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 Food for Thought
"Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent. Teddy told me that in Greek, "nostalgia" literally means "the pain from an old wound." It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn't a spaceship, it's a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards... it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It's not called the wheel, it's called the carousel. It let's us travel the way a child travels - around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know are loved. "
Don Draper - Mad Men
Do you watch Mad Men? We love the show. It's an almost perfect period piece from the early 1960's with historical authenticity & amazing style. The characters & story development are wonderful. But one of the things I enjoy most when we're watching is to focus on the background, the props, the ambiance of the scenes. I'm not a great fan of nostalgia. I think we have a tendency to idealize memories, improving them with our idealized views through the smog of time. But after watching an episode a few weeks ago I found my eyes drawn to a few things we have in the house. That's my lunch box - Lone Ranger. I have no idea how it survived until I finally brought it into my home. My mother, as did millions of others, threw out my baseball cards from the '50's & '60's, my comic books & who knows what else. But she saved my lunch box. I know the omnipotent hold those memories have on a parent.
When I took the picture it was probably the only time I had ever given serious thought to this object. Cheap sheet metal, sharp edges, lead solder in the seams, who knows what kind of toxins in the paint! It's a wonder we survived those days! I've been trying to remember what kind of lunches I used to bring to school. I seem to remember the color white. White bread, white mayo, pale food for sure. Strange that I don't remember PBJ's though. I don't recall it being a part of my mother's food idiom. But more about her idiom in another update!
Another great "save" was this Ballistic Missile toy. Patent pending date on the box is 1963. The Cuban Missile Crisis was in October, 1962. I'll bet that Don Draper or one of his buddies at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce were responsible for marketing this toy. See the circle of print in the lower right side of the box? It says "Designed be Missile Engineers". Marketing genius. Isn't it fun to think that the product, packaging & design were done in the crucible of Don Draper's Agency? I remember spending hours with friends shooting this rocket. It works, as I remember, by first "adding contents of one package of ALPHA-1 OXIDIZER" into the glass (yes OSHA - glass!!) bottle labeled Oxidizer Storage Tank. After shaking the bottle to dissolve the ingredients in water added, you poured it into the bottom of the rocket, locking it onto it's launch platform, waiting a minute until pressures built & pulling a 5 foot long string to launch. This rocket is about a foot tall. It took off with, as I remember, an enormous whoosh, spraying all of us with this vinegary smelling fuel. Amazing that no one lost an eye or limb, although I do remember the burning eyes after every launch. Think it's too late to sue those Missile Engineers?
We sold out of our new Tasso last week. We've made plenty more so stop on by for a taste. We'll have samples of it & most everything else we'll be offering at the Market this week. Our Tasso is cured for about 4 days in a beautifully savory cure - fresh thyme, garlic, juniper berries, black & white peppercorns & lots more & dried for a day. We dust the cured meat with a blend of cayenne, mace sage & others & smoke it over cherry wood. The result is an amazingly rich taste with so many levels of flavor. I'd offer a recipe this week, but this week I'd rather tell you about a sandwich I was given at City Hall Market last Wednesday. Maybe it will give you some ideas like it did for me.
Late during the market Chef Roy had brought to Miles & I a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches. It was one of the top sandwiches I've ever had. On a great piece of bread Chef Roy cooks the Gruyere & buttered sandwich on a panini grill. I don't know what other additions go in the sandwich, but it's cooked to perfection & served with a Harissa dipping sauce (yes, it's Grateful Bread's Harissa). The great surprise was that Roy had diced some of our Tasso & included it, along with a few cornichons. What a combination. Thanks Roy!! So don't just think of Tasso as a base for your jumbalaya, red beans & rice or gumbo. It's amazingly versatile!
Saturday's weather is going to be perfect. Stop by for a great cup of coffee & breakfast, listen to some live music & shop some of the best prepared foods & produce in Houston. We'll have plenty of samples for you as always. For all of you who missed our fantastic new Breakfast Sausage I promise we'll have lots, but don't come too late!
Remember that with a $35.00 order we deliver in Houston, & we also ship nationwide
Here's a link to much more information about the Urban Harvest Eastside & City Hall Markets. Come by and have a taste:
Urban Harvest Farmer's Markets
- Tasso
- Artisan Vodka-Based Vanilla Extract We use Dripping Springs Vodka & age in oak barrels for a year!
- Artisan Rum-Based Vanilla Extract We use Railean Texas Rum, distilled in San Leon, & aged for a year in oak!
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding
- Alder-Smoked Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella & Provolone, smoked in our kitchen in our custom cold smoker
- Fresh Jalapeno-Smoked Cheddar Sausage, Andouille & Chicken-Roasted Poblano Sausage - hints of ricotta salata, parmegiano regiano - a real treat. The Eatsie Boys "Frank the Pretzel"! Sausages
- Gianduia - the Anti-Nutella!
- All-Natural Longhorn Beef Sticks
- Harissa, the wonderful North African condiment made in artisanal small batches
- Maple Cured, Maple Smoked Bacon - the Best in Texas according to the Houston Press
- Pate de Campagne - a no-holds-barred French classic complete with pistachios
- Artisan Aged Worcestershire Sauce, aged for 3 months to develop a rich, mellow flavor great for meats or in a Bloody Mary!
- Whole-Grain Chardonnay Mustard
- Tart Cherry Mustard
- Alder-Smoked Natural Sea Salt Perfect as a finishing salt on fish, meats or veggies
- Our own All-Purpose Spice Rub - less than 5% salt & all flavor!
If you can't make it to the Market you can order our products on-line or by phone. We ship all over the country and we also offer free delivery within 10 miles of downtown Houston for orders of $35.00 or more.
Click Here to Shop On-Line
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