tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137788098479037652024-03-05T20:06:04.357-06:00eat to live. live to eat.the gastronauts: we have a taste for adventuregastronautshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02455037653026531852noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-15069436945594971092008-09-30T11:07:00.002-05:002008-09-30T11:16:25.583-05:00Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook ProjectThe Michigan State University Library and the MSU Museum have partnered to create an <a href="http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/index.html">online collection</a> of some of the most influential and important American cookbooks from the late 18th to early 20th century. The goal of this project is to make these materials available to a wider audience.<br /><br />Digital images of the pages of each cookbook are available as well as full-text transcriptions and the ability to search within the books, across the collection, in order to find specific information.<br /><br />They have some Creole/New Orleans cookbooks:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_38.cfm">La Cuisine Creole, A Collection of Culinary Recipes from Leading Chefs and Noted Creole Housewives, Who Have Made New Orleans Famous for its Cuisine<br /></a> by Lafcadio Hearn</li><li><a href="http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_55.cfm">Cooking in Old Creole Days</a></li></ul><br />Also included is the first cookbook written by an American for Americans (from 1798):<br /><ul><li><a href="http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_01.cfm">American Cookery: Or, The Art of Dressing Viands, Fish, Poultry, and Vegetables, and the Best Modes of Making Pastes, Puffs, Pies, Tarts, Puddings, Custards, and Preserves, and All Kinds of Cakes, from the Imperial Plum to Plain Cake...</a></li></ul>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-39942430538279905212008-02-13T14:34:00.003-06:002008-02-21T07:58:14.734-06:00even if you don't have a million dollars, let people know that you're a Big Shot!In class number four of Food and Culture in Louisiana, we tasted six flavors of <a href="http://www.nbcfiz.com/50Products.htm#">Big Shot soda</a>.<br /><br />two red, one yellow, one clear, one orange, and one dark red<br /><br />red (or rade) #1 - strawberry: basic artificial strawberry taste<br />orange (or ernge): tasted like melted otter pop<br />clear - cream soda: very vanilla, pretty good<br />yellow - pineapple: tasted like St. Joseph's children's aspirin<br />red #2 - fruit punch: disgusting, too sweet<br />dark red - black cherry: decent<br /><br />Why are Big Shot machines found only in the hood?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=112774"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IFrN27YxwgHHlFT2zlAeInrn2tOL6xolEhLFeBgjjbAvgf_EmaEL3bNbii9IbuvpIfjHc1nRRgOBF6tmG9Qu6qeYydlfdedz4QUjstrSZ_K8eNDr0GD7HrPucjFhR75E_XAqq6X1hHuC/s320/DSC05788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169431157594451202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />inside Gator's at the corner of Oretha Castle Haley Blvd and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd<br /></div>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-49739063991354200702008-02-11T00:10:00.000-06:002008-02-11T16:07:10.551-06:00i drink your milkshake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://idrinkyourmilkshake.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9Lhr5Xjvs1w61OFOXUsaVOTXaTkr9jQw19M7NZBx8LAnj8XblqLBtgZpSI4tS5a9WTxMFnvxDLVQ_inmD-qfAAvzkv21WeDN7zgBBA0cNXsMDNSdy_xR2oWe4JLtft2Za7nVZ68CVcUX/s400/DSC05750.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165601528530136274" border="0" /></a>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-45179571144184618802008-01-31T10:34:00.001-06:002008-02-19T14:33:57.515-06:00from Aztec food to Grammy award category*<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kZVxKRhJrqi5p0Sxpa6BWRVUQJGhRBFJOCIB-kcVdLw1DQiHI-fMZjcMpUDhUHuyywi6MdE1IrB9ZywZcTYsvxE4MKpWJGBuhcmgVOv5L7pig68e4Uwo3cN8m5Qx9mo5ZKuck_UTYqAa/s1600-h/DSC05524.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kZVxKRhJrqi5p0Sxpa6BWRVUQJGhRBFJOCIB-kcVdLw1DQiHI-fMZjcMpUDhUHuyywi6MdE1IrB9ZywZcTYsvxE4MKpWJGBuhcmgVOv5L7pig68e4Uwo3cN8m5Qx9mo5ZKuck_UTYqAa/s320/DSC05524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161748460026880434" border="0" /></a><br />* from a slide in Food and Culture in Louisiana class<br /><br /><a href="http://www.phaseolus.net/">Phaseolus vulgaris</a> is the common bean and is one of the most ancient crops in the Americas.<br />The Aztecs called the bean ayacotli.<br />Spaniards took seeds back to Europe.<br />The French called this new bean haricot.<br />Southwest Louisiana French speaking African Americans (Creoles of color) have a song about not having money for meat to flavor the beans, "Les Haricot Sont Pas Sale".<br />Les Haricot >> zarico >> zodico >> <a href="http://rochesterzydeco.com/cajunzydeco.html">zydeco</a><br />Feb 10, 2008 -- first <a href="http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/#14">Cajun/zydeco Grammy</a><br /><br />snack for this class was slow cooked green beans, potatoes, onion, garlic, and turkey tasso, which i did not try.anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-57631757517303559292008-01-25T12:11:00.000-06:002008-01-25T12:24:42.288-06:00before, durian, and afterlast night i had my first encounter with <a href="http://www.durian.net/">durian</a> at nine roses in the form of a shake.<br /><br />before<br /><blockquote>as the waitress placed the shake on the table, the cup passed by me and i could smell a definite odd smell - a bit sulphury.</blockquote>during<br /><blockquote>the first taste that hits you is from the sulphur smell. then there is another weird taste. and then finally a taste that is ok - or maybe it is yr tastebuds recovering the first two assaults.</blockquote>after<br /><blockquote>if you are fortunate to have to burp, you will get to relive a little of the sulphur taste in your belch.</blockquote>this shake was desert after a fine meal of spring rolls, crab rangoon, almond shrimp, veggie tofu, coconut and curry eel (yum!!!), and lemon grass tofu (also yum!!!).anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-42859135761361810112008-01-24T14:34:00.000-06:002008-01-24T15:02:33.442-06:00second night of classThis week was the second meeting of my Food and Culture in Louisiana class.<br /><br />We discussed our readings and our assignment for next week:<br /><b style=""></b><blockquote><b style="">Food Diary:</b><span style=""> </span>30% of total grade; 60 possible points.<span style=""> </span>Each student will record every item of food and drink consumed for a 7-day period (35 points, 5 points per day).<span style=""> </span>It is not necessary to record quantities or brand names; a concerted effort should be made to record consumption soon after it takes place (record the acts as they happen, not as a recollected act hours or days later).<span style=""> </span>When food is consumed in a restaurant or purchased when away from home, please indicate the source of the food (i.e., “three piece spicy white meat chicken dinner with a side of red beans from Popeyes” or “1 bottle Vitamin Water, <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Reilly</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Rec</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> smoothie bar”).<span style=""> </span>A sample food record page will be distributed in class.<span style=""> </span>In addition to the 7-day record, each student will complete a 750 word essay (25 points; typed, double-spaced, 12-point font) reflecting on the food journaling experience and addressing the following 5 questions:<br /><b style="">Self-Awareness:</b><span style=""> </span>Did the act of recording every consumed item created a heightened awareness of food & drink?<span style=""> </span>Was the process: tedious, boring, exciting, threatening, liberating, challenging, etc?<br /><b style="">Patterns:</b><span style=""> </span>Does the diary reveal any patterns of consumption?<span style=""> </span>Particular food habits or avoidances?<span style=""> </span>Did a prior awareness of these patterns exist?<br /><b style="">Seasonality:<span style=""> </span></b>Would the food diary be significantly different if recorded in a different season of the year?<span style=""> </span>Why or why not?<br /><b style="">Locality:<span style=""> </span></b>Does the food diary capture foods or consumption patterns that are intensely local?<span style=""> </span>(In other words, would the diary be different if the eater lived in a different locale?)<br /><b style="">Impact:<span style=""> </span></b>As a result of keeping the food diary, did any shifts in consumption occur?</blockquote> And our snack for this week was dried shrimp. In these days of refrigeration, dried shrimp is mostly used as a snack - like a seafood jerky. Some people use them in gumbo for a different flavor. Most dried shrimp are the small ones that would not sell well in stores or to restaurants. But before refrigeration, folks in Louisiana would dry and salt shrimp so they would have shrimp during the winter months when the weather is too nasty to go shrimping. The idea for dried shrimp probably came from Filipino immigrants that often sailed on Spanish ships in the 17th and 18th century.