This is me eating a VERY LARGE burrito in Bimbo's cantina in Seattle.
It was soo big it made me cross eyed when I was trying to eat it. Look closely, you'll see.
It was filled to the brim with drippingly tender slow cooked black pepper beef.
Oh God. I want one now.
Can't wait to go back and have another one.
Bring on November.
It is a fantastically beeboppity, rockabilly, soultastic extravaganza.
I always have sore legs and a sore bum the day after All Tore Up. I think it's from my bad dancing skills. That and I have weak ankles cos I'm old. But the music is so good that it's hard to tare yourself away from the dance floor(unless I need to go to the bar that is).
Anyhoo. Aaron is one of the lovely guys who run the night and I was gibbering away to him about my blog. Telling him he should try my chicken wings.
Well! Aaron is vegan so I promised that I would do a wee recipe for him.
Look Aaron here's a REAL chicken wing
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
So here you are Aaron. Thanks for the tunes and mind to tell your wife to try out my Cocktails. I promise she won't be disappointed.
Oh, here is a picture of Aaron with my twinny twin twin. I have no idea what she is doing.
Vegan SOUL Fried Chicken with German style coleslaw
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the tofu
1 block smoked tofu (I like Engine Shed best) Cut into thick slices
200g plain flour
half tsp dried thyme
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch ground ginger
pinch white pepper
half tsp nori flakes
pinch salt
small carton unsweetened soy milk
Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
For the coleslaw
quarter white cabbage sliced into fine strips
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar
half red onion sliced fine
half tsp salt
Make the coleslaw the night before.
Mix the vinegar, water and sugar together and stir till sugar has dissolved.
Toast the caraway seeds lightly in a dry pan on medium heat. Mix all the ingredients together, cover and put in the fridge overnight.
For the tofu
Mix the flour, thyme, cayenne, white pepper, ginger, nori and salt together and put into a shallow dish or plate.
Put the soy milk into a shallow dish and place some kitchen paper onto a plate.
Dip the tofu slices into the soy milk then into the flour mix. Repeat again so you have a nice thick coating.
Fill a frying pan one third full with sunflower or vegetable oil and set onto a medium heat.
To test if the oil is hot enough put a little of the flour mix into the pan. If it starts to bubble then the oil is ready.
Place your tofu slices in a single layer and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on eat side till nice and golden.
Drain onto the kitchen paper.
Serve with the coleslaw.
You can use this recipe too for aubergine (cut into thin slices), courgette, tomatoes, okra, hell anything you want.
Oh yeah. Have any of you guys seen the film "Wolfhound"? It's awesome.
Well, me and Arlene saw this guy at All Tore Up a few months ago. No joke. Although he was a bit shorter. Maybe he just looks taller on screen.
I think wolfhound was taking a little break from protecting maidens and slaying mystical beings to have a wee dance. Heroes need some R and R too ya'know.
Hallo there. My lovely sister has agreed to give me her nifty Digital camera so will be sticking photos up shortly. I have some on my phone but they are crap.
Toodles.xxx
This recipe is from Torsten, my sister's other half. He is German and drinks weird things (I will try and weedle out his recipe for FIRE punch when I see him next).
Torsten is also a very good cook. I love eating at his. When I'm allowed up. Tee hee hee.
Here is Torsten eating funny ice cream.
Half Goose
3/4 pint decent lager
25 ml shot cherry liquor or cherry brandy
Top up with coke.
Weird but nice.
Cheers Torsten. Ich liebe dich.
Here is a German Heavy Metal band. Accept. I want to headbang against a wall to. And why is the guitarist trying to stick his flying V in the singers face???????
This recipe is dedicated to Bryan (sorry, don't know your second name), Singer from the band "Death Before Dishonor".
Death Before Dishonor hail from Boston Massachusetts,so I thought it would be fitting to give you a recipe for the classic New England Clam Chowder.
I made this recipe for Christmas dinner last year. It was damn tasty.
Coinsidently, I had the best clam chowder I've ever eaten in a little stall in Pike Place Market in Seattle called Market Grill. I was just kicking about on my own and was a little peckish so decided to pop my buttocks on one of the stools at the counter and order myself a medium clam chowder. "You want bread or crackers with that" the guy serving me asked. "Um, bread please" I replied.
