Labor Day Clambake

Today is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Time to fire up the grills and enjoy some charred flesh or if you like have a clambake right there on the grill. As one who vacationed in Maine most summers and has a fair amount of melted butter in my veins, I applaud the presence of lobster in this recipe. The recipe, which appeared with an article in the Washington Post does include shrimp, and the article notes that "some people consider it heresy to put shrimp in a clambake" but it's your clambake, put what you want in it.

Grill Clambake
Summary:
There are two ways to go about enjoying this truly American event in the back yard using a kettle-style grill. One way is to steam the shellfish and their accompaniments in seaweed directly over smoldering coals; the other is to cook everything in sealed, aluminum-foil packets several inches above the coals. The first way makes a bigger mess to clean up, but the smoky, briny flavor that results approximates the beach experience more closely.

Cooking the clams and mussels in sealed packets with broth or water allows steam to get to them directly, helping them to open. You may substitute hard-shell clams for soft-shells (steamers) if you must, but they are not nearly as delicate in flavor. Some people consider it heresy to put shrimp in a clambake; the choice is up to you. (Note: Buy all seafood and shellfish in their raw state.)

Serve with plain or flavored clarified butter, cocktail sauce and garlic mayonnaise (see related recipes).

MAKE AHEAD: The potatoes can be parboiled (then cooled and refrigerated) a day in advance. The butter may be clarified and frozen a week ahead of time. The flavored butters and sauces can be made up to 2 days in advance.

For the steamed-over-seaweed method, you will need: heavy-duty aluminum foil, parchment paper, 4 flour-sack cloths (24 by 36 inches), 8 pounds of seaweed and a large aluminum bucket; 1 cup wood chips is optional.

For the sealed-packet method, you will need: heavy-duty aluminum foil, 4 flour-sack cloths (24 by 36 inches) and 1 pound of seaweed. 4 servings

Ingredients:
For the clambake

• 2 pounds mussels, cleaned
• 4 pounds (10 to 12 per pound) steamer clams (may substitute 2 dozen littleneck clams)
• 1 bunch thyme
• 8 medium cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups clam juice (may substitute water)
• 4 to 8 12-ounce beers (may substitute water)
• 4 lobsters, 1 1/2 pounds each
• 4 ears corn, husk and silk removed
• 4 lemons
• 8 small (2/3 pound) cipollini onions (about 2/3 of a pound), or 1 large onion, any variety, peeled, and quartered lengthwise
• 8 red bliss potatoes, parboiled for 15 to 20 minutes, until just soft
• 4 (about 13 ounces) garlicky sausages, such as linguica, chorizo or andouille
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 1 pound (U-16) shell-on jumbo shrimp
  

Directions:
For the steamed-over-seaweed method: Soak the mussels and clams in separate bowls of cold water for 30 minutes to allow them to expel any grit. (Discard any that do not close when tapped.)

Soak the seaweed in water in a large bin, placed next to the grill.

Prepare the grill. Light the charcoal in a full chimney starter (100 briquettes) and let it burn until the briquettes are just starting to turn gray and low flames are licking from the top (15 to 20 minutes). Carefully pour the coals onto the charcoal grate, spreading them out evenly using long grill tongs, and evenly place another half-chimney full of briquettes (50 count) on top of them. Allow them to burn until the briquettes are covered with gray ash (10 to 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, prepare packets of clams and mussels: Lift the clams from their water with your hands, place them in a strainer and rinse them. Do the same with the mussels.

Cut an 18-by-22 length of aluminum foil and a slightly shorter piece of parchment paper (15 inches wide). Lay the parchment paper on top of the dull side of the foil. Place a quarter of the mussels and clams in the center of the parchment. Top each portion with a few sprigs of thyme and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Seal the packet lengthwise with crimped folds, then one side widthwise. Pick up the packet so that you can pour a half-cup of clam juice into it without it spilling out; then fold and crimp the open end to seal the packet completely. Repeat with the remaining three portions of mussels and clams and refrigerate the packets while you prepare the rest of the components.

Place the flour sack cloths in a clean sink and use the contents of 2 bottles of beer to dampen them. Spread a cloth on the counter. Place a lobster, a clam packet, and an ear of corn, and a lemon in the center of the cloth and then top with the onions, potatoes, sausage, rosemary and one-quarter of the shrimp. Tie diagonal corners of the cloth together and then the other diagonal corners to make a hobo bundle. Repeat with the remaining three cloths. Place the bundles in a large metal bucket and take them to the grill.

Lift two-thirds of the seaweed from the bin, lightly shake off excess water, and spread the seaweed evenly over the coals. (It will start to pop and smoke.) Sprinkle with wood chips, if an extra smokiness is desired. (They do not have to be soaked.) Place the four bundles on top of the seaweed, with the lobsters closest to the center. Cover the bundles with the remaining seaweed and place the lid on the grill with the vents open. (If you have one, place a perforated grill pan on top of the seaweed before putting the bundles on; this will help keep the coals from scorching the flour sack cloths.)

Allow the bundles to steam for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and pour one or two bottles of beer (or the equivalent amount of water) evenly over the bundles to help keep everything moist. Cover the grill and continue steaming for another 30 minutes.

Remove the lid from the grill. Using tongs, push the seaweed to the side and open one of the bundles. The lobster should be bright red all the way through and all of the other ingredients of the packet should appear to be cooked to you. If not, rewrap the bundles loosely, recover with the seaweed, sprinkle 1 or 2 bottles of beer, cover the grill and cook for 15 minutes. (More than likely, everything will be done after 1 hour and 15 minutes, but the lobster may not be red on top; turning them over before rewrapping the bundles will help color them evenly.)

Remove the lid. Remove and discard the seaweed on the top. (Use heat-proof gloves or long grill tongs to put all of the seaweed in the bin of water in which it soaked. This assures that the fire is out.) Remove the lobsters from each bundle and place them on a platter. Open one of the clam packets. If more than a few are not open, reseal the packet and place them all directly on the coals to continue cooking while you prep the lobsters. (Or place the contents of the packets in a covered pot and finish them on the stove, and serve them in their pot.) Loosely retie the bundles, pile them into the bucket you brought them out in. To serve, place a bundle in front of each place setting.

Before serving the lobsters, use seafood shears to clip the ends of the claws by 1/2-inch. Pick each lobster up by the tail, hold it over a bowl or sink, and allow water to drain through the claws. Remove rubber bands from claws and pull of the narrow pincher from each side. Then, use a mallet or hammer to crack the claws (Cover the claw with a dish towel to keep it from splattering all over you when you do this.) Serve the lobsters with drawn butter.

For the sealed-packet method: Spread each dampened flour sack cloth on two sheets of heavy-duty foil that overlap to be an inch larger than the cloth. Place a big handful of seaweed (1/4 pound) on the center of each cloth, then a lobster, an ear of corn, 2 potatoes, 2 onions, mussels and clams (no need to make a separate packet), a sausage, some thyme and rosemary on top of the seaweed. Tie into a hobo bundle. Bring the foil up over the bundle and seal it tightly.

Prepare the charcoal in the same manner as in the first method, but place the grate above the coal and the packets on the grate. Cover and cook for 1 hour.

15 Books and the National Book Festival

This meme is making the round on Facebook and to commemorate the upcoming National Book Festival (on the National Mall) on September 26, here's my list of 15 books. The book festival is a great time. There are authors galore, giving talks about their latest books, signing copies of your books and it is just a great way to spend a fall afternoon.

