Patty Melt (Revised)

VB has revised this post as a result of a comment by the managing editor of Serious Eats, Adam Kuban.  The Boss Man always says VB is, "Not always right, but never in doubt," (meaning, of course, VB thinks she's a know it all) which, for some odd reason, really fits in here for an explanation too discombobulated to refine.

Apologies to Ed Levine and all the folks at Serious Eats.  Believe VB, she is seriously eating her words and pretty damned embarrassed about this.


VB likes to read food blogs. One of her favorites is called Serious Eats. It's a blog originally started by Mario Batali, Ed Levine (apparently he's been on a diet for quite awhile now). It went defunct for awhile, and then was reborn. It's now an amalgamation of various contributors. VB usually ignores most of the recipes, but was drawn to one in particular.

Recently someone posted a recipe for a Patty Melt. It appears to be based on a recipe from Saveur Magazine, VB's favorite cooking magazine. Anyway, reading this little post, and it's links brought back memories (you know, like those "fond" ones everyone talks about).

VB's parents owned three restaurants, at different times. A woman named Stella worked as a waitress in our first restaurant.  VB practically went through grade school with her, and she even threw VB a birthday party.  See!

We knew her and her family. Stella's husband owned some sort of fancy sports car and would pick her up from work (he always reminded VB of Jackie Gleason).   When VB's parents closed the restaurant (through reasons beyond their control) Stella went to work at a Toddle House. Stella's sister lived a few blocks from our new apartment, in a totally new  (and totally black) neighborhood where VB and her mom moved to (due to circumstances related to the aforementioned loss of the family's first restaurant.) We would visit Sella's sister (who owned a talking bird).  VB would play with the bird, while VB's mom, and Stella's sister drank coffee, catching up on the news (i.e. gossip).

Even though we kept in touch, after VB became an adult and moved away (far, far away) she would continually stop by the Toddle House on Clifton Avenue, to visit Stella.  The Patty Melt was VB's favorite dish there (besides breakfast after a very loopy night - Stella probably knew more about VB than VB's own mother)!    Stella made the perfect Patty Melt.   She could do it with her eyes closed.   At a Toddle House the waitress was also the cook, dishwasher, busboy and manager, particularly at night, which was when Stella worked. She was always good humored and laughed about everything.  And, because of her sense of humor and good nature, she had quite a few regulars.  VB remembers the night she visited to tell Stella that VB's mom had died.  At first it wasn't so funny, but Stella could pick out pieces of the past that reverberated in humor. VB and Stella sat, drank coffee, and smoked cigarettes that evening.  VB has a hard time eating when she has a big lump in her throat.  One night VB showed up and was told, by another waitress, that Stella had passed away.  It was a sad evening.

Later, after VB's search for her own mom's past history (another, very lengthy story altogether) Stella's daughter gave VB some photos.  At this point both mothers had passed away.

In remembrance of my visits with Stella at the Toddle House, and her excellence in The Patty Melt, VB presents the following:

(Below): Two very old photos of Stella. The first inside VB's parents' restaurant, and the other outside. The Chinese Laundry next door (run by a real "Chinaman" with a long braid, who spoke extremely broken English, and who fed VB some sort of wonderful broth), where Stella is standing, got axed at the same time as the restaurant (this is what happens when you don't own the building / business, and you have a greedy owner.)

Below: VB's Patty Melt - it's a bit on the thick side.  It was delicious!  That griddle on the new stove The Boss Man bought VB is just short of amazing!  VB almost feels like she's back in the restaurant business all over again.

And, what'll you have?

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, Swap & Meet Buses

These Buses were all in the Swap and Meet area at Terryville.

NEWS:

From Pakistan to Paris, by VW Beetle

"A French doctor is embarking on the 6,000-mile trip to promote a better image of Pakistan. 'It's not all about terrorism,' he says."

