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Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

I'm not a fan of Maurice's, segregation, or Confederate kitsch, but it's hard for me to see how the decor of a chain BBQ restaurant posed a threat to Perlow, such that Kuban is glad he returned safely.

The Gurgling Cod at 1:08PM on 09/07/08

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

Thanks for this. Good to know there are other folks who share my nostalgia for the premise that, at least in the food, world, words have specific referents.

The Gurgling Cod at 12:51PM on 07/16/08

Airport Restaurants by Famous Chefs...

I've never eaten at a Todd English spot, but was amused to note that at the one I passed (forget where) something like 3 of the 6 monitors were showing Todd English DVDs.

The Gurgling Cod at 3:51PM on 07/15/08

SF vs. LA: Who Gets Fortune Cookie Bragging Rights?

Easy to settle this question -- just ask Michael Bauer.

The Gurgling Cod at 8:39AM on 06/10/08

Drank, an Anti-Energy Drink

My fave is the guy who comments over at VV that Houston has ballets and operas and whatnot, and all anyone wants to talk about is Purple Drank. When Houston produces a tenor as prominent in his field as Pimp C was in his, then maybe we can talk.

The Gurgling Cod at 2:21PM on 06/06/08

http://thegurglingcod.tumblr.com/post/37313992/im-a-grip-and-sip

Drank, an Anti-Energy Drink

The Gurgling Cod at 4:31PM on 06/05/08

From Slice

Papa John's LeBron James 'Crybaby' Shirt Controversy Means Cheap Pizza for Clevelanders

I had my own thoughts on this
http://thegurglingcod.typepad.com/thegurglingcod/2008/05/sliding-by-on-g.html
but I do wonder if news stories involving Papa John's can actually be considered pizza-related, and thus within the purview of Slice.

The Gurgling Cod at 12:14PM on 05/05/08

Cochon, New Orleans

Bastian 363 -
I am not sure how you read an article that begins and ends by exhorting people to fly to New Orleans and eat at Cochon as having a chip on its shoulder. As I tried to clarify in my comment, it is not the absolute price that seemed to be the issue, but rather those prices for Southern-Cajun influenced food in a casual setting, as opposed to the world of bechamel and tablecloths.

I imagine there are many places Uptown that would run to the un-fratty where you might find fried gator now and again -- Atchafalaya comes to mind, but it is a dish I associate with, say Cooter Brown's, Bon Temps, and the River Shack up in Jefferson, and while I have never actually been vomited on by a Tulane student there, there have been times when it seemed likely. As I tried to make clear in the description, my issue was not that the gator might be vulgar, but that any meat deep-fried and then doused in mayonnaise might run that risk. I love porky, fatty dishes, and made no complaint about the preponderance of them, and in fact steered that way in what we ordered, though I was sorry not to have the chance to try more seafood and the rabbit.

I loved Cochon, and made that abundantly clear in the review, as a former denizen, I've been a booster of New Orleans, its people and its food for about as long as I've been doing The Gurgling Cod.
http://thegurglingcod.typepad.com/thegurglingcod/excursions_incursions_nola/index.html
Since the storm, the formerly rotating tagline has stayed "9th Ward, Where ya at?" I have a donation button for WWOZ. I bitched about the Esquire article as hard as anyone when it came out. Closer to black and gold pom-poms on either hand than a chip on my shoulder, in my book.

The Gurgling Cod at 1:34PM on 03/12/08

Cochon, New Orleans

Of course they do not -- for a city of its size, New Orleans supports a remarkable number of serious old school fancy restaurants. You can't get a table at Maison Robert in Boston anymore, but Commander's, Antoine's, Clancy's etc are going strong in New Orleans. What I meant is that the distinction between haute and street has not been blurred as it has in New York. I suspect it may have something to do with how in New York, you can see relatively wealthy and powerful individuals dressed like Bart Simpson.

The Gurgling Cod at 10:12AM on 03/12/08

Cochon, New Orleans

I should have clarified that New Orleanians objected as much to the pretense as the expense of the fancy ham hock. Also, while I lunched w/ Raquel in this case, The cinetrix remains my boon companion.

The Gurgling Cod at 9:26AM on 03/12/08

Airport Security checkpoints and food stories....

I brought a bag of Daniel Boone stone ground grits and a stick of Split Creek chevre as hostess gifts with me on a recent trip to NO -- the TSA took a longish look, but let me keep them. In general, the distinction between liquids and gels on one side, and pastes and solids on the other, seems specious and arbitrary. I strongly suspect that such routines, and the shoe and laptop fandango are expressly designed to be inconvenient, to create the illusion of a thorough security screening process.