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c9Jx2pnF5tCq_Wj8S-JjFSNcDkC38mcc9vOm_OQLKHS1d8uBoyDP4x-zbkjfH2tBK194Srh5Qkz0lGpfO_wBJAw_QzNh4UIK9aiez9II_-3jX5Js0Dq8yiDirR4b5eMdMbuYQX2s3zze/s1600-h/DSC05502.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8c9Jx2pnF5tCq_Wj8S-JjFSNcDkC38mcc9vOm_OQLKHS1d8uBoyDP4x-zbkjfH2tBK194Srh5Qkz0lGpfO_wBJAw_QzNh4UIK9aiez9II_-3jX5Js0Dq8yiDirR4b5eMdMbuYQX2s3zze/s320/DSC05502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159149850193977714" border="0" /></a>We listened to this <a href="http://spanish.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/IrvanPerez_CD_article.pdf">decima</a> "<a href="http://www.louisianavoices.org/Unit5/edu_ss154_life_crab_fisher.html"><i>La vida de un jaibero</i></a> (The Life of a Crab Fisherman)," by <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5041976">Irvan Perez</a> while snacking on our dried shrimp.anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-23604923451266939062008-01-16T08:41:00.000-06:002008-01-16T13:23:58.840-06:00Gastronaut In ClassssssssTulane is offering a new class, Food and Culture in Louisiana, this semester and I have signed up for it. Here is the course syllabus:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Course Description</span><br />This three-credit course will explore regional Louisiana foodways, starting with geographic, historic, and environmental influences on the contemporary food culture of the state. Additional topics include the importance of cultural blending in Louisiana's regional culture, local food practices and beliefs in public and private spheres, the myriad nuances of Cajun and Creole identities in Louisiana, and the impact of tourists and tourism marketing on cultural practices. Special emphasis will be placed on the food culture of New Orleans and its immediate surroundings. Students will conduct basic food-related fieldwork, record their experiences, sample iconic Louisiana foods, listen to food-related local music, analyze cultural materials raging from cookbooks to food festivals, as well as participate in a communal meal as a conclusion to the course, Designed as a humanistic approach to the anthropology of food, this class will combine primary sources and scholarly writings with first-hand experiences engaging all five senses. While students will gather empirical evidence of local foodways, the bulk of the course will employ analytic and critical approaches to the topic.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Objectives</span><br />By the conclusion of this course, students will:<br />1. Understand geographic, historic, and environmental influences on regional food culture.<br />2. Apply the techniques of participant-observation to the study of foodways.<br />3. Employ basic theoretical and conceptual tools to examine the relationships between food and culture throughout Louisiana.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Requirements</span><br />Five assignments are required for a total of 200 possible points.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">30% Food Diary</span>: Each student will record ALL foods/drink consumed over a seven day period and write a 750-word personal reflection on the journaling experience. (60 points)<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">10% Recipe Sharing</span>: each student will select an informant to observe as he/she prepares a culinary specialty of personal significance; student will record the recipe as well as the informant's rationale for its significance. (20 points)<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">20% Festival Food Field Notes</span>: students will attend a local festival and take detailed field notes on the food components of the festival. (40 pints)<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">30% Cookbook Analysis</span>: students will select a compiled, community cookbook from Louisiana using the Newcomb Women's Center cookbook collection and complete a written analysis of the chosen book. (60 points)<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">10% Class Potluck Feast</span>: students will attend a class potluck dinner and contribute a Louisiana food item/dish, along with a 250 word essay describing the item/dish’s cultural relevance and brief oral in-class presentation. (20 points)</span></blockquote><br /><a href="http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-6997.html"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.ibiblio.org/uncpress/pics/jackets/e/edge_foodways_v7.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://hippocrenebooks.com/book.aspx?id=1022"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://hippocrenebooks.com/images/books/a1f20557bbc049798fc05548bbc2caca.jpg" border="0" /></a>Reading will contain selections from journals, books and other sources. Our two required books are these.<br /><br /><br />The instructor for the class is a frequent contributor to the New Orleans <a href="http://www.chowhound.com/boards/9">Chowhound</a> board, <a href="http://www.chow.com/profile/12023">Hungry Celeste</a>. She will bring food each class for us to try. This week she brought in boudin noir (blood sausage) from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bourgeoismeatmarket">Bourgeois Meat Market</a>. Our instructor asked what folks thought of it. One girl described it as "grainy" and "moist". I didn't try it since I am pescatarian. Hopefully we will have some less meaty samples.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvAmnPI45xkPiYoCsNyJ6OYRzQOfY164XG2d32uBPhHbkSy7AfuMZPMY1ZdmN6HOgXJq8yH_Wm1d5xUN1rqqvVPR31YHBj9JPTmrZ0jt2Zn1wxJh46L9c_MwdaIUo3Km5fhf_ofsj9It5/s1600-h/DSC05413.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156130314112963154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvAmnPI45xkPiYoCsNyJ6OYRzQOfY164XG2d32uBPhHbkSy7AfuMZPMY1ZdmN6HOgXJq8yH_Wm1d5xUN1rqqvVPR31YHBj9JPTmrZ0jt2Zn1wxJh46L9c_MwdaIUo3Km5fhf_ofsj9It5/s320/DSC05413.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Our instructor had cut up some small pieces as samples for her office earlier in the day. One of her Jewish co-workers popped a piece in her mouth thinking that it was chocolate.anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-59015043323629978372007-11-24T15:01:00.000-06:002007-11-27T17:02:24.702-06:00Turducken Dog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLnatsYYgj6mzp8w03AUiGxMgpxriTt4oVxMlvY4-59EXG676gO2Cv1JyYIKgRDl9rBvWoV1Rn8uMvbS8yW72hiJMENufamMKRCHkwg92OlwFxXYxwau9YDlvCfT-6kKMekUGQ1nqA5TN/s1600-h/DSC04310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLnatsYYgj6mzp8w03AUiGxMgpxriTt4oVxMlvY4-59EXG676gO2Cv1JyYIKgRDl9rBvWoV1Rn8uMvbS8yW72hiJMENufamMKRCHkwg92OlwFxXYxwau9YDlvCfT-6kKMekUGQ1nqA5TN/s200/DSC04310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137657569668196690" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.neworleanseasydogs.com/">Easy Dogs</a> in Gretna was indeed da best. Especially for the vegetarian-folk (like me). Now, I've never really liked hot dogs (lips and assholes right?), but the vegetarian Mojo dogs were delicious. I had the Mojo dog version of the <a href="http://www.neworleanseasydogs.com/Menu.html">Lundi Dog</a>, which is covered with red beans and rice (a veggie version, of course). The only drawback to this dog was that I couldn't really pick it up without getting really messy - I had to use a fork and knife.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNyHRC8V1jTo1Dnpgm5IQOkT6XzbhMrPctG9mVa_2z-0FCdqD8l1UV9rdaqOdYINhzf3UwVqRcJwyovUJOw7yK8QeSCoc6bPMtbIqwbM0td9h4mmna9_Fxq5xI6JI-o52CfApYNhsGhyphenhyphen7/s1600-h/DSC04322.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNyHRC8V1jTo1Dnpgm5IQOkT6XzbhMrPctG9mVa_2z-0FCdqD8l1UV9rdaqOdYINhzf3UwVqRcJwyovUJOw7yK8QeSCoc6bPMtbIqwbM0td9h4mmna9_Fxq5xI6JI-o52CfApYNhsGhyphenhyphen7/s200/DSC04322.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137658054999501170" border="0" /></a>Jen and I split a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken">Turducken</a> Dog. No, it wasn't a hot dog stuffed in a chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey. It was a special Thanksgiving hot dog topped with dressing, gravy, and cranberry relish. All vegetarian. Yum.<br /><br /></div>LibraryWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08895454809509289185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-50050182052930057672007-09-12T10:40:00.000-05:002007-09-12T11:07:27.032-05:00how about a little go go action?Let's take this blog in a slightly different direction for a bit and take a look at where folks "go" in restaurants. I don't know about ladies rooms but the set up in mens rooms can be pretty interesting, especially the urinals. There are some good ones around town. This time let's take a look at the mens room at Liuzza's on Bienville in Mid City.<br /><br />Before we get to that, we can mention the menu. <a href="http://www.liuzzas.com/">Liuzza's</a> is one of just a handful of places in town that serve fried pickles. Mmmm....deep fried crispy breaded dill pickle slices.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/anthonyturducken/LiuzzaA/photo?authkey=apnihxJauo8#5100897994492260258"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/anthonyturducken/RsoHs0U2r6I/AAAAAAAAALg/UFklEgl1N60/s288/DSC03213.JPG" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />They are also one of the few places to get a vegetarian po' boy that isn't just cheese. Their Italian breaded eggplant po' boy is quite tasty (but get it without the red gravy to keep it vegetarian).