COVID, Cooking and Connections

 In early February, I had made the rounds of dropping food off at new neighbors homes; Pasta with Tomato-Fennel Sauce and Home made Italian Sausages, Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks and Rice, culminating with Baked Chicken and Brown Rice with Gravy Side.  Comfort foods that any family, any ethnicity would enjoy in those chilly winter months.  My new house in Gladstone, Ore. warranted that a savory outreach was the best calling card. 

Then, COVID hit!

OK, I thought, it'll be a few weeks and life will resume.  Maybe a month or two at the very worst.

As weeks turned into months and the end-game kept getting pushed out, we saw our jobs, our families, homes and neighborhoods retreat into storm-shelter mentality.  It seemed this was a tornado siren that would never turn off.  We became existents; people that lived from hour to hour, day to day in our government imposed shelters, devoid of human contact that required us to hunker-down until the extended tempest was determined to have passed.  

It is October now and we're sick of it!  We missed all our summer cook-outs.  For the 1st time in God-knows-how-long, I didn't have a 4th of July BBQ.  We didn't can and pickle vegetables as we always have.  There is no jam made from Oregon marionberries, raspberries, apricots and peaches.  Fear gripped us like no CNN news bulletin could.  It has been a story worthy of a Netflix series of a Zombie Apocalypse.  

Then, the corpse of existence began to breathe.  

Sherri, my neighbor across half my back yard, was watering her garden one afternoon, behind the dense arbor vitae that separates us and I called out through the hedge.  It's so thick, we can't see through to each other.  

"Hey, Sherri!  Long time, how's it goin'? I hollered, looking away from the hedge.  

"Brian?  Is that you?  Oh my gosh, well, things is fine, but, dang I'm 'bout to go crazy with all this COVID nonsense!  Cain't go anywhere and my apartment is only so bi-iig!"  Sherri is from San Angelo, TX where I lived for period, chasing a wild-cat drilling, oil-rig dream. 

We visited about our vegetable gardens, families and restrictions relating to "th'CO-vid."

"D'ya'll like peppers?"  she asked, "Jalapenos and Sweet Peppers?"

"Well, heck yeah!"  I promptly replied, "who doesn't ?!"  

"Wait uh min-it, Ima bring ya some..." she replied.   As Sherri took off to retrieve her garden bounty, I ran into the house, flipped open my pantry door and grabbed 2 qts of home made tomato-fennel sauce for trade.  

Before she arrived, I found a thin area of our hedge to offer as a pass-through; digging away at branches and thicket to create a conduit for our garden sustenance.  It was like a prison exchange with COVID as our jailers. 

As I stood on my side of the hedge, a faceless arm extended to me through shrubbery, with a cardboard flat of cherry tomatoes, heirlooms and sweet peppers.  I reciprocated with 2-one quart jars of Tomato-Fennel sauce.  

Each of us felt we got the better of the deal.  

"Thank you, Brian!"

"Thank YOU, Sherri!"  

"God bless you, stay safe and say hey to Janice,"  she followed.  

"Yes, ma'am,"  I concluded. 

Walking back through the yard, admiring Sherri's harvest, I was warmed by the notion that a few kind words and some lovingly tended vegetables passed through a hedge can go a long way in keeping our friendships nurtured with the food we need most.  

Love!

Take care, God bless and remember: 

"Food, Faith, Family and Friends, 

the Best Things in Life Aren't Things!"

COVID, Octavia Spencer and Spring

Jeez-Luh-WEEZ!

This is real.  Oregon is on "Stay at Home" recommendation from the Governor's office; only essential industry personnel are to be out and about.  

I'm one of those.  Today we served about 600 meals to students in the school district and are working on contingencies for weeks and months ahead. 

As a professional challenge, I love it.  From a humanitarian standpoint, this is devastating for our country and the world economy. 

To be honest, as an American, I've always figured, "it's over THERE," wherever 'there' may be.  

Not in the U.S. of A.  Not here, we're above this Third World menace.  

The sting of reality has set in as most everything is closed down.  

Boulevards, hiways, Interstates are at 10% traffic.  

An open sign in a shop indicates the keeper will unlock the door for you to buy something, then leave.  Door locked.  

People don't look at each other now; as if a smile or eye contact will transmit the COVID virus.  This is what makes me most sad about this pandemic. 

We are de-sensitizing ourselves to each other and avoiding any kind of contact, be it verbal, eye or God forbid, tactile.  Orwellian or Twilight Zone, pick one.  

