Laughing Wolf

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Cooking for the Wounded:  News and News

There is news to share this morning on the upcoming cooking for the wounded project at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.  I am pleased to announce that this event will now be held at the USO facility there, on Sunday 20 September.  The USO is even distributing some flyers about it.  In addition, there are some conversations underway with the Red Cross, and those are looking interesting indeed.

Even better, this effort will not be a one-off.  A week or so ago, the Lafayette Journal & Courier ran an article about this effort (a short version is here), and that resulted in my getting an e-mail from Katy Gunderson, owner of The Yellow Bowl Bakery in Lafayette.  It seems that she and her cohort in crime, Molly (a CIA-trained pastry chef), were very interested in the trip.  In point of fact, they are interested in not only doing another trip to Landstuhl, but in doing some things here in the U.S. for the wounded.  They also believe that we can get a few others to pitch in on such efforts.  We are now plotting and planning, so stay tuned for updates.  If you are in the Lafayette area, I can vouch for these two wonderful chefs, so give their business a try. 

Things are going, and if you haven’t already donated, please do so at Soldiers’ Angels noting that it is for “Cooking with Laughing Wolf."  I actually have found my chef’s coat and it still fits, so it is out for getting Laughing Wolf upon it and cleaning.  Now to make sure TSA doesn’t freak over the knife bag I will have with me... 

LW

who also notes that Soldiers’ Angels is now CFC #25131 in the Combined Federal Campaign... 

Crossposted at Blackfive

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Food That Made Me

I’ve been watching Top Chef: Masters, and the finale has sparked some thought.  The chefs had to come up with a four-course meal that reflects their culinary journey, what got them into cooking in some respects. 

This got me to thinking about my own culinary journey, and what my four courses would be given the very unusual path that took.

First/Earliest food memory:
My first course, based off my first/early food memory, would have to be a combination plate of carpaccio, steak tartare, and steak.  When I was young, my parents amazed and disgusted me by not only eating their steaks rare, but sneaking pieces of raw meat on occasion.  They laughed, and said that one day I would do the same.  Despite my vehement denials, oaths that never would I, I did and do. Of course, it didn’t hurt when we bought meat (as opposed to hunting), that Dad had worked for Armor meats and had been involved with buying, aging, and selling good meat. For these reasons, I would like to do a nice carpaccio from tenderloin, a nice tartare, and a perfectly cooked steak. 

The first really good carpaccio I had was in San Francisco at a restaurant that—if it is still there—I could walk to but can’t name.  It was good, but never made it into my little file.  It showed me the way to go, and has led to a nice exploration.  My favorite tartare was near the San Diego convention center, and a local businessman suggested that we get it, and then—with the blessings of the establishment—did the assembly at the table himself.  It was delicious, and a memorable experience.  Along the way, I realized my parents were quite right all along, and that really good meat deserves to be eaten rare. 

The steaks were a treat we had, sometimes once a week and sometimes once a month, for we were not rich by any stretch of the imagination.  When we could afford to have really good beef, it was a true celebration and thanks giving.  One of the most difficult things for a restaurant to do is a truly good steak, so doing it would pay homage to my parents and my youth, as well as some of what I learned in a restaurant kitchen. 

Experience that made me want to become a chef:
The experience that caused me to decide to become a really good cook was an experience with group cooking in a leadership X exercise, that resulted in fried chicken that was not merely raw on the inside, but had blood squirt out.  That not being something I care to repeat, much less foist on the world, I had to look at some other things.  That, and a botched experiment making cheese that resulted in evacuating the house while it was forcibly aired out, were not my most fond memories, but inspired me to move on and get good. 

