I Ate The Chocodile

Jo to Go has come and gone. It has been confirmed that the Kansas City, Missouri location of Jo To Go at 7121 NW Barry Rd. (across from the Zona Rosa shopping center at I-29) has closed its doors (and drive-thru windows) for good. Free are we from the tyranny of poor-quality franchised drive-thru coffee! (Okay, maybe not quite, but it’s certainly a start.)

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In honor of Top Chef 4 contestant Richard Blais, (who is my clear favorite for this season’s winner,) here is my play on a sous-vide application for reheating barbecued pulled pork:

A 32 oz. stainless steel steaming pitcher

A vacuum-sealed pouch of hickory smoked shredded pork shoulder

Apply sssssteam heat!

Cut open pouch with scissors.

Stir in a few tablespoons of Oklahoma Joe’s Night of the Living Barbecue Sauce.

Pile high on a sesame seed bun…

Add a few pickles, and enjoy!

Optional: Rock a faux-hawk

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Former Radish frontman, Bens collaborator, and all-around awesome musician Ben Kweller is moving to Austin, Texas, and is looking to unload some of his gear on Craigslist. Four of his guitars, a Fender twin amp and a set of speaker stands are up for sale, and at reasonable prices! Sorry folks, there’s no Crate Combo… I already checked.

Check out BK’s listings here…

While I’ll no longer be able to say that two of my favorite artists are Brooklynites, I’m glad that BK will be joining the ranks to help “Keep Austin Weird”.  Hopefully he doesn’t incur too many nosebleeds along the way.

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I had high hopes for my first trip to Kansas City’s Record Bar, the former site of Molloy Bros Irish Pub. The kitschy theme of album-cover-bound menus, the new slogan “eat. hear.” and promise of “gourmet food in a comfortable atmosphere” sound great on paper, but fail in their poor execution. We arrived at the venue an hour before the show, just as the doors were opening. The parking lot was surprisingly bare, and the line at the door quite short for a “sold-out” show. I waited my turn behind three people for a wristband, and then headed in to find a seat…

If only I had known at the time how laughable of an ambition that was. There were about twenty-five people inside, and all six or so of the sparse wooden tables, as well as every bar stool were filled. The decor was dingy, with distressed wood paneling from floor to ceiling that gave the room a dirty, dive-bar feel. This was far from the “comfortable atmosphere” that I had envisioned; my hopes and dreams of a custom-created pizza and a cold Boulevard Wheat were shattered. (Insert pun about the dangers of serving beer in glass pint glasses at such an establishment here.) Reluctant to go stand right in front of an empty stage, in a more or less empty room, we stood awkwardly near the back, biding our time. The bar slowly began to fill up, more than a few of the patrons sharing the same bewildered look at the bleak setting as they trickled in.

After an hour of shifting from foot to foot on what seemed to be the hardest floor in the universe, I decided to check my ticket stub. 9:30 PM. The Record Bar’s website had the show listed at 8:00 PM, and we had been standing around since 7:00. If the show didn’t start by 8:15, I was going home.

And then a shaggy-haired, stocking-capped gentleman took the stage… not a roadie, sound technician, or spokesman of the venue, but rather a sort of emcee, testing the waters by tossing out a few jokes, and introducing the lineup. The format of the Hotel Café Tour was less like a concert with defined opening and headlining acts, and more like an Indie version of a Rat Pack variety show. Each artist would play three songs, spill a few quirky anecdotes, then head offstage again. The master of ceremonies would tell a few jokes and send on the next act. There was no time spent on equipment changes or sound checks between sets. After each artist had played a mini-set, the lineup would be repeated. As the evening wore on, the artists began to call their friends up on stage to join in the revelry, laughing and harmonizing, like a well-staged jam session among friends.

While the Hotel Café Tour seemed to go to great lengths to showcase each artist equally, Ingrid Michaelson was clearly the evening’s main attraction. The crooning vocals and piano riffs seemed to flow effortlessly from the petite singer, the strains coming out in album-like quality. She led the crowd in an enthusiastic sing-along of “The Way I Am”, and belted out a jazzed-up cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” that lent new interest and excitement to the old standard.

