonight. He’s looking for oysters. He wants to know if my local seafood joint has them in the shell or should he go to Dekalb Farmers Market. I tell him “Don’t do anything till I talk to My Chef”. I hang up and call Butch, more on Butch another day. Just so happens, [and I am not making this up] Butch tells me he is on his way to his seafood monger as we speak, he will call back and tell me what’s available and looks good. He does so, and does so, and does so and I have to stop him after three minutes and tell him the host will call him direct. Butch knows the host, Butch will help the host. Thank you Butch.

And so it goes… and we ended up with 100 oysters from the West Coast. Butch choose them for us ’cause he knew we wanted briny, salty, gulf coast flavors. He knew these had that flavor and they were the best looking. We ate most raw,

we put some on the Green Egg Grill. They were all so good and it was fun shucking them with the host and laying them on a iced platter, ready to be enjoyed.

Then we were treated to Shrimp and Grits. Not just any ol’ Shrimp and Grits. This Shrimp was done Pot Pie Style. I think there were green peas and all that pot pie stuff in a beautiful little crust, in the perfect little ramekin size. With a large dollop of Grits. Andy Griffith would have shit his britches. I remember we took the last Shrimp Pot Pie and laid it out, busted, on a plate and all had a few bites with the last of the grits.

Then my cab didn’t come and we tried calling and that didn’t work. I really thought I had it all set, but around 12:30, January 1st 2008, I started the year off like the dumb ass I am. I’ve seen the commercial ” buzz driving is drunk driving”. So I did what I had to and told our friends our cab was outside and we had to go. So we were just about to pull out of the driveway without anyone knowing the cab didn’t show. Damn, I left the car keys down stairs in the middle of everyone. By the time I went down to retrieve them, our host had Stacey out of the car and headed back in. I steered us back to the car and some how got out of the driveway.

I was having a little trouble with my phone, I couldn’t get the cab co. to answer and I was pissed I had to drive. We got home and I went to call our friends to tell them we got home ok. Phone is acting up, don’t know why, could be operator error, but I decide to throw phone at the house and pick it up and throw it at the house again. Welcome to 2008.

The food was good! The Friends are good too !

Dinner at Blackberry Farm

So if you don’t know of Blackberry Farm click here and check it out.

Like I said in the last post Stacey and I, along with our friend Kim, attended a fund raiser dinner and auction at Blackberry Farm. There were four guest Chefs who prepared two courses each. They were Donald Link of Herbsaint and Cochon in New Orleans. Hilary White from Serenbe, Mike Davis from Terra of South Carolina and Barry Maiden of the Hungry Mother. This is what we ate.

Smoked Mountain Trout Hoecake

Country Style Rabbit Pate

White Bean Stew with House Cured Ham and Mustard Greens

Pan Fried Cornmeal Crusted Carolina Catfish

Crispy Caw Caw Creek Pork Rillette

Grilled Jamison Farm Lamb Rack

Pecan Crusted Split Farms Fromage Blanc

Old Fashion Virginia Peanut Pie with Sorghum Ice Cream

It was crazy good and matched perfectly with wines from Vision Cellars. Mac McDonald is the owner and wine maker and he was on hand to discuss his wine and answer any questions. We also enjoyed a glass of Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon, 20 year old. It was really good and when I got home I went right out and bought a bottle. I think I will enjoy it at Mardi Gras this year. Did you notice almost each dish has a pedigree along with it?

Oh yea, the auction was cool as well. There was lot’s of item’s for a silent auction and about ten item’s for the live auction. I donated a painting for the silent auction and when they received it at the farm, the auctioneer decided to add it to the live auction. Damn, damn, damn. I could only imagine the painting I donated and put a retail value of $1000 on was gonna go for $350 and I would look like the fool I sometimes am . And on top of that I was called up to the front of the room by the auctioneer when the painting came up for bid and was carried up. So off I went. I’m thinking great not only will the painting not meet the retail price, but I get to stand up there and let everyone put a face to it. Damn, damn, damn. Rathead, the auctioneer, must have gotten the word about me because when I walked up he stuck the microphone behind his back as if I might try and grab it and say something stupid. Anyway, I was quite relieved when the bid on my painting got to $4000 by Chef Link and then topped by the nice lady from Huntsville, Al. for a final bid of $4250. Now who’s the fool’s? That’s what I was thinking. So I grabbed the mic from Rathead and started chanting “who’s the fool now, who’s the fool now, who’s the fool now?” I ran around the room so he couldn’t get the mic back, the whole time yelling into it ” I’m number one, I’m number one”. I didn’t really do any of that, but I was really excited to see my painting go for that much. Here’s a photo of it.

