Still, Maybe, Someday....

It doesn't seem like a month or two goes by where someone asks me if/when I'm going to put out my own cookbook. Lord knows, I've created enough recipes to publish one. And if I would have everything I've created written down, it probably would be the War & Peace of all cookbooks. So how do all these big name, highly publicized, well known chefs with TV shows, multiple restaurants, public appearances, hawking their cookware, spices, clothing, etc. keep pumping out the cookbooks (besides the fact that they probably don't cook in their restaurants anymore unless they know some big shot of some sort is going to be there)? As I pretty much expected:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/dining/i-was-a-cookbook-ghostwriter.html?_r=1

Yep, chefs, test kitchens, etc. create recipes that resemble their style for them, they may (or may not) put their personal touch on them and off to the presses it goes.

Ok, I'm not saying they ALL do this, but, do you think they are testing and creating all these recipes themselves?

This is why there isn't a Chef Kevin cookbook. I guess I could pay someone to organize, re-type and re-format all of my recipes that are in about 3 different programs, which, won't work/talk/translate into each other. Really, until/if I retire, I don't have time for this. Heck, I can't even keep this blog going.

And if I did, I'm guessing a vanity publisher would cost me more than I'd make selling it.

Someday.....

Burgers

Many moons ago, I ran a poll asking what the best pizza was in Peoria. Well, the responses were varied which basically meant not one pizza fit all. People love or hate the cracker thin crust like Agatucci's and Monicals, so not a clear winner there, and deeper styles such as Peoria Pizza Works Chicago Style, aren't enjoyed by the masses either.

Now, there is a poll on PJStar.com on the best burger in Peoria. As stated somewhere on the web, it gives you a few choices and other, but I can't find where you can add a write-in candidate.

Rewind many years ago...well, about 19. Even though a budding culinarian/chef, I never gave much thought to burgers. However, while attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, there was much fanfare about a place called the Raccoon Salon, in nearby Marlboro, NY, regarding its burger. Eventually I had to try one. It was (and still is) a behemoth weighing in at 12 ounces. All I remember is how awesome it was.

Back to present day and the poll. First off, two of the places mentioned aren't in Peoria...one in Kickapoo (Ludy's) and one in East Peoria (The Burger Barge). One is the highly touted national chain, Five Guys, Kaydee Kats (which is actually the Heights) and a downtown bar named Ulrich's Rebellion Room.

Ok, I've never had the burger at Ulrich's. If it is what Sully used to serve when it was Sullivan's then it is about an 8 ounce Black Angus Ground Chuck Burger. Maybe it still is, maybe not. Out of the rest of them, my favorite goes to the Barge. Can't say Ludy's has overly wow'ed me from the two I've had from there. Five Guys and Kaydee Kats isn't why/how I think of burgers. Here is what I mean. The first game of the new NFL season is on. You fire up your grill. You chill the beers. The guys come over. Now do you make some big meaty burgers or do you make a lot of smaller burgers with lots of different toppings? I don't know about you, but I want to eat a big, meaty burger to sink my teeth into, not a lot of toppings to make it a big burger. If it takes 2-3 burgers to make a 1/3 or 1/2 pound weight burger, why not just make one 1/3 or 1/2 pound burger? To each their own I guess.

After "The Barge", I'm a fan of the Gebby Burger at Schooners on War Memorial Drive. I've never had a bad one. After that, I don't really eat too many burgers while dining out as I know from being in the food service industry so long, the myriad of pre-formed, frozen burgers available in various shapes, sizes, etc. that Lord knows what you would end up getting and besides that, I always look for the most unique thing on the menu.

So, leave a comment on what/where you think is the best burger (no limited choices here) and why. Once again, as with the pizza, Bob's Burgers somewhere in Utah doesn't count...we can't go there if we haven't tried them. Local, ya know....30 mile radius or so.