Dan Wilson’s winsome stage presence and self-deprecating humor put the crowd at ease, as he explained the concept behind his solo album “Free Life.” Though his introduction included cryptic allusions such as “you know him, even if you don’t know you know him,” for a good part of the show I was convinced that he was going to avoid mentioning Semisonic altogether, and go about playing his new material without giving away his smug secret; a sort of inside joke for the many fans in the crowd. During his last set, he broke out with “Closing Time”, and an accompanying story that seemed to soften the blow by making light of it. While it was a treat to hear him perform it live, I’d rather he hadn’t. The high point of his set was his performance of “Baby Doll”, an undeniably catchy and melodic love song from his new album.

Cary Brothers supplied a laid-back vibe and Bono-esque vocals, while Jim Bianco hammed it up with animated facial expressions and raspy, innuendo-laden comedy. In the culmination of the slightly more serious title track from his album, “Sing” Bianco asked Brothers and friends to join him in the center of the crowd, for an interactive and soulful jaunt. The hidden gem of the show, however, was Meiko. The former Hotel Café waitress’ unapologetic style was a folksy combination of Jewel, Bjork and Dolores O’ Riordan. Her songs were both infectious and relatable, detailing past relationships in “Under My Bed” and a song about hating Hooters girls because of an unfaithful boyfriend.

I ultimately had a great time at the Hotel Café Tour show. The artists were able to entertain in such a way that it made up for the shortcomings of the venue, my previous bad mood and even the drunken frat guy yelling “woo!” in the corner. At first, I thought that it was a bit strange, even potentially confusing to name a tour after a venue in which it originated, but for that evening, I wasn’t attending a show at the Record Bar, I was attending a show at the Hotel Café.

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In honor of the late Charlton Heston, I went out and purchased my first gun–a nitrous oxide powered whipped cream gun!

The iSi Mini Whip holds a cool half pint (that’s a smart-assed way of saying “one cup”) of liquid, which expands to roughly the volume of an average 8 oz container of Cool Whip… but instead of that loathsome concoction of corn syrup and hydrogenated vegetable oil, you have real whipped cream to adorn those pancakes and Belgian waffles, and slices of pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving.

I’d long coveted the iSi one-quart affair that we use at work to top our mochas and frozen drinks. Coming from a job in management at a competing coffee shop, the difference in flavor of real whipped cream, made with only heavy whipping cream and a touch of Torani vanilla syrup, is quite noticeable. For St. Patrick’s day, we punch it up with a bit of crème de menthe. The mountainous display of fresh strawberries at our local grocery store was the final straw.  2/$5 cans of Reddi Wip be damned! It was time to invest in a new culinary toy.

My first home application was strawberry shortcake, but soon to be tried are chocolate mousse and tiramisu. I’ll be anxious to see how the ingredients incorporate, and I’m sure I could find a few extra uses for some mascarpone cream, or perhaps some ricotta cannoli cream.

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Ben Lee’s “We’re All in This Together” from the album Awake is the New Sleep is featured in Kohl’s new Spring 2008 commercial.

Lyrics:

I woke up this morning
I suddenly realized
We’re all in this together
I started smiling
‘Cause you were smiling
And we’re all in this together
I’m made of atoms
You’re made of atoms
And we’re all in this together.
And long division just doesn’t matter
‘Cause we’re all in this together…yeah

I saw you walking
In the city
We’re all in this together
The city’s changing
Cause we are changing
And we’re all in this together
Every 12 seconds
Someone remembers
That we’re all in this together
In the kitchen of your rent control apartment
We’re all in this together

Come on baby, I don’t mean to rush you
I only wanted to reach out and touch you
I’ve got to start to open my heart

I know you think about jumping ship before it sinks
But we are all in this together
Ask a scientist
It’s quantum physics
We are all in this together
And on the subway we feel like strangers
But we’re all in this together
Yeah I love you and you love her and she loves him
But we’re all in this together

You know baby there’s never been protection
In all the history of human connection
Come on darling its alright to show me
You don’t ever need to be lonely
Once you start to open your heart

I saw you crying
I started crying
Cause we’re all in this together
And then religion is a big decision
But we’re all in this together

We are all in this together

I gave Awake is the New Sleep another listen through the other day, and really feel that it is underrated as an album. With clever lyrics in songs such as “Begin” and “Into the Dark” (”you’re not a landmine, you’re not a gold mine… no, you’re not mine at all…”) and the undeniably catchy pop appeal of “Catch My Disease,” (one song that I never mind getting stuck in my head, though I may have just come to accept it as an inevitability–it’s as infectious as its title implies) it’s a great listen all the way through. Another breakout hit is “Gamble Everything for Love,” which Ben Folds showcased as one of his personal selections on Steve Earle’s Air America show. While tracks such as “We’re All in This Together” and “Whatever It Is” could be criticized as idealistic or Dylanesque, I find them refreshing and optimistic. If nothing else, much can be excused in lieu of that adorably disarming Australian accent.

