Egad. Eighteen degrees with a high of 57 forecast. That sort of thing is a shock to the system. It’s also SOP in Colorado. The trick is finding the sweet spot for a longish bike ride in that temperature range. That, and trying to stay out of the wind.
I’ve been road testing bikes again — a Pashley Clubman and a Bike Friday New World Tourist — but I feel like riding one of my own machines today, maybe the Voodoo Nakisi MonsterCrosser®.
The thing is a tank but it’s become my go-to bike for some reason. The 700×38 rubber suits pavement, gravel and single-track alike, and the low end of 22×26 means I can climb a tree if being chased by an angry reader.
Speaking of angry readers, James wants “more cycling and foodie things, less politics.” We’ve covered cycling, so let’s move on to foodie things.
I’ve been trying to stretch the food dollar lately, having bid adios to Los Zopilotes de San Diego. And it ain’t easy, because I dearly love to commit eating.
Pork chops are a fave, and the other day I pulled a pound and a half of same from the freezer to thaw. But I got to thinking that a pork chop disappears pretty damn’ fast, as in during one meal, unless you’re a nibbler, which I am not.
So I diced a pound of the chops and made a pot of posole, which inspired the cooking of a pot of pintos with chipotle and the assembly of some sausage-and-cheddar enchiladas in red chile sauce. We’re still eating on that mess — in fact, Herself brown-bagged a small container of leftovers to work for lunch.
The remaining red sauce, beans and sausage, meanwhile, will get turned into tonight’s dinner of sausage-and-bean burritos smothered in red with a side of posole and salad.
And that half-pound of pork that didn’t make it into the posole? It was featured in last night’s nuclear kung pao pork with rice. The leftovers from that will be my lunch today.
So there you have it. How to stretch your swine into a fine line, by Chef Dog. Bon appétit.
Mad Blog Media 
Maybe it’s just me but the food talk in January (which coincidentally has continued from Thanksgiving) is rather boring.
With the Florida primary coming, can we get some political punditry here instead?
And just to save the effort: yes I care about the future of dinner…but honestly the last five minutes of ANY GOP debate is more appetizing. And by “appetizing” I really mean “revolting.”
More politics things, less food. I come here to get away from the cooking channel wannabees.
(With apologies to James)
We don’t get the full course of bad TV advertisements till June, assuming the GOP hopefuls are still flinging shit at each other. Perhaps by then this stupidity will be over and it will be on to the main event. Meanwhile, just hearing the snippets of Romney, Gingrich, and Sanatorium on the morning NPR news is enough to get me out of bed, simply because I need to find something to throw at the radio.
How you doing, Charles? Hopefully, well on the road to full time misbehavior again? All the best!
I’m doing well, Khal. Things are looking up. My chemo finished last month and already my hematocrit is closing in on its normal 48 (I hit 29.5 in early December). What’s more, my hair is returning … so much so that I, once again, have more hair than O’Grady (an admittedly low bar, but I am celebrating each little victory).
That’s good news!
Apologies accepted Charles!
And congrats on getting some hair back. Maybe if you grow a lot more, you can share it with Patrick. You know, help a brotha out in need?!
Keep the rubber side down, the follicle side up and may the roads be flat or angled slightly in a negative direction in the future.
Trying to please everyone could get a little complicated. Maybe you can throw a little porn in the mix? I’m thinking Booze, Bikes, BBQ, Boobs & Bozos. Did I leave out anything of importance?
I agree with Charles Pelkey.
One last bit on food for Patrick and.the others besides Pelky and Bromasi. Take care of that pork situation in the Italian style – by indulging in an antipasto course first, perhaps a few slices of a good-quality salame from Whole Paycheck if they carry the Fra’Mani stuff – the best available in the US when it comes to comparison with the real thing here in Italy, or some decent olives or a small plate of mixed crostini. Then a plate of fresh-egg pasta (make your own, it ain’t that hard) dressed with some mushrooms perhaps? THEN the grilled pork chop, drizzled with lemon and a bit of olive oil, finishes filling you up just fine. Too many ‘Muricans want to fill themselves up with expensive meats instead of cheaper beans, pasta, risotto, etc.
As to the politics, how much more is there to say about the 4 stooges, Mitty, Newty, Pauly and Ricky? They pretty much say it all themselves in what seems like an endless series of “debates” where they mostly yell at each other. I’m REALLY glad to not be in the USA where their antics are much harder (as Khal notes) to avoid than here in Sicily, where I have to go online or see small bits in the IHT unless they do something stupid enough to make the Italian TV news!
Larry, I actually like the food stuff, too. My comment was something of a parody of “James'” request on an earlier post that Mr. POG steer away from things political. Sorry.
No apology needed. I admit my mind’s on food currently as I’m trying to come up with a new recipe for the next edition of the CycleItalia newsletter.
I’m sitting in front of a mass spectrometer that is finally working after months of repairs and cursing. One more day without data and I would have considered hiring an exorcist to excise the demons from this thing–and from me. Meanwhile, starting to think about food,too. Larry, stop it,…I can’t bear it anymore!
An impressive ‘fridge.
I have discovered that my capacity to eat far exceeds my tolerance for training, so please, no more food. And that from a guy who teaches 8 spin classes a week…And likes to eat, alot.