It looks bad. It's looked worse.

Maybe not. But until it's official, I will hold a good thought. A prayer even, on a night I've dreaded for sometime.

Continue reading this post »

Everyone has written this Fanpost (except me). I get it. So feel free to disregard it. I originally intended to bury it in the Fanposts, but I couldn't get the format to work out, so here it goes. It's also too long. It's based upon my thoughts over the past few months, and I wrote it now because the recent explanations of how the Board of Trustee's worked led me to believe that I could finally put something together that was based upon knowledge and facts, rather than "if this, then what" speculation. Some speculation is impossible to avoid, but I tried to frame it in the context of what has been revealed to date.

Continue reading this post »

I was listening to the reactionary lunatics on sports radio here in Pittsburgh, and I performed an exercise that I often do. I stopped and asked myself, what would I say if somebody actually bothered to ask me what I thought about the bowl game? So I took a minute, and here is what I came up with. Penn State was picked 7th in the B1G pecking order, here is how I break it down;

First, the guys were 9-3 a good effort, but hardly worthy of the BCS. That’s the first two spots right there.

The next level is the Citrus Bowl/Outback Bowl /it makes no difference level. First, we were just in one of them last year [ED it was the Outback Bowl. jesse. Seriously, it doesn’t matter, they are the same game]. Second, Michigan State, by virtue of winning their division is guaranteed a spot in one of those games. Third, we lost to Nebraska, and they’ve [3b] never been to the Citrus Bowl. So I don’t really have a problem with us missing out on a badly overrated trip to Central Florida. Frankly, I’d rather go to Texas anyway.

Next up is the Gator Bowl. Obviously [and I mean obviously] the Gator Bowl takes Florida if it has the chance. I seem to have read somewhere that Penn State played Florida in a bowl game last year. So all things being equal, would you pass up the Meyer Bowl for giving Matt McGloin a shot at redemption? Do you realize Jacksonville, Florida may actually be the worst place in the United States? So, I’ll file this one under “legitimate reason/who gives a shit anyway”.

The Insight Bowl picks next, and this is the only place I think we got rooked. But let’s lead off the discussion by saying we got rooked out of the Insight Bowl, and measure our rage accordingly. While played in Sun Devil Stadium, the Insight Bowl is not the Fiesta Bowl, it is the Insight Bowl. I believe that it starts at 11:45 on New Year’s Eve, and it is televised by the NFL network. Next, have you ever tried to travel to Arizona in December, it is really expensive. So yes, I’ll concede that it would have been nice to get a crack at Oklahoma, but if this is the extent of how we got screwed this holiday season, deal with it.

We finish with the Texas games. One is Houston, the other is in Dallas. I don’t care what their names are, I could have looked them up, but I intentionally chose not to. It doesn’t matter. The Houston one took Texas A&M, who is 6-6. The Bowl Game is trying to set up a interesting game, and Penn State just played them a few years ago. Other than the fact that Reliant Stadium is nicer than the Cotton Bowl, how does this matter? Dallas is a better trip. The University of Houston is a better opponent. This is a nominal insult to our pride at most.

Finally, look at the B1G Bowl match-ups and divorce them from the location of the game. Other than Wisconsin, who clearly is playing a better game than us, who else has a better match-up? I don’t see one. Houston was a game away from the BCS, they are 12-1, they’ve got some legitimate NFL players on offense, and for the time-being at least, a real up and comer at Head Coach. You’d rather play South Carolina?

Suck it up. It’s not that big a deal.

Oktoberfest maybe the most wonderful time of the year.  It's certainly one of my favorites, especially now that I can drink beer.  Of course, when I reviewed the 25 year old menu from the Oktoberfest tailgate in 1986, a cold shiver went down my spine. In a game not dissimilar to last weeks suck-fest, Penn State played lowly Cincinnati at Beaver Stadium. Surely it would be one quarter and back to the beer. Right? Please?

No. It would not be so. In one of the worst (if not the worst) games I've ever seen the eventual national champs carried a five win Cincinnati team deep into the Fourth Quarter only winning the game on a blocked punt in the end zone. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned in that.

Also, there is pie cake.  Let's just hope that it's not humble this week.

Jewish Apple and Almond Cake.

