Chef Michael Gilligan: ARE YOU HUNGRY TONIGHT?

Chef Michael Gilligan: ARE YOU HUNGRY TONIGHT?: "ARE YOU HUNGRY TONIGHT? Today, August 16th is 33 years since the death of the King, Elvis Aaron Presley. Elvis Presley was the first r..."

ARE YOU HUNGRY TONIGHT?

ARE YOU HUNGRY TONIGHT?

Today, August 16th is 33 years since the death of the King, Elvis Aaron Presley.

Elvis Presley was the first real rock and roll star. A white southerner who singing blues laced with country and country tinged with gospel, Presley brought together music from both sides of the color line. Presley performed this music with a natural hip swiveling sexuality that made him a teen idol and a role model for generations of cool rebels. Presley was repeatedly dismissed as vulgar, incompetent and a bad influence. However the force of his music and image signaled to the mainstream culture it was time for a change.

Born January 8, 1935, in East Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley was the son of Gladys and Vernon Presley, a sewing machine operator and a truck driver. Presley's twin brother Jesse Garon was stillborn, and he grew up as an only child. At age three, Vernon was sent to prison for forgery. It seems that Vernon, Travis Smith, and Luther Gable changed the amount of a check from Orville Bean, Vernon’s boss, from $3 to $8 and cashed it at a local bank. Vernon pled guilty and was sentenced to three years at Parchment Farms Penitentiary. Vernon's boss, Mr. Bass called in a note that Vernon signed to borrow money to build the house and Gladys is forced to move in with Vernon's parents. Vernon would only serve eight months. Afterward Vernon's employment was spotty and the family lived just above the poverty line. The Presley’s attended the First Assembly of God Church whose Pentecostal services always included singing.

FOOD, and not music, was Elvis Presley’s first and most lasting love. Nothing was more important for the King of Rock n Roll than his daily menu: buttery biscuits, six-egg omelettes served with a pound of burnt bacon, pecan-crusted catfish, smoked back ribs, ground beef burgers, smoked pork sandwiches, fried dill pickles, grits and cheese, bologna cups, sweet potato pie, barbecue pizza, turnip greens, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, 16 lb T-bone steaks, 8 oz filets of salmon, banana pudding, triple-layer fudge cake.

Elvis’s cuisine reflects his life — both innocent and fabulous — and, in the end, possibly just too much. Elvis cuisine is artery-clogging Southern American cooking raised to baroque new heights. Elvis cuisine is snacking without guilt. Elvis cuisine is eating whenever, whatever and however much you want. Elvis cuisine is literally food lust.

His breakfast was of 5,000 calories and he consumed it at 5 o’clock in the evening, which is generally when he woke up. Elvis had six large eggs cooked in butter with extra salt, one pound of bacon, half a pound of sausages, 12 buttermilk biscuits. Dinner (or lunch) was five hours later, at 10 p.m., and went up to a scary 84,000 calories. It included two "Fool’s Gold" sandwiches: each sandwich was made of a jar of peanut butter, a jar of strawberry jam, one pound of crisp-fried bacon on a baguette cut into two. Elvis had supper at 4 a.m. It was of 5,000 calories. Five double hamburgers and deep-fried peanut butter, and mashed banana sandwiches.


Elvis Presley's Hot Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients
2 tablespoons peanut butter (preferably smooth)
2 slices white sandwich bread
1 small ripe banana, mashed with a fork (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons butter

Method
Spread peanut butter evenly on 1 slice of bread, then spread mashed banana on other slice, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.

Close sandwich, gently pressing bread slices together.

Heat butter in an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then fry sandwich, turning over once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes total.

Eat immediately with a knife and fork.

AND FINALLY… After the New Jersey Supreme Court voted to legalize gay marriage in the state, former President George W. Bush restated his position that marriage is a "sacred institution."

Meanwhile in Las Vegas, a drunken homeless man picked up a crack whore at Jiggles strip club at 3 a.m. The two went to a wedding chapel where an Elvis impersonator on crystal meth joined them in said sacred institution.

CHEF GILLIGAN {has left the building}

Faggots, catholic guilt and Irish mothers...

