I was more into Sci-Fi in Jr. High. I had older friends , whom I knew from the conventions and in the neighborhood , that did'nt treat me like a dumb -ass kid. They were all well - adjusted , confident , and , for the most part , good looking young adults. If I wanted to see the negative stereotype attached to Sci - Fi fans , all I had to do was check out the ones back at school. I even went on my first date before most of them ever did......

Yep, Ellison I think kinda got off on bein' the bad boy of the New Wave of SF. Seems to have cooled off in recent times, might have something to do with bein' off the radar, lately.

Anyhoo, for budding sf fans, I still think he should be read at a certain age (say, high school). Just to stretch their minds beyond ray-guns/warp-drive/bug-eyed monsters, etc.

Dunno if his stuff ages well, tho' (like so many others, both in mainstream and sf).

That's pretty funny. I'm sure a lot of people , here , swear by Ellison. Some might just like to swear AT Ellison. He sure swore at me , but I was very young , and not all cool and heavy and with it , reading Asimov and Kerouac at the same time , with Conan The Barabarian #1 and Howard The Duck #1 in my lap.....It does'nt excuse the way he spoke to me , tho' , I kind of got a laugh out of it. He was acting like an insult comic . He was rude to other people , too.

A former friend of mine became his bestest buddy , because he had the exact same Foghorn Leghorn coffee cup that Ellison lost in an earthquake , and he sent his to him.

But....Putting down Fantagraphics?! They sent me one of the nicest rejection letters I've ever recieved.

Ahhhh hahahaha! 

"I liked Harlan Ellison , too , even though I met him , once."

Called him up on a dare once, to check on some comics news (Polly and her Pals),

braced for an attack, and he was the nicest guy you could dream of! 

('Tho he did do his best to slag Fantagraphics)

Yeh, I was counting up my fave sf/fantasy authors, and except for 1-off books, came up w/ 3 from each category. Today the real world is more interesting than any fiction...

 I don't read a lot of Sci - Fi , anymore. I was into it when I was much younger. I was a big Bradbury fan , and I liked Harlan Ellison , too , even though I met him , once.

Restaurant Style Salsa (made with ro-tel tomatoes. don't think I've posted any with that, yet)

This is from THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS. It's pretty funny, go read it.

Garnachas Juchitecas
Garnachas are antojitos (appetizers) most typically thick masa cakes topped with a variety of meats, beans, chiles with a sauce and cheese. The most simple street vendor recipe uses fried wedges of tortillas and tops them with refried beans and cheese.

This recipe is from Diana Kennedy's My Mexico. The recipe is the regional version from Juchitan.

Ingredients

The Meat
12 ounces boneless steak, trimmed of fat and cubed
1/2 medium white onion, roughly sliced
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
salt to taste
heaped 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion

Garnachas
1 rounded cup masa fresh or prepared for tortillas
1/4 cup (or more) pork lard or oil for frying
1/2 cup (Or more) salsa para garnacha (see recipe)
1/2 cup finely grated queso añejo or Romano
1 heaped cup chilito (see recipe)

Instructions
In a saucepan, barely cover the meat with water, add the sliced onion, garlic and salt to taste, and cook gently until the meat is tender, about 50 minutes. Set aside to cool off in the broth, then drain and chop. Mix with the 1/4 cup of onion.

Divide the masa into 12 small balls and cover them with a cloth while you make the garnachas. Press one of the balls into a thickish circle about 3 inches in diameter and cook as you would a tortilla on an ungreased comal or griddle. Cover each cooked garnacha with a cloth while you cook the rest.

Melt half of the lard in a large skillet, place the garnachas in one layer in the pan, top each with a tablespoon of the meat mixture and a good teaspoon of the sauce, and cook gently flipping the lard over the surface of the garnachas from time to time for about 5 minutes. They should be slightly crispy on the bottom.

Set aside, cover and keep warm while you cook the rest. Sprinkle very lightly with the cheese and serve with the chilito on the side.

Chilito can also be used as a relish for cold meats or in sandwiches.

Makes 4 cups

2 pasilla de Oaxaca or 6 chipotle mora chiles
3 fresh jalapeno chiles
1 large carrot
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/3 cup pineapple vinegar or mild vinegar
salt to taste

Slit the pasilla chiles open and remove the seeds and veins. Douse quickly in hot water, wipe dry and clean. Tear them into several pieces. Slice the jalapenos crosswise without removing the seeds. Shave the carrot into think, broad ribbons with a potato peeler. Mix all of the ingredients together. The vinegar should just moisten, not drown, the ingredients. Set aside to season for about 1 hour.

