I’ve been feeling more than a little guilt over this situation over the past month as I’ve unproductively meandered through the void of “summer-time,” a concept all to fresh and appealing to my college educated but apparently schoolchild-like mind. Heck, I’m required to feel guilty. I have readers,  a fact which I’m grateful for and one that I don’t easily take for granted.

In truth, I often wonder in the echoing halls of my mind if I’m just lazy, if food blogging is just a phase, if I even like to cook anymore. And what about that expensive-ass camera that I’ve grown dangerously attached to? Or the money that I’ve poured into food props, lighting, and ingredients that most college kids only experience when Mom and Dad foot the bill? I shiver to think of the time that I’ve spent and the effort that I’ve expended taking and editing pictures, writing (hopefully) entertaining articles, and daydreaming and conceptualizing dishes, topics, and ideas all in an effort to propel “my blog” further along the path to becoming a “useful and entertaining” vehicle of information in the metaphysical world that is the blogosphere. Surely it hasn’t been for nothing… has it?

Then it hit me. I like to relax. I like to do nothing. I like to kick off my shoes and simply enjoy the experience of living life and all that it has to offer; to take time to restore balance to my life, recharge, and refresh my mind, body, and soul with the hope of returning to reality (whatever that is) with a new and hopefully improved perspective.

And so, two months too late, but better late than never, I’m finally pounding the proverbial rusty nail in the door and proudly declaring to the world that I’m gone fishin.’ And if on the off-chance that you come a knockin’ and I am home, I probably won’t answer. Unless, you come with food. Or beer. Then we’ll talk.

A quote to change your mind to:

“In the 16th Century, Shakespeare said, ” The world is too much with us.” What better way to describe the never ending hustle and bustle of life in the 21st Century. To be busy constantly and to socialize with other people as much as possible is encouraged, expected and easily accomplished in this age of communication. Plans, worries, hopes, and fears fill our minds. Entertainment, telephones, televisions, and computers are always there to take up “empty” time. We are taught from the beginning that idleness is wrong while being alone is boring. In other words, the society is based on continuous planning, productivity and activity. From bright colored-mobiles for the day old infants to senior activities for the dying, no allowance exists for doing nothing.

-Joan Bello

Follow me on Twitter: Don’t forget! Did you make the recipe and want to share how it turned out? Do you like the pictures? Dig the music? Just want to say hello? Add me on Twitter @cblackwell44, introduce yourself, and tell me about it! (the button to add is located at the top of every page)  - Chase

But as much as I love beer, and movies, and drinking beer while watching movies, my favorite part about Austin is still the food carts. I’m not in narrow company, either. Austintonians love their food carts and it’s not hard to see why. What’s not to enjoy about a freshly prepared meal out of a truck on the side of the road– a wonderful truck that uses fresh corn tortillas for their expertly prepared  tacos or fresh blackberries for their sorbet or who bakes their cupcakes each day, fresh, instead of sticking them in a fridge for a week. Who wouldn’t want their food cooked that way?

To explore the mouthwatering and mind-changing possibilities of the food cart, we set out on a local tradition known as the food cart crawl, whereby we selectively mapped out “top-tier” food carts throughout the city aiming to sample a piece of what each had to offer, without exploding from excessive food intake, of course. As the story goes, what happened as we tasted our way through the city was part epic, food-lust fueled experience and part life-altering, taste bud entrancing magic, but ask those who enter into the food cart crawl and live to tell the tale and they’ll tell you, more than any of that, it’s a whole lot of super tasty, Austin-themed awesomeness.

“The Crawl”

After a midday trip to Barton Springs Pool, a wonderful 900 foot natural limestone pool in Zilker Park, of which I unfortunatly have zero pictures, we headed out on our “crawl.” As is the case with all tasting experiences, like tapas or tasting menus, we wanted to start off with lightly flavored dishes and progressively move towards more heavily flavored items as the day wore down.

As it turns out, we couldn’t have picked a better place to start than Edible Earth, a newly opened vegan food cart, where we chatted with the owner, sipped sun tea, and ate fresh blackberry sorbet, all of which were perfect compliments to the continuously glaring and, at times, over-bearing mid-morning Austin heat.

“Edible Earth”

“Sun tea made with green tea, lemons, and oranges”

“Fresh Blackberry Sorbet”

After our refreshing visit to Edible Earth, we headed off on a harrowing, death-defying journey across the parking lot (hey, I said we mapped them out not that they were far apart) to Izzoz Tacos, a new age Tex-Mex taco trailer run by John who serves an assortment of tortas n’ tacos spiced up with a little attitude and more than enough knowhow.