Egyptian Mythology goes Southern

As you can tell by the previous post we celebrate Madri Gras down here in the deep south. Like I said before Mardi Gras in America started in Mobile, Alabama. Way back in 1704 and then again in 1866 Joe Cain started it on it’s course to become what it is today.

I bet neither of these guys ever thought there would be an organization like Osiris. I am not sure but I guess you have to be committed to the Gay lifestyle to become a member, otherwise folks would fake it, just to be able to join, I would. After attending the Osiris Ball Friday night I might just try faking it and see if I can’t become a member. These folks know how to throw a party. Next to the Crewe of Mystic Fish they got ta be he best party during Mardi Gras.

After writing about the hard time I had getting it together for the Osiris Ball and joking that if I were a girl I could have borrowed a outfit from my Mom, I decided it was true, I could have gone in drag and it would have been a whole lot easier, both for me and four other folks.

Osiris has been a Mardi Gras organization for the last 27 years. They take their name from Egyptian Mythology. Osiris is the most famous of Egyptians gods. Isis was both his sister and his wife, I guess that is why a group in Alabama chose the name Osiris. His brother was Set and he was very jealous of Osiris and killed him and sent his body down the Nile in a coffin. Isis found the coffin and brought it back only to have Set chop the body up and scatter the parts throughout the land of Egypt. Isis found all but one of the body parts and once again, took Osiris back and used bandages to put the body back together. She then breathed life back into Osiris and that is when the two conceived a baby. Which was really strange considering the body part that Isis never found. Their son Horus was born and grew up fighting Set to revenge his father. Horus was never totally victorious over Set, I guess they just fought and fought. Osiris was to become known as the King of the Underworld, as in the sea.

Strange story, so quite fitting for this group in Alabama. The Osiris Ball is all about the tableau. It wasn’t real weird and it wasn’t traditional, but it was the most entertaining ball I have ever been to. The theme was Under the Sea, and the tableau was made up of about 10 different vignettes that some how related to the sea. There was the Loch nest Monster, there was a turtle, there was a group playing air guitars which I didn’t get. There were others, but the best was two guys that popped up from a yellow submarine dressed like the Beatles from Sargent Peppers. As “We all Live in a Yellow Submarine” played the two guys ran around throwing sailor hats to the crowd. Then they ripped off their cloths and pulled off their wigs. Then the two bald headed men in underwear joined hands and ran to the stage to finish their skit.

I can’t wait til next year!

How many Southerners……

Does it take to help me get dressed? Well Friday night it took five.

There was myself of course, I am capable of dressing myself, usually without help. Friday was “special” you might say. Stacey and I were going to a Mardi Gras ball down in beautiful Mobile, Alabama. I needed to wear a set of tails which I had taken over from my brother in law a few years ago when I started attending a few Mardi Gras balls. Mainly it was his ball I needed them for and since he rode in the parade and attended the ball as a masker, he didn’t need them for that night, so I used his. The last time I wore them was in the Mystic Fish Parade, last year, it was our 15th anniversary and I wanted to do something special. I must say, a guy riding and 12′ long paper mache fish down the street, sporting a set of tails was quite special!

The first problem I had was when brother in law called the day before the ball and said he needed his tails Friday night for a ball he was attending, he thought our ball was Saturday night and said he would get them back to us the next day. Well Stacey told him our ball was Friday night as well and we would go rent a set, no big deal. Well brother in law, being the sweetheart he is said no, he didn’t want to go to the ball anyway and if his wife insisted they go he would rent. He said it would be easier for him to rent since we were coming in from Atlanta, and we had the tails already, or so we all thought we had the tails.