<br /><br />And they have a frozen drink machine that makes a drink called the Bush Whacker, kinda like a frozen white russian daiquiri. They will give you a sample for free (perfect for lunchtime when you have to go back to work).<br /><br />So, the urinal in Liuzza's mens room is basically a large drain in the floor by the wall filled with ice. The ice melts and helps flush down the...you know. And about 4 or 5 feet above the drain on the wall is a water pipe that management can turn on to rinse off the wall. Oh yeah, the floor and walls are made of tile.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/anthonyturducken/LiuzzaA/photo?authkey=apnihxJauo8#5100897981607358338"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/anthonyturducken/RsoHsEU2r4I/AAAAAAAAALQ/a-F-g6uIR6U/s288/DSC03211.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/anthonyturducken/LiuzzaA/photo?authkey=apnihxJauo8#5100897990197292946"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/anthonyturducken/RsoHskU2r5I/AAAAAAAAALY/MrfH66PWTUw/s288/DSC03212.JPG" /></a><br /></div></div></div><br />Next time: Kim Son on the Westbankanthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-23188065264207667212007-08-22T12:22:00.000-05:002007-08-22T13:48:42.605-05:00The celebration of National Rum Day (two days late) included an interesting cocktail of people, gastronauts and guestronauts of various origins and ages. A few people I didn’t even know; others, I didn’t even know how they knew. But there we all were brought together by a shared love of… powdered milk?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rumathon/photo#5100892591912462706"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RsoCyWJdKXI/AAAAAAAABhU/DeWCXUh1xJo/s400/DSC03242.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Besides the fact that a giant box of Carnation was the real star of the evening. Let’s review a few of the cocktails features at our blessed event.<br />I provided<br />- the unnamed Big Top Creation: N.O. Cajun Spice rum, ginger ale, and crushed (sometimes obliterated and smashed) fresh basil from the pots in my from porch. Like a mojito, but not.<br />- the original Daiquiri cocktail: N.O. Crystal, lime juice, simple syrup shaken with ice either served on the rocks or up.<br /><br />Jennifer brought the mixings for a various drinks, I think the main idea was for the Louisiana Lemonade: N.O. Crystal, Sour Mix, Club Soda, and 7 Up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rumathon/photo#5100892626272201106"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RsoC0WJdKZI/AAAAAAAABhk/L9VrbM9mOew/s400/DSC03244.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Liz brought some Tangerini (?) mixer, and I’m not sure with what it was mixed, perhaps powdered milk? But it was all natural, so much so that it had to be shaken to let all of the requisite “wholesome” particles surface from the bottom. We must keep our health into perspective.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rumathon/photo#5100892669221874162"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RsoC22JdKfI/AAAAAAAABiY/8geO2bmp-68/s400/DSC03250.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Victor brought some Classic Coca-Cola for all of those rum-and-cokers, as well as fresh limes.<br /><br />Out of the case of 12 bottle of rum, 6 were consumed. Nice Work, Kids.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FMathTutorAnthony%2Falbumid%2F5101595969886893137%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2FMathTutorAnthony%2Falbumid%2F5101598005701391729%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Ciarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699205502475134408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-54035667272505250192007-08-02T10:56:00.000-05:002007-08-10T15:28:58.296-05:00It's all gouda.Here are the specs on the foreign cheeses featured at the fonduder party.<br /><br />Gruyère- an unpateurized cow's milk cheese, named after its city of origin, Gruyères in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. It is often described as creamy and nutty when young, becoming with age more assertive, earthy, and complex. Sounds like my kind of cheese.<br />This is the one we fondued with Bodega Castano Monastrall Spain creating the mauve concoction.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <img src="http://www.wine.com/labels/89612d.jpg" /><br /></div><br />I brought:<br />Fontina cheese, of Italian origins and made from cow's milk. Touted by many to be the premier melting cheese, we approached said title with trepidation, as it's aroma was overpoweringly earthy, a bit human like. (p.s. this is a nice way of saying that it was really really smelly cheese and I was afraid that my apartment would smell like an old Italian man's fart for a few days).<br />I was happy to bestow this upon Gulu, whose experienced palate could appreciate the sublime flavor profile.<br /><br />Laguiole-<br />I found this to be a delightful semi-soft cheese that was a bit more subtle than the Gruyère and Fontina. We were unsure whether it was melt-able, but we were feeling quite risky at this part of the evening, so we threw it in, and our instincts led us to a find conclusion of the evening.<br /><br />Gouda- Dutch cheese made from cow’s milk and the city of origin is its namesake. Gulu’s the red wax covered wedge redeemed the old standby for me. Normally I must endure smoked gouda, which in my opinion is less than desirable. Ever had smoked mozzarella? Note to self: smoke ruins many a thing.<br />The term "Gouda" is now a generic name, and not restricted to cheese of Dutch origin. The term "Noord-Hollandse Gouda" is registered in the EU as a <a title="Protected Designation of Origin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_Designation_of_Origin">Protected Designation of Origin</a>. Strangely the cheese itself was originally developed in Gouda which is in the Dutch province Zuid-Holland, hence its registered name seems incorrect.<br /><br />A few word equations:<br />Fuji apple + Gulu = happy<br />Apple + cheese = tasty, but obvious.<br />Apple + cheese + wine = not good<br />Apple + Velveeta + salsa = genius<br /><br />I wasn’t sure if anyone was understanding my choice of music for the evening, but I was going for frivolous, slightly cheesey music which slightly nodded to the 60’s. Belle & Sebastian, Architecture in Helsinki, and the bird and the bee.<br /><br />By the way, I passed by Storyville the next day, and to my chagrin, the Easy Cheese Grafitti was gone! And we thought they would be impossible to remove. The American dream is dead.Ciarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699205502475134408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-91682411883228027302007-08-01T15:26:00.000-05:002007-08-02T00:18:39.075-05:00CHEESE MAN: the melting of a star-bellied hippie cheese-bot<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">VEGANS BEWARE!!!!!!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">LACTOSE INTOLERANT BEWARE!!!!!!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">much talk of dairy to follow</span><br /></div><br />This past Saturday the Gastronauts had a CHEESE MAN/fonDUDE celebration where everyone ate at least ten times the recommended daily serving of dairy products. And boy oh boy, did we all feel it the next day.<br /><br />Why a CHEESE MAN/fonDUDE celebration? Well, July 29 is Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day. And how do we know that? <a href="http://www.thenibble.com/fun/more/facts/holidays-july.asp">The Nibble</a>. And why even to think of food holidays? A couple weeks back, <a href="http://www.nomenu.com/">New Orleans Menu</a> Daily (by Tom Fitzmorris) had this:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:Trebuchet MS,Verdana,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);font-size:130%;" >Food Almanac For July 19</span></b></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,Serif;font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(104, 51, 45);font-family:AGaramond,AGaramond Italic,AGaramond Semibold,AGaramond Bold,AGaramond BoldItalic;" ><span style="color: rgb(104, 51, 45);font-family:AGaramond,AGaramond Italic,AGaramond Semibold,AGaramond Bold,AGaramond BoldItalic;" ><small><big><span style="color: rgb(104, 51, 45);font-family:AGaramond,AGaramond Italic,AGaramond Semibold,AGaramond Bold,AGaramond BoldItalic;" ><small><big><small><big><small><big><span style="color: rgb(104, 51, 45);font-family:AGaramond,AGaramond Italic,AGaramond Semibold,AGaramond Bold,AGaramond BoldItalic;" ><big style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><small><small><big><small><big><small><big><small><big><span style="color: rgb(104, 51, 45);font-family:AGaramond,AGaramond Italic,AGaramond Semibold,AGaramond Bold,AGaramond BoldItalic;" ><big style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><small><small><big><small><big><small><big><small><big><big style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204); background-color: rgb(102, 51, 255);"></span><br /></span></span></big>It is reported widely on the Internet that today is <span style="font-weight: bold;">National <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Daiquiri</span> <span id="st" name="st" class="st">Day</span></span>. The <span id="st" name="st" class="st">daiquiri</span> has evolved from a good, slightly sour drink (rum and lime juice, shaken with ice and something sweet) to a frozen slush for adults, flavored with almost anything you can think of. Drive-through <span id="st" name="st" class="st">daiquiri</span> stands have become a commonplace, against all conceivable logic. The answer to the question, "Where's the best <span id="st" name="st" class="st">daiquiri</span> in town?" is "False."