Category Archives: Uncategorized

And now, after many words about sausages, back to sandwiches. Seems I’ve been on a tubular-foods-and otherwise-jag for eons. Got stuck on hotdogs, mustard, corndogs, relish, sausages, street meat, hamburgers, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  Where have all the sandwiches gone?

Well…. Here’s one. I made it yesterday. Labored over it lovingly so I could bring home the bacon to my boy and beast. Lots of bystanders but no sandbiters, as in, no one ate this sandwich. Salmon may be brain food, but this sammy was all beauty. It gleamed and glittered, then met the fate of a faded Hollywood queen. Cavalierly cast aside.

This did look so much better on a gigantic monitor, the kind you find at a photo studio, in pairs or triplets or quints. But it’s not too terribly shabby here on my minimalist knee-top screen. (I can cross my legs and this mac still settles comfortable atop.)

The lighting is lovely. Heard it was a bit of a geometric, pool table, bounce around, richochet, beam bending challenge. Dan Whipps whipped it all into luminescent shape, as always.

Blithe She-Does-Her-Best-to-Suit-Herself Correspondent Cynthia queries:

Is a corn dog a sandwich? How bout a foot-long corn dog?

The foot-long-er repulses me a little, but Jon loves em. Once he actually ate TWO. They were good corn dogs tho — dipped in batter and dropped in oil right in front of our eyes.

This brings to mind a dentist I used to see, a Dr. Footer. That name always seemed so…wrong. 

sand·wich  [sand-wich, san-] –noun
1. two or more slices of bread or the like with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between each pair.
2. open sandwich.
3. something resembling or suggesting a sandwich, as something in horizontal layers: a plywood sandwich.

Key words in solving this conundrum: “the like”, “resembling” and “suggesting”. After pondering, I am still puzzled, although”horizontal” has got me thinkin’ that it’s all in the angle. Freya’s got the resemblance of a sandwich while her dad has a slightly uncommitted corndog.

Washington City Paper

Ben’s Chili Bowl 50th Anniversary

Thursday, August 21, at the Lincoln Theatre

By Tim Carman

When Anthony Bourdain was recently in town filming an episode of No Reservations—which, yes, included the requisite visit to Ben’s Chili Bowl—he was perplexed as to why the half-smoke institution has so many online haters. He wanted my opinion on the matter. Here’s what I said: D.C. is a political town; we love tearing down our leaders. (Actually, I think I said something more cliché, about killing kings.) No matter. Ben’s has withstood 50 years of mudslinging, not to mention riots, Metro construction, and countless visits by former mayor Anthony Williams in an effort to establish street cred. What more do people want? Ben’s is one of the few culinary landmarks in this town not associated with JFK trying to shtup some bimbo, it remains a steadfast supporter of its Shaw neighborhood, and it still serves the best half-smoke around. It’s OK to love Ben’s, particularly on its 50th anniversary. A series of celebratory events kicks off with tonight’s gala, hosted by Bill Cosby.

THE EVENT BEGINS AT 8 P.M. AT THE LINCOLN THEATRE, 1215 U ST. NW.

FREE. (202) 397-7328.

STREET MEAT

From Itinerant Correspondent Nick in Toronto:

Toronto Street Meat is an altogether different animal than the
hallowed smoked meat to be found at Schwartz in Montreal.

Keep in mind that… the further from the centre, the
more drastic the drop-off in quality. No such thing as suburb sausages
for me. As Petula Clark might sing:

“When I’m alone and my stomach is feeling empty and lonely
I can always go…
DOWNTOWN”

That said, there are only a few street sausage vendors in downtown
Toronto where I am willing to spend my time and money. Key factors to
lure me into the Venus Flytrap:

a) type of bun – for me, it’s egg bun or bust. The texture of the bun
is important, I shouldn’t have to fight the bun to enjoy the gristle
of the sausage. I should be biting into the sausage, not the flaky
crust of a cheap bun. The egg bun also has a nice yellow hue that
complements the charred colors of barbequed tubed meat.

b) condiments – I love making a mini-salad that sits on top of my
sausage as well as having a variety of sauces to complement the spices
in the meat. The guy with 150 condiments is loaded with different
spices, sauces, and pickled vegetables so it’s always a new adventure
visiting him.

Basic condiments to ensure my patronage: sauerkraut, onions, mayo,
honey mustard, bacon bits (artifical or real), banana peppers, hot
sauce, and any kind of BBQ sauce. Anything else beyond that is gravy.
Normally cheese is an essential condiment but Toronto by-laws have
removed the availability of cheese on the street. The pricks. The
concerned vendors will have the squeezable cheese, which is passable,
but the vendors of high distinction have a supply of grated cheese
“under the table”.

My favorite Toronto Street Meat vendor offered to fry your onions for
you, as well as offering her own freshly homemade salsa. I’m a cash
cow for her…

Call me a connoisseur of cholesterol clogging.

-Nick

Before too too long Toronto street food may grow beyond m-m-m-meat according Toronto Sticks Fork In Street Meat Rules. Are You Gonna Eat That comments on street meat here and took this atmospheric snap.

