Saturday, February 28, 2009

Grandma And Grandpa Eddy

Wasn't I a cute lil' bambino, huhhh????

Grandma Eddy and me. The lady was an Angel Of Love walked on earth ~ loved her God, loved her family and loved her country ... never asked for, nor expected anything more than what she had. She was the real deal.

Grandma & Grandpa Eddy (Walter and Lyda) and me ... circa 1951. Note Grandpa's farmer tan, and he got all gussied up in his Sunday overalls for this picture takin' ... even buttoned his collar button. He was a God-fearin', honest, hard-workin' salt of the earth man. They don't make'em like that no more ~ God rest his soul.
~~~**~~~**~~~
Osborne Brothers ~ White Dove

Friday, February 27, 2009

It's A Long Hard Road

Put A Lil' South In Yer Mouth

Having satiated my sweet tooth yesterday, I turned to savory today with some kicked-up fried pickles and onion straws ~ made a great breading with crushed saltines, Pringles bbq potato chips and Dizzy Pig Jamaican Firewalk seasoning ... also spiked the egg wash with some of Rawtalent Gary's homemade lemon drop hot sauce. Never ate none better. Slide Show <---click
~~~**~~~**~~~
Steve Miller Band ~ Jet Airliner

Leavin' home, out on the road
I've been down before
Ridin' along in this big ol jet plane
I've been thinkin' about my home
But my love light seems so far away
And I feel like it's all been done
Somebody's tryin to make me stay
You know I've got to be movin' on

Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Cause it's here that I've got to stay

Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I've trusted
I've got to go out and make my way
I might get rich you know I might get busted
But my heart keeps calling me backwards
As I get on the 707
Ridin' high I got tears in my eyes
You know you got to go through hell
Before you get to heaven

Big ol jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Cause it's here that I've got to stay

Touchin' down in New England town
Feel the heat comin' down
I've got to keep on keepin' on
You know the big wheel keeps on spinnin' around
And I'm goin' with some hesitation
You know that I can surely see
That I don't want to get caught up in any of that
Funky shit goin down in the city

Big ol jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Cause it's here that I've got to stay

Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah

Big ol jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Cause it's here that I've got to stay

Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Carry me to my home
Oh, oh big ol jet airliner
Cause it's there that I belong

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Peach Upside Down Cake

Mais, what's a fella gonna do when he's got a powerful sweet tooth cravin' ... and a pantry scan turns up one lonely lil' can of peaches, huhhh? Here's what. Got whipped cream???
~~~**~~~**~~~
Johnson Mountain Boys ~ Let The Whole World Talk

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ain't No "Blue Box" Mac & Cheese

Whooooboy, hot out the oven ~ mac & cheese, kicked up w/fresh grated cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, cottage cheese, sour cream, couple eggs, milk, splash of Wooster, finely grated onion, a few tomatoes ... salt & cracked black ... topped wit a lil' ancho powder & a few butter pats ~ baked al forno. Mac & cheese for breakfast ~ is this a great country, or what?

COMBAT

The Rat Patrol

Twelve O'Clock High

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Tri-Tip Pit Beef / BBQ Pork Chop Combo

Whooooboy, ah had to put down some plastic on the kitchen floor and eat this one standing over the sink!! See the full slide show in the post below ... ain't no sissy sammy, ah garrontee!

Pit Beef & BBQ Mixed Grill

Fired up a smoker today, mixed grill: tri-tip seasoned wit Dizzy Pig Raising The Steaks, pork chops seasoned with DP Swamp Venom & swabbed with my buddy Rawtalent Gary's homemade bbq sauce, ground sirloin steaks seasoned with DP Redeye Express, and some all-beef hot dogs. I sliced the tri-tip very thin (med-rare) and piled it on a soft bun with onion & lotsa horseradish ~ tri-tip pit beef, Baltimore style. Slide show <---click
~~~**~~~**~~~
David Bromberg ~ Mr. Bojangles