The Gurgling Cod at 8:09AM on 03/05/08

From Serious Eats: New York

How Do We Save Starbucks?

In re Ed's generous five point plan, the Starbucks 2.0 he already imagines -- better food, free wifi, local flavor, already exists, in the guise of the local coffee shop, which still do hang on in many places. Delocator.net http://delocator.net/
is a useful way to find non-chain coffee.
That said, it all depends on context. The Starbuckses that are squatting in so many of my childhood haunts in Boston are a blight -- the Starbucks sign on Interstate Whatever in the middle of a long drive is an oasis.

The Gurgling Cod at 12:32PM on 01/14/08

Bar Boulud: Charcuterie Magnifique (Are We Ready for It?)

After the crime committed in the name of boudin blanc at Belcourt, can't wait to try BB!

The Gurgling Cod at 10:35AM on 01/04/08

A Decadent Eggnog From a Junior League Cookbook

That's how the original receipt* reads -- I surmise that the idea is that you add that much more sugar to the beaten whites, but as I prefer to use less sugar than called for with the yolks, adding that much more sugar seems unnecessary. Basically, ignore the 4 tb to be added. The Jr. league receipts, while fascinating culturally, are sometimes a bit wiggly in their instructions, I suspect because they are culled from index cards or transmitted orally or demonstratively. Add the additional element that in many cases, the actual person doing the actual cooking may be different from the titular Junior Leaguer, and you can see how things can get out of sorts.

The Gurgling Cod at 3:20PM on 12/18/07

A Decadent Eggnog From a Junior League Cookbook

That's not a bad question. I know that it went pretty fast, but we had a lot of folks, and people were pouring big or little, as inclination moved them. There is 3-3.5 Q of liquid, + the volume of the eggs, which if you divide by 6 oz puts you in the ballpark of 15-20 servings -- but that is very rough guesstimating. Also, not sure how making a mini quantity would work, in terms of the way the eggs behave. I'd make the whole batch, and foist it on unsuspecing neighbors.
Good luck.

The Gurgling Cod at 1:19PM on 12/18/07

A Decadent Eggnog From a Junior League Cookbook

The explanation from Charleston Receipts is:

"Throughout this book, as you will see,
We never mention recipe,-
The reason beint that we felt
(Though well aware how it is spelt!),
That it is modern and not meet
To use in place of old receipt
To designate time-honored dishes
According to ancestral wishes."

The Gurgling Cod at 12:15PM on 12/18/07

Serious Eats Gift Guide: Cookbooks

I have not cooked from it myself, but I have heard some mutterings from print types that the recipes in the Waters book could have been more rigorously tested. For the right person, the River Cottage Meat Book would be great, though be careful flipping through it as you gather around the tree to unwrap gifts, as there are some very honest illustration of how and where we get meat. There's obviously an inclination to sort through this year's batch of cookbooks, but for the kind of folks who read SE, and the kind of people they would be exchanging gifts with, the Zuni book is hard to beat, as far as taking an enthusiastic cook to a more serious place.

The Gurgling Cod at 9:40AM on 12/18/07

Hunters Were the First Locavores

I had some thoughts on the piece, and the reaction, that are a bit bulky for this space, but they are here:
http://thegurglingcod.typepad.com/thegurglingcod/2007/12/bullet-points.html

The Gurgling Cod at 2:07PM on 12/17/07

Sunday Night Soups: The Minimalist's Prosciutto Soup (Gurgling Cod Country Honk Version)

FYI, it would be "cervicale cappucci," which sounds poetic, but might be a tougher sell.

The Gurgling Cod at 4:21PM on 12/02/07

Sunday Night Soups: The Minimalist's Prosciutto Soup (Gurgling Cod Country Honk Version)

This is a soup specifically for Big Ben. We have been down the hamburger road already. I did consider Italian Wedding Soup, and may well revisit in a future contest. I do not anticipate that the Steelers will be participating in this year's Super Bowl, so the Primanti Bros' soup will have some time to develop,

The Gurgling Cod at 8:50PM on 12/01/07

Cochon, New Orleans

WHY would anyone be HAPPY to see that A_ _ hole "FRANK BRUNI"
Ever the New york Times made Bruni their Food Critic I have had to "Question" this publications "Judgement" and "Integrity" Frank Bruni is "Totally Unqualified" to critque Restaurants for a newspaper such as the Times. Maybe in Bumf_ _ k Idaho, but New York, New York. Just becuse this MORON lived in Rome for a couple years, "does not qualify" him to be the Food Critic of the New York Times. "What were these pople thinking. The guy rants and raves about all sorts of thing, except the Meat & Bones of what a Food Reveiw should be; 1!) the FOOD, 2) Service, and
3) Ambiance, with the FOOD being of the most Importance.
I've seen the "IDiot" in Action. He goes to a restaurant with 1 or more of his "QUEENY FRIENDS" and keeps asking them what they think of "This and That."
"HIS REVEIWS are AWFUL." !! THANK GOD he's leaving the TIMES soon. With any LUCK, he'll End Up in Bumf _ _ k IDAHO.