Now that we in the US are coming to the end of our summer holidays and Labour day {there is a U in it!} is quickly approaching, I am looking back on some pictures I took a few summers ago when we took a trip to Sunny Birmingham {well it was sunny on that day} and Wales.
I have to say that in England and Wales I was sad to see the demise of the privately owned pub.
All the pubs that used to have dodgy sandwiches, pork scratchings or nothing at all have been replaced by chains such as Marstons or Witherspoons where the character of the old places has been somewhat diluted.
Some of the lager iconic pubs are now McDonalds, there is something inherently wrong with this!
This has come as a blessing to some people as you can get pretty average, relatively cheap meals in them but to me they all seemed the same, although I have to admit they were a God-send when traveling with a 2 year old as they are kid friendly.
Long gone are the days when the wife and I used to choose a place to eat because they had a good selection of wines by the glass, now we choose the ones that supply crayons and colouring books!

We stayed with my mom in Chelmsley Wood, a suburb of Birmingham, and she was doing our heads in {like Irish moms do} so we decided to take a trip to wales for a couple of days to get away from her.
Mom died a couple of months ago in May.
I was back in Birmingham for the funeral, I never made it in time to say goodbye, we didn't think it was that serious, she would always be around, right?
I booked a flight on the Thursday when my sisters called me to say that she was sick for the following Monday but due to some sodding ash cloud over Iceland the flight was delayed until the Tuesday and by then mom had gone.
I felt like I should have got there sooner, that I had wasted time when I was over in the summer, I thought that it was the doctors fault that my mom could die of pneumonia in the sodding spring! It was the NHS, it was Blair/Gorden but I know all of these thoughts are irrational. So I try to focus on the good things like she packed us a superb picnic when we went to Wales, we had chicken drumsticks, pork pie, lashings of ginger beer and scallion and tomato sandwiches {my favourite}
We ate it on the rickety old train that we got on as we changed from New Street to Wolverhampton {we are such glamorous European travellers!} to the place with not enough consonants!
Aberystwyth, in the west coast of Wales is a town nestled between three hills and two beaches, and hosts some castle ruins, a pier and a harbor. The surrounding hills hold the visible remains of an Iron Age fort and also a monument to Wellington and once climbed offer stunning views of Cardigan Bay.{or so it says in the brochure}

It was here that my wife had her first taste of Faggots. Now not necessary a Welsh dish per say as my mom gave us Faggots in the Midlands and I believe most people had a taste of Mr. Brains Faggots before they had hit their teens, but my wife thought that this was a dish inspired and named after a gay man!

Classic dishes which stiffened the backbone and stiff upper lip of Britain in days gone by are I believe vanishing from the nation's larder, dishes like Faggots and Peas, Jugged hare, brawn and junket are unknown to the overwhelming majority of under-25s, who also shudder when confronted with many of the recipes' down-to-earth ingredients.
Increasing prosperity is tending to drive offal from young people's kitchens along with ingredients such as haddocks' heads and scrag end of neck. The runaway success of international cuisine, from pizza to Thai curries, has also eroded the appeal of pigs' cheeks in brine and boiled calf's foot which date from periods of austerity.
“Tis a shame I tell ya, pretty soon the whole world will be run by these chains and conglomerates and we will have lost some of the things that make traveling to different places unique.
Well before we loose it completely, let’s make some Faggots.

FAGGOTS WITH ONION GRAVY

INGREDIENTS

1oz unsalted butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
6oz minced pigs' liver
2 lamb or pigs' heart, trimmed and cut into chunks
1lb belly of pork, trimmed and rind removed
½ tsp mace
4tbsp freshly chopped chives
1 tsp freshly chopped sage
1 egg, beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4oz fresh white bread crumbs
25g/1oz beef dripping or 3 tbsp olive oil

For the gravy
4 red onions, peeled and each onion cut into 8 wedges
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1½pt fresh beef stock
½ pint red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the onions. Cook until soft and transparent. Cool slightly
Place the belly pork onto a chopping board and cut into portions.
Place the minced pigs' liver into a large glass bowl and place under the blade of a mincer. Using a fine blade of a mincer, mince the pork belly and lambs heart directly into the bowl with the pig s liver. If you do not have a mincer at home ask your butcher to mince all your meat for you.
Add the cooled chopped onions, mace, chives, sage, beaten egg and salt and pepper. Stir in the breadcrumbs.
Using your hands shape the mixture into 12 patties. Place on a plate and chill for about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F .For the gravy:
Place the onion wedges into a large roasting pan or ovenproof dish. Add the thyme and drizzle over the olive oil. Place in the oven and roast uncovered for 40 minutes until the onions are caramelized.
Meanwhile heat the dripping or olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the faggots until golden brown on both sides.
Place the stock and wine in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce by a third.
Remove the roasted onions from the oven and lay the faggots on top. Pour over the gravy liqueur. Reduce the oven temperature to350F and cook the faggots for 40 minutes.
Place two to three faggots onto a plate. Top with a spoonful of the onions and pour over the gravy. Serve the faggots with mushy peas and mashed potatoes.