“Izzoz Tacos”

To call these tacos “good” is not only wrong, it’s downright insulting. These tacos defy words and are, without a doubt, among the most delicious street food we had in the entire country, in competition with only The Odd Duck, a farm to trailer establishment located, oddly enough, only miles away in Austin. In fact, these freshly inspired tacos, like the Fried Avocado, with its layers of perfectly peppery arugula, wonderfully tangy and smoky chipotle sherry sauce, Cotija cheese, and flash-fried avocado, and The Padre, a traditional carnita pork taco, topped generously with rich slices of avocado, sweet roasted pineapple, and tangy tomatillo salsa, make me quiver with excitement just thinking about them. Not to mention the fact that it literally pains me that I can’t visit for lunch more often, as in, everyday. So, John, until we meet again some day or you kindly accept my begs and pleas for you to allow me to work for you (hint hint), I proudly salute to you for making, what is, without question, one hell of a taco.

“Fried Avocado Taco”

“The Padre”

Looking for something a little different following our terrific Tex-Mex taco tasting, we headed over to a popular Vietnamese cart known as Me So Hungry!, a feeling which, as it turns out, is perfectly captured by the scheming oriental woman plastered on top of the Ninja Turtle green paint job of the truck.

“Me So Hungry”

Me So Hungry is famous for their Banh Mi, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made with a french baguette and filled generously with pickled carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers and a meat, usually pork, chicken or ham which has been grilled, roasted, or charbroiled.

While this was my first time tasting a Banh Mi, I’m not at all unfamiliar with the flavors of grilled meat and vegetables and I happen to know a great sandwich when I see one. This is a great sandwich. The contrasting flavors and textures of the crunchy baguette, caramelized pork, and super fresh vegetables are the kind of stuff unforgettable food memories are made of and, conversely, what food related crime will be committed for if I don’t get my hands on another one of these very soon.

Amidst chatting with the owner of Me So Hungry and asking for a refreshing drink to cool me and the now sun burnt Brittany down from the unbearable Texas sun, I learned that Cheer Up Charlies, a nearby bar with more than enough lesbian appeal, specialized in a fermented mushroom drink known as Kombucha.

Now, I consider myself to be a pretty adventurous person. Can I be a little timid, at times? Sure. Am I off climbing Everest, swimming with sharks, or trying to tickle bears? No way. In truth, I might hesitate to do more than a few things that might put myself into even possible mental or physical danger, but some things are just worth it. New food experiences happen to be one of those things. So to satisfy this craving, alone, without trepidation, and in clear violation of the rules of the “crawl,” I headed off into the mystical void of experience to track down the mysterious mushroom drink they called Kombucha.

As I walked into the bright white and turquoise brick building I was met by an unmistakable menacing glare. It was the glare of young hipster women, artfully inked and sporting trendy ‘alternative fashions’, and only young hipster women, that resided in this low-key and surprisingly not very cheerful bar. Welcomed was the opposite of how I felt.  In fact, really the only vibe that I got was one that screamed in an all-to-stereotypical, startled, husky female voice,  ”woah, what the hell is he doing in here?!”

But before you wrongfully accuse me of being even the slightest bit intolerant, let me be clear. Seeing as no one specifically told me, I have absolutely zero proof that Cheer Up Charlies is a lesbian bar nor do I have even the slightest problem with it if it is. All that I ask is for a little warning next time. That way I can make Brittany go, for the comic appeal, that’s all.

According to Wikipedia, Kombucha is “a fermented tea that is often drunk for medicinal purposes,” Although there’s currently no scientific evidence to support the purported benefits of the mushroom tea, I believe in them.

The drink– lightly carbonated, tart, slightly sweet and lacking in any noticeable fermented flavor– is served on tap at Cheer Up Charlies and is loaded with healthful items like Yerba mate, green tea, a small amount of vinegar from the fermentation and, I’m sure, more than enough antioxidants to count.

The flavor is pretty intense, though, and certainly not for the faint of heart. To me, you have to really want to be healthy to get more than a few sips of this stuff down. Although the sun melting the ice down did make this one easier to palate, unlike a few others we’ve now tried without ice.

“Kombucha”

Surprisingly refreshed from the Kombucha experience, we headed off to what would be our last destination on the crawl and, not surprisingly, the only one that Brittany really lobbied for– the cupcake place. And when I say lobbied, I mean lobbied hard. Repeatedly reminding me that, before days end, we’re getting cupcakes! … or else.

To match her excitement and save me from the … or else part, we headed over to Hey Cupcake! to take a bite out of their famous red velvet cupcake.

What we found was not only a place that was passionate about serving gourmet cupcakes, but also one that has become rooted in Austin culture, sitting as the silver bullet trailer lined up alongside other food stands, restaurants, bars, and shops which cover the curbs of the district known as South Congress, in South Austin.

“Hey Cupcake!”

I’m not sure if there’s a better way to end a limestone pool and fantastic food filled summer Austin day than to sit down and eat a couple of  freshly baked cupcakes, sip on a bottle of cold milk, and listen to the rustic twang of a beat up acoustic guitar. I’ll let you imagine…

“Red Velvet Cupcake (front) Strawberry and Chocolate Cupcake (back)”

“Guitar Man”

And to truly end a fine day…

….what else but more beer!



“Homebrews from The Draught House”

Music to “crawl” to: Matt the Electrician – Made For Working Listen for free at Grooveshark.com!