<br /><br />The <span id="st" name="st" class="st">daiquiri</span> is named for a spot on the southern coast of Cuba, near Santiago, where the drink is said to have been concocted around 1905, after the American invasion of the island.<br /><br /></big></small></big></small></big></small></big></small></small></big></span></big></small></big></small></big></small></big></small></small></big></span></big></small></big></small></big></small></span></big></small></span></span></span>And of course, I had to celebrate July 19 with a daiquiri from the pink place on Elysian Fields and St. Claude next to Gene's Po Boy.<br /><br />I sent a list of the other July food holidays to the rest of the Gastronauts and Liz responded with "what the fuck is cheese sacrifice purchase day?!" We did some research and found this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5093838357522519490"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RrDy_3NjlcI/AAAAAAAABUw/qOijQn6JHXo/s288/cheese.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Despite the day being a day of purchasing cheese and sacrificing some to a mouse trap in order to have a mouse-free home, we made the day our own. We focused more on the sacrifice part instead of the purchase part and imagined Burning Man but with cheese, thus Cheese Man. And then Jennifer suggested melting him in fondue, thus fonDUDE.<br /><br />In preparations of the celebration I found a foundue pot and fondue skewers at some thrift stores. The pot was a lovely 70s green. Oh man, the 70s had some great color combinations - green and orange and white (like the wallpaper in my parents' kitchen).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622923562919490"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhkS36pkI/AAAAAAAABSs/u1Ow3ts9urE/s288/DSC03040.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Before we sacrificed Cheese Man, we fondued (not fonDUDE) some gourmet cheese with some red wine. That purple stuff on the piece of bread is the melted cheese mixed with the wine. We probably should have used white wine. Oh well. We did have some white wine but it was mixed in a white wine sangria, a sangria blanco.<br /></div></div><br />Cheese man was made of the finest cheeses available - Velveeta, Easy Cheese, and string cheese. I started with Velveeta for the body and head. Next, string cheese was used for the limbs. Part of a Triscuit was the neck. The string cheese limbs didn't stay very well in the Velveeta so I used some angel hair pasta to hold him together. I gave him an Easy Cheese face and star on his stomach and some string cheese for hair.<br /><br />Here are some pics of the assembly of Cheese Man. Actually, it turned out to be a star-bellied hippie cheese-bot.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622390986974578"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhFS36pXI/AAAAAAAABRA/keZIFGGl-Pk/s144/DSC03019.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622433936647554"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhHy36pYI/AAAAAAAABRM/aryDoy-00qA/s144/DSC03022.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622472591353234"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhKC36pZI/AAAAAAAABRU/Fys5cyaltNc/s144/DSC03023.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622511246058914"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhMS36paI/AAAAAAAABRc/URTLdPGY-10/s144/DSC03024.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622592850437570"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhRC36pcI/AAAAAAAABRs/qEkdEbd3Lms/s144/DSC03030.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Jen Leslie made a Velveeta cat and I also made a bread chair for him.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Fondeux/photo#5093887401754072626"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RrEfmnNjljI/AAAAAAAABVo/SljlyhZVWfk/s288/IMG_0769.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622708814554610"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhXy36pfI/AAAAAAAABSE/RyjfcRM2Twc/s288/DSC03035.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Finally we put him in the fondu(d)e pot for the start of the evening's sacrificial activities.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092623181260957346"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhzS36pqI/AAAAAAAABTc/wvjUfJtjxC4/s288/DSC03046.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />We added some salsa and add he became a wonderful queso dip. Mmmmmm...cheesey.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092621995849983186"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyguS36pNI/AAAAAAAABPs/QO4i3epODYQ/s288/DSC03049.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Liz made a pie for desert. I put some cheese on it, some Easy Cheese. Hey, why not? Travis Bickle does it. Maybe not Easy Cheese though.<br /><pre><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">"I had black coffee and apple pie</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> with a slice of melted yellow</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> cheese."</span> - Travis from <span style="font-style: italic;">Taxi Driver</span></span></pre><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Fondeux/photo#5093887788301129474"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RrEf9HNjlwI/AAAAAAAABXQ/JDRe8ZGKixE/s288/IMG_0812.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm sure you were thinking it - we did cut a lot of cheese. I even found at a thrift store Fart: The Game. We didn't actually play the game, but we did make armpit farts. (At least some of us did. Some of us couldn't quite master the technique. See Ben trying to help Gulu with the underarm flatulence.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Fondeux/photo#5093887268610086370"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RrEfe3NjleI/AAAAAAAABVA/u5HGI9KD3rQ/s288/IMG_0761.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Fondeux/photo#5093888423956289650"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RrEgiHNjmHI/AAAAAAAABaI/oMmiQnT_WS4/s288/IMG_0845.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />The evening ended at Storyville for a Defend New Orleans party. There was some left over Easy Cheese which became graffiti.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622189123511586"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rqyg5i36pSI/AAAAAAAABTs/4TvvW_MyfWQ/s288/DSC03057.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FonDUDECheeseMan/photo#5092622317972530514"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqyhBC36pVI/AAAAAAAABT4/Hsg_0F2D9vE/s288/DSC03060.JPG" /></a></div>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-49274294206622770642007-07-30T10:04:00.000-05:002007-07-30T11:52:57.399-05:00Night of Nine Roses and Naughty Knight: brought to you by the letter NOn July 20 the Gastronauts ventured over the GNO CCC for an evening of food for the third time. Our destination - Hoa Hong 9 AKA Nine Roses, a Vietnamese restaurant near Stumpf and the Westbank Expressway. Nine Roses is a great place to go with a large group of people - big round tables with big lazy susans. This most recent time there were five of us, but I have been with a group as large as 12 or so (I don't remember exactly how many since it was almost ten years ago).<br /><br />We started with a couple of orders of spring rolls - one with tofu and one with shrimp and pork. They have some other wonderful appetizers that we did not get - jellyfish salad and seafood salad are perfect for a hot summer day.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/NineRosesAndNaughtyKnight/photo#5089481636022231890"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqF4lS36o1I/AAAAAAAABH0/s-nRpeRYmf4/s288/DSC02933.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/NineRosesAndNaughtyKnight/photo#5089481709036675954"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqF4pi36o3I/AAAAAAAABIE/Rlhnvm4tgTM/s288/DSC02935.JPG" /></a><br /><br />With the lazy susan, a large group can order family style. We had several sharable entrees - lemon grass tofu (which is not technically on the menu - just ask for it), green beans, Buddha delight mixed vegetable, and coconut curry with shrimp.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/NineRosesAndNaughtyKnight/photo#5089481928080008130"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqF42S36o8I/AAAAAAAABIs/rFrV8weySr8/s288/DSC02940.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/NineRosesAndNaughtyKnight/photo#5089481966734713810"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqF44i36o9I/AAAAAAAABI0/hBsK_hNQTcQ/s288/DSC02941.JPG" /></a><br /><br />With a good size group, you can get out of there for under $20 (sans alcohol) and have a taste of several different things and have a full belly. Each of the five of us pulled out a credit card to pay for our tab. After the waitress took our five cards to the counter, the hostess looked over at our table at started to laugh. At least she didn't scowl at us and shake her fist.