bloody mary buffet

a good bloody mary, like a good martini, is hard to find.  a bloody mary is really a meal, whether hungover or not.  if tragically hungover, serve it straight up, strained, like a martini, for effect.  when serving marys for brunch, offer an array of garnishes for variety.  make the mix ahead of time if you like, but there's something to be said for conversing with a guest while tailor-making their drink.  In a pint glass shaker nearly filled w/ ice, add a dime's worth of  horseradish, squeeze a quarter lemon  & add as well,  plus 3-4 grinds of black pepper.  pour in 1 1/2 oz good vodka (smironoff is reasonable and of consistent quality)  a 2 count of worcestershire and 3-4 good shakes of louisianna hot sauce and almost fill with tomato juice.  (you can substitute clamato juice for an east coast bloody caesar or add a jigger of consume for a bloody bull)  fit the aluminum can over the glass and shake.  pour directly into another glass rimmed w/ celery salt, or strain into a large martini glass rimmed w/ celery salt & add a pinch of dill to finish.  have the garnishes set up for the guests to choose.  fresh stalks of celery, bacon strips, pickled beans, carrots, green beans or asparagus for stand-alones.  also, queen green olives, pickled green tomatoes, onions, cauliflower and pepperoncini that can be speared onto bamboo skewers.  and as a variation on this theme, for a great bloody mary salad dressing, check out eatwelleatcheap.blogspot.com.

fermented cabbage

i noticed that cabbages were 29 cents a lb. @ lucky.  in keeping with my current economic paradigm that we cook and eat what is on special, it's therefore time to make sauerkraut.  there were always 2 items in our czech cupboard as a kid, apple sauce for the pork and sauerkraut for everything else.  i thought kraut was a pickled product, but after visiting the majusiaks in watertown, where they had a 55 gallon plastic garbage can bubbling in their kitchen, and much later after tasting the stuff my uncle bud from seattle made, i learned differently.  quarter, core and thinly slice 6 cabbages.  you can use a cuisinart w/ the shred attachment, or a sharp knife. i prefer a rougher cut.  i put the cabbage in a 6 gallon, antique red wing crock that was my grandmother's.  add 3 cups sea salt and mix well with your hands.  then pound with the head of a kitchen mallet or tenderizer long enough to release the water contained in the cabbage.  cover with a dish cloth and let it set for at least an hour.  i use a plate the fits just inside the crock and lower it on top of the kraut in waiting.   follow that with a bladder made from a small garbage bag w/ enough water in it to seal the crock.  this will keep the mixture airtight.  loosely tie it off then add a half gallon plastic juice bottle filled with water to keep weight on the plate.  i place the crock in the back of the kitchen counter close to the stove so that it remains @ room temp.  it has to be warm enough to get things working.  (you can as also easily use a small plastic garbage can & plastic liner, bleed the air out & tie it up tightly)  usually 3 weeks or more is enough to complete the process.   pack in quart jars or zip lock bags after and refrigerate.  to transport it, remember to keep it on ice.   there should be plenty for your family and the usual summer pot lucks.  my grandmother & mom used to serve it with caraway, dill or mustard seeds, or a combination of all 3, while gently heating.  a little paprika or parsley for garnish adds color.  it can be eaten cold as well.  the fermented food movement lauds the digestive advantages of the likes of kraut, i can only attest that it tastes great as a bed for homemade sausages, on a classic reuben or as a side with pork chops w/ applesauce.  if you have fresh salmon fillets, try placing a generous coating of kraut & dill on the fish, wrap in heavy foil and bake on a 350 grill for 20 minutes.  the sauerkraut recipe is loosely based on an article by michelle anna jordan in the press democrat.

slow that dog down

billie, the blue heeler pictured to the right with her pal pee wee the pomeranian, was rescued from the shelter.  i believe this is the reason she has always eaten as if it were to be her last meal.  it's like watching a piranha pick clean a t-bone.  it can't be good for her or her digestion. only a czech grandmother could take pleasure in observing the velocity and volume of her inhalations.  we believe in tasting and enjoying food in our house, and that extends to the dogs as well.  (i add a splash of homemade broth du jour, leftover rice or veggies, oatmeal or bran flakes to add variety).  to counter this situation, i've placed 4 golf balls in her bowl so that she must root around them to get to her food.  it takes her significantly longer to eat now, and is a pretty comical and entertaining little par 4.  she also enjoys pawing them around when finished.  the number of golf balls should vary depending on the size of the dog and bowl.  in this particular instance, they're certainly put to better use in the dog bowl than on the golf course. bone apetite.