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Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Discussion in 'Diamond Gators' started by GatorLurker, Jul 28, 2016.

  1. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    But tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of things changing forever.
     
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  2. Bazza

    Bazza Moderator

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    [​IMG]
     
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  3. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Great memories with you and your Dad Lurk—like Baz, I enjoy sharing the memories of how we were raised.

    One of my Dad’s favorite sayings—he would look at me and say “Bud, always remember-can’t nobody steal your memories”……

    Thank goodness for that!
     
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  4. Bazza

    Bazza Moderator

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    I remember a lot of things my Dad used to say.

    When some knucklehead said something really dumb, he'd always reply with "Consider the source."

    Zing! :ninja3:
     
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  5. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    My wife told me to plan on a simple dinner tonight and NY strip steaks were on sale so I bought some and salad fixings.

    Then our friends said that they wanted to have wine and Thai food at their house and they would pay for the Thai food because last time we did that we did.

    So now I know what I am cooking tomorrow and I have a J Christopher sauvignon blanc and a Trisaetum dry Riesling being chilled for tonight. Both from Oregon and both excellent and undervalued.
     
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  6. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Trying to stay with the spirit of the football weekend—

    So we’re going to go with chili cheese dogs tonight.

    Best I can remember ice cold longnecks and chilled wine go well with that.

    Life is good in Gator Nation!
     
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  7. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Tonight we’re going to go with grilling hamburger steaks with baked potatoes on the top rack with a fresh Romaine salad topped with vine ripe tomatoes.

    Well the thermometer says a high of 88* today but the humidity has it feeling like 98*— it’s better for us to sit out the middle of the day.

    The back porch will be open for business this afternoon/evening and adult libations are available.

    Life is good in Gator Nation!
     
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  8. Bazza

    Bazza Moderator

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    I was up late last night (as is always the case on Saturday nights during football season) and checked before hitting the sack and the outside temp was still 80! And of course you know the humidity was at least that or more so we're not out of it yet, folks.....

    The saving grace is when we get a little breeze.

    Today I made pan fried cod fillets with House Autry coating. This time I used the Walmart Great Value brand Pacific skinless fillets, which were half the price of the Sam's Alaskan Cod loins I used last time, and they tasted as good or better! So easy to make - I used a gallon size baggie to coat the fillets in. Very little mess and even less clean up. And I have leftovers for tomorrow and will bring one of the fillets to Mom along with her provisions this week to get her take.

    I have some Alexander palm seedlings to pot up this afternoon and then will go for a walk or bike ride on the beach while enjoying some tunes on one of my Creative Zen MP3 players.

    It's a good day to take in the bounty before us all......Go Gators and God Bless!
     
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  9. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    Cod is a very good value piece of fish. Not as wonderful as grouper or mahi, but not bad and very affordable. I have fond memories of the fried fish sandwich at DeLuxe (a bar) in Champaign, Illinois when I was in grad school. It was only served on Friday night and lunch on Saturday until it ran out. It was fresh deep water Atlantic cod flown in from the coast. Battered and fried with their own tartar sauce and a slice of onion on a toasted bun. The place was always jammed and on football weekends it was a long wait.

    And pickles!
     
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  10. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    Walleye pike is a fish that is very clean tasting like flounder. And the colder the water it comes from the better it tastes. It is the fresh water grouper.

    Do not ever do a fish boil in Wisconsin as it is awful. I did it once and it was a total waste of good fish. It reminded me of the scene in Apocalypses Now with the sous chef from New Orleans witnessing all the beef being boiled. And everything tasted of lighter fluid.

    The best fish I ever tasted were some brook trout that a former student of my great aunt caught for her in northern Wisconsin. I was probably six years old and I saw them swimming in a bucket the night before I ate them for breakfast.

    You know, eating meat means that you should know where it comes from.

    I grew up within the stink of the stockyards in Chicago. It isn't that any more. I know where it comes from and while I do not hunt I respect those that do.
     