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/NineRosesAndNaughtyKnight/photo#5089482056929027058"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqF49y36o_I/AAAAAAAABJE/TkVtxqCjuqQ/s288/DSC02943.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Once again the evening was not over until we hit a Westbank dive bar. Just a couple of blocks away on the Westbank Expressway feeder road next to the Cigarette Connection sits the Naughty Knight Lounge. Stepping into an unfamiliar bar is always exciting and this time was no exception. The bar had several regulars celebrating someone's birthday - there was a cake and food on one of the two pool tables. The bartendress and several other ladies looked pretty tough, they even had to escort out a very drunken patron. We stayed for one Budweiser and one game of pool and then called it a night.<br /><br />Who is ready for a Westbank bar hopping night?!!! So many more to explore. Oh yeah, I guess we can hit a Westbank restaurant before the hopping begins.<br /></div></div>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-40418213252920238792007-07-28T12:29:00.000-05:002007-08-02T00:57:25.726-05:00curry on my wayward son...curryosity killed the cat. I still curry a torch for you. Bicycle curryer. Sometimes all I need is the curry that I eat and to love you. Not, i'll not, currion comfort, despair, not feast on thee.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpotBE7bb40QaMlzfl7PI_o47OdwK8pOgArrCC8obakH4gHwfSSoMWVZviGBlzYWlwyaNPTQFmtlat4A-5_jMgq9GBHgr4xXgIrAdrDAltj7Fec8a8DxbXDp7rroJKGkqtlOvitBMYETHO/s1600-h/coconut+curry+shrimp.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpotBE7bb40QaMlzfl7PI_o47OdwK8pOgArrCC8obakH4gHwfSSoMWVZviGBlzYWlwyaNPTQFmtlat4A-5_jMgq9GBHgr4xXgIrAdrDAltj7Fec8a8DxbXDp7rroJKGkqtlOvitBMYETHO/s320/coconut+curry+shrimp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093021660901250482" border="0" /></a><br />the old curryosity shop... curry in a hurry ... curryculum vitae ...lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12802606906499382412noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-83709507702550696362007-07-20T14:56:00.000-05:002007-07-23T15:15:44.006-05:00where to begin?Maybe I should first retrace the beginnings of baking (and drinking) night at the Purple Palace.<br /><br />Back in April on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter), after an afternoon of thrifting on the Westbank Jen Leslie, Li, and I decided to break in my then unused new Kitchen Aid mixer. We made a cake to take to the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thecirclebar">Circle Bar</a> for the final show of local band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brainrex">Brain Rex</a>. Large vodka tonics were consumed during the baking process.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FirstBake/photo#5090014740247913506"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqNdcC36pCI/AAAAAAAABOQ/KzebQ21eXd8/s288/DSC01100.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FirstBake/photo#5090014774607651922"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqNdeC36pFI/AAAAAAAABOo/091Juspi-U8/s288/DSC01103.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The cake was chocolate with strawberries and chocolate icing. It was a little dense but I think it was finished off by the end of the night at the Circle Bar.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FirstBake/photo#5090014808967390338"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqNdgC36pII/AAAAAAAABPA/1EA66bJNVSA/s288/DSC01132.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/FirstBake/photo#5090014796082488434"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RqNdfS36pHI/AAAAAAAABO4/WdwjsiaMQ-4/s288/DSC01113.JPG" /></a><br /><br />More drinks were consumed at the Circle Bar including PBR, Jager, tequilla, and who knows what else. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ratzingerbra">Ratzinger</a> closed out the evening (quite blurry at this point) at the Circle. And afterwards, I believe that we had a dance party in my living room for a while.<br /><br />Baking and booze - what a combo.<br /><br />So that was the birth of the baking adventure. Next came <a href="http://gogogastronauts.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html">Red Velvet night</a> about which you can read in the June Oh Seven archives. And that brings us to Cupcakes night, July 13.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesDeux/photo#5087682186705143842"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RpsT_jykiCI/AAAAAAAAA0A/F71RJ3hQ1e8/s288/IMG_0532.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br />The evening was to consist of baking cupcakes in celebration of Friday the Thirteenth and Bastille Day. Both sweet and savory cupcakes were to be made. Before folks arrived, I started on cheese-jalapeno cornbread muffins made from <a href="http://www.jiffymix.com/">Jiffy mix</a>. Ok, they are not technically cupcakes but we needed something to eat before we took the dive into a sea of sugar. I also started on a tomato soup cupcake recipe that I found on a blog called <a href="http://vanillagarlic.blogspot.com/2006/10/tomato-soup-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese.html">Vanilla Garlic</a>. I decided to add fresh basil to the recipe of what I thought would be savory cupcakes. The tomato soup cupcakes were tasty but turned out more sweet than savory. They tasted like something that would be served as a dessert at Thanksgiving. My third and final batch was a peanut butter batter that was mixed with Jennifer's chocolate batter to make dark and tan cupcakes. Unity!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087183171634887794"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplOJDykfHI/AAAAAAAAAYg/NYpNpCc1zAY/s288/DSC02742.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087183098620443730"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplOEzykfFI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/1zrXofVlw2c/s288/DSC02740.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087183631196388658"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplOjzykfTI/AAAAAAAAAaE/AHXK9QD0cdg/s288/DSC02754.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesDeux/photo#5087683397885921410"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RpsVGDykiII/AAAAAAAAA08/8oszrgmno8g/s288/IMG_0540.JPG" /></a><br /><br />With the oven going and 12 people, the kitchen got pretty hot. So we went through several bottles of wine, quite a bit of rum, and a special surprise of a gallon of chocolate daiquiri from Daiquiri Place Cafe on St. Charles.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087183888894426514"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplOyzykfZI/AAAAAAAAAa0/8TLQKCw_kg4/s288/DSC02760.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087184485894880882"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplPVjykfnI/AAAAAAAAAck/LfP6a1L1jDY/s288/DSC02774.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087184009153510850"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplO5zykfcI/AAAAAAAAAbM/n5eHWZQYH9I/s288/DSC02763.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087184129412595186"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplPAzykffI/AAAAAAAAAbk/Cr_8_h69WsA/s288/DSC02766.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Of the many many photos taken that night, there were only a few pictures of the cupcakes. And of all the photos that I took, none had flash so they are blurry or, as I like to think, arty.<br /><br />So, did I mention the daiquiris already? And if you didn't know, Friday is Daiquiri Day or more succinct, Daiquiri Friday. The gallon of chocolate daiquiri was the tipping point of the evening. After the gallon of frozen goodness arrived, soon came painting and dancing and shirt off o'clock.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesPtThree/photo#5088384121800265186"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rp2SZjykjeI/AAAAAAAABA8/d7998Jxih2M/s288/IMG_0696.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesDeux/photo#5087998545406233330"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RpwzuDykivI/AAAAAAAAA6k/MsmtkiIJdLQ/s288/IMG_0632.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesPtThree/photo#5088391401769832146"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rp2ZBTykjtI/AAAAAAAABC8/pKDVzsci598/s288/IMG_0717.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesPtThree/photo#5088391238561074882"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rp2Y3zykjsI/AAAAAAAABC0/j14Cc3mSqg8/s288/IMG_0716.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Apparently folks were still hanging out on the porch talking and smoking cigarettes until 5 a.m. or so. By that point I had "fallen asleep" on a couch as did some other folk.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesPtThree/photo#5088398591545086098"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rp2fjzykkJI/AAAAAAAABGk/yLkNKBDmvi8/s288/IMG_0756.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/CupcakesPtThree/photo#5088399033926717634"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/Rp2f9jykkMI/AAAAAAAABG8/VYfV-lvqY7o/s288/IMG_0759.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Here are the remains of the wine and <a href="http://www.neworleansrum.com/">rum</a> that was consumed.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087189343502894754"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplTwTykhqI/AAAAAAAAAtA/fEjG_FIXpZc/s288/DSC02906.