Anokoblog

Tailors really help me out, as it is hard to find a suit that fits a hedgehog well; for some reason we can't seem to rid ourselves of soldiers; and, judging by that guy at the other end of the bar who keeps looking over his newspaper at me, spies abound. But where are the tinkers?

When I was a child, we still had milk delivered to us. That did not last too long. But for quite a while after that one could still hear the bells of the tinker's truck rumbling up the street. These itinerant tinsmiths would drive around, offering to repair any little metal thing (mostly kitchenware) that one might need repairing. Mostly they would sharpen your knives for you. I remember watching them work in the back of their trucks on the sharpening wheel, in rapt attention as the sparks flew. The sound of the tinker's bell was almost as attractive to me as the ring of the ice cream truck. Now a "tinkerbell" is just some crap that Disney sells to little girls, and the ice cream truck plays some recorded music that drives me out of my tiny little insectivore mind (especially the one that bleats "hello, hello" in between its monotonous refrains.)

Now my kitchen is full of crappy cutlery that is best disposed of, except for a couple of nice knives that I occasionally scrape on an oiled stone, but can never quite get back to that beautiful blade that can really cut it.

Where have all the tinkers gone?

// posted by Anokoblogger @ 4:25 PM 0 comments

It is my great pleasure to call to your attention over 150 (!) songs written in praise of the next President of the United States:

One of the great things about living on a stool at the far end of the bar is the uninterrupted view of the TV screen. While all the booze hounds around me blab on about whatever their bosses, girlfriends, or sports teams are doing, I often get to watch inside-the-beltway hacks blab on about politricks and who's gonna trick who. This is especially fun on Sunday mornings as I sip a Bloody Mary and gnaw on some celery (note to fan club - hedgehogs love us some celery, hint hint).

So, in honor of Senator Obama's Veep Week, I want to go out on a limb and tell all of the Beltway Bastards that they are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Biden, Bayh, and Kaine don't stand a chance. Neither Sibelius nor Dodd nor Richardson. The one that everybody counts out will be the surprise of the season:

Because I can't get enough.

I would like to bring your attention to our fine finned friend, pictured left, the Atlantic Croaker. These delightful fellows swim up and down the coast from Massachusetts all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, as far west as Texas. Luckily for me, they love to hang out in the Chesapeake Bay. They also go by the nommes de guerre of Drum and Hardhead. Their heads are indeed hard, but more unusual is the "croaking" or "drumming" sounds they make by vibrating muscles against their swim bladder. According to the folks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, Croakers are a very sustainable fish to catch, so we can enjoy this tasty treat and still feel good about loving our oceans .

And this is a very good thing, as they have firm white flesh, which is tender, with a mild sweet taste. They can be baked, broiled, or fried to bring out their flavor. Since it is the middle of July, I decided to grill the guy on the right - here he is just about done. Very simple preparation, just season with salt and pepper and rub with some olive oil and lemon juice. Let some pretty hot heat from a bed of coals do their smoky thing, and before you know it it's dinner time. And for the love of the Lord, don't take the head off! That would be so wrong, wrong, wrong.







And there he is - my plate overfloweth with fine firm fish flesh. Don't forget a nice light salad if you want a belly full of summertime satisfaction.

There is a lot to like about thighs. I like to rub them all over...with a mixture of spices before putting them on the grill. With a little salad they are a great way to spend a long languid summer evening. That's what I was doing on July 18th, in case you were wondering about my alibi.

Later he ate some curry goat with plantains, rice & peas, and of course, some Red Stripe.



Now, on to the parade! Click on the pictures to make them big. I've got a lot more, some maybe soon come!