Trails, parks, beaches, public places...all closed.  Crime scene tape on playgrounds, like something horrendous has happened and an investigation is forthcoming.  

But, there are no law enforcement, there is no wreckage or smoldering embers. 

Only emptiness.  

Except for Spring...

Spring has sprung and there is no holding her back!  The vacant playground is ringed with precocious daffodils, the parking lot mulch pushes pinks, scarlets and purples of Hyacinth towards the sky in stubby clusters.  

Her greenery, delicate textures and soft pastels will neither be hindered, muted nor squelched.  

I see Spring as Octavia Spencer in a gingham dress and a floppy hat on a Sunday morning!  Mmmm-MMMM!

  

Girl has got it goin' on an' she AIN'T goin' back ta' the house!

Mmmm-MMM!

If you find yourself feeling down, think of the actress in the movie, "The Help," or any other uplifting film character she has done. 

We've all felt this adversity, but, let's find the beauty in it, too.  

Maybe it's just your yard, or a neighborly greeting across the street, or even the sound of robins going to roost at night.  

Find something to be grateful for, something in it's simplicity that was drowned out by our previous daily noise of a key strike, a news network broadcast or a 'need.'  

Slow down, observe and listen.  

We'll get through this; our parents and grandparents survived the Great Depression and WWII. 

We'll be fine as we tighten our belts, assess our priorities and be forever thankful for what we are blessed with everyday.  

Each other.  

Take care, God bless and Remember: 

"Food, Faith, Family and Friends, 

the Best Things in Life Aren't Things."

chefbq

www.chefbq.com

Building a Better Brunch

Certain combinations are just expected.  Salt ‘n Pepper.  Toast and Butter.  Cheap bubbly and a headache. 

  

Crime and Jail.

When it comes to food items, we usually group dishes by origin, ethnicity or even time of day.   Bacon and Eggs at Breakfast, Grilled Reuben for Lunch and Prime Rib with Twice Baked Potato at Dinner; all most comfy and expected, thank you very much. 

What if you were to attend a meal that served everything from malted flour waffles with real maple syrup and strawberries to tortellini with pesto and maybe a few slices of roast leg of lamb with rosemary demi-glace.   Start with a coffee, go to a fresh juice, then maybe sparkling wine and finish with a beer.

 

“Chef, that sounds either in-SANE or a really good Brunch menu!”

Indeed, it is both crazy and perfect, plonked right in the middle of the day with a menu comprised of anything you like from any breakfast, lunch or dinner you’ve ever had.  Nothing is off-limits: 

Crepes filled with sweet cream cheese and topped with a fruit compote?  Yes!

Smoked Salmon with red onions, capers and spicy mustard on toast points?  Mmmm-Hmmm!

Fluffy Omelette made to order with your choice of fillings?  We can SPLIT it!

Bay Scallops with a creamy, White Wine-Chive sauce in a delicate pastry shell?   It looks VER-y light…

Hazelnut Torte with Fresh Rasberry Sauce?  Perfect…I’m gluten-free today!

See how easy it is to justify any food combination when you put it under the heading of “Brunch?”

This year, I’m hosting a Brunch on Easter and can’t wait to ‘Wow my Crowd’ with the best Eggs Benedict in the Known and Unknown Universe.  And that’s just for starters, but, let’s talk a little about what it takes to host an amazing meal in the middle of the day.   Let’s call it “The 3 Ps: Passion, Planning and Procurement.”

Passion:  If it’s not bursting out of you, if you couldn’t care less about serving pieces, if packaged sauce mix tastes the same as the Real Deal, stop here and make a reservation at Denny’s.  If, however, Perfection is your Goal and the Journey is your Joy, please continue.   It’s Springtime and the Earth has awakened with pastel colors and delicate aromas.  People are smiling again as the sun extends its glowing presence by a few more minutes each day.  Songbirds have returned to remind us when to sleep and wake.   The subtle hues of Spring ease us out of Winter and prepare us for the next cycle of living: Summer.

And outdoor seating is back!

 

Spring has sprung, so, let your passion for food, faith, family and friends manifest itself with one divine, glorious multi-sensory meal at high noon.

