Varmint's Pig Pickin'

[Zeb A]

Not me.  But YOU should be, seeing you still could come AND you have realized that I'm only half the creep you suspected I was. 

Don't let him fool you, McCord is plenty creepy.

[Zeb A]

and their new sister bar, Porters. 

A couple of new restaurants have opened since June, including Vivo, an Italian place, that offers a breakfast service, too.

We have recently been to both Porters and Vivo. Both get thumbs up. Porters is casual, but with better than expected food--amazing non-traditional "nachos" and a top notch burger (avoid the onion rings). Vivo has good pasta and great little flatbreads (basically thin pizza)--oddly, they basically don't sell wine by the glass.

[tommy]

i don't think he's ever been accused of being Mr. Creepy Pants, however.

[Al_Dente]

Varmint-- feelin the pressure yet?

[hjshorter]

Varmint, I think we are planning to drive down on Thursday, so I can be around at least part of the day on Fri to cook.

[Varmint]

Varmint-- feelin the pressure yet?

Pressure? Pressure? I laugh in the face of pressure. I fart in pressure's general direction. I wave my private parts at pressure.

Yes, just a bit.

[=Mark]

I can't believe the first post on this was May 15th! This has to be the longest planned out eGullet event in history...

[Varmint]

I can't believe the first post on this was May 15th!  This has to be the longest planned out eGullet event in history...

Yeah, it is a bit ridiculous, but it's been a fun ride.

On a more serious note, we'll have a big-ass turkey fryer set up for hush puppies, but I thought it would be fun (and, of course, slightly dangerous) to deep fry other things. We'll have to prepare an all purpose batter, then scrounge through my pantry to figure out what would be good. Deep fried Moon Pies, anyone???

Along the same line, I was thinking that although we'll have plenty of desserts, it might be sort of fun to make some fried pies. If someone wants to research that area, we could hit the farmers market and buy different ingredients for filling. The pastry should be pretty simple, I'd think. Anyhow, it's just a thought.

[Al_Dente]

Varmint-- feelin the pressure yet?

Pressure? Pressure? I laugh in the face of pressure. I fart in pressure's general direction. I wave my private parts at pressure.

Yes, just a bit.

You da man!

[Al_Dente]

On a more serious note, we'll have a big-ass turkey fryer set up for hush puppies, but I thought it would be fun (and, of course, slightly dangerous) to deep fry other things.  We'll have to prepare an all purpose batter, then scrounge through my pantry to figure out what would be good.  Deep fried Moon Pies, anyone???

Deep fried catfish filets? Chicken wings?

Oooh, FRIED PICKLES!

[Marlene]

The pastry should be pretty simple, I'd think.  Anyhow,

There's nothing simple about pastry at least for me. Picking up the RV tomorrow and getting it ready to head down. See you on Friday.

[Varmint]

On a more serious note, we'll have a big-ass turkey fryer set up for hush puppies, but I thought it would be fun (and, of course, slightly dangerous) to deep fry other things.  We'll have to prepare an all purpose batter, then scrounge through my pantry to figure out what would be good.  Deep fried Moon Pies, anyone???

Deep fried catfish filets? Chicken wings?

Oooh, FRIED PICKLES!

Those will be the LAST things to hit the oil, I can assure you.

Deep fried pickles are so 1998.

[Al_Dente]

On a more serious note, we'll have a big-ass turkey fryer set up for hush puppies, but I thought it would be fun (and, of course, slightly dangerous) to deep fry other things.  We'll have to prepare an all purpose batter, then scrounge through my pantry to figure out what would be good.  Deep fried Moon Pies, anyone???

Deep fried catfish filets? Chicken wings?

Oooh, FRIED PICKLES!

Those will be the LAST things to hit the oil, I can assure you.

Deep fried pickles are so 1998.

Denied...

I just thought we could have a replica of a Hooters franchise somewhere at the event.