Beets and Carrot Curry with Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

Serves: 2-3

4 red beets, boiled & cut into bite size pieces

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 green chili, sliced

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 small 4 oz can of coconut milk

cilantro, chopped for garnish

Method:

heat olive oil and add chopped onions, saute until translucent.
add the crushed garlic and saute some more.

add cumin seeds and saute for a minute so the flavor comes out.

add cayenne, turmeric & salt, mix well.

add sliced green chili and saute.

now add the boiled and cut up pieces of beets and saute’ for 2 minutes.

add the carrots and saute for 5 minutes.

let the curry cook for another 5 minutes until carrots are tender.

add the coconut milk and let the curry simmer for few minutes.
garnish with chopped cilantro.
you can serve with rice or any flat bread.

I'm reading HUGO PRATT's Corto Maltese story The Ballad Of The Salt Sea. It's a real immersive novel, you def. have to take yr time with this.

The American edition has been colored, which I enjoy (but not everyone likes it).

Corto is a bit of an anti-hero, like Han Solo. Takes place in the early days of WW1.

I have'nt seen " Vampyr '' in a long time. I'd forgotten there was no dialogue (And this was 1932.). The Criterion Collection has a 2 DVD set. I keep waiting for the price to go down a little. Sound film was'nt like Color , EVERYONE made the jump by 1930.... A lot of Silent Film stars were being shown the door , because they did'nt have trained voices.

...R.Crumb did do The Old Testament. The thought of Basil Wolverton doing the Bible (Though I know that's not what you meant.) is TOO funny.

Griots (Haitian grillots -- fried, glazed pork)

Griots is a rich, flavorful dish and is one of Haiti's most popular, invariably served at parties and family gatherings. Cubes of pork are soaked in a sour orange marinade and then slow-roasted until tender. The tender morsels are then given a finally fry in oil until delectably caramelized.

This recipe uses a mixture of orange and lime juice in place of the hard-to-find sour orange juice. Also spelled grillots, griyo, griyot or griot.

Ingredients

Pork shoulder, cubed -- 4 pounds
Onion, thinly sliced -- 1
Green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced -- 1
Scotch bonnet peppers, chopped (optional) -- 1 or 2
Shallots, thinly sliced -- 2 or 3
Garlic, chopped -- 3 or 4 cloves
Thyme -- 2 teaspoons
Salt -- 2 teaspoons
Pepper -- 1 teaspoon
Oranges -- 2
Limes -- 3
Oil -- 1/4 cup

Method

Add the pork and all the other ingredients except the oil to a large, non-reactive bowl and mixt together well. Refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours to let the meat soak up the marinade.
Oven to 375°F. Place the pork and its marinade into a large roasting pan and cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Place in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the pork is tender.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Remove any extra liquid in the pan, putting it into a saucepan, and set aside. Add the oil to the pan and stir it into the meat. Return the roasting pan to the oven and let the pork cook for 20 to 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Any liquid will evaporate away and the meat will begin to fry in the oil and brown.

While the meat is frying in the oven, place the saucepan with the reserved liquid on the top of the stove and boil it down until it is well reduced and thickens. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and mix the reduced sauce into the browned pork. Serve hot with with sos ti-malice, banan peze and a side of pikliz.

Variations

Use sour orange juice if you can find it. Or substitute pikliz vinegar for some of the orange and lime juice if you like.
Griots can also be made on the stovetop. Use a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid.
Finely chopped scallions can be substituted for the shallots. Use four or five scallions.

Pikliz (Haitian spicy pickled vegetables)

Ingredients

Cabbage, shredded -- 1/2 head
Carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces or grated -- 2
Onion, thinly sliced -- 1
Scotch bonnet peppers -- 2 to 6
Garlic cloves -- 4 to 6
Salt -- 2 teaspoons
Peppercorns -- 8 to 10
White or cane vinegar -- 3 cups

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and toss well to mix. Place all of the vegetables into a clean 2-quart glass jar. Pour in enough vinegar to cover the vegetables, tamping them down to remove any air bubbles.

Store the pikliz in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for a month or two.

Llapingachos (Ecuadorian potato-cheese patties)

Llapingachos (yah-peen-GAH-chos) are a popular side dish in the highlands of Ecuador. They are often served with fried eggs and a simple salad of lettuce, tomato and avocado. Sometimes sausages and a side of rice are added to make a full and typically Ecuadorian meal.