In this list you name fifteen books, not just writers, which have inspired or influenced you. These are not necessarily the books you most liked, but the books that shaped you. In no particular order, with comments:

1. Fatal Vision - the first non-fiction book I ever read by choice. I was working in a library as a page and pulled it from my cart, and instead of shelving it, checked it out and read it.
2. The Stand - by far the best of the Stephen King books. If you are familiar with the miniseries, get the book. It's so much better.
3. Salem’s Lot - also by Stephen King and the first one of his books that I read. In Maine. In a cabin on a lake. By myself. Think I slept with the lights on for the rest of the vacation?
4. My Brother Sam is Dead - a children's book by Christopher Collins, I read it as part of a summer reading program and it made a big impact. I think it's part of why I am such a big history geek.
5. I’ll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - from my son's library. I can't get all the way through it without choking up at the end.
6. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson's escapades on the Appalachian Trail. The best first book to explore if you want to get into the Bryson genre.
7. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - as My Brother did for history, it's possible this book did it for me for museums.
8. John Adams - from my favorite period in history, by one of the greatest writers of our generation. A stellar examination of our second president.
9. Ordeal by Fire - required reading for a class I took in college on the Civil War. While a textbook, by strict definition, it read really easily, though that may have had a lot to do with the professor teaching the class.
10. The Flowers in the Attic books - no snickering. So what, I read them. And since we're talking impact here, um, yeah.
11. The Beverly Cleary genre - and while we're on the subject of pre-teen reads, I hope I'm not the only one waiting for the Encyclopedia Brown movie to come out. Am I? Anyone? Anyone?
12. Catcher in the Rye - because it did. Sure, it was required in High School English, but what high school teenage boy couldn't identify with some part of Holden Caufield?
13. 1984 - More required reading but on the edge of my reading spectrum. If it's Orwell, I preferred Animal Farm.
14. Boy’s Life - the magazine of the Cub and Boy Scouts. From the era when one looked forward to getting mail addressed to you. There's always Highlights Magazine here as well, but that just makes me think of the dentist [shudder].
15. Tao of Pooh - read in college. It goes back to that whole thing about me trying to be a better person.
    

Watch Where You Step

Growing up on Long Island, I had the opportunity to be close to beaches - the Long Island Sound was fifteen minutes away and the Atlantic beaches were twenty minutes away. One summer day I was swimming in the water off Robert Moses State Park and I saw a bill float by - it was a five dollar bill. Bonus! I brought it out to my blanket and set it aside and returned to the water. Minutes later another five dollar bill floated past me. It wasn't the equivalent of money growing on trees, but finding ten bucks in the vast Atlantic was a nice return on the day.

I spent most of my summers in Maine and swam in the chilled waters of the North Atlantic. One day, while wading in the water at my grandmother's house, I stepped on a ray fish. Definitely not the same experience of finding money in the water. On a few summer occasions, we spent our vacation on one of Maine's many lakes, where the swimming was fine, but walking on the mushy lake bed was a little disconcerting.

From kottke recently, I spotted this article where New York Magazine mapped the floors of the waters around New York City. I shall not be swimming in those waters anytime soon. Or ever. Beginning today I will have the advantage of swimming in the waters of the Delaware beaches, and that will present its own set of adventures.

Chocolate Mousse

After last week's recipe for Coq au Vin, the Amateur Gourmet suggest the appropriate followup has to be Chocolate Mousse. I made chocolate mousse once, I overdid it on the liquor and basically made chocolate liquor soup. My father really liked it.

According to the Amateur Gourmet, it's fairly simple to make. Give it a shot and let me know how you do. The recipe comes from Elsie's Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons espresso or very strong coffee (I used decaf espresso from a local Starbucks)
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• (Optional) Raspberries and extra whipped cream
  

Method

1. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.
2. Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.
3. Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
4. When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.
5. Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)
   

Serves 5-8, depending on the size of the servings.

Going on Vacation

Is everyone listening? Good. I don't want any confusion. I will be away later this week, but I have a few posts in the can ready to go so no one misses me too much. I will be at the beach with unknown Internet access.

Sort of like this guy:

And the Strange Baseball Season Continues

On the day when both the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals won a game, another team (well, one member of the team) pulled off another rarity in baseball. The unassisted Triple Play. In the continuing saga of the New York Mets in freefall, their game with the Philadelphia Phillies ended abruptly in the ninth inning, when Eric Bruntlett pulled off the three outer by himself. In the modern era of baseball, it has happened only 15 times and only twice has the triple play ended the game. On a similar note, I spotted this in my reader, where "immaculate innings" are being tracked. What's an "immaculate inning," you ask? That's when a pitcher strikes out the side on nine pitches. It has happened only 42 times. Three pitchers have done it twice, but none have ever done it three times.

Here's the list of unassisted triple plays.

• Neal Ball (SS) of the Cleveland Naps SS, July 19, 1909 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner.
• Bill Wambsganss (2B) of the Cleveland Indians, October 10, 1920 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner in Game 5 of the 1920 World Series
• George Burns (1B) of the Boston Red Sox, September 14, 1923 - Caught line drive, tagged runner, touched 2nd
• Ernie Padgett (SS) of the Boston Braves, October 6, 1923 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner
• Glenn Wright (SS) of the Pittsburgh Pirates, May 7, 1925 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner.
• Jimmy Cooney (SS) of the Chicago Cubs, May 30, 1927 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner
• Johnny Neun (iB) of the Detroit Tigers, May 31, 1927 - Caught line drive, tagged runner, touched 2nd (Ended game)
• Ron Hansen (SS) of the Washington Senators, July 30, 1968 - 1st Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner
• Mickey Morandini (2B) of the Philadelphia Phillies, September 20, 1992 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner
• John Valentin (SS) of the Boston Red Sox, July 8, 1994 6th Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner
• Randy Velarde (2B) of the Oakland Athletics, May 29, 2000 - Caught line drive, tagged runner, touched 2nd
• Rafael Furcal (SS) of the Atlanta Braves, August 10, 2003 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner.
• Troy Tulowitzki (SS) of the Colorado Rockies, April 29, 2007 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner.
• Asdrúbal Cabrera (2B) of the Cleveland Indians, May 12, 2008 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner.
• Eric Bruntlett (2B) of the Philadelphia Phillies, August 23, 2009 - Caught line drive, touched 2nd, tagged runner (Ended game)

Yeah it's Hot - But Think of Winter

So the month of June was like living in Seattle here in the DC area. There was at least one opportunity to wear a sweater, too. Isn't everyone concerned about global warming? While you sip that lemonade and try and stay cool in the dog days of summer, here's a warming, winter recipe to get you thinking about stew season.

Coq au Vin
(from Molly Stevens - All About Braising via the Amateur Gourmet)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound slab bacon (AG used D'Artagnan pancetta), rind removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• One 4 1/2 to 5 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces, wing tips, back, neck and giblets (except the liver) reserved
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All purpose flour for dredging (about 1/2 a cup)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion (about 8 oz.), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Cognac or other good brandy
• One 750-ml bottle dry, fruity red wine (I used a Pinot Noir)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup chicken stock
  

The garnish:

• 10 oz. pearl onions (about 24; frozen pearl onions, not thawed, may be substituted)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  

The bacon. Place the diced bacon in a cold, large Dutch oven or other heavy lidded braising pot, set over medium heat, and cook the bacon, stirring often with a slotted spoon, until well browned and crisp on the outside but with some softness inside, 12 to 15 minutes. [AG found my bacon wasn't really rendering, so I added a drop of vegetable oil and that helped it.]

Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Set the pot with the rendered bacon fat aside off the heat.

2. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

3. Rinse the chicken pieces with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with salt and pepper [be aggressive here]. Spread the flour in a wide shallow dish (a pie plate works well), and dredge half the chicken pieces one at a time, pacing each one in the flour, turning to coat both sides, and then lifting and patting lightly to shake off any excess.

4. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the rendered bacon fat in the pot and place over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, ease in the dredged pieces of chicken, skin side down, without crowding.

Sear on both sides, turning once with tongs, until a deep golden brown crust forms, 7 to 10 minutes total.

[Note: this is the most important step. You MUST get it golden brown for it to taste good. The more golden it is, the more fond is on the bottom of the pan which will add to the sauce later on.]

Transfer the chicken to a large platter; dredge the remaining pieces, discard the flour. Add another tablespoon butter to the pot, sear the remaining chicken. The second batch may brown faster, lower the heat if it begins to burn at all. Transfer the chicken to the platter, pour off the fat from the pot without discarding the tasty browned bits. Return the pot to medium heat.

5. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and melt it over medium heat.

Add the onion and carrot, and toss to coat the vegetables in the butter. Saute, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are beginning to soften and are flecked with brown, about five minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir to smear the paste through the vegetables. Add the Cognac [be careful! don't pour directly from the bottle] and bring to a boil to deglaze, scraping the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge the precious crust. Simmer, stirring a few times, until the liquid is almost all gone. Raise the heat to high, add the red wine, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly until the wine reduces by about half, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the reserved bacon and the stock and bring to a boil. Using a ladle, scoop out 1/2 cup of braising liquid and set aside for later cooking the pearl onions.

