I'll let my politics show a little bit -- the photo above is of some patriotic chocolate cupcakes I baked yesterday for a stoop sale, organized byBrenna and her cronies. All proceeds went to the Kerry-Edwards campaign. I heard they raised almost $900!
Nothing like cupcakes for a cause!
Last weekend Mickey Rooney and I were invited for a dinner party by M&S in New Jersey, friends we met via Porkchop. So Saturday we boarded a good number of trains and found our way to Elizabeth, where we were treated to dinner on the patio.
M. is a native of El Paso, TX and she treated us to a serious Tex-Mex feast. First off was homemade yellow rice topped with a spicy stew of beef and potatoes. This had some serious kick to it.
We were treated to homemade tostadas, atop which we could pile refried beans (made from scratch), shredded pork or chicken, chopped lettuce and tomato, and homemade hot sauce.
I first learned about queso, a spicy melted cheese sauce, from D.'s old roommate who hailed from Houston. Queso, which she made from obliterating a block of velveeta in the microwave and stirring in salsa, was her favorite condiment. 
M's version of queso was much subtler than velveeta, but nonetheless boasted a velvety texture and spicy aftertaste, perfect for adorning the tostada.
The feast was accompanied by Sagres, a tasty Portuguese beer, white wine that we had dragged from Brooklyn, and some hearty homemade Portuguese red wine, courtesy of S's dad. I also got a full lecture on the wine-making process from S, who plans to take it up himself one day.
We ate waaaaaaay too much. Much thanks to M & S for their superior hospitality.
I was home in MA for the long Memorial Day weekend. Mickey Rooney and I journeyed up on Thursday evening, and stayed until Sunday. Since the whole family was around (even James!), there was naturally MUCH barbecuing to be done.
I mentioned in a previous post that my father built his own smoker out of an aluminum trash can and a hot plate. It was the perfect occasion to revive this contraption.
The evening before the 'cue, my father cooked brisket and pork at a low heat all night in his oven. The next morning, he filled a bowl with smoking chips and laid it atop a hot plate at the bottom of the trash can (a hole had been drilled in the bottom of the can to accommodate the hot plate's wire). The meat was placed on a tray resting on screws, suspended over the smoking chips. The can was covered, the plate turned on... and five hours later, delicious smoked barbecued meat.
Naturally, my father crafted not one but two homemade BBQ sauces. The first was fashioned from ketchup and vinegar, intensified by hot peppers. The second was derived from a disdained and unwanted bottle of Peter Luger's Steak Sauce, which was doctored up with cilantro. Both were more than suitable compliments to our feast of unctuous brisket and tender shreds of pulled pork piled in to bulky roll sandwiches.
Hungry for BBQ?
- The Big Apple BBQ Block Party is this weekend!
- The NYC BBQ 2004 is July 24.
OK, one last meat shot.
Not bad for Massachusetts, huh?
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