In Good Company

From cloud channeler, poet, teacher and music pusher Reuben Jackson who lives in Winooski, Vermont. Says Reuben about Misery Loves Company, “I am hooked on their fiddlehead sammiches….and, of course, clouds… “

Misery Loves Company

I am from hard boys
Who warned me not to quit school-
And crosstown cellists.

Sitting on the stoop
On quiet summer evenings-
A decade of rage.

Haunted by mentors
Who mainlined books and courage.
I have seen too much.

Reuben Jackson

My misery always loves company. Especially good company. Reuben is good company.

Warm spring afternoon.
When I think the coast is clear -
I smile at flowers.

Woman with a dog
Talks with me about teaching -
Beagle licks my face.

Entourage of wind
Makes a pass at new flowers.
I think of friends’ graves.

I would be this soft
If I trusted the world more-
An MGM song.

Reuben Jackson

A Preponderance of Pig

My friends went to Jazz Fest and I didn’t even get a lousy t-shirt (I didn’t want one).  LRoy Eat-Some-Pig Goldberg generously contributed this guest post – so much tastier than a t-shirt. Thanks, LRoy!

When one thinks about the New Orleans Jazz Fest (and you really should), a pig is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But when the gang gathered there this year, it seems the theme of the weekend was in fact the humble domesticated peccary.

It started Thursday night with dinner just a few hundred yards from our hotel. “Cochon” is its name and you Frenchie sophisticates know what that means.

For you real ‘Merkins: Check out the menu – you’ll notice that many pigs were harmed in the production of this meal:

http://www.cochonrestaurant.com

I had the smoked pork ribs with watermelon pickle. Indescribably delish.

Friday morning we ate a light breakfast (no bacon!) so our appetite was ragin’ for the first Cajun delight on the Fest grounds:

Note the flying pig atop the booth.

For you kosher types, the combo of “cochon” and “lait” makes for double trefe (thus canceling each other out), though I don’t think any milk is actually used in the recipe. Just stare at the picture for a while and you can taste it right through your eyes.

Friday night, well, no pig here:

But a great show, maybe the best music we heard all weekend. Man, can they swing a Sh’ma!

Here’s a pic (not a pig) of me – note the URJ t-shirt – the proper attire for massive pork consumption:

Saturday night at Mother’s and this table is full of the kind of eaters your Mother would be proud of. We ate, well, everything. The gent with glasses and a goatee (second from left below) is a world champion eater who demonstrated how one can pig out gracefully, without breaking a sweat. Bravo, Scott from Cleveland! His son Aaron, to his right, is a real up-and-comer chow hound too.

Mother’s is of course known for, what else, the “World Best Baked Ham”:

http://www.mothersrestaurant.net

I messed up and ordered the seafood combo. You think I would have gotten the theme by this point.

Sunday, we woke to the threat of a serious downpour – what to do?! I know – eat some pig! Off to Cochon’s sandwich place: Butcher:

http://www.cochonbutcher.com

Way too many amazing choices. These guys really know how to make a sandwich – and have a good time doing it.

Here’s me with Peggy and Martin. Peggy is eating the muffaletta I think. Note the laminated picture on the left – this is how the waiters identified which table to bring your order to. That’s the cast of “Who’s the Boss” if you didn’t recognize it right away. Good question with Martin and Peggy in close proximity…

Plenty of pig in that ‘wich:

I couldn’t resist the pastrami however, so here is Peggy berating me for once again missing the whole point:

Just a beauty shot of the French Quarter in the rain:      

Finally, there was Sunday dinner at Upperline: http://www.upperline.com

Okay, so you have to look hard to find the noble pig on JoAnn Clevenger’s menu. But really, this place is so elegant and down-home, artsy and haimish all at the same time that complaints are simply not allowed. Fried green tomato with shrimp remoulade to start? The pig can wait outside.

Here are the girls with JoAnn who generously gifted us a mini cast-iron skillet for the wife waiting patiently at home. It came with an amazing pecan-topped sweet potato puree, but she cleaned it before handing it over. We love you JoAnn!

So, that’s how we became one with the pig in Nawlins. Next year we’ll have to carry the pork chop totem – we earned it!:

L.Roy

A Rose Amongst the Posies

In a churchyard on a hillside
Where the flowers grow and twine
There grow roses amongst the posies
Flowers for my Clementine

“There are churches, and there are Churches. And if you’re not in a spirit filled church, then you’re not in any church at all.”

There are sandwiches and there are sandwiches. The sandwiches at Cafe Clementine (formerly Cafe Columbine) in New York are fer real.

Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine!
Thou art lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine

Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine
Herring boxes, without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine.

Drove she ducklings to the water
Ev’ry morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.

Fer real? That’s how the song goes? I had no idea.  Does the proprietress of Cafe Clementine know about this?

Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.

Oh well. Too bad. Let’s eat!

 
How I missed her! How I missed her,
How I missed my Clementine,
Till I kissed her little sister,
and forgot my Clementine.

Jeez.

Clementine? What Clementine? Sandwich? What sandwich? Gone! Poof. On to the next.

Shameless Self Promotion Number 050413

The newest issue of Kernels is on  the stands now and includes a couple recipes from me. Both are delicious and doable, if I do say so myself.

Around this joint we eat lots of bread.  My son is still a no-condiment man so his panini will be pressed plain. (How he can choke down such a dry sandwich I will never know.)

A Brave and Noble Sandwich

Does this sandwich make you feel safe? It does me.

Scott Modrynski aka Scottie Mo

A Thin Man No More

Yet another sandwichy reason to hit the brakes when you get to Pittsburgh.

The Thin Man Sandwich Shop

Dan and Sherri Leiphart

From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Blog

From The Sublime Miss M:

David and I were starving. We were on our way home from working the Pittsburgh Farm-To-Table Conference where I was selling my book, Tomatoes and promoting the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

We stopped at buddy Amy’s Mon Amiee Chocolat in the Strip to check in and pick up chocolate and she that reminded me of the new Thin Man Sandwich Shop. David got their first and ordered two beef shin sandwiches with horseradish mayo and braised celery. Since I wanted to taste something else, I changed my order to their signature sandwich, The Thin Man, a baguette spread with chicken liver mousse, topped with local bacon, frissee and a red wine vinaigrette.

Wow! We ate both of these driving those 2 hours back home, washed down with their honey lemon drink, which tasted, just like owner Sherry Leiphart said, of honeycomb.

Fabulous sandwiches. There was nothing left but crumbs.

Sandwichy thanks to the Sublime Miss M.

#wafflesAREbreadyanoodnik

Waffles Are Everywhere

When I worked at the Tabard Inn I sometimes made special grilled sandwiches (on bread) in the waffle iron (the bread ended up looking like a waffle) until I got busted for ruining the iron – too much butter ran down into the workings. The appliance repair guy took a look inside, inspecting the goop. “Hmm,” he said with a puzzled tone.

Pretty yummy wiches until then. Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. With little butter-crisp dents all over.

A few weeks ago I styled a “Waffle Breakfast Taco” for USA Weekend Magazine which was a round waffle folded and filled with breakfast taco stuff – eggs, cheese, salsa, pork. Finding a round waffle maker that particular day was no small task, don’t you know. 

The waffle had corn meal in it, and the whole thing seemed like a great idea.

Thank you Sorry-Birds Ellen, for sending me this link. I love Sandwich Monday and also subscribe to the Salt, but I never ever look at either one unless someone reminds me. Thank you!

Sandwich Monday: Chicken and Waffles

 It’s Monday today, as it was just seven days ago. Bring me a sandwich!