6. Add the chicken pieces to the pot in this order: place the legs, thighs, and wings, and the wing tips, back, neck, heart, and gizzard in the pot first, then put the breast pieces on top of them, skin side down. (Keeping the breast pieces on top protects them from overcooking and drying out.) Pour in any juices that collected as the chicken sat and bring to a simmer.

Cover the chicken with parchment paper, pressing down so that the paper nearly touches the chicken and extends over the sides of the pot by about an inch. Cover with the lid and place on a rack in the lower third of the oven to braise. After 15 minutes, turn the breast pieces over with tongs. At the same time, check that the liquid is simmering quietly. If not, lower the oven temp by 10 or 15 degrees. Continue braising gently for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until the breasts and dark meat are fork tender.

7. Meanwhile, while the chicken braises, cook the garnish. [I used frozen pearl onions for this, so I'm skipping her step for boiling and peeling fresh ones. Frozen work perfect!] Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet (preferably 12-inch nonstick) over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring and shaking, until tinged with brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, add the reserved 1/2 cup of braising liquid, cover and simmer, shaking the pan frequently, until the onions are tender when pierced (3 to 4 minutes, if using frozen; 12 if not). Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium high, and boil to reduce the liquid to a glaze.

Transfer the onions and liquid to a small bowl, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula. Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter. When the butter stops foaming, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute briskly. The mushrooms may release a lot of liquid at first. Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms develop an attractive chestnut brown sear, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the heat and return the onions and liquid to the skillet. Set aside.

8. Take the chicken out of the oven.

Remove the chicken pieces to a platter, get rid of the giblets if you used them, and cover the chicken to keep it warm. Let the braising liquid settle and then skim off any fat from the top (I didn't see any clear fat, so I just moved on). Place the pot over high heat and bring the juices to a boil. Reduce the juices until thickened to the consistency of a vinaigrette, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Lower the heat, add the onion mushroom garnish, heat through, about 4 minutes.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieces, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve.

Bon appetit.

Let's Not Dwell on This, Shall We?

Next week, the majority of colleges and universities will be getting back into session. And every year, Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin publishes the mindset list that reminds us all how old we are. It details what the freshmen (mostly born in 1990 [shudder]) entering college this year have only ever known.

Here are some of the highlights [lowlights?] from this year's list.

• For these students, Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Henson, Ryan White, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddy Krueger have always been dead
• GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.
• Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.
• Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.
• As a precursor to “whatever,” they have recognized that some people “just don’t get it.”
• Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.
• Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.
• We have always known that “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”
• IBM has never made typewriters.
• They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.
• The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.
• Lenin’s name has never been on a major city in Russia.
• Caller ID has always been available on phones.
• Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.
• Soft drink refills have always been free.
• The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.
• 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.

Rhubarb Twofer

It has been noted here before, I will pretty much do anything for you if you show up with a strawberry rhubarb pie at my door. I love the great combination that these two make. Here are two recipes, one for just a Rhubarb cake, offered by my neighbor, Pricklygirl - and the second for a Strawberry-Rhubarb crisp from the gang at DCist.

Rhubarb Cake
Note from Kathryn: I grew up with this cake. It is one of my all-time favorites! I know that you’ll enjoy it, too.

• 1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar
• 2 C. shortening (Crisco or butter)
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 C. sour milk
• 2 C. flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

Mix all ingredients together. Add 1 1/2 C. rhubarb, cut up small. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.
Top cake with 1/2 c. sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together. Bake at 325 degrees l hour . . . use a toothpick to test, it should come out clean.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling:

• 1 lb strawberries, stems removed and cut into quarters
• 1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, toss fruit with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and corn starch until well coated. Pour fruit into an 8"X8" square baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine butter, oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, mash together all ingredients together until it forms moist clumps. The mixture is ready when there are no more visible pieces of butter or flour.

Sprinkle chunks of topping over the surface of the fruit. Bake until top is browned and fruit is bubbling, about 25 - 30 minutes.

Over the Rainbow and Under the Influence

While the BA family prepares to jet home from the SAA Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, I note two worthy anniversaries today.

• It was 70 years ago today that the MGM musical The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

• Forty years ago, in 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in upstate New York.

Begin reminiscing . . .

In the Midst of SAA 2009

So how are things at the gates of hell, also known as Austin, Texas in August? Fine, it is surely doing well for me as I am sure to have sweated off some pounds walking about the streets of Austin.

To recap:

We arrived here on Wednesday afternoon. We had two slight hiccups on Tuesday night. As most of you know, we we booked on a flight out of BWI at 9:30 on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, I planned to take SoBA to his nana's, while the rest of the BA clan headed for the Lone Star State. On Tuesday morning, after a call from Mrs. BA, I learned that SoBA was in need of another ER visit after falling at daycare. He fell into a table and had bitten his lip pretty badly. So off I went to meet Mrs. BA and SoBA at the hospital. It turned out not to be so bad and I headed for my MIL's place on the Eastern Shore. We had a nice afternoon and evening and after a bath, put him in his jammies and he settled down to watch a show with Nana. I kissed him good bye and told him I loved him and that I would see him in a few days. I choked back the tears that were welling and slipped out.

The other hiccup occurred when Mrs. BA realized she had left her walled at the pool on Tuesday night. She realized this at 10:30 on Tuesday night and the pool was now closed. Normally the pool opens at 11:00 an hour and a half after our flight was scheduled to leave. We soon determined that adult lap swimming started at 6:30 each morning and there would be someone at the pool to give her a chance to find her wallet. After one trip, where she was unsuccessful, we loaded the car and prepared to head for the airport and decided to give it one more look. I had the lifeguard open the locked area where the computer is kept and lo and behold, there was the wallet. Crisis averted, we headed for the airport.

We had an uneventful flight(s) to Austin, with a layover in Dallas (due to the passage of the Wright Amendment, wherein most flights in and out of Texas have to go through Dallas-Fort Worth, resulting in a short hop from Dallas to Austin (only 40 minutes in the air). We arrived at the conference hotel in plenty of time to make ready for my outing to Round Rock Baseball. We had a good crowd and watch for a post about the game soon.

Thursday was a day of sessions, you can read a recap of the session I attended here. Saturday morning I will close out the conference with another session. Mrs. BA is also on the schedule for a session presentation tomorrow. For lunch on Thursday, I had a great lunch with J in PA and ArchivesNext at Carmelo's, across the street from the hotel. Bananas Foster made tableside made the lunch extra special. On Thursday evening, Mr. and Mrs. BA, along with Mr. and Mrs. OSG arranged for babysitting services and headed out to a great restaurant, Fonda San Miguel, in North Austin, to celebrate Mrs BA's and Mr. OSG's birthday.

On Friday, Mrs. BA headed for the sessions and I accompanied LBA and Mrs. OSG and Little OSG to the Austin Children's Museum. We met up with Mr. OSG and Mrs. BA for lunch at the Iron Works for BBQ. It is most appropriately referred to as a "joint," or perhaps "a hole in the wall." But boy is the food good. I spent Friday afternoon, losing another election - I was one of five people vying for one spot on a steering committee for a section to which I belong. From there, I went and conducted an Oral History interview with one of the legends in the profession. It was a great interview. Then I went to the Presidential Address plenary portion of the conference and then a mini-tweetup in the hotel bar, possibly the founding meeting of the Beer Roundtable.

For dinner, the OSG family and the BA clan headed around the corner from the hotel to try out another local eatery, this time Moonshine. It is possible that we all came very close (again) to having to put our heads down on the table. From there we attempted to catch the bats coming out of the Congress Street Bridge, but missed the majority of them leaving for the evening's feeding. Perhaps tomorrow night. It is now too late to be doing anything more than heading to bed.

With Saturday tomorrow - and our last full day in Austin, there are more sessions to attend and some sights to see. The state capitol and the LBJ museum are topping the list. Another update to come soon.

SAA Austin - Thursday

Right now we are live from Session 203 - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Electronic Records Preservation. The speakers are being introduced by the chair of the session, Nancy Kunde, and I will comment on their talks as we go along. Roger Christman of the Library of Virginia is up first. The title of his paper is "It takes a leap of faith: The Library of Virginia, the Governor's Office and Electronic Records." As many of you know, I now work with electronic records in my daily work.

Roger is talking about the relationship between the Library and the Governor's Office, discussing the problems that existed in the relationship between the state's chief executive and the Library. The Library even went so far as to sue Governor James Gilmore, to make sure all of his records were transferred, including electronic records.