Follow me on Twitter: Don’t forget! Did you make the recipe and want to share how it turned out? Do you like the pictures? Dig the music? Just want to say hello? Add me on Twitter @cblackwell44, introduce yourself, and tell me about it! (the button to add is located at the top of every page)  - Chase

‘Meeting Austin’ was a lot like running into someone who’s strikingly familiar and gives you a weird, intuitive sense that maybe I’ve met them before? Simply put, Austin was too familiar. The food? Fresh, locally sourced and prepared in a variety of styles by the coolest, most passionate people on the planet. The wildlife? Diverse, beautiful, and scattered throughout the city. The music? Let’s just say that more than a few of my favorite musicians are from Austin. The people? As cool, laid-back, and unbelievably friendly as they come. Pardon the personal depth, but for the first time in my life, I felt like I actually belonged in a city.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I just can’t find the words to explain why I love something. Words lack the meaning and depth to translate the feeling, the connection.  Even the most impassioned of efforts come up inevitably short. As one of my favorite lyricist, Jeffrey Foucault,  writes, “the finest pen could never hold a butterfly.” To me, it goes to show that there’s something about beauty that’s above words– above silly adjectives and washed out clichés. It must be experienced. It must be felt. In it’s simplest form, it just is. To me, Austin just is.

La Boite

After a night camping in the McKinney Falls State Park about 20 miles south of Austin, we headed to La Boite, a local eatery serving high quality french pastries, coffee, and other breakfast goodies out of a shipping box on the side of the road. Pretty cool, huh? A lady and fellow customer inside remarked that the pastries were as beautiful and tasty as any she had in Paris. Now, I’m a skeptic so I’m going to take that with a grain of salt until I make my way to Paris, but I do know that La Boite serves food as beautiful and tasty as anything I’ve ever eaten.

We had really just planned on ordering their famed Almond Croissant and a Cafe Mocha to satisfy Brittany’s insatiable appetite for coffee, but upon seeing the range of food they offered, I couldn’t help but satisfy my insatiable appetite to to try as many delicious-looking things as possible.

Amidst chatting with the remarkably tattooed and helpful (both common traits among Austintonians) young girl at the register, I pointed out that I’d like to try every macaron they had. See, I consider myself somewhat of a rube in the world of desserts. I’m more of a savory food lover, choosing to endlessly gorge myself on as many salty and fatty foods as I can cram into my mouth. Because of this, macarons are completely new to me. So much so that I pronounced them ‘mackaruune.” Which is just plain embarrassing. Though, I quickly learned through my keen observational skills that it’s actually pronounced ‘mackaRON’. Though, after some detective work, there may be more to it than I ever imagined (see discussion on Chowhound – “Macaron vs. Macaroon”)

Whatever the case, these delicious little cookie-like contraptions are beyond delicious. I had heard of them, seen them, and read recipes to make them before trying them, never with the intention of actually doing so because I falsely imagined them to be rock hard little cookies with filling in the middle. As it turns out, they’re perfectly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside with a melt in your mouth filling that leaves you craving just one more bite. If I could only eat one cookie-like-thing for the rest of my life, it would be a macaron with a drop of hesitation.

“Left: Pistachio with chocolate ~ Middle: Lemon and ginger ~ Right: Fluer de sel salted butter caramel”

Since I’m not a huge coffee fan, and Texas is frankly the hottest place I’ve had the pleasure to step foot on, I decided to quench my thirst with a cup full of lavender lemonade. Lemonade– an already perfect combination of sweet and tangy was only heightened by the slightly floral qualities of the lavender. It wasn’t too far off from a recipe for honeysuckle lemonade that I was tinkering earlier in the summer.

Torchy’s Tacos

Tochy’s is an Austin institution, famous for it’s creative and extremely delectable Tex-Mex tacos served out of a spruced up catering truck. It goes without explanation that when you stop in Austin, you stop at Torchys, likely more than once.

It’s hard to decide what to eat as you’re perusing the chalkboard menu littered with selections like slow roasted pork simmered in green chilies, onions, and cilantro, hand battered shrimp topped with cooked cabbage slaw, pickled onions, and jalapeños, and the ever-famous fried avocado taco with pico de gallo and a poblano ranch sauce.

Okay, actually, it’s not that difficult of a decision, being that no matter what you choose it’s going to be delicious and all. There certainly could be worse predicaments, I’m sure.

To satisfy this new found hunger for great Tex-Mex, we chose a heavily spiced seared albacore tuna taco with cilantro, slaw, and the always appropriate lime wedge.

Along side that, and my personal favorite, was a taco filled to the brim with chunks of slow-roasted chicken, grilled jalapeños, gently roasted mango, sour cream, cilantro, and a spicy, spicy, spicy Diablo sauce, which is okay, because I like it spicy.

More on Austin to come!