Software:

8  cups peeled, cored then chopped into bite-sized chunks, tart baking apples, such as: Cortland, Granny Smith or Winesap, or a combination of apples, about 2 1/2 pounds of chopped apples

1  cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted and completely cooled

2  cups total sugar, 1 cup for the apples and 1 cup for the batter

1  generous tablespoon ground cinnamon

3  cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2  tablespoons baking powder

1/4  teaspoon salt

4  extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1  large orange, all of its zest and 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice

2  teaspoons pure orange oil

2  teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2  teaspoon pure almond extract

1  cup vegetable oil

1-2  tablespoons butter, at room temperature, and, 4-6  tablespoons flour, for preparing tube pan 

Step 1.  You must have a tube pan with a removable bottom for this recipe.  Don't confuse it with a bundt pan, as removing the cake from a bundt pan is not a pretty sight!

Generously butter the entire inside of the pan, including the center tube.  Add the flour.  Holding the pan over the sink or trash can, shake, twist and turn the pan until the flour has evenly coated the entire surface, including the center tube.  Shake out and discard any excess flour.  Set aside.

 

Step 2.  Prep apples as directed, placing in a medium mixing bowl as you work.  Add the almonds, 1 cup of sugar and the cinnamon. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the mixture until apples are evenly coated and the sugar is dissolved. Zest and juice the orange.

Step 3.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Step 4.  In a second large mixing bowl, add the eggs, orange juice, orange zest, orange oil, extracts, vegetable oil and the second cup of sugar.  On medium high speed of a hand mixer beat until the oil is thoroughly incorporated, about 1 minute.

Step 5.    Reduce the mixer speed to low.

Add the flour/baking powder mixture. You can add it gradually, but I just put it all in at once.

Continue to mix on low speed, constantly scraping down the sides of the bowl with the spatula, until the flour is thoroughly incorporated and a thick, spoonable batter has formed, about 1 minute.

Step 6.  THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!  Using a large slotted spoon, remove and place half of the apple mixture in a medium mixing  bowl.  Take them from the top of the bowl.  Allow all of the juices to remain with the rest of the apple mixture in the bottom of the bowl.  The apples we just removed are the apples that will go on top of the cake.  Set them aside!

Step 7.  Using a large spoon, place half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan, spreading it around as you go.  Give the pan a few firm back and forth shakes to make sure the batter is evenly distributed.

Step 8. Using a large spoon distribute the second half of the apple mixture, the mixture in the big bowl WITH the  juices, along WITH all of the juices, over the batter.

Step 9.  Spoon and spread the second half of the cake batter over the apple mixture, doing your best to get it evenly distributed.

Step 10. Distribute the remaining half of apples evenly over the top.

Step 11.  Bake cake on center rack of preheated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted at several spots comes out clean. This is a very dense, moist cake, so don't worry if it takes another 5-10 minutes to finish baking.  

The cake will be starting to shrink away from the sides of the pan. Using a sharp knife, completely loosen cake from sides of pan. Holding onto the tube portion of the pan, lift and transfer the cake, on the tube portion of the pan, to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 2 hours

Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and set aside to cool, in pan for 15-20 minutes 

Using a sharp knife, loosen the cake from the bottom of the pan, carefully invert it onto the cooling rack, then invert it again onto a serving plate to slice and serve

As always there are more photos, stories, and information at Kitchen Encounters.  Enjoy the game.

For the Cheddar Cheeseburgers:

1  pound sweet sausage

1  pound Monterey Jack jalapeno cheddar cheese, grated

3 1/2  pounds lean or extra-lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10)

2  cups diced yellow or sweet onion

2  cups minced, fresh cilantro

3  tablespoons Santa Fe Seasons chili blend, or 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1  tablespoon salt

1  tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

Step 1.  Prep and place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl as you work.

Step 2.  Thoroughly combine the mixture.  The best way to do this is with your hands.

Step 3.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This will give all of the wonderful flavors time to marry.

While the meat is in the refrigerator:

For the Chile-Lime Mayonnaise:

1  cup mayonnaise

1  cup minced, fresh cilantro

1  7 1/2-ounce jar sliced jalapeno peppers, well-drained

1  lime, all of its zest and 1 tablespoon of its juice

1  teaspoon sugar

1/4  teaspoon salt

Step 1.  Prep and place all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor which has been fitted with the steel blade.

Step 3.  Transfer Chile-Lime Mayo to a food storage container, cover and refrigerate until serving time. Now it's time to prep:

Step 2.  With motor running, process the mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the work bowl using a large rubber spatula and process again for about 15 seconds.

It's time to cook the burgers, and today, because of the rain, I'm doing them under the broiler in my kitchen.  If you are doing them on an outdoor gas grill, the cooking time will be about the same, about 8-10 minutes per side!

