Category Archives: Food

Smoked Dreams and Wishes

Posted on October 23, 2014 by John Swinburn

Last night, as I grilled zucchini and onions and jalapeños and a smoked jalapeño sausage for dinner, I thought of the smoker I left in Texas.  If I had that smoker today, I would be able to smoke home made sausage, something … Continue reading →

Posted in Dreams, Food | 2 Comments

Post-Birthday Assessment

Posted on October 22, 2014 by John Swinburn

Last night’s birthday dinner was not the Bar-B-Q of my wishes, but I wore shorts and a t-shirt as we sat, dining alfresco, enjoying the Tuesday night special of liver and onions at Tanner’s Terrace on the Green, overlooking the Granada Golf Course. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Religion, Writing | 3 Comments

Huitlacoche

Posted on October 15, 2014 by John Swinburn

I had never even heard the word. But then I had the stuff for breakfast.  Huitlacoche, also spelled cuitlacoche.  Few people in the USA…at least few I’ve asked…know of huitlacoche.  When I tell people it’s called corn smut or corn fungus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 5 Comments

Peanuts are Purveyors of Pain

Posted on October 5, 2014 by John Swinburn

I’ve been awake for nearly an hour, after almost ten and a half hours of fitful and uncomfortable sleep. We got home just after six-thirty last night, after spending all day at the Showcase of the Arts at the Ponce de … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Health, Self-discipline | Leave a comment

What Do I Miss? How Do I Settle?

Posted on September 6, 2014 by John Swinburn

A downside to living in Hot Springs Village versus Dallas (or any big city): there’s no convenient and nearby place to go for a middle-of-the-night-breakfast when sleep eludes me.  I miss that, especially of late…especially when I awaken with nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in Dreams, Food, Happiness, Just Thinking | Leave a comment

The Offender

Posted on August 18, 2014 by John Swinburn

Dogs like Amish jalapeño jack cheese.  All right, I’ve made a blanket statement that may not be true.  One dog, in particular, likes Amish jalapeño jack cheese. Last night, we had dinner with friends.  She cooked wonderful German pork chops … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Humor | Leave a comment

Old World Classics

Posted on July 26, 2014 by John Swinburn

We’re having friends over tonight for dinner, the only people here we know well…she used to work for me, years ago.  We’re having seared scallops over spinach and risotto, with steamed asparagus on the side.  Before dinner, we’ll have drinks. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Food, Friendship, Writing | 2 Comments

Roadfood in Three Acts

Posted on July 17, 2014 by John Swinburn

Traffic between Little Rock and Memphis is surprisingly heavy. The enormous volume of 18-wheelers flowing down I-40 made impossible the achievement of my usual level of road-trip nirvana. Were it not for the fact that we had planned a one-day round trip, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Travel | 2 Comments

Why It Hurts So Good

Posted on July 2, 2014 by John Swinburn

Have you ever wondered why eating hot food makes you sweat? I have wondered, but until yesterday, I knew only that there was a relationship between the amount of capsaicin in a the ingredients of a dish and sweating. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Science | 2 Comments

Indian Food on the Brain

Posted on June 21, 2014 by John Swinburn

We made a quick trip to Benton and Bryant yesterday, about 45 miles one-way. Our first stop was at a furniture store; we do not need any furniture, but my favorite wife decided she needed to see what sort of stuff the place stocks, anyway.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Travel | Leave a comment

Getting Acquainted with Hot Springs

Posted on April 17, 2014 by John Swinburn

I’ve posted very little about our new home and its environs, primarily because we’re not yet in our new home.  If all goes according to plan, a week from today the movers will deliver our furnishings and we can begin … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Travel | 2 Comments

Kroger and Such

Posted on April 7, 2014 by John Swinburn

We had a lot to do today; visited our Realtor’s office to trade documents, went to our soon-to-be-home to view the “trip hazard” that we may or may not want to fix, and went wandering all over the village, trying … Continue reading →

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Of Pizza and Beer and Songs and Darkness and Change