I will say, though, that for all of my ability to simply “go with the flow,” there is a certain way to start a trip of this magnitude, the adjectives of which sound something like stress-free, relaxed and methodical, with the ultimate goal of being as prepared as possible for whatever obstacles lie ahead. What you shouldn’t hear the day before you leave is, “Mr. Blackwell, that car you’re planning on driving across the country needs new front tires, a left front axle, front brakes, adjusted rear brakes, air filter and a serious alignment after you hit that truck tire driving down to New Orleans some odd months back.” Oh, really? You don’t say? How ‘bout we fix that axle when I get back? Right…

Here’s where I insert my sincere and much needed public apology for allowing my wonderful parents to ‘handle’ the potentially trip ruining repairs. Mom and Dad, thank you… seriously.  I promise I’ll make it worth your while when I’m filthy rich one day. That retirement home I’m going to put you in is gon’ be real nice. Just kidding.

Anyways, after a torturous amount of stress, tirelessly waiting around, and getting on a first name basis with the fine folks over at the Honda Service Center, we finally set off for our first stop, New Orleans, Louisiana, at 5 p.m. in the afternoon with dinner reservations at our favorite spot, Boucherie, four hours later. Which, as it so happens, is the exact amount of time that it takes to get there. Lucky us, huh?

“Enjoying Sweetwater Breweries Road Trip Ale”

Boucherie is our favorite spot in town for three reasons—it’s absurdly cheap, the food is awesome, and James, a server and part owner (I think), is a seriously knowledgeable beer geek who will, upon the slightest request, immaculately pair any chosen dish with a beer from Boucherie’s stellar beer list. In fact, he’s so good at pairing beer with food that I consider him a good friend, but only in a kind of weird and slightly creepy “he doesn’t even know who I am” kind of way, of course.

For this visit we went with a shared appetizer of Boudin balls, a heavily spiced rice sausage of traditional Cajun cuisine that is rolled and deep fried, with a creamy garlic aioli served alongside a bowl of perfectly fried pomme frites, aka French fries, topped with herb butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Both of which were delicious down to the very last scrapings on the plate, though the Boudin balls were missing the peppery crunch of arugula that had made them so delicious on numerous occasions before.

For an entrée, Brittany decided on seared scallops served with crunchy green beans alongside what I would consider a meaty and heavily acidic hybrid between tomato gravy and chutney. Whatever the case, the acidity of the tomato paired nicely with the richness of the impeccably seared scallops while the green beans provided a crunchy and remarkably fresh contrast to the meaty tomato sauce. For my entrée, I went with a pan seared duck breast, smoked black-eyed peas, duck cracklings, and a foie gras milk gravy—no further explanation necessary, if you ask me. To cut the richness and support the gently spiced duck, James recommended a Triple Karmalleit, a full-bodied, moderately carbonated, and distinctly “Belgian-tasting” beer brewed with a combination of three grains that results in a slightly spicy, herbal, and crisp compliment to the rich duck dish. Thanks James, I owe you one.



“Boucherie – sorry for quality, Iphone photo”

After dining at Boucherie we set off for the first night of our many planned nights camping at state parks in and around the cities where we’ll be exploring. Now, midnight in the pitch black of a riverside Louisiana state park probably isn’t the best time for a first time ‘tent pitching’ experience. Hell, a bright incandescent light bulb lit living room would have been perfect for a test run. But in an effort to make things as difficult as possible during a day when everything else had gone wrong, pitch black seemed like the right move.

Luckily and contrary to popular belief and movie portrayals, pitching a tent really isn’t all that difficult, even in the dark with way too many bugs around. The tent was set up in a mere twenty minutes thanks to Brittany’s intense and quite inspired workmanship. To be honest, I had fully expected the tent pitching to be a solo experience for myself, wrought with frustration, anger, and likely a few echoing obscenities. But what happened amazed me. Throw a special someone in a situation they absolutely don’t want to be in, but otherwise have no choice, make sure there’s a ton of bugs, a stress-filled day, and the urge to get a good night’s sleep and watch them go. It was like an experiment in human psychology at its finest, mainly because I was the observer and not the subject.

“Fairview Riverside State Park – Madisonville, Louisiana”

The next morning, on our way to head out for Austin, Texas, we set off on a “greatest hits” tour of New Orleans, featuring two of our favorite New Orleans specialties: Po-boys and Chocolate Azteca Gelato.

For the first, we went to the very place where we first experienced the meat packed, incredibly messy, and perfectly dressed Po-boy sandwich: Crabby Jacks. The small and eclectically decorated eatery is a local favorite for Po-boys, Boudin sausage, red beans and rice, and nearly every other New Orleans specialty you can think of, and with good reason, it’s delicious. For this visit we decided to share a 12” stewed Cajun pork Po-boy. It actually went by a more complicated, “French-like” name, but I can’t remember what it was, but who cares. It was good.

For dessert, we headed over to La Divina Gelateria for their Chocolate Azteca Gelato. There really isn’t much to say. La Divina, as we call it, is locally sourced, artisan quality, and basically the best gelato this side of Italy. And if you’ve never eaten chocolate ice cream spiced with Mexican spices like cayenne pepper, cardamom, ginger, etc. then you’re missing out. The sweet heat is to die for.

“La Davina Gelateria – Chocolate Azteca”

Now we’re off to explore Austin, Texas! Wish us luck!