AND FINALLY…
I went to the butchers the other day to buy some beef. As I was there, he cut two slices of prime topside and hung them from a couple of hooks above his counter. He said to me, "I'll put £10 of my money against £10 of yours that you can't jump up and grab these two bits of beef at the same time."
I said, "I'm not taking that bet, the steaks are too high."

Chef Michael Gilligan Satan's Pantry

I scream, you scream....

Last Monday August 2nd was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. And who can think of a better time to eat an Ice cream sandwich than right now as the temperature hovers around the 100 degree mark?
I did some extensive research {10 minutes of Google} and I couldn’t come up with a creator, or the origin of this day. I did however find that this holiday has been celebrated for years and the ice cream sandwich does have a history. There is plenty of documentation to support that this holiday does indeed exist. - Was this holiday created by a food organization? Probably but I didn’t find any proof.
This holiday is referred to as a "National" day. However, I did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day, and really what president would have went to congress with a bill to make the day official? Bill Clinton, maybe?

The Ice Cream sandwich is enjoyed throughout the world but by different names.
Scotland
No they aren’t fried!
In Scotland they are known as 'sliders' - usually served as vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two rectangle wafers.
You can buy sliders consisting of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between one wafer and one block of chocolate-covered nougat. These are known as nougat sliders. Alternatively, called a 'single nougat' or in the case of two blocks of nougat; a 'double nougat'. In this context the word nougat is pronounced as in gold nugget.

Australia
The original ice cream sandwich was commonly known as a cream between. One purchased a small block of ice cream wrapped in paper and placed it between two wafers.
Although not as widely popular as other ice cream desserts which are promoted more, the ice cream sandwich is considered a nostalgic favorite within Australia.

Within Australia, ice cream sandwiches are given the commercial name of “Giant Sandwich” (recognizable by its distinct blue and pink wrapper), and “Monaco Bar” (recognizable by its gold and black metallic wrapper) in the Eastern states.

Singapore
Wafer ice cream is a type of ice cream popular in Singapore. It consists of two original wafers holding together a block of ice cream. Vendors are commonly found along Orchard Road, Chinatown and outside schools.
Common flavors offered include Ripple, Red bean, Yam, Sweet corn, Durian, Honeydew, Peppermint, Chocolate, and Chocolate Chip. Wafer ice cream vendors also sell the same blocks of ice cream on a slice of multicolored bread, a cone or a cup instead of sandwiched between wafers.



Ireland, England & Wales
In Ireland, England and Wales an ice cream wafer, consisting of a small block of ice cream between two rectangular wafer biscuits, was a popular alternative to a cone up until the 1970s. Since then it has declined and is now rarely seen.

United States
In the United States, an ice cream sandwich is a slice of ice cream, commonly vanilla although other flavors are often used, sandwiched between two rectangular wafers, usually chocolate."

Alternatives to wafers are often used, such as chocolate chip cookies. Many companies offer alternatives to the conventional ice cream sandwich as well, such as San Francisco's It's-It, who use oatmeal cookies and dip the sandwich in dark chocolate, New Jersey-based Rice Creams, Inc., who use crispy rice and marshmallow wafers, and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams of Columbus, Ohio, who use artisan ice creams and almond macaroons.

So now we know what they are lets make our own.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Makes 8 ice cream sandwiches.

Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups (2 pints) Ice Cream (any flavor) (Homemade or Store Bought), slightly softened

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 10 x 15 inch rimmed baking sheet. Then line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on the two shorter sides.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir until combined and smooth. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cake is dry to the touch and the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Using the paper overhang, gently lift the cake onto a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut the cake in half crosswise. Place one half of the cake, top side down, on a large piece of plastic wrap. Spread with the softened ice cream, smoothing with an offset spatula. Top with the remaining half of cake, top side up. Place the assembled dessert back into the baking pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer until firm, about two hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the dessert from the freezer, unwrap, and with a serrated knife, cut into eight rectangles. Wipe the knife with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel between each slice. Can serve immediately or wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and place back into the freezer. These can be stored in the freezer up to one week.

AND FINALLY…Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95 year old grandmother and comfort her. When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, "He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning." Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble. "Oh no, my dear," replied granny. "Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow and even nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong." She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, "He'd still be alive if the ice cream truck hadn't come along,"

CHEF GILLIGAN