Junk Food, Tony and B-more...

I got a TIVO!

I'm not 100% on how to use it, but it's here, and Giant Sous Chef has set-up a season pass for some of my favorites-- No Reservations, Everyday Italian, 30 Rock... However, Comcast's programming guide is more than a little screwed up, and listed the wrong episode titles in the wrong hours for No Reservations. Luckily, it still managed to record NR "Rust Belt" in which my beloved Tony breaks bread with two actors from my favorite-of-all-time crime series, The Wire.

Tony is as obsessed with The Wire as the rest of us stating that the series and John Watters are the two things that brought him to the Charm City. He endures rain, clouds, long lines, blight and more blight. Tony is also accompanied by the infamous Samir (made infamous in the Romania episode). Their stops in Baltimore specifically are not slow-food-inspired and probably not organic, but untensil's-not-required meals of "pit beef" sandwiches, "lake trout" and grapefruit-sized crabcakes play soulfood's sweet, low songs as good as any other.

(As a fellow NY'er who's never been to B-more, I'm not completely ignorant of the place. An old friend--San Francisco's very own Chef C Double, in fact-- has apprised me of crab cakes and Lexington Market fried chicken and the many opportunities for bleak urbanscape photography.)

To get into the spirit of low-budget lifestyles in the Rustbelt, I had Giant Sous Chef pick up a bag of Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream chips for me... YES, Spicy eats junk food. Not always, not often, but it does call to crave. In the spirit of the recession, I'm gonna start thinking of the broken days of yore--college years, pre-organic, decidedly vegetarian AND growing up in the Reagan 80's--to reflect upon what would make my list of... Junk Food Delights!

More to come...

Peace out,

SpicyB

Kicking off the Season with Tony and El Lomito...

The fluffy, golden bun looked especially good on my TV last night, as I watched Tony Bourdain devour EL LOMITO:

"A monstrous sandwich of pork, avocado and mayonnaise"

As you know, Spicy advises balance in all things sandwich even if, in this case it means a hefty portion of pork must be heaped with nearly a whole avocado and a generous ladling of soupy-looking mayo. And, of course, there's the bread. Pay special attention to the bread. It's not just a vehicle, nor a canvas for sandwich ingredients. It is an ingredient. At Fuente Alemana, where Bourdain confronted this local delight, they bake their own buns--a 6-inch round.

The El Lomito's marinated, slow-cooked pork is shaved, submerged and served steeping from its own jus, looked tasty and delightful. Like the "Three Little Pigs" in No Reservations Chicago episode -- another porcine-based creation featured at right angles to Bourdain's gullet -- I'll give this one a try at home and let you know how it goes...

It's a 'Sandwich Recession,' afterall!

Buen Provecho!

Bourdain is back!

Yes, I am free advertising for the Travel Channel, but my favorite food host and virtual travel companion, Tony Bourdain, is back for a fresh season of No Reservations. Tonight, he's doing his thing in Chile. I'll be following each new episode this season, providing worthwhile highlights. And, if I'm moved to comment, I most certainly will. (Just like last season: See posts 1/6/09 and 2/4/09)

With so much television programming out there, you might as well watch the good stuff.

(mouth watering at the thought of street food and adventure!)

Spice-E