Daniel, NEW YORK, NY

hemypicasso at 9:00PM on 07/26/09

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

@dmcavanaugh, you say cheap and greasy like it's a bad thing.

maered at 5:43PM on 01/28/09

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

I had never heard the term slider in reference to food of any kind until mini-hamburgers of that name appeared on the Kelsey's bar menu sometime in the past year or two. I thought it was a poorly-considered Kelsey's name for something that will be, uh, sliding out the back door. I didn't realize it was an actual thing

kevster at 2:55PM on 01/28/09

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

I always thought a slider was just a cheap, greasy burger that slid in and slid out...if you know what I mean.

dmcavanagh at 12:04PM on 01/19/09

Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us: The Thanksgiving Special

i dont know what regular people talk about with their boyfriends, but we talk about how terrifying paula deen is. my bf: "she reminds me of Medusa. like her hair is just going to suddenly turn into these buttery tentacles and her eyes into searing pools of fried bacon."

redzerostar at 4:39AM on 12/01/08

Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us: The Thanksgiving Special

Oh, come ON, does everything really need to be fried? It's cake, for god's sake - it's already a fat and sugar bomb.

piccola at 9:35PM on 11/24/08

Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us: The Thanksgiving Special

Don't listen to them, Paula! Keep frying cake!!!

ReneeRobinson at 3:19PM on 11/24/08

Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us: The Thanksgiving Special

I saw her make those deep fried stuffing things last year and it looks exactly like turd on a stick. Yergh.

mschlock at 1:30PM on 11/24/08

Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us: The Thanksgiving Special

If you like the deep-fried pumpkin cake idea, then you definitely missed the episode with the even better wonton wrapped, chocolate stuffed, sugar dusted, deep fried white chocolate cheesecake...

amaLosAngeles at 1:29PM on 11/24/08

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

when I hear "slider", i think of a small burger where the patty is flat and cooked by steam on a griddle. Not on a grill. The onion and pickle are not necessities in my personal definition.

jumpyfroggy at 2:51PM on 11/13/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

I love Wilburs in Goldsboro. And Bill's in Wilson. Hollyeats.com has a great little grease stain rating system http://www.hollyeats.com/NorthCarollina.htm
When McCalls got hit by a plane I kept saying no no no, I love their potatoes boiled in the vinegar pepper sauce.

JerzeeTomato at 11:05PM on 09/08/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

I'm actually in RTP this week taking a training course. However, I'll probably end up at Ed Mitchell's tomorrow.

I've heard a lot of varying opinions on Bullocks, but most universally say Allen & Son is better.

jperlow at 9:25PM on 09/08/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

@jperlow - Next time you're in RTP, try Bullock's in Durham or Cooper's or Ole Time in Raleigh. Bullock's is my personal favorite, but both Cooper's and Ole Time are good, too. Allen and Son is also amazing, as you have discovered. Never tried the Pit, but I'll have to check it out next time I go home.

If you have time to drive an hour or so, Wilbur's in Goldsboro is also well worth the drive.

PS: We're not all ignorant rednecks in the South. Some of us would be just as creeped out by the confederate imagery as you were.

jenilowrance at 9:03PM on 09/08/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

As the resident Yankee Dago I fully understand what happens when you show your NJ or NY "ness" to anyone in the south who don't like them yankees. Funny thing nowadays no one gives a shit. Why, because we have the internet, tv and cable tv. Sterotypes are a dime a dozen. To debate how someone from anywhere would feel about seeing hateful symbols of an old culture posted where they eat is just inane. If Jason felt any emotion he owns that and it is his. To correct him or take issue with it is more of the same.
To say there was a "cousin Vinny drama" (also a sterotype there Cod thanks for confirming that for me) to me would make me agitated since when I moved to NC in the early 90's I got treated like crap. All I had to do was say hello and I got the standard "your not from around here are you?" However recently when we were hanging out in the Triangle area I found people to be used to "yankees" and to be more interested and less polarized. No one can walk a mile in another persons shoes.
I have much respect for Jason and his interpretation of how he saw it because I have lived it. Was not a movie (Cousin Vinny) was not a rumor or a suggestion, I lived it. You don't have to agree. It is not a debate.

