18 years ago I was driving home with my dad from some sort of errand that he had taken me on. I was less then happy to be there, as this errand had taken valuable time away from me and my pubescent brooding. I always preferred to brood alone. The tension in the car was palpable. Neither of us spoke for what seemed like over an hour. I didn't speak because I knew my dad wouldn't understand anything I was going through. I was the world's first 14 year old after all. My dad didn't speak because, well, sometimes he just didn't talk a lot, unless it was to curse another driver who was driving faster or slower or more stupidly then he. We approached a red light close to the house. It had been silent for an eternity. I got the distinct feeling my dad wanted to tell me something. I looked over at him and saw that he was already looking at me. Our eyes met, and he calmly says to me "I like soup." "OK" I replied. That was all that was said during the entire trip.

To make roasted butternut squash soup, do the following:

Slice two butternut squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Rub with a little olive oil and roast flesh side down for about 50 minutes. The flesh should be easily penetrated by a fork. Pull them out of the oven and let cool. While cooling, saute two chopped onions in a two hunks of butter. Cook them slowly so they soften and turn golden, not burnt. When they are sweet and soft, add about 1/2 cup of brandy, off the heat. If you are feeling lucky, hold a lighter over the pan and say goodbye to your eyebrows.
Combine the flesh of the squash with onions. Add a portion of the mixture to a blender. Add some chicken stock and evaporated milk and blend until smooth. Repeat with remaining squash/onion mixture. For this batch I used about 5 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of evaporated milk. Not all squash are the same. Some are bigger or starchier then others. Use the stock and the evaporated milk to achieve the consistency you are after.

This soup is perfect for cool fall days. Best enjoyed with someone who likes soup.

What color is my thumb?

This sandwhich represents one half of our total tomato harvest. 3 plants yielded us two juicy ripe tomatoes. Our bacon tree has been doing great though, so I can't really complain.

The breakfast of morbidly obese champions

There is something about a rainy Saturday morning that makes me crave strong coffee and a heaping plate of country fried steak. Luckily, Marla,Owen and Henry were not difficult to convince. So, dinosaurs in hand, we trundled off to Gravy in NE Portland.

Tim the waiter was there. Thank you Tim, for never letting my coffee cup reach bottom. My hands are still shaking. Seriously.

I don't believe I need to say anything here.

Why, yes, that is a 1 pound portion of country fried steak. Yes, those are 3 fresh eggs scrambled perfectly. Oh indeed, I almost forgot about the hashbrowns. No, I did not feel good after eating this...I felt GREAT.

Murder my sweet

Tonight I looked my dinner right in the eyes, and I killed it. Killed HER to be more exact. I think a meal is more enjoyable if before you eat, you have to plunge a knife between the eyes, severing the neural tube of the animal. Lemon and drawn butter also help.

This lobster was so helpful. Thank you little lobster.
What do you think goes through her mind right before the knife enters her skull. I like to think she thought "But your Jewish." Warning:Graphic video.

Sunday supper

The dutch oven was removed from its summer hibernation spot in the garage today. An aromatic base of onions, garlic, fresh thyme, and olive oil was simmering on the stove. Potatoes had been thinly sliced and layered with the aromatics. Looking into the family room I see my kids playing with some sort of cretaceous age dinosaur. Something with three horns on its head. Into the oven go the potatoes. See you soon.

While the chicken legs braise with the red wine, garlic, and anchovies, I check on the kids again. Owen now has all of the dinosaurs and Henry has many tears streaming down his face. There is a football game going on. I take just a moment to appreciate the quality of HDTV. Man it smells good in here.

The sun is out, but on a lower plane. The low sun casts a softer, redder color over everything. On the floor of the kitchen I see shadows from the branches just outside the window, dancing around in the breeze. The kids have settled their dino-dispute, the wife has poured the wine. It is time to sit down as a family and enjoy a little meat and potatoes.

Why didn't I think of this?

New food cart alert. PBJs on 23rd and Kearney in northwest Portland. This is not your father's peanut butter and jelly. For starters, they are grilled after being brushed liberally with melted butter.

Second, they contain things like homemade black cherry jam, apple wood smoked bacon, jalapeno peppers, and freshly ground organic peanut butter.

Or marrionberry jam, hazelnut butter and blue cheese.

And you know if Owen likes it, it must be...Edible.