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087189382157600434"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplTyjykhrI/AAAAAAAAAtI/giTiOlE2_Sk/s288/DSC02907.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And daylight pics of the painting party.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087189197474006626"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplTnzykhmI/AAAAAAAAAsg/rHJ_MEXfcBw/s288/DSC02902.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087189154524333650"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplTlTykhlI/AAAAAAAAAsY/rVyu_BdRN6E/s288/DSC02901.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087189231833745010"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplTpzykhnI/AAAAAAAAAso/UsklXT1518s/s288/DSC02903.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/Cupcakes/photo#5087189270488450690"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RplTsDykhoI/AAAAAAAAAsw/4x01fSOURa8/s288/DSC02904.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Did I even mention that we had <span style="font-weight: bold;">TWO</span> Kitchen Aid mixers whipping up cupcakes?!!!!! And at some point Saint was wearing a pet t-shirt.anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-37622341245109484002007-07-19T23:46:00.000-05:002007-07-20T13:53:38.982-05:00Deadly CupcakesOur cupcake night was a huge success. Gastronauts and guestronauts alike enjoyed mixing, baking, decorating, and eating both sweet and savory cupcakes (even though, in general, savory cupcakes suck). A surprise gallon of chocolate daiquiri didn't hurt either.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgqs7uLbN7_ft9z96sDi9xeoE2SZMYYrff55ZMqWD2wHBGhRAD8wZpE5IC65Zt6MbtObjtI-6O7-O7Aeu3g_Klb_SRCevDCB6BFB7cOvWPgxw61lmAOOvjnsrWopharvfWq8xnAsVCfgv/s1600-h/easy-bake.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgqs7uLbN7_ft9z96sDi9xeoE2SZMYYrff55ZMqWD2wHBGhRAD8wZpE5IC65Zt6MbtObjtI-6O7-O7Aeu3g_Klb_SRCevDCB6BFB7cOvWPgxw61lmAOOvjnsrWopharvfWq8xnAsVCfgv/s200/easy-bake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089351264120896642" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I brought a batch of chocolate cake batter and some yummy buttercreme frosting. Fortunately, there is an Easy-Bake Oven at the Purple Palace, so I was able to relive some childhood memories.<br /><br /><br /><br />Some of the highlights of the evening (IMHO) include:<br /><br />1. Bastille Day Cake<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFFjRxLuXo2PrSeT8gUbw8oh1BLTuu6LZbCSq3byRT4tcm2Jv8dkOV_iHCYItGRnf-Ru7jK2mrIE8bVdA8eUH_U6DEC_cxIgb9K63MSCOYUCVniVCQkx2YYbqfS8wZfocgRQ3PxYx37mg/s1600-h/bastille.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFFjRxLuXo2PrSeT8gUbw8oh1BLTuu6LZbCSq3byRT4tcm2Jv8dkOV_iHCYItGRnf-Ru7jK2mrIE8bVdA8eUH_U6DEC_cxIgb9K63MSCOYUCVniVCQkx2YYbqfS8wZfocgRQ3PxYx37mg/s200/bastille.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089349876846459986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2. Dancing with Victor<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg1RR6BJq7A6UoXH6lG3fpeDISBDFTzXAgI8QPJGkZjFDyf6HEM3bM8D9452k2V1ht31UyOWfNs-mtlY6gjKurpvRZOQLHkLKv3zfEuUXUXqNB00rXVhM1s1ABPnMiUiazXQB_o4T7SuF/s1600-h/dancing.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg1RR6BJq7A6UoXH6lG3fpeDISBDFTzXAgI8QPJGkZjFDyf6HEM3bM8D9452k2V1ht31UyOWfNs-mtlY6gjKurpvRZOQLHkLKv3zfEuUXUXqNB00rXVhM1s1ABPnMiUiazXQB_o4T7SuF/s200/dancing.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089350624170769506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />3. Saint in a t-shirt (this still cracks me up)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRhuVws4C6eeGTnLGNXAhsW3EGxKYEaqc_vieuANoACQPgSd8DcllVi1eWxudAiYX62jUVlO7IdRAmWQ-_mu5-V97Okcu6vbWPlgZ4_HVKk2_zmTelndQbfFZw904BXH4eVDEH1cShFc4/s1600-h/saint_tshirt.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRhuVws4C6eeGTnLGNXAhsW3EGxKYEaqc_vieuANoACQPgSd8DcllVi1eWxudAiYX62jUVlO7IdRAmWQ-_mu5-V97Okcu6vbWPlgZ4_HVKk2_zmTelndQbfFZw904BXH4eVDEH1cShFc4/s200/saint_tshirt.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089350783084559474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />4. graffiti<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQCUdXvMmhLVWbIwl_sUa3UxX5PHKBXaEjFoVzvELUbhc9gsvyjxIaLhnCPbkplGc3cS6Nna7foFk-NnTlEWJizbVFbWsZfwKQ-hLMjNzciA17twuZMlShwo1EUtaxRcQcg4_iVQ8u3Xf/s1600-h/graffiti.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQCUdXvMmhLVWbIwl_sUa3UxX5PHKBXaEjFoVzvELUbhc9gsvyjxIaLhnCPbkplGc3cS6Nna7foFk-NnTlEWJizbVFbWsZfwKQ-hLMjNzciA17twuZMlShwo1EUtaxRcQcg4_iVQ8u3Xf/s200/graffiti.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089351766632070290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I think we're all still recovering.LibraryWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08895454809509289185noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-23156989644587023622007-07-05T13:21:00.000-05:002007-07-30T11:54:15.226-05:00back to the bestbank<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5081552911714331602"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RoVNczIVq9I/AAAAAAAAAOg/f3b4vK1_r7U/s400/DSC02599.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The Gastronauts made our way across the river once again, this time to go to the recently reopened Pupuseria Divino Corazon. Originally the plan was to eat some pupusas and then hit the Hong Kong Market for some asian food grocery shopping. However, the market closes at 9 and we were not heading across the river until about 8. So the trip to market was put on the backburner. Plus we barely made it in time to the restaraunt, which we found out closes at 8. Actually, they had already locked the front doors and we snuck in through the side door.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5081552954664004674"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RoVNfTIVrEI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/JPjGAZDEfwA/s400/DSC02606.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The restaurant had not been licensed for liquor yet, so the cerveza, sangria, and margaritas on the menu were off limits. For a beverage, I decided to choose from the bebidas latinas. Unfortunately, they were out of horchata. I picked the pina (pineapple) drink .<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5081552920304266226"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RoVNdTIVq_I/AAAAAAAAAOw/PkRx3MWgSbY/s400/DSC02601.JPG" /></a><br /><br />For the food choices, I went a la carte - shrimp ceviche, sweet corn tamale, and one pupusa. I was a bit disappointed with ceviche. The shrimp wasn't fresh, seemed to be pre-packaged frozen small shrimp. The pupusa was a different story - a tasty treat of corn masa filled with beans and cheese. A pupusa originated in El Salvador and is sorta like if a pita were made of corn flour. It was served with curtido, a coleslaw of vinegared cabbage, onions, and carrots. Mmmmm...tasty. The sweet corn tamale was to be my dessert, or at least a starter dessert. We wanted to try the nino envuelto - what could a wrapped child be?!!! We were not to try a nino envuelto that evening, but were persuaded to get not just one but two pieces or tres leches cake. One would have been plenty for us, two put us over the edge. Nonetheless it was a sweet treat.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5081552958958971986"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/RoVNfjIVrFI/AAAAAAAAAPg/kEWrecgRbFw/s400/DSC02607.JPG" /></a><br /><br />One of my favorite things about the Westbank is finding adventure filled bars like the Knaughty Knight near Nine Roses. One such discovery was Floozies next door to Divino Corazon. How could we not go to a place called Floozies?! But first we wanted to make a pit stop at the fireworks stand in the parking lot of the restaurant. We walked around to the front of the trailer to see that they were closed. Oh well. On to Floozies.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5081552980433808546"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/gogogastronauts/RoVNgzIVrKI/AAAAAAAAAQI/5cF3mloq2q8/s400/DSC02612.JPG" /></a><br /><br />From the outside, Floozies seemed a little sketchy - no windows at all. With some trepidation we tried to peer into the bar through the mail slot on the door. We decided to take the plunge and head in. Oh man, what did we walk into? A good ole boy haven. The place was pretty crowded as it seemed to be pool tournament night.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5081553006203612402"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/RoVNiTIVrPI/AAAAAAAAAQw/QCFyuVa2qVY/s400/DSC02617.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The House of Flooze had it going on, dude. They had shirts for sale - regular t-shirts, girly shirts, wife beaters. A lovely framed painting of a nude woman reclining on a sofa. A cardboard John Wayne. A cross-stitched Floozies sign. A jukebox full of country. Lots of NASCAR signage. A US Marines poster.<br /><br />UPDATED ENTRY (with photos borrowed from Meg R on Facebook):<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5083786685550276418"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/gogogastronauts/Ro09DjIVr0I/AAAAAAAAAWI/aUY70yEW790/s400/ratz.jpg" /></a><br /><br />After returning from the Westbank, we headed to Kun Flama on Magazine Street to catch a set by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ratzingerbra">Ratzinger.