Pedal Review - Danelectro French Toast

This pedal hates you. It wants your ears to bleed and it wants to completely mask the tone of your guitar. It has zero interest in “cleaning up” when you roll off your guitar’s volume. And this is all good.

Transparent this pedal is not. Thick, crazy, noisy, atonal if you do the wrong (or right) thing it is.

Based on the Foxx Tone Machine, the French Toast combines a thick yet cutting fuzz circuit with a classic frequency doubler octave up. For added versatility, you can flick a switch to bypass the octave circuit.

To my ears, the fuzz is reminiscent of a Big Muff but offers a lot more treble content and more mids. The octave tracks very well for single notes and works best on the neck pickup. Give the French Toast any thing more than a single note and it goes crazy. If you play a three string major or minor triad on the G, B, and E strings it makes a sound that would be very cool for starting or ending a song especially as the notes decay and the pedal bounces around trying to figure out what to do.

Another fun trick with the French Toast is doing simulated 8-bit video game sounds. With the gain backed off, the octave on, and the tone up above 2 o’clock, playing staccato notes on the E, A, and D strings a cross between a ring mod and a synth. Very cool.

The only concern I have with the pedal is the plastic box and cheapy knobs and jacks. I wouldn’t plan to gig much with this pedal but as a recording tool, it’s great. And for the price, you can’t go wrong.

A Square Route to Delicious Burgers

On Sunday, I made square burgers. Yes, like Dave Thomas style! It wasn’t my first time making square burgers. I was doing it that way for a while and then got out of the habit. This time, I’m sticking with square burgers.

The point of the square burger is that it doesn’t shrink in on itself the way a round burger does. The physics of a square burger are what keeps it from shrinking and thus creates a juicy and perfectly cooked burger.
For burgers, the P90s pretty much stick with organic ground beef or grind it ourselves. And since I rarely have the patience/free time to grind my own beef, we usually just buy organic. If you can’t splurge for organic, read Fast Food Nation. Organic will suddenly seem like a bargain…

And for burgers I usually use 80/20. Anything leaner seems to dry out.

To make the square burgers, add seasoning (salt, pepper, whatever you like) and then work the beef into a square between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a knife or pizza wheel to cut into four burgers of similar size.

Pre-heat the grill on high and then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side (depending on how you like your burgers). And that’s it. Yum.

The Second Best Pizza in Town

Once upon a time the P90 family ordered pizza pretty frequently. But then we became pizza snobs.

At this point, the only local pizza I prefer to my own is at Facci. Coal Fire is pretty good and Trattoria is great for a quick dinner at the village center, but I have not had Papa John’s or Domino’s or any other take-out/delivery in ages.

Trader Joe's and a gas oven make it all too easy. In the time it takes to drive out and pick-up a pizza or have one delivered, I can pre-heat the oven to 550, roll out the pre-made dough from Trader Joe’s, and bake for eight minutes. And the final product is awesome!

And it’s even better when I have fresh basil, prosciuto, and/or an egg to put on top.

Trying not to be fat and lazy

Last year I signed up for the Dogfish Dash 5K. I trained a little and then got side-tracked. A few weeks before the race, we were invited to a birthday party (taking place on race day) at Clark’s Ellioak Farm.

It was an easy excuse to bail on the race.The girls love Ellioak Farm. When our now four year-old was two, we had a four-six month stretch where every night before bed, she demanded an Ellioak Farm story. Now that we are usually required to do P90 girls meet Tiana, P90 girls meet Ariel, or P90 girls meet Cinderella story, I really miss those Ellioak Farm stories.

But back to my point. I registered again for the Dogfish Dash. I figure if beer is largely to blame for my 20-30 lbs of excess weight – it can be part of the solution. And a race with beer at the end seems like a good idea.

So this week, I’m starting to train. I’m using the Couch-to-5K method and downloaded a handy app that will integrate voice prompts for interval training with my chosen playlist. Here goes nothing…

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 4 - Pork BBQ Recipe

As promised, here is my recipe for pork BBQ. But it’s not very original. I take two pork shoulders (Boston butts if you will), slather them in yellow mustard, and then rub them with Penzey’s Spices BBQ of the Americas. I sometimes make my own rub, but the Penzey’s mix is pretty great. I then place said pork shoulders in my smoker and bathe them in glorious hickory smoke at roughly 225 degrees for 18-24 hours.