"The Beetle came to Pakistan in the 1950s with army officers and bureaucrats returning from postings abroad. The appeal has endured – Mubashir Hasan, a finance minister from the 1970s, still drives his around Lahore. Romano Karim of Islamabad's VW club estimates about 500 "Foxies" travel Pakistan's roads. "Cute, quirky, cheap spare parts – it's the ideal car," he says.

The French doctor's Foxy should reach Paris in about two weeks. His team is equipped with an ample stock of spare parts and a line of Urdu poetry inscribed on the bonnet: "Every mother's prayer is a breeze from paradise.""  

More here where you can also see how the car was restored: Art on Wheels tour.

VW fans achieve record stuffing Beetle in Dade City

Our EV Conversion Gets A Curvaceous Body

"My DIY electric car project has officially started: I bought a car to convert, a sky blue ‘67 VW Beetle. I’ve had my eye on it for awhile. Now that I’ve got the title in hand, there’s no turning back."

Old Beetle takes prize for the most popular car

Support Grows To Save VW Bug Sign

VB's gotten several e-mails about this.  If you haven't heard of it, then you're not living on planet earth!
VW bus stolen 35 years ago is found in shipping container bound for Europe

And now for the sequel:
Woman would like to buy back long-lost VW van

"SPOKANE, Wash. — Michele Squires once owned the 1965 Volkswagen van that was found recently in a shipping container at a Southern California port — 35 years after she had it stolen from a repair shop."

"She'd now like to buy it back."

Route 66 artist's life coming to an end (Video at the link)

"For decades, Bob Waldmire lived on the "Mother Road," wandering the remnants of Route 66 in his orange VW bus and selling his intricate, India-ink artwork from Santa Monica, Calif., to Pontiac, Ill."

"The Route 66 Alliance plans to put Waldmire's 1972 VW on permanent display at its planned Tulsa, Okla., museum and fund art scholarships and an annual prize in his name."

Rootstock: Peace, Love and Beaujolais Nouveau

"NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - November 5, 2009) - Les Vins Georges Duboeuf will "share the love" for the 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau arrival on Thursday, November 19th -- the official release date of this fruity wine that celebrates the end of the harvest and gives a foretaste of this year's vintage (reported to be one of the best vintages in the past 50 years). In both New York and Miami, "Peace, Love and Beaujolais Nouveau" vintage VW 'Love Buses,' escorted by Beaujolais Biker Chefs and wine-loving hippies, will help launch a week-long food drive and deliver the first cases of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau wine to the official "sip-in" uncorking ceremonies."

You must be 21 to enter, but go here to see an animated version of the VW Bus delivery.


How many days until Christmas?  VB doesn't start counting until after Thanksgiving, but we'll give it a start.  So far - it doesn't look good.

Blue VW Toy Car Ornament by Old World Christmas

Pink VW Beetle Cabriolet Surf Moneybox Ornament - Hand Painted

VW Bus Ceramic Ornament

VW Bus Ceramic Ornament

Open Farm Sunday

Last week we went to Open Farm Sunday, sponsored by Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and hosted by a local farm.  Awesome Daughter was not interested in staying too long, until...they offered her complimentary corn chowder and sharp cheddar cheese.  It was somewhat coincidental, as we were talking about making corn chowder for dinner.  VB presents a short tour of the farm.  We had fun.  And, of course, everyone on the tour behaved like a bunch of schoolkids at a petting zoo!

Below:  The old main barn, where we were greeted and fed.

Below 2 photos:  Cows are hungry creatures.  Some of these animals produce enormous amounts of milk each day, others - not so much.  Added up though, they provide us with our daily intake of main dairy products.  They are also very friendly creatures, or at least that's what VB thought.

Below:  This is a mechanical milking machine.  All cows teats are wiped clean with antibacterial wash, milked, then washed clean again, and given a soothing cream so their teats stay nice and soft - something of that nature.  And for cows unable to get into the milking center, say too pregnant, they have portable milking machines!  Wow, and VB thought she was going to see the real McCoy milking procedure (dude sitting on a wooden bucket, hand milking the cow - VB's kinda behind the times on some of this new technological stuff.)

