Monkey See, Monkey Do - Mexican Cooking

The second of my cooking classes consisted of a reading of Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice, an examination of foods native to the Americas - especially chillis - and a lesson in the making of Guacamole. (Note to self - add a molcajete to your wish list for demos.)

The kids ate my salsa, but thought the guac looked gross (though they loved it when I faked a sneeze on the towel I had cleaned up the avacado with).







The parents dug right in though!

Nouveau 09

We know. We really know. Beaujolais Nouveau is a scam. Wine unready for primetime (if it will ever be) rushed off to adoring masses ready to be ripped off.

We cannot resist. Once every 15 years or so, a product arrives too soon, but with promise. The other 14 produce swill. The 09 vintage is less than swill. It is nothing.

The vinegar vat is awaiting, and we are switching to a nice Argentinian Torrentes!

Monkey See, Monkey Do - And So It Begins . . .

Yesterday was my first regular gig at Monkey See, Monkey Do, a bookstore steered toward kids in Clarence. We did a reading of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett. We squished the ingredients, and and ate some meatballs in tomato sauce that I had made earlier in the day.

It is the first in a regular series of kids cooking events. Next up is a lesson in Mexican cooking and a reading of Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice tomorrow morning.

We will be starting adult classes in January, with a program on Julia and Julia, featuring My Life in France and Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously.

It's fun
.

Grandma's Birthday Food Porn

Instead of the usual pizza and wings this year went to Suzy Q's Barbeque Shack. This was a great idea as far as I am concerned. Local pizza keeps slipping in my estimation - most likely buying lower quality ingredients to keep costs low (plus, I am still sad at the loss of the local branch my favorite!).

But, Suzy Q's is damned good for northern Q. I like their attitude (we do it slow, and if we run out we close early). I like the frendliness, and the lack of pretense. Mostly I like the food. Pictured: my pulled pork, Memphis style. Big and stuffed enough to be lunch tomorrow!

And Now For Something Completely Different

Every now and then it is good for a cook's spiritual welfare to return the the greatest bit of restaurant humor in the history of the world, by the world's best comedy troupe ever. And it hast Carol Cleveland!!!!!!! Happy Birthday, Mr. Cleese!

Out Of Our Gourds

L to R: Astronaut L. Gourdon Cooper, Grandma Gourdon (after my Grandmere) and Chief Engineer Gourdi LaForge, Thunderbird 4 pilot Gourdon Tracy, Charles George "Chinese" Gourdon of Khartoum, and Chef Gourdon Ramsay because he's supposed to be an enourmous schwanzstucker.

I Cannot Live Without Books. - Thomas Jefferson

I love books. All books. I have a particular fondness for cookbooks, as you can tell by the sidebar. So the gift of a cookbook is something to be taken seriously. When it comes from your Mother-in-Law even more seriously. When it's for your daughter, the burgeoning pastry chef, really really. But Martha Frakking Stewart?!?! Well, I couldn't let that go unaddressed.

The question is: do I scan it and add it to my official cookbook collection?