This dish is almost too simple for how delicious it is. The relish, bursting with the acidity of cherry tomatoes, slightly smoky sweet corn, and fresh herbs is perfect next to the barely charred Tilapia. For something truly special, try and pick out as many ingredients as you can at a local farmer’s market while the ingredients in the relish are in season and at their peak this summer.

To make execution of this dish as easy and painless as possible, make the relish up to three hours ahead, only tossing in the herbs at the last minute before serving. With the relish out of the way, full attention can be focused on grilling the fish to perfection.

Shopping List:

Serves 4 as a light dinner

• 2 pounds Tilapia, sea bass or favorite white fish
• 6 cobs of sweet corn
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 sweet onion
• 1/2 cup fresh basil,  cut into chiffonade (you can substitute cilantro for a Mexican-themed twist)
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 6 chive sprigs, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons good red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil (plus more for grilling corn, onions, and Tilapia)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat a grill to a high flame (you can also use a broiler to diminished results)

To begin, shuck the corn and toss the cobs in either butter or olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Slice the sweet onion and do the same (toss in olive oil or butter and sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper).

Grill the onions and corn until well-charred. Beware of potentially eye-poking-out flying corn kernels!

Allow the corn and onions to cool. To make removing the kernels less messy, cut the corn cobs in half and carefully remove the kernels from the cobb with a sharp knife. Roughly chop the onions into 1/4″ thick pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, onions, quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Again, the relish can be made at least a few hours before grilling the fish.

***Add in the fresh basil chiffonade, chopped parsley, chives and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Grilling The Fish

To finish, the fish needs to be grilled. But before you rush mindlessly (like I did) and end up with dismantled Tilapia (like mine) and a dirty grill (that you’ll have to clean up), take these few easy precautions to prevent the fish from sticking.

1. Dry the Tilapia with paper towels until no moisture remains on the towel.

2. Toss the fish in a high-heat, refined oil such as canola, peanut, or extra-light olive oil.

3. Thoroughly clean and oil the grill grates.

4. Season with salt and pepper just before grilling to prevent the salt from drawing moisture out of the fish.

5. Let the fish cook, flipping only once. This will allow the protein structure on the outside of the fish to fully form and remove from the grill, thereby allowing it to not stick to the grate, like we want.

Otherwise, pay careful attention, get used to touching the fish as it grills, looking for a slightly springy texture, and go with your gut instinct. If you think it’s done then it probably is. And if not, now you know what not-done-fish feels like. Grilling is as much an art as it is a science– and there’s no room for thermometers when grilling fish!

Plate and serve hot with the relish and your favorite glass of white wine.

During dinner, we got into a rather lengthy and relatively heated discussion about how much we would pay for a dish like this in a few different scenarios– a fine dining restaurant, a casual lunch spot, and a specialized ‘gourmet’ catering truck that drives around town selling fresh local food.

How much would you pay and how would your expectations change depending on the situation?

In my mind, ‘the river’ will always be  synonymous with childhood summers spent floating on the murky water of the Coosa river lying under the sweet heat of the Alabama summer sky. Each summer our family would take a trip to an old cabin on the side of the river and, to me,  that mean’t wildly adventurous pontoon boat trips to the general store, near back-breaking tubing on the concrete-like water, pulsing splinters gathered from an old wooden pier, fragrant piles of burning wood, dusty life jackets from an old shed, home cooked cornbread, minimum air conditioning, lemon meringue pie, and shooting fireworks off of the pier.

The trip was a yearly ritual for our family as I grew up, the memories of which I continue to cherish into my budding adulthood. And while childhood has all but passed, with only vague memories of those important events remaining, the mysterious and murky waters of Alabama’s Coosa river are still a place for good company, sweltering summer skies, and childish adventure.  I will admit, however, that at this point in my life, as numerous ‘responsibilities’ have been tacked on with only more to come,  I’ve thrown in my fair share of rest and relaxation by way of chilly nights listening to music or laying on the pier gazing at the stars and listening to nature, things I would have only scoffed at as a ‘kiddo.’

But more than anything, as time passes and memories fade, the river is a place to enjoy the finer things in life, whatever they may be at the time. And so, I’ll leave you with pictures of what were the ‘finer’ things on my recent trip.

“Elephant Garlic from Birmingham’s Pepper Place Farmer’s Market”

“Freshly Pulled Radish from My Mom’s Garden”

“Fresh Strawberries from a Local Farm”

“Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella”

“Critter Friends”

“Local Grass-Fed Eggs”

“Yoga on the Pier”

“Sunset on Jet Ski”

“Shoot the Moon Between the Eyes” – John Prine

“Sunset”

Music to float the river to: River Mix – Various Artists Listen for free at Grooveshark.com!

Follow me on Twitter: Don’t forget! Did you make the recipe and want to share how it turned out? Do you like the pictures? Dig the music? Just want to say hello? Add me on Twitter @cblackwell44, introduce yourself, and tell me about it! (the button to add is located at the top of every page)  - Chase

Ahhh… blogging. That’s more like it.

