Answering JEP’s Question: My Favorite Post So Far
Posted on 20 July 2008 under BlogsMonroe, Food Blogs, Notes, Photos, Recipes | 5 Comments
To answer JEP’s question from my 600th post, “btw, out of the 600, what’s your favorite post?”, I’ve taken some time the past couple days to review all the posts so far to come up with my answer:
Mom’s Velveeta Macaroni & Cheese
First off, mom’s never talked anyone through that recipe until I told her I was going to create a post from it. I also like the inline photos in the recipe, showing her hands as she made the dish that day. And I do believe my writing in that one shows a little more of the fun I’ve always kinda hoped this blog would project.
So read it again, make yourself another batch … and don’t forget the ketchup!
My 600th Post: Has it been that long?
Posted on 18 July 2008 under BlogsMonroe, Notes | 5 Comments
According to the system back there in the guts of what you’re now reading, this is post #600 for me as Luna Pier Cook. While not quite a post each day since I started on November 30, 2006, to me it’s still a substantial amount of work.
And yes … before you even ask, I’m pretty sure I’ve gained weight since beginning this blog.
Still, the reality is that this is post #627. Of those, 20 ended up as not good enough, and 7 are still in the database waiting for me to decide if they’re good enough to publish. But there are 600 posts out here in the published pages you’re looking at.
To be honest, it’s been a serious struggle recently to keep things fresh. Since late fall I’d also been writing a statewide food blog, but even getting enough material for one blog on my own is difficult enough. I stopped writing the other blog recently, with part of the reasoning being that travel is so expensive now. Writing anything with statewide interest is going to cost more, and that’s just not happening right now.
So here I am, back to one writing space. Maybe I’ll get more done now? Who knows?
Anyway, we’re thinking of using the following shirt as a uniform at the Luna Pier Dog House. To me, it just makes sense. I just have to find one in my size …
Cookbooks: A Cookbook About … Toast?
Posted on 16 July 2008 under Cookbooks, Old Cookbooks | 2 Comments
This post is the first in a batch of posts I’ll be doing on some of the older cookbooks I’ve acquired. Some are, shall we say, “quaint”. This first one isn’t simply quaint … it’s more … well, kinda strange …
Yup, you’re reading that right: “A Book of Recipes and Suggestions For The Use of Toast“. Click on the image to the left to read the opening paragraphs of this fine tome:
“… Over 150,000 housewives have become interested in the opportunity that Super-Toast affords to bring keener pleasure at mealtime …”
Yeah, kinda goofy, that.
As it turns out, “Super-Toast” was a couple of products from Mills Bakery at the time this book was released in 1937. Available in both white and wheat versions, I’m guessing the loaves were similar in style to the Texas Toast that’s available today.
What’s odd about this little book is how much some ad exec worked on how the book, and toast, came across …
“Toast, a happy glorification of the world’s oldest and most important food, now takes on a new significance in the preparation of the three daily meals … Comparatively few years ago, toast was served at breakfast only, but today takes its rightful place as a part of every meal … But, further than this, golden-brown toast adds to the attractiveness of whatever it is served with, and eye-appeal always makes great food taste even better. Food attractively served stimulates the appetite and aids digestion; all of which makes for better nourished and happier families, and, of course, it is very easy on the food budget. Particularly so, because it is the smart way to serve leftovers.”
Wow. Toast is AMAZING!!!
While a lot of the recipes are fairly routine, particularly in today’s environment, others look rather good:
Shrimp Louisiana
8 oz chilled steamed shrimp
1 small onion
1 tablespoon butter
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup boiled rice
1 cup cream
1) Clean shrimp; slice and fry onion in butter.
2) Mix all ingredients together and warm in double boiler.
3) Just before serving add 1 cup of cream and heat.
4) Serve on toast.
Cannibal Waffles
Put well-seasoned hamburger between two slices of Super-Toast bread. Butter outside of bread. Place sandwich in a waffle iron and toast to golden brown. (Cheese. ham with cheese, or amy filling which may be heated, may also be used in this same way.)