Planning:  This is KEY.  Our goal is to ENJOY the day, not dread it and pray for it’s conclusion.  Ready?  Let’s DO this!  OK, first off, build a menu on paper with a pencil.  We need 1-Egg dish, 1- Meat, 1- Fruit, 1-Special entrée’, 2-Pastries, 1-Charcouterie (cold meat and cheese).  Easy-Peasey.   For the Egg dish, do something that is baked like a Frittata, Quiche or Midwest Egg Bake Casserole.  Cook the day-of.  Use fun ingredients and post them on a menu board or calligraphy table tents.  It gets guests salivating before they even taste!  Egg is done. 

Meat: roast something, let it come to room temp or colder, slice it and fan it out on an interesting wood cutting board or large serving platter.  Can be done days ahead.  Remember, we want the look of abundance and symmetry.  Add a ramekin(s) of condiments that are appropriate and an interesting old fork for service.  Meat done.

Fruit:  DON’T make a fruit salad!!!  Please, please, please don’t go to the effort of cutting fresh fruit into fork-sized pieces only to dump it into a bowl.  Arghhh!  Cut your fruit into slices and arrange in either concentric circles or in rows, keeping an eye to progressive color changes and contrasts.  This can be done 2 days prior and kept in Ziploc bags, neat and organized.  A drop-dead gorgeous fruit platter is edible art.  Fruit done.
   

Special Entrée:  I’m doing Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise from scratch.  Labor intensive, but, if you can pull it off, the impression lasts years.  Easier ‘Special?’  hmmm…Leg of Lamb…Canapes of Lox with all the fixins…Biscuits and real Sausage Gravy…something with “Wow” factor that is a ‘fire and forget’ dish; impressive, put it on a platter and never touch it again.  Special done.
  

Pastries:  don’t even THINK of making your own unless you are a trained professional or Austrian grandma.  Your energies can be better spent elsewhere.  That’s why God invented Market of Choice, Zupan’s, and Grand Central Baking.  Spend money here, ladies and germs.  One-bite pastries in little fluted paper cups are a treat.  Everyone loves this.  Everyone.  Pastries done. 

Charcouterie:  People have to grab my arm and haul me away from standing at a board of sliced deli meats and stinky cheeses, consuming the entirety while talking to no one about the brilliance of flavors and textures, regions and history.  This board/marble slab/slate is another work of art that is stand-alone.  Construct it with an eye to symmetry and function, add crackers and sliced interesting bread, 3 good mustards and walk away.  I’m thinking right now of paper-thin Prosciutto and nearly liquid St. Andre’ Triple Cream…I need a tissue, this is getting emotional.  Charcouterie done. 

Procurement:  Don’t buy crap.  Make sure that everything that goes into your guest’s gullets is the best you can source.  That does not mean the most expensive, it means the BEST you can source.  Fruit is going to be your stickiest wicket; finding ripe, sweet fruit 3 days before your brunch.  Travel, look, smell, sample.  Cheeses…if I may suggest a larger Fred Meyer with a cheese dept.  I went to one on McLoughlin and they had a-MAZ-ing cheeses deeply discounted because they were ‘ripe.’  That’s the cheese I WANT!!!  And speaking of crackers, Trader Joe’s is SO much fun to shop!  Olive tapenades, cool crackers, nuts, all kinds of fun party things at great prices.  For Big Meat items, here’s an inside tip from a chef:  go to Cash & Carry, now called ‘Smart Food Service’ or something…wholesale pricing when feeding a large group and they turn over their product daily.  The meat selection is excellent! 

Lastly, as you get closer to Easter Sunday and start to get a little stressed, remember why you’re doing this:  You love your Family and Friends and want to show it with food and service.  They all love you and will forgive any hiccups.   If you are the spouse, be over-the-top supportive and positive all day!

Relax.  Have fun.  Hug, kiss and laugh. 

That’s why we’re here.   For each other.

Take care, God bless and remember:

“Food, Faith, Family and Friends

the Best Things in Life Aren’t Things.”

ChefBQ

Super Soup or Sneaky Nutrition?

After the Holidays, we find ourselves in need of a “break from the Break.”  Don’t get me wrong, the Holidays were exciting; the anticipation, songs, gifts, traditions and most of all, Family, combined for another fulfilling Season.

 

Maybe a little too full-filling.

 

“Honey, either the dryer is working over-time and shrinking my jeans or the Pecan Pie had more to it than I thought.”

“Oh boy, looks like the bathroom scale is on the fritz again…registering 10 lbs heavier.”

“Chocolate Velvet Cake…don’t mind if I do!”