That’s it. Yes, I soak the wood chips and refill the smoker box every 1.5 – 2 hours for the first 12 hours. But really, that’s it.

If you want to get into smoking, I would first warn you that it’s addictive. Also, your neighbors are likely to bust down your door when you subject them weekend after weekend to the smells smoldering hickory and rendering pork fat.

If you’re still interested, spend a few hours over at the Smoke Ring. The folks on there know their BBQ! I’d also recommend Steve Raichlen’s BBQ Bible – it’s available at our lovely Howard County Library.

If you already have a Weber kettle type grill, you can use it for smoking by starting a fire on one side and adding wood chips. It helps to buy a cooking grate with a hinged section for adding additional chips and charcoal. You can also MacGuyver an electric smoker by placing an electric hot plate in the bottom of your Weber kettle and placing a smoker box on top.

And or course, you can buy a smoker. I have one of these. Some day, I’ll have one of these!

Before

after

Saturday Night's Alright for Grilling

Saturday nights are usually a “nice meal” night at the P90 house. Often times, the Mrs. and I make something simple for the girls and then have a nice, quiet, relaxed, adult dinner after they go to bed. I prep dinner while she puts the girls to bed. And we enjoy a leisurely meal without complaints about the food, demands for refills, and fights about who got the pink cup and who got the purple plate, etc.

As the weather gets warmer we have these meals on deck and relax with a bottle of wine. It’s a nice way to have an inexpensive date night.

This week, I grilled zinfandel marinated petit fillet mignons and lemon balsamic asparagus. We paired it with Napa cabernet and listened to some M. Ward, Fleet Foxes, Head and the Heart, and Iron & Wine. And only once were we interrupted by a little girl complaining “I tried to sleep, but my sister isn’t letting me…”

Zinfandel Marinated Petit Filet (serves 2)
2 6-8 oz. filets (we usually split a 12 oz. filet)
2 cups Red Zinfandel (I used the Big House Cardinal Zin in a box)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 sprig of rosemary

• Marinate for 2-8 hours
• Grill on high for 3 minutes per side – because you’d be crazy to eat filet at anything more than medium-rare.  
• Let rest on a warm plate under foil for 5-10 minutes.

Lemon Balsamic Asparagus
1 lb. Asparagus trimmed and rinsed
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Zest from half of a lemon
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

• Use a shallow pan to toss the asparagus with the marinade. 
• Grill the asparagus over high heat for 5-10 minutes (depending on your preference). I usually do about seven minutes. 
• You can then return the asparagus to the same pan after grilling and re-toss with the marinade. Obviously, you would never use a technique like this with meat or anything you wouldn’t eat raw…

Starting the asparagus when you flip the steak works well timing wise. You’ll end up with perfectly hot asparagus and a well-rested steak. hocofood@@@

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 3 - The Cheater's Way

I talk a lot about "cheater" recipes and my "cheater's" smoker. When I use this term, I don't mean for it to be snobby. Because while a show like Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee might not be the most high-brow cooking show. At least it gets people out of cooking only from a box or the freezer. And even if you're just adding one or two ingredients to a prepared meal, it's a step in the right direction.

So rather than give away my full BBQ sauce recipe (which many people won't take the time to make) here's a "cheater's version " that will get you 95% of the way there.

60-Minute BBQ Sauce

• 12 oz Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA
• 2 Tbsp Penzey's Spices BBQ of the Americas

Combine these in a medium sauce pan and boil until reduced to 4 oz of liquid (use a larger pan than you would expect - this foams a lot.Reduce the heat to medium low and add the following:

• 2 cups of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce (it's a little sweet, but makes a good base)
• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 of a cup of vinegar (I've used cider, white balsamic, and red wine vinegar all to good effect).
• Salt and black pepper to taste.

So there you have it. This sauce works best with pork and chicken.