Monday, February 23, 2009

Breakfast Big'uns

Scratch sour cream/white cheddar catheads, loaded up with some homemade apple/maple sausage patties and fried eggs ~ breakfast biscuits, kicked up to the moon! Slide show <---click
~~~**~~~**~~~

OK ... had several peeps wantin' mah biscuit recipe, so here's one I just made up from recollection ~ on account I just made biscuits yesterday: (all measurements are approximate, as I don't rarely ever measure nuthin')

Sour Cream / White Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups AP flour
1 cup SR flour
1 heapin' TBSP baking powder
1 heapin' TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP cold butter, cut in small cubes
3 TBSP cold crisco, cut in small cubes
Approx 3-4 oz good white cheddar cheese, shredded
Approx 1 cup milk
Approx 1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400*

In big bowl mix the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt. Then add the cubed butter and crisco & cut it in with a fork ... object is to have lil' bb-sized pieces of fat throughout the flour. Once the butter/crisco is cut in, add the shredded cheese & mix well ~ so that all the shreds of cheese are coated with flour. Now, whisk the milk and sour cream together, and add it to the flour. Mix just until it all comes together ... DO NOT OVERMIX ... if the dough is a lil' dry, add a lil' more milk ... if the dough is too wet, add a lil' more flour ~ it ain't rocket science.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board & gently press it down to desired thickness ~ I like at least an inch thick, mebbe a lil' thicker. The thicker the dough, the taller your biscuits will be. DO NOT KNEAD the dough, and don't be rollin' it out with a damn rolling pin! Cut the biscuits, whatever size & shape you like ... transfer to lightly buttered baking sheet & into preheated oven for 14-20 minutes (depending on how big you cut yer biscuits) or until golden brown. BTW, square biscuits taste exactly the same as round biscuits!

* I use mix of AP flour and SR flour because the AP flour is a lil' harder & has a lil' more gluten, while the SR flour is softer & gives the biscuits a lil' lighter rise
* I use a mix of crisco and butter because the crisco makes for a flakier biscuit, while the butter adds flavor & has a lil' water in it which is what evaporates in the hot oven & gives the biscuits lift
* Biscuits should be baked in a hot oven (400-425*) so the water in the butter turns into steam & creates lift to the biscuits
* Overmixing, kneading, overworking/rolling the biscuit dough causes the gluten to form, creating tough biscuits. Don't work the dough any more than absolutely necessary ~ once everything comes together, stop working it.
* I used milk & sour cream this time ... because that's what I had on hand. If I'd had some buttermilk, I would have used that (no sour cream) ... if all I'd had was milk, I would have used only that. Love the one you're with.
~~~**~~~**~~~
Marshall Tucker Band - Searching For A Rainbow

Sunday, February 22, 2009

This'll Git Yer Biscuits Baked...

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

Marty Stuart ~ The Unseen Hand

There's an unseen hand to me
That leads through ways, I cannot see
While going through, this world of woe
This hand still leads, me as I go

I'm trusting to, the unseen hand
That guides me through, this weary land
And some sweet day, I'll reach that strand
Still guided by, the unseen hand

I long to see, my Savior's face
And sing the story, of his grace
And there upon, that golden strand
I'll praise Him for, His guiding hand

I'm trusting to, the unseen hand
That guides me through, this weary land
And some sweet day, I'll reach that strand
Still guided by, the unseen hand

Still guided by, the unseen hand...

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Eddy Family Coat Of Arms

"The Cross Gives Me Welcome Rest"

Lonesome, Onery And Mean

I found this old pic of me, taken way back when I was Chef at the Continental Club (circa '78-'79) ~ having a ciggie break, it appears. Jeez, what was I thinking with the ciggies? Anyway, I was a rowdy boy back in those days ~ whiskey bent, and hellbound!
~~~**~~~**~~~
Hank Jr. ~ Whiskey Bent And Hellbound

I've got a good woman at home who thinks I do no wrong
But sometimes lord, she just ain't always around
And you know that's when I fall, I can't help myself at all
And I get whiskey bent and hell bound

Play me some songs about a ramblin' man, put a cold one in my hand
Cause you know I love to hear those guitar sounds
Don't play 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' I'll get balled up inside
And I'll get whiskey bent and hell bound

Sure enough about closing time, about stoned out of my mind
And I end up with some honky-tonk special I found
Sure as the morning sun come, thinking of my sweet girl at home
And I need to get whiskey bent and hell bound

Play me a song about a ramblin' man, put old Jim Beam in my hand
Cause you know I still love to get drunk and hear country sounds
But don't you play 'Your Cheatin' Heart' cause that'll tear me apart
I'll get whiskey bent and hell bound

Yeah, old Hank's songs always make me feel low down

Friday, February 20, 2009

Hibachi Burgers ~ That's The Ticket

Early in my career, I was Chef at a Holiday Inn in Emporia, Kansas ... and in addition to the regular dining rooms we also had a club called Kathie's Club (named after the owner's daughter). The club was closed for lunch, so I decided to open it over the lunch hour & feature big gourmet hamburgers & kick-ass bloody mary's. This is the menu (front and back covers) for that venture ... designed and hand-drawn by my very talented friend, Fred Johnson. I've always loved this menu ... and in the days to come I will scan the inside of the menu and upload it here. The gourmet hibachi burgers were a huge success ~ the concept being big charcoal grilled burgers with different gourmet toppings ... that were served to the tableside on a real Hibachi grill with live hot charcoals in it ~ a big hit with the customers! BTW, the lil' caractiture of the chef in the lower left of the menu cover, is me!

Eat More Fish

