Self Pollinating or Buy 2?

So after several years of choking a half hearted existence in my backyard, the small apple tree that was there when we bought the place finally bit the sawdust. After a back breaking couple of hours spent digging out the skeletal remains, i was left with a large hole about 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep. My first idea was to add a small pond with waterfall to the space, and the plastic liner fit the spot perfectly. Unfortunately, the neighbor kid ran over the cord for the waterfall and our tranquil pond became a mosquito love-in overnight. Time for idea #2.

The pond disappeared as quickly as it was installed and this left us again with the quandary of what to fill in the chasm with. This was an idea requiring thought and 2 months of indecision flew by much like the lingering mosquitoes with a dull and annoying buzzing sensation reminding me that "oh yeah, I really need to do something about that hole..."

And so like many great ideas, it was a revisiting of the past that became the solution to my little "Big Dig". We decided to plant a fruit tree. In our case a Peach Tree, since this part of the South is famous for growing peaches, we thought why not take advantage of the natural perks offered by this climate and cash in on the bounty of the Peach harvest.

And so I found myself at the nursery sifting throught the options while my daughters played "magic enchanted forest" in the rows of spruce and loblolly pines nearby. I had to decide which variety to buy. I asked the woman behind the counter to give me some advice and she handed me a well loved hand laminated(read plastic wrapped) cardboard sign with my fruit tree choices and some background on each tree. There were pears, cherries, apples, peaches and nectarines. Beside each was a column indicating "self pollinating" or simply "BUY 2". That got me to thinking about the naturalist that figured all of that out and how they had so much time on their hands? Clearly they weren't carting two forest dwelling fairies around with them to tree shop.

Fortunately, I quickly realized why peaches were probably so successful here in the south. Much like stalwart and self reflective Southern Generals, the Peach trees are apparently loners and fall squarely and entirely in the "self pollinating" column of my cardboard guide to fruit purchasing success. This suited my "why do two if you can do one" personality. My joy at this discovery was similar to a peach itself. Large, round, plump, juicy, and sweet.

After making my purchases, I wrestled the 3 yr old tree into my mini van where the pixies were thrilled to have their natural environment transported above and around them en route. I suppose joy is easier to achieve if you are a 4 or 7 yr old pixie.

After a day of contemplating, the tree was planted, and now it remains simply to wait, during which time I will imagine biting into the fruits(literally) of my efforts. This will keep me warm all through the cold months of winter and hopefully will not raise my expectations beyond what is reasonable. However, in my meager attempts at gardening in the past, I have always found that the vegetable you grow yourself is the sweetest.

In closing, I want to take you the reader on a very short mental journey. Please close your eyes, yep just like that, now clear your mind with a deep breathe. Now imagine a hot July morning. The bees are buzzing. The birds are unperched and flitting around your head chasing their lunch. The sound of Cicadas envelopes everything like an orchestra. You are standing under the branches of your beautiful peach tree. You reach up and gently pluck the largest roundest most perfectly ripe peach from the laden branches. And you bite into it and sense the burst of flesh and feel the syrup roll down your chin. You can't help smiling as the tart and sweet flavors explode on your tongue. There may be no more perfect moment than that.... And now I have a whole tree full of them.

Blogging for dollars

So here I am blogging away a fifteen minute segment of my life. Oddly as a young pup, I was unable to maintain the patience level required to write a diary. But it seems that I have an affinity for the keyboard of my laptop that exceeds that of the pen. In this case the keys are mightier than the pen...

What does this have to do with food you ask? Well ultimatley it seems like I am doomed to be in the food business for the duration. I am currently actively seeking any restaurants, food vendors, distributors, retailers etc who need social networking experience and are willing to pay to have someone manage it. Send recommendations if you have any.

I am entering a new phase in life as my Facebook profile predicted, and I hope this is the best one yet. Keep reading and I will keep typing....

Striking out on my own...

So I have reached the crossroads of this chapter of my life. Truthfully I am beyond the crossroads now, but it is the most recent of memories. I am now in the first steps of a new beginning.

I have been trekking the world as an oyster broker for the past year and a half. Now I am about to launch my own brand. It is doubtful that I have the necessary experience, but guts and ambition will carry you along way. In the process you accumulate experience.

I rock climb for a hobby so I am used to hanging on by my fingertips. I suspect that will be useful. I also seem to lack the fear of failure that used to hold me back as a kid. I suspect that this is a limited time phenomenon so I will take advantage of it during this phase of my life.

Right now I am in the build phase of a new company concept that I have been developing for some time. Recent events have caused me to move up my time table a bit, which might be the kick in the pants that I needed. Let's hope I can start the engine before the car is done being built, and that she will steer properly.