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 2

Last night, along with our delicious BBQ pork dinner, Mrs. P90 and I split a bottle of Hellhound on My Ale. It was really good. For those of you unfamiliar with this beer, it's a collaboration between Dogfish Head and Sony Legacy celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of blues guitarist Robert Johnson. As the story goes, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for incredible guitar playing skills. The beer takes its name from the Johnson song, Hell Hound on my Trail.

But back to the beer. It's an imperial pale ale brewed with dried lemons. It clocks in at 10% abv and 100 IBUs. If I had to compare it to something, I'd compare it to the Dogfish 90-Minute IPA. It's probably close to a cross between 90-Minute and 120-Minute. But it's been a while since I've had any 120-Minute...

As for the lemons, I'd say they are subtle at best. I didn't pick up on them at first and would never have smelled them if I hadn't known they were in there. As the beer warmed in my glass I might have finally smelled them. Or maybe I was just telling myself I did. It doesn't matter. It's a great beer on its own. Get it while you can. It's a limited release and won't be on shelves long. The King's Contrivance liquor store had a few bottles as of Friday. I haven't seen it anywhere else.

Hellhound and Homemade BBQ Pt. 1

As Farmer Hoggett's wife once said "pork is a nice sweet meat." And it's even better after it has spent 24 hours in a 225 degree chamber surrounded by hickory smoke!

I'm a novice when it comes to smoking. I've been doing it for maybe seven years. First on a Weber kettle and then for the last four years with a an upright propane-fired (cheaters) smoker. Some things turn out pretty good (hot-smoked salmon). Some things (brisket) not so good. But my pork shoulder is amazing! I'd enter a contest if it wasn't for the whole "no propane fired smokers" rule that all of the BBQ competitions employ.

So last night, we dined on pulled pork, zinfandel baked beans, corn on the cob, and Dogfish Head Hellhound on my Ale. As the week progresses, I'll share the recipes for the whole meal. I'm still on the fence about sharing my BBQ sauce recipe, but I'll probably share it. I'll also review the Hellhound. Stay tuned...

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Mix Pack

It's here! After searching high and low, I located the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 12-Pack at Corridor in Laurel. I tried at Kings Contrivance but they only received a few cases and it sold out quick. Rumor has is that IM Wine has some. And knowing the folks that shop at Perfect Pour - I'm guessing that if they had it, it's gone. I'll report back as a try the beers. For now, they are resting peacefully in my fridge!

Aida Featured in the Post

Dave McIntyre, the Washington Post's Wine Columnist wrote about Aida Bistro's kegged wine in the All You Can Eat blog. I've yet to visit the new Aida. I guess I better get a move on before all of the Washingtonians crowd me out... ;-) hocofood@@@

Awesome Band Alert - The Head and the Heart

Ok, so sometimes I get a little evangelical. About music. I've been all over the Facebooks ramming my new favorite band (The Head and the Heart) down my friends' throats (ears?). But I can't help it. Every now and again, a band comes out of nowhere and blows your mind with their debut album. The Head and the Heart are one of those bands. The songs on this album are amazing. If Wilco, Iron & Wine, or Ryan Adams etc, put out an album this strong, I'd be really impressed. But these kids are in their early 20's and have only been together for a year. Every song on this album is great, but the stand-outs for me are Lost in My Mind, Rivers and Roads, and Down in the Valley. Click here for a free download of two of their songs.

And while comparisons among bands are unfair at best, the Head and the Heart is everything I wanted Mumford & Sons to be. I've gone on record as quickly losing interest in Mumford and Sons. I feel the album has three or four solid songs, but the rest isn't compelling. And the fact that Mumford SOLD OUT Merriweather BLOWS MY MIND. Not just the pavillion, they sold out the whole stinking place! On one album!

How's that for losing focus?

Back to Head and the Heart. Go buy the album now. It's that good.

Ten years ago, I was just getting into Iron & Wine. They quickly became one of my favorite bands. And the new Iron & Wine was my most anticipated release of 2011. I really hope that the Head and the Heart stick it out and that there 4th or 5th album is my most anticipated release of 2021.

