My 2nd Cooking Class at Central Market: 50’s Themed Night
October 24, 2007
My first cooking class was an extravagant 5 course Thai meal. This time, I decided to create 50's fare...so I arrived in black pumps, my hair flipped out just so, full make-up (including a nice brown eyeliner!) and a perky cotton lace dress, complete with sash tied into a bubbly bow on front. I wore my grandmother Martha's apron, and brought the stand alone white iron recipe holder (it folds out into an angel!)
Chef Paul was also dressed for the 50's themed night...in red high top sneakers, hair slicked back, white beefy-tee with cigs rolled into the sleeve, and cuffed blue jeans. Ok, I don't know what the deal was, but he and I were the ONLY ones dressed for the evening, and I felt like Mrs. Cleaver. He was looking very American Graffiti. I felt like his mother!!!
From my splendid, mesmerizing menu, we created many happy meals, music and memories. And I promise...everyone who experienced the evening will remember us for our quality, service AND value! As my Uncle Nookie used to say, "You are but a stranger here once!" He would say that at family reunions. And, dagnabit, I plan on carrying out his promise at every tradition I create at Central Market and beyond!
Remember, if my homecooking pleases you, tell others! If not, please tell me!
Here's what was created with love and served with utter joy from this evening's event:
Chicken Tetrazini (my mom's recipe!)
The Business Men's Special (hunk of beef, 1/2 cup of beer, slices of American cheese, onion and tomato soup...all baked together in a lovely avocado colored casserole dish!)
Brunswick Stew (a hearty, rib sticking meal that you can prepare in under a day....The result is bound to please the family after a long day of Christmas shopping! This stew includes two squirrels (we used chicken), onion, ham, tomatoes, lima beans, 1 small red pepper pod, corn, Irish potatoes, salt and pepper...mmm!)
Fyldt Hvidkal (Stuffed Cabbage)....You literally slice the top off of a cabbage and insert the following ingredients (bread crumbs, ground round steak, eggs, ground pork, milk, onion, flour, salt and pepper), then tie the top back on with string, simmer in a small amount of water for two hours, and place on a platter. Cut like a pie or into triangular pieces and serve. I served it with raspberry Kool-aid on ice with a splash of vodka! You can also create a nice tomato based sauce for an extra tang. My mom used to do that.
Ozark Pudding (you know my family is from the Ozarks, don't you? Now you do!) This is such a yummy dessert. In includes peeled apples, brown sugar and turns into a lovely souffle, which we served with Cool Whip while the pudding was still warm. MMMMmmmmm.
Forgotten Cookies...what? Huh? Hey! Where are those cookies we made! These are cookies you have to leave in the oven overnight WITHOUT peeking (makes them fall.) Oh, man. You MUST come to my next cooking class. You sit and eat while I show you how to make the food you are eating, and you leave with my handmade/handdrawn recipe books...all part of the service, my friends.
Oh, yea...I sing as the courses are being served. Hence the name CM gave for the evening: Music on the Menu. Cool, huh?
I'd like to thank Paul, Phil, Robyn, Steve, Mark, Phyllis, Kelly, Meredith, Linda for all their love and support in making this class possible. I know I am forgetting some of the volunteers names, and I apologize for that because you are ALL so awesome, working hard in the kitchen behind me to prepare food for FORTY people while I yap on up front, stirring and creating frothy concoctions, yammering on like I've been a chef all my life while YOU...yes, you, you awesome volunteers...are sweating it out in the overheated kitchen, and yet, somehow laughing and staying calm and getting everything to flow like a feng shue river. Bless you all. I love you. If I wasn't already married, I'd marry the entire kitchen staff and we'd just eat Forgotten Cookies together under the oak trees and sing to one another on our ukeleles.
Until then....Bon apetit!
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:55 pm
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My Friend, Cat!
for my family and me! Thank you, Cat, for all you do to help us in so many ways!
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:32 pm
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A holy man was having a conversation…
The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The holy man said, "I don't understand."
It is simple," said the Lord. "It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:25 pm
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Beard Needs our Help!!!!
October 18, 2007
John "Beard" Brewer, ruler of the Dada doorway
Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 10:24:57 AM
Mark Graham
Amanda Newman, new co-owner of Club Dada, sends word this morning that iconic Dada doorman John "Beard" Brewer has been at Parkland Memorial Hospital since Friday night. Brewer suffered what friends are referring to as a seizure. Doctors had expected to remove a breathing tube last night, but did not: Reports a friend of Beard's, who paid him a visit last night, doctors are "still checking for fluid in his lungs."
Writes Newman this morning: "Beard does not have insurance, and we are trying to quickly put together a benefit to help defray the costs of his medical care." Folks who'd like to pitch in can reach Newman via her e-mail address : .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
"I've known Beard since I was 16 years old and trying to sneak into Dada," Newman says. "When Dada came into new ownership, we got Beard back at the door, and it made Dada feel like home again. Beard is Dada in a lot of ways. He's the gruff guy who sits outside with his arms crossed and always has a funny insult for somebody. But he'll bend over backwards for anyone, and it's our turn to bend over backwards for him." --Robert Wilonsky
HEY EVERYBODY
I love Beard. He was always incredibly good to me. He took me out to eat with his daughter, Stanzi, and always made sure I felt safe at shows. He introduced me to other
awesome people, and was like a very protective big brother.
I'd like to do a benefit concert at Club Dada, and I'm hoping Brave Combo will come out and we can do one together, like the old days when I wore a white leather
cowgirl dress and boots (what?!...yes, I did.)
If you don't know Beard, let me say he is all things good and gruff, topped with cinnamon sugar and a heart bigger than Texas. But he can also pummel anyone that
would be intent on hurting anyone else, altho he has a great way of using his gruff to get things to come to a stop before he'd ever resort to actual, physical ka-pow.
If you do know Beard, you are already planning ways to get fund together to help him.
Beard, you'll never read this, but I am putting it out in the universe and up to God that I love you (both already knew that) and I'll do my damndest to help you out.
Keep up the good fight and heal!
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:38 am
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MacHenry’s Closing
regulars who knew each others' names, who shouted out
yours the minute you walked in the door, who made sure
you had something refreshing to drink and caught you
up on what was going on in the world of music.
I am very much going to miss this place that offered
me the freedom to be me, to sing my songs, to talk as
long as I wanted from the stage.
A home away from home.
Deanna, you did a great job booking and I love your
spirit, your voice (can you sing!) and your enthusiasm
for making MacHenry's flow. And John, thanks for
making a club that was about the music and the
friendships.
America....don' t forget your pubs and smaller, family
owned businesses. They are what made this nation who
it is. Places to work and share one's talents during
the day, and a place to relax at night. Hand in hand,
are we losing the simple basics that feed humanity's
soul and give people hope? Will everything continue to
grow into Wal-Mart, Starbucks (coffee AND music) and
Home Depots? How can people know who they are and grow
as compex, satisfied individuals who, truly, care
about themselves, their families and their communities
if there is only one collective borg?....
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:30 am
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