I will update everyone with the new web address where I will be taking comments on design etc. It does, after all take a village. Stay tuned.

Eric

P.S. Try the shrimp and grits recipe below. It is super savory and yummy. Total comfort food...

The Best Shrimp and Grits

There are imitators but there are no equals:

2 pounds 21/25 count White Peel and Eat shrimp
Old Bay Seasoning
2 cups Stone ground grits
8 cups water
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pint heavy cream
1/2 small container sour cream
Cracked Black Pepper
Sea salt
2 tbsp Butter
1 can stewed tomatoes(or better yet stew your own)

Boil the water and add the 1-2 tsp salt, and the grits, bring to boil and cover, simmer for 11 minutes.

In the meantime:

Heat the stewed tomatoes

Boil the shrimp for 3 minutes(do not overcook) in water and Old Bay Seasoning(to taste)

In a saucepot, add the heavy cream salt and cracked pepper and gently whisk in the sour cream. Do not boil! Bring up to heat. Adding garlic salt is recommended but not necessary.

When the grits are cooked so that they are al dente, but the water is cooked off, carefully add the cream sauce to the grits stirring until a creamy consistency is reached.

Plate the grits and add shrimp to edge or top. Place about 2 tbsp of stewed tomatoes in the middle as edible garnish and VOILA!

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 15 minutes Serves about 6-8

There are many good recipes for shrimp and grits. This is my favorite although, a standard cream sauce with pancetta or bacon/ham is good as well. I really like the addition of the stewed tomatoes as it adds the acid element you need on a dish this heavy. Tell me what you think...

Pass the Jelly...Spread the love

Hello Friends...

In the world of food blogging and foodies in general, you are often judged by the size of your....ahum...repetoire. No pun intended, seriously!

I could use and would appreciate...anyone willing to post the following link to your Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc etc. page to spread the love. I enjoy writing these postings and occasionally shocking everyone verbally. In my ever expanding quest for exposure it is my friends and the grassroots that will ultimately take root and spread. So please pass the Jelly, and spread the love to your friends asking them to follow me and feel free to leave rants, raves, comments, suggestions, hate mail etc with me since I enjoy the feedback immensely! Thanks in advance... Eric

www.myhungrytum.blogspot.com or http://twitter.com/smokeyeric

Duckanoo...or Duckayes!

Here is a recipe for Duckanoo. This tasty snack makes a great filler to accompany lunch.

Duckanoo 1 pound cornmeal
2 ounces flour
1/2 pound sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups milk or coconut milk

Mix all dry ingredients and the grated coconut. In a separate bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until all sugar has dissolved. Lay out pieces of banana leaf or Corn Husks(cleaned). Drop 1/2 cup
of mixture into center of each leaf, flatten into candy bar shapes; fold and tie with a string (or a piece of banana bark for real authentic touch). Drop each parcel into a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve warm.

For @getonding RE: BELIZE

Twitter be damned there is a time and place for the verbose culinarian. And that is why I have a blog!

This is for my friends at @getondining. If you have the good fortune to travel to Belize, you will no doubt be looking for the best food around. I could direct you to a hundred small family owned places which would undoubtedly do the job for a few bucks. Belize can be a tough place to get really great food and especially service as the culinary scene is fairly young. However, there are a few places that do it well and I thought I could consolidate it for you.

Meat Pies: This delicious delicacy is an even tie between two vendors(any local can direct you) Pao and Dario. These two drive up vendors have slightly different recipes but essentially the same design. Both sell out by around 11 AM each day so come early and with an appetite. With the recent introduction of the Chicken Curry eat Pie you can hardly go wrong, but you need to try them for yourself. Trust me.

Riverside Tavern: By and far the nicest restaurant in Belize City with the most consistant food quality. Owned by the son of Barry Bowen, the Beer and Soft Drink mogul, this tavern barely qualifies as Indy in Belize terms, but in this case it is run with the same care and precision. The owner is kind, the beer is fresh and cold, the bar is fully stocked(for non beer drinkers) and the Burgers are absolutely delicious. Try the Blue Cheese burger. They tell me the fresh fish is amazing as well.

Other Belizean Dishes to try: Saturday Morning Roadside BBQ Chicken, Duckanoo(steamed cornmeal patty), Grilled corn w/chili and lime salt, Tamales, a sweet bread called"BUN", grilled rock lobster or curried lobster, etc etc etc.