I *heart* Katie Nolan

Somehow I stumbled across a site call Guyism.com. On said blog there is a section called Guyism Speed Round which is hosted by Katie Nolan. Yeah, she is cute. Yeah, she appears fairly nicely endowed. But that isn't it (well some of it is); she is F-U-N-N-EEEEEEEEE. Ok, I will admit, not every joke is funny. Before checking out her little M-F video rants, please realize that she swears, isn't politically correct and probably makes fun of people, well, who it probably isn't nice to make fun of. But I regress.



But wait, she also has a blog (that she started before Speed Round) called Bitches Can't Hang which for the most part makes fun of stupid things women do (I know ladies, that is a false statement - another tree fell in the woods).

Ok, now you know how I kill about 5 minutes a day.

Specifically for Emtronics....

This post is for Randall "Emtronics" Emert.

Now, Randall, before you read this, you must swear that:

You are sitting down. Have no heart issues. No overbearing cholesterol issue that could cause a stroke. Or high blood pressure. I don't want the pure shock value of this post to cause you any harm.

Then maybe have a beer or two first. And a massage.

OK, ready? Deep breath.

After about two songs worth of time on the radio, I could finally pull out of GFS ( Gordon Food Service)'s parking lot today turning left on to University about 9 AM. I amazingly hit every light green until I got to Moss Avenue. Granted, I had to slow down for backed-up traffic at Main. My guess is if it wasn't backed up, I would have made that light too.

Are you OK??? I know...shocking isn't it?

I'm guessing the next time this will happen again will be on February 29.

I think I should play the lottery and call up Jessica Biel for a date.

NO WAY!!!

I understand that the governor of IL and other cabinet members/House & Senate are due for a raise.

http://centralillinoisproud.com/fulltext?nxd_id=231352

Really, I thought you got a raise if you were doing a good job? Has anyone out there in bloggerland had this conversation:

Boss: Mr(s). Blogreader, you are doing a horrible job for us. You keep spending our finances like there is an endless supply and other things you do makes people who work here cringe and be pissed off. I think you deserve a raise.

Mr(s). Blogreader: Gee, boss, I thought you were going to can my ass. Thanks, now I can afford a better bottle of scotch and some 28" rims for my AMC Gremlin.

As the State of Illinois finances and reputation are swirling down the toilet fast enough to crack the porcelain, I say no raises for a shitty job.

That, and if the rest of us are suffering through elevated gas prices and about all goods and services will go up again in cost because of it, they can tighten their belts too. Set an example. Governor, I think you can live within your means with a $180,000 a year salary (and don't you live free in some Springfield mansion provided to you by us taxpayers?).

Oh, but wait!!! It isn't the governors idea!! He isn't responsible. Don't blame him for the raise. Blame the legislators who voted for it.

Lets close facilities, lay people off and stop funding so those who make $100,000+ a year (with I'm guessing expenses paid) can get a raise. I call bullshit.

My Newest Gripe

Here is my latest gripe. What the hell is it with fundraisers? $100 a person. $35 to get in. $150 per person includes dinner. What in the world? Who pays these prices? And then there is usually some over priced auction or some "worthwhile" guest speaker.

With sooo many organizations holding these things, who can afford to go to all of them? The CEO of CAT and the hospitals?

Heck, I can't even pick one..it'll break me before I get in the door.

Seriously fundraising people. Think if you dropped your lofty "cover charges" you could attract more people. Heck, I'd go to more of them if I wasn't made to feel like yours was the only fundraiser that was worthy of my cash. Or maybe you charge this much so people like me don't show up? Maybe that is it.

January 31 Means Blogger Bash!

It is a fifth Tuesday of a month. This means the city council will not be convening to see how they can spend Peoria into oblivion or add more taxes and fees. More importantly, it also means Blogger Bash at Kellehers at 6:30 PM.

Tomorrow is Garbage Day.....

...do I just throw out my garbage on the curb? I'm paying for a brand spanking new PDC tote that I do not yet possess. Isn't there some law that makes it illegal to charge for a product or service and you do not receive that product or service?

