Sausage in Wilson, Kansas

Most out-of-staters see Kansas via I-70, and the interstate is no way view a state. To appreciate any state, it's best to leave the interstate and explore. The next time you're out on the highway and you're looking for adventure, visit Wilson, KS. There in the Czech Capitol of Kansas you'll find two of my favorite things in the world: kolache and sausage. As soon as you step inside the downtown grocery store and the scent of wood smoke working it's magic on the store's sausages hits you, you'll know the two-mile detour off the interestate was worth it. Load up on sausage, it's the type of treat that can physically and spiritually sustain you all the way to the west coast.

 

I love reading restaurant menus.  If they published a book of restaurant menus, I would buy it.  I love browsing menus seeking unexpected, unconventional delights that might be camouflaged in the culinary landscape.  On bbq menus, I sometimes bypass the usual suspects, briskets, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and look for something out of the ordinary.  This weekend I embarked on an impromptu KC bbq tour with some friends looking for something different.

At BB's Lawnside BBQ, we found:

A barbecue Sundae and a side of boudin balls.  This was OK.  It wasn't as good as the smoked catfish, which I loved and am currently looking to smoke at home.

I may have found my favorite BBQ dish in all of Kansas City at Jack Stack Barbecue in Martin City.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing The Crown Prime Beef Ribs.  Please excuse the bit of cheesy corn - one of two sides dishes that comes with the Crown Prime Beef - I dribbled on the rib.  Don't let the $30 dollar price tag scare you away from the dish.  Find two friends and each of you can enjoy a rib.  I guarantee you won't go way hungry.  This single rib looks like something that would tip over Fred Flintstones car at the drive-in.  It's juicy, succulent, and give you a concentrated beef flavor.  Take the best brisket you've ever enjoyed and multiply it by ten, this is the flavor of this dish.  Beef ribs might be my new benchmark for quality BBQ.  Order beef ribs, if you can find them.

Keep the sauce on the side,

muddywaters

PS. . . You should be able to order single ribs on every menu.

South Wind People

Kansas is named after the Kansa Indians, whose name means "people of the south wind." As yesterday's blast furnace, southern wind, stirred whitecaps on farm ponds and rocketed temperature into the low 90's, I was reminded of the aptness of my state's name.

Before the wind wreaked havoc on my weekend, I enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon walking the Kansas River levee trail. The river is the main attraction.



However, after about a mile into the walk, the cottonwoods blocked my view of the river, so I set my eyes on other sights:







Which one of these items did I really want to bring home?

the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind,
muddy

Drink Locally

What do Bud Lite and making love in a canoe have in common?

Both are fucking near water.

We just finished watching the documentary Beer Wars. In addition to producing subpar beer, it seems Anheuser-Busch engages in some insidious tactics to squash small brewers.

Mr. Crankypants isn't very happy about this. In fact, right after watching the documentary, he armed himself with a tiki torch and pitchfork, ready to storm Anheuser-Busch's lair. I told him to relax, and then he mumbled something about that being a pitiful battle cry when dealing with calculating, corporate fucks.

I told him that there will always be corporate fucks out there doing anything to make a buck, and that it's counterproductive to get angry. I told him to stick the tiki torch in the back yard, light it, and we'd lounge in the back yard enjoying a few beers from local brewers who love beer more than they love money.

And that's how we ended up on a Friday afternoon enjoying beers from two Kansas brewers: Free State and Tallgrass Brewing.

drink locally,
muddywaters
PS: Mr. Crankypants also wondered why any one would want to drink a beer brewed by some Missouri pukes.

Little Saigon Cafe

The combination nail salon/restaurant deterred me from trying the Little Saigon Cafe. The neon Pho sign in the window of the nail salon didn't exactly inspire me to slurp noodles.

However, after a few Lawrence chefs recommended the restaurant, I decide to visit Little Saigon Cafe this week. I enjoyed my first experience so much that I returned later in the week. I can't recall the last time I visited a restaurant twice in one week.

I still have a lot to learn about Vietnamese cuisine, but this restaurant is a good place to learn. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly, and I'm eager to return so I can sample the entire menu.