… and of course, there’s a poem …
“A Toast to Toast”
by Grace McKinstry
Crisp slice of bread, we toast you!
For be we sick or well
There is no dish, broth, meat or fish
With your delicious smell;
What is so appetizing
As golden-toasted bread?
Hot, freshly made, on platters laid,
The scrambled eggs’ broad bed.
Plain toast when one is ailing.
But otherwise with jam!
No other food smells quite so good,
Not coffee, spice cake, or ham;
The plainest folk may have you
For bread is right at hand,
Yet wholesome friend, on you depend
The chefs of every land.
On you they pour creamed oysters
Or spread rich sandwich paste,
Asparagus they send to us
On wide brown toast strips placed;
For entree they cut circles,
Triangle-toast for stew,
Oh helpful toast, the world may boast
Of such food as you!
Yeah … well, there ya’ go.
Reminds me of that thing I heard … “Yeah, Toast!”, by Heywood Banks. But really, I don’t believe Banks to be as serious as this here book.
Maybe I should just go get toasted, eh?
Nice Buns! And, A First Martini
Posted on 14 July 2008 under Buffalo, Eat This Blog, Grilling | 5 Comments
I have to admit, I have a thing for nice buns. Get them just right, and they’re a thing of beauty.
See, the buns have to be appropriate for the application. Recently at the Luna Pier Dog House we tried using a different kind of hot dog bun for our hot dogs and coneys. Light and fluffy, they looked really cool when we bought them. However, in practice they literally collapsed under pressure, not only tearing too easly but actually separatingat the bottom when we added the sauce to the coney.
As it turns out, the tougher the hot dog bun, the better it is at the Dog House.
Over the weekend I found the opposite applies to hamburger buns. Up at the Kroger in New Baltimore, Michigan (just east of I-94 exit 243) they carry a lot of Michigan-made products. One bakery that’s well-represented is Russo’s Bakery in Clinton Township. We picked up quite a few of their products and were quite happy with all of them.
Saturday for lunch at David’s cottage on Walpole Island on the north end of Lake St. Clair, I made Mary and I some buffalo burgers. I added bacon chunks and parmesan cheese to the meat before grilling, and served them with pepper-jack cheese on Russo’s Onion Buns.
Those buns just plain flabbergasted us.
Each one was a full three inches in height. Uncut, they were light and fluffy, with great pieces of toasted onion on top. Served warm with those burgers on them, they were probably some of the best buns for burgers I’ve ever had.
I think I should have bought more and brought them home …
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Saturday evening at Crabby Joe’s in Wallaceburg, Ontario, I finally had my first-ever martini! I ordered their Classic Gin version, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Mary had one sip and made the most-awful face, not liking it whatsoever. I kept the rest for myself, eating the olives too. Next time I’ll try the Classic Vodka just to see what the difference is for myself. I doubt I’ll try any of their frou-frou versions … they just don’t sound all that interesting to me.
MSNBC: “Dog meat off the menu during Beijing Olympics”
Posted on 11 July 2008 under Catering etc. | 5 Comments
Could you eat this face???
My understanding was that dog meat had been removed from the restaurant menus of certain countries. I guess I was wrong.
According to the article on MSNBC’s web site, dog meat is still served in China, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, and apparently other countries they didn’t list.
I’m not quite sure what else to say about this except how appalling it is to Americans.
Sure, it’s a cultural thing in those other countries. It’s something they’ve eaten for centuries.
Absolutely, this is one of those food issues where emotional response will always far outweigh logical response.
I think I’ll leave it at that.
BlogsMonroe: Knoah’s Family, Tuesday at 6 p.m. on WTVG
Posted on 6 July 2008 under BlogsMonroe | 3 Comments
This morning, 13abc WTVG in Toledo began running a teaser for an ITeam story that will run Tuesday, July 8th during the 6 p.m. Evening News. The teaser mentions the lead paint issue Tonya blogged about on May 12th, and includes video of the entire family. The teaser then finishes with the ominous line of, “… and you won’t believe who’s responsible.”