Note: As I am sitting in the back so I can plug in my laptop to get power, I am also doing my best to try and kill or injure archivists as the wire for my laptop runs from the back row to the wall. Be cautious coming into Salon F and turning right.

Christman continued, discussing the "archival emergency" the Library of VA faced, when the governor was not sure what to do about the records and there was no legislation in place to protect the records. The Library was proactive and got legislation passed to get the records on schedule and ensure they would not be lost.

UPDATE #1
Second up is Patricia Michaels from the Kansas State Historical Society to discuss, "The Long and Winding Road toward Electronic Records Preservation in Kansas." Unlike Roger, she is using PowerPoint. She is talking from her PowerPoint notes (I assume) and has also provided copies of her PowerPoint presentation. I don't quite understand the point of providing copies of your talk, unless you don't want people paying attention to what you are saying.

KSHS, started their electronic records program in the mid-90s through an NHPRC grant, and conducted extensive surveys of Kansas state agencies to evaluate existing electronic records policies and practices to develop their own guidelines. Out of those initiatives, they hired an electronic records archivist, a position that continues to this day.

UPDATE #2
Final speaker, Joanne Kaczmarek from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is discussing the efforts of UIUC's efforts to preserve their electronic records. They went right to the top, enlisting many of the heavy hitters of the electronic records world (including many from my employer, which has had an electronic records program for nearly 40 years).

She may have coined the new term - "joining the archival slipstream." Speakers have all wrapped up and I am going to slip out and see what presents itself next. I'm thinking lunch.

Got a Good Name in You?

The majority of the Brave Astronaut clan (SoBA will spend some time with his Nana) will be heading to Austin, Texas for the 2009 Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting tomorrow. Next year the conference will return to Washington, DC but not to the Washington Hilton. For those lovers of nostalgia, there is an opportunity to put your mark on the hotel that hosted us for so many years. The Capital Cafe, the hotel bar and restaurant is being renamed as part of a multi-million dollar renovation. If you would like to submit a name for the bar, or vote for one of the leading candidates, click here.

The Austin meeting is chock full of things to do and many good sessions to attend. There's also baseball, bats, ice cream, and a pool on the roof of the hotel. Updates may be posted, but don't hold me to it.

Off to Austin for Food, Fun, and Archives

This is the week for the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting. This year, we are traveling to lovely [sweltering] Austin, Texas for our conference. We will fly out on Wednesday, which is also Mrs. BA's birthday, and attend the Round Rock Express baseball game that evening. LBA is traveling with us this year, though SoBA is getting a few days with Nana instead of traveling to the great [hot] state of Texas. Going by the program, it looks to be a good meeting, but we will certain to be looking for a good meal out to celebrate Mrs. BA's special day. I know, really, who wouldn't want hot dogs and beer for their birthday meal?

Some time ago, I spotted a list of the best burgers as determined by Travel and Leisure magazine from The Food Section). On the list was a burger from Ranch 616 in Austin. T&L promotes two burgers from here:

"The Chili and Fritos burger is quite the Tex-Mex mix: it’s an eight-ounce beef patty stuffed with crunchy corn chips, homemade chile con carne, pico de gallo, and tomatillo crema. But it’s the Framed Burger that takes the prize. It’s filled daily with different fixings—Maytag blue, cremini mushrooms, jalapeno peppers."

I showed the menu to Mrs. BA and this place could be in the running for the big birthday dinner. That is if we don't go for ribs. Texas-style ribs. Big ones. The New York Times Magazine had an article and recipe for how to best prepare BBQ ribs. I had trouble transcribing the recipe for today's recipe as I had drooled on the page. And don't forget the cole slaw.

Salt and Pepper Beef Ribs

• 2 racks beef ribs, 5 to 7 pounds total (see note)
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• Red-pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 cups hickory chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
• Barbecue sauce (optional)
  

On one-half of a grill fitted with a cover, build a small charcoal fire, about the size of a loaf of commercial sandwich bread, making sure all the charcoal becomes engulfed in flame.

Place the ribs meat-side down on a baking sheet or cutting board and remove the papery membrane from the back of the rack by inserting a small knife beneath it and levering it up to give you enough to gain purchase with a dish towel. Peel off the membrane and discard.

Mix the salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika and, if you choose, red-pepper flakes in a bowl, breaking up the brown sugar with a fork. Using your hands, cover the meat entirely in this rub.

When the flames begin to die down, leaving flickering coals, place the rib racks meat-side up on the half of the grill without the burning charcoal. Do not let the flames touch the meat at any time. Add a handful of the hickory chips to the fire. Cover the grill, vent slightly and cook, adding a handful of hickory chips every 30 minutes and a bit more fuel as necessary, until the meat is crusty, soft to the touch and well browned, about two and a half hours.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Set the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5 hours.

Cut into individual portions. Serve with extra napkins and, if you choose, barbecue sauce. Serves 4.

Note: Order ribs ahead of time from a butcher. Ask for 2 back-rib racks trimmed from the prime rib, keeping as much meat on the ribs as possible, each rack approximately 6 ribs wide.

Another Item for the Wish List

Near my home growing up was Williams Variety, sort of a family run Target. It was a popular destination on the day I received my allowance, when I would ride my bicycle up to the store (something I could likely never do today without fearing for my life on the busy road I traveled, sigh). Once inside, it was straight to the Matchbox car display, where I would pick out a new one for my collection.

Back home, I would add it to the rest that I had accumulated and might turn my attention to my other favorite toys, Legos. Man, I would spend hours building and rebuilding a variety of structures. I think it appealed to my organized nature and the clean crisp edges and the like. And evidently Mrs. BA has a thing for the block as well - she often "helps" LBA with his Lego projects. SoBA particularly enjoys his MegaBlocks as well.

Well, I nearly wept with joy when I saw the link in Marginal Revolution that pointed to an article in Wired Magazine that described some new Lego sets that are now available. The Lego Architecture series allows kids (both big and small) to build Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, museums and other major landmarks. So where do I get these? Or where do you nice people buy these for me? Click Here.

From the Wired article, here are a few Lego Fun Facts:

• Worldwide, seven boxes of Lego are sold every second.
• Heo Young-Ho of South Korea left Lego on the top of Mount Everest in 1987.
• According to Lego, even just two bricks give 24 different combinations.
• All Legos are made equal. Every brick is compatible from the first brick made in 1958 (the year before the Guggenheim was completed and Wright died) to those made today.
• The Lego minifig was born in 1974, and it took another 30 years for them to get proper, skin-colored faces when licensed figures dropped yellow for flesh-tone.
• Kids waste around 5 billion hours a year playing with Lego.

The Houses of Baseball

In one week's time, I will be shepherding the ninth outing of SAA Baseball at the SAA Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas. Want to go? I can still get you on the bus. Let me know.

So the other day on Facebook, I took one of the Living Social "Top 5" lists for "Baseball Stadiums I have been in . . . and saw a game." As the list confined me to only 5, I was interested in how many stadiums I have been to. So if you'll indulge me.

Major League Baseball:

1. Nationals Park, and also RFK Stadium. I have been to every opening day of the Washington Nationals so far.
2. Yankee Stadium - the most recently demolished one, I don't think I can go to the new one.
3. Shea Stadium - again, the original, you know that "purple stadium"
   
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards
   
5. Chase Field - home of the Arizona Diamondbacks (watched the game from a luxury box)
6. Citizens Bank Park - home of the Philadelphia Phillies / also saw a game at Veterans Memorial Stadium
   
7. Wrigley Field - 2007 SAA Meeting
8. Dodger Stadium - 2003 SAA Meeting
   
9. Coors Field - 2000 SAA Meeting
10. Three Rivers Stadium - 1999 SAA Meeting (the first JAL Tours outing)
11. Fenway Park - home of the Boston Red Sox, but not for a game, it was the closing reception site for the 2004 SAA Annual Meeting

Minor League Parks:

1. Baysox Stadium (home of the Bowie Bay Sox), Bowie, Maryland
2. Zephyr Field (home of the New Orleans Zephyrs), 2005 SAA Meeting
3. Dutchess Stadium (home of the Hudson Valley Renegades), Fishkill, New York
   
4. Appalachian Power Park (home of the West Virginia Power), Charleston, West Virginia
   

Other Stadiums:

1. Rickwood Field - Birmingham, Alabama, 2002 SAA Meeting
2. Scottsdale Stadium - Scottsdale, Arizona, spring training park of the San Francisco Giants
3. Legends Field - Tampa, Florida, spring training home of the New York Yankees (though not for a game, I just went there to get the "aura"

Certainly not a big list. By my count (at this website), there are more than 175 stadiums, parks, and fields for baseball teams around the country. (If you're wondering, that's 30 major league parks, 30 AAA parks, 30 double A parks, 60 single A parks, and 26 spring training fields, along with countless others with unaffiliated teams). Maybe if I drop everything and started touring I could get to all of them - but not likely.