From that tall, handsome sandwich man in Ohio:

Imagine the joy in my heart-of-cheese when I learned that the Hamburger Handbook listed one of its prime havens in Columbus’ own German Village.

Here’s the menu (it’s sideways, don’t ask me why), but don’t get confused. You will be ordering a hamburger. I’ll tolerate no dissent on this. Behold, the sculpture below:

Alongside Mount Thurman, you will want napkins. Lots of them. Perhaps ALL of them. And maneuver carefully. You need finesse to manage this mess.

I’m a recovering saltaholic, but none was required here. Perfection barely restrained by a bun.

I imagine Mount Thurman disappeared into thin air. No trace ‘cept dual frillpicks.

It’s the eight (or ten) hours of waiting until I can go home. Ha ha.

Typical comment when I tell someone what I do for a living, “That must be so much fun!”

Fun is not the word I would choose, but I never say that. So many jobs look like a blast to me and I would be crushed to have anyone burst those bubbles. Don’t want to know that my imagined version of glamour is sometimes a grind.

My job is real interesting. Lots of nice edible perks. And I never wear pantyhose. Course no one much does anymore these days. From what I can tell on the streets, office workers now go to work in their flip flops. I’m an industrial clog girl. Strap on that apron and I’m ready to go. Oh, and some of that expensive Dr. Hauschka lipstick. (One stop shopping. I get it at Whole Foods. Too bad they don’t sell underwear and socks there, too.) Someone forgot to style me before they snapped this pic.

Zukay Live Foods

These foods are probiotic. Never heard of that? Me neither. Or either.

A teaspoon a day keeps the grim reaper away (my claim, not theirs).

Don’t know what to think of it. How do they get that stuff in there? And if we need it so bad, is there some way that we are getting it already if we eat nourishing food?

Look out! Your relish might escape if you don’t keep an eye on it.
IT’S ALIIIIIIVE!!!

Or, better put (seen on a roadside attraction):

ALIVE AND LIVING!!!! GIANT FROGS!!!!!

That would be me. Alive and living that is. I ain’t no giant frog (that I know of).

The Sublime Miss M’s account of the “tempting, tiring” Fancy Food Show.

How could I have lived so long without this ever coming onto my radar screen?

What in the name of Luther is this?!?!?
Holy Mother of Jelly Doughnuts, they are Lutherburgers!

From the NY Times (Right. I could not make this up.)

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP »
The Krispy Kreme Burger
There’s the obesity crisis, and then there’s the “Lady’s Brunch Burger” — a half-pound beef patty topped with bacon and egg fried in butter, served with glazed donuts in lieu of a bun if you like. It’s one of the “recipes courtesy Paula Deen” on foodnetwork.com:

No comment.

Aah, hell, I have to comment. Blech. I am no stranger to porklust, fried dough desire, and egglove, but this repulses me. I believe it started with the burger. I believe more strongly that the burger, in this incarnation, should be 86’d. Deep six that patty and leave us with a nice breakfast.

Keep on Toastin’

R Crumb

In addition to sausages, one of my most popular items is Peameal Bacon. It is a boneless porkloin, brined with a touch of sugar, then rolled in coarse ground cornmeal, then sliced as thin as possible, panned fried in browned butter. Melts in your mouth!
John Kudla, Avenue Boy

Avenue Boys Smokehouse
6633 Sheetram Rd.Pendleton, NY 14094
716.695.4853

I had a smoked Polish, cold, before 7 am (okay, I admit it) and it was delicious. Cold is not good for bringing out the best in most foods, but it was cold or nothing, seeing as the car I was supposed to be in was pulling out of the driveway. Heading home from Buffalo. Was NOT going to miss my ride. The package says in plain English, GREAT SNACK.

Natural casing. Can’t beat pig intestine for snap and slap. Mm-hmm.

These guys sell at the Market at Lafayette Church, a year-round Buffalo farmer’s market. Presence at a farmer’s market during a Buffalo winter screams dedication.

Website coming! Stay tuned.

In the meantime, they will ship if you email or call.
avenueboyssmokehouse@hotmail.com

SMOKED:
Traditional Polish, Holiday (with marjoram), Double Garlic
Hungarian
Andouille (Cajun)
Snack sausages in natural casing, smoked – Kabanosy (Polish), Italian, Hot Hungarian, Farmer’s (mild)
Krakowska – Ham sausage
Chorizo
Chicken & Apple

FRESH SAUSAGES:
Polish – Traditional, Holiday, Double Garlic
Hungarian
Andouille
Italian – Traditional mild and hot, Traditional with cheese, Deluxe with cheese, wine & parsely , Momma G’s – unique blend of seasonings (medium hot).
Bratwurst – three varieties
Garlic with cheddar and onion
Chaurice (Creole)
Breakfast – three or more varieties.
Morrocan
English Bangers
Irish
Greek with spinach & Feta cheese
Hungarian Hurka
Weisswurst
Chorizo

CHICKEN SAUSAGES: Almost any above can be made with chicken.
Feta & Spinach
Apple – fresh & smoked
Marsala
Wing
CURED MEATS:
Porkloins for Peameal, Canadian bacon, stuffed porkloin.

We can make any style sausage and smoked meats!