It reminds me of the 60’s tune by the Birds, “Turn, Turn, Turn,“ that there is a season for every purpose under Heaven.  Now is the season for more balanced intake and less of the “I need dessert after every meal,” song.

 

So, maybe I won’t be a marathon runner this year or do the Pacific Crest Trail, but, I CAN make a habit of sound, balanced nutrition, starting with delicious ways to incorporate a variety of vegetables and legumes into my diet.

 

With few exceptions, I do love my veggies.  Even as a kid, my bothers and I would devour anything put in front of us: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbages, artichokes, lettuces…anything!  It helped that we grew up in a farming community and Mom was an outstanding cook.

  

Two of the things Mom noticed early on was our taste for either raw vegetables or vegetables in soup.  Crunching away on a serving of carrots or quietly slurping a steaming bowl of Minestrone, we delighted in tasting the bounty of the Salinas Valley, as fellow farmers exchanged produce with each other’s families.  And as boys, we were always starving!

I still love Minestrone to this day because it is a comforting bowl of steamy goodness on a cold day AND when you serve it with Garlic Sourdough Bread, the kids will be dunking and devouring your cornucopia of winter vegetables, pleading for another ladle-full.

    

Mom made hers with a base of onions, celery and carrots, white beans or kidney beans and a hardy green like kale or chard.  Every other ingredient was on an “as available” listing.  ‘Must Haves’ included beans and a small pasta like arancinni or orecchiette.  The beans, cooked from dry, and the pasta provided the necessary texture thickness most kids enjoy in a soup.  Either vegetable stock or chicken stock is suggested and ALL vegetables must be saute’d first. 

Please, please, please don’t dump raw vegetables into a pot of liquid.  The flavor will be lacking since the temperature of the vegetables will never get above 212℉.  We need to convert the carbohydrates into simple sugars which give us enhanced flavor.  That’s why we NEVER boil vegetables! Just give 'em a quick jaunt in a saute' pan with a wee dram of oil.

Minestrone is whatever you make it, so, as you’re putting away the tinsel and ornaments, clean out your veggie crisper drawer, chop and saute’ to heart’s desire.  Let that simmer with beans, pasta, garlic and tomato, filling your home with rich, savory and sensible aromas.

 

See you at the gym.  Maybe.

Happy 2020!

Recipe:  Minestrone

¼ cup Oil

2 T  Garlic, freshly minced

1 qt.  Mirepoix (1/2 onions, 1/4 celery, carrots)

1 qt.  Asst. other available veggies (mushrooms, squashes, parsnips, beets…anything!)

2C  Hardy greens: Kale, Chard or Spinach, chopped

16 oz.  Tomatoes, canned or fresh

1C.  White beans or Kidney beans, dry

1C.  Pasta, spoon-sized, dried

1 gal.  Stock, chicken or veggie

1T.  Basil, dried

2t.  Oregano, dried.

Method:

In a 8 qt pot, add oil and heat with minced garlic.  Once the garlic begins to get a little color on the edges, add the Mirepoix and stir. 

When onions are transparent, add remaining vegetables and dried herbs.  While that is saute’ing, cook your pre-soaked beans on the back burner, reserving the liquid for the soup. 

Cook your pasta and drain.  Toss in cold water to stop the cooking process and reserve till the soup is finished.

Add stock to the saute’d vegetables, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Add cooked beans and their water.  

Add pasta. 

Adjust salt to taste. 

Serve with tons of garlic bread!

Take care, God bless and remember:

"Food, Faith, Family and Friends; 

the Best Things in Life Aren't Things"

chefbq

Copyright Brian V. Quinn 2020

Work, Play or Love?

We had a decent, but, uninspired workout on a Sunday afternoon followed by a drive to a dumpy house for sale in a desirable neighborhood.
Janice and I walked around the property without a realtor, peaking into windows and matching rooms with the photos posted on the real estate website, thinking out loud about faults, fixes and visions.

I'm looking for a house and depending on the opportunity, it could be the dream home, a flipper or a transitional accommodation.  Does the location merit stability, a sweat equity investment or a turn-key abode?  Am I up for putting in 20-30 hours per week, every week to upgrade this property with my skills, sell and move-on at a profit or do I chill and hang out leaving my weekends open for adventure?

It all depends on Motivation and Goals, doesn't it?!
House Hunting or Cooking, we all have various interpretations of success.