Well, now it’s Friday night and we are due at a friends house in five minutes, we are gonna have a drink and head to the ball together. They live around the corner and time is not a problem. That is until I ask Stacey, do I wear my black tie and cummerbund, which is part of my tux, with the tails. She is not sure as this style of dress is kinda new for us. Like I said the last time I wore the damn set of tails was in a parade, so my memory is not so clear and all I have on hand is a black bow tie and a cummerbund. Let me call my brother I tell Stacey, hell he practically lives in formal wear and he will know.

So I call little brother and ask, once he stops laughing and can tell I’m serious he tells me, no cummerbund, instead it’s a white vest I need. Also you must wear a white tie with tails. WHAT? White tie, white vest, I got none of this and don’t remember ever having them. WHAT AM I GONNA DO, I GOT MINUTES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. Little brother is on his way home from work and will check and see if he has extra tie and vest. He is going to same ball brother in law may or may may not go to and he needs his stuff. He will call back in a few.

So in the mean time I put on what I have, pants, shirt, which I have already borrowed from little brother cause I can’t find the one that goes with brother in laws set of tails, probably in the fish float. I put on the nice black shoes I had to borrow from my dad cause I forgot to bring mine from Atlanta, surprise, surprise.

Stacey looks great and for a moment I wish I were a girl, all I would need is a dress and a pair of shoes. Hell I could have borrowed that from my mother.

So, as I wait for little brother to call back I call our friends we are going with, the former School Board Superintendent and his wife and ask if he has an extra vest and white tie. Sorry no luck, but take your time he said, your only 15 minutes late so far. DAMN, DAMN, DAMN.

Well little brother calls and says he has what I need and will bring it to me. His ball starts later then ours and he has time. Go to the former School Board Superintendents house, have a drink and he will call when he is in the drive way. And so it goes and I get what I need and am able to get to the ball on time.

It only took five people, Dads shoes, brother in laws tails, little brothers shirt, tie and vest, Stacey help through out the whole ordeal and of course I did my part and dressed myself.

Only in the South

In 1704 a Frenchman named Nicholas Langlois founded the Societe de la Saint Louis, and so Mardi Gras was established in America, in the South, the deep South. This happened in a place called 27 Mile Bluff, I think 27 Mile Bluff came to be know as Mobile.

The Mardi Gras we know today is, what it is, thanks to Joe Cain. In 1866 Joe Cain revived Mardi Gras after the war had dampened everyone spirits. He did a great job, it’s been going strong and getting better ever since.

My earliest memories of Mardi Gras are with my family, downtown, parking in the double decker garage, walking a few blocks to the parade then piling back into the car and going home and eating candy. Back then, this was the mid-sixties, peanut butter kisses were big, so was serpentine. Beads and moon pies I don’t remember as much.

I also remember being in the Joe Cain Parade back in the 70’s. I was in high school and for a few years there was a party in the Church St. Cemetery. This is where Joe Cain was buried. I went with my Mon and Dad and my little brother. We took food and drink and set up a picnic on one of the huge, raised, grave markers and we Raised Cain. This didn’t last long, I’m sure it was rough on such an old cemetery. But I think that was the movement to start Joe Cain Day.

So they call it the “peoples parade” and it was held on the Sunday before Mardi Gras Day. Anyone could be in the Joe Cain Parade. You could walk, ride a homemade float, ride a bike , skate, dance, play music, anything. All ya had to do was get in line. I remember both the line and the parade never ended. So many people would show up and just get into line and go.

The one year I rode in the Joe Cain Parade was with a group from high school. We had a pickup truck pulling a small trailer. There were way to many of us on the rig and we were throwing meat scraps. One of the guys we were with, I won’t name names but his folks owned Namans Meat Market. So that’s what we were throwing to the screaming crowd. Soon the pieces of meat were being thrown back at us and soon after that a fight broke out, so we just pulled off the parade route and got the hell outta there.