JerzeeTomato at 1:28AM on 09/08/08

http://www.flickr.com/photos/offthebroiler/2587905244/

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

I may have been exaggerating things just a tad for comic effect, but I will say this, racism still exists in the South, and particularly in Columbia. Yes, there are many progressive people in Columbia, its a university town, but its moments like these where you get a major shiver down your spine:

This is a rail car which is permanently sitting next to the famous Adluh Flour plant in downtown Columbia, which is right off of the trendy historic "Vista" area where all the trendy bars and restaurants are in all the restored brick buildings, some of which date back to the Civil War Period. The Publix supermarket which is only a few blocks away is actually the fomer site of the Confederate Printing Press. The graffiti that is on this rail car might not be immediately recognizable to everyone, but those are the "White Knight" symbols of the Ku Klux Klan. Needless to say I was a bit freaked out when I saw this when walking around the corner to the local overpriced "Stuff on the wall" TGI Fridays clone.

jperlow at 11:25PM on 09/07/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

@THe Gurgling Cod: You are right. I was in a cranky mood when I wrote that line this morning. Jason truly was in no danger, and I know there are plenty of fine people in the South who don't subscribe to Bessinger's line of thought. The line was caricature, written out of grumpiness, and I apologize for it.

Adam Kuban at 9:02PM on 09/07/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

Don't feel bad about missing Little Pigs; it's nothing special. The pig isn't smoked, and the sides are okay but not transcendent. I go there from time to time, but I wouldn't make a pilgrimage out of it. I haven't tried Palmetto Pig but now plan to do so.

Anyway, great post and great pictures. But just backing up the Cod here: as a Columbia, SC resident I can testify that racist secessionists generally pose a threat only to one's hope for humankind, not to one's person, especially if one is white. Maurice's is to be avoided on principle, not out of fakey oh-noes-I-hear-banjo-music fear.

Also, there are no potatoes in the kind of hash that's served with Southern barbecue. It's heavy on the "stuff" you mention -- liver, brains, etc.

Thanks for the post!

climalene at 5:52PM on 09/07/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

Obviously, the post has touched a chord with certain types of people. Here's a sample comment that I just received:

"Your snide, New York remarks about the South and the Southern people make me sick.

You don't like the South, the food, the Southern people and their opinions? Then keep your New Yawk, Jewish ass at home.

No one needs you and your type in the South, believe me!"

jperlow at 1:46PM on 09/07/08

Blogwatch: Jason Perlow's Carolinas 'Cue Binge

Cod: You didn't see the two huge 300 pound plus good 'ol boy cops from the SC correctional system that were staring at me as I photographed the place. I got in and out of that place so fast you have no idea.

jperlow at 1:40PM on 09/07/08

The Best Roast Chicken Recipe? Who Wants to Try It With Me?

This is not the best roast chicken recipe. For years now I have made Nigella Lawson's Roast Chicken; over time I have added my own variations to it (herbs, etc.) but the basic principles remain - lemon, butter, olive oil and salt & pepper; the lemon tenderizes and keeps the chicken moist during cooking without overpowering the chicken. The recipe can be found in "How to Eat: Pleasures and Principles of Good Food" (1999)

bircham at 12:52PM on 08/01/08

Airport Restaurants by Famous Chefs...

@BirdDoggie: ooooh, that French Meadow sounds fabulous. I'm always changing flights in Minneapolis (I LOVE that airport btw!), and that sounds like a good place to check out next time I'm there. Thanks!

Pammeh at 3:09PM on 07/18/08

Airport Restaurants by Famous Chefs...

I suppose it all depends on what you walk in there expecting. Wolfgang Puck is indubitably a cut above the typical airport restaurant, but I don't expect truly fabulous food, and am therefore not disappointed. I guess I'm just used to setting the bar lower for airport fare :)

Pammeh at 3:08PM on 07/18/08

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

Actually, I grew up in the west, so I had no idea about Crystal/White Castle until I was much older.

When I was in the Navy, the term 'slider' refers to all burgers, regardless of size/thickness/origin, mainly due to their tendency to 'slide' around the grill while the ship is rolling or pitching.

So, to me, when someone says 'slider', I don't think of a small burger, nor do I think of Crystal or White Castle, I just think 'hamburger', period. A 'slider' is completely non-specific.

HardwareLust at 10:09PM on 07/16/08

A Mini Hamburger Is Not a Slider

With no White Castle here in Seattle, it's been a long long time since I was in one of their joints. Used to go to one in Queens growing up, but it's been about 20 years since I moved away from the East Coast.

Stushi at 3:39PM on 07/16/08