Step 1.  Once again, I'm using three of those 11 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 1 1/4" disposable aluminum broiler pans, the ones with the corrugated bottoms that I love so much.  Using a kitchen scale as a measure, divide the meat into 12, 8-ounce portions.  Using your hands, form the portions into discs, about 3/4" thick, lightly compressing each disc between the palms of your hands.

Step 2.  Position the oven rack 7"-8" underneath preheated broiler.  

Step 3.  Broil the burgers, 8-10 minutes per side, turning only once, until they are golden brown on each side.  Ohhh so wonderful!  

Step 4.  Remove burgers from broiler and allow them to rest, 2-3 minutes before assembling and serving according to the following directions:

Slather the bottom of the bun with a thin layer of Chile-Lime Mayo.

My preference is to place in the following order:

lettuce

onion

tomato

the burger

a slather/drizzle Chile-Lime Mayo

sliced avocado

We're back in the saddle again for another edition of Penn State Nittany Lion Football, the 125th if your keeping score at home.  While many of you are familiar with Tailgate Thursday from last season, what is a relative unknown is that this is indeed the 25th Anniversary of Tailgate Thursday.  Yes, this venerable institution has been around for a quarter century.  The technology has changed, The forward pass was brought in to the offense in 1991, the shotgun formation quickly thereafter in 2001.  And of course the internet.  But the intent remains the same, the preparation of fantastic food to dump generous amounts on liquor on.

And now, the very first edition, of Tailgate Thursday....

That's right.  Typewritten and fuckin' (sorry Mike, yea new BSD!) Xeroxed.  And just in time for the East Carolina game.

There was a menu (obviously) but you get the point.

Continue reading this post »

This just got to big to be a comment. Not that we need another post about this topic.

Where would you start?  Fixing the program?

Continue reading this post »

During my unexcused absence last week it appears that you folks delved into a discussion of the merits of the “Texas Style” Chili dog that is neither from Texas, nor invented by a Texan.  Of course when I’m in Tamaqua, and in the mood for a Hot Dog I frequent the “Chili Dog”, and get mine with just mustard.  Regardless, ask and ye shall receive, Chili Dogs in the manner of North East Pennsylvania…

Head on over to Kitchen Encounters to get the full story on this reciepe, as well as other pictures and content.

Continue reading this post »

 

There has been some media coverage of 400 this week.  Last night on ESPN, Lou Holtz said something nice about Coach Paterno.  He even told a funny joke; Penn State is 15 minutes from Harrisburg by telephone, I laughed.  Hell, ESPN even stuck a cattle prod in Mark May’s can to ensure that he came up with something positive to say about the old man. This morning, even the Pittsburgh sports radio channel deigned to discuss Penn State.

 

Obviously, the initial 80% of the discussion (with a reporter from Altoona) covered when Joe Paterno will retire, and who his successor might be.  This was to be expected.  But then they mentioned this week’s game, and the Pitt guys asked (rather hopefully); is there a chance that Penn State losses out, and Paterno ends stuck on 399.  On paper, it seems like a possibility.

Continue reading this post »

 

If you’re like me, every activity you’ve taken part in has been in the context of; what does this mean to Ohio State?  The answer has hopefully been nothing. 

 

A few weeks ago (Illinois) I was sure we were having steak.  Now I’m positive we’re having steak.  Sometimes Tailgate Thursday veers into the territory of “yeah, that looks great, but how in the hell am I going to make that for a game?”  Not this week.  These steak sandwiches can be prepared in advance or at the stadium, and they are a guaranteed hit.  These have been one of my all-time favorites since I was a kid, and they come out at my house at least three or four times a year.  I escaped the clutches of the evil Paul Prudhomme a few years ago with my own blackening seasoning, but other than that, what you see is pretty much what you get.

Continue reading this post »

I’d like to thank Rich Rodriguez for turning Michigan in West Virginia.  I’d like to thank Rich Rodriguez for making West Virginia look appealing to Michigan.  In short, I like Rich Rodriguez.  I thank him, although I’ll never bet on him against Joe Paterno again.  Of course, even if Paterno coaches ‘till 100, I doubt I’ll get the chance.

I’d like to thank the defense for being good enough, and making an ass hole out of me.  I can live with that.

I'd like to thank Michigan's defense for being a Karate Kid Leaning Montage away from being half as good as Temple.

I still think Matt McGloin is an FCS quarterback.  But he had a hell of a day today.  Good for millzners.  And McGloin I suppose.

I was wrong.  Let me have it.  I love beating Michigan however it comes.  Have fun at my expense.