In a corporate environment...time and money.  Working in Senior Dining for Assisted Living communities, we had a budget for everything: labor, food cost, equipment.  Corporate structure demanded adherence to published financial goals.  We worked with the $5.25 per day, per resident for food cost only and excelled with batch cooking skills that would make any grandmother proud.  The corporate menu was as uninspired as Cream of Wheat and a hard-boiled egg.   Our guests weren't looking for 'Street Food' or con-'Fusion Food.'  They wanted the same meals they grew up with in the 30s and 40s; the same food they raised their own families on.  Preparing food in a corporate, senior living business was all about shaving that last nickel.  At $4,000 per month for the luxury of living in the community, the Company allowed approximately $150 of that payment to go towards keeping Mom and Dad nutritionally satisfied.  My crew and I did it very well with our financial hands tied behind our backs.

Company Motivation?  The BenjaminZ!
Personal Motivation?  Creating home-cooking for people in the twilight of their lives.


At the school district where I work in Nutrition Services, we are tasked with providing meals that fit the National School Lunch Program guidelines.  There are budgets, recipes and labor schedules that require close attention and our Team endeavors daily to meet those goals.  The head of our department, however, has a wonderful spirit of education and adventure!  One of my favorite sounds is a question that starts like this:
"What can we do with this product?"
My breathing hastens and the mental drop down lists begin to fall.  The conversation begins and the first few X-models are created.

"Can we make this allergen friendly?"
"How about another thickening agent to appeal to gluten-free students?"
"What kind of dairy substitute could we use?"

I love the challenge, but, with all candor, it can be a bit frustrating when I'm still thinking 'inside the Box.'  What I've learned is the only thing hindering me is...Me.  Get off the well-traveled path and start blazing a new trail of discovery, adventure and exciting tastes for kids.  We OWE it to them to not only challenge their brains with Math, Science, Athletics and Music, but, it is our responsibility to expose them to taste experiences.  Thai-style sauce made with Sunflower Butter instead of peanuts, but with fresh ginger, cilantro, rice vinegar and sesame oil is a WOW! waiting to happen for the students.  We've sampled them and they LOVE it!

Motivation?  Educating children's palates with Tastes of the World and hearing their approval.


At home...Siobhan and I spend time in the kitchen most often on a baking project.  She's 12, a girl and she's 12, so, there is a ready supply of flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda, baking powder and chocolate chips.  She is now versed on the use of measuring spoons, cups, a KitchenAid mixer and it's various attachments.  Clean-up has been the greatest lesson learned so far; baking is fine, but, working clean and putting things back in place after the exercise is Golden for me!  There is forward thinking and responsibility associated with making good things.
A warm, perfectly baked chocolate chip cookie is a creation borne from following directions, implementing subtle observation, and paying close attention to detail.  Decent can be good and good can become great with our own dedication.
What's fun with Siobhan is looking and talking about what a "Perfect" cookie should be and how we can achieve that.  We look at the edges, the center, the 'puff' of leavening, color and texture.  When things go...not as expected, how can we adjust our methods to reach the desired outcome next time?
Perfection is always the goal, but, imperfect home made cookies are still de-LISH!

When the Boys come by we hang out in the kitchen, discussing a new brewery, their latest meal creation or plans for the future.  The guys put into practice the hospitality they observed and were active participants growing up.  Whether smoking ribs, making sausages, canning pickles or frying carnitas, my boys have applied those lessons to their own lives and share their love of cooking and hospitality with friends.

The Circle widens.

Making dinner with Janice is special time.  While we may be starving after a late afternoon workout, it's the process of creating something together that is most satisfying for me.  Usually, we meander down the Dinner Trail and take a couple hours before we sit down.  She loves preparing the grill with a good brushing and takes the reigns on proteins.  We taste things together and offer each other advice and encouragement.  We sip wine and kiss in the kitchen, share stories of places we've lived and people we've known.  Reminiscing of meals we could never re-create, but, still savor with the whiff of a familiar aroma, is a staple.  When we plate-up, there are photos taken; when we sit together at the table, we holds hands, pray in thanksgiving for our daily blessings and kiss once again.

Preparing meals, is it Work, Play or Love?
It can be either; doing it for a paycheck, making it an activity or gathering because of Love.

I choose Love.

Take care, God bless and remember:
"Food, Faith, Family and Friends, 
the Best Things in Life Aren't Things!"

chefbq

Moving Forward

It seems the last year, I have been living in some alternative universe, where up was down, right was wrong and each day brought new questions.
 
