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Train Song

"Out in back, railroad track
Clickety clack, clickety clack..."

My son is going on a guy weekend to fish, hunt, drink beer and watch the game. My daughter-in-law is hosting my other boys and her girlfriends. I am doing those twice cooked chix wings y'all published, ham biscuits, and two overdue birthday cakes for my twin grandsons. One will be red velvet with 7 minute frosting, The other boy wants a Schwartzwalderkirschtorte. It was the longest-named cake in my cookbooks, so that's why he wants it. Those sliders would be good with the cakes...

In fried chicken nuggets!

1 lb boneless skinless chicken of your preference, cut up in chunks
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp garlic powder
2 T Sriracha (I prefer the chunky w/ whole seeds, but my SIL likes the smooth that comes in the squeeze bottle)
2 C flour seasoned with some salt
Canola oil for frying

Marinate the chicken in the next 3 ingredients for a few hours. Drain well, shake in the seasoned flour, and fry til golden in canola oil. Serves only 2 in my family, but should serve 4.

Salt Lick, Driftwood, TX or Cooper's in Mason, TX. I love the Salt Lick sauce.

Plain, fresh, buttered bread. Keep your fruits, nuts and cheese out of my bread, please!

My yellow Google travel mug is my favorite, because of the true clear color and heat-holding property. Plus the mug is completely recyclable - I think it's made of corn.

Although I'm from SF and live in SoTX, my favorite is the Chicago Dog. I also love the deep-fried dogs in NJ, and my home go-to dog is on a potato roll with my home-cooked kraut (rinsed, dried kraut, sauteed with onions in butter with a splash of white wine and a bit of nutmeg), mustard, and pickles. I am forced to use Boar's Head natural casing hot dogs, as there are no equivalent dogs here, but we do love Opa's Smoked beef Sausages, grilled ,decorated with mustard and wrapped in a lovely, fresh, hot flour tortilla. That is what my family calls The True Woman's Dog.

The best bar in my area is my house. Lately, I've been serving MaiTais, made with Amaretto instead of almond syrup, light and dark rum, triple sec, greanadine, and garnished with the gardenias from the backyard. No little paper umbrella needed!

We got really serious about growing our own food and putting it up last year, and our daughter stated raising chickens (for eggs). We buy only local, grass fed beef and local chickens, but unfortunately I can find no reliable purveyor of local pork here in San Antonio. Our friend Jose-Luis smokes meat for us using our fallen oak limbs. I still buy far-away coffee, chocolate, and cheese, because I really dislike all local cheese but goat cheese (which I love - but I still crave a GOOD cheddar) and wine. TX wines are improving, but I don't think are worth the big price tag. I stopped my CSA last Spring, and am fine from our garden. I do love Texas olive oil, and Texas strawberries, peaches and pecans. Gonna try artichokes this year. I finally nailed a great, easy sourdough bread, but still love my expensive and totally unnecessary truffle oil to dip it in. I import Challenge unsalted butter from California, along with most of my wine. My bourbon comes from KY, my tequila from Mexico, which I consider the remote corner of my food shed. I also get my garlic from Mexico - it's stronger and keeps longer than the CA brands. No matter where my produce comes from I wash the shit out of it - literally. What is interesting, I am spending a bit less on food now, eating less meat, but just as much other artery-clogging stuff. When we go out for food, we try valiantly to avoid chains, even local chains. I have found with that strategy, most alcoholic drinks are stronger, anyway.

Deli rye, grainy mustard, and shavings of aged manchego, and maybe a few drizzles of truffle oil on Sunday...

Deli rye bread, mayo, and grainy mustard, maybe a few kosher pickle slices.

Joy of Cooking, 1973 edition. Shirley Corriher's Cookwise. My collection of 60's - '90's Sunset paperbound cookbooks.

wrapped around asparagus, sprinkled with truffle oil, topped with a sprinkling of truffled cheese, and heated in a super-hot oven for a few minutes until the edges crisp.