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  11. gatorfan5220

    gatorfan5220 VIP Member

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    My brother, a graduate of UF's Dental School got me a great present - a large tin of Charles Chips.
     
  12. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    Memories.

    When I was a kid in the 1960's in Chicago we had a Charles Chips tin that my mother used for storing laundry detergent that she bought in bulk. I never actually have ever eaten a Charles chip.

    We also used to get Dad's root beer in glass containers that we would reuse. Kind of like a growler for craft beer today. And our milk was in glass gallon jugs with pogs and we returned one to get another. We bought our milk at a dairy outlet where they also sold bread, some snacks, cheese and Dressel's cakes. Dressel's is long gone but the memories live on.
     
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  13. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Oh so true Lurk—great memories. Our Charles Chips were delivered to our house by a panel truck that was painted just like the cans. My Mama learned that if your chips were delivered on the back side of the driver’s route the chances of broken chips was greater. She learned our route driver’s favorite drink was Orange Crush (in the brown glass bottle). From that point our chips were delivered on the front side of his route.

    We also had the glass jugs of milk delivered-good times.
     
  14. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    Tonight I’ll be grilling chicken halves seasoned with coarse black pepper and Everglades seasoning-and yep, Pat’s Homade on the last two turns.

    Inside we will have a pot of fresh pinkeye peas w/snaps and fresh picked cow horn peppers on the side. We will also have a pot of teriyaki rice.

    Afternoon thunderstorms today-breaking up the heat, and the yards and plants need the rain. Afternoon/evening back porch ice cold longnecks and chilled wine will be available.

    Life is good in Gator Nation!
     
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  15. GatorGrowl

    GatorGrowl Forum Admin Moderator VIP Member GC Staff

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    I plan to do ribs Friday if the weather clears up. I have a Traeger and it takes 4-5 hours with the oak-hickory blend.
     
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  16. GatorLurker

    GatorLurker GC Hall of Fame

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    I wait for St Louis cut ribs to go on sale usually before smoking ribs. It has been a while since they were so I might just spring for them anyway.

    Spot on with the times. I cook a lot of things with a Themapen for correct temps, but ribs you have to do by look and feel and intuition as there is no way to get accurate meat temps with so much bone. Usually four hours is enough, but sometimes they need a bit more. I like mine just shy of fall off the bone with just a little bit of toothiness.

    And I like to apply some tupelo honey toward the end. A little caramelized goodness.

    I have been using B&B lump charcoal with apple wood for most of the things I smoke. Sometimes I mix it up with cherry instead of apple. A less aggressive smoke flavor, but to each his own. To my taste using mesquite is akin to using railroad ties for smoke. It would have to be some nasty meat to deserve that treatment.
     
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  17. Bazza

    Bazza Moderator

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    Wanted to chime in as well with the Charles Chips comments.

    Growing up in Norfolk in the 60's we were huge Charles Chips fans. My Dad being the driving force.

    Those big cans of chips and also the cookies once in a while. We had delivery set up by the big truck when it visited our neighborhood - Fairlawn Estates.

    Since my father died in '68, memories like this are very special.

    Somewhere, and I will post a pic when I find it, I have one of those miniature CC containers.
     
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  18. BA69MA72

    BA69MA72 GC Legend

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  19. Bazza

    Bazza Moderator

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    I went through a little phase earlier this year when I was determined to resolve the issue of so many broken chips leftover in a bag.

    Buying in a can (ala Pringles) is not an option, due to the massive differences in taste and texture.

    Ultimately I determined buying them in the smallest bags feasible was the way to go, especially if you could get a quantity sent to you in a large box.

    I also decided the Publix brand dip chip for the most part is just as good as any other brand of dip chip, and a much better buy, which helped mitigate any loss of value from broken chips. For some reason they also didn't seem to have as many broken chips.

    I never did contact Frito Lay which was something I originally thought I would do. Kinda worked things out on my own.....
     
  20. GatorLurker

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    Our menu tonight with a growler from First Magnitude.

    Waiting to tomorrow for the chicken piccata.
     
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