Two things that influenced me were the losses, at different times, of some of the best chefs in Macon where I grew up.  One was at Len Berg’s (in the Old Post Office alley), large and jovial gentleman who steadfastly refused to share a couple of recipes with me (despite my 8-year-old pestering), saying that he would write a book one day.  A heart attack dropped him in his tracks long before that happened.  The other was the chef at the first (and truly the best if not only) fine dining establishment in Macon.  He was around for many years, but was killed in a robbery of the restaurant—and I admit that to this day I wish they had killed the miserable loser son-of-a-bitch who shot him in cold blood.  He knew it not, but he gave me my first taste of true fine dining, and while I can’t tell you exactly what it was, I still remember the experience at all of about five years of age. 

Fine, inspired, and different:  they inspired me and my parents showed me.  It was a whole salmon on the grill, stuffed with butter and dill, that re-awakened me to fish from the sea and that you could do more than just sear on the grill. 

For this, I would have to do a whole salmon three ways: on the grill, filled with dill, butter, and lemon, and an herb and salt crust on the outside; salmon croquettes, a favorite of mine as a child and one of the favorite memories I have of my mother cooking for me, but taken up just a bit by using fresh and good salmon; and, a smoked salmon roll with herbed cheese.

Signifies opening of your first restaurant:
I have never opened a restaurant, though I have worked in one very good one.  The closest I have come is cooking for groups of friends or semi-friends.  Two of my desserts have gotten rave reviews (as has my Scottish Ale), but also my steaks, roast lamb, and a special roast pork loin.  The latter is what really set me out, so I would do a pork loin stuffed with cheese, covered in olive oil and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, smoked paprika, smoked salt, kosher salt, mixed pepper blend, chipotle), fire roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and smoked sweet creamed corn. 

Where you are now:
I’ve been fortunate to explore cuisine literally around the world.  From the clean simplicity of Japanese cuisine to the heavier delights of Russia to the delightful tastes of northern Italy, I’ve gotten to sample a variety of styles and spices. 

For this one, I would have to consider doing lamb:  roast lamb to honor my start, larded with garlic and coated with olive oil, salt, some pepper, fresh rosemary, and nothing else; Middle Eastern lamb cooked as slowly as possible in yoghurt and other delights and with all the spices that made it stand out for me while there; and, lamb tenderloin done on the grill as I would a good steak, rare, clean, and with just enough spice to bring out the flavors.  Fresh red baby potatoes, in butter and with parsley, salt and pepper from my childhood; grilled asparagus that came to me from my restaurant experience; and, a mushroom medley showcasing one of the enduring loves of my life, fresh mushrooms.  A little truffle powder and/or oil, and the flavors stand forth even as they become a part of the larger dish. 

What about you, what would your dishes be? 

LW

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Three Years?

It seems like it has always been this way, that she has always been a part of my life.  Yet, it has been three years since Jenny was tossed from a car and into my world.  Despite a couple of missteps, things have gone far better than either of us could have planned I think.  I still find it amazing, and a bit disconcerting, that her main desire in life is to be with me at all times.  Of course, that is until she decides that what I am doing is boring and tries to convince me that we need to be doing something not boring…

Hunting and exploring are still major focuses of her life, though sad to say her eyesight is going, if not almost gone.  In her first visit to Dr. Julia, we estimated that she was 5-7 years-old.  Further examinations have, however, shown that she is now at least 11-years-old.  There is arthritis, but she doesn’t let it slow her down much, and it is funny that we both creak, pop, and grumble a bit sometimes when we get up.  Unlike me, however, she can take glucosamine/chrondroitin for it, and does so with gusto each morning as I put it in string cheese.  She has trouble jumping, but she and I have both found that if it thunders loud enough she can and will make it up onto the bed without help sometimes.  Mostly, she stays under, and has recently decided that under my bed is a great place for her to sleep, though I do have to be careful getting up now so as not to step on her as she’s coming out. 

She’s not shy at all now about asking for what she wants:

and it is amusing to see her get frustrated when I won’t do what she wants.  She has even been known to stomp a paw and toss her head when I don’t get something she is asking of me (or just refuse to do it). 

