Rock and Roll all night

Ok, Guitar hero 5 is out. Today is a good day. I figure, why buy it when I can rent it first and see if Im gonna like it, so that's what I did. I also went ahead and got Fast and Furious to watch when my inner Rock god needs a break.
Last night I tried to watch too different movies and just couldnt sit through them. First was House Bunny with Anna Farris, love her in the Scary Movie series, but it was just not holding my attention. The other was Pineapple Express. Now I like Seth Rogan, liked him in Knocked up, Superbad, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, but it just wasnt cuttin it for me. Maybe Im just picky when it comes to my stoner humor.
Yesterday however, I did go and see The Final Destination. The race track scenes were shot in Mobile so hopefully Alabama will come through with a significant chunck of the opening week sales for the movie. Awesome movie, and it helps that it was in 3-D cheesy yes a little, I mean ya cant have a little 3-D without some cheeseyness to it. My favorite scene in the movie had nothing to do with horror though. There is a part where a guy is using a table saw, and you feel like the plank of wood is coming straigh at your feet ( mine were propped up cause there was 11 people in the theatre) or eyes for you sittin up folks. It was just friggin cool lookin. Good movie for you gore and bloodlusting movie fiends.
That brings us to our Zombie tip for the day... like the smooth transition there folks ? blood gore, zombies, I am gettin better at this writing thing. Ok here ya go.

Zombie tip 4: Know your suroundings. I dont mean just the physical roads, but the buildings aswell. Know where the stores, gas, hunting supply places are in your area. Know how long it takes you in a car, or on foot to travel to each of these places from your Base of security. Banks however are basically useless, Zombies dont care about money, and getting locked in a safe isnt good for ya either.

Recipe: Basic white stock:

5 lbs chicken bones
5 qt. water
Mirepoix
1/2 lb onion
4 oz carrot chopped
4 oz celery chopped
( the smaller you cut them, the easier it is to extract the full flavor and shorten the cook time, but dont mince them into oblivion)
Sachet d'pice :
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp fresh thyme ( dry will do, but cut in half if using dry )
1/4 tsp black peppercorns whole
3-4 parsley stems
1 whole clove

You are supposed to blanch the bones, but I dont, I just skim a little more than if I had blanched them, this aint a competition

Place the bones in stockpot and cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and skim the scum from the top carefully with a spoon, or laddle, add the Mirepoix and the sachet D'pice ( you can put them in cheesecloth for easier extraction, but it wont kill the taste if you dont. ) Simmer for 3-4 hours for a good hearty stock full of flavor. You can however if making this for just a one or two person soup base, cook for about a hour and a half, it will impart good flavor and saves time. Strain through a small mesh strainer, preferably with cheesecloth to catch all the bits, especially if you didnt bag your spices and cool. Now if your taking this stock and using it directly for a soup, do not chill, just continue on to your next recipe.

Wayne Gisslen: Professional Cooking 5th Edition by Wily books.

Flour, grease, and sweat yumm yumm

Well, I have learned a new secret to dieting. Be one person short at work, and you will run your butt off and lose weight. This however is counterproductive since I work in a restaraunt. But you get the idea. They worked us like mules Friday, and today was just as busy. Fortunately I was prepping today and not on the line. A temp difference of about 20 degrees. Alas both days were good and smooth kinda like good ice cream. ( with only a few nuts lol )

I feel obligated to include something Kevin Smith(ish) today. His daughter Harley Quinn is based off of a comic character from the Batman animated series. Mallrats, great movie, starring Joey Lauren Adams of Dazed and Confused fame, is actually a prequel to Clerks, because it in the time line happened the day before Clerks takes place.

Zombie Survival tip 3: If you happen to have the need to go up a set of stairs, or climb up onto a roof, or some other elevated surface for protection. Once all in your party is safe, destroy the stairs, ladder, rope, pile of wood whatever helped you get up there. This may seem a lost cause but, if you can climb it, chances are a zombie can too. No matter how slow and feeble they may look, they seem to be persistent little suckers. A broke wrist is a much better alternative in my opinion from jumping down, or a broke leg, than a having to be killed for getting turned into a zombie.

