Category Archives: Food

Kitchen Travel

Posted on November 25, 2013 by John Swinburn

My experiment in doing without has evolved from the original plan.  I started and ended my absence from social media (except this blog) early and curtailed my month of meatlessness after three weeks or so.  I am returning to my … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Without, Food | 3 Comments

Molten Lava

Posted on November 8, 2013 by John Swinburn

A friend, who shares my passion for spicy food and good beer, sent me a message while he and his wife were away on a trip.  His message said something to the effect that “I found the hottest fuckin’ sauce; … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 3 Comments

State of Being in Strange Streams of Consciousness

Posted on November 5, 2013 by John Swinburn

The good news: I sold the hammered dulcimer yesterday.  I got less than I paid for it in 1994, but we have more space in the house than before. I got a call yesterday morning from a woman who wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Dreams, Food, Language | 3 Comments

Tacos and Dragons

Posted on October 31, 2013 by John Swinburn

Yesterday, we drove a couple of miles to one of the Hispanic markets (Supermercado El Rancho) where we sometimes buy fruits and vegetables and where I buy gallon cans of pickled jalapeños (jalapeños en escabeche). The prices there are generally … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 9 Comments

What Is This Teaching Me?

Posted on October 11, 2013 by John Swinburn

So, here I am in the midst of another month of doing without.  My plan calls for doing without, for one month at a time, something I enjoy; this month, I’m depriving myself of a category of food I enjoy: meat. … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Without, Food, Philosophy, Self-discipline | 4 Comments

Doing Without: A Meat-Free October

Posted on September 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

September is winding down.  If I choose, I can celebrate on October 1 with a stiff drink or a beer, but I’m beginning to think I should stick with September’s commitment to doing without alcohol.  At the very least, I should … Continue reading →

Posted in Doing Without, Food, Self-discipline | 5 Comments

Finding Places–Ohio and Beyond

Posted on September 8, 2013 by John Swinburn

We started the trip on Tuesday, August 27, around 11:30 a.m.  We had planned to start it Monday (and before Monday, Sunday and Saturday and the week before…but never mind), but decided for a variety of reasons that we should … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Family, Food, Racism, Regret, Travel | 2 Comments

A Tragically Flawed Attempt at Brisket Chiles Rellenos

Posted on July 25, 2013 by John Swinburn

The plan was flawless.  I would take a proven recipe for good chiles rellenos and would make it even better with the addition of chopped brisket, left over from the whole brisket I smoked a few weeks ago and subsequently … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 1 Comment

Grain-Fed versus Grass-Fed: A Study in Confusion

Posted on July 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

I have tired of posting about “things that matter” and have decided that, today, I will post about “something that doesn’t matter.”  (Though, in fact, it does.) And, so, I will expound on the relative merits of grass-fed beef versus … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Food | 2 Comments

Heat and Highways and Butchery

Posted on July 6, 2013 by John Swinburn

The heat returneth.  It’s 79 degrees this morning, just before 6:30 a.m.  I walked outside awhile ago, hoping to bask in the coolness of the budding dawn, but it was not to be.  Instead, I opened the door to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Travel, Where to Live | Leave a comment

Central Texas Road Trip

Posted on June 29, 2013 by John Swinburn

For my wife’s birthday, we had planned to drive to Abilene and stay the night in a Best Western motel, using our free room voucher that was to expire June 30.  We’d have dinner at Perini Ranch, a steakhouse in … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Travel | Leave a comment

Stream of Consciousness Stuff…

Posted on June 22, 2013 by John Swinburn

This morning I awoke at 6:05 a.m., a much more civil hour than yesterday.  Two cups of coffee later, I’ve read a number of posts on Facebook, viewed a bit of email (most of which was junk), and wandered into … Continue reading →

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Insomnia, Eating, and Friends

Posted on June 21, 2013 by John Swinburn

It’s four o’clock on a Friday morning and I’m up for the day, it seems.  That’s not a bad thing, just a tad taxing in that it contributes to my occasional sleep deficit.  I think it’s sending my body a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Friendship, Insomnia | Leave a comment

Good Day

Posted on June 16, 2013 by John Swinburn

So, Tuesday the real estate photographer comes to visit.  And we sign the papers to engage the real estate agent.  And we continue to prepare…to get the house ready…to sell. The idea is that the agent will not put the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Housiing, Moving | Leave a comment

It’s All About the Flavor Experience

Posted on June 12, 2013 by John Swinburn

On the one hand I find it appalling that, in a country that already consumes too much meat  we would import “exotic” meats simply to satisfy our culinary curiosity, but on the other I am nothing if not deeply curious. … Continue reading →

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BBQ Bridge

Posted on June 7, 2013 by John Swinburn

My intent was to get a picture of the Jeep at the lower left in this photo, but the gravitational pull of the bridge was such that I could not keep the camera pointed at the Jeep. The bridge in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Food | 6 Comments

Smoke

Posted on May 26, 2013 by John Swinburn

Today, finally, after months of delay and procrastinating about getting firewood, I will use my smoker.  I will smoke baby back ribs.  And they will be good. If I were honest about my doubts about my ability to build a … Continue reading →

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In Praise of Scallops

Posted on May 19, 2013 by John Swinburn

Last night, I cooked a dinner of seared sea scallops over wilted spinach and parmesan risotto.  It was the second or third time I’ve made the dish and my love for it has only grown with each time.  It is … Continue reading →

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Early Bird

Posted on May 5, 2013 by John Swinburn

For reasons unknown, I’d awakened at around 2:20 a.m.; wide awake with no chance of going back to sleep.  I futzed about for a while, then decided to go out for a middle-of-the-night breakfast. My wife is away for a … Continue reading →

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Chatter

Posted on March 31, 2013 by John Swinburn

We had a good time yesterday and today.  My brother, the one who’s retired in Mexico, came through and stayed the night with us.  He left this afternoon, bound for Paris where he’ll join his wife and, after a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food, Music | Leave a comment

A Renaissance of Sardines

Posted on March 10, 2013 by John Swinburn

A recent conversation with my wife led me to discover a wonderful new way to enjoy one of my favorite foods: canned sardines. She asked, innocently enough, if I’d ever had a sardine sandwich.  Perhaps she wondered about it because … Continue reading →

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Harissa and Habanero

Posted on January 30, 2013 by John Swinburn

I have devoted considerable time this past week to food; I know, that’s extraordinarily surprising.  Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in food-related “stuff” that I forget to document it for future reference (you know, “what was that recipe for … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 10 Comments

I am Not a Foodie

Posted on January 19, 2013 by John Swinburn

Both my wife and I were seeking out unusual restaurants and opportunities to try all sorts of regional and ethic foods over 40 years ago, well before savvy marketers started driving up the prices of foods that once were under-appreciated … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Philosophy | 2 Comments

Blind Robins

Posted on December 25, 2012 by John Swinburn

I spent time on the phone this afternoon with my sister-in-law’s mother-in-law, a ninety-plus-year old woman. Though her eyesight is failing, her mind remains sharp and her wicked sense of humor is equally capable of slicing through a moment. During … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Memories | 3 Comments

A Tasty Disappointment

Posted on November 11, 2012 by John Swinburn

I made dinner tonight.  The idea was to have a nice vegetarian meal, tasty yet filling. So I browned slices of eggplant in olive oil, then layered the eggplant slices with slices of tomatoes and slices of onion, topping the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | 2 Comments