Below:  The milk tank, with magnetic messages about farming and farming in Connecticut.

Below:  One of the messages, which VB highly recommends - buy local.

Below:  The pregnant cows.  Don't they look overly friendly!  That's because (VB found out,) Awesome Daughter was carrying dog treats in her pocket and they totally wanted to be with her!

Below:  This is a calf barn.  These calves are a bit older, and they get transferred here to socialize after being moved from the greenhouse.  The two calves below are not dairy cows.  They will be on your dinner table one of these days.  This farm also sells beef (Angus), and you can order from them (you know like a whole side, a quarter, something like that.)  At this size, they also have their horns taken off, so they don't injure each other.  Apparently, with horns, when they are hungry and pushing through the throng of other cattle, they poke and injure each other inadvertently.  The horn removal prevents that from happening.

Below: Our last stop was at the calf greenhouse.  We saw a calf, just born the day before.  These are calves that are very young, still nursing, and isolated as they have a habit of mistaking each other for their mothers, sucking, and yes, causing injury.  Here (next 3 photos) we have a female calf, who is absolutely smitten with VB's camera strap!

Below: Awesome Daughter pets the female calf.

Below:  You can see her again.  She's the only one standing, waiting for more visitors
 to welcome.

Below:  After our Open Farm visit, we stopped at our local farm stand to buy corn for our chowder.  The stand was closed, but still open for business.  They have a slot in the wooden windows for money.  Here pumpkins are on display so you can gauge the size when you buy one.  There's a sign with prices on the window.  Many farm stands around here are unattended / self serve.

Below 2 photos:  Our corn chowder and grilled sandwiches.

As VB writes this, she's watching Martha Stewart who is focusing on cheese.

And for some fun, A take off on VB's favorite show Mad Men. This is called Milk Men.

Milk Men - A Mad Men Parody

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Spoofs | TV & Movie Spoofs

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009, All Tarted Up

More from Terryville.  A lot of car entrants try to make their cars look sexier either with fancy mechanical gadgetry or spicing up the looks.  Here are a few examples of some Bugs that have been all tarted up.

NEWS:

60 years since the trusteeship of the Volkswagenwerk was placed in German hands

1966 VW Bug's Incredible Cross-Country Tour Now Reaches Montana! The Little Bug that Could!

Old-School Beetle Runs on Batteries and Biodiesel

"Students at the University of Kansas have built what may be the coolest hybrid ever — a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle–series hybrid that burns biodiesel and gets about 50 mpg."

(Check out the photos and video)
Paul Newman’s Mid-Engine, Ford 351 Powered VW Beetle

An Old Landmark In West Charlotte Could Go Away

"CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It’s been a beacon for decades at the corner of Freedom and West Morehead, in West Charlotte an old VW Beetleon top of an old garage. Some neighborhood groups call it a landmark, well the city says it may have to come down."

Krider Racing borrows Bug, takes Beetleball title

Tea guru takes boutique brand to a new level

"In the early days at Stash Tea, he discovered Oregon's exceptional peppermint (used then in toothpaste and mouthwash), and persuaded growers in Prineville and Madras to harvest it to his specifications for tea. "We got a couple of Volkswagen busloads, then graduated to semi truck loads," Smith says. "I would drive the combine and harvest, then drive the semi truck with 25,000 pounds of leaves in it into what's now known as the Pearl District."

Today his palate is just as acute. He'll only buy chamomile from the Fayoum Oasis in Egypt, just south of Cairo. "We need tight heads, a small amount of stems, fresh product," he says."

Home remodel leaves Thorp family living in vans

"The Olliviers have circled up seven of their VW vans and campers in the backyard between their home and the river, somewhat like covered wagons.

Four of vans serve as bedrooms, one each for Jan, Jacques and sons Jordan, 12, and Joe, 15.

Three other vans are for storage and other amenities.

There’s a picnic table in the center with a large umbrella over it for family dining and the boys’ afternoon homework, a power cord from the house for a hot plate and other appliances, and ice chests in place of a refrigerator.

