How I Taught My Brother To Cook
Improvisational Tuscan-Provençal Cookery (and other good stuff to eat)
Pat and John's Road Kill Cafe (a virtual diner) .... the menu
(Anything on this menu may change, whenever we feel like it. And there are always "specials", so ask!)
Salads (what to eat while you're waiting for the food)
Caesar .....lots of garlic and parmigiano - and raw egg, so deal with it
Iceberg ....a quarter of a head, with blue cheese or oil and vinegar
Mixed Greens ...... local stuff from the fields, with olive oil and balsamic
Chicken ... on a bed of greens (sorta fancy, but that's Patrick)
Nicoise ..... yeah, it's a Frenchy, fancy name - but qualifies as peasant
Soups (stuff that puts hair on your chest)
Grampa Napoleone's ... little meatballs and little round pasta in broth
"Cagoots" .... not technically a soup, but we're callin' it that
Oxtail ........ braised all day in odori and red wine
All-American Bean ..... Pat makes it
Pasta "fazool" .... with rosemary
Gazpacho ..... from Spanish peasantry. Stay cool with cool soup.
Debbie's "Road Killed" Chicken Soup .... offered only in flu season
Sandwiches (things you take fishin')
Bean .... made out of Pat's leftover baked beans (see below)
Meatloaf .... you can't get the meatloaf hot (do not see below)
PB&J .... the PB's an inch thick (comes with milk)
Grilled cheese ..... old New York State cheddar that'll pickle your tongue
Bologna ..... mortadella on a Panino de Napoleone
Burgers and dogs (we make 'em from scratch and they're "brutti ma buoni")
Plain burger ..... put what you want on 'em (with our prior approval)
Cheeseburger ..... see New York State cheddar (above)
Sloppy ........ as in "Joes"
White hots ...... in hog casings
Sausage ........ pork - hot or sweet (yep, hog casings)
Laura's "Frenchy Burger" ..... she'll fly over from Paris to serve it!
Mains (if you're still hungry)
"Slumgullion" ... our dad's version of goulash
Wings or Ribs .... your choice, slow-grilled by Pat
Leftover pot roast hash ... our pot roast only comes in this form
Chili from Hell .... hot
Spaghet' anda meataballs ... the Napoleone old world recipe
Old-fashion chicken and biscuits .... the older the chicken the better
Pepper steak ......... tons of black pepper and a brandy de-glazing
Shrimp scampi "Madrid" .... ooodles of butter and garlic
Polenta sulla tavola ...... on a board with Bolognese, or ..........
Fish ... rolled in cornmeal and fried in salt pork fat, with salt pork "nibbles"
Pizza ........ the best pizza in the world. Period!
Fried chicken ..... the "un-shake-'n-bake" version
Other Stuff (goes with above stuff)
Baked beans ...... baked
Pickles ....... Barrows' family ancient recipes
Potato salad ..... Pat's American or John's French
Fried potatoes ..... in olive oil with rosemary and garlic
Panini di Napoleone .... you'll need these
Rice pudding ..... Aunt Betty's
Pies ..... if we feel like it (but usually John's tart tatin)
Greens and other vegetables ... always fresh, and you have to try some
Drinks (things to drink)
Wine ..... French or Italian
Beer ..... Labatts or Molsons
Coke ..... in a bottle
Ice tea .... not that sweetened crap
Espressi .... and capuccini - Patrick deals with these
Koolaid ..... only the best refined sugar
Milkshakes .... wow! with real milk and ice cream!
Water ...... tap
Breakfast:
Open 3:00 A.M. - 7:00 A.M only, and only when we feel like it. Hangovers welcome.