Divorce after 25 years will do that.  I say this to let folks know that our decision wasn't made lightly, it was some time in coming and I hope that both of us find happiness in our new direction, our new lives.

I have.

2018 was tumultuous: Jan we made the decision, Feb I was diagnosed with heart disease, Mar was a triple-bypass and I was gone in June.  A new job followed in July which has given me purpose and direction.  In the Fall, I began dating a friend with whom I had worked with for several years.  Janice is a kind, feisty Southern woman who has a senior fitness business and loves the outdoors.  We get along very well. 

I share this because I was very scared about changing my Life; living in an apartment, sharing time with our daughter, residual health effects, dietary scrutiny, being with another woman.  This wasn't supposed to happen, none of this, but, it has and I need to work with it to make my Life the best it can be for me and the people I love with God's guidance, of course. 

The greatest challenge is having a new relationship.  Janice had been the "Mayor" at our work; everybody knew her, loved her and went to her with good news or a heavy heart.  She has a perpetual smile and jokes with seniors like only a Southerner can do while maintaining a deep respect for the aged, pushing them gently to achieve new physical goals.  She's an iron fist in a velvet glove.  I am blessed to know her and grateful for our closer, romantic relationship.  Janice is...a savior!

People will have differing opinions on my life now.  Some may continue to be a friend or acquaintance, others will cut and run.  But, I will say this: since heart surgery and divorce, I honestly don't care.  I...really...don't...care.  Look at how we live our lives trying to gain the approval of folks we don't even like?!  Bigger house, nicer neighborhood, more expensive car, all to impress people we don't really care about.  That's kinda funny.  And sad. 

I realized that my favorite people are those that came from nothing.  Their concerns aren't about the next time-share, diet fad or sports club, but, about a book or a drive in the country or an aroma in the kitchen.  They expect nothing and appreciate everything, every single detail of kindness...these friends see beauty in minutiae: crocus, the harbingers of Spring...the rake of an osprey's wings diving for a Steelhead...the gentle glide of fingers along a forearm.  I love a guy who says, "thank you" for breakfast on a camping trip and a girl who just wants to hold hands on a river walk at sunset. Thoughts and Time, that's really all we need as sentient beings: to be thought of and to spend time with one another.  Cost?  $0.00!

What would each of us do, if given a possible terminal diagnosis?  Change how we live?  If so, why would we change...because we know it's been misdirected all along?  We went with the flow and became anesthetized to the mundanity of another calendar page, never questioning, never wondering what could be.  Maybe, like me, we became lazy to the routine, reading about adventure, but, never venturing out.  Watching others on social media, Youtube or listening to a Podcast of people "in the arena." 

From Teddy Roosevelt in France, 1910:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

His words are as timely and prescient as ever.  My passion for Food, Faith and Life had been on the wane this last year, but, I prayed that the ember that remained would burst into a new light. 

It already has.  I can feel it. 

Take care, God bless and remember:

"Food, Faith, Family and Friends, 
the Best Things in Life Aren't Things!" 

chefbq.

Meatballs, Gravy and Memories

"So, baby girl, whaddya feel like for dinner?"  I had just picked up Siobhan for her 3 day stint at my new apartment.  "We could make it together or whatever.  I have chicken thighs, ground turkey..."
She stopped me mid-sentence with all the drama of a tweener discovering a new youtube channel.

"Dad!  You GOTTA make meatballs like you did that one time...with gravy!"
"You mean the ones with lamb and beef or the turkey ones?"  I asked, "the lamb and beef were a little tough because the beef was like 92% lean.  Sorry."

Siobhan indicated in no uncertain terms that turkey meatballs would be dinner if she could make the choice.  "But, if you have to go to the store, don't worry about it.  I could have noodles with butter..."

Oh my goodness, just stab me in the heart with a slotted metal serving spoon!  Noodles with butter?!  That's like 'honey, my arms were just lost in an industrial accident this afternoon and this is what I can do.'  Then, she looks up at you like St. Bernadette and is grateful for the slightest kindness.

"Baby, turkey meatballs it is and gravy, too!" I said, "but, I'll have to thicken with corn starch and not a roux to avoid the butter for me."

As she was walking down the hall with her chin pegged to her chest, watching something on her new cell phone, she barely squawked out, "OK, that sounds fine..."