So far I've sampled two soups:

Jjam Bong, which is a Spicy Seafood

and pho

Both soups were amazing. There was tremendous depth of flavor. At this point I would say the pho was my favorite. Its aroma cleared my head and was the perfect aromatheraphy for a stressful day. There were layers and layers of flavor in this soup: salty, citrusy, beefy, minty, and earthy flavors mingled to make a perfect bowl of soup. At the time I had a sore throat, and this soup cured it. Coincidence? Or is this a miracle soup?

Eating soup always changes my state of mind. For me everything slows down when I eat soup, and I find myself living more in the moment. This might sound like New Age mumbo jumbo, but for me it's true. I know I come across as a loon, but I'd have it no other way.

My visit to the Little Saigon Cafe reminded me that this is a big ol' world with a lot to experience. I walked out the doors of the restaurant with a lust for life, which is what good food should inspire.

dancing with thunder,

muddywaters

PS. . . What foods have the power to change your state of mind?

The Bottleneck Mural

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.

***Dorthea Lange

I use a simple point-and-shoot camera for this blog. I'm no photographer, and right now I have no desire to improve my photography skills.

I like taking pictures. I could easily spend an hour a day taking pictures. While I'm not a photographer, I consider myself a documenter. Someday I'm going to place a capital "D" on this title.

I'm very aware that nothing lasts, which is the main reason I'm a documenter. I'm also a documenter because I derive great joy in seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. I like documenting stuff that brings me joy.

For this post, you'd expect some breathtaking photographs to illustrate this point, but I've got nothing. Remember, I'm not a photographer; I'm a documenter.

I snapped these pictures a year ago at a show at The Bottleneck, the legendary Lawrence, Kansas, music venue. It's dark inside The Bottleneck, so it's difficult to take good pictures. However, I didn't let this stop me from taking pictures of the following mural:

It's a very unpolished mural, and while it still might not satisfy most art lovers, I still like it. If you've ever been to The Bottleneck, you know that this is the perfect location for this mural.

I need to do more exploring and documenting of folk art like they're doing over at Deep Fried Kudzu.

trampin' a perpetual journey,
muddy

PS . . . Writing about art makes me think of the following great song by Terry Allen:

Mama Lou: American Strong Woman

Strong women turn me on. I trace this back to the lovely Lynda Carter and her portrayal of Wonder Woman.
However, Freud might throw around terms like Oedipal when describing my love of strong women, but we won't go there because that just would be disturbing.

Last night I pursued my fascination with strong women by attending American Strong Woman Mama Lou's performance at the Lawrence Busker Festival. She swaggered into Lawrence armed with a wink and a bag of tricks.
She strapped on her gloves.
She effortlessly performed a series of one-armed pull ups. She crushed an apple with her bicep.

She lifted two bags of potatoes with her tongue.
She rolled up a skillet with her lovely bare hands.
She broke chopsticks with her butt.

Are you impressed?

And for her finale, she ripped a Kansas City phonebook in half.
I left wowed and slightly in love. This whimsical guy will be seeking therapy.


keeping it weird in Lawrence,
muddywaters

Notes and Observations: Ted Kooser

Do not choose your wife at a dance, but on the field amongst the harvesters.

****From Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps by Ted Kooser

Last night I left Ted Kooser's poetry reading invigorated, and I'm motivated to venture into some new territory with my blog. Today I'll informally share my impressions of Ted Kooser's reading.

• The event was held at The Oread, which is a new hotel in town constructed of native limestone. I'm still forming my opinion of the building, but it might be a bit too much for me. Inside the confines of the stone walls, I felt compelled to strap on a miner's headlamp and to do a little spelunking.

• Poetry should be read aloud. The cadence and music of the words need to be heard for a poem to be fully savored.
  

• Mr. Kooser mentioned that he enjoys writing about ordinary things.

• One of Mr. Kooser's favorite activities is driving by himself and visiting small towns

• Mr. Kooser is good friends with the painter Keith Jacobshagen who I mentioned in my post about my recent trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. After viewing Mr. Jacobshagen's painting and hearing Mr. Kooser read, I see why they are friends. There are great similarities in their works.