Awake is the New Sleep

Track listing:

1. “Whatever It Is”
2. “Gamble Everything for Love”
3. “Begin”
4. “Catch My Disease”
5. “Apple Candy”
6. “Ache for You”
7. “Into the Dark”
8. “No Right Angles”
9. “Get Gotten”
10. “Close I’ve Come”
11. “The Debt Collectors”
12. “We’re All in This Together”
13. “Light”
14. “I’m Willing”

Buy Awake is the New Sleep at ArtistDirect

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Watching football can be a household cultural event much like a Thanksgiving dinner, steeped in tradition. Whenever there’s a big game on television, you can count on a creamy crock of queso piled with spicy Scimeca’s sausage on the table, or a rainbow of kebabs or beer-soaked bratwurst sizzling on the grill. There is often more entertainment for me in the process of preparing, serving, and enjoying food with friends and loved ones than in the outcome of the sporting event at hand. I was determined that this year would be no different, so here is the menu that I prepared for today’s contest between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots:

Crudités

Whole radishes and super-crisp celery sticks, soaked in ice cold filtered water, then plucked out at the last minute and served with a sprinkling of sea salt

Dips

Classic Bleu Cheese for wings: Ken’s Steakhouse Blue Cheese Dressing, Daisy No Fat Sour Cream, buttermilk bleu cheese crumbles and a pinch of kosher salt

Perfect for dipping those drummettes and celery sticks, or potato wedges

Southwestern Chipotle Ranch: Canned Chipotle peppers in Adobo, Hidden Valley Light Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Daisy No Fat Sour Cream and a pinch of kosher salt

A smoky, spicy alternative to accompany fried mushrooms, also great on a grilled chicken sandwich

Dilled Ranch Dip: Daisy No Fat Sour Cream, kosher salt, Hidden Valley Light Buttermilk Ranch Dressing and a generous portion of dill

A take on the dip that my mother used to serve with carrot sticks, cauliflower and the like… without all of the mayonnaise. Great on raw veggies, chunks of pumpernickel bread, (Who doesn’t love a bread bowl?) and fried dill pickles.

Fritto Misto (Low-Carb style!)

Cream cheese jalapeño poppers

Cayenne-dusted fried mushrooms

Fried zucchini with tomato basil sauce and fresh grated Pepato cheese

Fried dill pickle spears

Deep-fried chicken wings with Buffalo Wild Wings “Wild” sauce

And how did I manage this, you might ask? What is that golden-brown cornflake crumb or Panko-esque breading, and how could it possibly be low-carb? One word: chicharones. That’s right, pork rinds. 0 grams of carbohydrates, and no discernible effect on flavor… just crunchy, wonderful goodness. No one would ever suspect their favorite bar food to be enrobed in fried pork skins… It’s not something I’d do all the time, but while I fudged a lot on fat and calories today, I can at least say that I was able to enjoy some excellent quality game day snacks without knocking myself out of that hard-earned state of Ketosis.

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Valentine’s Day has always been my least favorite holiday of the year.  I could rant about syndicated holidays contrived by greeting card companies, but the truth is, I’m a sucker for that stuff.  Something just always goes horribly amiss on Valentine’s Day.  Flowers being delivered to the wrong address, getting lost by way of a detour in a bad part of town and ending up by some place called “Git-Yo Chicken,” a heart-shaped pizza ordered from Minsky’s that never showed up, my date ending up with a fondue fork lodged into his hand…  this list of atrocities goes on, including, but not limited to, food poisoning and near decapitation.

It was in this spirit that I purchased a 20 oz bottle of the New! ™ Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper.  And I do feel that it is as much an embodiment of all things bad and ridiculous as I had hoped it would be. 