</a> It was the closing party for an art show and there was free Killian's Red, Moet, and Hennesey.<br /><br />During the final song of the evening we were saved by Cardinal Evan. Make the sign of the cross.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5084136579356012370"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/Ro57SDIVr1I/AAAAAAAAAWc/iiqv1l6xy-g/s400/saved.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/DivinoCorazon/photo#5084139087616913250"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/gogogastronauts/Ro59kDIVr2I/AAAAAAAAAWo/Fie_lsxpJkg/s400/saved2.jpg" /></a>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-69095856928932047242007-07-04T16:31:00.000-05:002007-07-11T16:47:48.755-05:003rd o' july zephyrs game<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzt4u6VeKLOs9tE77eR-6GmhogObElHuHefUlbZcKB939NcBgNZg1eOVETv6AYiyXNOsUg4YblbEL7bQXg7OIFGEAgrJ1TuScSfyHlr-W3u1MBH-UQEtfj6tr7ekWe1kmxzjQ6tDTnhzl/s1600-h/fireworks.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzt4u6VeKLOs9tE77eR-6GmhogObElHuHefUlbZcKB939NcBgNZg1eOVETv6AYiyXNOsUg4YblbEL7bQXg7OIFGEAgrJ1TuScSfyHlr-W3u1MBH-UQEtfj6tr7ekWe1kmxzjQ6tDTnhzl/s320/fireworks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086056111909744514" border="0" /></a><br />you can't hear it over the picture, but playing in the background, that's Neil Diamond.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtau-nUpaLhyphenhyphensk7Zhc82IB_epxfkfaUyHcNrSDZ0kf7gPWJM3EAadxfyQTwvsJuRB-z_iKLG6ifuebtEOUyiVl0-R9HgKWK1g26FSG5gf_7DsrsjysLPJOr8FeF5Qt933fUaH2McEl3pv/s1600-h/fries.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtau-nUpaLhyphenhyphensk7Zhc82IB_epxfkfaUyHcNrSDZ0kf7gPWJM3EAadxfyQTwvsJuRB-z_iKLG6ifuebtEOUyiVl0-R9HgKWK1g26FSG5gf_7DsrsjysLPJOr8FeF5Qt933fUaH2McEl3pv/s200/fries.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086056777629675426" border="0" /></a><br />And this is a bucket of fries with free tartar sauce and honey mustard, for when you're just not up to spending that extra dollar on proper cheese fries.<br /><br />Zephyrs lost 3-2.<br /><br />Happy Independence Day, dudes.lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12802606906499382412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-89415739409262091642007-06-16T13:53:00.001-05:002007-06-16T14:14:40.214-05:00don't have much to add<a href="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnKijOKmMOI/AAAAAAAAAMo/ac1RI5T8jRg/IMG_0514.JPG?imgmax=512"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnKijOKmMOI/AAAAAAAAAMo/ac1RI5T8jRg/IMG_0514.JPG?imgmax=512" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />except to say that (and I'm sure if he could stop stuffing his face for a quick sec, my friend here would agree with me) the cake tasted much better on the second day. I don't know how other cake eaters feel, but I'm a bigger fan of heavy and dense , rather than the light and fluffy. Bundt cakes, pound cakes, etc. I think that I'd really like fruit cakes too if they didn't have all that crap in them. After a day of chilling - in the literal sense. In the fridge - our cake achieved that heavy spongy consistency. Not like lady fingers, but like bunny bread after you mush it a little, but not completely. The flavor of the cake was also a little more apparent after chilling. It tasted more chocolatey ... or really even coacoa-y (they seem to taste different). I guess also I'm gonna throw in a picture of the aforementioned lovely Jen Leslie and the lovely Saint, mainly because this picture sums up much of how I feel about baking, which is to say, maybe 90% satisfaction/bliss, 10% anxiety. And that 10% represents different things throughout the baking process: salmonella, food poisoning, failure, indigestion ... <br /><br /><a href="http://lh6.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnKiDeKmMKI/AAAAAAAAAMI/-P8OKEx3DIM/IMG_0503.JPG?imgmax=512"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnKiDeKmMKI/AAAAAAAAAMI/-P8OKEx3DIM/IMG_0503.JPG?imgmax=512" border="0" alt="" /></a>lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12802606906499382412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-32915403578366239052007-06-15T20:11:00.000-05:002007-08-02T00:38:08.961-05:00velvet jones and the five bottlesThe other contributors seem to have a good handle of describing the food. I guess I'll talk about the drink part of the adventures.<br /><br />Last night was red velvet cake night (made with beets instead of food coloring) at Chez Turducken where guest were encouraged to wear red and/white or even velvet and to bring a bottle of wine.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/RedVelvetNite/photo#5076297768786866226"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnKh7OKmMDI/AAAAAAAAALQ/mcW0wyyS4kA/s400/IMG_0485.JPG" /></a><br /><br />In addition to the bottles that were already at my house, four people brought a bottle of wine. Gastronaut Jennifer brought an Australian shiraz cabernet from Lindemans Cawarra. A very very good ratio of taste to cost. Ciara brought some Fat Bastard, also a shiraz. Jen Leslie aka JR Lovely supplied a Beaujolais from Louis Jadot. An Italian desert wine Nivole moscato d'asti was presented by Derek. And we had a Coppola merlot from my stash. The desert wine was quite tasty with the cake.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/RedVelvetNight/photo#5076462897394495874"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnM4G-KmMYI/AAAAAAAAAOA/LA0SR4aopYE/s400/DSC02504.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/RedVelvetNight/photo#5076462622516588818"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnM32-KmMRI/AAAAAAAAANI/zuEDMvNXxWg/s400/DSC02497.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/RedVelvetNight/photo#5076462781430378834"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnM4AOKmMVI/AAAAAAAAANo/SKLkW5z1Gr4/s400/DSC02501.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/RedVelvetNight/photo#5076462815790117218"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/RnM4COKmMWI/AAAAAAAAANw/PNrA-XUfTow/s400/DSC02502.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Despite the time it took to make, the frosting was quite the hit thanks to the lifeline that Benjamin called. Thanks Ben!!!!!!!!!anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-55913162713861263832007-06-15T01:55:00.000-05:002007-06-15T11:58:05.675-05:00Red Velvety GoodnessOur most recent Gastronauts get-together was envisioned as a southern cooking potluck, but shortly after its conception we dropped the idea to focus on southern baking: the Red Velvet Cake. The event took place in Anthony's kitchen where Gastronauts (and friends) prepared the cake with the help of a red Kitchenaid stand mixer. Attendees were encouraged to wear red and/or white and/or velvet and to bring a bottle of red or white wine. <br /><br />The recipe posed some challenges: using a double boiler to melt the chocolate (we didn't have one) and cooked frosting (this always scares me because it's so complicated). We finally gave up on our makeshift double boiler and put the chocolate in the microwave to melt it. A lifeline was called to assist with the frosting dilemma - we needed to whip more air into it.<br /><br />Everyone pitched in to help in the preparation - buying ingredients, accurate measuring, cleaning up, opening and pouring wine. One contribution I made was buttering and flouring the pans. This is one of my favorite parts of baking mainly becuase I'm reminded of my mom baking cakes when I was a girl. When she would flour the pans, her wedding ring would tap the side of metal of the pan signalling that we would soon have a yummy treat. That sound makes me very happy.<br /><br />Overall, our baking experiment was a success. The cakes were moist (though not very red) and the white frosting was fluffy and sweet. <br /><br />Photos to come.LibraryWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08895454809509289185noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-80124378682286030552007-06-11T09:04:00.000-05:002007-07-10T17:59:33.202-05:00two strikes and its a cookoutLast Thursday three fourths of the gastronaut crew headed downtown for some Mexican fare. The trip resulted in the first aborted mission of the crew. The destination, Jazz Tacos, was closed - CERRADO.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/TwoStrikes/photo#5074789105689571090"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/Rm1FzeKmLxI/AAAAAAAAAIg/zdWUBZPiwjg/s400/C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5CAdministrator%5CDesktop%5CNew%20Folder%20%282%29%5CDSC02446.JPG" /></a> </div><div align="left"><br />A Gambit Weekly review reports their hours as breakfast, lunch, and dinner Monday through Saturday. So why were they closed? There was no sign on the door but my guess is that they were preparing for the Cocina Latina part of the Creole Tomato Festival. (posts about the fest to follow)<br /><br />Here's a pic of the menu that could have been. </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/TwoStrikes/photo#5074789105689571106"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/Rm1FzeKmLyI/AAAAAAAAAIo/D8RG7HJeMjM/s400/C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5CAdministrator%5CDesktop%5CNew%20Folder%20%282%29%5CDSC02447.JPG" /></a></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">With Mexican food on the mind, we headed to Santa Fe on Frenchmen. At least we thought Santa Fe was still on Frenchmen. Whadayano?! Strike two. Santa Fe is no longer and is now La Vita del Forno. Actually not yet, the new restaraunt had yet to open.