For those who have never been confronted with the almighty Double-Double “Animal Style” from In-N-Out Burger, this is what you have been missing. Notice how the melted cheese captures the light — I had to snap a photo.
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Vineyard in repose, Mendocino County. You can say what you want about Napa. I happen to live there. But for me, Mendocino County is Northern California’s true paradise. I spent the better part of the day in the Anderson Valley today, driving past dozens of miles of vineyards that have all slipped into fall colors. All of Mendocino County looked like the photo above, at least along the winding curves of Highway 128. Outside of wine country, the landscape is dominated by moss, ferns, redwoods and oaks. In the winter, every shade of green is on display.
The dining room at Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park • • • I spent Saturday evening at the Third Annual Harvest Dinner at the Bale Grist Mill, hosted in conjunction with Slow Food Napa Valley and the Silverado Brewing Company. The event was held to raise money for the mill, which was originally constructed in 1846, and is the only operating mill of its kind west of the Rocky Mountains. The majority of the feast was provided by Number Fourteen, a delicious American mulefoot hog raised locally by chef Michael Fradelizio of the Silverado BrewCo. [... read more ...] So far, this pork belly project has been all cooking and no eating, but that will all change today. Although this recipe does require a couple days to prepare, once it has been braised, it actually becomes the foundation for some pretty quick meals. In the photo above, I have braised pork belly over white rice, which is a classic preparation. For the glaze, I reduced the braising liquid by about 90%, then added honey and apple cider vinegar. For this particular dish, I like to cut nice cube-shaped pieces of pork belly. Typically, the cut of belly [... read more ...] Last month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack broke ground (with a jackhammer, literally) on The People’s Garden, which was formerly 1250 square feet of pavement at USDA headquarters. But this act of showmanship, which coincided with Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday celebration, was derided as a publicity stunt. Critics, already skeptical of Vilsack’s appointment as the head of the USDA, pointed out that The People’s Garden was not necessarily designated as a food garden. As disappointing as The People’s Garden may have been, Michelle Obama has recently announced plans to finally give the people exactly what [... read more ...] I sincerely hope that the Obamas plant a vegetable garden at the White House. Frankly, I’m a little appalled that there isn’t one already on the property, and I view this as a tremendous shortcoming on many different levels. Without a doubt, I place a lot of the blame on the White House executive chef, whom I felt should have been lobbying for this resource all along. I first heard about the movement to create a White House vegetable garden during an NPR interview with Alice Waters. She had mentioned this cause alongside her own [... read more ...] I ate at McDonald’s for the first time in years today. Of course, people who know my eating habits will undoubtedly realize that there must be some sort of backstory here. I generally hate McDonald’s, although this was not always the case. Back in my early days in Los Angeles, the Golden Arches was a staple of my post-collegiate diet, since fast food was all that I could afford. I would go on regular drive-thru benders, fueled by dollar menus and the need for cheap calories. I have memories of being especially destitute, writing embarrassingly [... read more ...] |
 
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© 2012 The Accidental Wino |
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