Big Sugar

Drip, Drip, Drip

Forget oil, try on some sugar

Fat cats on the hill

Lying on their backs

Hedons drinking their fill


Gulp, Gulp, Gulp

Overweight, obtuse

One can, forty grams

Can you lie to an ignoramus?

Say it ain’t so syrupy friend


Big Sugar, Big Sugar

You led us all astray

A soda can a day

Makes fifteen pounds a year

That’s one fat pay out


Say it ain’t so (diabetes)

Say it ain’t so (heart disease)

Say it ain’t so (cancer)

Say it ain’t so

Big Sugar



 

The PB&GC

In honor of last week’s Zingerman’s Delicatessen Review, I decided to make a sandwich. A very special sandwich. The PB&GC, aka:

The Peanut Butter and Grilled Cheese Sandwich

While this may sound a little too out there, it’s a fantastic take on either the classic PB&J or the classic grilled cheese, however you want to look at it. The trick is to start with high quality ingredients, simple as they may be.

I used freshly ground peanut butter and cracked pepper parmesan bread from Whole Foods,  and Kilaree cheddar cheese from Ireland. A solid start.

Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on one side of both slices of bread.

Place your cheddar cheese on one slice and top it with the other, peanut butter facing the inside.

Butter up the top slice of bread and place it on a skillet over medium-low heat. Butter the other slice while it’s cooking.

After a few minutes (when the crust is a nice golden brown), flip to the other side and repeat.

Don’t skimp on the quality folks! It makes all the difference! Don’t come whining to me if your Jiffy, Kraft Single, and Wonder Bread PB&GC disintegrated into the skillet. Or worse, disintegrated into your mouth. It should melt. And sorta stick a little.

Gooey, gooey, delicious!

 

Zingerman’s Delicatessen Review

I’ve always felt that sandwiches have gotten a bad rap.

“Oh, I can’t be bothered to cook, I’ll just make a sandwich.”

Sandwiches rarely find their way onto dinner menus of any kind, and are often overlooked in favor of something more exotic. Their cousins: wraps, calzones, tacos, and even burgers, usually sound far more appealing than “just a sandwich,” not to mention anything else you could order at a restaurant or prepare yourself.

But can sandwiches be classy? Will they ever be considered as a top tier meal choice? What is class anyways?

You say wine, I say box of. You say caviar, I say onion dip. You say catered affair, I say take out. You say poetry, I say beat boxing. You say art gallery, I say subway graffiti. You say opera at the Met, I say underground rock show.

You say fancy restaurant, I say deli?

I’m not trying to say any of the above are good or bad. I like each and every thing mentioned, but folks often approach class with a certain fervor. Whether you refer to it as ‘hoighty-toighty’ or a ‘way of life’, class is in our everyday vocabulary, or at the least, even if we’re not talking about it, class surrounds us and influences our actions towards each other and our environment.

Rat Heaven.

As humans, we like to categorize, and we like to judge. Some of us may be better at hiding it than others, but it’s our nature to rank objects, ideas, and values. From personal beliefs to lifestyle choices, from food to fashion, from sports to the arts – we rank these within a hierarchy of respect, likability, and preference; and we judge those (harshly or not) that don’t follow the same hierarchy we have created for ourselves.

I had jon and amy's double dip, #67.

Zingerman’s Delicatessen sells sandwiches, and I would defend them as classy until the bitter end. Are they pricey? Yes – arguably overpriced. But are they pretentious? No.

Class is so much more than fancy frivolity or an expensive price tag next to a designer logo. Class is elegance: effective, superior, but most importantly – simple. True class is decidedly anti-frivolous. Class doesn’t hide behind a chic appearance and never pretends to be something it isn’t.

An individual with class need not state it. And if someone does tell you they’re classy, it’s safe to assume they’re not. Do let them pick up the check, however. Their ego and your wallet will both thank you.

Zingerman’s runs its business with the utmost of seriousness and sincerity but isn’t afraid to poke fun at itself. Their employees are professional, courteous, and helpful, but at the same time down-to-earth, funny, and both able and willing to engage you in a conversation about anything.

Check out the Queen, Wallace, and Grommit.

Corporations hire the services of ZingTrain, the program Zingerman’s has always used to train its employees. Their training was so effective, for deli workers, that it developed into a seperate business that trains the employees of major corporations around the world. That’s class.

The double dip.

Zingerman’s savvy practices and commitment to both quality and service have spawned a literal empire that remains local yet has worldwide renown, from its humble beginnings as a deli on 422 Detroit Street in 1982, to the 10+ businesses it currently owns and operates.

My kind of sandwich.

So – can sandwiches be classy? Absolutely. Will they ever be considered as a top tier meal choice? Probably not. But hey, who said an underground rock show can’t be as entertaining, intellectually stimulating, and emotionally fulfilling as an opera at the Met?

Talent is talent, taste is taste, and class is whatever you want to make it.

Say what you will about the latter, but Zingerman’s has the former pair in spades.

My kind of brew.

Zingerman’s Delicatessen

422 Detroit Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-663-3354

Learn about Zingerman’s other businesses here.

 

Chitterlings

As an unabashed Yankee living in Alabama, I had naturally been curious about ‘Chitlins’ for quite some time. What are they? Why does everyone suddenly cringe and make disgusting noises whenever they are mentioned? Even (many) southerners?

I’ve earned quite the reputation around the office over the years (I eat anything and everything and a lot of it), and I knew a Chitterling show down was inevitable.

Luckily for me, Chris Spencer, the Director of Community Development at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships, had the hook-up.

I finally did my research, instantly regretted agreeing to eat them, and then put my game face on. For all you Yanks out there, this one is for you.

(You need to click on these photos to see the scrumptious Chitlin textures and awesome facial expressions in greater detail)

Yummy!

They smell bad.

Hot sauce to the rescue!

Maybe?

The cornbread helps.

Sorta.

Feeling queasy.

Another take.

Also queasy.

Last bite!

You can do it!

I did it!

Pass the good stuff!

Mission accomplished.

Special thanks to Chris Spencer for providing the Chitterlings and Robert Wood for providing the photos.

 

Pineapple Curry

I love curry and order it out at many restaurants, but I’ve only made it a few times myself. When pineapples were on sale at the grocery I saw it as an excuse to jump start my curry cooking career and try something a little different. It turned out pretty well!

Curry Mixture

2 tbs red curry paste

1 tbs mirin (rice wine)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 lbs chicken, cubed

Cook the curry paste and mirin over a low heat until it starts to foam like in the picture below.

Add the chopped garlic and onion and cook until they start to soften, then add the chicken and cook at a medium heat until about halfway done.

Coconut Milk Mixture

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

1 tbs fish sauce

1 inch ginger root, peeled and diced

1/8 cup fresh lime juice (1 lime)

Add the above and stir until well mixed.

This process makes sure that the curry spices ‘activate’ – the curry wouldn’t be nearly as flavorful if cooked in the coconut milk right away.

Veggies

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 chili pepper, chopped

12 oz mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped

1 can bamboo shoots

Continue cooking until the chicken is done. Remove from heat and serve over rice, garnishing with chopped cilantro and pineapple slices.

Pretty and delicious.

Note: While pineapple is my favorite fruit, I’ve never really liked it all that much in savory dishes (pineapple on pizza? please!), so I chose to use it as a garnish. You could very easily put it in the pot with the vegetables and you would have a much sweeter curry. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!