[Malawry]

If ya'll want to deep-fry savory things and sweet things we may want to transition the oil at some point. I'm only bringing enough for one fill-up of the fryer. Hush puppy oil can be used to fry either sweet or savory, but once you dump chicken wings and catfish in there you do not want pies going into the same oil.

I think a deep-fried Moon Pie with a glass bottle of RC cola sounds like the perfect ending to this event, btw.

[Varmint]

We'll keep the same oil, but we'll be careful to start with delicate flavors before we venture into the deep fried anchovies. This is comparable to a pyromaniac's desire to burn different things. We'll just deep fry 'em.

[Dave the Cook]

Do we have a head count, or can we get one, for Friday night?

Since I'll probably be in the kitchen anyway, simmering birds and bunnies for VD Stew (I hear Varmint's trying to get Glenn Close as a celebrity Stew Sous for this part), I'll volunteer to run the brigade for dinner -- alternatively, if someone else wants to do it (guajolote? malawry?), that's fine by me, too. But Varmint's gonna be busy with his pig, so it has to be one of the rest of us. In any case, I'd like to go ahead and scale the recipe and have a shopping list ready for Friday. Varmint will need to alert his shrimp connection, too.

As for crew, I think there's:

guajolote

maggiethecat

hjshorter

malawry

KatieLoeb tending bar

If I left anyone out, or if I've volunteered you without permission, speak up.

Now, who's going to be there to eat?

[Malawry]

Deep fried anchovies sound more Italian than Southern.

Deep fried nightcrawlers??

[Varmint]

I'm in.

[slbunge]

Alas, I can't be there, but I am vicariously enjoying the excitement buildiing.

Anyway, if find yourselves experimenting with the fryer, I suggest deep-fried twinkies. I wasn't a believer until I tried one at the Wisconsin State Fair. The fried snickers were not as good. (I think both might have been rolled in sugar prior to hitting the fat.)

I have witnessed a bunch of beer-buzzed folks frying everything within reach after a main course of fish tacos was complete. The enthusiasm was severely curbed when the cheese-curds glommed into a single mass that was near impossible to extract from the fryer.

[Al_Dente]

Do we have a head count, or can we get one, for Friday night?

Since I'll probably be in the kitchen anyway, simmering birds and bunnies for VD Stew (I hear Varmint's trying to get Glenn Close as a celebrity Stew Sous for this part), I'll volunteer to run the brigade for dinner -- alternatively, if someone else wants to do it (guajolote? malawry?), that's fine by me, too. But Varmint's gonna be busy with his pig, so it has to be one of the rest of us. In any case, I'd like to go ahead and scale the recipe and have a shopping list ready for Friday. Varmint will need to alert his shrimp connection, too.

As for crew, I think there's:

guajolote

maggiethecat

hjshorter

malawry

KatieLoeb tending bar

If I left anyone out, or if I've volunteered you without permission, speak up.

Now, who's going to be there to eat?

I'd like to be there for dinner Friday and to watch and learn on the pig preppin and VD stewin. I'd be happy to be a gopher, or prepper, or stirrer, or whatever ya'll (see I'm practicing already) need.

No job too small. My specialties are in my signature line.

[Jaymes]

Deep fried pickles are so 1998.

Yes -- they're so last millenium.

[elyse]

Deep fried Moon Pies, anyone???

SHUT UP!

[Malawry]

Dave, I will happily sous-chef if you run the brigade. I come with my own knives.

I'll bring my digital camera too. Though if anybody else has one they should bring them as well, we cannot have enough documentation of this event. Else how will Tommy and Elyse entertain themselves in our absence?

[jackal10]

Deep fried Mars Bars.

Use the fun sized Mars Bars and tempura batter. They puff like small beignets, and are surprisingly good, if a bit sweet.

[Malawry]

Jackal10:

Can't you come and bake us some bread Friday? Pwetty pwease? Varmint said he had access to a bread oven...