Why would I have crackers with soup you wierdo?
Apparently they do that in America.
I'm Glaswegian we only know sliced white bread, chips and haggis.
The DEEP FRIED MARS BAR IS JUST A MYTH.
Anyhoos, my chowder arrived promptly. I had a spoonfull. GASP!
Then another. It was the most amazing thing I had ever tasted.
I was so happy I nearly started crying. I left a tip, my eyes welling up as I said thanks.
God knows what the guy serving me must have thought. (Probably, thank god that mental crying ginger midget is gone).
Well, if clam chowder is this good in Seattle then just imagine how good it must be on home soil?
I must get my arse to Boston promptly.
Hey, maybe I can ask the guys from Death Before Dishonor if they have a recipe?
HOLD ON. There is more to this story.
So, I was lucky enough to see Death Before Dishonor live a few years back. They were supporting a band called "Ignite" who are also very good.
(I once accidently had the singer from Ignite thrust his crotchel area at my face. I was standing right at the front of the stage and I am very short. Hips were thrust. Luckily I averted my face just in time before I got walloped. I moved after that).
Well, at the Ignite gig thre were two support bands. the first band of the night came on. They sounded the part but there was something not quite right.
It's the singer I thought.
He was too clean cut, All American looking. With his tussled blond hair, chisled face and spotless tight white V neck T shirt. (Not that I have anything against good looking men).
I turned and said to my friend Sharon (who is my unofficial agent by the way and a wonderfull person)
"The singer should be some big mean lookin tattooed dude". "This doesn't fit".
Then behold! Death Before Dishonor came on. "That's bloody more like it" I cheered.
So here's to you Bryan with no second name. I hope I do Boston proud.
New England Clam Chowder
serves 8 (eat some, freeze some. You will want more)
I used two 400g tins of clams for this recipe as I was cooking for my whole family and nedded a quicky recipe but if you want to use fresh clams then you need about 14 large or about 30 small. In a large sauce pan with lid cook one diced onion and one minced clove of garlic in a kittle butter on a medium heat till softened. Add the clams give a quick stir then pour in about third bottle of good white wine and about 200ml water. Cover and cook till clams just open. About 3 to 4 minutes for large clams and about 2 minutes for small. Check them while you cook. Take off the heat, drain but reserve the cooking juices. Leave clams to cool then remove from the shells. Throw out any that have not opened.
Ingredients
50g butter
Sunflower or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons plain (all purpose flour)
200g good quality bacon lardons or bacon diced
2 large potatoes diced
2 large carrots diced
2 sticks celery diced
1 large onion diced
Quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper
Half teaspoon ground white pepper
2 400g tins clams drain of juice and reserve and rinse clams
2 bay leaves
Half teaspoon fresh thyme
200ml good quality white wine
400ml milk
100ml single cream
Pinch salt
Handfull chopped fresh parsley
Put a large pot onto a medium heat and add the butter and a glug of sunflower or vegetable oil.
Once the butter has melted add the onion, carrot, celery and thyme and cook stirring occasionally until softened. Add the bacon and cook till slightly browning.
Add the flour and cook for a few minutes. If pan is getting too dry then add a splash of water.
Add the wine and cook for a further few minutes.
Add the potatoes and stir.
Add the juice from the tinned clams (or cooking liquid from fresh clams), bay leaves, cayenne and white pepper and milk.
Stir, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Add the clams and single cream and cook for a few minutes to heat through.
Take off the heat, add salt if you think it needs it and stir in the parsley.
Serve with crust bread, or crackers ????? I must try that.
Kon'nichiwa,
Todays cocktail inspiration is taken from Japan.
My friend David is living over there just now. Hello David.
Myself, my twin sister my friend Sharon and David all joined forces a few years ago in Tokyo.
It was great and very bizzare.
Well we went to a great Metalish club over there called "Rolling Stone". Very good times were had. We danced to Metallica, Pantera, Rolling Stones and got mobbed when they played Franz Ferdinand. I was very scared.
