I eat weird foreign food: Head cheese

The eyeless hog's head staring at me would probably have been enough to send most Americans running back toward the door. I bit my tongue and avoided any Lord of the Flies references since most of the staff at this particular restaurant seemed to speak perfect English. This was not the sort of place where you receive menus, pick and choose your meal, and select a wine. Essentially, you sit down, they bring you out food, and then they charge you. The only paper involved is your cash. No bills, no menus. We were immediately brought a mezzo of wine and our own plates of prosciutto. Our table was then brought two plates, one with a thick slice of salami (house cured, like all the other meats) and the other was a slice of head cheese. Head cheese is not a cheese but rather the olive loaf of meats. It is prepared by boiling a pig's head after all of the organs have been removed. The meat (among other things) is then removed and put into a mold and left to cool till it becomes gelatinous.
I must say, it is as appetizing in its appearance as its preparation makes it sound. My friend who is studying in Italy insisted that I try it and I agreed to, but I implored him to not tell me what it was or what was in it. I had one bite and could not do anymore. I was bombarded with 3 different textures: gel-like, chewy, and whatever word best describes the texture of cartilage. The taste was a bit off, not quite ham but ham-esque. But the clear offender here was the texture. My friend, who is usually quite adventurous when it comes to food (he had ordered tongue the night before) had to spit his bite back out on to his plate. I would only recommend head cheese to people who have a high tolerance (perhaps if you enjoy ham hocks or pigs feet?) or as a dare.

Cheesesteak tour

Our bloggers will be ranking the areas best cheesesteaks next week, any ideas for places are appreciated will will rank the top 5. Were trying to keep it somewhat local, philly, and the immediate south jersy area.

I hate Dane Cook

I just dont understand why people think Dane Cook is funny, I mean he just runs around and is energetic and stuff but is that funny, I dont know I need more from a comic, perhaps some half decent material or funny jokes. His movies are also terrible and honestly uncomfortable to watch. I really dislike everything about I mean he just talks about regular stuff and not even in a funny way. I hate Dane Cook.

Mount Rapmore

Standard blog stuff here, but I figured we should get it out of the way. If there was a Mount Rushmore style monument for rappers who would be on it,& Heres my list and why.

Tupac- He's the Abe Lincoln of the list without question the most influential and important rapper ever. Hes a mortal lock and really not up for debate.

Dr.Dre- After Pac the list is really a free for all I like Dre because 1) NWA 2) He ushered in the whole era of gansta rap. Plus he introduced the world to Snoop and Eminem.

Eminem- Probably my most debatable obviously em is gifted with a sic flow, he didnt have the impact or importance of the first two rappers on the list, but his talent is undeniable. If he has one more great record and produces a couple of more great tracks hes a lock, but tenatively Ill put him on for the time being.

Russell Simmons- the last choice was the hardest, Ill talk about who I excluded first. Notorious B.I.G Biggie was great but I dont think he did enough one great album and one solid album dont warrant a spot among the greats for me. Most will argue that if I have pac I have to have biggie, I just dont see it that way. I will add the caviat that if biggie's life hadnt been cut short he had the talent to be on the list. My next exclusion was Jay- Z to me I just never got it with him, being the richest and most corporate rapper doesnt make you the best, some may disagree but I just cant shake the thought of em murdering him on renegade. To me Jay came along at the right time with the right gimmick to make an impact, but hes not one of the all time greats. I went with Russell Simmons the man meant more to rap then everyone else on my list combined, he completely changed the game, shining the spotlight on artists like Rakim, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and so many more, I relize he cant rhyme a lick, but its unfathomable to have a list of important figures in rap and not have Mr. Def Jam on it.

Link

This is a funny article from our friend Rob Neyer over at espn http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=neyer_rob

Wilford Lawrence's Birthday

Today is Wilford Lawrences (Pat Bateman) 25th birthday, so happ birthday from everyone of your colleagues at the Aspot. Wilford will be making an appearance at Wegmans in Moorestown between 5 and 7 p.m. et.