A portable toilet/outhouse, also used by the contractor, serves as a family restroom. A ladder against their house leads to a remodeled bathroom area in the house’s second floor where showers are taken.

All the comforts of home. Well, sort of."

It's Friday: Is this the World's Most Miserly VW Bus?

VW camper van hearse created for funerals

Odd Pueblo: Snappy or Crappy?

"Several folks also voted crappy on a bugged-out VW bug posted many moons ago – but now we got the Volkswagen’s big sister: an awesome Volkswagen bus.
Judging from my calling it awesome, you can bet I think this thing is groovy. Check out the slide show, featuring six ways of looking at a VW bus."

VW Said to Discuss Buying Insolvent Carmaker Karmann (Update1)

Last year VB noted an article about Jay Leno where he mentioned being asked to do an American version of Top Gear.  He basically said, "no."  Apparently he has changed his mind.   NBC has built a race track for Leno's new show:  (from September)    Wheels: Jay Leno’s Green Car Challenge Puts Guests on Racetrack,

"The latest TV reality show is the “Green Car Challenge,” an irregular segment — which first appeared Friday — on “The Jay Leno Show.” Celebrities will compete in a specially prepared electric Ford Focus on a racetrack built just outside the NBC studio in Burbank, Calif."

November '09 Monthly Wallpaper / Screensaver Calendar

Karmann Ghia in Washington, DC

1955 Chevy

Funkengroovin - Terryville, CT Bug-A-Fair 2009 The New Breed

At Terryville this year, VB noticed a new breed of VW devotees. Similar, but.......younger.  VB doesn't have a chart drawn up, but she does have a few photos comparing the two.  It makes her feel good that there are youngsters who are willing to take over where we left off.  And, also, to not let the classic VW die.  Even though we owners may come and go, and die (literally), the VW will always live on through the ages with future generations.



Some of the new breed have Grateful Dead stickers on their VWs (not many though, since they were maybe seven years old (?) when he died), LMB (Love My Bus) almost on all of them, but most have stranger stuff. Not political, just in-your face statements. You will probably need to enlarge the photos to see the details.  We were like that once.

Below are three examples. The last, VB thinks, is a Dharma Initiative infiltrator! That "MASSHOLE" bumper sticker is a dead giveaway.




The new breed does not look like this (that's not The Boss Man.)


They look like this (below). They may have tattoos, no long hair (just a tad longish - no Fabios here), piercings are almost a requirement, the Abercrombie and Fitch look is their "Official Preppy, Hipster Yuppie, Nerd (OPHYN) Handbook" of style (notice the pecs? - VB did), and they appear to have just crawled out of a cave, yet smell as fresh as Irish Spring (er, Pot-chouli).


The new breed is not corny. They would never make fun of themselves, or their buses, but we will.


They smoke sheesha, decorate their buses with exotica. They even have DVD players and fans installed in them!  BTW, this is a Eurovan. VB thinks they've done a very cool job with it (how is it that the word "cool" has not gone out of style?)


The new breed wears their blumenvasen on the outside.


Instead of on the inside (this VB's '65 VW Cabrio.)


The old breed hangs out under tents and awnings (these two may look young, but they were practically born in a VW Bus / Van.)

At one time, VW offered a $50.00 Savings Bond to any baby born in a Bus.  Believe VB, when she was pregnant, The Boss Man begged her to go to the hospital in an old '69 VW Bus (in January, on the coldest day of the year, on record).  He said he would drive around the hospital, and pull into the Emergency Room entrance just as VB was giving birth.  Let's just say, VB could barely get into a car that day, much less climb into a Bus.  So, no, we did not get the $50.00 Savings Bond, but Awesome Daughter loved that Bus and still remembers the "water fountain" (sink faucet).



The new breed hang out in their vans, snuggling, spooning, letting their ankle bracelets dangle for everyone to see. It's sweet. We used to be like that too.



Okay, so VB is getting nostalgic, but she likes these new folks, and hope they continue to join us old farts in the recreational business of owning an old VW.