Set your Tivo’s and program your VCR’s. I believe this one’s going to be an amazing piece to watch.
BBQ’d Spare Ribs for July 5th
Posted on 2 July 2008 under Barbecuing, Beachhouse, Grilling, Special Events | 2 Comments
Last year in this blog about this same time of year I lamented that I wouldn’t be able to cook up corndogs and offer them for sale during Luna Pier’s annual Freedom Festival and City-Wide Yard Sale:
In talking to a local restauranteur yesterday, I mentioned selling the corndogs at tomorrow’s sales. What I got back was, “I hope you have a permit!” What it boils down to is this: Just like at Taste of the Nation: Toledo on April 29th at The Docks, any Temporary Food Service Establishment (TFE) requires a local permit from the county health department as per state law. A TFE is defined as, “(A) food establishment which operates at a fixed location for a temporary period not to exceed 14 consecutive days”. The checklist for TFEs in the state of Michigan is located here, and there’s a whole lot a TFE has to comply with.
Well, whaddaya know … I’m on my fourth TFE since early June!
Ok, but here’s the thing: I can’t legally sell corndogs this year. There’s a clause in the beachhouse contract that, since the Freedom Festival is a fundraiser for the Fire Department, I’m not allowed to serve anything they’re making available. And they’re parking a corndog trailer 20 feet from my little place on the beach.
But ya’ know what? That’s fine. With the beachhouse, doing corndogs is inherently unsafe. There’s no vent hood in the place so any “real” cooking has to done outside. And having that much searingly-hot oil near such a major crowd as the city regularly gets that day would make me more than just edgy.
So I’ve ordered enough spare ribs for probably 70 lunchtime servings. Those slabs will get some 15 Million Spice and slow-cook all morning before being BBQ’d on the grill, cut, and served with slaw or potato salad and some baked beans. Our health inspector said Monday she’s kinda sorry she has to miss it!
Lots to do before then! Mayor Mary is spending the week going through literally tons of old stuff in city-owned closets and storage rooms around town, so she’ll be in their tent for the sales till around 2 p.m. Some of the stuff she’s found is actually really cool! Of course, Caleb and I will also have our regular menu at the Luna Pier Dog House the rest of the day as well, and will shut down before the fireworks start at dusk from the concrete pier just outside the front window of the beachhouse.
If you live nearby, Mary, Caleb and I hope you can join us!
July is National Hot Dog Month, & Recipes From Koegel’s
Posted on 1 July 2008 under Holidays, Michigan Cuisine, Recipes | 1 Comment
The following press release and recipes are from my buddy Aswathy Mathew. A Senior Account Executive at Hermanoff Public Relations, one of Ash’s accounts is that of Koegel Meats in Flint, Michigan. Long-time readers know I grew up eating Koegel’s products and that I’m a bit proud to be serving them at the city’s beachhouse this summer here in Luna Pier. I seriously appreciate the connection I now have with the company, and Ash is the one who made that happen. You’ll now be seeing press releases from her from time-to-time within this blog. Thanks, Ash!
July is National Hot Dog Month and July 19 is National Hot Dog Day. In recognition of these two celebrations, Koegel Meats, a leading manufacturer and wholesaler of first-class, quality meats is inviting the entire family to celebrate with fun recipes.
“Summer is a fun time for cooking, especially when families are cooking America’s favorite food, hot dogs,” said John Koegel, president of Koegel Meats. “As a family company, we enjoy celebrating National Hot Dog Month with our customers and sharing recipes.”