The Indominitable Cheesesteak

I have become a fan of the cheesesteak. I did not grow up in the Philadelphia area, but once discovered, they are really good eats. Here in Maryland, there was a place nearby that had authentic cheesesteaks, going so far as bringing in Amoroso rolls from Philadelphia. My sister-in-law lives in Wilmington, Delaware and that is close enough to Philly to be able to find really good cheesesteaks from a variety of places. On several visits to Philadelphia, I have been fortunate enough to have the real things from Pat's, Geno's, and, until it closed in Reading Terminal Market, Rick's. Anna van Schurman very kindly informed me that Rick's can still be had in the greater Philadelphia area. They've opened a new outpost, eight months after leaving the Market.

Like last week's post about gyros, there is absolutely no reason to make your own cheesesteaks. But if you must here's a recipe (following the Pat's formula).

1. Start with good beef. Pat’s uses sliced rib-eye. Jim’s uses USDA choice top round western steer beef.
   
2. Shave the beef very thin so it cooks quickly and remains tender.
3. Use a fresh high quality Italian roll - Amoroso’s is a favorite.
4. Decide if you want your steak with or without fried onions.
5. Decide if you want a steak or a cheesesteak. If you elect a cheesesteak you need to decide on American cheese, provolone or the Philly favorite "cheez whiz."
6. Any add-ons? Mushrooms, peppers, pizza sauce, tomatoes? You decide. It’s your sandwich.
7. Start to cook. Sauté the onions, peppers and mushrooms until soft.
8. Fry your steak until brown but not crispy or burned. You can mix in the fried vegetables now or add them at the end.
9. If you elect American cheese or provolone place the cheese on the meat until slightly melted. If you choose Cheez Whiz just smear it on the roll.
10. Place the roll over the meat/cheese/vegetables and scoop it into the sandwich.
11. Garnish your sandwich with pizza sauce, hot or sweet peppers or pickles as you choose.
12. Enjoy your Philadelphia cheesesteak.
    

Tips:

1. Using the best beef available is the key.
2. Don't overcook the ingredients.
3. If you don't cook, go to Pat's, Geno's or Jim's. Which one is best? It's a regular Philadelphia debate.

I Object! Now Get the Hell Out of My Way

The results of the National Drivers Test for 2009 have been released. New York, the state of my birth and where I learned to drive, ranked last. Further, the list ranks Maryland drivers worse than Virginia drivers and that is just a load of crap. And then again DC drivers fare even worse than that. The Brave Astronaut clan is off today for a family function in Delaware, which brings up a whole new set of issues of traffic and road rage.

Think you know what you're doing out there on the road? Take the National Drivers Test and find out. I got 75%. And I am from New York, where the first thing one does when buying a new car is rip out the turn signal and throw it out the window . . .

State Rankings

Note: Many states tied for the same position in the rankings.

1 IDAHO
1 WISCONSIN
3 MONTANA
4 KANSAS
5 SOUTH DAKOTA
5 NEBRASKA
7 UTAH
8 WYOMING
8 IOWA
8 OREGON
8 MINNESOTA
12 ALASKA
12 NORTH DAKOTA
14 VERMONT
15 COLORADO
15 MISSOURI
17 OKLAHOMA
17 WASHINGTON
19 NEW MEXICO
20 NORTH CAROLINA
21 VIRGINIA
22 INDIANA
22 MICHIGAN
24 ARKANSAS
24 TEXAS
26 ALABAMA
26 NEVADA
28 WEST VIRGINIA
29 ILLINOIS
30 ARIZONA
31 MAINE
32 DELAWARE
33 NEW HAMPSHIRE
34 OHIO
35 KENTUCKY
36 PENNSYLVANIA
37 LOUISIANA
38 TENNESSEE
38 MISSISSIPPI
40 SOUTH CAROLINA
40 MARYLAND
42 CONNECTICUT
43 FLORIDA
44 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
45 MASSACHUSETTS
46 RHODE ISLAND
47 GEORGIA
48 CALIFORNIA
49 HAWAII
50 NEW JERSEY
51 NEW YORK

Long Live the 8-Track

No really.

• Cheap Trick to release new album on 8-track tape, via kottke.

I remember the stereo system we had growing up (in the huge stereo cabinet crafted by my grandfather, which has unfortunately been lost to time and space) had an 8-track component. It was a lot of fun to sit in front of it and change the channels on the 8-track, which always made that healthy "ka-chunk." Always thinking ahead, I began to record the 8-tracks onto cassette tapes. Because cassettes were the future.

I resisted making the switch to CDs for a long time. I had two large wooden cases mounted on my wall that contained my extensive cassette collection. Then as I finally began to migrate my cassettes to CD, I sold off my cassettes. Of course by then, the 8-track player was long gone.

Recently, I have been reconstituting by iTunes library after my computer crashed. LBA has been inquiring when "Centerfield" will be moved from my computer to my iPod (as one cannot have two iTunes libraries synched on the same iPod). Soon, my boy, soon.

"Who are Those Guys?"

First off, name the movie for the above line. Bonus points for actually identifying the names of "those guys."

Last night, Mark Buehrle, not content to have thrown a perfect game in his last outing, decided to break the record of retiring 41 straight batters by getting past 45 (that's 27 from the perfect game and 18 more from last night's game).

Now as to this team that plays here in Washington, DC. What has gotten into them? They seem to have found something and have been cracking their bats over their opponents, now having won four in a row and six of their last eight. So when do playoff tickets go on sale? Yes, well, don't get your hopes up, they are still more than 25 games out of first place in the NL East.

A significant record was notched by Nationals outfielder, Josh Willingham in the game against the Brewers on Monday night. Willingham hit two grand slams in the same game, only the 13th time this has happened in the era of modern baseball. Please note this is five less occasions than the perfect games. Evidently baseball is harder than it looks.

Here's the list, which in of itself is interesting as it does not necessarily feature those marquee names that one might expect (there are only two hall of famers on the list). Further, it is interesting to note (and this was a subject of discussion at the lunch table) that, with only one exception, all of these took place on the road.

• May 24, 1936 - Tony Lazzeri, New York Yankees, away game
• July 4, 1939 - Jim Tabor, Boston Red Sox, away game
• July 27, 1946 - Rudy York, Boston Red Sox, away game
• May 9, 1961 - Jim Gentile, Baltimore Orioles, away game
• July 3, 1966 - Tony Cloninger, Atlanta Braves, away game
• June 24, 1968 - Jim Northrup, Detroit Tigers, away game
• June 26, 1970 - Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, away game
• September 4, 1995 - Robin Ventura, Chicago White Sox, away game
• August 14, 1998 - Chris Hoiles, Baltimore Orioles, away game (active)
  
• April 23, 1999 - Fernando Tatís, St. Louis Cardinals, away game
• May 10, 1999 - Nomar Garciaparra, Boston Red Sox, home game (active)
  
• July 29, 2003 - Bill Mueller, Boston Red Sox, away game
• July 27, 2009 - Josh Willingham, Washington Nationals, away game
  

[drool] Lamb . . . .

Growing up in New York, it was not unexpected for my friends and I to wind up at the diner after being out at the movies. We became so frequent at Syosset House that the owner would greet us by name and show us to the same table and we would have the same waitress (who was kinda hot, too). Diners in New York usually mean Greeks are running the place. This is less prevalent outside the New York metropolitan area, but if you want good diner food, make sure that spanakopita or gyros are on the menu before proceeding.

While in high school and my first few years of community college, I worked in a department store at a local mall. Quite often, I would head to a place called Hurdy Gurdy for lunch. They served the best gyros, slicing the lamb from the spit and always with the right amount of tzatziki. Where I am now, the best gyros I have found can be had at the Marathon Deli. And yes, the owner's Greek (and kinda cute, too - see how that comes full circle?).