Belikin: In a category of its own. This delicious beverage officially is my second favorite Beer, right behind my trusty Yeungling. Barry Bowen has lovingly crafted the fine line of choices including, Belikin Mayan Temple(Longneck or regular) Lighthouse(light), Stout, Septemberfest, and Premium. All are unique, all are German Style beers with plenty of flavor. All of them will satisfy the itch.....
Bowen and Bowen also carry Bottled Water, Fanta, Guiness, Coca Cola and a line of fruit beverages and malt beverages for any occasion. Truly the beverage purveyor of choice in Belize.

Grab a Fromers or Lonely Planet Guide, catch a flight and revel in the unique geographic and culinary destination that is the lovely Belize.....

Wherever the mood strikes....

By Eric Ackerson 9.14.09

I spent last week in a rented apartment in Belize, Central America, wherein I was blessed with A/C and cursed with a rotten chefs knife.

In order to save money on some of my travel I like to cook as many meals as I can when I am far from home. By way of a bonus, I also get to explore local ingredients and have collected some fantastic recipes. Invariably, I also get the joy of using the worlds least effective chefs knife. You know the one... purchased at the grocery store complete with serrated blade! Never sharpened to begin with and then dragged across the chain mail chopping block of the previous occupant right before being used as a screwdriver and hammer combo to fix the broken fixtures and rusty faucets.

This same knife seems to follow me around the globe in a constant game of international Hide and Seek. I invariably reach for the drawer that contains the kitchen utensils and find a smirking corroded blade peeking out at me from behind the plastic spatula. As I gently wrap my hand around the handle, withdrawing my nemesis from her new hidy hole, I feel like she mocks me. "Here I am AGAIN" "You had to know it would be me, didn't you?"

After a trip to the grocery or market, I get down to business. I prepare my mise en place, clean and dry my ingredients, place the first criminal cabbage or felonious bok choy on the guillotine and pick up the knife. Even the vegetables look scared that I will hurt them. My fingers dance knowingly away from the as yet to offend staple of the kitchen. I can almost feel the dull blade bounce off the skin of the next tomato and continue on down a quarter of the way into my fated phalanges. When will this evil mistress, subject me to the horrors of some third world chop shop for the befingered? I don't fancy a trip for stitches in any place that doesn't take Blue Cross Blue Shield.

So far I have been lucky, but who knows when I will run out of good fortune? Bangkok? Belize City? Dubai? Fate is a fickle lover.....

I can think of only one way to avoid this knife, this shadow of mine. The next time I am on the road, wherever the mood strikes, I will reach into the drawer, retrieve the device in question, look her directly in the evil eye, then withdraw the gleaming Henkel from behind my back. The one I brought from home, then laugh while my sadistic mistress falls backwards into the drawer of pain, spurned for a newer model, never to be risked again...

Simple solutions are usually the best.

Papatzul - Mexican/Mayan Pumpkin Seed Dip

A delicious edition to a party that is sure to leave your guests wondering how you did it. By my understanding this dish originated on the Yucatan Peninsula in Southern Mexico and may have been originally a fusion of Mexican and Mayan Cooking created by a Mexican Master Chef and her Mayan kitchen Assistant. The assistant was the grandmother of the man that taught me how to prepare this dish. Either way it is relatively simple, delicious and unique.

PAPATZUL (Pumpkin Seed Dip) pronounced Pah Pah Tzool

Ingredients:

3 fresh ripe vine grown tomatoes

1 medium onion

1 hot chili pepper (habanero, etc to your heat preference)

1 bunch of cilantro chopped

1/2 to 1 lb of Pepitas Flour(Ground toasted pumpkin seeds) Check Latin Groceries or make your own by toasting in toaster oven for 15 minutes stirring to avoid burning then lightly grinding the seeds to make a flour)

1 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt

1 large bag of Corn Tortilla Chips


Begin by boiling 1-2 gallons water in a large pot
Add tomatoes, onion, and chilis til the tomatoes begin to soften and the skins split (approx 15-25 mins).
Remove the skins and centers from the tomatoes, then blend all three ingredients on a rough blend with a handful of the chopped cilantro.
Incorporate the Pepitas Flour and the rest of the cilantro till you have achieved the consistency of a chunky peanut butter or a thick hummus more or less.
Season with the salt to taste
Serve with Corn Tortilla Chips

Should serve approximately 6 people. Can be served either warm or cold and will hold well in a plastic container.

Voila!

A place to Paste

Hello foodies. I'm hungry. Are you? This may turn into something (unlike the last 4 blogs I started) or it might not.

Either way it will at least be a place with a fresh blackboard upon which I can place recipes photos thoughts blithering etc.

Since this is food focused, the first entry will be a recipe.....enjoy it, cause I dont spend the time to type these things if it is not warranted.