Last summer’s trip allowed me to figure out some more about her, and sad to say I think that she may have been dumped more than once in her life—though for the life of me I can’t figure out why as she is very housebroken, and has, for the most part, good manners.  I also know that there was a male who drank a popular but cheap beer who was a negative in her life; and, a dark haired female, most likely a teenager/adolescent, who was a strong positive.  She has been hit and had things thrown at her as well.  Some of the behaviors that show that have diminished in the time she has been with me, though certain movements can still provoke an instinctive reaction.  It also does my heart good to see her catch same, and stop, knowing she has little to fear in that regard. 

Jenny is a delight and I am glad to have her in my life. 

LW

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Welcome J&C; Readers

If you are coming here from the Lafayette Journal & Courier, welcome.  Please feel free to check around:  the archives are located on the left towards the bottom and you can find the archives for the previous version of this site here.  This is my personal blog, where I discuss life, food and drink, and even some philosophy—in short, the things that interest me.  I’ve been doing this more than six years now, and a few years ago was invited to be Civilian-in-Residence at Blackfive milblog, where I write about things military, international relations, and more.  I have never served in uniform, having turned down a commission back during the Carter years after completing the first part of college-level Army ROTC, and declining an opportunity offered by the Air Force a few years later. 

For the cooking, I hope you will go here and here to get the background.  I am doing this through Soldiers’ Angels, a wonderful organization I am proud to work with and be a part of, working with Soldiers’ Angels Germany.  You can donate here and there should be a way in the process to note that it is for “Cooking with Laughing Wolf.” I will note that Soldiers’ Angels Germany works extensively with U.S. and Allied wounded, and their families, and is part of wounded warrior operations that help the wounded and their families every step of the way. 

If you would like to help with some of the gear I am trying to get shipped over, or the mailing of same which needs to go out soon, drop me a line at blake at blakepowers and net.  My goal is to leave the wounded warrior barracks kitchen I will be using as well stocked with food, treats, and gear as humanly possible.  With your help, this will be done. 

I also hope you will check out Project Valour-IT, which gets adaptive laptops and other enabling technology to the wounded.  It was started by my friend Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, based on what happened to him after he was hit by an IED—and I hope that he does publish a wonderful essay he did on the day after he died one day soon.  Yes, he was clinically dead three different times after that blast and resuscitated a couple of times beyond that.  I also have ridden with him, and a number of other wounded warriors, twice now in the Face of America Bike Ride (scroll down to find it) in the spring.  Fair warning, we fundraise for that too, as it is a great way to get some of them out, active, and reminded that they are still a part of the team and still can do despite what happened to them. 

Yes, I have taken vacation from the day job to do two journalistic embeds in Iraq, and am working to get sponsorship to do one to Afghanistan. I will have to get sponsors to cover the time off without pay from the day job (having used up most/all of my vacation on embeds and stories), and for new/replacement gear.  When you embed, you have to provide all your own gear:  clothes, armor, etc.  Some of this is good for a lifetime, while much is not, including the armor. You can donate to Soldiers’ Angels for that too… To get a different perspective on me and my embeds, I highly recommend you watch (tissue alert):

though you can discount the credits at the end as there are some errors there. 

Want to know what an enemy cache looks like?  Well, here you go:

You can also read about night raid in Baghdad, about Christmas Eve in Baghdad and about a true gift of the season.  There is more, of course, but those are a few good places to start. 

If you have questions, feel free to ask.  There are a lot more stories, so take your time, look around, and yes you do have to register with a valid e-mail address to make comments—blame the spammers and some of the unbalanced in society.  If comments are closed on a particular post, blame the spammers.  I will be posting updates on the cooking effort here and at Blackfive, and more is to come.  Thanks for stopping by, and hope you enjoy the experience. 

