REPORT: Michael Rank & Katie Lindgren Engaged To Be Married – The Associated Press

October 27, 2008

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHICAGO – The press has learned from authorities that Michael Rank, 32, proposed to Katherine Lindgren, his girlfriend of nearly 4 years, late Saturday evening at The Chicago Diner (3411 N Halsted St) in Boys Town. Authorities have also revealed that their good friend Elaine Heaney was in attendance when the event went down. When asked for comments, Ms. Heaney would only say, “That effer lied to me! He told me he wasn’t going to ask her tonight! I’m still not sure what’s going on!”

When the Associated Press contacted Mr. Rank and Ms. Lindgren for comment, their representatives released this statement from the two.

“It is with deepest love and affection towards each other that we have decided to take this next step in our lives. We appreciate the outpouring of sentiment and support during this time, and we apologize if we haven’t talked to you personally. It is no slight against you, just our fear of holding full conversations on the modern device you call the ‘telephone’.

“For those asking, no we have not set a date, nor plan to in the immediate future. It has in fact not even been a full two days yet since the engagement was accepted. So, please respect our need to enjoy the present time together without having to worry about a big to-do in the big ol’ future. If you insist on having a set date, feel free to use any one of these answers:

“It’s TBA!”

“Not in the foreseeable, near future.”

“Next Tuesday.”

“Once Barack Obama accepts our invitation to preside over the wedding.”

“If we have forgotten anyone, we are relying on our friends to spread the good word for us. So please feel free to spread the good word!”

Other details are sketchy at best. The two are not known for their following of normal traditions, so we are assuming the entire affair will be a small gathering of close friends and family where people will be fed the finest of foods and desserts while the bride and groom wear Chuck Taylor hi-tops. Rumors are a second line band may be involved.

For the most part the two have remained in near seclusion after the event. Mike has a known history of social anxiety issues, and was heard saying, “I hope people aren’t too mad if they learn about this through e-mail, Facebook or Twitter. I can’t handle that many phone calls.” Reports are coming in that they have contacted their immediate families, friends who happened to be in the area, and a couple of the regular homeless people they pass on the street everyday.

Related Information:

http://www.twitter.com/twobitme
http://www.facebook.com
http://twobites.wordpress.com
http://flickr.com/photos/twobitme/sets/72157608362658228/ (Photos of the evening)

Related Stories:
Somebody’s Getting Married! (Video)
White Wedding (Video)

Conquering The Belly Bruiser

Brad Sciullo of Uniontown

Someone finally did it.  A Pennsylvania man spent nearly 5 hours digging into Denny’s Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser, the 15 pound burger (before condiments) I talked about during my Food Competition week.

It took Brad Sciullo 4 hours and 39 minutes to finish a marathon. A meat marathon, that is. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound western Pennsylvania chef is the first person to eat a monstrosity called the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser: a 15-pound burger with toppings and a bun that brought the total weight to 20.2 pounds.

Sciullo said Monday he was surprised he finished the sandwich. “About three hours into it, things got tough,” he said.

Sciullo failed to mention, “By tough, I’m pretty sure my arteries stopped working for at least 30 seconds making it impossible for me to lift my arms.”

Cala Cakes – Mike’s New Favorite Fried Food

Cala Cakes from The Coffee Pot

When I was warned about the hearty food that New Orleans cooked, I figured it would be mostly because they just loved using butter and lard instead of the healthier ingredients of their Yankee cousins.  And while I’m sure this is still the case, I also discovered that by hearty, people actually do mean absolutely delicious and filling.  From the White Beans & Rice at The Gumbo Shop to the French Fried Potato Po’ Boy at Liuzza’s, we never walked away hungry.  But we also never walked away feeling like there was a weight sitting in our guts.  It was just the right amount of too much food.

While we were down there, I discovered my absolutely favorite new breakfast dish.  If Honey in Glen Ellyn added these to their menu, I’d be hopping a train down there every weekend.  People to the north of the Mason-Dixon line, let me share with you the two greatest words I discovered while in New Orleans: Cala Cakes.

We didn’t do a lot of prep work going into this trip.  We only knew that we needed to try Cafe Du Monde and The Gumbo Shop.  So when Katie asked if I was interested in checking out The Coffee Pot on Sunday morning, it was hard to say no.  And I’m glad I didn’t.  Because, and let me repeat these two words, I discovered Cala Cakes.

When I first bit into them, the taste reminded me of Burger King’s French Toast Sticks from long ago.  But the taste was more robust, and the cakes far more satisfying.  Covered in powdered sugar and syrup only made the experience better.  And adding a large side of grits to that made the experience mouth watering, even 4 days later.

While we were eating breakfast, another event took place that hammered home why people love New Orleans so much.  A family who must have been visiting after moving out of the city years ago stopped in to visit one of the waitresses.  The woman couldn’t believe her eyes.  She hugged the child, and then in a moment that made the entire restaurant stop, she put the child on her knee and started singing a hymn with a voice that filled the restaurant.  The place was silent save for her singing, and once she was done, everyone broke out into applause.  Seldom do  you get to see such a soulful, heartfelt act take place in today’s world.

It wasn’t until I was down there, eating the food, and seeing instances like that made me finally understand why people didn’t want to move away during Katrina.  I now see why people moved back as soon as they could.  It’s hard not to leave there without loving it just a little bit.