You'd think some Peoria lawyer would be all over this filing a class action suit against the city and PDC for charging its residents/customers for a tote that they won't be receiving until early summer.

A Couple of Red Wine Reviews

I've been on a red wine kick of late. Poor Sam Adams and his buddy, Stoli are just sittin' back being ignored. Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for some new, fun, tasty (and preferably inexpensive) red wines and I've found a few more to add to my Ubertasty list.

2010 Bodegas Zabrin Ateca Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines. It has a black label with orange flames on it and just says Granancha de Fuego on it. 100% Grenache. WOW!! Straight from the bottle upon opening, this needs little to no air to open up. Lots of dark cherry and black plum flavors with a hint of vanilla-y oak. Smooth through the whole drinking experience. An inky purple color so don't spill any. A great value at $10.

2010 Apothic Red Winemaker's Blend. I've seen, heard and read quite a bit about this wine so I had to try it. It is kind of a whack blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah. Garnet with a purple tinge. Upon opening, the nose was like fresh crushed raspberries, but tasted nasty!! Bright red fruit up front but the wine was seriously disjointed. After about 4 hours it started to come together and was actually better the next day when it lived up to all the great things I've "consumed" about it from various sources. Raspberries, blackberries, chocolate and oak dominate. Think this was about $11.

2010 Primal Roots. Another California blend that is the same as above minus the Cabernet Sauvignon. Except for the fact that this only needs about a half hour to open up instead of a day like the Apothic, it is about the same wine...maybe a little lighter bodied and maybe a touch more acidic and $2 less.

2009 Tarima Monastrell. Monastrell is the grape variety, but don't let a "no name" grape scare you off...it is Spanish for the more well known French Mourvedre. This bottle was the least expensive of the lot and will easily hang with them. Blueberries, red licorice, a little earthiness and chocolate and is tasty straight from the "cork out". It sees no oak, but instead the winemaker lets it sit on its skins in stainless steel to obtain color, flavor and depth. And if I'm correct, this has the highest alcohol content of the lot at around 15%, but you'd never know it.

May the bottom of your wine glass be kissed by the sun :) :)

Getting Aggravated...

Well, something new to annoy me besides slow drivers, ranch-a-holics and the Peoria City Council..... CEFCU's new online banking system.

I've called for help. I've watched the on-line demos. I have three computers on which two of them I have used their old version of bill pay. Yet during the new sign up process, it "doesn't recognize this computer". So, on the new computer, never before signed into CEFCU, I give it a whirl. It recognizes me (although it doesn't recognize the computers I usually pay bills from - go figure), my membership at CEFCU, etc., but when asked to create a new personal ID, it claims EVERY new ID I put in is already in use. REALLY? Someone actually has samadamsbeerfarts1? Escoffier1028? idoubtthisworks2?

Tuesday morning sees me taking a stroll to CEFCU with my laptop.

There is NO Substitute For Fat

I'm sure most of you have experienced this in your workplace in some fashion or another. People want the cheapest way possible regardless of quality. Personally, I don't get this. Yes, let us try to feed a zillion people for $1.99 each. And Beluga caviar and saffron should fall from the heavens like manna, too.

Enter the roast beef saga. I'm sure USDA Prime Hereford Beef filet mignon would make some tasty "roast beef". However, most people don't want/can't afford that. I usually use a nice USDA choice Sirloin Cap for roast beef. Pretty reasonable in price and is probably one of the most tender cuts after filet, strip and ribeye.

But my idea of reasonable and someone else's are two different things. So, thinking marinating & roasting a lesser grade and cut to medium rare and slicing it very thin, I could make this work. No, not really. Just. Not. Good.

People...ya just gotta have fat, specifically marbling. And good marbling. All the culinary tricks in the book can't help you. If there isn't white-ish/pinkish stuff looking like a map of downtown Chicago traversing through your meat, look for a better cut. (OK, one can braise the bejesus out of something in a crock pot to get it tender, but that it usually hard to cut into thin slices for sandwiches).

