After the Boys of Summer Have Gone

It's fall and time to embrace our root vegetables and less vibrant summer pals.

Sheet pan dinners just got sexier with the addition of loose pork meat!  Apples, cabbage wedges, red onions and accordion mini potatoes all played so nicely together, each bringing their own roasted-accentuated gusto.  I put the potatoes in first, needing slightly more roasting time and then added the rest.  I tossed everything in a Dijon mustard, garlic, oil dressing with crushed oregano and red pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.  This made the sweetness of the apples and red onions burst with zesty goodness.  The pork gets this deepened meat texture and aroma.  I can't say enough of how much roasting enhances the humdrum life of ground meat.  For me this was a scientific breakthrough for home cooks that I'm sure others have done, but nobody told this girl, so I'm telling you.  

This could use a fresh green herb but other than that a dash of salt, drizzle of a good olive oil and a sprinkle of Parm on those potatoes completes a full sampler plate of taste sensations that only oven-roasting can put forward. 

And I'll Find Me a Soapbox Where I Can Shout It

A Mexican Plate from an Alternative Universe - Spinach low carb tortillas filled with seasoned pork and onions, topped with Jalapeno Jack cheese, Spanish yellow rice and doctored canned Vegan 'refried' beans. 

Just when I was living back in the mindset of my Midwestern hometown at 20 years old, bored beyond repair at the scenery, when old conservative white men seemed to dominate my world, and I was hopeless for the future, Bill Burr hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Jack White.  What an incredible show that slathered salve on so many wounds.  First of all, Jack White's performance was beyond phenomenal, it was transcending, something out of my dreams!!  Those songs each gave me that feeling of the floor dropping from beneath my feet at live concerts.  How we watch rock stars with envy, pride, and yearning as wild abandonment takes over every cell in our bodies. He has successfully found that sound that perhaps he has chased his whole career and hand carried it to us at just the perfect moment in time.  Maybe it could get better but I'm not sure I could handle that greatness at this particular time without completely falling apart.

As if being airlifted spiritually wasn't enough, I was blessed with the monologue of Bill Burr.  I've been secretly adding his comedy sketches to my nightly YouTube feed for months and have found him so refreshingly hysterical.  His particular brand of honest humor hits at a time when it's downright dangerous to draw attention to this ongoing insanity, to make fun of the ultra liberal silliness that for some reason, smart people are getting behind, leaving critical thought behind.  He's not perfect and his vulnerability is restorative, and what the world needs more of right now, caring people calling out blatant hypocrisy within their own party.  Bill is married to a black woman and is neither racist, nor right leaning.  He's a normal thinking person who's bringing to light the utter ridiculousness of how far, the far left have gone to shut down opinion and free speech, taking over the role of judge and jury for the world.  He has joined Dave Chappelle, Norm McDonald and many others to throw cold water on so many of these bigots.  Comedy needs to remain free because you can only bring humor out of truth.  If we squash that, we may as well kill art in the public square.  But knowing him a bit and by his expression at the end of his opening, I'm not sure if he deliberately spoke to his target which would be brilliant or if he actually looked out unto his audience unknowingly at the end and realized the crowd was his target.  The New Yorkers who were able to attend that show, were most likely the elite and ultra single-minded trendsetters that would be offended by those jokes.  But I have to believe there is plenty more of us living smack dab in the middle of all this absurdity, shaking our heads at many of these laws, rules and kowtowing to victimhood.  I won't believe this is the healthy way to evolve.  This show, although skewed in the sketches for sure, also successfully brought comedic spotlight to the left party's failures, and reminds us no one is looking too good right now, except for maybe Jack White!

All the stars aligned:  As a side note, the producers of the show cancelled the original musical guest Morgan Wallen for not social distancing and potentially putting the crews in COVID jeopardy, which was the best chance occurrence to happen since a thin crust pizza place opened next door to me.  It ended up being a double win and probably the best press he could hope for because Wallen professes maybe it changed his life in his equally genuine apology video.  