I realized that I had forgotten to include " the above recipe" wich is a ingredient in the beer mop. So here ya go.

All purpose dry rub
3/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2TBLSP chili powder
2TBLSP garlic powder
2TBLSP onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper


Mix all ingredients in bowl and store in cool dark pantry
yields 2 cups: good for pork, beef, and poultry

Rockband rocks.. well, twangs

Ok, I am addicted to Guitar hero and Rockband. It truely is for those of us who grew up air guitaring to our favorite bands, and now it is even better. How so you might ask, I'll tell ya, Rockband now has a country track pack, with current country hits aswell as a couple of classics. No Hank Jr. though, so I'm a bit saddened All in all I am enjoying the track pack.

Zombie Survival tip: If your friend or loved one gets bitten by a zombie, and they are not Mila Jovovich, or Kate Beckinsale, or Orlando Bloom ( for the wifey ) Kill them immediately after you kiss them good bye. It never turns out good, and in just a few short hours or days, (depending on who is directing hehe ) they will turn on you and you will become one of the mindless hoards. So Kill em quick, clean, and MAKE SURE they are good and dead ie: see zombie tip #1.

Recipe: Simple yeast rolls

1 gal. warm water (128 oz )
1 cup sugar (8 oz )
1/2 cup wesson oil (4 oz )
1/2 cup yeast (4 oz )
4 tsp salt ( pinch over 1 oz )
(optional ingredients, sundried tomatoes, black olives, chopped garlic )

combine all ingredients in mixer and let bloom, this takes about 5-10 mins depending on the temp and humidity. Once bloomed or foamy looking add 3-5 lbs of white high glutton flourand mix on medium until it is pulling together and away from mixing bowl. Turn out into large mixing bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size. Using a little flour on your hands to keep it from sticking, pinch and roll dough into golfball size pieces, place in muffin pan and bake @ 350 for 5-7 mins.

Now folks this makes about 144 rolls. I advise you to cut it down for home use, just keep the same ratio and it will turn out just fine.

Until next time sports fans

Recipes, Zombie tips & Kevin Smith

Ok so here goes this blogging thing...You may be wondering why the zombies and Kevin Smith, yes the actor and drirector Kevin Smith of Jay and Silent Bob fame. Well that is simple, my best friend David introduced me to the world of Askeview and the Jay and Silent Bob movies about a year ago. I became a little o.c.d. with them, from " An Evening with Kevin Smith to Clerks 2. I would randomly quote various things this incredibly tallented and funny man would say and my loving and patient wife asked me one day if Kevin Smith was gonna be living with us since I just wouldnt shut up. I told her we had a second bedroom.
Zombies on the other hand, well... One can never be too prepared for the Zombie appocolypse. I havent yet gone as far as rationing and hoarding food caches and water and fuel supplies. Mostly cause we dont have the room for it. Though we do have a standup freezer now...hmmm, anyway, I figured I would just watch as many tacky zombie movies as I could, to learn what not to do. As well as how to survive. I will do my best to post useful survival tips with the bloggin updates.
Recipes however as something I do have some actual practical knowledge of. Being a chef does have its advantages. So here ya go.
Zombie survival tip : Decapitation, when in doubt remove the head. You choose your own method here ie: shotgun, chainsaw, tnt, logging chain hooked to a wrecker wench. Its about creativity and practicality, you use whatcha got.
For you BBQ guru's and Grillin Comandos a good mop, that yes I have made and it works wonderfully.A side not for the recipes, I wont put any recipe on here that I have not tried, or made myself. How else could I know it works ? If the recipe came from someone other than me I will be giving the props to the respective person as is the case with this Beer Mop.
Beer Mop

12 oz beer
1/2 cup cider vinegar ( apple )
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil ( corn or canola )
1/2 onion chopped small
2 each garlic cloves choped but NOT minced )
1 TBSP worchestershire sauce
1 TBSP All purpose dry rub from above recipe

Combine all in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then keep warm, but not a boil

Yileds 3 cups: best on chicken, pork, and beef

courtesy of Exec. Chef Ian Tarica