In the New York Times on July 14, they decided to investigate the history of the gyro (which by the way is pronounced yee-ro). It was a little disappointing to learn that the majority of gyro cones are made in Chicago - and I certainly didn't read too far into the "preparation" of the meat. Some things are better left to the imagination. Isn't that what makes it taste better?

If you really want to make one at home, here's a recipe. But, trust me, go find the real thing. You won't be sorry.

Gyros

• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 lg. clove garlic, pressed
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. rosemary
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 c. snipped parsley
• 6 pita pockets
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
  

SAUCE:

• 16 oz. sour cream
• 1 med. cucumber, pureed (puree in blender & strain to remove liquid)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar

Combine first ten ingredients in large bowl; blend. Place mixture in skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until meat is browned. Drain off excess drippings. Combine sour cream, cucumber, garlic, salt and sugar in bowl. Blend well. Cut pita pockets in half; spoon in meat mixture, top with tomatoes and onions. Spoon sauce over each sandwich and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. Makes a good main course served over rice.

Would it Have Been Anyone Else?

Two weeks ago, Billy Joel and Elton John took to the stage for the first concert ever at Nationals Park - home to the lowly Washington Nationals. Tonight, I am headed to the park for a game between the Nationals and the San Diego Padres. While I would have liked to attend the concert, the reviews were mediocre and featured a full on hissy fit by Elton John, when his piano broke in the opening set.

Shortly after I returned from a New York weekend, my cousin tagged me in a note on Facebook. I have done similar work / lists like this before, but here goes:

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's harder than you think.

Pick Your Artist: Billy Joel

Are you male or female: An Innocent Man

Describe yourself: I Go to Extremes

How do you feel about yourself: Don't Ask Me Why

Describe your current boy/girl situation: A Matter of Trust

Describe where you currently live: The River of Dreams

If you could go anywhere you wanted to go: Leningrad

Your favorite form of transportation: The Downeaster Alexa

Your best friend(s) is(are): Big Shot and The Entertainer

Your favorite color is: Oyster Bay (I'm sure it's a color - it's got to be in the blue family)

Favorite time of day: Until the Night

If your life were a TV show, what would it be called: The Longest Time

What is life to you: The Longest Time

What is the best advice you have to give: You're Only Human

Thought for the Day: It's Still Rock and Roll to Me

How I would like to die: Only the Good Die Young

My soul's present condition: Pressure

27 Up, 27 Down

Tomorrow night I will be at Nationals Park to see the Nats take on the San Diego Padres. It features two really bad teams. Today, the country's number 1 White Sox fan got to see a rare gem in baseball. It's only happened 18 times in the modern era. Congratulations Mark Buehrle, who threw the no-no today in Chicago. It was the first perfect game in five seasons.

The Perfect Game "club"

1. Lee Richmond, June 12, 1880
2. John Montgomery Ward, June 17, 1880
   
3. Cy Young, May 5 1904
4. Addie Joss, October 2, 1908
5. Charlie Robertson, April 30, 1922
6. Don Larsen, October 8, 1956 (during the World Series)
7. Jim Bunning, June 21, 1964
8. Sandy Koufax, September 9, 1965
9. Catfish Hunter, May 8, 1968
10. Len Barker, May 15, 1981
11. Mike Witt, September 30, 1984
12. Tom Browning, September 16, 1988
13. Dennis Martinez, July 28, 1991
14. Kenny Rogers, July 28, 1994
15. David Wells, May 17, 1998
16. David Cone, July 18, 1999
17. Randy Johnson, May 18, 2004
18. Mark Buehrle, July 23, 2009
    

Mario Batali Burns Footwear

ADR has told me that he tends not to read Recipe Monday's all that closely, if at all. But perhaps this one will draw him out, for we know how much he loves the plastic shoe. Some time ago, celebrity chef Mario Batali was asked about his signature Crocs that he usually sports. I will cop to owning a pair - they are good for my feet, I refer to them as my summer slippers. I don't necessarily wear them out of the house though. And now, according to the Washington Post, I might not be able to get a new pair soon.

Batali:

"Crocs are my signature, and I take a beating on your blogs about it! All fashion blogs think these shoes are the ultimate problem. I wear them because they’re the most comfortable thing and I don’t give a f**k about fashion. I like fashion on other people."

Here's a Batali recipe, which he claims to be one of his favorite dishes to make on his days off.

Around my house this simple roasted chicken is one of our favorite things to have on my days off. There are few things more satisfying to eat – or as easy to prepare and clean up – than a whole roasted bird. It's also a great way to use up the flavorful but inedible rinds from prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I love bitter radicchio di Treviso and it is particularly delicious with the pan juices from the roasted onions and chicken splashed over it.

• 1 3 ½- to 4- pound chicken
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-ounce piece prosciutto rind or bacon
• 2-ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
• 2 medium red onions, sliced into 1-inch disks
• 3/4 cup Lambrusco or other dry red wine
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 6 large heads radicchio di Treviso
  

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Remove the giblets and set aside.

Combine the garlic, rosemary, black pepper, and sea salt and mix with 3 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil. Run the outside of the chicken all over with the rosemary mixture. Place the prosciutto and cheese rinds inside the cavity, cover and refrigerate for3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 475ºF.

Place the onion slices and reserved giblets in the bottom of a small, heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Place the chicken on top of the onions, breast side up. Pour the wine over the chicken and rub all over with 1/4 cup of the vinegar. Roast in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer pushed into the thickest part of the thigh shows clear- not bloody- juices. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat the grill or broiler.

Halve the radicchio lengthwise and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Brush with the remaining olive oil and set aside.

Transfer the chicken to a carving platter and degrease the pan juices. Combine the onions and giblets with the pan juices. Carve the chicken, drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup vinegar, and serve immediately over the radicchio. Pass the giblet gravy separately.

On the Moon - Another take

From McSweeney's - what really happened:

July 20, 1969, 10:20 p.m. EDT Interior of Apollo 11 lunar module
Mission Control: Okay Eagle, you're go for the module EVA. We've established visual of the ladder with the external camera. You'll be going out on a live feed so watch your step and keep it clean, gentleman!

Neil Armstrong: (Chuckling) Roger that, Houston. Just mom and apple pie.

Mission Control: Appreciated. You can go when ready. We've all got our fingers crossed on the dust issue.

Armstrong: Come again Houston. The what?

Mission Control: The dust.

Armstrong: What do you mean, the dust? What are you talking about?

Mission Control: Well, apparently there's a chance the dust is pyrophoric and that when you open the door of the module, oxygen will react with the dust and explode.

Armstrong: Oh . . . okay. Wow . . . Was that in the simulations? I don't remember it.

Mission Control: There's been some discussion with some geologists here today − we probably should have done that earlier − but you know how it is.

Armstrong: Mmm . . . . . . .

(90 seconds of silence.)
Armstrong (to Buzz Aldrin): Gee, I feel kind of guilty now, having you be first. But the suit should protect you.

Aldrin: What do you mean? You're going out first.

Armstrong: No, it's you. I talked about this with Gene when you were asleep on the way out here. We wanted to reward you for all your service.

Aldrin: How dumb do you think I am? You did not talk about this with Gene. You're the mission commander. The commander takes the lead on everything.

Armstrong: You're right. I'm commanding you to go out first.

(30 seconds of silence.)
Aldrin: I didn't sign up for this. Let's decide this fairly. Rock, paper, scissors.

Armstrong: No, I've seen your rock, paper, scissors tricks − you always lag behind by a half-second.

Aldrin: We'll flip a coin.

Armstrong: We don't have a coin. And it would take forever to come down. I'll pick a number between one and ten and then you try to guess it. If you're right, I'll go out.

Aldrin: You're giving me a ten percent chance?

Armstrong: That's under Earth gravity. It's different under moon gravity − you have a 50-50 chance.

Aldrin: Okay. . . well . . . I guess seven.

Armstrong:

Aldrin: I got it didn't I?

Armstrong: . . . . . . . No.

Mission Control: Neil, Gene says to suit up and get out there. The meter's running. You know the audio feed is still on don't you?

Aldrin: The commander is commanded! Not to mention a liar.

July 20, 1969, 11:16 p.m. EDT Moon surface
Aldrin: This feels so weird! The powder is slippery. Look (jumping up and down). My shoes are made of flubber. (Lopes around in high bouncing steps.)