Wine in the Woods/Beer in the Bushes?

This morning on my drive into the office I noticed the tents prepping for Wine in the Woods. Then I remembered the last time I was there and that none of the wine was very good. Granted that was probably seven or eight years ago and MD wine has come a long way since then. See Black Ankle Vineyards.

And while I love the idea that MD is starting to develop some decent wine, the bang for buck is still a pretty poor ratio. Given my wine budget (and the average P90 family wine purchase is in the $8-12 bottle range) I’m sticking with California, Chile, Spain, and Argentina. And when I do have $25-30 to spend, I’m probably going with a crazy good zin out of Ridge Vineyards.

So this got me thinking… While MD is trying to make good wines, we’re doing pretty great with beer! Flying Dog, ClipperCity/Loose Cannon, and Stillwater Artisinal (to name just three) are all making world class beers.

I realize beer has an image that is far more proletarian, but we’re talking craft beers here, not Beast. Maybe it’s time to add some Beer in the Bushes to Wine in the Woods? hocofood@@@

New Belgium Beer at Victoria Next Week!

Now that I have your attention…

When I was at Victoria for dinner on Monday, I noticed their flyer for Craft Beer Week. Like last year, they have some really exciting theme nights planned.

On Wednesday, they are doing “Lock, Stock and a Ton of Barrels” – focusing on barrel-aged beers. They mention Evo on the flyer, so I’m guessing they will likely have the latest Evo Menagerie. Of which Evo coyly stated “Brewery only except a few choice kegs that made it around the mid-atlantic…” Sadly, I have plans for Wednesday night. I love me some barrel-aged beers.

But more importantly, they mention that on Thursday, “Brewed to be Wild” night, that they will feature New Belgium Brewing (NBB). I figured New Belgium would be doing a lot of things to build word of mouth in advance of their September intro into DC/MD/VA. But this seems really early for that. I e-mailed with the folks at Victoria and they confirmed that they will indeed have a beer from New Belgium on hand. For all of you kids dying to get your hands on some Fat Tire, this is not your chance.

You say: “What? No Fat Tire? But you said they would have a beer from New Belgium?”
I say: Better. They will have the New Belgium/Allagash Lips of Faith collaboration beer, which will be long sold out by the time NBB enters our market in September. And for the record, Fat Tire is the least of the NBB beers. The seasonals (and Ranger) are where they really shine. Good thing I stocked up on Ranger and Mighty Arrow on a recent trip to NBB territory… hocofood@@@

Speeding, Irony, and a$$ holes

I live on a quiet residential street. My house is on a corner lot at the intersection of said quiet residential street and a cul-de-sac (I think this is French for a street with a circle at the end). Some of the people in my neighborhood drive like maniacs. The speed limit is 25 MPH and some of these jackasses are probably driving 50 MPH.

One of the jackasses lives across the street. He is constantly whipping in and out of his driveway at high speed. You probably didn’t need to ask, but yes, he drives a BMW. Not to get off track, but BMW should really simplify things and just switch to an ad campaign along the lines of “BMW – Obnoxiously aggressive drivers wanted.” Or maybe create their own word along the lines of Fahrvergnugen. Fuggingruden? Azzholedriiving? Beggestfuggingjaqazzontherode? Any of these work for me.

Now that I’ve totally lost me train of thought… Oh yeah, so this guy has a toddler-aged child whom we have never seen outside of the house. When one of our neighbors asked this guy to slow down his response was along the lines of “I live here. I’ll drive as fast as I like. Keep your kids out of the street.” Seriously dude. It’s a cul-de-sac. If you’re that starved for time, stop washing your car five times a week!

My favorite culprit is the woman who drives a silver Volvo wagon and lives on the cul-de-sac that has the “drive slow – children at play sign.” Irony – she’s the biggest offender. One day, she had the audacity to honk at me when she was stuck behind me and I was driving 30 MPH. I like to think there is a special place in hell reserved for people like her…

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Beers at Frisco

Tonight, Frisco Tap House in Columbia is doing a Sierra Nevada pint night. Along with many of the Sierra favorites, they will have the beer camp beers (coming soon to a mixed 12-pack and sure to be as hard to find as Hoptinum) on tap.

