Gastronomic Monstrosity: Spleen Sandwich

I was perusing my second-favorite ( only to Facebook) website on Monday when I ran across this article written by The Atlantic’s own Tejal Rao. The article entitled, “Spleen, It’s What’s for Dinner” awoke me from an otherwise comatose day in front of the boob tube. You must read this article, if simply to digest my favorite line from this superbly-written hysterical account of the writer trying a spleen sandwich at the urging of her culinary curiosity:

“After a few bites I lift the bun to peek and the sandwich yawns an ancient, meaty stink.”

Sweet Jesus, What the eff????!!!!!

This was THE BEST article I’ve read in awhile.  I gotta tell you; I’m recharged again just reading Ms. Rao’s adept descriptions and wry sense of humor.  I’m going to try and read all of her  articles whenever I can.

Oh for those of you who need to see this in action, I’ve posted this just for you:

I’ve eaten haggis before, and lived to tell about it. I think I’m gonna pass on the spleen.

Enjoy!!

Kaiser Snowze or the Blizzard of 2010

Well, here is a taste of what we are dealing with in the Northeast ( Baltimore to be exact).

Now, I’m going to chill, maybe make something good and wait for the game!

A special thanks goes to http://thescottishgypsy.com for the great name for the storm! ( Go Saints!)

CC

Blizzard Provisions

I was supposed to have friends over for dinner on Saturday, but we are in for another 12 inches of snow.

Oh well ( hic)!!

Food rules from Michael Pollan

Meet Michael Pollan. This man is a journalist, author teacher and public speaker. He has a common-sense approach to how we should eat to remain healthy. I was first introduced to Mr. Pollan through a co-worker ( I work for a holistic internist and physical therapist), and became very interested in his philosophy of how to eat to live. I then was fortunate enough to catch him on Oprah and his segment was riveting to me.

In the segment on Oprah, Mr. Pollan discussed how food conglomerates have made mass production of the food we consume into a science, but questions if our food production practices are healthy for us. Take a look, and let me know what you think.

Michael Pollan’s website is http://www.michaelpollan.com

National Pie Day!!

Hey Guys and Gals,

Did you know that February 23 is National Pie Day?  Like Spongebob says, everybody likes pie.  Pies have been around for ages and originated as a container to hold fillings from meats, fruit and even live animals.  Today, pie is all encompassing; if you can encase it dough and bake it in a pan, it can be called a pie, or not ( shepard’s pie and tamale pie come to mind with a topping that acts as a crust)  Well, I say we chuck our diets and have a pie orgy.

Let’s see; I’ll start with a slab of Quiche Lorraine for breakfast,  Spinach Pie for lunch, and Chicken pot pie for dinner and was it down with a wedge of apple pie for dinner. Mmmm, heaven!  Now who can say no to Pie? I thought so.

The stuff of dreams!

(Thanks to Parrotnation.wordpress.com for this bodacious picture)

CC

You get what you pay for

Today, I noticed a pattern of sorts.

People are going all crazy all of a sudden over the alleged poor service at McDonald’s. First, there is the Toledo woman who went all bonkers when she couldn’t get her McNuggets and proceeded to punch out the drive-through window.  I was lying in bed when I heard this one and just chucked to myself. I thought, “What is going on in this woman’s life that she is seriously enraged over some flippety-flappety chicken nuggets?”

Then, this little tidbit flashed over the tee-vee screen as I watched the news about the mayor of my town ( Google Sheila Dixon). Well kids, some woman was so upset about the quality of her burger that she asked for a refund.The store denied her request, but offered her another burger instead.

Then the crap hit the fan. Yikes! Well, you get what you pay for.  I stopped eating fast food years ago, not because of a bad experience with service or anything, I simply believe that the overall quality of their food has declined over the years.

Let me explain; I’m a kid of the 70s, and I remember a time when going to get a burger at Mickey D’s or Geno’s was the ultimate for an eight or nine-year-old

Home of KFC and the Gino Giant

The food wasn’t mass-produced ad infinitum, and was always hot when you ordered it. It was a regular Friday night treat when my beleaguered mom gave the cooking reigns over to the burger chains of the day.

Not so now.  In my opinion, EVERY fast-food chain has slid down the tube of mediocrity. Yes the food is convenient, but over the years has lost its appeal for me. My experience has been the food is rarely hot these days (my roomie brought home some double-decker burgers from a global chain located six blocks from my house and they were cold when I opened them), and the taste faintly told me that the only time the sandwich buns encasing the “two patties” was exposed to any actual flesh was when I picked up the sandwich with my own two hands. Millions and Millions served doesn’t mean they all walked away happy.