Following are spectacular summer recipes from Koegel Meats, sure to make a splash at your family gathering:
Koegel’s Smoked Sausage and Pineapple Kebabs
Ingredients:
1 pkg. Koegel’s 6 inch Smoked or Italian Sausage, thickly sliced
1 Pineapple, cut into chunks
1 Red Pepper, cut into chunks
1 Onion, quartered and separated into slices
8 oz. Mushrooms
Your favorite Italian dressing, for marinade
Instructions:
Alternate threading Koegel’s Smoked or Italian Sausage with pineapple, onions, red peppers and mushrooms on kebab skewers. If using wooden skewers, presoak for 30 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill.
Place kebabs in a 9” X 13” non-reactive pan, pour Italian dressing over. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate 2-6 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat gas grill to medium, or make a medium-hot fire on a charcoal grill.
Grill kebabs until vegetables begin to soften and brown, basing occasionally. All Koegel products are fully cooked. Just heat for full flavor.
Smoked Sausage Fajitas
Ingredients:
1 pkg. of Koegel’s Smoked Sausage
1 pkg. of flour tortillas
½ cup of chopped green peppers
Shredded lettuce
Shredded taco cheese
Salsa
Instructions:
Grill Smoked Sausage until heated, and heat the flour tortillas until softened. Place Smoked Sausage on the tortilla and add toppings of green peppers, lettuce, cheese and salsa.
Italian Sausage Pizza
Ingredients:
1 pkg. of Koegel Smoked Sausage
1 pkg. of English muffins
1 can of pizza sauce
1 fresh tomato
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Toast English muffin until crunchy. Top with pizza sauce, then top with Smoked Sausage slices. Add fresh tomato slices and cheese.
These tasty recipes can also be prepared with Koegel’s Skinless Footlongs, Bratwurst, Skinless Frankfurters or Smoked Sausage. Koegel Meat products are available at selected stores in Michigan and northern Ohio. More recipes are available at www.koegelmeats.com.
I’ve found “selected stores” around here to mean Kroger locations in Monroe County and north Toledo, GFS Marketplace stores in both areas, and a few Koegel items being available at the Sam’s Club on Airport Highway and I-475 west of Toledo.
Math is Hard: See, I Revised the Revision …
Posted on 26 June 2008 under Michigan Cuisine, Recipes | No Comments
Man, I really screwed up the math in there …
For anyone who’s downloaded the coney sauce recipe from yesterday, do that again … and pitch that other thing. It no workee.
Click here to download a CORRECTED copy of the Flint coney sauce recipe we’re using at the Luna Pier Dog House. (You may need to download and install the freeware Adobe Reader to view the recipe.) The recipe is laid out as a “trifold”, meaning you print the two pages on two sides of one piece of paper, then fold it in thirds and stash it somewhere till you’re ready to use it, yada yada yada, et al, etc., ad nauseum.
Anyone have a spare brain they’re not using? I’d like to borrow such a thing if I may.
Thank you for your time.
Recipe (revised): Flint Coney Sauce
Posted on 24 June 2008 under Michigan Cuisine, Recipes | 5 Comments
Yup, that’s the thing right there. The current version of the Flint coney, as we’re serving it at the beachhouse concession on the Lake Erie beach here in Luna Pier, Michigan. That’s a Koegel skinless frankfurter in the bun, with the sauce being made of 80/20 ground chuck, ground up Koegel Viennas, and other good things. I recently posted a pic here of the same coney sauce being served on nacho chips with cheese and jalapeño slices. You could probably just eat the sauce off your car’s bumper and it’d still be excellent.
I’ve posted the recipe for the Flint coney sauce in more than one location. However, I’ve found the version of the recipe doesn’t exactly scale well. So, I’ve updated the recipe so both versions are included.
For those who are interested, you can click here to download a copy of the recipe we’re using. (You may need to download and install the freeware Adobe Reader to view the recipe.) The recipe is laid out as a “trifold”, meaning you print the two pages on two sides of one piece of paper, then fold it in thirds and stash it somewhere till you’re ready to use it.
Please let me know if you find any errors in this thing. If so, I’ll fix them ASAP.
If you do make the sauce, I hope you and yours enjoy it as much as our customers and we do.
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