Armstrong: Stop it. Is your mike off?

Aldrin: Yes. You realize "man" and "mankind" mean the same thing don't you?

Armstrong: I said, "a man. One small step for a man."

Aldrin: Whatever. I thought you'd be in a better mood after not blowing up. (Begins jogging circles around Armstrong in slow motion.)

Armstrong: You need to quit prancing around. Start gathering dust and rocks. They want all kinds of samples.

Aldrin: Yes, master. (Takes a few steps and then kneels.) What in the hell . . . ?

Armstrong: (Comes over) What do you see?

Aldrin: Doesn't that look like . . . droppings? From an animal?

Armstrong: It does, but that can't be right. (Removes a sensor from his belt and inserts it into one lump.) Well, it's warmer than the dust it's sitting on, which makes no sense. (Probes it with finger of spacesuit.) Feels a lot like . . . dog . . . (gags).

Aldrin: Oh no. Don't throw up in your mask because then I'll throw up.

Armstrong: (Steadies himself with a few deep breaths) Okay. If this thing is organic in any way, they'll want to analyze it. Put it in your sample bag.

Aldrin: I'm not touching that, even through a spacesuit.

Armstrong: Well, use something to scoop it up with. Where's that Nixon plaque?

Aldrin: It's bolted to the ladder back on the thing. What are those . . .? (Points to tracks leading away from pile.) Holy Christ on toast. Let's get out of here.

Armstrong: (Staring) . . . I'm with you. . . . Hang on − the camera's going to be pointing this way when we plant the flag. (Erases tracks with his foot.) Apollo 12 can deal with this.

Mission Control: Neil, your audio signal's been going in and out. Did you find something?

(Both men freeze and stare at one another.)
Armstrong: No, Buzz and I were clowning with you. Did you buy it? (Hits button on helmet.)

Aldrin: So your mike −

Armstrong: Save it.

July 21, 1969, 8:54 p.m. EDT Interior of lunar module
Aldrin: I can't believe you wouldn't do the Iwo Jima thing with me when we planted the flag. When are we ever going to be back here?

Armstrong: I'm not going to act like a 10-year-old. And I saw you do the "hammer throw" when you thought I wasn't looking. If we end up needing that to pound something, you're going out and looking for it.

Aldrin: We won't need it anymore. It's just dead weight. I bet I got more than 500 yards on that toss.

Armstrong: If NASA comes breathing down my neck, you're going to answer for it. It comes out of your paycheck.

Aldrin: Fine, fine, fine. . . . . So . . . about those things we saw. Not a word?

Armstrong: Nobody needs to know.

Aldrin: What about Mike, when we rendezvous? Shouldn't we let him in on it?

Armstrong: No way. He tells his wife everything. It would be on the front page within 12 hours. Now get locked in. When NASA gives the word, I have to push the button with almost no warning.

Aldrin: (Peering out window at moon surface) Goodbye, magnificent desolation . . . Oh my god. Here it −

Armstrong: What?

Aldrin: Push it Push it Push it

The Eagle Has Landed

I am the Brave Astronaut. I could not let this particular anniversary pass without a post. I had been accumulating a number of sites and things to post links to. One of the better ones I had comes from the Big Picture.

Kottke had a number of good posts:

• Cool photos of the Apollo landing sites from low Moon orbit
• The Giant Apollo 11 post
• NASA releases restored Apollo 11 moon walk video

July 16 also was evidently the anniversary of several significant historic events, other than the date the Apollo 11 astronauts blasted off for the mood. To commemorate the blastoff, Daily Kos had the video of the launch as did Kottke. CNN covered the release of NASA's enhanced films of the moon landing.

And with the passing of "Uncle Walter" here is a video of Walter Cronkite and others talking about that monumental day. Farewell Walter. You were the voice of reason for so many years. You will truly be missed. Thank you for all your years.

The Open Championship

Most people know I like golf. I don't play it very well, but I enjoy every opportunity I get to play. I also enjoy watching golf (I try to make sure that I always watch the Masters and this year I got to watch a fair amount of the U. S. Open). This weekend is the British Open, known simply as The Open Championship. This year it is being played at Turnberry in Scotland. Someday, I will get to the birthplace of golf and waggle my Billy Baroo around St. Andrews (and no that's not dirty).

The U.S. Open was played this year at Bethpage Black, a public course at Bethpage State Park, about ten minutes away from where I grew up. I have not played there - my skill set is nowhere near that level. I even shot over par in an online version of the course.

Shortly after the conclusion of the U.S. Open, I received this humorous list from Ed in Pittsburgh - a far better golfer than I. It's amusing because my sister-in-law's husband and I had this very idea (of writing a book for the duffer golfer rather than a how-to get better book - there's way too many of those). So here's a proposed chapter list for the bad golfing book. Anybody want to contribute some text?

• Chapter 1 - How to Properly Line Up Your Fourth Putt
• Chapter 2 - How to Hit a Nike from the Rough, when you Hit a Titleist from the tee
• Chapter 3 - How to Avoid the Water When You Lie 8 in a bunker
• Chapter 4 - How to Get More Distance off the Shank
• Chapter 5 - When to Give the Ranger the Finger
• Chapter 6 - Using Your Shadow on the Greens to Maximize Earnings
• Chapter 7 - When to Implement Handicap Management
• Chapter 8 - Proper Excuses for Drinking Beer Before 9:00 a.m
• Chapter 9 - How to Rationalize a 6 Hour Round
• Chapter 10 - When Does A Divot become Classified as Sod (or when your wedge can be re-classified as a trenching tool)
• Chapter 11 - How to Find That Ball That Everyone Else Saw Go in the Water
• Chapter 12 - Why your Spouse Doesn't Care That You Birdied the 5th
• Chapter 13 - Using Curse words Creatively to Control Ball Flight
• Chapter 14 - When to Let a Foursome Play Through Your Twosome
• Chapter 15 - How to Relax When You Are Hitting Five off the Tee
• Chapter 16 - When to Suggest Major Swing Corrections to Your Opponent
• Chapter 17 - God and the Meaning of the Birdie-to-Bogey Three Putt
• Chapter 18 - When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever
• Chapter 19 - Throwing Your Clubs: An Effective Stress-Reduction Technique
• Chapter 20 - Can You Purchase a Better Golf Game?
• Chapter 21 - Why Male Golfers Will Pay $5.00 a Beer from the Cart Girl and give her a $3 Tip , but will balk at $4.50 at the 19th Hole and stiff the Bartender

A Weekend in New York

The Brave Astronaut family has returned from a weekend visit to Lawn Guyland today, where we celebrated my father's 80th birthday, with a party thrown by his new girlfriend. Mrs. BA and I took the opportunity to fill up on Long Island staples - pizza and bagels.

I have a colleague at work who has threatened to hold a blind taste test to see if I can tell the difference between Long Island bagels and bagels from anywhere else (outside the New York area). I have told him to bring it on. For the most part, bagels outside the NYC region are basically "rolls with holes." Ask any bagel maker, they'll tell you - it's the water. In fact, there is allegedly a bagel shop in Texas somewhere that has NYC water flown in so he can make "authentic" NYC bagels.

Now I just need to make sure if we made enough space in the freezer for the bagels we brought back. Some time ago I spotted an entry on Buzz Feed about the flagel. I never got into the flagel phenomenon, but I do enjoy the bagel crisp. And there is nothing like a bagel with butter. Yeah, yeah, I know. But I don't like the cream cheese. And of course, when one visits Bagel Boss, you can go any time you want (as long as it's not Passover - the only time of the year they close.) And don't ask for bacon with that egg on a bagel - they're Kosher.

Of All Things Scrabble

I like the game of Scrabble. I enjoy the alternative version, Lexulous, that one can play on Facebook. (Come, challenge me to a game! - and I am sure that it's Mrs. BA's turn in the game I'm playing with her). I have accumulated a few articles and posts that popped up in my Google Reader regarding the great game of Scrabble - enjoy!

• Skewing the Scrabble Playoffs (from WSJ.com) - with the addition of "za", "qi", and "zzz" to the Scrabble lexicon, some players are calling for the rules to be amended, something that has not happened since the birth of the game in 1948. Mandatory Archival Content Alert! - the post linked above contains an image of Alfred Butts' (the inventor of Scrabble) tabulation sheet wherein he evaluated the commonality of the letters in words and determined how the point values would be assigned to the letters in the game.
• On Buzzfeed - there is a new ad campaign afoot to promote the game.
• From McSweeney's - an "interview" with the letters "Q", "X", "K", "F", "M", "G", "E", and a blank tile on how they are coping with the economic downturn.
  