Sick And Tired

Am I the only person anymore who takes pride in the way in which I speak? Subject verb agreement seems to be virtually nonexistent. Has America forgotten simple Language Arts? I was at a local shopping establishment yesterday picking up some last minute items for an upcoming trip. The destination, South Beach, but I should not digress. I was paying for some suspenders, and a calfskin belt at the register. As I reached into the inside of my topcoat to retrieve my American Express, I heard something that will forever change me. It came like a freight train straight to my ears, my face got red, and I instantly began to perspire. I heard the voice of a woman, most likely in her late 30's, say, "He don't like his shirts all stiff." My defense mechanisms went into full swing, and after dropping my AMex on the counter, I turned with utter disgust and scowled at the woman. I was speechless, part of me wanted to exit as fast as humanly possible as to not breathe the same air as this woman, but another part of me was compelled to teach a crash course in 2nd grade Language Arts. Nonetheless, I paid for my goods and swiftly exited. My disgust began to swell, and cause me extreme discomfort. What makes this woman think that it is acceptable to blurt out phrases that do not make sense. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used. Not only was her sentence structure incorrect, but whoever she was buying shirts for is dead wrong as well. He must be a liberal Democrat that probably likes his shirts flimsy. As you all know I am a starch Republican, and prefer shirts with some "heft" and a heavy thread count. What say you?

Triumph

I went to Triumph Brewing Company http://www.triumphbrewing.com/indexfl6.html, the one on 2nd and Chestnut last night for a birthday dinner. Chris Beyer a friend of the blog has recommended Triumph on several occasions, I was skeptical though because I don't normally appreciate the pretentiousness of most brewerey/restaurants . My experience at triumph was wonderful though, the first thing I noticed was the 5 to 7 happy hour with $3 pints and $5 mixed drinks great value for any old city watering hole. We started with Hummus, pretty solid average, warm pitas and Hummus that was flavorful without being overbearing. I had the Triumph burger for my main, a delicious burger, rivaled only by Standard Taps. The patty was clearly fresh. I also appreciate the way the burger was cooked I ordered it medium rare and it came medium rare, there was a pinkish hue that medium rare meat should have so many places now are to afraid to cook the burgers to order and do everything medium well and well, I mean its already dead you dont have to cook the meat until its gray. I had a few pints of the Amber Ale it was nutty without being heavy I enjoyed it. I also heard good things about their german beer that has an 11% alchohol content I usually find beers with that high and alchohol content to be too heavy but this beer looked light, I will definitely try it on my next trip. There was also live music, pretty average college band stuff but the first group did an above average cover of Mazzy Stars underated classic fase in to you. I definitely reccomend Triumph for a nice afterwork meal and an above average happy hour.

Heath Ledger

No long post here..just a random point...As we all know, the unfortunate and untimely death of a hollywood "actor" Heath Ledger has headlined the most recent of entertainment broadcasts. God rest his soul, but the aussie will be remembered more for his overdose, then his acting ability...my big issue with his fame is simple: put any straight man into a homosexual and controversial role..and we have a great performance..How can respectable critics be truthful regarding Heath Ledgers portrayal of backwoods queer, and not face the wrath of the liberal media? I have nothing against the homosexual way of life...a less convential appetite for life if you ask me.. Heath ledgers credentials include "Ten things i hate about you"...a popular and predictable teenage movie where the main character is paid to take out a shy and socially defiable girl, to gain access into her younger sister. Grade F. He also had leading roles in "a knights tale" and "the order"...both less then stellar.....Heath (RIP) had a breakout role, in "Monsters Ball", where he portrayed a police officer who saw the truth behind racism and was torn by his own family values...The only worthy scene is where he is giving the local working girlr her comeuppance. Once again, not even a nomination by the academy. So why the fallout...why the overemotional media?.....Because he played gay on film...he was "the first of his kind"..."heroic and inspirational"...Were ya? There is such a double-standard in american media. John Rocker blasted blacks and gays and he is still crucified.. An apology was not enough...but Heath Ledger overdoses on drugs...let me repeat that..overdoses on drugs, a role model for young, impressionable teenager uses drugs, and he is still remembered and missed publicly. Mish Mish

