| BBQ |
[Jul. 3rd, 2009|05:27 pm] |
I think I have had one of the finest North Carolina barbecue experiences of my life. Grady's Barbecue in Dudley, NC, is ... well, words fail. The 'cue is whole hog and hand cooked over wood. On the plate it is coarsely chopped and flecked with crispy brown bits of skin and succulent shards of fat. The lingering smoky undertone complemented by a lovely descant of fiery red peppers and a sprinkling of cider vinegar makes for a symphony on the tongue. Perfect.
Sides included some extremely good slaw, sweet and creamy, as is standard in eastern NC; black-eyed peas (yum!); and some very unique hush puppies—more crispy corn fritter than the normal deep fried, sweet-batter puppies one normally encounters.
Sweet tea—poured from a pickle jar, no less—washed it down.
Definitely, this was the best eastern style 'cues I've ever done. I think a perfect day would be to have lunch at Grady's and then head on over to Lexington for dinner at the Monk's (aka Lexington Barbecue #1—the best of the piedmont). That would be a great opportunity to compare and contrast. Hmmm. Someday. |
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| Update |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|05:59 pm] |
I am sitting on the porch of our beach house listening to the choppy surf, enjoying the breeze, and watching our "neighbors" on their porch feed a flock of hovering, squawking gulls. I am not sure what the neighbors are thinking -- gulls are filthy creatures. Feeding them only makes them bold and ill-mannered.
Great day today. A steady onshore wind made the waves choppy and fun. We picked up a couple of Maui body boards before coming to the beach; they were a great investment. The kids have had a blast. I think we must have spent 8 hours in the water today.
Near miss with a gull next door. It almost nipped the little boy's hand. |
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| Vita-Mix |
[May. 29th, 2009|11:32 am] |
The Vita-Mix TurboBlend 4500 is one of the greatest culinary toys ever. Oh, the power. |
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| Jury Duty |
[May. 28th, 2009|05:15 pm] |
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Good grief—I've been notified to report to the Wake County courthouse for jury duty on June 30. |
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| Umsteaded |
[May. 22nd, 2009|03:11 pm] |
Shell and I are kicking it at The Umstead for a short long weekend anniversary celebration.
Wow. I've been here for many meals but had no idea how spectacular this place is. |
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| Anniversary |
[May. 21st, 2009|09:21 am] |
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Today, 21 long and winding years ago, Shell and I plighted our troth to each other. Woo Hoo! |
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| E2L Observations |
[May. 19th, 2009|09:13 pm] |
After six weeks of Eating to Live, I have dropped 22 lbs. and my blood pressure is consistently in the normal range. A few observations:- There is such a thing as spinach tooth (the film of oxalic acid crystals, found in abundance in spinach leaves, that blankets the dents with a fuzzy, tannic coat of sludge when said leaves are chewed) and it is gross.
- Shell makes the most awesome vegan navy bean soup—it is as good as my split-pea experiment was bad. Smoked paprika makes it even more amazing.
- On the other hand, smoked paprika is kind of disgusting on fresh sliced pears.
- A frozen fruit smoothie is a very efficient way to kill a blender.
- I can put away a prodigious amount of salad with only a smattering of vinaigrette.
- After three weeks or so of not eating salt, one's palate seems to wake up and take notice of flavors never noticed before.
- I miss cheese a fair amount; surprisingly, meat not so much.
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| Emma |
[May. 16th, 2009|10:41 pm] |
Eighteen years ago tonight Shell and I had dinner with law school friends (Brian and Jill) at the Strawberry Street Cafe in Richmond. Shell had the pineapple chicken sandwich. I have no idea what I had. The pineapple chicken threw Shell into labor and the next morning we were blessed with a brand new little girl -- Emma Lauren.
In other news: you haven't celebrated until you have celebrated with about a hundred Eritreans, with homemade Eritrean food, Eritrean dancing, and homemade Eritrean libations. |
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