• Mr. Kooser mentioned that he might revise a poem 30-40 time before he considers it complete. For someone like myself who doesn't always feel at ease putting pen to paper, I found this reassuring. Even someone of Mr. Kooser's talent and skill still struggles to find the right words.

• He talked about the value of taking time to record family memories. I must set aside time to write down family stories.
  

• He read a poem titled "Splitting an Order" about an elderly couple sharing a meal at a restaurant. I liked this poem because it reminded me of my grandparents who used to share a "broasted" chicken dinner at Green Acre's Restaurant.
  

• When asked about his fondest memory of being the U.S. Poet Laureate, Mr. Kooser said his favorite moment was having the opportunity to interview the songwriter John Prine at the Library of Congress. John Prine was only the second songwriter to perform at the Library of Congress. The first was Woody Guthrie. You can view Mr. Kooser's interview with Mr. Prine at the following link: A Literary Evening with John Prine and Ted Kooser.

There's much more to share of my evening listening to Mr. Kooser, but I'll save it for another day. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to hear him speak.

you can observe a lot just by watchin',
muddy

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Last week I asked the following question: What Alfred Hitchcock movie has a character who is from Salina, KS. The correct answer is Vertigo. In the movie Kim Novak plays Judy Barton, who claims to be from Salina, KS.

Marianne who writes the blog WilleWorks and Jenni who writes Prairie Air submitted correct answers. To determine the recipient of the giveaway item, I pulled a coin from my pocket, assigned Marianne tails and Jenni heads, and flipped.

The coin landed tails side up, so Marianne is the winner of . . .

the book Kansas Curiousities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff by Pam Grout.

Congratulations!

happy new year,
muddy

The Trifecta: A Giveaway, My House Band, and Hamburgers

When I introduced the Avett Brothers as my house band, I promised recipes coupled with their music. Today I begin to make good on that promise. I'll ramble a bit and the journey will be rough because I lack focus this time of year, so be patient. Just click below and listen to a little music while I wander. As you know, music is the perfect rambling companion.



Salina, I'm as nowhere as I can be
Could you add some somewhere to me
Ahh Kansas, I'm kneeling, Ah Kansas, please

"Salina" by
The Avett Brothers

On my favorite Avett Brothers' album Emotionalism, there's a song titled "Salina." The song is about how geographic locales evoke different emotions. If you're a regular reader of The Greasy Skillet, you know that I'm partial to this idea, and you also know from my post about Fred Eaglesmith's song "Kansas" the Great Plains spurs a lot of soul searching. However, I don't want to talk about that. Instead, we'll talk about something trivial, and then we'll conclude with some trivia and a giveaway.

I want to talk hamburgers, specifically the little sliders they serve at The Cozy Inn in Salina. Hamburger aficionados from all over America travel to Salina to dine at The Cozy Inn. Their burgers are little bombs of freshly ground beef, grilled onions, and salt & pepper. Don't ask for cheese because there is none. It's a small place with just a few stools at a counter. Most patrons order a sack of burgers to go. However, if you do this be prepared to smell like onions and grease the rest of the day. The smell saturates everything, your pores, the interior of your car, and possibly your DNA. They don't make my favorite burger, but if you find yourself traveling I-70 and passing through Salina, it's worth picking up a sack of these sliders.

If you can't make your way to Salina, you'll be able to replicate the burger at home by using the following recipe:

Onion-Entangled Griddle Burgers

(From John T. Edge's Book Hamburger and Fries: An American Story)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 2 onions, shaved
• salt and pepper
  
• 6 buns
• preferred condiments

Preparation:

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Divide meat into six equal loose portions. Gather a handful of meat and plop into the pan. Repeat, working in batches as needed. The burgers should be free-from lumps.


2. With a spatula, push the burgers into a round. After 1 minute, pile on all the onions, add salt and pepper, and then smash the onions into the meat. Cook another minute and then flip. Smash the burgers again.


3. Drain the grease that collects. Sprinkle more salt & pepper and cook until you smell the onions starting caramelize.


4. Serve on a bun with preferred condiments.

Now for the trivia question:

What Alfred Hitchcock movie has a character who is from Salina, Kansas?

Post your answer as comment. On December 29th at noon, I'll post the comments and draw a winner from all the correct answers. Keep in mind that I'll only accept one answer from each person, so make your first answer good.