Everybody Gets Enough Food Down Here in Lunchlady Land

The day before we stumbled onto a little festival up in Fort Green Park. We were psyched to see a new Mexican food truck. Or wait,no Mexicue it read, sliders and tacos. Mixing Mexican with Southwest BBQ. Hey, what a great idea! The truck was clean, new and cute. I would say inviting. The guys inside looked to be just out of college age, about five of them. We had to go with the sliders. One pork, one beef brisket.
So, only with regards to food offerings, I'm all about positive reviews but also truth. We only tried them once so its hard to judge, although, you're at a festival and the market is very competitive. You need to be good. It didn't go all that well. They actually overcharged us double, but we were so tired, hot and realized late we shouldn't be out of doors, so we just gave that mistake up to the gods. After all, we were about to eat these fabulous sliders. $4 each for a slider and they were super, super tiny. It left us feeling kinda ripped off. The baby Coke's musta been $2 each as well? How about 2 sliders for $4 or even $5. Include a drink for free or something?. These were ridiculously small guys. Meat was good, sauce was good. Not incredibly special. I felt there was 'thought & soul' missing, although someone clearly had talent with the meat. The website looks much better than what we were served. No coleslaw, chips or pickles inside ours, just meat, sauce and a white bun. I think they would be worth a second shot but here's my thinking; With three negatives, why give any food place a second shot? I don't have money to throw around.
On the positive side, I think this is an award winning idea and with a little research I see they've been featured many times in press, including the New York Times and normally have lines out the Island's ass in Chelsea. They are opening a real brick and mortar place in Midtown and their menu sounds appealing. So I wish them luck and I'm sure they'll be successful. People like to be told what to like in this town.

When I got home I realized I didn't get my craving filled and I was still rock hard for some delicious meat sandwich. I had ground pork and got the idea to do an Asian Sloppy Joe. I wok cooked the meat with onions, celery, peppers, carrots, ginger, garlic and then added Hoisin sauce, fire roasted tomatoes and a bit of hot chili oil. This was just sweet enough and the ginger and pork couldn't be happier together.


I sent P out for tiny slider bread and he came back with these amazing Brioche buns. The downside of having three gourmet markets as your corner bodega. Slightly toasted, they were too good - buttery and airy. A perfect vessel for the meat.

As a side I did a slaw with apples, red cabbage, radishes, red onion, jalapeno, rice vinegar and lots of lime juice.

Rapture, Be Pure, And You Don't Stop to Punk Rock

Some guy's saying the Rapture is coming on May 21st but I have seen (and tasted!) a bit of heaven this week myself in the form of Asian Lettuce Wraps. I have been caught up in ground pork (and turkey) lately and its fun finding ways to make it special since it can be dressed up so many ways.


I read a bunch of recipes but decided I don't really wanna add any sugar, although they do taste great with the mixture a bit sweetened. I opted to keep out the sugars and add roasted peanuts. I didn't have Hoisin sauce but was able make an impromptu version with soy sauce, peanut butter and sesame oil.

These were so heavenly and spicy and crunchy, satisfying yet light. I felt like I reached some level of food Nirvana. I've had these in restaurants and loved the idea but never really had one that was on the mark.

So back to the end of the world this Saturday. His followers have taken it upon themselves to take post in Union Square with t-shirts and signs. Also others have purchased billboards in Phoenix, Detroit and Jersey and who knows where else. Having been to these places I can see how this could be considered good news, worthy of some celebration.

However, I'm not so sure its good news for everyone. Let's just assume he's right. If he IS right, the Rapture is the start of this whole Armageddon fiasco as I recall so its not the 'end of the world' over, done, end scene type situation. Only the good people get to go up and then the rest of us sinners have to stay here for the battle I think....and maybe some righteous plagues? Whatever the details, its way bad news if you wake to find yourself here and others gone that day.

Since only the good people will be missing on Saturday, we won't probably see any change here in the city, so someone will have to notify us.

Two 4 One

I promised P I would make the steamed pork dumplings for him because when I made them a couple of months ago he was out of town. So, good to my word I remade them but somehow I screwed up and cooked the meat first when you're just supposed to let the meat steam cook inside the dumpling. Oops. They were still really good but steaming the meat keeps it soft so you could feel the meat a bit. Other than that it was fun to make them again and this time I added mushrooms and water chestnuts instead of bamboo shoots and lots of cayenne pepper in the sauce to give it kick.


With the rest of the pork meat mixture I'm going to make some ravioli. I'll do a simple light cream sauce. I'll add some frozen spinach for color. I'll use the rest of the wonton wrappers as the 'dough'. It's a nice little shortcut and will make a fun quick meal. This is especially nice because it doesn't waste any of the specialty ingredients I purchased to make the dumplings. No waste = Money well spent!