LW

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cooking For The Wounded at LRMC

I will be posting on this mostly at Blackfive, but wanted to do a quick update.  I’ve contacted a major national company about helping out on this, and approached a local company as well.  I’ve reached out to local media, we’ll see what happens.  Meantime, fundraising continues as does the planning.  I really hope I can do more than one meal, and want to leave the wounded warrior barracks well stocked in terms of gear as well as food.  Yes, I know it won’t last as troops are troops—if it is decent to eat it will be eaten, and if there is a way to damage or destroy gear that Soldiers and Marines haven’t found… Doesn’t matter.  It will be there for a while, and that’s what counts.  Train ticket to Landstuhl gets bought today, last of the transportation issues.  Onward!

You can donate directly to Soldiers’ Angels, and note that the donation is for “Cooking with Laughing Wolf” Thank you! 

Thursday, August 06, 2009

First Bit Of Good News To Share

I am taking the first real vacation I’ve had in years, courtesy of the Borzoi and the English Werewolf.  Seems that someone has a good bit of leave, some of it possibly use or lose, so decided to make the most of it.  Seems they got an apartment in Paris for a month, and were crazy enough to invite a certain lupine pest to come loll around the door, or at least make use of the sofa.  So, I am headed to Paris where we will see the sights, make a trip to Normandy, and let me get completely away from the day-to-day for a while.  I can’t say how much I am looking forward to this, as I’ve never been to Paris (other than the airport) and want to do so while I can and while it is still there.  Icing on the cake was having a very unexpected something happen that took care of the air fare.  Part two of the good news is to come…

LW

Changes, Thoughts, and More

Sorry for the delays, but work and life have been hectic, to be polite.  It has also been time for some introspection and thought, and the annual evaluation/re-evaluation of life, the universe and everything. 

On the good news front, I’ve donated the majority of my aerospace library and memorabilia to the Purdue University Library Special Collections.  It is good to have it someplace where it will be take care of and not lost or thrown away if something happens to me.  There was more of it than I realized, though I am still looking for a few things I hope haven’t disappeared.  I had books from early on, loads of files, and lots of things from Spacelab missions and such. 

I’ve also realized that the dream of a family, of children to pass things along to, is not likely at this point.  I regret that, but it also clears the way for me to do some things and take care of some things.  Rather, to sell or otherwise give some things away as there will be no one to truly pass them along to.  Also, it gives me a good excuse to get rid of some things I no longer use.  Some art, some gear (scuba BC vest), china, and more. 

It is time to clear out life and house a bit, even as I work to deal with the interesting day stuff and more.  More soon, and some very good news to share.

LW

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

PayPal Sucks, PayPal is Epic Fail

Well, as promised here and here, I’ve just completed removing PayPal and parent company E-Bay from my life (made sure I got my money back first, not that I don’t trust them but...).  Not a word, not an apology, not any effort of which I’m aware to make right for shafting Soldiers’ Angels and our wounded.  Go read The Smallest Minority for a great recap and some excellent rebuttals to the “it’s all California’s laws/politicians/idiots fault and not theirs” arguments.  Go re-read Chuck’s post (hint to the clueless, such as those at PayPal, he’s the reason there IS a Project Valour-IT). May not blog about it again as a post of it’s own, but trust me I am not going to forget and there are many ways to remind others of this epic fail without a full post…

And, I even found ways to get money to Day-by-Day and Delta Bravo Sierra for their fundraisers without going through PayPal, and encourage you to do so as well.  It may be chump change to them, but even pennies add up when there are enough of them.  Even better, these talented people get all the money without anything skimmed via fees and charges... 

Oh, and I did call (408) 376-7458 and left a message telling who I was, the blog, and a polite message saying I was done with them.  I may have used the words despicable and such, but it was polite and calm. 

PayPal was asked to confirm they really didn’t hate the wounded.  The silence in the days since is deafening, and speaks volumes. 

LW

Content copyright C. Blake Powers and the individual authors. Comments become the property of C. Blake Powers and may be altered, edited, deleted, and used by C. Blake Powers or the individual authors without restriction or recompense.