The winner will receive a copy of Kansas Curiousities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff by Pam Grout.

Tramping a perpetual journey,
muddy

Why Did the Deer Cross the Road?

In an earlier post, I suggested good conversation topics for those who might be hosting a dinner for a group of Kansans. Today I'm offering one more topic: Deer. In Kansas we like to talk about deer, especially this time of year. We talk about: deer spotted, deer shot, deer almost shot, deer hit by vehicles, deer narrowly missed by vehicles, deer sausage, and deer jerky.

Even though I possess a keen appreciation for wildlife, I find it odd that Kansans discuss deer so frequently. I should conduct some scholarly research on the topic, but that would cut into my baking time. It's easier to just play along with my fellow Kansans, so I offer you this:

A doe ran into the side of my car, so instead of blogging, I've spent a lot of my free time dealing with the fallout that comes with such trauma.

keep your eyes peeled,

muddy

PS. . . I'm sure deer are discussed frequently in other states, but since I haven't lived anywhere else, I can't be for certain.

Festival of Trees

Wednesday evening the family traveled downtown to view the Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for The Shelter, Inc. The festival ushers in our holiday spirit.

There were traditional trees.

There were a few trees decorated with a culinary flair.
The entire family liked this Candy Land themed tree, but isn't wasn't our overall favorite. In the end, we couldn't reach a consensus when choosing a favorite, so we all chose our personal fave to share with you.

My wife's favorite tree was this darling knitted tree.

It was cutely decorated with tiny mittens, sweaters, and scarves.


Little Miss Pickyeater liked the following tree:

When asked about her choice, she said, "I like it because it's pink."

I and Mr. Crankypants liked the following tree because it was artfully scrapped together, and we're both fans of junk:


We liked the Kansas license plates, and
the Studebaker part topping the tree.
may your hot chocolate be rich and steamy,
muddy

God's Country

(Highway 36 in Kansas between Bird City and McDonald)

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A few years ago, the wrestling coach at my school took a group of athletes to the state tournament in Hays. Out of all of students, only two had been west of Topeka. As he drove the coach kept talking about how western Kansas was God's country. At a rest area one of the wrestlers surveyed the landscape and said,"I think I know why they call this God's country. It's because out here it's just you and God, and that's about it. There aren't even trees here."

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I thought about this story as I drove west last night and I chuckled.

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I love all of Kansas, especially the High Pains west of Hays.

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I love how strangers are more apt to wave as I drive through a town.

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I love the small town restaurants and convenience stores where farmers and ranchers gather to talk and drink coffee.

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I love how the stars and moon are more spectacular west of Hays.

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I love the sunsets west of Hays.

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I love how the people tend to be friendlier and more sincere the further west I drive.

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I love how the weather is always the center of conversation for those on the High Plains who make their livings from the land..

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I love how it is God's country, and there's something spiritual about the landscape.

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What do you love about your region of the country? I'd love to hear from you.

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I'm in southwest Nebraska, and tonight I'll be enjoying the Dundy County Fair.

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feelin' small under this big sky,

muddy

Ode to an Absence

. . . An odd thing, to come upon
an absence, to come upon a death, to come upon
what is left when everything is gone.

***From "The Death of a Small Town" by Kansas native B.H. Fairchild

I have a feeling I won't make a good old man because I'm a brooder. When something slips into past, I don't deal well with the holes left by its absence. I spend too much time thinking about how things once were. I end up with a dark gumbo of feelings of emotions that I have trouble digesting.

I then end up worrying about not being a good old man.

I'm trying to be proactive though because I want to be a good, not-so-crotchety, interesting old man that the grandkids enjoy; therefore, I promise to document the processional as it slips into the sunset. This will be the catharsis. I'll be one of the few (I know I'm not alone) with cameras and pens in hand to document how the little things were. It's all about the small details.

This week the Round Corner Pharmacy will close its doors.


They say it's the oldest continuous running pharmacy in the state of Kansas.

I guess, the plaque makes it a fact.

There was a small cheese shop in the back of the pharmacy. Of course, you could get a good grilled cheese sandwich there.


and that's the way it is,
muddy