And this applies to pork, chicken, lamb, etc. too. (Almost) everyone is screaming LOW FAT!!! So now animals are bread leaner to show little fat in their meat. Less fat=less tender. Then consumers scream ITS TOUGH! So manufacturers inject the meat with a saline solution-like substance. Instead of the fat cooking out to give you a tender product, the solution does. Personally, give me a higher grade of any meat with the fat and awesome marbling.

With either, the proteins can't bind (and make meat tough) if there is something in the way (fat or solution). The more finely the fat (or solution) is dispersed (marbling) the more tender the meat will be (yes, it also depends on how little the particular muscle was used during the animal's lifetime). Little marbling or solution will leave meat tough. Give me fat, please.

I'd rather pay a higher price for a better cut I know I will enjoy than to save a few bucks and think "that was kinda lame".

Shut the HELL up!

Why you should STFU if you are drunk and can't sing in the first place. I'm sure all the people around you were annoyed. At least all the guys in the audience can still marvel at how hot Suzanna Hoffs (the lead singer playing the black and white Rickenbacker guitar on the far right) is at 52 years old!

A Second? Chance?

The city council LOVES to spend our tax dollars and just is itching to do so. But not on critical items like, oh say, police, roads, infrastructure, city services....

No, they are giving Gary Matthews a "second" chance at building a Marriott in conjunction with the Pere.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45039205/ns/local_news-peoria_il/#.TqgBhXKOfZ0

A second chance? This guy has missed every deadline set for him by the council regarding this project. If we missed this many at our jobs, we'd get fired. And yet again, the project has again been downsized from what was originally presented to Peoria.

Maybe we can all hide at this hotel from all the thuggery that is going on in Peoria of late. If we are all in one spot, maybe the two remaining police officers will be able to protect us better. I hope all the shooting, hold up, stabbing and beating victims of late will find solace in knowing that the city council is more concerned about lining the pockets of developers, etc. than they are spending money driving out/locking up thugs and protecting the citizens of Peoria.

I think the mayor and every city council person who voted yes for this should have to sign a personal guarantee letter for this project. If they can't see that Matthews couldn't get his portion of the financing for 2 years it should tell them that the "money people" in this world don't think this is a good idea. But I'm sure the council knows better and would have no issue putting up their homes, cars and bank accounts as collateral. I mean the Civic Center, Gateway Building, Firefly, Globe, Mid town Plaza, O'Brien Field and the Rec Plex are such financial windfalls for Peoria, you'd think our tax rate would be zero. We all know who made money on these deals and it wasn't the Peoria taxpayer.

Two Upcoming Events at Willett's Winery

This upcoming weekend has two fun events!

It's not to late to get tickets for our Halloween Costume Party to be held on Saturday, October 29th. It begins with an appetizer buffet at 7pm, sangria (other refreshments available) and a costume contest with various prizes, then Southside Cindy & The Sliptones beginning at 8pm. You don't want to miss this fun event so get a group of friends together!! No, you don't have to have a costume, but it is more fun that way!! Cost is $25 per person.

Our third annual chili cook-off competition will be held the the next day (Sunday, 30th) at 1 PM. There are three categories in which you can enter a chili (or enter all three of them if you'd like): traditional, non-traditional and spicy. Prizes will be awarded in each category. There will be a professional judging and a People's Choice award. There is no cost to enter, but call to reserve your space in the competition.

Call the winery at 309*968*7070 to sign up or for more information.

Sometimes, we forget.

I got a Facebook message from a friend of mine telling me to check out Google's homepage today as they have "doctored it up" to celebrate late Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, 65th birthday.

As with many others, I'm reminiscing about what a great vocalist, showman and songwriter Freddie Mercury was. Hey, all of today's "pop" stars; Gaga, Perry, Bieber, West, Beyonce', etc. think Queen would have lip synched this on the MTV Music Awards this year? Want true flamboyance? Here is is: