'Semi-Homemade w/ Boyhowdy Holiday Special - Jamón It!'

Nothing says 'let's-celebrate-the-birth-of-a-fictitious-religious-icon-with-pork' like a ginormous roasted ham. Taking advantage of the annual sales of this cured chunk of meat, I picked up a 10-lb. shank last week.

Now, I'm not a fan of cloves or pineapple rings or orange-marmalade glazes...I prefer a simple roasted ham w/ some of the crunchy skin (or cracklins) left on the surface. If you don't trim it off, be sure to score the shank in a criss-crossed fashion on both sides so the excess fat can render more easily during cooking...maybe a quarter- to half-inch deep. Place on a rack cut-side down. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and, depending on the cut & type of ham, bake until the recommended core temperature is reached (in this case, 155 degrees).

Immediately after taking the ham out of the oven, liberally drizzle honey over the entire surface. Let it sit for a while (core temp. will rise about 5 degrees).

Carve and enjoy...I cut it into chunks before slices because I partition & freeze most of the meat for later use (also, I saved the hambone for a future episode of 'Semi-Homemade - The Soup Chronicles' hahaha!).


Ciao4Now.

No Holiday for Tragedy

Residing a couple houses in from a main neighborhood arterial, I can usually sleep through the traffic's 'white noise'...but this morning at around 6, I was awoken by the siren of an ambulance. On any other random day, I probably would've rolled over & continued my slumber. But because it was Christmas Eve, I couldn't help but ponder the fate of the unfortunate soul that encountered emergency during the holidays, and what a bummer it could be for his/her loved ones.

Now according to the 'experts', the belief that suicide rates increase during this season is purely urban legend...in fact, some would argue that the rate decreases ('cuz of all the joy in the air 'n sh*t).

I'm not contending this postulation...I simply believe that, as this entry's title suggests, misfortune and death are consistent & take no days off. In aggregate, we may be 'happier' on Christmas Day (e.g. no work, scored awesome gifts, or whatever), but pain remains.

This is merely a sober glimpse, and not meant to piss on anyone's Xmas parade. Happy holidays, and long live the Godfather of Soul (who departed exactly a year ago tomorrow)...get up offa that thing!



Ciao4Now.

P.S. Always looking to improve recipes, I ran into a problem w/ burning garlic in my last installment of 'Semi-Homemade'. Now, instead of adding the minced clove to the marinade, I toss it in with the onions. Viola!

J-Horror Lost In Translation

Last night, I was stricken with a classic case of déjà vu while watching the film 'Pulse'. As the familiar plotline unfolded, I began to question whether I'd already seen this flick. I would've remembered Kristen Bell from 'Heroes', I thought to myself. A quarter-way through, I had to research the film on imdb.com...as it turns out, 'Pulse' is a remake of a 2001 J-Horror hit 'Kairo', which I rented a few years ago.

After learning this, I returned to the movie, but couldn't finish it...the premise was pretty silly to begin with (the supernatural meets the Internet), but like 'Dark Water', 'The Grudge', & 'The Ring', the U.S.-made version had difficulty in translating the delicate psychological suspense crafted in the Japanese classic. For no better explanation, American horror seems at its best when 'rougher in trade'...like 'Halloween', 'Evil Dead', & 'Saw'. Or with Western religious overtones ('The Exorcist', 'The Omen', etc.).

Then again, when is a remake, in general, ever better than the original?

Ciao4Now.

P.S. Seen 'The Descent' yet? My fave horror film in the last few years!

'Semi-Homemade w/ Boyhowdy' - Episode #3

There's nothing like smoked BBQ pork grilling slowly over coals on a hot summer day. But how do you satisfy that craving in the dead of winter? Well, you can't beat the real thing, but this recipe is quick, easy, and can be concocted in just a frying pan.

First, marinate about 1/2-pound of sliced pork (here, I used boneless loin chops) in:
1 clove garlic, finely-chopped
2 tsp. soy sauce
Healthy pinch of salt (I like rock sea salt)
Dash of both black & crushed red pepper
Here's the key ingredient...1/2 capful of Wright's Hickory Seasoning (or liquid smoke).

Combine and let stand in the fridge for an hour or so.

Chop up about a third of a sweet yellow onion & get out your fave BBQ sauce.

With a little bit of oil, pan-fry pork on medium-high heat.

When the pork is almost done, add onions & stir-fry. Reduce heat if necessary.

Turn off heat when pork is cooked through & onions are firm, but tender. Drizzle on some BBQ sauce (not a good idea to add sauce while heat is still on...it'll splatter & make a mess on the stove top).

Done deal! Serve between a bun or bread slices or on top of a bed of rice or whatever...very versatile dish.

Ciao4Now.

Dah-yum!!

I reside in a relatively 'middle to upper-middle class' neighborhood where a lot of Subarus, Volvos, & assorted Hybrids roam the streets. But I noticed this new kid on the block a couple months ago - a candy-apple red Lotus Elise!
Like many British-made automobiles, Lotus has a notoriously-sketchy maintenance track record. But look at those fine lines...easily, the most fly set of wheels in the 'hood!

Ciao4Now.

The Sequel Is Out There

After nearly 10 years of on-again, off-again speculation, the much-anticipated second 'X-Files' motion picture began filming today in Vancouver. The project, starring both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in their familiar roles of Agents Mulder & Scully, also features Amanda Peet & Xzibit.

Though initially announced as a 'standalone' supernatural thriller, it'll be interesting to see if the new movie's story ties in with the mythology of the television series. It took nearly 6 months, but I recently watched all 202 episodes in chronological order & there are still a few questions to be answered, the biggest being, will Agents Mulder & Scully ever reclaim their son William? And is the villianous Cigarette-Smoking Man, Mulder's biological father, really dead?

Coming soon to a theatre near you in Fall 2008...until then, trustno1.

Ciao4Now.

Happy Birthday, Miya!

Here's a pic of Miya's 'Pride & Joy' Aki, a year-old shiba inu, snapped on Thanksgiving (does she look hungry?)...best-behaved dog I've ever met!

Happy birthday, bud!

Ciao4Now.