flybottle

Tonight? A cheesesteak sandwich and lots of beer. The sandwich (I wouldn't dare call it "a Philly") is made up of shaved chuck roast, carmelized onions, sauteed serranos, and grated cheddar. As you can see, circumstances required that I pile it on good 'ol supermarket white bread. The rest of the roast became this week's chili. Here's the before... ...and here's the after... Looks to me like it's itching for an overnight vacation in the fridge.

Late Monday Night: wildly inauthentic Chicago dogs. Note the conspicuous absence both of tomatoes and of poppy seed buns.

It's chiefly this sort of thing that rubs me the wrong way, eating out of principle. Seems to me that the clearest reason to eat something is because it's tasty.

What's at stake in deciding whether food is art or not?

Do chicken thighs count as undiscovered? If so, I nominate them and recommend that you read Jim Harrison's "What Have We Done With The Thighs?" in The Raw and the Cooked.

I spent the holidays in Oregon where they're now having a great Dungeness season. Dungeness, it goes without saying, is my favorite. It may be a function of the fact that I grew up on the West Coast and of the magic that happens between fathers and sons over dinner tables taken over by thick layers of newspaper, freshly cooked and chilled and cleaned crabs, and big bowls of melted butter. What's a shame is that you can't really get it here in Minnesota.

Tillamook Cheddar Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Whiz

I slowed down on beef but didn't quit. But now I'm back to normal. Last night I made cheesesteaks, tomorrow I'm having cheeseburgers, and I'll make a pot of chili con beef big enough for the better part of the week. Here's why I was worried and why I slowed down. Though only 165 or so cases of vCJD have shown up in people since 1985 or so, vCJD apparently doesn't show up for some time after you've been infected. I've heard that it can be as long as 15 or 20 years. What this means is that the feeling of confidence we get from hearing that only 165 cases have shown up in people is potentially a sham. vCJD may not be rare at all. In fact, we could be in the middle of an undetected and undetectable epidemic. Here's why I'm speeding back up. I love beef.

Used to be Lasagne Bolognese. Thank god it's now chili. I confess I sometimes make it too hot but it's a good sign that they can't help wanting more...

Evan Jones' American Food.

Amen. I pass Hunts whole peeled tomatoes through it for sauce, but that's only because I can't find a regular supply of San Marzano's. I've been flirting with Progresso and I find Muir Glen too sweet for my taste. Pomi used to be (ten years ago now) my go to tomato when I was flush, but now I find it insipid.

Domestic? Maytag. From the old country? Gorgonzola.

Fancy food, health food, and stand-ins for meat...

What a question... Hamburgers?

Kettle Chips--from Salem Oregon--are good "fancy chips". But regular old Lays, Nacho Cheese Doritos, and (more recently) Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream Ruffles hold a special place in my gut.