Oct29

Arkansas

The Ozarks. It’s a nice place. Stacey and I have been visiting there, on and off for the last 20 years. We have found some really cool spots to visit and good places to eat. Doe’s Eat Place for one. There are a few around Mississippi and Arkansas. The first was in Greenville, Mississippi. It was first opened as a grocery store by the Signa family, they called it Papa’s Store. In 1927 a flood put them out of business and the father of the Signa family turned to bootlegging to get back on his feet.

Then in 1941 they opened as a bar, a honky tony if you will, serving blacks only. The white folks had to enter through the back door. The white folks also got fed in the back. But, soon Doe’s was doing more business as a restaurant so they closed the bar and made the whole joint a eat place.

Still going strong to this day, serving steak by the pound and some really good tamales.

We didn’t make to Doe’s to eat last time we were in Arkansas, but we did eat at James at the Mill. This is on the other end of the dining experience of Doe’s Eat Place. James at the Mill is fine dining. He refers to his food as Ozark Plateau Cuisine. I call it cowboy food. Big food, big flavors. Andouille corn dogs, Mac and cheese with truffles. Steaks. You know what I mean, big food.The restaurant is also a beautiful work of architecture, full of art and high design.

We also visited two chapels designed by renowned architect Fay Jones. I have written about Jones and his chapels in the woods before, search back for that post. Today I’m just gonna post a photo Stacey took a few weeks ago on our last visit.

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Oct27

On the wall at a Bar in Belize

Tracy

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Oct24

Redfish on the half-shell

Tracy

My little brother kills animals. He’s like a lot of people who enjoy hunting and fishing. Often he takes his two boys along, teaching them the rights and wrongs of being a sportsman. Probably a good time and good lessons to teach young folks.

But that’s not what I want to focus on. I want to tell you about the way he told me to cook Redfish. He gave my Mom a bunch of fish from their last trip and my Mom gave me some. He calls it Redfish on the half-shell. Click here to go to a sight that has some info. As far as cooking it, here is what little bro told me to do.

The fish was filleted with the skin and scales left in tact. You make a very hot fire in the grill. When the coals are ready set the grill as close to the coals as you can and put the fish on skin down. Salt and pepper the flesh side and paint it with olive oil and butter. Close the lid and four minutes later open and paint the flesh again with oil and butter. Do this every four minutes, about seven times, appx 3o minutes. Try to slide a spatula under the fish, if the fish will lift easily off the grill it’s ready, if not give it a few more minutes. Large fish might cook as many as 40 minutes. Redfish is a tough fish and can handle this kind of abuse. I bet that’s why Blackened Redfish worked out so well.

So I did this last night and it was great. I was afraid of cooking it to long, but 30 minutes was perfect. I also noticed the smaller of the two pieces was better then the larger one. Makes sense, tuff big ol fish, tender young fish.

I told Stacey that I am gonna tell all my chef friends about this and see if I can’t start a Redfish on the half-shell craze. I think it will take off, be as big as the Blackened craze. Then I went online and found all kinds of people writing about this method. I haven’t seen it on any menus yet so maybe I can get something going.

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Oct16

Where Ya Been?

Tracy

Been to Arkansas. Ever been there? I always follow up the phrase “we have been in Arkansas” with ” have ya ever been there? It’s a great place to visit.” Her are some photos, captions to follow soon.

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Oct07

On the other hand….

Tracy

When I started writing this blog I decided I would not go negative, not to much anyway. But, every once in a while ya just have to say it out loud. So I did and now it’s back to the world of denial. I like it there, I have fun living there.

Saturday afternoon Stacey, Pilot and I drove a little over an hour south to Pine Mountain Ga. We went to the Jenny Jack Farm for a farm dinner and fund raiser for the Slow Food chapter here in the Atlanta area. Talk about farm to table, you couldn’t get any closer then this. There was a lot of food come dinner time and most of it was grown right there on the farm we were eating at. And I do mean on the farm, just check out this photo of the table set up for dinner.

This was 1 of 2 tables they had set up for the 150 or so folks who had signed up to attend this dinner. The money they were raising Saturday night was to send some local Slow Food members to Terra Madre. Terra Madre is a huge conference held every other year. It’s membership is made up of food producers, chefs and educators from all over the world. Over 6ooo people will attend this event. Terra Madre is held in Turin, Italy, the last weekend of October 2008. It’s a big damn deal and I think it has done very good job of educating the masses. Check out the two sites, Slow Food and Terra Madre.

Dinner was great, we had a salad of arugula and whole fried okra pods with green goddess dressing. We enjoyed Jenny Jack brand grits. Mike Atkins cooked a hog, low and slow. We had jambalaya. We a couple of vegetable dishes straight from the farm, tons of fresh baked bread and sweet tea.

Eric Arceneaux, of the Big Eddy Club, cooked a lot of the food and also did a grits cooking demo. There was a storyteller and a couple of farm tours. It was big fun. And I guarantee you there is a farm dinner happening somewhere near you and with a little home work you can find it.

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Oct03

I’d like to Bail

Tracy

I have no idea why the bailout vote passed. All the speeches this morning were just talking heads preaching fear. Everyone in D.C. said we can’t do nothing. Was that a good enough reason to vote to spend $700 Billion.

I wish they would have voted no and let the chips fall where they may. Then we can all go down the shit-hole together, the rich, the poor, the black, the white, down the shit-hole altogether.

I feel like vomiting. Maybe I’m just pregnant.

I wanna move to Barcelona.

I wanna cry.

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Oct03

BLACK THURSDAY

Tracy

Last night we went to the beautiful Fox Theater to let Lewis Black make us laugh. And he did, but we could have just as easily cried.