At that point, I started doing the 'I have a project that needs expedience and I need to hum or sing.'  That's when I grabbed the stiff corded, character-coated, digital clock radio I've used since college.  There's slack in the tuning wheel, but, that can be fun, too; finding that sweet spot in frequency location.  Some of my music tastes are now in the 'Oldies' demographic and tune to hear the Doobie Brothers.

Since I'm in smaller digs, creativity is essential.  What can I use to mix 3 pounds of ground turkey with spices, herbs, veggies and such?  Shit, shit, shit...
Oh, Hay-uhl Yes!  I could use the tub under the drain board; it's perfect! I could mix 10 lbs of meat if need be.   I dumped the ground turkey into the tub, measured 1 1/2T of kosher salt and eyeballed the remaining Italian seasoning, remnant diced garlic, chopped parsley and black pepper.  The radio station wasn't happenin' any longer, so, I thumbed the wheel down to the local station that features everything from Bluegrass, Norteno and Zydeco to Bosso Nova and Native Chant.  Whispering lesbians man the host duties and really put on some brilliantly diverse programming.
After cracking three large eggs and improvising with blasted crackers for the bread crumbs, the mix was ready for blending.

Maybe it's the kid in me or the chef that I became, but, I just love squishing things between my fingers.  The eggs gave the mixture a liquid nature and the cracker crumbs quickly absorbed all that.  Once all ingredients were combined, a 3 oz. ice cream scooper made quick work; creating a half-sheet pan of perfectly portioned, savory spheres aligned in rows with military precision. 

As the canola oil began to heat up in a high-sided cast iron pan, I wet my hands to give each meatball a 3-second roll right before the oil bath. Slipping each one into the oil and creating a pattern of 6 on the outside ring and 3 on the interior, I found myself drifting back to my most favorite meatball dish: the one my mom made...

When you have 6 children in 8 years, the mouths to feed are all 'starving to death' at the same time.  One night, I had fallen asleep for a late afternoon nap and was left to sleep through dinner.  Mom figured I might have been coming down with something, so, when I woke, she asked how I felt.
"Umm, hungry!"  I responded.
"Sit down, honey," she replied, as she ran her hand across my forehead and over my pillow hair.
I pulled the cracked, simple oak chair away from the table and unfolded the paper napkin at my place.  Mom filled the clear, plastic green cup with milk, gave the top of my head a peck and smiled gently.  She returned seconds later with a plate of 3 large meatballs nestled in a mound of Uncle Ben's rice with a generous ladle of her pan gravy smothering the top.
She pulled a chair next to me as I ate with abandon, cutting the meatballs with my fork into wedges.
"Slow down, honey, slow down," mom cautioned me, running her soothing hand again through my hair.  I know I smiled.

Mom made her meatballs with ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs and a lineup of Schilling spices which were coaxed out of metal containers with delicate shakes and dabs.  There was the aluminum Electric Skillet that had a lid with clear glass knob in the center and cloth-wrapped cord with some kind of spring next to the brown Bakelite plug.  The meatballs were crisped up in a bit of oil first, then, onions added and reduced to caramelized stage.  Then, a sprinkling of flour was administered to make a paste and a single can of beef bouillion for the body of the sauce.  Cover with aformentioned lid and simmer. 

Meatballs, sweet onions and gravy.  The recollection of the aroma has me salivating at this moment.  Completely simple, yet, immensely fragrant and savory.

"Dad, when's dinnerrrrrr-uh?!"  whined my 11 year old. 
"Right  now, baby girl.  Please set the table and get yourself a beverage,"  I called. 

Dish up was quick with brown basmati rice, meatballs, onion gravy and a side of sweet peppers that she LOVES!  We sat and Siobhan led us in a prayer.  She tucked her long, wavy hair behind her ears to prevent a sauce mishap. 

"How's that workin' out for ya, Sweetheart?"  I asked.  She loved the smell wafting down to her room and had an appetite.  My favorite kind of customer.  Hungry!

"It's really good, but, I don't like the bits of onion.  They're gross..." she confided as she dissected the gravy by pushing all pieces of sweet, saute'd onion to the side of her plate. 
I tried telling her of the memories I had of my mom's onion gravy, but, she'd have none of it. 

"Dad, I'm saving them for you because I'm such a great daughter."

"And they're GROSS!" 

We both chuckled.

Take care, God bless and remember:
"Food, Faith, Family and Friends
the Best Things in Life aren't Things"

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