I decided that if I wanted to eat a burger out, I would go to an ala-carte restaurant. This meant that I would get what I paid for.

When you only pay a nominal fee for a chee-burger or nuggets, then you shouldn’t expect much. Maybe these women should take that into consideration. If you want better service and a better product, you must be ready to pay for it. You can’t expect much from such mass-production of comestibles.

Vintage drive-up McDonald's

Boy, I wish I could turn back time.

CC

Gino’s photo courtesy of http://ginoshamburgers.homestead.com

Vintage McDonald’s photo courtesy of http://www.legendsofamerica.com

What’s for dinner?

I’m hungry.

Have you ever had a fridge full of food and utter that statement? I usually get this way only when it is cold. Currently here in Charm City, the temperature is a balmy 31 degrees ( I know; some of you in the Midwest would DIE for 31 degrees, You guys are catching hell out there).

It is at these times I want something warm, cheesy and gooey. Enter the Mac and Cheese, that would cut it. Nope, that would take too much time to make. Maybe something spicy like chili, or comforting as beef stew.  Shepard’s pie or lasagne? Maybe later when I have more time.

Meh. Not in the mood.  What are you in the mood for? What quenches your food cravings? Let us know.

I finally figured out what I’m craving. I’ll post the recipe manana!

Happy New Year!

Hello Y’all!

Culinary Chick went and got herself a netbook and is back in business!

Yeah, I know its about time.

A lot has gone on in the past couple of months.  My laptop broke, then I got a bootleg one that wasn’t worth the plastic used to make it. It literally took 30 minutes to get online. I tried to work with it, but after it kept freezing up while I checked my email, I seriously considered throwing good money after bad and invest in some memory.

Then I saw and used my first netbook, and I was hooked. I decided there and then that I would save my coins and get me some of that. It’s a bit small, but I like it. It even came with a webcam. I’ll have to play with it later.

Now it’s back to the business if resurrecting my readership. I hope that all of you enjoyed the holidays; I hope to win you all back, one reader at a time. If you’ve been checking in from time to time, I hope you continue to do so. Thanks for hanging in there with me through my sans-computer issue. I’m looking forward to bringing you even more food news, recipes and colorful commentary as only Culinary Chick can do.

Thanks again for hanging in there with me. Now, let’s get this party started!

The Culinary Chick

I’m sooo down for the Double-Down!!!

Oh, Sweet Jesus!!

I’m so down for the Double Down!

This is a travesty I tell you; a TRAVESTY!

Providence and Omaha are the only places where this sandwich is being tested, and quite frankly I’m a bit pissed off about it.

Why CC; are you miffed, you may ask?

I’m perturbed because I don’t get to taste it.  You know you want to taste it too.

Please save the faux indignation and disgust for someone who gives a care, ‘cause I ain’t trying to hear it.  This is by far a stroke of culinary genius, and you may end up having one by the time you eat this.  Using meat as bread??? Yes!!! And deep-fried meat at that? Oh Sweet Jesus. I’ve died and gone to heaven!

You all know I have a giddy fascination for all foods that are so obviously bad for you that eating it may cause an extreme reaction to anyone with health issues.  But what I like about this sandwich is that it is what it is, and there is no pretense about it.  Imagine yourself as that Twilight chick Bella; you know that Edward is a vampire, and he’s gonna bite you at some point. And, you ain’t scared.

Well, neither am I. That’s what statins are for. They are the proverbial holy water to the fat in that sandwich. You know what you are in for the moment you order this sandwich.  A day’s worth of calories and about three day’s worth of fat. I would have to go into training in order to eat this sandwich.

Let’s see: Eating salad with vegetables and no dressing for three days before and only drinking water. My consumption on the day of the suicide meal would consist of only water and a dose of Lipitor, then the sandwich and another dose of Lipitor after eating the sandwich. I would eat only salad for three days afterwards to counterbalance the negative effects.  Only then would my curiosity would be sated. I just hope that the anticipation is worth the risk.

Yes, I’m sure it will be.

** A note to all of you heath freaks out there. Don’t even bother to chastise me for eating and promoting the eating of this sandwich. Clean up your kitchen before you comment on mine.

Back online in about a weeK!!

I’m getting a refurbished laptop sometime next week, so Culinary Chick should bu up and running again soon. Thanks for being so patient with me; all of my blogging stuff was on my old laptop, so I’m sharing a desktop now, which makes it difficult for me to blog. Besides, it’s hot as all hell in my office, and I’ve dreaded using my desktop.

Thanks!!
The CC