I’ll be there – I can’t wait to try Sierra’s take on California Common (aka steam beer, a term owned by Anchor). California Common beers are brewed with a lager yeast but fermented at room temp rather. I’m also looking forward to trying the Juniper Black Ale and the Double IPA.

hocofood@@@

Cinder and Smoke

Sometimes you just need to experiment. Today was that day. I had an urge for smoked meat stuffs for dinner and the only cut of meat thawed was a boneless chuck roast.

Fatty cut of meat? Check. But I’ve never heard of anyone smoking a chuck roast before. Time for the Google. I quickly stumbled across this recipe. Seems that I’m not that original in my desire to smoke a chuck roast. I’m still a little nervous as I have only ever braised a chuck roast.

I decided that a combination of smoking and then wrapping in foil with a little liquid would be my safest bet. I pre-heated the smoker to 225 degrees and prepped the meat. My basic rub is meant to be used for pork. I find that beef usually needs a little more salt and a little more spice. I added additional salt and black pepper to the rub, kicked in some ground chipotle, and coated the meat. I then put it on the smoker for an hour. I checked it and found the internal temp was (insert). At this point, I wrapped it in foil, added a little Dogfish Head Palo Santo as my liquid, and put it back on the smoker for another hour.

I pulled it off the smoker and brought it inside. It tasted great, but it was tough and chewy. I added a little more beer and put it in the crock pot on low for four hours. After that, it was delicious. The flavor of smoked meat and the texture of a perfectly cooked pot roast. Too late for dinner. Guess it will go on sandwiches on in tacos...

A Not So Bitter Buffalo

I was at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY last week while visiting family in KY. I’ve done tours and tastings at numerous wineries, breweries, and distilleries. And this was probably the best tasting/tour of any kind I have ever done. Ok, maybe it was second – the tour led by Sam at Dogfish for the 2011 WoCAaW was pretty great. Either way, the Buffalo Trace tour is in depth and accessible at the same time. And the tasting is delicious, engaging, and informative.

Our tour guide was Freddie. As it turns out, Freddie’s grandfather worked at the distillery, and Freddie first stepped foot in one of the barrel houses when we was four years-old. Freddie detailed the history of the distillery, discussed the grain bills used for various bourbons, and even listed the six or so that use wheat rather than rye in addition to corn and barley.

After this, we headed out to one of the rickhouses where Freddie proceeded to blow my mind. To begin with, I was shocked to learn that each of BT's bourbons come from different levels in the rickhouse and spend their entire lives in one location. I was under the misconception (from visiting other distilleries) that all bourbon producers rotate barrels to different levels of the rickhouse over the aging period.

I was also intrigued to see BT experimenting with barrels of different sizes. Our tour guide stated that there are no laws regarding the size of the barrel in which Bourbon is aged. The law only states that Bourbon must be aged in toasted new oak barrels for at least two years.

So, imagine my surprise when I learned that Jason Wilson at the Washington Post was also at Buffalo Trace last week. He was there for the unveiling of a new batch of whiskeys from Buffalo Trace’s “Holy Grail Project. The questions being answered – “Does bourbon taste better when it’s aged in barrels made of wood from the top of a white oak tree, or does it taste better in barrels made from the bottom of the tree?” To learn the answer, check out his article on the limited-edition Single Oak Project.

Leaving the rickhouse, one of the people on the tour asked about the “black mold” growing on the rickhouse, the nearby trees, and most of the other buildings on the property. It’s called Baudoinia compniacensis or "Angel's Share Fungus." And it was one of the ways that the Feds caught bootleggers during prohibition. Luckily, the bootleggers quickly realized that if they set up near coal mines, the coal dust and the mold looked pretty similar…

Mordecai is Back!

A few years ago, I was letting Daisy (the P90 family dog) into the backyard at the same time a hawk was swooping down. Daisy and the hawk almost collided and I’ve been fascinated with hawks ever since. The Mrs. would say I've become obsessed...