If you know of Black and his sthick then you know he rants about all the bullshit happening to us “regular folk”. He riffs on Bush of course and he talks about the war we started for no good reason. He talks about how the two presidential candidates are clueless. How neither has anything useful to add to a solution for the financial crisis we are in. He talked about how neither Obama or McCain and it seems anyone else that should have, had any idea that it was even coming. He put it all in a way to make us laugh, but the sad truth was there the whole time.

I’m not gonna go on long here about the state of our nation, it sucks plain and clear and it happened because of greed, which makes it worse. So get your ass up outta bed everyday, be glad you got a job, if you have one. If not go to work for the government. The numbers on unemployment are staggering, that is for all but the government of our great nation. There are plenty of people in safe, secure, useless government jobs.

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Oct01

Breaking News, This Just IN

Tracy

MOBILE PRESS REGISTER

Mobile gives goat owners deadline to get variance or be fined.

City tells family to apply for variance or be subject to fine

By DAN MURTAUGH

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Staff Reporter

Mobile city officials gave a Cypress Shores family until Friday to apply for a variance or risk being subject to fines for keeping seven goats at their home.

But Charles and Karen Lathan said they will not apply for a variance because they believe they are meeting all of the requirements laid out by Mobile’s laws to keep the goats on their property.

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Oct01

The next Best Thing to Being There

Tracy

is helping a good friend get there. This a transmission from Rome, written by our friend Kim, I fear she may never come home. There are a few beautiful photos she has taken and I will add them later.

Rome: the first 36 hours

The last two days seem like they should have been spread out over a week. I am exhasted and feel like my head is spinning when I think of everything I
have experienced since Sunday afternoon. I was able to fly to Rome out of
Cincinnati and sat in the first row. The flight was smooth and enjoyable
thanks to good company and an Ambien. I managed to sleep for about 4 hours
after a seemingly endless stream of food and wine. The flight attendants
were so kind and when we landed they sent me on my way with a bottle of
champagne to enjoy with my companions later. When I landed I decided to take
a chance on the train even though I had my luggage to carry and can not read
Italian. Thanks to tips from Randall and a few very helpful Italians I was
able to locate my luggage and arrive at our apartment in a little over an
hour.

Randall and Wes were just leaving for the Vatican when I arrived so I joined
them and we walked the three or four blocks between here and there. It was
so odd to see the dome of St. Peter's looming above our little neighborhood.
When we arrived at the Piazza San Pietro the crowds were relatively light so
we took the opportunity to tour the basilica. Nothing can prepare you for
the scale of place. As you enter the Pieta is on the right side of the nave
and its beauty is stunning. Michelangelo's dome reigns over a space that is
almost impossible to describe and Bernini's work throughout is breathtaking.
I feel like I am following Bernini all over the city and I can't seem to get
enough.

We then decided to climb to the cupola atop the dome. A dizzying climb up
winding and sometimes spiral staricases was a memorable experience.
Sometimes the passageway narrowed to just a few inches wider than my
shoulders and the entire space would tilt to the right as small openings in
the walls revealed glimpses of the city receding beneath me. At the top we
entered a walkway lining the interior of the dome that provided a bird's eye
view of the nave below and the mind boggling mosaics that surrounded us. We
then went to the walkway on the exterior of the dome that gave us a 360
degree view of the city below. It was a perfect way to see all of Rome and
understand how all of it fits together. I have attached a photo of that as
well as my favorite photo from inside the basilica.

After that I was dying to get out into the city. We had a fantastic late
lunch and dinner in the neighborhood where we are staying and I have made a
vow to eat every meal outside while I am here. So far, so good. My new daily
diet consists of pastries, cappuccino, pasta, wine, afternoon gelato, more
pasta, more wine, more cappuccino. It is good that I am walking all day
every day or I would pay for all that wonderful eating. When we came home
last night I finally collapsed and slept for 11 hours.

By the time I woke up this morning everyone else was on their way out the
door. It was nice to have the apartment to myself for a while. It was even
nicer to have most of the day to myself. I set out and became wonderfully
lost for about an hour. I liked it and it felt good to just wander. I think
I located the Roman Howard Finster so it made the detour worthwhile. His
entire house is covered with sculpture and inscriptions. It is enchanting
and creepy all at once.

Once I got my bearings I headed for Trastevere along the river. I spent the
afternoon there and fell completely in love with this city. I got misty eyed
just wandering along the narrow streets and watching the Romans in their
element. The beauty and the grit are so perfectly blended. I found a
restaurant on the Piazza Santa Maria della Scala and spent two hours there
having lunch - wine, salad, pizza with prosciutto and mushrooms and
cappuccino. I just watched everyone go by, read about the place in one of my
guides and planned what else I want to see while I am here. It was heavenly.
After that I set out for the church San Francesco a Ripa to see Bernini's
Ecstasy of Beata Ludovica Albertoni. I was astounded to run into Randall and
Wes along the way and they were going to the same place. What are the odds
of that? The sculpture did not disappoint and I had my drop to my knees
moment in that little chapel. I am grateful a kneeler was provided at that
exact location. I was obviously not the first to need it.

We visited two other churches - it is a blur since there is one on every
corner - and then I set off on my own again. Tomorrow morning I am planning
to take the train to visit the Protestant Cemetery. Randall went there today
and said it is the most beautiful one he has ever seen. I can not wait to
see it. I will spend the morning there and then join them in Trastevere for
the afternoon. We will see the other side of the river next week when we
move to the apartment near the Piazza Navona.

I miss you both and wish you were here with me. Love you -

Kim

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Archive for October, 2008

Arkansas

On the wall at a Bar in Belize

Redfish on the half-shell

Where Ya Been?

On the other hand….

I’d like to Bail

BLACK THURSDAY

Breaking News, This Just IN

MOBILE PRESS REGISTER

The next Best Thing to Being There

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