 

UPDATE: Heinz Field, Pitt Homecoming 2010.  Start of the Second Quarter.

Michigan. Blech...

Try to get the ugly tast out of your mouth from just saying that with a White Chicken Chili reciepe that shoud keep you warm right up until kickoff.

Continue reading this post »

 

Inspiration can be a funny thing.  When your team is 3-3, and a road game against the worst team in the Big Ten is worrisome thing, it can be a very hard to find thing.  The email came from Mel earlier in the week; “who do we play this week? Minnesota? I got nothing.  Any thoughts?”

 

There would be no reply.

 

I like to think the inspiration that saved Tailgate Thursday came from a text message I sent from the grocery store last week; “just bought corn meal from guy on road side, had cough, seemed okay”.

 

Mel’s reply was probably quite similar to yours; “WTF?”.

 

It took a minute, but what I sent was a vague reference to one of our favorite shows from my youth, Little House on the Prairie.  Anyone with a even a passing knowledge of that show should remember the classic episode where the town buys anthrax poisoned cornmeal and a ton of one off characters die, but nobody you’ve heard of.  Kind of like Ensign Numbnuts (the guy in the red shirt) from Star Trek.

 

Everybody now; jesse. what the hell are you talking about?

 

Little House on the Prairie took place in Minnesota.  It was that or some kind of Prince reference, and Prince and food don’t mix in any kind of way that’s appropriate for a family site such as this one.

 

Mel describes this weeks entry Cinnamon Chicken, and how it relates to life and Michael Landon, in more detail on the blog, but let’s get cookin’.

Continue reading this post »

To those of you who closely follow my ramblings on this blog, you know that I am divorced, and a divorce lawyer.  I know the value of making amends, and as I mature, I'm learning to do it before it's too late.  Most of the time.

It's possible (well for you it's possible, for me it's a certain fact) that you've said or done something over the last six Saturdays that maybe you shouldn't have done.  I mean, hypothetically, your beautiful loving Wife may have touched your shoulder, and said she loves you.  And it's possible that your response was, it doesn't matter because I'm burning this house down if Evan Royster doesn't stop running like a girl, and I'm taking you and the cats with me.  You know, something like that.  Or maybe you threw a shoe through the TV. Or broke your finger.  Or any number of other things that I can totally relate to, but that a normal person would see as grounds for involuntary commitment to a psychiatric facility.  Everyone does, whatever.

Continue reading this post »

Remember the first post, the one where I said that I didn't start doing this post myself for a lot of reasons, one of them being that sometimes I'm actually required to practice law?  Well yeah, sometimes things happen.  Settling in for the Illinois edition of Thursday, I was pleasntly suprised by this weeks edition.  Deep Dish Pizza.  But what do you do for Northwestern, which is closer to Chicago?  Only time will tell.

As always, there is time for questions and answers here, and at Kitchen Encounters...

Continue reading this post »

What is there to say about Iowa?  Their uniforms look like the Steelers;  plus.  They keep beating Penn State; minus.  Lots of pigs, and by extension, ribs and bacon, big plus.  Ethanol subsidies…minus, I think.  Moving on….

 I did ribs on the blog last summer, but Mel’s recipe for them can be found here.  I’m going to focus on the sides today.  The corn casserole will change your life.

Pigs and corn, pigs and corn, the things I like about Iowa are pigs and corn...

Continue reading this post »

Temple is in town, for a football game, what should we make?  What should we make?  Duh.

I take mine whiz-wit-out thank you very much.

 

On to the steaks…

Continue reading this post »

 

Well, if you cooked the food last week… at least you had the food.  Tailgate Thursday returns home this weak, battered, bruised, but not beaten.  And ready to eat and get lit up for a noon MACrifice. 

It’s getting cooler, Oktoberfest Beers are flowing, it’s fall.  So it’s time for some quiche?  Won’t Pitt be happy.  On to the grub, and make sure to follow us over to Kitchen Encounters for some sides and even a few surprises [hint, it’s doesn’t have to be quiche].

Continue reading this post »

Sorry in advance for the delay, I am wrapping up a short vacation, and didn't get to this until I got back home this afternoon.  Commence Tailgate.....

Continue reading this post »

As we finish our cocktails and get ready for the first game of the season, perhaps we should discuss what’s on the line.  Tonight eighty scholarship athletes go to bed with the greatest opportunity of their lives in front of them.  Those athletes play for Youngstown State, and tomorrow is their chance. To us it’s a suicide game. For Youngstown State; it’s their crack at immortality.  Act accordingly.

Continue reading this post »