I usually see one or two in the mornings on my way to work, often at the intersections of 32 and 29 and sometimes at 29 and Brokenland. And there is a red-tailed hawk that I have named Mordecai whom I see most evenings resting on a street lamp on 32.

For the last 6-10 weeks I have not seen any. ANd shortly before they disappeared, I saw one dead on the side of 32. I feared that it was Mordecai.

But this morning, I saw him (or at least I hope it was him) perched on a lamp post above 32.

I’m not much of a birder, but from my research it seems that the most common species in HoCo (and MD in general) are red-tailed, red-shouldered, sharp shinned, and Cooper’s hawks. I recently bought a little laminated fold-out Guide to North American Raptors. From what I can tell, I see mostly red-tailed and sharp shinned hawks.

Anybody out there know more about birds? Any suggestions for best spots to view raptors in HoCo? Aside from road sides, I’ve mostly seen hawks and bald eagles at the Columbia Lake Front and Centennial Park.

Tooth Lotion

My two year-old (technically she's 2.5) is a stereotype. Tonight, she repeatedly slipped carrots to the dog (waiting ever so patiently under the table). When we told her to stop, she chewed them up and spit them back out on her plate. After that she was sent to time out. Her response - "I'm bad. I'm goin' to time out."

Later, she and my wife were upstairs. My wife noticed that she had been quiet for about two minutes and went to see what kind of trouble she was getting into. Turns out she had gotten down the tooth paste and rubbed it over her arms, legs, and face. Her response "It's my lotion. It's toothpaste lotion."

As we put her in the tub and explained that tooth paste is indeed not lotion she simply said - "Don't put it on my body? Just my mouth?"

Yes, apparently we need to remind kids that tooth paste is not lotion. I'm thankful we don't have a VCR - I'm sure she would be using it as a toaster...

Sears Auto is Dead to Me

I’ve been meaning to write a few posts on area businesses that I love. Looks like I’m starting out by writing about one that I don’t.

I work near the mall. When I need an oil change or a tire rotation, it’s super easy to drop the car off at Sears and walk back to the office. Last week, I took one of our cars in for an oil change and rotation. The guy told me that the tread on the rear tires were too low to rotate to the front.

Today, I took the car to Costco (better prices) to get the new tires. The guy at Costco was checking the tires and noted that the rear still have 70% tread life left and the front still have 80%! Glad I sought a second opinion. Thanks Costco – you rock! Four tires for the car in question is about $900 – that’s a lot whole lot of Hellhound on my Ale or at least one kick-ass guitar.

As for Sears, I’ll stop short of saying fraud. The words “dirt bags,” “cheats,” and “liars” come to mind though. Whatever Sears – you are officially dead to me.

SuperSecretSangria

I’m not sure when I first started making sangria – I’m guessing it was sometime late in the college years. I do know that I quickly became famous for my sangria (even though it’s a simple recipe that anyone can make). This concoction has led to countless hilarious quotes and pseudo catch phrases from friends and family. Susie and Jen – I’m looking in your directions especially! ;-) I’m guessing this is because it’s easy to drink but packs a healthy punch.

So without further ado, here you go.

Sangria
1 bottle of a fruit forward red wine - Spanish Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) work well
2 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. Agave Nectar
1 oz. Tequila (silver - 100% Agave - no mixtos up in here)
Juice from one lime
2 cups of chopped fresh fruit (oranges, grapefruit, peaches, lemons, pineapple, etc)

And here's a little Calexico...

HoCo Farmers Markets Open Today

Howard County farmers markets open this week! It’s still a long time until tomato season, but I’m excited to get some local produce. I'm planning to swing by the East Branch Library market on my way home from work on Thursday.

And while you are perusing the markets, think about this quote from Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation) in the Washington Post.

Three things American’s should be doing with regard to their food:

1. Educate yourself about your food, where it comes from, and the implications of eating it, not just for yourself and your family, but for everyone else.
2. Try to use your food purchases as votes for companies, farmers, and producers who are doing things the right way.
3. Get involved in community efforts and larger societal efforts to help build a new food system that's more sustainable and compassionate.

hocofood@@@