<br /></div><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/TwoStrikes/photo#5074789109984538418"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/Rm1FzuKmLzI/AAAAAAAAAIw/4qi_RP56ZJM/s400/C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5CAdministrator%5CDesktop%5CNew%20Folder%20%282%29%5CDSC02449.JPG" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">What to do? What to do? Luckily, a friend of mine passed by in a car as we were standing on the corner dumbfounded. She reminded me of the cookout on the neutral ground of Esplanade at Rampart that the guys in the Bally Who do on ocassion. The Bally Who? What? I don't know. Third base!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Since two thirds of the three fourths of the gastronauts don't eat the pork and the beef. We made a detour to the Frenchmen market to stock up on non-meat and liquids. Foster's oil cans were chosen as liquids and cheddar cheese was choosen for the grill (we could at least have cheese sammiches). The omnivore of the bunch opted for a small bag of the tobasco flavored Zapp's chips and a yogurt drink I believe.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">With supplies in hand, we headed over to Esplanade to look for the tandem bike with a grill instead of a second seat. We found the grillmasters with a cooler of food and a cooler of beer. The first thing to go on the grill was sausage. I'm not sure what kind of sausage since I didn't try any of it. At some point green onions were grilled for cebollitas. Burgers made it on the grill. And a mixture of vegetables - squash, red bell pepper, etc - were grilled in pockets of foil. I put some grilled veggies on a toasted bun for a lovely sammich. I think I may have made a toasted cheese sammich also.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">At some point, conversation at the cookout turned to swimming pools, specifically the old pool at Audubon Park. I mentioned that there used to be a big pool in front of the zoo and now there is a smaller one. Another member of the gastronaut crew called me out on it and said that there is no pool in front of the zoo. One of us intiated a bet. The loser of the bet would have to wear something a bit out of the ordinary to work for three days in a row (without washing). If I lost, I would get a traffic cone orange faux-hawk. If the other party lost, she would have to wear shrimp boots and a sunrise-sunset t-shirt. A contract was written, signed, and "notarized" by the Bally Who. And we planned to go to the park on lunch break the next day to settle the bet.</div><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/TwoStrikes/photo#5074824371666038722"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/Rm1l4OKmL8I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/FopqBNPwS8A/s400/C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5CDelRosario%5CMy%20Documents%5Cfront.JPG" /></a> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/gogogastronauts/TwoStrikes/photo#5074824375961006034"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/image/gogogastronauts/Rm1l4eKmL9I/AAAAAAAAAKA/y7yRbcCLo7c/s400/C%3A%5CDocuments%20and%20Settings%5CDelRosario%5CMy%20Documents%5Cback.JPG" /></a><br /><img src="http://www.snlcorp.com/image/Shrimp_Boots.gif" /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">After a couple of hours at the cookout, we left to meet up my friends Jennifer and Noy at Mimi's. There we had poinsettias and a Shirley Temple and enjoyed some string music for a bit. It was one of the last nights in town for Jennifer and we all decided to get a bit crazy and go to 80s night at One Eyed Jacks with all the Bridge and Tunnelers. Much High Life was consumed, much dancing was done, and much perspiration was released. Some how a large Sharpie ended up in my hand and began bumping into folks on the dancefloor. Wonder how that happened?</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">At the end of the night at OEJ around 3:30, the group planned to sneak in to the swimming pool at the W. However, on the way there the mission was aborted. Oh well, shower at 4am instead of a pool.</div>anthonyturduckenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05479459922038801543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-27169986858769139152007-05-27T11:47:00.000-05:002007-05-27T12:30:15.385-05:00return of the prodigal foufouThe last time I ate at Bennachin was when it was still on Carrolton, and I and had read Things Fall Apart a few years earlier and, sadly, retained from it only a vague understanding of foufou (or fufu or foofoo). There may have been references to colonialism and massacre and anguish and the death of culture and stuff, but really, at fourteen, somehow, foufou is the only part of that novel that fell within my scope of comprehension. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2ZJcVmy1mBgWmCTdxpBeJlq_XhwlQYvgtKCuJO8RRGCbq8D1aDGTw2AnrxXf5ZDDT7UI2bne3MRnliOSWoSzdXzMVlA2bwGuSzjDm7Dn8ydSQSeixLrHsufzi6O1MAOM2UUw3u-iMSqk/s1600-h/foufou.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2ZJcVmy1mBgWmCTdxpBeJlq_XhwlQYvgtKCuJO8RRGCbq8D1aDGTw2AnrxXf5ZDDT7UI2bne3MRnliOSWoSzdXzMVlA2bwGuSzjDm7Dn8ydSQSeixLrHsufzi6O1MAOM2UUw3u-iMSqk/s320/foufou.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069287753976923938" /></a><br /><br />So imagine my excitement when I recognized it on the menu at Bennachin. And then imagine my disappointment when it tasted like nothing very exciting at all. And then imagine my excitement when seven years later I realized that you have to eat it with something else. Like fish stew. (bangs the figurative no-duh gong). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyzNveJH0efsqqCAXVnuiwbaJXKyu_XZ7eKZQbAIW8WFQFEmBxqVw40U9WPJQ-MuE4V4BsmYqvJ6wc603XA4Tgz-PPRUaQSkqeAYY3lb6r3wwLCn5FzKmTqzs4lm-iMwaBmk712qbKbOW/s1600-h/fish+stew.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyzNveJH0efsqqCAXVnuiwbaJXKyu_XZ7eKZQbAIW8WFQFEmBxqVw40U9WPJQ-MuE4V4BsmYqvJ6wc603XA4Tgz-PPRUaQSkqeAYY3lb6r3wwLCn5FzKmTqzs4lm-iMwaBmk712qbKbOW/s320/fish+stew.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069291623742457650" /></a><br /><br />Better yet, the stew part is exactly like gumbo. (double gong) Except orange and with tilapia. <br /><br />The foufou is lovely, especially if you’re all about starchy textures. It’s like a gnocchi, but bigger and better. Or, perhaps more accurately, gnocchi is like fufu, but smaller and multitudinous and pretty okay. Depends on the sauce.lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12802606906499382412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-76431459202337261652007-05-24T10:04:00.001-05:002007-05-24T10:22:42.045-05:00Did I bring my passport?Whoops, forgot I was still in the French Quarter. Bennachin, the west African restaurant on Royal St. , was a trip abroad without leaving home. We had bootleg music videos on tv (very big industry there--a pirate's dream), screaming babies (bravo to the parents for venturing out with tots), and more cayenne pepper dusted on my dinner than I knew what to do with. I loved the sensation of being somewhere where my usual expectations don't work. A lovely and safe way towards a reality check. And oh yeah, the food was good, too! Our appetizer of 'akara'--a samosa-like pocket filled with seasoned mashed black-eyed peas dipped in a tomato onion sauce was high on my list of faves. I particularly wanted to try it as it had migrated to Brazil with the importation of slaves from West Africa, and is a popular snack in Bahia, a place and culture I very much want to see. Dinner itself, was roast chicken, spinach, and fried plantains. In general, it was a starch heavy cuisine on display. Of particular fascination was the side of 'fufu' Anthony ordered. Billed as boiled mashed yams, I thought I knew what to expect. Wrong again. It was a perfectly smooth oval of...starch. Pearly white, nearly tasteless, and slightly more solid than mashed potatoes, it took me a minute to figure why anyone would want this dish....It begs to be the base for a highly flavored stew or a soup. Ok, mystery solved. Overall, I enjoyed the Bennachin experience and would recommend it to fans of ethnic food and other adventurous eaters.hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205382958180673703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113778809847903765.post-79848789553713434712007-05-18T16:18:00.000-05:002007-05-18T16:31:23.475-05:00My two centimesClementine's was a delight, no other way to put it. Sure, the food was as it should be: sophisticated, but simple. Subtle, but not intellectual. Clementine's also fed my hunger for connecting with people. The European habit of dining, as opposed to just having something to eat, fosters the kind of conversation that feeds us as social beings. The married couple who served us that evening fussed over us as if we were guests <span style="font-style: italic;">chez eux.</span> The waitress, in particular, enjoyed the prospect of feeding a slender young man like our Anthony. Our servers freely shared their appreciation for the pleasures of the table and passed on a little of that attitude to us, for which I am grateful.<br />PS--If your schedule and dining companions agree, be sure to have dessert FIRST. :)hannahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05205382958180673703noreply@blogger.com0