~~~**~~~**~~~
Glenn Miller ~ Chattanooga Choo Choo

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Quail Hash w/Andouille

Mais ... I had a cooked quail leftover from yesterday ... so what's a hongry man gonna do wit one lil' bitty quail, huhhh?? Make hash, dat's what. Why hash ... because I like hash, dat's why!! Soon as I took these pics, I fried up a couple over easy eggs on top dat quail hash & thought seriously about slappin' my mama fer not making breakfast so good...(g) Slide show <---click

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Billy Joe Shaver

Quail Etouffee

Not often I kick up a covey of quail in the coonass cucina ... pan fried and braised tender in a spicy/garlicky homemade etouffee sauce ~ served up over cheesy andouille grits. Slide show <---click
~~~**~~~**~~~
Robbie Fulks ~ Bury The Bottle With Me

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Monday, February 16, 2009

I Feel Pretty ... Oh, So Pretty

A Nickel's Worth Of Grits

Made some cheesy caramelized onion, smoked andouille sausage fried grits for breakfast yesterday. If you think you don't like grits ... you ain't never had'em this way!
~~~**~~~**~~~
Earth Opera ~ Time And Again

Saturday, February 14, 2009

A Valentine's Day Rose For Mama

For the mama that tried ~ her favorite, the yellow rose of Texas. XXXOOO

Mom, Dad & Me

1951 ... I was just a few months old ~ Mama was 20 years old

Me & Dad ~ I look like I gotta poop, eh?
~~~**~~~**~~~
Iris Dement ~ Mom And Dad's Waltz

I'd walk for miles, cry and smile, for my Mama and Daddy
I want them, I want them to know
How I feel, my love is real, for my Mama and Daddy
I want them to know I love them so

In my heart, joy tears start, cause I'm happy
And I pray, every day, for Ma and Pappy
And each night
I'd walk for miles, cry and smile, for my Mama and Daddy
I want them to know I love them so

And in my heart, joy tears start, cause I'm happy
And I pray, every day, for Ma and Pappy
And each night
I'd walk for miles, cry and smile, for my Mama and Daddy
I want them to know I love them so

I love them so...

Friday, February 13, 2009

Kicked-Up Goulash

A quick scan of the fridge and pantry yesterday turned up all the ingredients to make a pot of goulash. I dunno why this dish doesn't git more respect ~ it sure is good eats!
~~~**~~~**~~~
J.J. Cale ~ Hey Baby

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Tony Rice - Church Street Blues

The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous

Simply Because It Taste So Good
~~~**~~~**~~~
Commander Cody ~ What Made Milwaukee Famous

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Venison Creole

This is a venison roast I cut into thick steaks, dredged in seasoned flour, browned then smothered in a homemade creole sauce (tomato sauce, onions, green peppers, celery, carrots, fresh garlic, mustard greens, etc) and braised tender ... over fluffy white rice.
~~~**~~~**~~~
Magnolia Sisters ~ Chers Amis

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Running a Lil' Hot...

This is for real ... two elderly people, a man and his wife, were on their way to Greenville, NC and stopped at McDonald's in Farmville (just off of 264 East bypass) last Saturday ... and did not know they had hit this deer!! Someone in McDonald's had to tell them. The old man said he noticed the car was starting to "run a little hot" the last few miles!!!!!
~~~**~~~**~~~
Buffalo Springfield ~ Rock & Roll Woman

Monday, February 9, 2009

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Ramblin' Jack Elliott & Norman Blake

Sunday Smells

Smells like Sunday in my house today ... just like Grandma's house used to smell on Sunday when she was baking apple pies and peach pies. I just took this fresh apple & peach streusel out the oven ... thinkin' mebbe I oughtta go run a lil' quality control check on it, yeh ~ just to make sure it's fit fer human consumption.

Good Christian Soldier


Kris Kristofferson ~ Good Christian Soldier

Saturday, February 7, 2009

The View From Home

View of "Savanna" from the hill ... the top of the main barn and silo. That's Cecil Kolterman's farm in the distance. That gravel road, going west, leads to Onaga (about 6 miles away) and going east, leads to Havensville (about 4 miles away). As a kid I logged many a mile down that road, both ways, on my ol' Schwinn bike with big maypop tires ... tough travelin' dat, what with fishing poles, tackle box, bait bucket, etc. Lotsa times I'd catch BIG HUGE fish when I went fishin' ... but couldn't tote them home on dat bike, so I hadda throw'em back. That's mah story, and I'm stickin' to it ~ yeh.

View from the hill just east of the farm ~ the house is hidden by treetops but the roof of the barn is visable. That's me in the lower right hand corner of the pic ~ I had given my camera to a friend & asked him to go up to the highest point of the hill and take this pic.

View from the SE (I was standing out by the old hen house) of the main barn, calf barn, brooder house, pump house and loading chute.

From the east, view of the main barn, the brooder house and the pump house. The pump house is the lil' white building next to the brooder house ... it housed the electric pumps that pumped water from the natural well below it, to the house. The pump house had a sliding roof on it (the only way to get inside the pump house) and I have memories of my dad spending hours inside there in brutal cold subzero temperatures, with an old blowtorch, trying to thaw the water pipes when they would freeze in the winter. Even though it was well insulated and dad would stack bales of hay all around it in the winter to act as a windbreak ... the pipes still froze every winter. Several times every winter ~ meaning no running water in the house ... no bath ... no toilet facilities, etc. Hard times, come again no more.
"Let us pause in life's pleasures
And count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor...
There's a song that will linger
Forever in our ears
Oh hard times come again no more"

The "calf barn" ... we also raised pedigreed dogs (cockers and scotties) for several years, and kept them in this building.
~~~**~~~**~~~
Bryan Bowers ~ The View From Home

