A few unrelated things

It's so good to see you, imaginary reader! So many things have happened in the world, and I'm not going to comment on any of them. At this point you know how I feel about Obama, the US incursion into Syria, the financial meltdown, and the subsequent corrupt corporate smorgasbord. Let's talk about inconsequentials.

I credit my mom with making me into the good (and humble!) cook that I am today. She inbued me with a sense of experimentation, a love of flavor, and a general joy of being in the kitchen. She was a really good cook; there are recipes of hers that I still find myself fantasizing about. Her cheesecake was a cheesecake like you'd never had before. She made bulgogi and everyone wanted for their birthday dinner. I'm reminded every once and a while, however, how far past her I've gone with cooking.

She used to make pork chops with hominy, and I loved it! Hominy is not something I find often up here in the Northwest. I think it's mostly a southern food. According to Wikipedia, it's been around for 3200 years, having been invented by Native Americans in Guatamala. I wonder if they made the same recipe as my mom. Her recipe was simple; season some pork chops with salt and pepper, sear them on both sides, and then braise them in a couple cans of hominy. They were REALLY good. RN65 and I blew them out of the water last night, however. Throw in some homemade pancetta, sweat it with some shallot and garlic, deglaze it with some white wine, and then throw in some fresh herbs, and we made a plate of food that I think I could eat every day for a week. Okay, that's enough tooting my own horn. My point? Buy some hominy and try it. It's really good stuff, and better for you then eating plain corn.

I climbed Mt. St. Helens this summer with some friends from work. Gunhaver arranged the trip, and got us the permits, and took some amazing photos from the top. It was the first mountain I'd ever summitted, and I have to tell you, gentle imaginary reader...summitting mountains is hard fucking work. I don't know if it was worse because that particular mountain is covered in a fine ash (a remnant of its pyroclastic flow) that is like walking in sand, but when we got to the top I collapsed. Gunhaver, who looks like pasty white computer nerd that he is, had no trouble. I really need to get back out hiking.

Well, my imaginary friends, it's been nice rapping with you. Hope you have a good three months until I post again!