Asparagus and gulf shrimp meunière; I made this a week or so before the misery of finals and I won’t lie to you, it was kind of a disaster. That’s not to say it didn’t start off as a great idea, like I suspect many disasters do, or that it wasn’t quite tasty how it turned out, but there was disaster involved all the same.

Imagine, if you will, an early spring morning trip to Whole Foods, intended to be a break from the boringness that Publix, a medium-quality chain grocery store, stationed in the southeast United States, with a basically void selection of quality meat, fish, and produce, has to offer. We set off on this adventure to Whole Foods with no immediate plan, list, or idea of what food we were getting.. no, no, I like to feel what I want to cook. It has to come to me like the Ten Commandments came to Moses from the burning bush. If the produce ain’t talking then I ain’t buyin’.

As it were, there we are, standing in the middle of Whole Foods wondering, no, begging, for something to come to me. “Maybe we should have organized or made a list before we came,” is Brittany’s usual rhetoric after a few minutes of my meandering around pretending to be waiting on some magical moment. By the way, when I say inevitably, I mean this happens every time we go food shopping. You see, Brittany likes structure and order and for each event to be planned to perfection. Me? I thrive in chaos. I can’t stand to be organized. My life is an absolute wreck; my apartment’s a mess, the dishes are never clean, important papers are never put away, I can stay up until 5 in the morning and sleep untill 6 in the afternoon, just as the sun is going down, and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t get stressed. I get creative. And luckily, I’m the one that can cook.

And so, there we are, standing in the Whole Foods produce section aimlessly messing around with some oranges (did I mention I was still awake from the night before?) when, like a light bulb finally turning on after a power outage, the ideas began to flow. It started with the watermelon radish, watercress, and cremini mushroom salad with a honey-sherry vinaigrette. Then came the green beans with shallots, sherry vinegar, parsley, and bacon (coming soon) quickly followed by a hoagie roll with grilled Italian sausage, Diijon aioli, and arugula (also coming soon). And finally, the star of the show, the one everyone’s been waiting for, the asparagus and gulf shrimp meunière, which I had yearned to try for months after picking up my copy of Frank Stitt’s “Southern Table,” an ode to his Birmingham-based and nationally renowned, Highlands Bar and Grill. In a matter of seconds I had improvised the ‘blog menu’ for the following week. Unfortunately, when this happens,  it all happens so fast that I just start running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off (pretty morbid for a saying, huh?).

But, like I said, this all started with a good idea and ended in disaster, remember? Although, technically, it isn’t my idea. It’s Frank Stitt’s idea, but it’s a good idea all the same. The asparagus: thick, tender, and light enough on the palate to allow the gulf shrimp, in all it’s sea-tasting brininess, to shine through. The entire dish is brought together by the tangy lemon bursting through the rich butter sauce scattered with green onions, garlic and white wine, known as meunière. The dish is the epitome of spring, through and through.

That is, it would have been, if only I hadn’t overcooked the shrimp, let the asparagus go cold, and turned the sauce into a gloopy, coagulated mess scattered with overcooked (read: nearly burnt) green onions and garlic. Was this the result of the complete chaos and disorganization of a photo shoot, a blog post, and a meal going on at the same time? Maybe.  Alright… yea, it was.

What can I say? Maybe I’ll learn one day.

Asparagus and Gulf Shrimp Meunière Recipe:

Adapted from Frank Stitt’s “Southern Table”

Before we start, aside from my screw-ups, this meal was great. But it was definetly a “restaurant dish,” meaning that it’s small portions and not very filling. When we have the chance to make it again, we’re going to throw in on some angel hair pasta for a more hearty, home-type meal.

Bring a large sauce pan of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Boil the asparagus until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

In a medium saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter over medium-heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the shrimp and white wine and simmer until the wine is reduced by half (we had to add more wine, so don’t be afraid to do so). Add the lemon juice and slowly whisk in the remaining butter piece by piece. Season to taste with hot sauce,  salt and pepper.

Keeping in theme with the short articles and quick and tasty recipes of ‘smoked pork week’, today I bring you the ultimate leftover barbecue pork breakfast– an open-faced barbecue sandwich with a sunny-side up fried egg.

This is probably my favorite dish that we made this week using the leftover pork from the smoked Boston butt last  weekend. The contrast of texture is excellent. The creaminess of the cayenne-sprinkled egg yolk blends perfectly into the sweet-heat of the sauce drenched pork laying a top the hickory-smoke infused and super crunchy hamburger bun. The entire thing is an all-around home run. I just wish I had enough leftover pork to make it again.

Open-Faced Barbecue Sandwich with Fried Egg (feeds two)

• 1 large farm egg
• 1 hamburger bun, split
• 2 cups pork
• 1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
• handful arugula or favorite relish/chow chow
• 3 teaspoons hickory-smoked pork fat reserved from smoking Boston butt
• Kosher salt, to taste

In a cast iron pan, heat 1 teaspoon pork fat over medium-heat. Fry only the inner-side of each hamburger bun until golden brown. Remove to a plate.