Ingredients

Russet potatoes, peeled -- 2 pounds
White cheese, shredded (see variations) -- 1 cup
Scallions, chopped finely -- 6
Salt -- to taste
Achiote powder (see notes) -- 2 teaspoons
Oil -- 1/4 cup

Salsa de Maní (Peanut Sauce)

Cool, always think of SE Asia when I see peanut sauce, nice to see it in another region.

Milk -- 1 1/2 cups
Onion, thinly sliced -- 1/4 cup
Natural peanut butter -- 1/3 cup
Salt -- to taste

Method

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with salted water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Cook the potatoes until a knife pierces them easily.

Drain the potatoes and set them aside to steam dry for 3 to 4 minutes.

Mash the potatoes until smooth or put them through a ricer. Season to taste with salt. When cool enough, form 1/3 cup portions of the mashed potatoes into balls and set on a baking sheet. Chill for at least 20 minutes; this will make the patties much easier to handle.
While the potatoes are chilling, start your maní sauce. Simmer the milk and sliced onion in a small saucepan for about 10 minutes. Do not boil. Strain the onions from the milk and discard. Whisk the peanut butter into the warm milk and season to taste with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream. Add a little more milk or peanut butter as needed. Set aside.

Remove potatoes from the refrigerator. Mix the cheese and scallions together and stuff each ball with about 1 tablespoon of the mixture. Flatten the balls with your hands to form patties.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the patties, a few at a time, until browned on each side. Remove to a warm oven until all patties have been sautéed. Serve topped with the salsa de maní.

I just mentioned Ellison cause he was buddies w/ Bloch. Yr libraries probably got some short-story collections if yr interested. "Repent Harlequin, Said The TickTockMan" is great.

sleazy said:

Hi Dave,

I don't recall ever reading anything by that writer......I might be wrong though..:)

dave said:

Hey, Sleazy, are you a Harlan Ellison fan as well?

sleazy said:

Poppy Z Brite's Chef novels kick ass! I really hope she does more! Read the novelettes/short stories, too.

Bibliodiscoteque said:

I just finished Warren Ellis' Gun Machine for both review and for January's Podcast.
I'm also working on Liquor and Prime by Poopy Z Brite for Feb. 

Incidentally early copies of The Illustrated Man never contained that story - I don't know if it was fixed eventually - but it only appeared in an Issue of Esquire in the 50's(?).

I'm reading the book about Father Yod/Ya Ho Wa and "The Family". For those who don't know , Father Yod was a decorated WW II Veteran , Wrestler , Weight Lifter , Jiu - Jitsu Master (Who was acquitted after killing two attackers with his bare hands.), unsuccessful Hollywood Actor (He tried out for the part of Tarzan.), and , later , Yoga Student and fabulously successful Restauranteur , named Jim Baker . Becoming increasingly alienated from his Indian Yogi , Baker decided to simply start a Religious group of his own. He started with the highly profitable Source Vegetarian Restaurant on Sunset Strip , leading chanting , meditation and spiritual studies. He quickly became a recognized Guru , embracing many faiths , philosophies and ideals. Ummmmmm.....including polysexuality. He was known to have had 14 wives at one point . Though his attitudes toward women were put to question , it was the women , not the men , who made the bulk of the business decisions , and  the men were not allowed to be the sexual aggressors , they ha to wait to be asked.

Ya Ho Wa (We're told , God's name in it's purest , Biblical , form , though  the Jerusalem Bible spells it as"Yahweh" , early Hebrew had virtually no consonants , so , that probably is accurate enough.) , Baker's new sobriquet (He would both confirm and deny that he was God incarnate.) , brought in followers as disparate as teenage runaways to Steve Allen's Son to Sky Saxon. Outside of Sky's sporadic involvement , the group is most famous for the many free form Psych - Rock LPs they released , independently , as Spirit of 76 , Ya Ho Wa 13 , and others. Nearly all these records featured Djin Aquarian (Late of the Late 60's Chicago Rock band , Soup (Pronounced "Thoup".) on Lead Guitar. The extent of Saxon's input is difficult to gauge , though he did oversee a reissue of all The Family's records on CD in the 90's. I'm finding this book fascinating , and not because I have fantasies of living in a Hippie Commune. Even if they DID live in a mansion.

Still waiting for the original, but I did see the weird, kitschy remake from '89. Fun, but strange.

