http://thesmokingkitchen.com I love to cook. But I don't know how. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:08:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Last week, the Supreme Court handed down a couple 5-4 decisions, yet again showcasing the importance of the upcoming election. Liberal justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, both appointed during the Taft administration, will probably opt to either retire or die within the next eight years. Also, it's ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/07/01/obama-alters-campaign-paraphernalia/ Here we go again. Salute the Count, an eight-year-old gelding, tested positive for Clenbuterol, a drug that increases lung capacity. Any of this sound familiar? An athlete beyond his prime doping in order to prolong his career? These guys are all the same. And don't try to play the liberal blame game, ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/26/another-national-pastime-ruined/ I was reading my girlfriend's former boss's blog, Fat and Happy, and Monique had a great idea for keeping track of which restaurants you've been to and which ones you mean to go to: Make a Google map. So I did, and then I decided to throw it on this site. ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/25/new-page-up-restaurant-map/ After a slow start, my herbs have really taken off. The trick to their rapid growth has been the improved weather, and me realizing they need to be watered regularly. However, all is not well in my window box. Check them out. Clockwise from the top left is cilantro, ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/24/another-cry-for-help-out-of-control-herbs/ I woke up early this past Saturday morning and hopped over to the Green City Market, which I mentioned in my last post. The selection is still somewhat limited, I assume because of the extended winter and sopping-wet spring, but it's getting there. Here's what I got: 1. FREE COFFEE They were giving ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/23/farmers-market-trip-and-recipe-request/ It's been a while since I posted, and it's been even longer since I've posted about cooking. So here we go, I'm getting back to the meat and potatoes of this site. The good news is that I haven't been completely disengaged. I've been cooking and occasionally taking pictures. The bad news is ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/20/pan-fried-rib-eyes-with-white-beans-and-leeks/ You know how sometimes you get a craving for a particular food? And you know how sometimes that craving is just so overwhelming you have to go out and do something about it right away? Well, that's how I felt a week ago about tomatoes, so I went to the ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/13/red-round-plum-and-roma-tomato-salad/ Over the course of the long primary season, I've had trouble deciding which candidate I wanted to become the next president of the United States. I never seriously considered any of the Republican candidates, not after I realized John McCain is fundamentally a conservative and Ron Paul is a racist. ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/06/hillary-for-president/ Woe to our age of lost innocence! Woe to the double-edged sword of technology that amplifies our voices to all, including to those who would punish us for those words! And woe to The Amazing Mumford, whose career eventually foundered due to the tragic coincidence of his choice of magic ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/06/03/allah-peanut-butter-sandwiches/ Some of my readership - that is, friends and family who'll be receiving gifts this holiday season - has asked me when I'm going to put up another post. The gap between posts is only partially due to laziness. The other more substantial reason has been technical issues. My computer recently died. My ... http://thesmokingkitchen.com/2008/05/23/crumblin-herbs/