Al_Dente

I don't know how big the grill is I'll have to work with tomorrow, butt I'll try and get as much butt on there as possible. I was going to let them sit in saran wrap with a spice rub on them overnight tonight before putting them on the grill. It'll be pretty much the standard salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, sugar type thing. Is that okay?

mmmm, Frenched Rack of Smelt...

"Our hand-cleaned chitlins are cleaned year round by our experienced team of Chitlin Cleaners." Imagine putting that title on your resume.

Took me a while, but I got it. Freakin funny!

Yes, we may need to go gringo to some extent. Although chicken feet would be ultra-cool. I'm fine with going non-gringo. I've been meaning to expand my horizons some more.

Will you throw in a burek with that order?

It's a damn shame they're illegal in the US. Maybe for you, my friend. One other way that I like to eat bureks is to skin them when they're young, then slowly smoke them over pecan wood, never getting over 225 degrees F. It takes awhile, particularly because you don't gut them first, but when they're done -- OH MY GAWD!!!! Take foie gras times 7 billion. It's that good. Plus, as we all know, burek is the only proven aphrodesiac for both men and women. Damn, I've never tried them like that. I only have had burek a couple of times back when I was in southern Hungary. It was a simple preparation-- pan fried, rubbed with paprika. But with the taste and texture I can see what you mean about the foie gras comparison. Next time I'm in NC I'll let you know-- could you maybe get me a half dozen or so? How much would that cost?

It's a damn shame they're illegal in the US.

Splain please. A burek is a small furry creature similar to rabbit native to that area of Europe. They're hard to catch as they can reach speeds of 70 mph.

Pumpkin Peanut Risotto? Peanut Institute

If I had a nickel for everytime I've heard someone ask about how one removes congealed fat from a tennis court.....

I checked for ideas by looking up any holidays that occur on that date-- not a lot to work with unless you want some lebanese chow for their independence day. http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/datesearch.php

Homer Simpson: mmm, bacon mmm, pork chops mmm, ham mmm, beer

Thanks for all the great (and FAST) input. You guys are the best! Apparently the lard is mixed with a lot of salt and then the pig is coated with it. Sort of like brining via fat. He doesn't use a pig the size of Varmint's, it's only about 40lbs. The pig is run through with a spit and turned for 4 or 5 hours (hopefully he'll build a motor for that). He's doing lamb too and his wife is sure to whip up some burek. A little Serbian cultural sidenote: he said when his parents got married, 200 pigs (plus a ton of other stuff) were served. Each guest is expected to take 1/2 a pig home with them.

A friend of mine is going to do a pig roast, Serbian style. Apparently this requires the use of a few pounds of lard. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment, but where locally could one buy a few pounds of pure porky goodness?

Jeebus, after all this talk on so many threads of BDC, I'm under the impression this must be the BEST restaurant in DC.

Go to bed, man. You're deranged. Come on, open your mind man. We could hire a lunch lady from one of the local high school cafeterias to slop that stuff on a plate with a big spoon with a loud THWACK.

I just had a weird craving for grilled cheese and tomato soup. How bout a theme along those lines, but really open it up creativity-wise? We could come up with a list of comfort food staples and/or pedestrian sounding dishes and assign them to the attendees. Macaroni and cheese? Franks and beans? Tuna casserole? Green bean casserole? Okay, it might be the nyquil talking. Major head cold. Just an idea.

Hmmmm. That would take a shitload of work. Lemmethinkaboutit. Hence the Perhaps something more focused like an all ravioli dinner? Someone could crank out fresh pasta, a few folks working on fillings and sauces(some could be made ahead, I imagine), and someone who can boil water and keep time.

El Bulli-WD50-Trio-Cafe-Atlantico-Minibar-Style Night?

The truth is revealed.

still clueless you saw some of my CDs.... lotsa jazz, hippy dippy stuff...... and of course BANJO!

Our theme will be the New Pornographers, Hot Hot Heat, and the Buzzcocks. Enjoy. I'll need to research this. I'm gettin on in age, don't know what these kids are listening to these days.

I know! How bout a Pig Pickin? Fuck off. It's difficult to reconcile such a sentiment with your avatar.

I know! How bout a Pig Pickin?