Posted on April 6, 2014 by John Swinburn

Last night, after a 13-hour, 656 mile marathon trip to retrieve boxes and assorted other stuff we left behind in storage, we had dinner at Charlie’s Pizza Pub, which I learned from its Facebook page moved to its “new old … Continue reading →

Posted in Change, Food, Sense of place | 5 Comments

Brisket

Posted on April 3, 2014 by John Swinburn

Last night, we were treated to an excellent meal of mesquite-smoked brisket and all the appropriate condiments, German potato salad, and green salad, capped off with very good dessert. Not to mention some truly fine beer. And we started the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Friendship | 3 Comments

Decadence & Guilt

Posted on March 29, 2014 by John Swinburn

In celebration of the closing on our house yesterday afternoon, my wife and I had a decidedly decadent celebratory dinner at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, a longtime favorite place for celebrations.  We went to the original, the only … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Moving | Leave a comment

DiDi’s

Posted on February 8, 2014 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, my favorite wife and I decided to splurge…instead of eating soup at home, we went out for lunch at a place newly re-christened as DiDi’s.  It had been called Abuela’s Kitchen, but a woman who served us (I assume … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Justice | 8 Comments

Ode to Chorizo…and so forth

Posted on February 2, 2014 by John Swinburn

I cannot help myself.  I love Mexican chorizo.  There’s something about the sharp, vinegar flavor of the stuff that I find immensely appealing.  When I learned, years ago, that the ingredients of commercial chorizo often include pig salivary glands, lymph … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 3 Comments

Shrinking Sloth

Posted on January 17, 2014 by John Swinburn

I can cook.  Man, can I COOK!  I’ve just made a Dutch oven full of red lentil soup.  It is, if I don’t say so myself, wonderful!  And it’s not the first time.  I’ve done this before. Several times. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Health, Sloth | 10 Comments

Uncool. Yeah, that’s the way I roll.

Posted on January 6, 2014 by John Swinburn

I take pleasure in knowing that I enjoy certain things that have outlived their brief periods of being cool.  Is it perverse pleasure?  I don’t know.  You tell me. Here is what I am hearing about the now out-of-vogue stuff … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Food, Humor, Popularity | 3 Comments

Singular Solutions

Posted on December 27, 2013 by John Swinburn

I once had enormous faith in the ability of science and technology to solve the monstrous problems confronting humankind.  Lately, though, my confidence has ebbed as I’ve come to acknowledge that astonishing breakthroughs in science and technology frequently come with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Food, Government, Philosophy, Politics, Population, Poverty, Urban planning, Water | 7 Comments

Holiday Meal Extraordinaire

Posted on December 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

We had every good intention of having Christmas dinner on Christmas day. But a big midday meal of tamales and chile con queso, for the second day in a row, coupled with my wife’s tendency to enjoy her long afternoon … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food, Love | 10 Comments

Food Features and Fantasies

Posted on December 25, 2013 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, we departed from our usual tradition of having tamales and chile con queso and beer for dinner. Because we had arranged to go to dinner with friends last night, we instead honored the tamale tradition at lunch. … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 3 Comments

Canadian Tomatoes and Kansas Grapefruit

Posted on December 24, 2013 by John Swinburn

Last summer, one of my brothers planted tomatoes.  The plants grew and produced blossoms, but the fruit never set.  He theorized the high temperatures, both day and night, might be to blame.  From what I’ve read this morning, he’s probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Weather | 5 Comments

Cornish Pasties

Posted on December 15, 2013 by John Swinburn

I did it.  I made Cornish Pasties, ostensibly a “Great Lakes” regional dish.  It was my second “Regional Cuisine of the U.S. and Canada” endeavor of the month, the first being American Chop Suey. I did not bother with photos … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Without, Food | 3 Comments

Jalapeños

Posted on November 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

My wife decided she wanted to go out to lunch today.  After a bit of back and forth about where, we opted to go to Cuquita’s, a Mexican restaurant adjacent to one of the grocery stores we frequent, Fiesta.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 3 Comments