In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon pork fat and fry the egg over medium-ish high heat until crispy and the egg white is no longer runny (you’re going for a crispy fried egg and runny yolk– none of that slow-cooked egg stuff here). Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Remove to a plate.

In the same pan, heat the remaining teaspoon pork fat and fry the pork over medium-ish high heat until warmed thoroughly. Add in the cider vinegar, rosemary, and barbecue sauce and continue to cook until the sauce is slightly caramelized, but not burnt. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with fresh thyme.

Plate and serve hot.

Music to eat a great breakfast to: Brett Dennen – “Brett Dennen” Click to listen for free at Grooveshark!

“This is that rare and wonderful thing – a brilliant debut album from a mature young artist with a sound like nothing you have ever heard. Dennen’s voice sounds like it’s caught somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, but he sings with the idiosyncratic confidence of Van Morrison. His guitar playing crackles with jazzy melody and he has already learned that less means more. Dennen’s unique phrasing syncopates with the playing to make you tap your toes as you absorb his superbly crafted songs. The material is often unabashedly spiritual, invested with down-to-earth intensity and sincerity. Brett Dennen has it all together and the production lets it shine. It’s all that good-essential!” – Review by Michael Devlin for Music Matters

Follow me on Twitter: Don’t forget! Did you make the recipe and want to share how it turned out? Do you like the pictures? Dig the music? Just want to say hello? Add me on Twitter @cblackwell44, introduce yourself, and tell me about it! (the button to add is located at the top of every page)  - Chase

It’s the week before finals at the university (known as dead week not because you’re dead, but because you wish you were) and I don’t really have the time or the mental energy to right write an article at the moment. So, this week, I’m going to keep the words short and the food delicious for a special I’m calling “A Celebration of Smoked Pork.”

If you’ve ever smoked a huge piece of pork you know that it can be a struggle to find new and exciting ways to use the leftover meat besides ‘tossing it on a sandwich.’ You contemplate freezing it, throwing it out, feeding it to the dogs — none of which allow you to  enjoy the wonders of smoked pork. In an effort to rid you (and me) of this problem, I present to you…

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns with Crispy Fried Pork (serves two hungry folks):

Very loosely adapted from Frank Stitt’s Southern Table

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into cubes (size doesn’t matter.. they can be big or small.. just make sure they are cut evenly so they cook evenly)
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons reserved hickory smoked pork fat from smoked Boston butt (bacon fat can be substituted in a pinch, but expect there to be flavor consequences)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 cups pulled pork
• 1/2 cup favorite barbecue sauce (something with a little tang and spice works well)

In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the pork fat over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add another tablespoon of the fat and add in the potatoes. Cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the now empty skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of fat and fry the pork until heated through and slightly crispy (this works best with room temperature pork). Just before serving, add the barbecue sauce to the pork and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. You want the sugar in the sauce to caramelize a bit, but you absolutely do not want it to burn.

Top the potatoes with the pork, sprinkle in the fresh thyme and parsley, and serve hot with arugula or your favorite side-salad.

Follow me on Twitter: Don’t forget! Did you make the recipe and want to share how it turned out? Do you like the pictures? Dig the music? Just want to say hello? Add me on Twitter @cblackwell44, introduce yourself, and tell me about it! (the button to add is located at the top of every page)  - Chase

My experiences with smoked Boston butt always end with the same half-dejected reassurance that, “well, it was good, but I can do it better next time, I swear.” And the next time I set out determined to ‘finally’ turn out a ‘perfect’ piece of smoked pork.

Then it happens, like the torturing clockwork of a stacked game of cards, the smoker is too hot, or even worse, too cold, I forget the thermometer, the coals die out ¾ of the way through cooking, the thermometer is too close to the bone so I remove it only to see hordes of flavorful juice escape from the now bone-dry pork, we should have taken it 5 degrees further, the crust is too thick, the rub doesn’t taste good, we forget to rest in foil; the list goes on and on. Oh what an unbearably frustrating list it is.

In the midst of such frustration I’m reminded of a quote from Thomas Edison who said, in response to a question regarding his failure to successfully create the filament for the light bulb, “I have not failed seven hundred times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those seven hundred ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

I bet you’re thinking, “Hey, that’s not such a bad way to look at it, Chase. How insightful, through all of your failures you’ve learned a wealth of information in your quest for perfect smoked pork. With the right attitude and some persistence I bet you’ll get there one day, buddy!” Yea. Right. That’s all well and good until it’s nearly midnight and you’re running to Walmart for more coals and, as my new friend Sasa @ sasasunakku would say, you’re hit with a bought of  ’hanger’ (hunger that turns to anger) so intense you’d actually rather smash a car window with the pork than eat it.

But when the hanger fades and I’m done cleaning up the glass and explaining the situation, I guess I really have learned quite a bit about how-to smoke a piece of pork. Which is what I’m here for– to help prevent you from making the same mistakes that I’ve made and getting hangry (…now listen here, Johnny-boy, you know daddy loves you right..?)