In a somewhat-related story, here is an interesting story about the changing face of crossword puzzles (seen on Language Hat). Does anyone really know what an "etui" is - or just that it's a common four letter word in most crossword puzzles?

Well, This Doesn't Happen All That Often

Today is July 8, 2009. At 12:34 and 56 seconds, a digital display of the time and date will be:

12:34:56 - 7/8/[0]9

I know, I'm a geek. Just accept it and move on.

"Eat More Chikin"

So sayeth the bovines who advertise for Chick-fil-A. And now I've learned that today is National Fried Chicken Day. (If you're interested, Friday is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A, and all those who show up dressed as cows get free chicken).

Well, I couldn't let this day pass without a good fried chicken recipe. Conveniently, fried chicken was the subject of last week's Washington Post food section. Here are the four recipes that were featured. I have included the one that looked the tastiest to me (hey, it uses a little bacon grease, so how bad could it be?), although Francine's looks to run a very close second.

• Brian's Fried Chicken
  
• Francine's Fried Chicken
• Gillian's Fried Chicken
  
• Stephanie's Fried Chicken

Brian's Fried Chicken

Summary:
Brian Robinson, executive chef at Restaurant 3 in Clarendon, makes fried chicken the way his grandfather and mother taught him. He adds lots of herbs to the buttermilk marinade to flavor the meat, and he coats the chicken with a mixture of panko, cornmeal and seasoning, which gives it an unusually crunchy texture (the chef has added the panko for extra crispness). A little bacon grease in the shallow frying oil imparts smoky flavor, too.

MAKE AHEAD: The chicken needs to marinate in the buttermilk for at least 2 hours (refrigerated) and up to 2 days in advance. 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
For the marinade

• 1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces (plus the chicken heart; see NOTE)
• 1 quart buttermilk, or more as needed (can use low-fat)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed
• Leaves from 4 or 5 sprigs thyme, minced (1 teaspoon)
• Leaves from 2 or 3 stems oregano, minced (1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  

For the coating

• 2 cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

For frying

• Canola oil
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
  

Directions:
Place the chicken pieces in a deep container with a lid; add the buttermilk to cover, then the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Combine the panko, cornmeal, flour, paprika, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, adobo seasoning and salt and pepper to taste in a large, wide bowl; mix well. Dip the chicken pieces to coat evenly but lightly on all sides, shaking off any excess.

Add enough oil to a large cast-iron skillet to fill at least 1/8 inch; heat to 325 degrees. Add the bacon fat to taste; let it melt into the oil. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer to test the oil, toss in a pinch of coated chicken; it should bubble vigorously. The oil temperature should hover around 300 degrees while the chicken is cooking; adjust the heat as needed. Place a wire rack or screen on top of a rimmed baking sheet (to drain the finished chicken).

Add half of the chicken pieces (top sides down, where appropriate), placing larger pieces at the center and smaller pieces near the rim of the skillet. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, then turn over and cook for 10 to 14 minutes; use tongs to hold some of the larger pieces on their sides for even browning. (The coating may cause the chicken to look darker than you're used to.) The chicken should be done when its internal temperature is 170 degrees for white meat, 180 degrees for dark meat.

Use tongs to transfer to the chicken to the rack or screen. Repeat the cooking with the remaining chicken. Serve hot, warm or cold.

NOTE: The chef likes to marinate, coat and fry the pieces of chicken heart, which take about 6 minutes to fry. They taste a little like fried chicken livers.

The Rights of Cheese and Man

I've been saving this for nearly a year. It comes from a colleague that works at the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, New York [and where my niece is now a student!]. As you can see by the picture, the work of "art" was crafted by the fine people at Cheez-its, one of the best snack crackers known to man [and a popular favorite of LBA for the ride home from daycare].

From the original article:

The French may be known for their love of the most pungent of cheeses and the British for the cheese-rolling antics, but the US claimed bragging rights in the world cheese stakes today when they immortalised the signing of the Declaration of Independence into the food-art hall of fame with a giant cheese sculpture in Times Square, New York.

Cheez-It cracker company employee, Troy Landwehr, worked eight hours a day for an entire week inside a 4ºC (40ºF) cooler carving the block of Wisconsin cheddar. He claimed that by spraying cooking oil over the block it would be prevented from melting, but was uncertain how long it might last: “That’s why it looks sweaty. It actually preserves the cheese.” One thing is for certain: if it melts before the celebrations begin, he’ll be right cheesed off (apologies).

The replica of an iconic painting by John Trumbull shows John Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin and others standing around a table signing the historic document, but this is not the first time Landwehr has recreated U.S. history with cheese. Last year he carved a cheese version of Mount Rushmore, depicting presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln.

It is likely that the giant cheese sculpture will quickly become old news to New Yorkers as it is swamped by hordes of tourists crowding for a photo next to its sticky surface: now all together now… cheese!

Happy Independence Day to all! Now I'm off to partake in the annual viewing of "1776." And Cheez-it has done it again for 2009.

Crime Wave at the Brave Astronaut Launchpad

Loyal readers may recall that Brave Astronaut was a crime victim shortly after moving into our great little town. We rebounded from that and have had no incidents since. Until this weekend. In the Brave Astronaut backyard, we discovered that two of the trees planted by our predecessors were plum trees and were bearing fruit this year (evidently it takes plum trees three years to decide to fruit). There is also a sour cherry tree, but I missed those, as they had all become dry, shriveled black dots.

I had been enjoying the fruit with my lunch and LBA had great fun plucking plums off the tree to eat in the yard on a comfortable summer evening. My neighbors were beneficiaries as well, as I shared with them a bag of the bountiful plums. I enjoyed the last of the ones I had picked on Monday with my lunch and Monday evening went out to pick a new bowlful of plums.

Much to my aggravation, every single plum was gone off the trees. Ripe ones, unripe ones, a few that had fallen off the trees to the ground, not one plum remained. There was no evidence of animals having done this (broken limbs, a gnawed plum on the ground, nothing) - it was clearly a human culprit. My neighbors did not see anything, but this clearly took place during the daylight and if only one person, they were in my backyard for at least 15-20 minutes. Yesterday evening, I emailed the Chief of Police to inform him of the situation. I didn't necessarily need to file a police report, I just wanted to let him know what was up.

Then this morning, I looked out on to my back deck and noticed a propane tank, which I had on the deck awaiting a fill up from a propane delivery service was missing. There were three tanks total and now there were only two. This obviously happened between 12:30am and 7:00am. I emailed the Chief again and received a very nice phone call from him.

I guess it's time to install a surveillance camera and perhaps an invisible electric fence. That might work. I'm aggravated by the whole thing, but I'll get over it. Sometimes, however, I feel like Nate Fisher from HBO's Six Feet Under, "I hate the living."

UPDATE: Mission Control has learned that my neighbor was confused about the delivery date for the propane and took back his tank early this morning. So no extra propane for him. Unless he gets on the Propane Taxi bandwagon.

Diane, Can I Have My Steak Back?

We are firm in the grips of the summer grilling season, so this recipe may have to wait until steaks must be cooked inside. Thanks to Cheverly Chef Scott for the posting.

Steak Diane
serves 4

• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 TB Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB Dijon mustard
• 2 TB tomato paste
• 1 12 oz flank steak, cut in two
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 TB butter
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely minced shallots
• 4 TB cognac or brandy
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
  

Whisk together broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and tomato paste; set aside.

Start preparing the steak. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steak. Heat oil in a skillet, add the steak and increase the heat to high, sear each side for 3 minutes, cook an additional 2 minutes per side on medium high heat. Remove steaks to a warm plate.

While the steaks are resting, in the same pan as you cooked them, sauté the shallots in butter for one minute on medium heat, stirring constantly. Carefully add the cognac to deglaze the pan. (this is alcohol and will flare up if it gets near the flame.) Increase the heat and cook until the cognac is almost evaporated. Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Let simmer for a minute. Stir in the cream and cook for two more minutes.

Thinly slice the flank steak to serve. Drizzle warm Diane sauce over the steak on each serving plate.

100 Best Movie Lines in 200 Seconds

What? No "Attica!"?