Nick

I've never thought it looked much like a wink. The mouth looks like Dick Cheney's version of a smile.

I'd just like to let everyone know that the "Nick" who reviewed there is not me.

Well by the Jeezus, I guess you'll have to do it then.

Just a story. Back in the sixties when I was living in the South End of Boston I shopped mostly at a little grocery up the street. The South End was a diverse community and the owner of the grocery was an older man who came from some place in Europe - it could have been Spain, or Greece, or Rumania. I can't remember. At any rate, he was a good man and I got my stuff from his store. At that time I was really into green peppers and he always had really good green peppers (he knew his produce.) So one day I went to his shop and there were no green peppers and I asked why. He went into fit and almost shouting told me, " they want 18 cents (a pound, from the wholesaler) for those peppers, so I would have to charge 35 cents. I can't charge people that much money, so I didn't buy them." A man with a small shop, and a man of principle.

FG, I rationalize (irrationalize?) the whole thing. I get forty to sixty bucks an hour when I'm working so I consider that when I'm picking up some outrageously overpriced item closer to home. I could have driven 1/2 an hour each way and gotten something for three bucks less, but where does that leave me? Were they good potatoes?

Leave the tomatoes out on the counters, window sills, etc. and they'll ripen. But, you probably already know this.

I think the links are better for those of us on a plain old modem. That way the thread loads faster - much, much faster in some cases. Varmint's pig pickin' was the greatest sort-of-live thread since Cabrales cooked the chicken (IMHO), but loading some of the pages on Varmint's thread took almost ten minutes on my hook-up. I waited because it was such a momentous event and really wanted to see the pics. Maybe we ought to get a thread going on site talk to see what everyone thinks. Maybe I'm one of the very few using a modem. Now back to burgers.

Varmint, who came from Maine?

Back around 1965 I was working on fancy cars in Newport, RI and doing a little guitar playing. Had a friend over in Providence that did some playing and I'd head over there every once in awhile. About halfway between Newport and Providence, out in the middle of nowhere, was a MacDonalds perched on a little hill. The first time I saw it, I pulled in and got a hamburger. It was so good that everytime after that I'd pull in and get three. Two for the ride to Providence and one to eat cold on the way back. Things sure have changed.

Oh M'God again. Tommy and Suzanne are going to get into a grammaterical fight.

That's right. All the gossip - with pics.

Oh M'God. The sight of gulleteers coming through the door , insta-reads clipped to their pockets, will be enough to throw any burger joint into a frenzy.

Varmint, thanks for the whole thing. I could almost taste the pork just looking at the pictures.

Oh man, you just had to do that didn't you? It's a great looking burger (or is it a steak?), but it's the fries that got me. There's nothin' better than a home-cooked french fry like you made. Now I've want to make some and I don't have a Russet in the house.

I second Jaymes. This has been excellent even for those of us who couldn't make it. BTW, who won the award for distance most traveled to get there?

See usage #3 here. (Also note the excellent use of the word "pedantic.") Did the 35 eGulleters eat twice as much as the 70 non-eGulleters? Suzanne's post got me to dig out Webster's New Collegiate (1977) which I'd put away while getting the house finished. "Enormity - 3. the quality or state of being huge: IMMENSITY" Since enormity must come from enormous, which follows enormity - "Enormous - 2. marked by extraordinarily great size, number, or degree: esp : exceeding usual bounds...." Since, by egullet standards, Varmint's pig picking has exceeded "usual bounds" I think enormity is entirely appropriate. And I hope someone does an egullet article. How about Dave the Cook? ..................... Now we take you back to the program in progress.

Great pics! Keep'em coming! Is that a piece of sheetrock you're sliding under the pig?

This is going to be great! Sorry I couldn't handle the long drive to get there. Looking forward to all the reports as things get underway. Should a new thread be started for the grand slam and all the pics?

Bath tub is the way to go. I wouldn't try light plastic. There must be a two or three hundred pound enameled cast iron bathtub sitting around in someone's yard you can haul off for free.

Yup, it's the plastic that's doing it - and they are winter squash, along with buttercup, which I also think are tastier, sweeter.

I've cooked a few blue fish and so far Cindy Prior has the best way I've found. Fillet them and then put on more salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon juice than you'd think reasonable. Then broil them.

Deciding on countertops is a bitch. I settled for a really bland, neutral color, formica. When I made that decision I told people, once it's laid down I'll forever wish I had more imagination - but if I pick something a little more far out - I could live to regret it. Come down every morning and look at that countertop that seemed so hip at the time - and nearly vomit. Like I say, countertops are a bitch. What I've got is really fucking bland, but I guess I can live with it.

It's pretty much finished. Still got to do window casings, baseboards, etc. But that will have to wait until next year. Got to dig out some pine boards we cut and milled over in NH back around '51. I'll post some pics as soon as I get a new camera battery. Tried to find one at Walmart today. They used to have them. Don't go to Walmart that much and hadn't been there (in Rockland, Maine) for maybe six months. It was all changed around, not much of a battery selection, and I saw a lot of open spaces in the aisles. Looked like economic disfuntion to me.

Beans and rice. Bean soup, chili, refrieds - all with a little meat. Brown rice boiled in a little water so it doesn't get soggy and sticky. A little gomasio on the rice after it's on the plate. With the left-over rice, fry it with some vegetables or fish. Some miso or tamari goes good at the end of the cooking. Neither should be allowed to get too hot as it destroys the little whatever they call them - "enzymes". The little living things that are present in especially good miso. Main thing is to have some beans and/or rice with your meat. Then some good veggies on the side. Brocolli, Brussels Sprouts, Winter Squash, etc. But, who am I to recommend anything? Tonight I'm having a baked potato, broccoli boiled in just a bit of water, AND a short cut rump steak that I've been marinating in some evoo, red wine vinegar, thin sliced onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Gonna try out my new gas range with infrared broiler on the steak If I don't start drinking beer the first thing in the morning tomorrow, breakfast will be miso soup and vegetables along with some Italian breadsticks and a plum. We'll see how that turns out. The Saki sure tastes good tonight.

Unpeeled Buttercup seeded and cut toward the center about 1/2" at the outside. Place on a rack in a pan with a little water in it. The idea is to have the squash steam during the first part and then the water boils off and then it's roasted tender squash. Oven somewhere between 350 and 400. Would probably work with Acorn, but Buttercup are the best - depending on who's garden they came out of.