Even if the humidity and heat are actively trying to kill you.

Cala Cakes – Creole Deep Fried Rice Cakes (from RecipeZaar)

Serves 20 Cakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup rice, uncooked
3 cups water, boiling
1 tsp salt
1 1/8 tsp (1/2 package) yeast
1/2 cup water
3 eggs, well beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup flour, sifted
oil (for frying)

Directions
Cook the rice until very soft in the 3 cups of boiling water. Drain, mash, and cool to lukewarm. Add yeast, beat and let rise overnight. In the morning, add remaining ingredients. Beat again and let rise about 20 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oil to 365°F. Drop batter by tablespoons into oil and fry until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and serve hot with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

New Orleans & A Wedding

Katie and I just returned from a great little vacation from New Orleans.  We went down there to take part in the festivities of our friends’ wedding.  For those that want to see the photos, here are the links.

And can I say, I think everyone needs to see a New Orleans wedding.  Many of the photos are blurry, but that’s the only way to capture the pure energy that the reception was.

We didn’t hit a large amount of restaurants while down there, but we did check out Luizza’s, The Joint, The Gumbo Shop, The Tea Pot, Cafe Du Monde, Carmelo, and Slice.  We also got to check out an authentic New Orleans’ Crab & Shrimp boil.

All Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twobitme/sets/72157608012521765/

Wedding Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twobitme/sets/72157608012638339/

Architecture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twobitme/sets/72157608012674485/

Food: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twobitme/sets/72157608005139906/

Street Shingles and other signs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twobitme/sets/72157608012710497/

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Citrus Sage Sauce

Butternut Squash Ravioli w/ Citrus Sage Sauce

When I get an idea in my head, it’s hard to let go.  Some people like to call that “obsession” or perhaps “OCD,” but I like to think of it as inspiration slowly beating me into submission until I finally act upon it.  I’ve always wanted to make my own pasta.  I love the taste of fresh pasta compared to the stuff you buy in a box.  There’s just something that makes it taste…better.  But, I always procrastinated because I didn’t have a pasta roller to cut down on the work I would ultimately have to do.

It was then that I realized that I was complaining about the hard work that ultimately goes into making pasta.  Sure, making pasta dough is easy, but MAKING pasta used to be a long, laborious project.  Old Italian women, I’m assuming, had arms that could crush baby bears because of their upper arm strength after making pasta for their family.  And they did it more than once I week.  Here I was, complaining about a little elbow grease.  And I wouldn’t make it easy on myself either.  Why make some regular ol’ pasta when I can attempt to make a ravioli?  I was never known for starting small in my endeavors.  If I’m going to fail, I’m going to fail BIG.

So I pulled out the rolling pin and decided that this weekend I would finally tackle a long-time project.

Next time?  I buying a pasta roller.  There was something inherently zen in spending 3 hours to roll dough to 1/8″ thick.  You get lost in it.  But after the first 90 minutes, you start to realize how sore your arms and back are.  2 hours in, I realized that the palm of my hands may never recover.  But hell if I was going to quit.  The ravioli kept coming.  1 dozen.  2 dozen.  3 dozen.  By the time I was done, I had nearly 4 dozen ravioli, and enough filling to probably make another 4 dozen.

The sauce is the easiest part of this meal.  I personally thought the flavors all went well together.  Katie wasn’t so big on the ginger or citrus sauce, but to each their own as they say.  This recipe was a combination of a couple different ideas (here and here), and some hit or miss guesstimating on my part.  I will definitely be trying again, if only to get the herb and spice ratios right.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Citrus Sage Sauce
Ravioli Recipe makes up to 3 1/2 dozen ravioli depending on size.
Citrus Sage Sauce serves 4

Dough:
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour, pre-sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
water

Filling:
9 oz cooked butternut squash purée
1 oz grated parmesan
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 tsp freshly minced ginger
1/2 cup fine ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp sage leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

Orange Sauce:
Juice of 2 large organic oranges
2 oz butter
6 sage leaves
1 inch ginger root
Salt and pepper

Steps:
Start by preparing your pasta dough ahead of time. Sift the flower and salt together. In a separate bowl, mix the sage, eggs, and 1/4 cup water. In a food processor, pulse sage, eggs, and 1/4 cup water until the sage is fine. Transfer the egg mixture to a stand mixture and gradually beat in the flour and salt. Add more water as necessary to obtain a stiff, but workable dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, transfer to a bowl and let sit, covered for at least 20 minutes.

To prepare the filling, mix together all ingredients in a food processor.

Use a pasta machine if you have one, otherwise roll out the dough by hand until it is 1/8″ thick. Use either a ravioli maker, or use a medium sized round cookie cutter to cut out an even number of circles. Please 3/4-1 tsp of the squash mixture in the middle of a round of ravioli. Use water to brush the edges of each ravioli and place a second round of ravioli on top. Seal by pressing on the edges so that they stick. I also used a fork to crimp the edges while they dried.

Cook them in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or so, until the dough is Al Dente. If you are not eating them right away, let them dry for 2 hours, and then refrigerate until needed. Cook in boiling water for 14-15 minutes, until Al Dente.

Serve the ravioli with the orange sauce.

Butternut Squash Ravioli