The first thing I noted was its intense color.  It was a deep, glossy red, as though someone had poured a few tablespoons of Dr. Pepper into a bottle of Grenadine.  I took a deep sniff.  The aroma was that of a sweet, fake chocolate flavoring, very similar to a Tootsie Roll.  The taste was more of the same…  while its appearance would lead you to believe that it might taste like a homemade cherry cola (much like you might get at a Sonic or Steak ‘n’ Shake,) it actually had very little cherry flavor.  It was generically sweet, and reminded me a bit of my chocolate Torani syrup Italian soda phase, or the cans of chocolate soda that they sell at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  At first, the familiar flavor of Dr. Pepper was almost completely masked, but after three or four sips, I became sort of numb to the cloying sweetness.  The smell, however, seemed to remain just as potent as I continued to imbibe.  The overall verdict: not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  If only it were as full of flavor as its name is of buzz words.  Other than being sweet it was, well, sorta bland.

So here’s where it gets interesting.  Remember that viral “Chocolate Rain” video that YouTube savvy friends and coworkers have been using to annoy the bejesus out of each other since last April?  Well, Dr. Pepper has enlisted the services of none other than Mr. Tay Zonday to promote their new product, going so far as to make a quite well-produced music video for his follow-up single jingle, “Cherry Chocolate Rain”.  I hung my head in shame as I watched, promotional beverage in hand.  I was, indeed, “drinkin’ what they’re sellin’”.

**I move away from the mic to take a drink

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Two of my favorite things to warm up with on a chilly day are a hearty cup of soup, and anything chock-full of Capsaicin. (Add to that my increased susceptibility to Umami and it might explain my former pint a week Hot and Sour Soup habit.)

Whole Foods Market has a bountiful selection of fresh-made sausages, many of which are chicken or turkey based. On this occasion, I decided to try out their new buffalo chicken and bleu cheese sausage, made with cayenne-based Louisiana hot sauce, and laced with large crumbles of bleu cheese. I paired it with a Romaine salad laden with lots of finely sliced celery, radishes, chopped tomato and onion, and spiced toasted pecans (recipe follows,) topped with Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Blue Cheese Dressing and a few extra bleu cheese crumbles, and garnished with a pair of crispy celery sticks. While not quite an even substitute for a basket of wings and a round of trivia at my local Buffalo Wild Wings, it certainly made for a flavorful and satisfying meal. The sausage packed quite a little bit of heat, (as the skins crackled, the juices sizzled into a pepper-spray-like vapor,) and the generous bits of melting bleu cheese were delicious. However, my husband’s soup of fire roasted red peppers and tomatoes with smoked Gouda stole the show. The thick, rich puree would make an excellent sauce for cheese tortellini, or rigatoni tossed with chicken and Cremini mushrooms. I may have to introduce a few extra carbs into my diet, since there are a few Portobello ravioli in my freezer that would love to have a swim in it!

Spiced Toasted Pecans

½ Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp pecan pieces
¼ tsp Seasoned Salt, Cajun Seasoning or steak seasoning*

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pecan pieces. Sprinkle seasoning over pecans and toss to coat. Continue to cook until slightly golden, just a few minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to cool fully. Great on salads or tossed in at the last minute with some haricots verts.

Sugar-Free “Candied” Pecans

Follow the same method as for the spiced toasted pecans, substituting 1 packet of Splenda for the seasoning salt. Best enjoyed in a spinach or spring mix salad with bleu cheese crumbles and a raspberry vinaigrette. Oh, if only I could have a few slices of pear…

*I used one part Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning and one part Frontera Red Chile & Tomato Seasoning Salt, purchased in part because I wanted to contribute to Rick Bayless, whom I find to be underrated. I enjoy his anthropological and knowledgeable take on the traditional cuisines of Mexico, not unlike Mario Batali’s style of presenting cultural dishes from the different regions of Italy. I was scouring the cookbook section of Barnes and Noble for gift ideas and noticed that Bayless had been relegated to the Wine & Spirits section, next to a copy of Bartending for Dummies. So I shook my fist in mock anger and bought his tasty sea salt blend from Crate & Barrel.

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Tonight’s dinner, a pork tenderloin encrusted with Inglehoffer whole grain mustard, kosher salt and cracked black peppercorns, with a balsamic reduction.  Served alongside fresh green beans with caramelized onions and country bacon, and cabbage slaw with scallions, Roth Kase buttermilk bleu cheese crumbles and a creamy blood orange vinaigrette.

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