Black crow sitting on a red roof, house on a hill
Old yellow truck in the driveway got some miles on her still
Out front the pavement's buckled where the roots have taken hold
To the south lies the mountain, a glory to behold

Down on the lake, countless boats are sailing
Up on the shoreline, a single figure runs
And off in the distance, the Cascades rise fiery
Burned in gold by the setting sun

Up north lies Alaska, our last true frontier
Out west lies the ocean, and Olympics so near
Back east lies madness, say what you will
Say I'm a maniac, singing on a hill

Out on the road, we tell all the turkeys
Yes it's always raining and the sun never shines
But all the natives know when the mountain lifts her skirts
The view from home will flat-out melt your mind

Friday, February 6, 2009

Spicy Beef Stir Fry

Piled high on a bed of fluffy steamed rice ~ spicy garlic schezwan beef and stir fried veggies.

Spicy Beef Stir Fry


Tex-Mex ABTs

Stuffed with carne adobo, homemade refried beans & Spanish rice, aged white cheddar ... wrapped with bacon, dusted with a lil' Dizzy Pig and smoked over pecan wood. We be settin' the woods on fire, ah garrontee!! Slide show <---
~~~**~~~**~~~
Los Lobos ~ Mustang Sally

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Pumphouse Seven Business Plan

OK ... one of the questions I'm asked most often is: "How do I put together a business plan?" So here is the business plan that I put together for the sports bar I was planning to open in Kansas City about 10 years ago. Feel free to download it (it's a 12 meg .pdf file - over 20 pages - so it takes a while to download) to be used as a template or guideline for putting together your own business plan. Thanks to my buddy Mike, in Indy, for hosting this file for me.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Pumphouse Seven Sports Cafe

This is my logo for a concept sports bar/pizzeria that I was going to open in Kansas City ~ theme was fusion of sports memorabilia and old vintage gas station petroliana. I had everything ready to go on this project, including financing ... but ultimately I was not able to come to terms with the landlord of the location I wanted, and after a couple years of legal wrangling I pulled the plug on the project. I've made a .pdf document of the entire business abstract I put together for this venture, and will share it here as soon as I find a place to park it. Logo was done by Perry Brown Graphics.
~~~**~~~**~~~
R. Skaggs & T. Rice ~ Bury Me Beneath The Willow

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Flatpickin' Workshop ~ Clarence White

Clarence White

I been listening to a lot of Clarence White lately ~ an amazing guitar player (he played a 1935 Martin D-28). I think Norman Blake is the best ever (don't tell Tony Rice I said that), but Clarence, had he lived, would have given Norman a run for his money.
~~~**~~~**~~~
Clarence White ~ Bury Me Beneath The Willow

Monday, February 2, 2009

Perspective

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'

'It was great, Dad.'

'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked.

'Oh yeah,' said the son.

'So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?' asked the father.

The son answered:

'I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.'

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Kinda makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have, doesn't it?

Clarence White Joins The Byrds

Breakfast On Da Bayou

Chunky fried potatoes & onions, seasoned with cajun seasoning ... topped with smoky andouille sausage gravy and a couple fried eggs splashed wit a lil' Tabasco ~ who says you gotta make sausage gravy with boring ol' American breakfast sausage, huhhh????
~~~**~~~**~~~
Sonny Landreth ~ Backwater Jam