Bill maher is satan

Sleepless in New Jersey

I tossed and turned last Sunday night, which for me is very unusual. I tend to sleep like a corpse.
There were a few factors in this. For one, the excitement of moving consumed my thoughts, however my mind stubbornly resisting my efforts to sleep, as I tried to shove my legs into a comfortable position adjust my pillows and relax. For another, I was suffering from an awful Subway experience..... how they can legally provide such sub-par dining and food is beyond comprehension.. My stomach was a mess.
But I think the biggest factor was the truly strange TV program I viewed earlier Sunday night. It’s called “Dexter.”
I’ve heard little about this show, which apparently has been on the premium cable Showtime for a couple of years. Star Michael C. Hall, so good in the HBO series “Six Feet Under,” plays a serial killer who works as a police blood splatter specialist. "Best thing on TV", some critics were saying, but I didn’t get Showtime, so the claims were up for interpretation.
Certainly not the kind of show that ordinarily makes its way onto network TV, land of brainless game shows, Pussycat Doll tryouts, Skinny and crunchy Flava Flav, and the infamous "celebrity rehab". Best wishes to my pal Daniel Baldwin. But the writer’s strike has made the networks desperate for programming, and suddenly, here was the first season of “Dexter” on CBS, of all places.
I decided to watch some of it, of course, and it was entertaining. Hall walks around with a sociopathic grin, marveling at the depravities of some guy who drains the blood from his victims and carves them up with surgical precision. We know, because we see the carved bodies, right there, reassembled like Tyrannosaurus bones.
Emotionally detached, Dexter goes through the motions of a strange dating relationship with a damaged woman, content as long as she doesn’t need anything more than his occasional physical presence. When she forces herself into a clumsy attempted seduction to seal the deal, he’s petrified. This is the last thing he wants.
I actually watch the hero of the show immobilizing, murdering and dismembering his victims! Granted, they’re killers themselves — his late foster father, aware of the boy’s … proclivities after discovering the bones of neighborhood pets, found a way to channel his impulses in this direction — but it’s still pretty astounding. I remember when CBS was the network that hung on forever with shows like “Matlock" and "Everybody loves Raymond" content with a geriatric audience. Andy Griffith never dismembered anybody.
Anyway, it was entertaining, and I'd recommend this show to most people if they are to catch it on a whim as i did. But the juxtaposition of CBS and “Dexter” must have tripped a mental wire, because I was plagued with weird fever dreams, and a cold, glazing sweat. I felt like I slept about two hours.

I eat weird foreign food: Pate di fegatini

First off, I am vehemently opposed to the eatting of organs/glands in almost all cases. I believe that dining on such animal parts is only acceptable as part of some sort of act of respect for the animal, like a Native American using every part of the buffalo. Though it is mostly due to the food's appearance that I feel this way, the texture and sometimes the taste are also offensive to me for the most part. I know that there is a gastronomic undercurrent nudging some restaurants towards dishes like sweetbreads, but I am most certainly not on board. My palette has managed to find an exception however, in Pate di fegatini. Pate di fegatini is a staple of Tuscan antipasti. Every meal I had at a restaurant during my time in Italy began with a plate of prosciutto, bruschetta, and this delicious appetizer. Pate di fegatini is a patte made from chicken livers, onion, celery, and marsala (in its simplest form), served on top of a crostini. It has the texture of traditional patte, not overly smooth but still so much that the crostini is a neccessary counterpoint. It is not quite as gamey in flavour as goose liver patte, but there is still a prominent smokiness to it. I recommend it to anyone who would like to try (or has already enjoyed) goose liver patte or foie gras. I found that when the crostini was buttered prior to grilling, the dish was significantly improved. It is an excellent starter dish, even for the uninitiated.
Cheers.

Fort Washington Eats

I had a business lunch at carrabas today. I don't usually frequent midpriced Itailian chains, but the restaurant selection was not my choice. I ordered the chicken marsala banking on it being a safe choice that any decent italian restaurant could manage. I was dead wrong it was terrible the chicken was dry to the point that it was like rubber, and the sauce seemed to be loaded with salt, now I am a big prponentof salt and pepper as they are the forgotten seasonings it seems like, but this was overkill. I couldnt stomach more than three bites of it, I let the waitress know of my displeasure, she apologized but didnt take it off the bill. No matter though, because I took it off her tip. If in the Fort Washington area looking for a fast adequate business lunch head to Carombola a quaint BYOB that offers standard Italian fare done right.

Link

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillygossip/Rob_Guarino_writing_weather-mystery_novel.html

Blogs

There will be three regular bloggers on the site, Alex DiTullio, Wilford Lawrence and Jeff Bell. We will discuss various topics food, sports, movies, trips, and even mix in some current events. Also, we will note our live appearances for our regular readers.

Dunkin Donuts finally produces a solid sammie

On the reccomendation of one of our readers, I went and checked out one of the new flatbread sandwiches from Dunkin Donuts. I was apprehensive, even with the strong endorsements the Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Sandwich no matter what variety is the worst sandwich around. The problems with their breakfast sanwich are fundemental, fake processed chesse the cardinal mistake in sandwich making, also if you opt for the croissant its alwys overcooked and stale. So when I orded the turkey flatbread melt I was pleasantly suprised, the cheese tated like real cheddar melted perfectly into the moist turkey and crisp flavorful bacon. It was also great value at just over four dollars for the sandwich and a fresh brewed iced tea. I also noted they had personal pizzas now on the menu, I will make a point to try one next, I admire Dunkin Donuts for taking a step up and overall give the sandwich a solid 7 out of 10.