Fritz Lang supposedly did some set work on the original, so in his honor I present the *untampered* METROPOLIS in all its glory. part 1/3

And this Rice Cooker Hacks - The Ebert Way

Warm Potato Salad with Beer Dressing

Red potatoes and onions form the base of this simple potato salad with a flavorful dressing made with beer and mustard. The potato salad may be served warm or at room temperature.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pounds red potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped mild red or yellow onions
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped chives
.
Beer Dressing:
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3/4 cup lager
3 Tablespoons malt or cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
To make the salad:
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until a knife point can be easily inserted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove, and as soon as you can handle them, slice them, unpeeled, into 1/4-inch rounds.

While the potatoes are still warm, gently mix them with the onions, parsley, and beer dressing. Do not overmix or the potatoes may break into pieces. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings

To make the dressing:
Heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add the lager beer, vinegar, and sugar and boil for 5 minutes. Put into a food processor with the mustard. With the motor running, slowly pour in the remaining 4 Tablespoons olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper.

Yield: about 1 cup, enough for 2-1/2 pounds of potatoes

Scotch Ale Potatoes 

Red potatoes are marinated in Scotch ale, rosemary, and shallots, then roasted and topped with Parmesan cheese. These potatoes are oven-roasted, but you may also roast them on the grill in foil packets.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup Scotch ale (such as Bellhaven, McAndres, Douglas or your favorite)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 large red (or gold) potatoes, washed and cut into rough pieces about 2 inches long and 1 inch thick
1 onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
Place Scotch ale, olive oil, rosemary, shallots, and garlic powder in a large freezer zip-top bag. Seal and squish to combine. Add potatoes and onions to the bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a roasting pan with nonstick foil.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop out potatoes and onions from the marinade (reserving marinade) and place in a single layer in the prepared pan. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the marinade over the potatoes, grabbing as much of the rosemary and shallots as possible. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover roasting pan with a lid or foil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and uncover potatoes. Give them a good stir, then sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, until browned and tender.

Let Scotch ale potatoes rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Note: You may also cook these potatoes on the grill. Seal portions in individual foil packets and grill until tender. Timing will depend upon how hot your grill is.

Cheese Bacon Beer Bread

Beer bread is a quick bread, meaning it does not require yeast or rising time. This version kicks it up a notch with the addition of Cheddar cheese, bacon, oregano, and basil. It is the perfect accompaniment to a filling meal next to a hearty soup or stew. Feel free to vary the flavor by substituting your favorite herbs. This bread is best served fresh from the oven. However, if you have any left over, it makes great toast. You may substitute imitation bacon bits or omit the bacon altogether.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed between palms
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup fine-shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits, optional (may substitute imitation bacon bits)
12 ounces beer, at room temperature (NOT light beer)
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, optional

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, oregano, and basil until evenly combined. Stir in Cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

Pour the beer in all at once. Stir with a dinner fork, only until combined. Do not overmix. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Bake about 1 hour (oven temperatures vary) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Rub butter over the top of the beer bread and let it cool slightly before cutting to serve.

Beer-And-Sriracha-Marinated Beef Lettuce Cups

Strips of beef soak in an umami-rich sauce fortified with beer and laced with sriracha. The excess marinade is reduced to an intense sauce for drizzling over the lettuce cups. This recipe involves advance marinating.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup dark beer

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Juice of ½ lime, plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons sriracha, plus more as condiment

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 pounds New York strip or rib-eye steak, cut crosswise in ¼-inch thick slices

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

¼ teaspoon salt

1-2 red jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/3 cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted

2 cups basmati rice, cooked

1-2 heads green leaf lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

For the marinade, whisk together soy sauce, beer, garlic, sugar, 2 tablespoons lime juice, sriracha and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add meat and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour, or refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.

Prepare condiments. Toss carrot with remaining lime juice and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Place peppers, scallions, mint, cilantro, sesame seeds, sriracha and rice in individual serving bowls. Arrange lettuce on a platter.

To prepare the meat, heat peanut or vegetable oil in a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add beef strips in batches in one layer without overcrowding. Brown on both sides. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Once all the beef has been browned, pour the remaining marinade and any collected meat juices into the skillet. Bring to a boil, scraping up any bits, and reduce until somewhat thickened. Pour into a small bowl.

To serve, top a lettuce leaf with a few spoonfuls of rice, 1-2 meat strips, and a spoonful of the marinade reduction. Sprinkle with the other condiments and drizzle with sriracha. Roll up and eat.

Sounds great! Love for ya to start posting here more often, everyone else seems to have left (hope they weren't marketrons).

Hot stuff rocks!