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United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

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Sunday, September 21, 2003

One Jar Of Pickled Mushrooms These aren't the kind that get you lost in the woods. They shrunk considerably in the brine, but have a nice robust texture. When I toasted the coriander and mustard seeds in an iron skillet, they popped and left a heavenly aroma in the air. They simmered with a couple habaneros in the white wine for about an hour, but I strained out the solids for the pickle. I'd forgotten the bay leaf, so I just put one in each jar. In a week, this will be food. Two pounds = two pints. The Rock Cornish hens came out great after the inital hung, drawn. and quartered nightmare. Liz and I split one with some acorn squash and a Food Lion box mix of au gratin potatoes. All the flavors heavy, near the ultra-violet end of the spectrum. I discovered that a little Hennessy's cognac from the cupboard took the weight off the palate. The acorn squash was baked at 350º F for about an hour. I seeded it and baked the squash inverted to hold in the steam, atop a piece of parchment. Good planning for once. Some liquid ran out of the squash and bubbled up into a blackened mess that was easily confined to the parchment. They didn't stick to the paper and when I worked them loose the periphery was an attractive golden brown. To keep them warm, I put them in the smoker with the Rock Cornish hens until the prefab potatoes were ready to eat. Nothing was perfect in the crisis/resolution crescendo of the preparation, but all's well that ends well. 6:46:37 PM    comment []

A Portrait Of Dorian Tomato I forget when I bought it. It was at least two weeks ago, maybe three. It has not changed one bit. Something tells me it will be as bland now as when I bought it. 1:26:27 PM    comment []

Shortly after this picture was taken, the bird on the left broke in half! The breast portion was still dangling, so I tied it back together. Wising up some more, a bit later, I put them on a rack to smoke. At this point, no smoke had been applied. They were hanging over a dish of water at 210º F, like the turkey breast from last weekend. Falling apart (after 5 hours), they are obviously done and still very moist. The smoke is just for appearance and some flavor.   12:34:22 PM    comment []

Sometimes you take pity on your worst enemy and that’s the greatest insult of all. John Ashcroft is not my worst enemy, but he is inspiring a feeling of brotherly protection when he attacks librarians. It’s a guy thing that transcends political boundaries.   John, don’t fuck with the brown-haired girls wearing glasses. You might think you’re being clever, but these chicks don’t wear their brilliance on their pleated sleeves. They will smile at you while you’re on the attack, but it is not a friendly smile. Look at the teeth behind the smile. They are your intellectual superiors and, while they are politely saying nothing while you speak, they are mentally undressing your inferior intellect.   Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. If you fuck with them, they will rip you a new one and you won’t even know it. You’ll hear people laughing and think that you are being witty, but you won’t realize that they are laughing at you. The librarians said something you don’t understand. You won't get it and you never will, even after they explain it to you.   And that’s why I feel compelled to be protective – you are getting in way, way, over your head. John, don’t fuck with the brown-haired girls wearing glasses. 4:53:54 AM    comment []