Street Tacos v2

I made an attempt at street tacos before.

And they were good. But what was missing was those fancy little taco holders they serve you with at restaurants. Fortunately I was gifted some, so I made a round 2. I find that it’s really the birria sauce that makes the taco, and I just so happen to be good at making sauces! Like a ramen broth, it’s whatever the cook feels like. In this case, it also included the braising liquid from the pork shoulder steaks (FYI – 4 hours at 225 degrees). So here’s my second attempt:

Also what was missing before were those pickled onions. Problem solved.

Another lesson was learned, however. And that was the corn shells. Despite warming them up, they just weren’t pliable enough to avoid splitting. I need to try some other methods next time.

–Simon

Parks with Ken: Bill Yeck Park, Smith House Entrance

I don’t normally spend any time with coworkers outside of work, now that I’m a “professional”, in some sense of the word. Stakes are higher, and I’m not looking to expand my social life. Compared to my earlier life in low-paying hourly positions, of which the only perks were to meet people of a similar age and take home product the bosses didn’t care about, I’ve now learned that too many people are out to sabotage my career and use fake camaraderie to build HR cases calling for my termination, and unlike those earlier jobs where I could easily just grab another entry-level position somewhere, a career change now would be very detrimental to my socioeconomic status. So now I’m slow to trust.

But after a stint as an Agile Product Owner, such a psychotic product development methodology unexpectedly built legitimate camaraderie amongst those of us forced into unified misery. Some less-lethal version of soldiers under fire. And as a result, I now have a recurring lunch with my former Scrum Master: Ken. It was a lunch, originally. And admittedly, Ken’s idea. He’s a networker it would seem. I’ve always been envious of people who can do that – those who maintain a broad professional circle.

But now I’ve changed it to a walk, because I hate trying to talk while eating. Talking while walking is far easier, and healthier. And being outside has proven mental benefits.

But Ken, not being one for sameness, wanted to try different parks each walk. This presents an interesting circumstance in which I now need to look into where all the local parks are. Normally I look for parks in which to shoot squirrels, so this is not my normal variant of parks and rec. But it is an opportunity to learn more about the outdoor world beyond my bubble, so I’ll take this project and begin documentation!

First up: Bill Yeck, the Smith House Entrance:

Frankly, I don’t much care about a park’s backstory unless it involves some historical event. But usually metro parks are just former private property that the former estate willed in a trust to become undeveloped greenspace. It’s a nice gesture, but hardly interesting. Here’s the info for those so inclined to read it: https://cwpd.org/parks/bill-yeck/

And now, my review:

Difficulty: 1-3/5, depending on the trail.

Points of note:

  • Varying trail elevations and corresponding difficulty.
  • Multiple biome selection: forest, meadow, gully.
  • Bird blind, markers with some backstory info, apiary.

There’s plenty of trail to choose from on this one. It’d take multiple visits to cover them all. Happy hiking.

–Simon

Project Puke

What’s the best way to separate two jagged razor blades that are glued together?

With the tools on hand, the answer is with a screwdriver and pie disher.

Even if I could eat these things, which I can’t, the grocery store variety was not the plump restaurant variety that looks so inviting.

I really couldn’t say whether or not these were any good, but they got gobbled down regardless. At $2 a pop, they’re a little cheaper than restaurants, but the labor involved isn’t worth it.

Oysters – I wonder who ever tried the first one.

–Simon

Kettle Grills

I notice kettle grills have a more personal connection to their owners. No one refurbishes their gas grills when they wear out. They get chucked in the trash and replaced with something shinier. But kettle grills are awash with aftermarket parts both to replace broken pieces as well as to enhance what comes stock. My own grill in fact, which was an anniversary present from Liz, has had its ash sweeper/air control replaced, new grill grates, and a fancy weather cover added. I’m very fond of it. It represents when I started charcoal grilling, and on my deck of my new home too. Very suburban.

And speaking of enhancements, I got tired of the steel grates. They’re thin and tend to bend with wear, and the steel has a low specific heat. So I found cast iron replacements!

Those quarter sections lift out too, giving access to the charcoal below,

I seasoned and sealed them over the weekend, and Sunday it’ll be warm enough that I’ll try grilled chicken. Here’s hoping I can step up my grilling game another notch!

–Simon

Crocus Expansion

More crocuses were planted last fall, and now they are starting to arrive.

This throws off my phenological records, since these ones are out in the sun and warmer soil. Oh the problems I endure.

–Simon