Spectacular Saturday!

Woke Up at 6:30 with no alarm. I started the first load of weekend laundry, then shaved and showered. I got an email from Jyl, stating she was kidnapping her sister Brenda for her birthday and asking what were good restaurants in this area. I responded that I needed more information, like, type of food and cost.

She responded Chinese or Italian, so I sent her my best picks. But, I asked her why she didn't just come here. I can cook soul food all day long! So, she agreed and now I have to go shopping (which I needed to do, anyway).

I decided on a menu of baby back ribs, collard greens and macaroni and cheese (I ran it by Robert, the gang-banger across the street and he said it would be perfect. Actually, what he said was, the ribs and collard greens were good and all, but he could eat his Momma's homemade macaroni and cheese all day, every day!)

So, I'm off to Meijer's, list in hand. But, I stopped at the Coney Island (next to Home Depot) and had breakfast (two eggs, over easy, four sausage links, hash browns and rye toast). Now, properly fueled, I am a grocery shopping fool!

Most of what I bought today was staples, such as dish detergent, laundry detergent, Ivory soap and so on. So, it was expensive, but not exactly filling the freezer so's you'd notice. I got home just after noon, put away the groceries and decided to take a nap. I checked my recipes and the first time I need to do something (other than the baby back ribs which I put in the oven on 250 degrees F. as we speak) is 3:00 PM. So, I set my alarm for 3:00 PM and read a bit before taking a nice nap.

But, before I doze off, I should explain the ribs. I think we've talked about them before, but since I was just chastised for not explaining French dip sandwiches, I guess it bears repeating. I ripped off the white membrane on the back of the ribs, cut the slab in half and put them in a pan on a metal rack. I doused them with one cup apple juice and one cup bourbon. Then I rubbed the meat side with a mixture of five cloves of garlic (cut fine), two tablespoons of grill seasoning (I use Montreal Steak seasoning, myself, but that's just because I'm so cosmopolitan!) salt, pepper and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. They go in the oven for 3 1/2 hours (Low and slow, baby, low and slow! LOL, which is good cause I'm too old for high and hard!)

The alarm went off and I woke up and switched into high gear. I cut out the stems of the collard greens, rolled them up and cut them into one inch slices. I added them to the stock pot where I'd been boiling the smoked ham hocks, a tablespoon of house seasoning, a tablespoon of seasoned salt and a tablespoon of red hot sauce, which has been cooking for over an hour. Stirring often, they will cook for the next hour or so.

On to the mac and cheese. I boiled a pound of elbow macaroni until it was al dente, then drained it and added a tablespoon of butter and set it aside. I put four cups of milk, a small onion, studded with one clove, some dry mustard, four garlic cloves, a bay leaf and three fresh sprigs of thyme in a sauce pan and let it simmer. I made a roux, with two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of flour in a sauce pan. Once the roux was incorporated, I strained the milk mixture and slowly added it to the roux (whisking furiously). Then I added two cups of mild cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan. Next I dumped all that over the elbow macaroni, mixed it up and put it in a buttered casserole dish. I topped it with more shredded, but sharp cedar cheese and parmesan. Then I put that in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Now, I am putting charcoal in the grille and firing it up. I took a whole bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Hot and Spicy BBQ sauce (I love that stuff!) and whisked in a quarter cup of bourbon to it. Then, I put the ribs on the oiled grille and slathered them with the sauce. You're not really cooking them at this point; you are just trying to caramelize the sauce to seal in the flavor.

So, somewhere around this time Jyl showed up with her sister Brenda and Brenda's daughter, Bretony (who I had not met before. She was apparently working during her Grandma's birthday party that I attended). Seriously, this is a beautiful young girl who is/or should be a model. After some discussion, we exchanged web site info (me with my lame poetry, old, fat, bald guy site, her with her hot My Tube site).

But, it's dinner time. Jyl brought some non-alcoholic wine that they all shared (not me, of course. if it isn't 80 proof or above, I'm not interested!) I had water.

So, how did it all go? Well, the ribs and the collard greens were damn good! Bretony surprised me by asking for more ribs (you know that teenagers are usual too cool to ask for seconds) but, personally, I was disappointed with the mac and cheese. The consistency was good, but it as way too bland. Next time I make this, I will only use only sharp cheddar.

Jyl had brought a cake her sister loves (I forgot what she called it. A ruby cake?) and they had that for dessert. We chatted a bit more and the they left.

I looked at the pans and dishes and decided they could wait until Sunday and went back to my bed and book until sleep overtook me.