This is my favourite photo from Rolling Stone (My sister may kill me for this). Also in the picture is Sharon, Kenji and the top of my head.
To this day we still don't know why Arlene was pulling that face.
We had some lovely Nashi pear drinks over in Japan and Earlier this year Arlene bought be some Nashi Pear liqueur.
We had a Tiki BBQ for our Birthday and we made the Prikly Ninja cocktail. Me and Lesley nicked it and drank it all ourselves. Tee Hee Hee.
Here is Arlene with said cocktail (before we nicked it).
Here is a wee video of a proper Heavy Metal band from Japan. They are called METALUCIFER. Awesome.
Prikly Ninja
This makes a BIG jug
1 bottle Nashi Pear wine (You can get this in Asian shops and some supermarkets. If you can't find it then just use Plum wine as it's kind of the same idea)
4 shots vodka
Half cucumber sliced
Sprig fresh mint
Soda water
Lots of ice
Fill your BIG jug with all the above ingredients and leave in the fridge for 5 minutes. Serve. Be carefull, it's like drinking juice but it's potent.
Went to see Alice in Chains last week. The gig was truly awesome. I was taken back to 1993/4 when I used to think that Cut off denim shorts, Black and red stripey tights and a check shirt was a good look. Yeah, I rocked.
I loved Grunge with all my heart and soul.
Here is a homage to the album cover for Pearl Jam's Ten album.
This was last year by the way.I had a "Grunge Party". We all dressed up in suitable attire, listened to the music. Lesley made a Hilarious Grunge quiz and I made hot dogs, cupcakes and some fantastic soul fried chicken which myself and Pauline pretty much ate between us before everyone else arrived. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Greasy fingers.
I am aware that that the Alice in Chains song Rooster is very sad and poignant. And I am not trying to poke fun at it.
Yeah, loads of people died in Vietnam, BUT HAVE YOU TRIED MY CHICKEN?
I'm gonna dedicate this recipe to Lane Staley. The late singer of Alice in Chains. The new singer is pretty damn toptastic too.
Soul Fried Chicken Wings with blue cheese dip
Serves 4 unless you are really greedy like me
Ingredients
32 chicken wings/ drumlets don't use the double jointed ones because they are too messy to eat.
250ml buttermilk (if you can't get buttermilk then you can use natural yoghurt)
4 garlic cloves
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon nori flakes (toasted seaweed. Sounds weird but it works)
Half teaspoon smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
Half teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch ground ginger
Salt and pepper
Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying
For the blue cheese dip
1 small tub creme fraiche
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Half small dolcelatte or Gorgonzola cheese about 75g
Pinch garlic powder
OK. First thing you want to do is marinade your chicken. You can marinade it for two hours before cooking but it's better if you leave it over night as this makes it super super soft.
So, rinse the chicken wings and pat dry with some kitchen paper. Put into a bowl or some tupperware. Squeesh or bash the garlic cloves with the back of a knife or a spoon and pop them in with the chicken. Pour over the buttermilk and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix so that all the chicken is coated. Cover and put into the fridge.
To make the blue cheese dip just mix all the ingredients in a bowl till smooth, cover and put into the fridge until ready to serve the chicken.
When chicken is ready to be cooked. Get yourself a big frying pan and fill it 1/3 full with oil. Place some kitchen paper onto a plate or tray and get some tongs.
On a large plate or tub mix the flour,nori, smoked paprika, thyme, ginger, garlic powder with a pinch of salt and pepper.
With the tongs take the chicken wings one at a time and shake off excess buttermilk and coat in the seasoned flour mixture. Set aside.
When all the chicken wings are coated place your frying pan onto a medium heat. Oil will be hot enough if you shake a little of the coating into the pan and it starts to bubble. You want to fry the chicken in three or four batches so the pan is not overfilled. So pop your first lot of chicken wings in and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes turning every now and then to make sure all sides are browned. Make sure the chicken is cooked through before you serve. Take out of the pan and drain on the kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest of the wings. You can keep the wings hot in a low over while you cook the rest.
Serve with the blue cheese dip. And you will lick your fingers. Yum yum yum.
