Leek & Potato Soup
I’ve been making leek and potato soup for years. I couldn’t tell you where the recipe came from; it’s cobbled together from several websites and magazine articles. I don’t ever cook it the same way twice. If I’m busy doing something else, I’ll slow cook it for hours until the potatoes break down. If I only have 45 minutes or so, I’ll puree the soup and serve immediately. Still, I thought I’d finally put the basic recipe on the site so I can reference it later. Here’s everything you need: Leek & Potato Soup 3-4 leeks, depending...
Read MorePottery Kiln
I bought the wife a used Cress L-23 electric kiln for her birthday. Does anybody have any experience with one of these things? Any tips that’ll keep me from burning down my garage? After spending a tidy sum on pottery classes just to have access to a kiln, it made sense to just cut out the middleman and buy one for the wife. The previous owner wired the garage for 240-volt power, so I just had to change out the outlet to one that works with her new kiln. She seems to be equally excited and apprehensive about stepping her pottery up to the next level, but I think she’ll be...
Read MoreThe Best Farmers’ Markets In Greenville, SC
As I mentioned before, I’ve completely changed my meal planning practices. I used to buy meat in bulk at the grocery store and then plan my meals accordingly. Ever since we moved to Greenville, I’ve gone in the opposite direction. First, I hit one or both of my farmers’ markets and buy whatever looks good, then I go to my butcher, and finally I hit the grocery store to fill in the gaps. It might sound overly complicated, but everything is pretty close to home. It’s much cheaper than shopping at the grocery store and it means that I rely on produce to drive my meal...
Read MoreWatercolor Paintings 2
The wife signed me up for a second watercolor class at Furman. My technique is getting a little better, but I’m still trying to add too much detail. The excess paint muddies the image and bleeds over the white space that makes watercolor so unique. Maybe I’m just not a watercolor painter. You might recognize a couple of these images from our recent trip through the mountains. You can’t tell from the pictures, but these paintings are much bigger than my previous ones. In my first class, the paintings were on small paper, maybe 4×6 inches. These paintings are about...
Read MoreTalladega Tent City
We just happened to drive by the Talladega Superspeedway yesterday about 15 minutes before the green flag fell. The tent city that surrounds the track was so big it took us about a minute to pass it all while traveling at 60 miles an hour. The wife recorded it as we passed...
Read MoreRoasted Smashed Potatoes
I remember trying to make ‘smashed potatoes’ once before and it not being a very good experience. However, Cook’s Illustrated recently did a piece on smashed potatoes that took some of the guesswork out of the process. I’ve made them with baby red potatoes and Yukon golds recently, and they came out great both times. The recipe is simple, but the instructions are a little time-intensive. Here’s everything you need: Roasted Smashed Potatoes 2½ pounds baby reds or small Yukon gold potatoes (1½-2 inch in diameter) 3/4 cups water 3-4 tablespoons olive...
Read MoreDylan And A Day In The Mountains
Bob Dylan was playing the arena at UNC Charlotte on Thursday night. As you know, I’m a bit of a fan. I bribed the wife into going up there with me by promising to take her sightseeing through the mountains all day on Friday. The show was great. Dylan varied the set list between his old and new material and layered a blues beat into most of the songs. We’d planned to visit several wineries the next day, but after a hefty electrical repair bill earlier in the week, we decided against it. Instead, we took back roads through the Carolinas, taking in as much Americana as we...
Read MoreWatercolor Paintings
For my birthday, the wife enrolled me in a watercolor class at Furman University. It ended last night, so I thought I’d post some pictures of my paintings. This was my first stab at watercolors since the second grade and my technique was a little rusty. Some of the paintings are out of proportion and I wasn’t very good at letting the white show through. As you might expect, the gallery includes the obligatory Bob Ross landscapes and the clichéd fruit bowl. Click on the first image to enlarge. It may take a moment to load, and then use your right arrow key to...
Read MoreHomemade Russet Potato Chips
I’ve been making homemade potato chips ever since the wife gave me a mandoline. I like my chips nice and thick, and I can control what goes into them when I make them at home. It’s taken me a while to perfect the process, but I’ve finally gotten to the point where I thought I’d preserve my pointers for posterity. Here’s everything you need: I’d prefer to use peanut oil to fry the chips, but it’s just too expensive. Instead, I use canola oil. Bring the oil to about 340-345° on the stove top over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (which...
Read MoreFresh French Onion Dip
This weekend, I decided to make some fresh French onion dip to eat during the Alabama and Auburn games. You have to caramelize the onions, which takes about twenty minutes, so it’s a little time consuming. I wouldn’t have considered doing this on Saturday if I didn’t have a TV in my kitchen. Thankfully, I can wheel the island into the middle of the room and chop onions while I’m watching the game. What could go wrong? The recipe I use is based on one from Williams Sonoma, but it’s evolved over time. Here’s everything you need: Fresh French Onion...
Read MoreChicken Carnitas
It took me years to perfect my chicken carnitas recipe. Some batches came out dry, others came out greasy, but most were just bland. What’s funny is that the best-tasting version I eventually settled on is also the easiest to prepare. Here’s everything you need: Chicken Carnitas 1+ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1/2 can enchilada sauce 3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper juice from half of a lime Garnishes fried corn tortillas fresh lime juice chopped...
Read MorePork Carnitas
The wife and I have been making carnitas for years. My recipe has evolved over time. It’s based on one I saw in Bon Appetit. It’s really easy and makes a great meal. Here’s everything you need: Pork Carnitas 3 pounds Boston butt, trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes 1 large onion, cut into 4 pieces 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Garnishes fried corn tortillas fresh lime juice sliced avocado diced tomato chopped onion fresh cilantro shredded cheese hot...
Read MoreSwamp Rabbit Trail, 2010
It was unusually cool on Saturday morning, so the wife and I decided to ride a dozen or so miles on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It’s been expanded since the last time I blogged about it. I promised to post some pictures, so here they are. I actually took most of these pictures as I was riding. You should have seen the looks on people’s faces when I held the camera up and snapped pictures on the fly. Click on the first image to enlarge, then use your right arrow key to...
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As an experienced marketer and an avid social media user, I keep a hobby blog. It mostly exists as a public scrapbook for my out-of-state family. Feel free to take a look around and see what you like.
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