Southern Furniture

So a client I built a swing for ask if I could make some chairs for the front porch. I saw a chair in a magazine and it inspired this chair.

So I took it to her thinking this is a prototype and if she liked it we could tweak the design and build four just like she wanted. That’s one of the fun things about my job, I get to work with cool people who want something different and are really open to all kinds of ideas.

So I showed it to her and a few other folks at the same time and everyone thought it was great. My client ordered three more exactly like it. It is a very simple design. I used antique pine and 3/4″ wood dowels to plug the screw holes. I finished it with only a clear coat, no stain. This old pine really doesn’t need a stain it is such beautiful wood.

Here is a photo of the swing I built for her, I had orders for nine of these last year.

Nice Rack

Down south that phrase conjures the image of a gun rack in the rear window of a pickup truck. I’m talking about my latest job. I am building a few pieces for a local baker I helped with the renovation of his current shop, he is opening his second shop and he called back for more. Here is a photo of a bread rack from the first job. I am doing a different version of it for the new store.

Alon’s is about the best bakery in Atlanta. Over the years he has transformed it into a full on specialty shop. Besides the best bread you can get, he also has wine, cheese, oils, prepared foods and desserts. It is all the best, especially the cheese, the selection is incredible.

Here is a photo of the new bread rack. It is a lot larger than the first. I am also building 23′ of counter top from antique pine and 17 tabletops 24″square. It’s a good job

Good Gifts for a Southern Boy

So I must have been really good this year, I got some great gifts! I’m gonna tell ya what I got so next year if you need to get a forty-five year old southern boy a gift maybe this will give you some ideas.

A Fifty dollar bill don’t suck. With it Stacey got a bottle of tequila and I got a bottle of vodka. Oh what joy!

I live to eat and eat to live, so a cook book is always something that makes me happy. I received a book written by Alice Waters. If ya don’t know who she is do your homework it won’t be hard to find info on her. She has done more for plain old sensible living today then anyone I can think of. She also makes it taste great.

I love to read as well as eat. Irvine Welsh has written many books, some made into movies. This guy is the shit. I took two days off and just read this book, “If you liked school, you’ll love work”. Once you get into some of these short stories, you start to see and love his command for the different dialects of the English language.

Another book I was gifted was Beat, by Christopher Felver. Of course it’s all about the Beat artist. All the usual suspects are accounted for. Mr. Burroughs graces the cover, how fitting, being that he was the “grand daddy” of the beat generation. If that is in fact the word to use, cause that generation has inspired so any artist for the last 55 years, that I consider that movement alive and well. A lot of the bands I listen/listened to rank William S. Burroughs as a huge influence. I could go on and on and on about these guys, the Beats, starting with Kerouac and easily coming up with all kinds of current artist that carry on with that attitude. The book is laid out in a scrap book format, lot’s of photos and nice, neat, short stories with some of the shots.

I love bacon. We all love bacon, even if you don’t eat bacon or pork product, you love bacon, you just don’t yet know it. Bacon, a book by James Villas was a gift from a friend that is in love with good food and knowing how to prepare it. He has taken taken classes on the fine art of Bar-B- Q-ing and has fed me some of the best food I have eaten, I can’t wait to get into this book. I have read a book by Villas before and enjoyed it. He is straight forward and no nonsense, just telling it like it is.

Food stuff is always good to get. Oils, vinegars, cheeses and wines. All good things that I have already been enjoying, and sharing with friends.

I got a couple pieces of art. A small fish print, which I will use as an idea for a painting soon. It’s a fish standing upright, on it’s tail and it is sporting a nice top hat. I also was lucky enough to be given a Pig carved from wood. It is awesome and will also be ripped off, I mean used as inspiration for a painting.

I got a lot of nice stuff and I am used to that. Life for me is so full. I try not to take it for granted. I try to remember to thank God everyday and let Her know how greatful I am. I am so lucky to wake up everyday and know I am gonna get to do what I do, whatever that might be, and to have a life surrounded by such great people. I realize just how lucky I am. I know I am the most fortunate person in the world.

Happy New Year to everybody!