Leftover panini di Napolone ................. from last night - toasted (or not) - butter and jam
Huevos "Suburbos" ..... spicy and saucy for those wee hour hangovers
Cold leftover pizza ............... we will not reheat
Steel cut oatmeal .............it take 30 minutes, so relax
Buckwheat/cornmeal buttermilk pancakes ...... molasses, honey, maple or blackberry syrup
Egg concoction ...... Pat's deal (everything on a muffin)
Eggs any way ....... that we feel like making them
Fried potatoes ......... our way
Leftover cold fried perch .......... a la Uncle Claude
Hard-boiled egg and a chunk of cheese .... with a Heineken
Egg, bacon, and cheese on a roll ........ served with ketchup
Grits ....................... with red-eye gravy and ham (with cream and butter if you're a sissy)
Homemade pork sausage patties ....... with sage and tons of pepper
Slab bacon ..................thick with the rind still on (Pat slices to order)
"Hangtown Fry" ........ if yo' don't know what it is, don't order it
Weeta-bix .........................with whole milk so they get nice and thick and soggy
French-press coffee ..........2 or 4 cupper (cappuccino if you eat grits with cream and butter)
Red Rose tea ...........with cream (sugar available on request) - served by our house chimps
Steak ...............................blackened and rare
Kippered herring .................. (must show British passport)
Yogurt ..........................plain, whole milk, period. Add fruit if we got it (and if you're a fruit)
Alka-Seltzer ............................ free from 3:00 - 4:00
"If ya' don't like it, go somewhere else"
CASH ONLY
Whiny kids will be smacked
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Debbie on
-
PLACING AN ORDER:
Right about now, I am wanting/craving (before I watch the debates):
One Green salad
Grampa Napoleone's Soup
Wings
Wine ..... Italian
(so what, maybe I am PMS'g - feed me!)!
Put it on my tab!
-
Permalink Reply by John Barrows on -
cash only!
-
Permalink Reply by John Barrows on
-
Our first $100 bill! We need to frame it! Plus a big tipper! Gets her picture on the Road Kill Wall o' Fame.
About
Buy our book now.
Visit "the Road Kill Cafe" - our virtual diner PLUS Visit Uncle Claude's Victory Garden
Latest Activity
I would go with your recipe but over night 1st rise, knead, 2 hour 2nd rise, knead. Rest. Form into length. Rest for 1 hour. Put slits in. Bake, covered. ( when I say "rest", I mean the dough, not you)
Yes, the standard baguette has a very hard, crusty crust that your have to work hard to break off a piece. But the inside is very light. I was assuming you'd used the no-knead. I have baked baguettes using the no-knead, and they come out great. Ke...
Or ... we could just go there and find out for ourselves.
Again, one must grow their own or raise their own to avoid the less than desirable stuff. The food industry is too powerful, who lobby to politicians, and in the end win while everyone else loses. Same scenario whether its food or shoe laces.
We ...
You could add cheese if you wanted but all I was trying to do here was make the standard fried potatoes & onions by baking instead.
You could cover the dough instead of using the ice water. Also, I am not so sure that a French baguette has a thick crust anyway. I tend to think that it does not. We'll have to wait until the French Connection checks in.
Actually, I used a recipe that I found in a book called "Local Breads - sourdough and whole-grain recipes from europe's best artisan bakers" (found only at the finest libraries). It's very similar to the no-knead recipe (only you knead this one). ...
Rent and watch the documentary "Food, Inc." (inspired by Michael Pollan's books)
Total corporate control of our nation's food supply from seed to market to table is literally poisoning us - worse than even the tobacco industry. It is even infiltr...
I'm sure it was the no-knead: that's what I taught him ...
maybe some cheese too
Only other thing a should have done was brown the top more.
Nancy should recall this cat climbing up her back.
What recipe for the dough did you use?
maybe leave the cover on longer - I think more moisture for a longer period may thicken the crust. only take the cover off for last few minutes to brown
I thought that was your other head
don't hurt yourself with all that complexity (don't try this at home, folks)
Time out for a photo-op.
Thank you. Once it cooled it really tasted great. My only complaint is that the crust wasn't as thick as I would have liked. Hopefully that will change when we get the new range installed next summer.
Very nice job!
Badge
© 2009 Created by John Barrows on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