Smoked Boston Butt with Rosemary Brown Sugar Rub:

For the Boston Butt -

• 4 to 5 pound Boston Butt, bone in and extra fat trimmed
• Dijon mustard
• Rosemary and Brown Sugar Rub
• Choice of firewood, hickory and apple are both fantastic with pork
• Favorite brand charcoal briquettes, I use regular Kingsford
• Lighter fluid, optional

Tip: If your considering using lump charcoal — don’t. Stick with charcoal briquettes and save the hardwood lump charcoal for high-heat grilling. The briquettes burn longer and at a more consistent temperature.

For the Rosemary Brown Sugar Rub -

Let me just say, I’ve never had a pork rub that I really liked. Until this one– rosemary and pork pair exceptionally well.

• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Slather the entire butt (..heh) with Dijon mustard and season with a even layer of the rub. Set aside at room temperature until ready to cook.

Modified Minion Method:

I’ve been searching for the best way to maintain a consistent smoker temperature with even smoke output for almost two years now. I happy to say that I’m searching no longer. The Modified Minion Method is pure brilliance. With a little-set up and virtually no effort you can run a consistent smoker temperature of around 225 – 275 degrees for at least 10 hours, maybe more, with even smoke output the entire time.

Tip: If you run into trouble and find the heat too hot or cold a simple adjustment of the bottom vent will quickly solve the problem.

To begin, arrange 2 rows of briquettes along the the rim of the grill. Follow with another layer of 2 rows. Finish with a layer of 1 row of charcoal and 1 layer of wood (this isn’t depicted accurately in the picture due to figuring this out after spending an hour attempting to get the grill to the proper temperature). But hopefully this will give you a good idea…

Next, squirt some lighter fluid (you heard me, lighter fluid, don’t be shy) on the first 8 coals, ignite, and let burn uncovered until ashy white.

When the coals are white, place in a drip pan. The bottom to a terracotta pot works great (it also makes a perfect pizza stone), as does a foil covered glass bowl, but I thought I’d take the 10 hours of fat and smoke-rich environment as an opportunity to further season my little carbon steel frying pan. Fill with water, if desired.

Tip: If you don’t happen to have lighter fluid on hand, like me, use a chimney starter to get the coals hot and then place in the grill.

Smokin’ The Butt:

You’re now ready to assemble the grill, arrange one thermometer probe in the thickest part of the meat (away from the bone) and rig the other to monitor the temperature near the pork in the smoker, put the lid on, and get that butt a smokin’.

At a temperature of 250ºF it will take, on average, about 1 ½ to 2 hours per pound to finish cooking. However, be warned, barbecue can be  unpredictable so it’s better to start early than finish late to avoid eating at midnight with hanger pains.

Tip: The meat can be ‘held’ in foil for up to 5 hours after cooking (more on that below).

Just as an aside, I’d like to recommend a product that I couldn’t live without when smoking or grilling anything. The Maverick ET-73 Dual Probe Thermometer with a wireless receiver allows you to simultaneously monitor both the ambient smoker temperature as well as the internal temperature of the meat at a range of 100 feet. That’s right, lazy one, you can monitor the entire thing in the comfort of your own living room or beside the pool. Also, if you get busy and forget to monitor the temperatures, alarms can be set to alert you if your smoker is running to hot or too cold. Best of all it’s easy to use, reliable, and accurate. It’s truly the best on the market and will make smoking anything from pork butt to ribs and chicken that much easier, enjoyable, and tasty.

The Finished Product:

Once the meat registers an internal temperature of 205º F it’s ready to be taken off of the grill and be wrapped tightly in aluminum foil for a minimum of 1 hour to allow the juices to redistribute and the meat to come to a final temperature of 210º. I know it’s tempting to take the freshly smoked pork and chow down right away, but take this part seriously and let the meat rest. It really does make a huge difference and you will be rewarded with better meat.

Tip: If you’re going for sliced pork, take it off when the internal temperature reaches 190º to 195ºF.

From here the meat can be pulled, chopped, drizzled with cider vinegar with fresh thyme sprinkled in, slathered with your favorite barbecue sauce,and made into a delicious sandwich with arugula or your favorite coleslaw or chow chow.

Oh, and don’t forget to strain the hickory smoked pork fat (and boil the water out, if necessary) from the drip pan and reuse. It makes plain old bacon fat look worthless.

Music To Rock To: Presidents of The United States of America Click to listen for free on Grooveshark!

“Having modified the bass to two strings and the guitar to only three, The Presidents are about as gut level as you can get. The irresistable riffing and “meowing” vocals on “Kitty” show that this is a band with power to spare. Bassist Chris Ballew’s writing is diverse and catchy, and propels The Presidents through roaring originals that they obviously love to play. “Lump” has a ferocious pop kick and sing-along appeal, rivaled only by the gnarly, funky edge of “Boll Weevil.” – CD Universe

Follow me on Twitter: Don’t forget! Did you make the recipe and want to share how it turned out? Do you like the pictures? Dig the music? Just want to say hello? Add me on Twitter @cblackwell44, introduce yourself, and tell me about it! (the button to add is located at the top of every page)  - Chase